MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

 

Syria blows up again!

 

Syria has, after a bit of calm, has blown up again.

It is the kind of battle where you need a score card to know who is on what side.  And they are always switching sides!  Today's friend is tomorrow's enemy who might be a friend again the day after.

Syria's Assad may flee Damascus and if that happens, we don't know who takes over.

The coalition that ousts Assad will fall apart and the fighting starts again.

Iraq is sending help for Assad (glad we helped Iraq...) and is Russia with airstrikes and mercenaries from the Wagner group are supposed on the way.  Meanwhile, the Kurds are taking advantage of the situation are grabbing more land.

The question of who it ends is easy.  It won't end.  

It's the Middle East.

Trump

 

Donald Trump shocked the world--again!

It should not have come as a surprise since the Democratic Party has drifted so far from its ideals.  It allowed the far left to hijack the party whereas the Republicans backed away from the far right and gathered up the alienated Democratic constituencies.

The Republican Party became the party of the working class whereas the Democratic Party has become the party of the disconnected elite.  In the end, the fascination with transgenderism, vaccine mandates, illegal immigration, and arrogance caught up to the Democratic Party.

Kamala Harris never stood a chance. Avoiding the press, not answering questions, and failing to connect with voters doomed her.  She was unable to distance herself from the Grand Pooba Biden since she was Vice-President.

Nealy 20% of African American men and a majority of Latino men voted for Trump, creating a completely new Republican Party.  Many women voted for Harris, but quite a few still cast a vote for Trump! Independents also broke for Trump.

The Republicans took the popular vote for the first time since 2004.

The Republicans won the Senate and appear to have a slim majority in the House.

The Biden-Harris Administration was thoroughly repudiated. 

There is a lot of work to do to repair the damage from the Biden-Harris idiocy. 

Get to work!

Iran and Israel trade blows....again!

 

Israel and Iran traded blows again.  Instead of ballistic missiles, the Israelis sent planes with stand off missiles.

The results are again mixed and it seem like the Iranian and Israeli strikes seem to entail a lot of effort for little gain.

The international community can call for cease-fires all day, but this is the Middle East.  There are more strikes to follow.  If not today, it will be tomorrow. Or next week.  Or a month from now, but some sor of retaliation for this retaliation is coming.

If Iran develops a nuclear weapon, the Israelis will hit back with the ones they claim not to have.

There really is little anyone can do other than let the combatants fight it out.  

How it looks in the end is anyone's guess.  I do know one thing.  

There will be more fighting.  Why?

It's the Middle East.

EU vs Hungary, and some others...

 

Hungary and the European Union seem to be on a collision course.

 Hungary refuses to abide by EU "rules" on letting in illegal immigrants.

Listen to that again: Hungary refused to let in illegal immigrants.

Hungary regards them as a security threat the the EU is fining Hungary one million euros a day until they led in illegal immigrants.  Hungary, meanwhile, is sending migrants in a bus to Brussels.  Brussels is not happy.

Meanwhile the Netherlands is asking to opt out of EU immigration rules.  And powerhouse Germany has reinstated border controls.  The EU openborder policy seems to be failing as well.

You have heard me say it before.  The EU should have remained the Common Market.  The "European superstate" thing is not going to work.  Now it tries to exercise dictatorial  powers against its own members since they won't agree to work against their own interests.

The number of terrorist attacks in Europe due to "migrants" should be a warning to every member of the European Union and the EU itself.

Watch from European nations to follow Britain's 2016 example. 

Hopefully, they do it right!

Anniversary!

 

Never Forget!

 

Doesn't understand economics...or anything else

 

Price controls?

Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of economics or history knows price controls don't work.

In order to get control of inflation that the Biden-Harris administration has caused printing money to cover runaway government spending, the Cackler said she wanted to impose price controls on groceries.  

Aside from the fact it is unAmerican, it won't work.

I guess this proposal appeals to her desire to control everything and it stems from the fact she has never had a real job.  Or has an understanding of economics.  Or anything any thing else. 

I decide how much to charge for something.  Not the government.  The LAST thing anyone wants to do is raise prices.  Sometimes, you have to in order to cover expenses.  Kamala does not understand this.

Is corporate greed behind price-gauging.  Certainly, but markets and customers have a tendency to handle that. Not perfect, but if you lead free enterprise capitalism alone, it can take care of itself.

Price controls lead to shortages as companies cannot cover expenses by raising (or lowering) prices.  Tell the government to cut expenses and not print money and amazing how things solve themselves!

Diocletian tried to impose price controls and everyone ran out of everything,  In recent history, Presidents Truman and Nixon did the same with the prices of meat and soon meat vanished off the shelves as producers did not bother to produce since they could not make a profit.

The Soviet Union had price controls and a centrally planned economy. 

How did that work out?

If Kamala was any dumber, she might be stupid.

Sometimes I wonder if our entire society is too stupid to survive.

If so, it was fun while it lasted!

Let The Games Begin!

 

The Democratic National Convention has begun in Chicago and protestors/rioters have all ready broken through the fences and are fighting with the Chicago PD. 

The deposed Grand Pooba Biden will give the opening speech and leave sullenly for DC or Delaware.  Cackling Goofall Kamala Harris might say something and everyone will wish that she would shut up.

Fourteen million Democratic primary voters will have their ballots thrown out and the "Defenders of Democracy" will pick their own candidate. 

If you are stupid enough to vote for Kamala Harris, you deserve what you get.

In the meantime, enjoy the riots and take bets about how many shops get looted and how long it takes the Cook County DA to let "arrested" rioters go.

Idiot Of The Year

 

Wide spread riots broke out over Britain after an alleged immigrant (turns out to be a native-born son of Rwandan immigrants) allegedly stabbed three little girls to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event.

Riots are not the way to go, but it seems the frustration with the British government's incompetency in handing immigration boiled over and off they went!

Prime Minister Starmer was shouting about "right wing thuggery" instead of trying to calm the situation and became upset when it was pointed out that the places the riots were occuring were places that had voted for his Labour Party.  Meanwhile, Muslim demonstrators threatening people were marching through Birmingham, England the the police were no where to be seen!

It's called "two tier policing" and there is not justification for it.  Equal before the law or just chuck in it out the window.

Then, the idiocy/fascism continued when UK Police Commissioner Mark Rowley announced that social media posts supporting protest or deemed insulting to immigrants (many illegal) would be punished.  Then this Gestapo wannabe said even US posts were subject to this (unratified) law and they would "be coming after you."

Did you not try that in 1776?

Rowley needs to shut up and stop sounding like an idiot.  You need to remember your job and calm the situation, not attempt and fail to stifle freedom of speech.

The British Empire is dead, Rowely, and it is not coming back.

Meanwhile, you are welcome for the First World War, Second World War, and the Cold War.  

As we say on this sided of the Pond, stay in your own lane.

Party like its 1968!

 

In January of 1968, then President Lyndon B Johnson announced he was not running for re-election. Clearly, he was burned out by the Vietnam War.  That led to a scramble in the Democratic Party for a new candidate.  They eventually selected Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota in a Chicago convention that was chaotic and near riots outside the convention hall every day.  Humphry would go on to be destroyed by Richard Nixon in the election.

In 2024, Joe Biden, after a disastrous debate performance that bordered on elder abuse, announced he was not going to run in the 2024 election.  Some also allege that the Democratic Party leadership forced his out, but the point is that the current occupant of the Oval Office, in both 1968 and 2024, was not running for re-election. 

In 1968 and 2024, the Republican candidates, Richard Nixon and Donald Trump were "comeback kids" of sorts.  Nixon had lost a contentious election in 1960 and was back.  Trump had been in an election with many irregularities in 2020, and he is back, having also survived an assassination attempt!

Continuing the parallels, is the fact the Democratic Convention is in Chicago in 2024.  

And the protesters are coming!

Bonus info: The Democratic Convention of 1924, also chaotic, was in Chicago.

Each convention was chaotic and each led to a Democratic loss.

Since Kamala Harris did not run in any primary, this is hardly "democratic".  

The Democratic voters elected--for better or worse--Joe Biden.  There is time for primaries even if it is a bit rushed.  If this had happened three days before the convention or election, then fine.  Not perfect, but orderly at least.  Now, it seems the "Party of the People" has invalidated the votes of its own members.

Things called "democratic"--Democratic People Republic of Korea (North Korea) and German Democratic Republic (East Germany) usually are not.  

Is the Democratic (?) Party in America on that list too now?

If History does not repeat, it certainly rhymes!   

No excuse for this in America

 

I was not surprised when some leftist tried to shoot former President Trump.  I was surprised someone did not try something this stupid even earlier.

All the failed attack did was galvanize Trump supporters and this pic will be the defining picture of the 2024 campaign.

The root cause of this attack the the hyper-charged rhetoric, usually from the left side of the political spectrum, about Trump being a "threat to democracy" though this is never defined. They speak of a fear of "authoritarianism" though they happily went along with the COVID nonsense. 

Liberalism is supposed to be about tolerance, kindness and empathy.

That is not the case anymore.  Any delusions that these people support such things is gone.

The country appears to be lurching toward some sort of split and something this stupid could lead to violence.  It could be argued it all ready has.

Remember the ones who want wars lose.

Be careful what you wish for.

Time to return to civility and common sense.

Hopefully, America has not gone completely around the bend.

Happy Fourth of July!

 

Elder Abuse

I tuned in to watch the Trump-Biden debate and was horrified.

As much as I don't like Biden, I actually said "This is elder abuse" 

They should have thrown in the towel.

I have seen presidential debates where on side did not do very well.  Those were like football games where the score was 31-10 or something.  At least they got on the board.  This one seemed to have a score of 47-0...at halftime!

I reminded me of "Rocky IV" where Apollo Creed was getting clobbered by Dragov and Rocky was thinking about throwing in the towel even though his friend was going to be mad at him.  Fine...at least you are alive to be mad!

I don't know if there is enough time to find a replacement for Biden and, personally, I hope they don't so that he goes out and gets demolished.  If I had the misfortune to be running the DNC this year, I would concentrate on Senate and House races.  No candidate there would want to be seen with Biden.

It is beyond time for him to go.  Biden has put the country in danger with the open border nonsense and people have died. Some maintain he has blood on his hands.  It could be seen as that way.  Others are talking about invoking the XXV Amendment and having him removed.  That might be one way around the ballot deadlines.  They know this better than me.

If Biden were to be replaced, who makes that decision.  Are they going to have primaries so the people can decided?  Or is it going to be some backroom deal? 

Given the recent "Democratic" predilection for authoritarianism, I see backroom deal.

So much for the "Party of the People" 

Gotta better idea.  Go back to representing the People (yes, capital P) and go back to your working-class roots and classical liberalism.  Not this failed pseduo-Communist garbage. 

As I said before, they will end up in the dustbin of History.

Hopefully, sooner than later. 

Hurtling across PA and Ohio!

Chelly and I spent the week in Pittsburgh, tromping around Steeltown.  We went to the Cathedral of Learning before heading off to the Carnegie Museum of Natural History.  I paid homage to my old friend, the holotype skeleton of Tyrannosaurs, and spent four hours in the museum.  The we found the site of Forbes Field, the old home of the Pirates and Steelers.  After going up and down the inclines at Dusqune and Monongahela, we grabbed some pizza and got ready to hurtle westward.  

 The next day, we charged into Ohio, making our way to Cleveland.  I growled at the Browns stadium before making out way to Canton.  After hanging out around there for a few hours, we headed for home.  Going through West Virginia and "Lizard Tail" Virginia, we made it home in time to feed the cats, who angrily demanded where we had been.

The furry overlords rule over all....LOL

Even T-Rex yields to their authority.

Happy Memorial Day!

 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

The kicker gets famous

 

Kickers are usually the smallest players on the field, but they have outsized influence.  Often, they are the difference between winning and losing and frequently hit the field goal at the end...or miss and lose.

Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker gave a graduation speech at Benedictine College in Atkinson, Kansas, that seems to have ruffled the liberal elite.  He called on women to be homemakers and mothers.  

  Immediately, we see the "outrage" from the usual crowd.  We even saw the NFL Diversity, Inclusion, Equity guy distance himself from the opinion, which, by the way, is the opposite of inclusion.

Meanwhile jersey sales for Butker's #7 have skyrockets and may degree-bearing women have come out in his defense. His own teammates have supported him as well,  It is pretty obvious that the "wokism" stuff is getting stale.

We have freedom of speech in this country.  Attempts to "dox" people or get them fired for something that is not "fashionable" is akin to MacCarthyism.  

Like I said before, wokism needs to make room in the dustbin of history somewhere between Nazis, feudal monarchies, and communism.   

And disco!

Go Butker

Aurora Borealis!

 

I have seen the Northern Lights before up in Canada.  I have even seen them out here in the desert  a couple of times.  Its not easy to spot sometimes, but it is still an amazing sight!  

Usually it is a product of reflections of the lakes in sub-Arctic Canada and this year it was due to a Sun storm.  Still really awesome stuff.  Waiting for some moron to turn it into something political.  LOL

Nonetheless it does remind me of looking up in wonder the first time I saw them in Saskatchewan.  I was lucky enough to be on the edge of Regina away from city lights.  This time, Michelle and I were out in the desert watching it as coyotes howled.  That was interesting!

If you did not get to see it, check it out on Youtube.  Not the same as seeing it in real life, but better than missing it completely!

Happy Greek Orthodx Easter!

 

HAPPY GREEK ORTHODOX EASTER!  You know, the real one :-P

Weirdest Middle Eastern conflict ever....

 

I am not sure what the point was.

Over 300 Drones and missiles were launched from Iran.  The Israelis saw it coming and intercepted 99% of the incoming ordinance.  Of course, I am wondering how they missed the 5k missiles in Gaza in October 2023, but that is something else.

  The Iranian missile attack was an appalling failure.  I thought it was wiser for Israel to publicly laugh at the Iranian failure.  That would have been that.  Especially since the IDF is fighting hard in Gaza.

Israel launched an airstrike, flying over Syria and Iraq, invaded Iranian airspace and hit......nothing.

Satellites saw no impact craters or wreckage.

It is better that seeing a Middle Eastern war, but it was strange.  Both sides did not really seem interesting in hitting each other.  Seems like it was just a big light show.

Maybe it blows up later.  Hopefully not.  The anticipated and feared Israeil-Iran clash turned out to be a nothing burger.

Just as well. 

Solar Eclipse!

 

We have a solar eclipse marching its way across the country's midsection tomorrow!

That is always fun to see.  Not sure why people are buying eggs and milk though...

Still, it is the first one since 2017 and we have to reach back to 1978 go find another full eclipse though we had a partial one in 1984.  I don't think it is a harbinger of doom or anything.  Given the way our society is falling apart, I might need to get my plague beak costume out...LOL

I have my sunglasses from seven years ago, so all is well.  

There is supposed to be another in 2044, so maybe we can have it in time for the 100th anniversary of Normandy!

Happy Easter!

 

Happy Greek Independence Day!

 

HAPPY GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Border chaos

 

Remember this picture

Unarmed criminals, aided and encouraged by the US federal government, charged and fought with the Texas National Guard to get into the county.

No word of arrests or thrown back into Mexico.

The Texas National Guard, armed with rifles, did not shoot at the invaders. That is what they are--invaders.

Meanwhile, billions of dollars are sent to Ukraine, but our own border is wide open.

The first duty of any government is to protect its people.  They are not even trying.  Meanwhile crime spirals out of control.  The government is $34 trillion in the hole and does not seem in interesting in balancing it budget.

Sometimes, a society is just too stupid to survive.

Didn't get rid of this?

 

I thought we got rid of Daylight Savings Time?

Well, Congress was on it, so that might explain why it is still around.  Arizona did the smart thing and decided to go without it.  Living in the desert seems to impart wisdom.

Daylight savings time did come in handy for my a few times though.  Once, we forgot to set the clocks ahead an hour and showed up at church just as it was ending  :-)  Another time, my cousins and I were playing Dungeons and Dragons (back when it was board game!) until 2am.  Because of daylight savings, we can say we played until 3am!  Twice, when I was working overnights in radio, I got an extra hour (and whopping $7) and got to program whatever I wanted because our nincompoop of a program director apparently forgot about Daylight Savings Time even though we have used it since the First World War.

And you wonder why they went bankrupt...

Still, I will enjoy the longer daylight hours and lobby, as usual to maintain this version of it, and get ride of Daylights Saving Time for good.

Congress says they want to get rid of it, so that means it is around forever,

I can play football outside a bit longer at least!

Ukraine war grinds into third year...

 

What was supposed to be a quick strike is not in its third year.

It seems Russia in pushing forward and might win.  All of the aid to Ukraine is not helping and I, along with millions of others, are wondering where the money went if the Ukrainians are sort of ammo.

Once again, the whole war could have been avoided if the US gave Russia what it wanted--a written guarantee that Ukraine would not join NATO.  It would have cost nothing.

Plus, who would want Ukraine in NATO anyway.  The corruption there makes DC look almost saintly.

I am thinking that they give Ukraine enough to keep the war going so arms dealers can make money off a war they want to continue forever.

It looks like they might have underestimated Russian determination to win.

I don't think Russia will conquer all of Ukraine, but I don't see a real end to this war soon.

Just like the arms dealers want.

Staggering into oblivian

 

This is the guy claiming to be president.

After that disastrous interview after his deposition for mishandling classified documents, there is grumbling from all quarters, including his own cabinet, to invoke the XXV Amendment

Biden reminds me of Brezhnev of the old USSR stumbling through speeches and being a general embarrassment. Our politicians are in their late 70s and early 80s, giving us more Soviet vibes.

The southern border is in chaos, the economy is in trouble, and everyone hates the federal government, including elements of the federal government itself.  It is a view of an expanding disaster.

Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are acting more aggressive and soon they will go beyond mere provocation   They are clearly watching the unstable US situation waiting to strike.  April and September is the best time to launch an attack across the Taiwan Strait.  The US is getting further embroiled in the Middle East.  Sending aid to Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan is stretching American inventories to the breaking point.  And let's not forget there is an election in November that the weak Biden is favored to lose.

The time to strike might be close.

On the other hand, we might see more foreign election interference in order to keep Biden in office to further weaken the US from inside.

 I get the feeling there are new pages in the history book being written right now.

Will it be in English or Chinese?

 

 

Texas vs DC

 

The State of Texas took control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas to stem the illegal migrants streaming across the Rio Grande.  The Texas National Guard, also known as the Texas Military Department, kicked the US Border Patrol out of the area.  The White House ordered Texas to give the area back to the Border Patrol, but Texas Governor Abbot has said NO.

The US federal government wants to send billions to Ukraine and keeps soldiers on the Syrian-Iraqi border. None on the US border, which the federal government is supposed to defend.

And here does Biden get off demanding anything from anyone?  We are lucky if the guy knows what planet he is on.

It is a felony to enter the country illegally.  It has been going on since the 1990s.  So the US government is going to sue Texas for enforcing federal law?  Texas has announced they will ignore anything the federal government demands and rightfully so.  Any government's first duty is to protect the people. And it has failed.

But if you object to sexually explicit material given to first graders, the FBI puts you on a list.

Joe Biden is a joke.  Please let him just wander off into the dustbin of history.

Texas, keep doing what you are doing!

Still not cheering for the Cowboys though :-P 

China goes West?

 

China a land-locked nation whose has the worst maritime geography I have ever seen.

  Taiwan sits in the way and China as a lot of enemies in the South China Sea and China's trade would be cut off by a blockade of the Malacca Straits.  A distant blockade of China can basically strangle the country.  Making matters worse are the Nicobar island behind the Malacca Straits.

  Could China be taking a page out of America's book?

 Going west overland costs more that shipping over water, but it is through the territory of allies.  The goods will get to their markets.  There is no danger a US Navy blockade.  

The Belt and Road Initiative is following the route of the old Silk Road. So is this a case of "Back to the Future" meets "Manifest Destiny". 

Next week we see the Taiwanese elections!

It is between the Democratic Progressive Party, somewhat more confrontational with the mainland, and the Kuomintang, which is a little more accommodating to Beijing.  The Kuomintang stance is a bit odd considering its combat against the Communists in 1949.

Let's see if Xi had fixed the elections in Taiwan and if the Kuomintang wins.  Then we see if the new administration waves the CCP in.

Looks like 2024 is off to an interesting start!

 

Happy New Year!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

  Shouting about China going west tomorrow!