June 11, 2022

Please explain to me what Trump meant when saying Ivanka was "Checked Out"

NYTimes states Trump said Ivanka was "checked out" .....WTF does that mean? Is it some kind of Gangsta talk or?

Here's from the TImes:

WASHINGTON — Former President Donald J. Trump, long known for distancing himself from or tossing aside staff members who contradicted him while he was in the White House, discovered a new target on Friday: his elder daughter.

The morning after the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol played recorded video testimony of his daughter, Ivanka Trump, at its prime-time public hearing, Mr. Trump used his social media website to separate himself from what she had said and to say she was “checked out” during the final days of his administration.

In the testimony, Ms. Trump said she was influenced by a Dec. 1, 2020, statement by William P. Barr, then the attorney general, that there was no widespread fraud that had altered the outcome of the election. She testified that she respected Mr. Barr and “accepted what he was saying.”

“Ivanka Trump was not involved in looking at, or studying, Election results,” Mr. Trump wrote on his social media website, Truth Social, in one of eight messages he posted there in response to the hearing. “She had long since checked out and was, in my opinion, only trying to be respectful to Bill Barr and his position as Attorney General (he sucked!).”

May 29, 2022

I know some crazy nutcases in my area and I'm sure you know some where you are.

In recent years a neighbor's son went schizophrenic and intentionally wrecked his car and burned down his father's work shop but fortunately never got a hold of an assault weapon. Another neighbor shot himself to death and others acted in ways way out of the norm. Domestic abuse and disturbances are whispered about all the time. The neighborhood is extremely liberal and somewhat libertarian so people are happy to help out when called upon and stay out of other people's business too.

If this is any indication of a Norm across the country, there are lots of people who are apt to lose it at any moment. We should work hard to reduce the number of weapons and figure out ways to make it difficult to get a hold of one. If people were talking about hand grenades rather than assault rifles there would be no questions asked. People are in denial about the amount of death that can be inflicted with these high powered, rapid fire, get-them-anywhere rifles. Background checks and red flag laws will help, but much more will be needed to put a dent in the mass shooting problem.

People who are a little off, sick in the head or depressed are very susceptible to influence from others. The Right Wing machine members like Tucker Carlson and the rest, with their constant chant of hate and aggravation along with more and worse stuff available on the internet will drive these fragile souls to desperate deeds. Reducing availability of weapons is the only worthwhile path, in my opinion. We should work like the anti-abortion army to close down the gun stores and providers. Imagine protestors lined up outside the gun shows and stores like they do at health clinics across the country.

May 26, 2022

My response to those wanting Ukraine to concede real estate to the Russians.

We've all now read that there are those suggesting Zelensky give territory to Putin to end the Russia's current aggression in Ukraine. The Donbas has about 4 million residents and the Crimea another 2.5. Much of both areas has be reduced to rubble. Maybe a better deal would be for Macron and Italy's Draghi to pick several cities in their countries and still and good shape, to trade off to Russia. They could do this without the bother of losing one soldier or civilian or school or hospital and I'm sure Putin would be overjoyed and surely will be dissuaded from ever using his threats of Nuclear weapons and bad boys from the east to gain any more real estate.

Kissinger, of course, has nothing to give up so nothing will shut him up. His reputation is already in the dumpster and nothing will clean up his record during the few years he has left. His ideas in the 60's and 70's cost thousands of lives and many lost far more than real estate. I guess he thinks other people's real estate is of no consequence.

May 8, 2022

Satellites showing fires and hot spots around globe indicate where the fight is in Ukraine.

Here's a link to the FIRE maps used to track wild fires etc. around the world. Updated twice a day, the red dots show where the fight is in Eastern Ukraine as the Russian try to move south and close off the rest of the Donbas they so much want.

[link:https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/map/#t:adv;d:2022-05-07..2022-05-08;@37.9,48.9,9z|

Turn on the "streets" layer to get town names.

May 5, 2022

My take: Leaker was acting on direction of one of the justices.

Leaker was acting on direction of one of the justices.

What we know: 5 or 6 conservative justices voted to favor Mississippi in the case and an opinion writer has to write it up by June/July of 2022.

Turns out they are not in agreement as to whether to throw out Roe or simply allow the 16 week rule to stand. Maybe they can't get 5 to agree on one side or the other. Without the 5, the case is lost for Mississippi. Panic ensues and the deadline looms. More time is needed and the perfect excuse to push the decision beyond the deadline is to leak the arguments which would allow Roberts to declare a delay would be warranted. Alternatively, the leak moves the intransigent justices to move from the overthrow position to joining the 16 week restriction justices so the deadline is met and some 'progress' is made.

Am I right that there can only be one “winning” opinion while opponents can write as many opposing opinions as they choose? That the majority has to sign the one opinion.

March 10, 2022

The crazy talk of moral war needs to stop.

For some reason the NATO countries are bending over backwards to keep from giving Putin the excuse to use nuclear weapons. Somehow they think he won’t if we just let the Ukrainians beat them without any more help than a few Javelins and Stingers. They think Putin will simply quietly call his commanders and tell them to turn around and head back to Russia. Or maybe our western leaders, steeped in the morals of correctly fighting wars are just waiting for the inevitable, that is the Russians’ victory, which will include the death or removal of millions of Ukranians. The morally superior will then condemn the Russians, talk about how they were so morally blessed not to risk a nuclear war and how everything will be fine now that the war is over…thousands dead or displaced? So be it.

Why do so many think that Putin will not justify his use of Nuclear weapons as he is backed into a corner militarily and economically? Is there any indication he has the slightest hint of a moral compass as he attempts to revive his dream of super power? Does his history of past actions, including poisoning his political rivals, demolishing former Soviet states and his current actions in Ukraine give you any indication of what to expect will be his reaction to lose to Zelensky and the Ukrainians?

When the Nuclear missiles start flying, at least as we shift through the ruins, we will be able to congratulate ourselves for being the ones that didn’t escalate the war and give Putin an excuse to shoot the first one…..as if he needed one.

Where were all the moralists in Washington as Bush ordered his unprovoked Shock and Awl bombardment of Baghdad? 600,000 Iraqis dead. For What? Terrorism? What are the Russians committing in Ukraine right now? Why the hesitation? Did anyone go to Hell for our anti-terrorist wars? In fact, has anyone even mentioned the immorality of the torture brought to the Middle East by our forces?

You don’t want me in charge, that is for sure, but consider this:

Sign Ukraine into the EU and NATO right now. Advise Putin that he needs to remove his troops from Ukraine by March 15th or expect NATO to react as they would to any incursion of any NATO country. March 16th enforce the expulsion of the Russian military from Ukraine…by any means necessary. Call it a “Special Military Operation”. Threaten the use of Nuclear weapons if resisted. Why is Putin the only one that can use such talk? Ukraine has been recognized by the entire political world as a distinct sovereign nation for years. What is holding the moralists back from doing what is apparently necessary to keep Putin from killing those poor people?

March 8, 2022

Huge Russian convoy falls off Media's Radar.

As the vehicles started moving, or not, the Media continues to cover the easy to find 2.0 Million evacuees and avoids any mention of the Convoy. Many, across the world, have put forth all sorts of ideas for destroying the Convoy, but its fate seems to lie in simply becoming invisible to any actual scrutiny. There is one report of the earth opening up and swallowing the trucks
but that was 3 days ago.

February 28, 2022

Putin has apparently read about Hitler's problems in 1944.

In this picture of Putin at his long table, indications are he doesn't want to risk being blown up by his aids.

[link:?quality=75&auto=webp|

February 27, 2022

US trade with Russia is less than with Vietnam.

Not even within top 15 countries.

[link:https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/statistics/highlights/toppartners.html|

February 13, 2022

Hey! I'm looking for some coverage of Ukraine's Military Defense.

My main source of info so far about pending invasion is from the NY Times. While there seem to be many pictures of Russian Tanks, Missile carriers, Fighter jets, helicopters etc. all I've seen of Ukraine's capabilities are pictures of individual soldiers in WW I like trenches. No equipment ie: Trucks, tanks, Howitzers, jets, helicopters...nothing...not even groups of more than 10 guys standing in the same area. There was a picture of some Florida national guardsmen getting ready to leave and some movies of some training with anti tank bazooka like weapons.....but again not too many troops and no equipment.

So has anybody seen anything different that would lead them to think there will even be a fight?