Thursday, December 31, 2020

That’s a strategy?

It appears the great Republican strategy to capture the nation from Democrats and minorities is McConnell screaming national debt and Hawley acting like a Trump wannabes.

If there is anything the Republicans have yet to learn is that Americans are tired of the game. They want genuine people in office they can put their trust into without lies and deceptions or isolated in their choice of media coverage. I wish the “gaming” would stop and real governance would result. We would be a better country for it.

According to a report today Australia is being spied on by the communists. A Chinese drone was found near shipping lanes between Indonesia and Australia by Indonesian fishermen.  That could escalate if this isn’t an isolated incident. The USA has bigger things to worry about than Republican deceptions to the electorate.

Wednesday, December 30, 2020

With Hawley willing to play politics..,

...be prepared for Republicans to vote outside the Electoral College findings because they did the same thing with Trump’s impeachment. Trump won’t get the votes to change the outcome of the election, but, they will do it anyway. 

Why?

Georgia Senate Race and perverted Senate politics. It keeps the new Republican myth that corruption rules the country. 

The people of the USA need to pay attention to the level of corruption displayed by Republicans on January 6, 2021. Those that do will witness for themselves how far Republicans will go to assault the will of the American people.

They don’t care about the people. They care about themselves and the wealth they reap from their seats of power.

Racial Discrimination

I was just reading an article in The NY Times regarding discrimination in resolving claims for dwelling (apartment and/or home) insurance. 

Let’s, for this entry, assume all insurance claims are discriminating based on ethnicity/race when it comes to people of color. I am going to add another qualifier, balance insurance bias/discrimination with the KNOWN commodity of Environmental Justice.

The US Congress as well as state legislatures should have no problem in stepping up to the challenge and bring about legislation that places all claims on the same level playing field. Then define that level playing field for profound fairness in quotes for insurance, fees, claims, and claim resolution. 

When that legislation is written a clause that provides transparency for the customer and transparency for annual reporting of statistics must be included. By reporting statistics (absent of customer personal data) legislators can determine whether insurance premiums are fair or gouging consumers.

Insurance providers of any kind also need to be blind to ethnicity, race, gender, sexual identity and the way a person makes a living except if the insurance is directly involved in employment, ie: fire personnel or police that receive insurance through a union contract. 

Penalties for not adhering to the rule of law should be made plain to the insurer if violations occur. The fines need to be significant. The insurer has broken the law(s) that directly effect citizen’s lives.

Penalties, including jail/prison time should be part of the legislation, including prohibition of pardons. And let’s not forget prohibited from any form of liability waiver.

Tuesday, December 29, 2020

Unruly students

When I think of Trump supporters there are two categories; those that become wealthy on the novelty and those unwitting from peer pressure.

There is little to be done with those preying on others to gather personal wealth, but, the solution to this dynamic is the same for both, teach to remove ignorance. 

It is amazing to me that once unruly students become ENGAGED in the lesson being taught when personal attention is provided to bring them up to speed. 

When I teach and notice behavioral problems or silent distraction I always offer personal help during class and at the end of teaching a daily lesson, I offer time at the end of the day for any student who cares to review any subject. Guess what? I never leave on time for home because students always show up after they too finish classes.

The point is children and/or young people have “ego defenses.” Those ego defenses are difficult to get past because they receive approval from peers with similar knowledge deficits. I do believe knowledge deficits are at the basis of many a bully and their cohorts.

I have yet to witness a student engaged in study and doing well, spend time as a bully so much as completing an in class assignment or homework. When students with poor behavior are proved an opportunity to ask questions one on one during or after class their bad behavior improves and often is eliminated. I believe that same method of engagement extends to adults.

People long for power in their lives that will not betray their trust. Americans engaged in politics for the first time in their lives regardless of their age will attach themselves to foolish and often adverse information for the purpose of peer acceptance. It is a form of brainwashing on a societal level. It isn’t political because it is based in disinformation, lies, half-truths and a demonization of truth tellers.

ie: Don, Jr. and probably Ivanka will engage any peripheral belief system, including white supremacy/nationalists. The most stark example is that of the “Tiger King.” I think that is the name of the wayward and supposed animal loving people that created a movie about their caging of what should be wild animals. Jr. didn’t care about the truth. He took the “fascination” of those following and enthusiastic about the movie as his purpose when he achieves power to right a supposed wrong, hence voters.

It isn’t okay anymore for politics to estrange American voters from the truth and benevolence that is the foundation of this democracy. All Americans must be told an understanding of truth and why truth is considered the best basis for power. 

I sincerely believe when politics goes off the rails to allow adversity a legitimate place in society it in turn destroys democracy. Democracy lives and grows within truth. Not truthiness, but, unforgiving truth.

Truth does not abandon democracy, it solidifies it. Truth is a vapor and not brick and mortar. It can easily be toyed with when ethics is scoffed at as a sissy behavior. Ethics is not law, but, ask any student I have taught if it is important and they will say, “My principal and parents cannot punish me for telling it.” 

Truth is a foundation that becomes stronger as it grows among a society. It is not a toy, it is freedom. In the case of Trump supporters, the unwitting become knowledgeable and those seeking wealth at the expense of democracy can no longer deliver votes for the lack of followers. 

Chronic pain

This is not a scientific poll, however, in speaking to basically strangers who have suffered contracting the virus and lived, state they are grateful to be alive. They state they know other people they know, on a spectrum of friend to family, that did not survive the virus. The most common symptom after recovering from SARS-Cov-2 is chronic pain that feels like arthritis. 

I believe this pain is neurological and not much musculoskeletal. I believe anti-inflammatories during and after recovery may lessen the pain. Anti-inflammatories as simple as aspirin or ibuprofen should be followed in a trial of these people. The problem being GI and kidney problems over the short and long term. 

Some of these people were receiving physical therapy and state they still have the pain. 

The post virus attack should be treated vigorously to return function and comfort to its victims.

Eliminating SARS-Cov-2 from the face of Earth should be a high priority and refusal to accept the concept of “permanent endemic” at every turn.

This new strain of the virus effects children and spreads easily. That strain must be ended as well to prevent a generation of cripples.

January 6, 2021 will be uneventful.

The Electoral College will elect Joe Biden as President of the United States of America. 

What Al Gore didn’t say when he lead the Electoral College in 2001, was that if a Senator had signed the written complaint there would then be a hearing of FACTS that would prove there were egregious breeches in the election that could actually change the outcome.

A House Representative and a US Senator cannot simply submit a written complaint to over turn the vote of the people. They have to prove there were actually remarkable issues with the election. They have to show all four swing states had profound problems that caused their electors to be fraudulent. That won’t happen because those states have been scrutinized and held to be accountable in courts of law. 

Bringing a complaint to the Electoral College in the year 2021 is nothing but the last attempt of a defeated president to commit fraud to stay in power.

The Weather

 Stay home.

There is a whopper of a severe storm headed for the Midwest and nearly the entire east coast. There is going to be dangerous conditions New Year’s Eve and New Years Day and most of the days leading up to the holiday. 

Given the social circumstances and the very dangerous weather to would be BEST if everyone would stay home to celebrate and WELCOME in the New Year.

The northwest USA will have as much severe weather as the rest of the country.

Please, everyone, be safe. Thank you.








Sunday, December 27, 2020

Enjoy the holiday. I think the country is safe from any repeat of violence this holiday season.

The new year is coming,

Be happy. 

Stay safe.

Masks work.

Social distancing works.

Hand hygiene works. 

Stay away from uncertain social venues like bars.

Until later...

Trump's negligence will fall to Congress' shoulders.

pocket veto - The Constitution grants (click here) the president 10 days to review a measure passed by the Congress. If the president has not signed the bill after 10 days, it becomes law without his signature. However, if Congress adjourns during the 10-day period, the bill does not become law.

Ten days from December 22, 2020 falls on January 1, 2021. Some of the states have passed aid bills. 

December 22, 2020
By Andrew Taylor

Congress passed a $900 billion pandemic relief package (click here) that would finally deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Lawmakers tacked on a $1.4 trillion catchall spending bill and thousands of pages of other end-of-session business in a massive bundle of bipartisan legislation as Capitol Hill prepared to close the books on the year. The bill approved Monday night went to President Donald Trump for his signature, which was expected in the coming days.

The relief package, unveiled Monday afternoon, sped through the House and Senate in a matter of hours. The Senate cleared the package by a 92-6 vote after the House approved it by another lopsided vote, 359-53. The tallies were a bipartisan coda to months of partisanship and politicking, a logjam that broke after President-elect Joe Biden urged his party to accept a compromise with top Republicans that is smaller than many Democrats would have liked....

A Lone Wolf

It looks like the bomb was a suicide of a man that worked with IT. Both he and his RV are missing from his home and he gave the deed to his home and another property to a woman friend. He was paranoid of 5G, hence, ATT. 

It looks like a one time attack. It is a strange time in the USA.

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Besides the apppropriate lockdowns across the country to stem the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the country needs to be put on alert when returning to work on Monday.

This is a terrorist attack. It has the probability of a domestic terrorist attack, but, none the less it is a terrorist attack.

The USA has a national alert system that was regularly used after September 11, 2001, and that should be applied until more is known about this bombing.

It doesn't feel right. Nashville is not the place where extremists go to make a point. I think the fact this was Christmas is less about the holiday/Holy Day and more about the area being empty to reduce any deaths from the explosion.

The staging of this bombing was studied. It was decided when and where this would take place. This was planned and did not occur by some angry person.

The buildings that have shattered glass as the major damage probably have more damage than is evident. They are beautiful buildings by the way. Iconic for the city and area. But, concussive force of air can do damage that would erode the structure slowly over a shorter period of time than it would normally occur. Before any of the buildings are occupied adding weight and stress to them engineers must check the foundations and the floors above the foundation to be sure it is sound. Bricks are beautiful and stand up to intense wind like hurricanes, but, a force that was unleashed by the bomb would create high velocity that could disrupt the masonry. All the buildings in the area of the explosion, especially those showing damage, must be inspected for safety before they can be occupied again.

December 26, 2020

By Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs and Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio

Officials said at least 41 businesses, (click here) including several historic buildings, had been damaged by the explosion.

Federal agents said on Saturday that they do not yet know who carried out the Christmas Day explosion that ripped through the city’s downtown, mangling storefronts, injuring three people and leaving the city mystified as to the motive.

Investigators were tracking down more than 500 leads, working to piece together what happened before an R.V. — apparently rigged with explosives and parked on a street in the tourist district — detonated in the early hours of Christmas. The blast devastated the neighborhood, which regularly draws thousands of people each night, and officials said the city was lucky no one was killed.

Douglas Korneski, the F.B.I. special agent in charge of the Memphis office, said at a news conference that more than 250 F.B.I. employees were working the case, but that they still had many unanswered questions....

I am curious about the gun violence that prompted the 911 call. Nashville has a higher gun violence rate than Chicago which is chronically pointed to as an out of control city.

I don't know if it was related to the bombing. I don't really believe in coincidence, but, there were a series of incidents that makes the timing of the bomb explosion appear to be aligned with the actions of a 911 call. It is hard to believe it was all coincidence.

January 3, 2020
By Beth Joslyn Roth

Gun violence in Tennessee is a public health crisis. (click here)

Based on the most recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, we are 11th for firearm mortality, seventh for firearm homicide, and fourth for both youth gun death and gun homicides. 

According to data reported by The Tennessean, Tennessee is currently fifth in the nation for women murdered by men, most often with a firearm and almost always by a man they know. Tennessee has ranked in the top 10 states for women murdered by men for the last decade.

Tennessee also has an ongoing problem with unintentional shootings involving children with access to negligently stored guns. In 2017, Tennessee led the nation in these types of shootings. There have been 25 of these incidents this year, resulting in the deaths of eight kids....

The bombing was a complete surprise and it could be the act of a lone wolf. The surprise worries me. If there was no suspicion of this act of violence, how much more is not suspected? I think the country needs to be on alert and their State Bureaus of Investigation should be reviewing any potential to this level of violence that may be under the radar.

December 26, 2020
By Kimberlee Kruesi, Michael Balsamo, and Eric Tucker

Nashville, Tenn. – Federal agents converged Saturday (click here) on the home of a possible person of interest in the explosion that rocked downtown Nashville as investigators scoured hundreds of tips and leads in the blast that pulverized city blocks on Christmas morning and damaged dozens of buildings.

More than 24 hours after the explosion, a motive remained elusive as investigators worked round-the-clock to resolve unanswered questions about the mysterious blast, which took place on a mostly deserted street on a sleepy holiday morning and was prefaced by a recorded warning advising those nearby to evacuate.

Still, there were signs of progress in the investigation, as the FBI revealed that it was looking at a number of individuals who may be connected to the investigation. Officials also said no additional explosive devices have been found – indicating no active threat to the area. Investigators have received around 500 tips and leads....

Credit...

It is a similar methodology to Timothy McVeigh. Reports the FBI may have a person of interest.

The FBI (click here) is probing whether Nashville's Christmas Day bombing was deliberately designed to target police officers, amid reports that investigators have found human remains at the site of the blast. The RV which exploded is pictured

26 December 2020
By Andrew Court, Francis Mulraney, and Jennifer Smith
Explosion occurred on 2nd Avenue (click here) in Nashville's downtown at 6.40am on Christmas morning 

The blast injured three people and caused massive damage

Cops had been called to the area a short time before the explosion amid reports of a shooting

However, when they arrived at the scene they discovered a parked RV playing a recording which claimed the vehicle would explode 

The FBI is now investigating whether the bomb may have been designed to deliberately target police officers as they were lured into the area

Meanwhile, possible human remains have been discovered near the site of the explosion

Dramatic new videos have also been shared; one  shows buildings shaking during the impact of the blast while another shows a man run for cover...

The police did exactly what they should have done, warn people living in the surrounding buildings to evacuate to a safe distance. If he was targeting police he didn't understand police work.
McVeigh's rental truck was a large explosion; so was the bomb-RV filled with fertilizer? There was no rental truck because it would have been investigated if it was parked in that area. 
The bomber spent money on the bomb if that RV was purchased for this purpose alone. It doesn't really appear to be an old van. There is only one axle (click here) in the rear. That would have limited the amount of explosives. There is something on the passenger seat that is basically unrecognizable. The driver appears to be Caucasian.

In the foreground is what appears the grill of the RV in flames. The explosion didn't blow up the engine compartment. It is just burning.

The damage to the downtown area was by concussion and not the direct explosion. The immediate area to the explosion is charred. Other areas effected are not charred. It was the massive movement of air from the area among buildings. 

Friday, December 25, 2020

  December 26, 2020

The first case of a particularly infectious coronavirus variant (click here) that recently emerged in Britain has been confirmed in France, the health ministry said on Friday.

The first case of a particularly infectious coronavirus variant that recently emerged in Britain has been confirmed in France, the health ministry said on Friday....

December 26, 2020

India crossed the 1-crore mark (click here) (10 million) for coronavirus infections as the country witnessed a substantial drop in daily Covid-19 cases and deaths in the past few weeks. The country continues to be the second-worst hit nation in the world after the first posit...

78,194,947 confirmed cases globally

1,736,752 global deaths

33,878,565 confirmed cases in the Americas leading the world

18,311,405 confirmed cases in the USA leading the world

The USA is 23.4 percent of cases in the world.

The USA has 323,527 deaths which are 18.6 percent of global deaths.

They found body parts near the explosion.

It was probably started remotely. I find it odd that Ms. Williams was on the phone to 911 over rapid gunfire when the bomb started, as if the bomb maker was listening to a police scanner.

December 25, 2020
By Yihyun Jeong, Brinley Hinema, Joshua Bote, ane Jessica Flores

...Betsy Williams, (click here) the owner of The Melting Pot, a restaurant across the street from the explosion, told The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, that guests reported the RV was stationed there since Thursday night.

Williams, who lives in a loft apartment on the third floor of the restaurant building, said she heard the sound of loud, rapid-fire gunshots at about 4:30 a.m. After multiple rounds of gunshot sounds, Williams said she called 911. Then, she said, she heard a repeated warning she said came from the RV parked outside her building.

“Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode,” she remembers the recorded warning saying. Then, she said, the voice started a 15-minute countdown.

Her family headed to Nissan Stadium, about a half-mile away and waited. When they didn’t hear an explosion, they headed back. That was when they saw a fireball fly over the AT&T building on Second Avenue....
December 23, 2020
By Winter Keefer

Leon Mize is ready for home.

Flint - After serving 21 months in jail, (click here) a Genesee County inmate will walk free next week with a job and certification that will put his resume at the top of the pile at any food service workplace.

The Genesee County Sheriff’s Office held a graduation Wednesday, Dec. 23 for Leon Mize who received a ServSafe certification and IN2WORK certificate during his time in the jail.

The five-year certification required the completion of a test and is issued through the National Restaurant Association....

Pope Francis is calling for compassion to the world's populous as we produce vaccine and distribute it.

The World Health Organization needs to be sure there are sufficient deep cold freezers in order to facilitate the transportation and administration of the vaccine.

December 25, 2020
By Elisabetta Povoledo and Marc Santora

Rome - Pope Francis on Friday called on world leaders, (click here) businesses and international organizations to help ensure that the most vulnerable and needy have access to newly developed coronavirus vaccines.

Instead of speaking to the tens of thousands usually gathered on St. Peter’s Square, Francis made his annual Christmas address from a grandiose hall inside the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican.

In a year in which the pandemic plunged the world into economic and social uncertainty, the pope was only one of many Christian leaders and pastors around the globe who issued big, weighty messages to small, in-person audiences.

Francis used his traditional Christmas address to argue that widespread suffering should compel people to reflect on their common humanity, and apply those principles to how vaccine rollouts are handled....

December 25, 2020
By Sarah Rahel

Detroit - Two children have died and a family is hospitalized after a fire blazed a home on the city's east side Friday morning, fire officials said.

A 4-year-old and 6-year-old were found in the front room of the scorched two-story home, Detroit Fire Cpt. Dave Fornell said....

...They also saw a 30-year-old woman who jumped out of the second-floor window with a 3-year-old in her arms. They did not appear to be critically injured, Fornell said.

Two other children also made it out of the home, an 8-year-old girl with third-degree burns on her hands and face, and a 10-year-old boy who suffered smoke inhalation.

The three children were transferred to Children's Hospital. The eldest children are in critical condition, Fornell said.

For cryin' out loud, on Christmas?

Ah, see, the compassionate bomber, save as many lives as possible and just destroy the brick and mortar. I haven't made up my mind yet, could be Russians or a domestic terrorist. The Muslims are not allowed into the country anymore, so it can't be them.

I don't know what the bomber is hoping to achieve. They have a long way to go to match the death toll of Trump.

Any robberies in the area? Banks, jewelry store. An explosion would act as a distraction from other crimes. "Too Tall Bandit" (click here) is still on the lose and has been robbing backs from NC to Tennessee.

He seems to be in North Carolina this year, though.

November 06, 2020, First Bank, 2 Market St, Brevard, NC
November 27, 2020, United Community Bank, 50 United Bank Dr, Etowah, NC

It may be a religious attack of some kind. Look, people want to start a civil war in the USA. This is probably an attempt at that. Who were the gunmen? What was the license plate on the van?

I think it was staged as an attack by leftists against the right. The right stereotypically are country music fans. An attack on “Church” St. on Christmas. 

I really think there is a possibility it is the Russians. It is to “thematic” to ignore. Nashville isn’t usually connected to this kind of issue. 

I think it was staged to make people angry with each other. Like a spark to a larger fire. There were some odd characters involved in the violence around the country when the protests were occurring, too.

Any other day besides Christmas there would be a lot of people in that area unless they were on lock down for the virus.

This was staged. Some one or ones are trying to get an effect from it. It was to make the right more and more violent. It was as much an attack on culture as it was on brick and mortar.

I would expect to find inflammatory propaganda connected to it on the social media sites. There maybe a thread between that propaganda and the event. 

December 25, 2020
By Yihyun Jeong, Brinley Hineman, and Joshua Bote

Damage near the scene of the explosion on Friday, in a photo from the Nashville Fire Department.

Nashville - The FBI was leading an investigation Friday (click here) into an explosion that erupted in downtown early Christmas morning, an incident that rattled residents for miles and is being called "intentional" by authorities.

Police were responding to reports of shots fired near Second Avenue and Commerce Street before 6 a.m. when they saw a suspicious RV outside a nearby AT&T building.

Officers alerted the department's bomb squad, which was en route, when a "significant explosion" happened about 30 minutes later, Metro police spokesperson Don Aaron said. The force of the explosion knocked an officer to the ground.

Betsy Williams, the owner of The Melting Pot, a restaurant across the street from the explosion, told The Tennessean that guests reported the RV was stationed there since Thursday night....

Thursday, December 24, 2020


"Twas the night before Christmas" by Clement Clark Moore

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And Mamma in her ’kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap;

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name;

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!”

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof—
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he look’d like a peddler just opening his pack

His eyes — how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly
That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed, when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And fill’d all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

The United States has always reached to the higher self found with inspiration.


 












Vintage colour lithograph from 1898 showing Santa Claus and his reindeer flying through the sky. The image of Christmas we know today was popularized with the help of Clement Clarke Moore’s famous poem.

Christmastime (click here) in the early-1900s was mostly observed by drinking copious amounts of alcohol and going door-to-door to raucously solicit contributions of food, money, or more drink.

Refusal often resulted in vandalism or other acts of retribution. Brian Rouleau, an associate professor of history in the Texas A&M University College of Liberal Arts, said New York writer Clement Clarke Moore hoped to end some of the disorder by evoking a more peaceful celebration when he penned “A Visit from St. Nicholas” nearly 200 years ago.

“That story served a few purposes that are lost to us today. Christmas was at one time not a family-friendly holiday,” Rouleau said. “It was most often celebrated in the streets by rowdy groups of teenagers and servants. It was considered a day where the ordinarily humble and subservient lower classes of society could engage in behavior we call ‘wassailing.’”

In perhaps the most famous Christmas poem, better known as “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas,” Moore sets a quiet, domestic scene in which “not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.”

Instead of rowdy wassailers banging at the door, Moore wrote of the jolly, non-threatening St. Nicholas coming down the chimney “dressed all in fur” to quietly leave presents for good girls and boys.

First published in 1823, Rouleau said the poem succeeded in popularizing the image of Santa Claus and turning Christmas into the family-centered holiday we know today.

“All of this was meant to transform Christmas into a holiday geared toward children and families, rather than the obnoxious and drunken mobs that Moore thought had corrupted the celebration,” Rouleau said.

Children’s literature has often been designed to pass a society’s core values from one generation to the next, he said, with the messaging usually intended to steer children along paths considered proper and acceptable. In the United States, many of the first children’s books were religious in nature, the product of Puritan parents seeking to prevent their offspring from sinning.

But slowly, as children’s place in society changed and views on parenting evolved, children’s literature became kinder and gentler, and themes became less explicitly spiritual. Fairy tales, talking animals, and other fantastical settings took the place of the fire and brimstone from years past. Young people were less often threatened with punishment for their transgressions. Instead, it became more common to celebrate a child’s innocence, wonder and capacity for creativity.

Though Moore’s story successfully changed the image of Christmas, Rouleau stresses the importance in understanding the resilience of children in resisting their own indoctrination.

“Literature might attempt to teach young people certain values, but this messaging isn’t always absorbed,” he said. “The most successful children’s literature often consists of stories that offer youths the opportunity to think through some problem or dilemma on their own.”

A group of persons or concerns who combine to carry out a particular transaction or project.

Donald John Trump has been known for nothing but a transactional presidency. It took becoming president to reveal the "Trump Syndicate."  He is now branded for the rest of his life and that of all his associates. They were all under the radar because of his celebrity status. None of these members of the Trump Syndicate will have peace for the rest of their lives. They tried to overthrow the government. Trump is engaged in a scheme to continue those efforts as I write this.

The Trump Syndicate is followed by Russia and it will be tapped for top security information. There absolutely is no doubt about that fact. They all need to be followed to ensure the national security of the USA.

Michael Cohen is well out of it.

December 23, 2020
By Kristine Phillips, Kevin Johnson, and David Jackson

Former Trump (click here) campaign chairman Paul Manafort arrives to his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, on June 27, 2019 in New York City.

Washington - President Donald Trump (click here) pardoned his former campaign chairman Paul Manafort on Wednesday, making the former globe-trotting political operative the latest presidential ally to receive a grant of clemency during Trump's last days in office.

The pardon once again highlighted the long shadow cast on the White House by the investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 election, which resulted in the prosecution of six former aides to the president. The Manafort pardon was the latest in a series given to former aides caught up in that investigation – and underscored the president's desire to deal with the fallout of that probe.

On the heels of another round of clemency just a day earlier, Trump granted pardons to 26 people on Wednesday and commuted part or all of the sentences of three more people. The move followed a tradition of presidents granting pardons – often controversial – during their remaining days in the White House....


President Donald John Trump admires those that never cooperated with prosecutors.

I think a US House of Representatives member should write to Michael Cohen's court and request a commutation of his sentence. It is the right thing to do.

September 14, 2020
By Paul Waldman

...As Trump said a few weeks ago, (click here) "one of the reasons I respect Paul Manafort so much" is that unlike other Trump aides who felt the law come down on them, Manafort never offered to cooperate with prosecutors. "I know all about flipping, for 30, 40 years I've been watching flippers," Trump said. "Everything is wonderful, and then they get 10 years in jail and they flip on whoever the next highest one is or as high as you can go. It
(It refers to prosecutors who are enforcing the rule of law. Given half a chance I am sure Trump would issues fines to those that did cooperate with prosecutors. Amazing to think some Americans actually believe in his belief system.) almost ought to be outlawed."...

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

It isn't difficult to turn to crime when no other option is open due to racism.

December 22, 2020
By Beth LeBlanc

Michael Alonzo Thompson, (click here) who has been incarcerated in state prison since 1996 on charges related to a drug and weapons incident.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (click here) granted clemency to four Michigan men Tuesday, including 69-year-old Michael Thompson, who has served 22 years of a 42-60 year sentence stemming from a marijuana sting.

Thompson's charges date back to a December 1994 incident, for which Thompson was charged with three counts of unlawful distribution of marijuana after a drug sting. He served three concurrent 10- to 15-year terms, which lasted the full 15 years, ending in March 2011, prison records show.

The state's offender tracking system lists Thompson's offenses as felony firearm and firearms possession by a felon; the latter charge carries a sentence of 40 to 60 years. But Attorney General Dana Nessel said the guns weren't at the drug deal and were "arguably antiques" stored in a locked gun safe....


Thompson was sentenced on May 31, 1996, to 40-60 years in prison for felon in possession of a firearm. He’s served 22 years, and his earliest possible release date was in 2038.

Cadroy was sentenced on March 30, 1999, to life in prison for drug possession. He’s served 21 years, and his earliest possible release date was in 2030.

Garrett was sentenced on May 5, 1999, to 29-170 years in prison for selling drugs. He’s served 22 years, and his earliest possible release date was in 2027.

McGhee was sentenced on July 1, 2004, to 20-30 years in prison for selling drugs. He’s served 16 years, and his earliest possible release date was in 2024.

It started with the State Attorney General who was horrified by the case and the sentence.

August 30, 2020
By Gus Burns

...The first question regarded Thompson, (click here) who’s serving a 42- to 62-year sentence after he was convicted of selling three pounds of marijuana to an undercover informant in December 1994. His sentence was compounded by prior felony convictions, including another drug crime in 1983 and for bringing contraband into a prison in 1986 and the discovery of a gun during the investigation.

Thompson has spent 23 years behind bars and isn’t eligible for parole until he’s 87.

Nessel on Aug. 5 took the unusual action of sending a letter to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer asking her to exercise her executive power and commute Thompson’s sentence. She hopes he’ll be released on time served.

Nessel explained that she began looking into the case after a prior closed-door meeting with members of the Cannabis Caucus, which is an advocacy group comprised of marijuana entrepreneurs, patients, growers and lobbyists....

Let Congress and Trump fight.

The media needs to leave the arguments alone. 

Trump is seeking to control the country’s attention because the news in the country is very bad.

The USA has a great deal of sadness when facing Christmas. 

The USA continues to have the highest numbers of infected and deaths from COVID-19. There is significant unemployment. Children are hungry. That is what should be discussed in the media. The country is a domestic disaster and internationally it isn’t much better.

Enough of the noise. A Republican president has caused all this hardship. And now. Congressional Republicans cannot agree to override a veto. 

Enough of the noise. The Republicans are a disgrace. The people need to get used to that. No more pretending anything is going to happen to benefit the country before President Biden takes office.

Enough of the noise. It serves absolutely no purpose and Americans are suffering. Either the current government has compassion for the people or they don’t, but, the circus in the media is most probably responsible for the impasse that keeps their electronic devises on in hopes of good news. Leave the people alone.

Enough of the noise. Stringing the people along is very inappropriate. By everyone. Congress. Trump. The media. All are inappropriate and the people need to focus on masks, social distancing, hand hygiene and vaccines. Washington, DC is out of control and Trump is responsible. The country’s illnesses is out of control and Trump is why. This medical emergency in the country should have been completely resolved no later than July and Trump is why it wasn’t. Stop hurting the people.

The people are emotionally exhausted of all this, illness, death and racism. 

Enough of the noise.

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

Bring the embassy staff home for a period of time until it is deemed safe.

Iranian general Qassem Soleimani was assassinated on January 3, 2020.

Four Iranian and five Iraqi nationals were killed along with Soleimani, including the deputy chairman of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and commander of the Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis – a person designated as a terrorist by the U.S. and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

December 20, 2020

The US embassy's (click here) missile defense system shot down three rockets

The US Embassy in the Baghdad Green Zone (click here) was targeted in a rocket attack on Sunday, according to reports.

Iraqi security officials told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that the embassy's C-RAM defense system shot down the rockets in midair, causing minor damage to a residential complex and parked cars. There were no reports of casualties.

"The US Embassy confirms rockets targeting the International Zone (Green Zone) resulted in the engagement of embassy defensive systems," said a statement released by the embassy.

"We call on all Iraqi political and governmental leaders to take steps to prevent such attacks and hold accountable those responsible,'' the statement said....

The pardoning of the Blackwater Guards will result in greater violence. The staff needs to return home for the holidays.

There are no doubt terrorists involved, but, they are successful in firing rockets into the Green Zone. There is still a Green Zone with blast walls to prevent attacks.

Trump's knee deep corruption is well documented.

TRUMP'S PARDONS ENCOURAGE CRIME AND LOYALTY.

Page 88 of the report and Page 97 of the PDF.

e. Russia-Related Communications With The Campaign 

While he was discussing with his foreign contacts a potential meeting of campaign officials with Russian government officials, Papadopoulos kept campaign officials apprised of his efforts. On April 25, 2016, the day before Mifsud told Papadopoulos about the emails, Papadopoulos wrote to senior policy advisor Stephen Miller that “[t]he Russian government has an open invitation by Putin for Mr. Trump to meet him when he is ready,” and that “[t]he advantage of being in London is that these governments tend to speak a bit more openly in ‘neutral’ cities.”466 On April 27, 2016, after his meeting with Mifsud, Papadopoulos wrote a second message to Miller stating that “some interesting messages [were] coming in from Moscow about a trip when the time is right.”467 The same day, Papadopoulos sent a similar email to campaign manager Corey Lewandowski, telling Lewandowski that Papadopoulos had “been receiving a lot of calls over the last month about Putin wanting to host [Trump] and the team when the time is right.”468

Papadopoulos’s Russia-related communications with Campaign officials continued throughout the spring and summer of 2016. On May 4, 2016, he forwarded to Lewandowski an email from Timofeev raising the possibility of a meeting in Moscow, asking Lewandowski whether that was “something we want to move forward with.”469 The next day, Papadopoulos forwarded the same Timofeev email to Sam Clovis, adding to the top of the email “Russia update.”470 He included the same email in a May 21, 2016 message to senior Campaign official Paul Manafort, under the subject line “Request from Russia to meet Mr. Trump,” stating that “Russia has been eager to meet Mr. Trump for quite sometime and have been reaching out to me...

This is due to lack of leadership in the USA.

Pfizer and Moderna and any other companies coming online need to make a video about the preparation of the vaccine and how best to administer it. Each of the vaccines will be unique in its preparation and if this confusion has resulted it is because there is no leadership at the federal level in anticipating any problems.

The videos should address doctors, nurses, and pharmacists so they know what has gone into the vaccine they are administering.

The videos can be accessed from the company’s website under a tab where “ Instruction videos” can be found. There should be a Frequently Asked Questions webpage and as a courtesy “Professional Contact” webpage. Professionals should apply for access with their credentials.

There is nothing wrong to seek funding from the federal government for reimbursement of these web services and professionals to staff it.

See, the mixing and administration of the vaccine seems fairly straight forward to me. But, I am not on the front lines and making the decisions under a lot of pressure to make those decisions.

To me, if a vial states there are five doses in the vial then there are five doses and the administration amount is going to include the dilutant. In other words, if the vaccine is 1 milliliter and the dilutant is 1 milliliter then the administration amount is 2 milliliters. The vial defines the administration regardless of the amount of dilutant.

There can be questions as to exactly how the preparations are conducted. Does the dilutant get added to the vial while the vaccines are still in the vial in its entirety? Or. Is the vaccine first drawn up in the injection syringe and then the dilutant added to the syringe and mixed with the plunger creating an air bubble to allow mixing? Then the air bubble is ejected to allow smooth administration of the vaccine. 

This should have been worked out ahead of the administration of the vaccine to the public. This is not the fault of the company. They wrote directions and those directions were misinterpreted by professionals now administering an mRNA vaccine for the first time in their lives. It sounds as though the pharmacists were being very, very cautious with a vaccine that is supposed to vanquish a very dangerous virus. I don't blame the pharmacists. The most responsible party here is the federal government and its lack of oversight of the final distribution of the vaccine and the education of the professionals responsible for reconstituting the vaccine out of cold storage.

Pfizer and Moderna and other companies producing vaccines are going to have to bring pharmacists up to speed in working with a very frozen vaccine that is then thawed and then diluted with a warmer fluid to complete the melting of ice shards in the vial or in the injection syringe.

No one is leading this effort and it seems completely obvious to me. There are shipment amounts in question and now the pharmacists are concerned over a vaccine to create immunity to a dangerous virus. This is all a leadership problem and only one man is responsible namely Trump and his lack of knowledge of public policy.

December 16, 2020
By Olivia Goldhill

With the Covid-19 vaccine in short supply, (click here) hospital pharmacists found themselves in the unexpected position of throwing away one in every six doses of the first Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines distributed this week in the United States.

The confusion came over labeling: The vaccine comes in vials labeled as containing enough for five doses. But pharmacists discovered that, after thawing and mixing the contents with a diluent, each vial contained enough vaccine for six doses. Without explicit approval from the manufacturer, that final dose had to be discarded.

“It was overtly clear early on there’s some extra volume,” said Russell Findlay, pharmacy manager at University of Utah Health. His colleagues called Pfizer on Tuesday to ask if they could use the extra dose, said Findlay, but the company wouldn’t give a definitive answer....

Long overdue help for the arts.

The empty seats hurt far more than the lack of income.

December 21, 2020
By Ben Sisario and Emily Cochrane

For the music venue owners,(click here) theater producers and cultural institutions that have suffered through the pandemic with no business, the coronavirus relief package that Congress passed on Monday night offers the prospect of aid at last: it includes $15 billion to help them weather a crisis that has closed theaters and silenced halls.

The money, part of a $900 billion coronavirus relief package, is designed to help the culture sector — from dive-bar rock clubs to Broadway theaters and museums — survive. Many small proprietors described it as their last hope for being able to remain in business after a nearly yearlong revenue drought.

“This is what our industry needs to make it through,” said Dayna Frank, the owner of First Avenue, a storied music club in Minneapolis. She is also the board president of the National Independent Venue Association, which was formed in April and has lobbied Congress aggressively for relief for its more than 3,000 members....

'We fully support his mission of safely spreading cheer'

History of the beloved reindeer:

’Operation Reindeer (click here) gets underway as motor carrier executives and animal experts set plans. Edwin L. Isenberger (left), Operations Engineer for Consolidated Freightways Inc., discusses novel move with Smithsonian National Zoological Park's Senior Keeper Charles Thomas and Assocaite Director J. Lear Grimmer. This image was taken at the Seattle Zoo where the handlers stopped to visit with ’Pepper Pot ’ at the reindeer exhibition to set plans for the trip. Operation Reindeer was the name for the transfer of 14 reindeer and 1 caribou to the National Zoological Park from Alaska in 1958. (Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 365, Box 15, Folder: 11)

The special care of Santa's reindeer in 2020:

There are no overworked reindeer at the North Pole. Everything is lining up. Nothing has been left to the last minute. It is exciting.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania - Santa’s reindeer are cleared for take-off! (click here) 


December 18, 2020

Salem Giddy up, giddy up, giddy up, let's go! (click here) To increase holiday cheer, the state veterinarian at the Oregon Department of Agriculture has issued an animal import permit to Santa Claus of 123 Elf Road, North Pole, and his reindeer in preparation for their upcoming visit to Oregon.

All livestock transported or moved in any manner into Oregon must obtain an import permit from the department before entry. To ensure safe entrance into the state and expedited access to good children everywhere, Dr. Ryan Scholz, state veterinarian with ODA, granted a permit to S. Claus effective through December 25, 2020.

“It’s the season of generosity and a time for celebrating family and friends, and we know this is a busy time of year for everyone. We wanted to welcome Mr. Claus and guarantee smooth access for him and his reindeer during their travels later this month. We fully support his mission of safely spreading cheer,” said Scholz....