Wednesday, December 21, 2022

President Zelensky wishes the American people peace.

 He wishes Americans the happiness of raising their children and grandchildren with long lives.

He appreciates Americans support for the Ukrainian people. He sees further ambitions of Putin if Ukraine was not successful in its defense.

It seems obvious to me the President of Ukraine represents a great love of their families, especially the children. They aren't any different from us. We love family and embrace children as a heart at the center of our families.

President Biden believes military strength is where national security lies and with Ukraine's neutrality violated by Russia, military strength has to be built to defend the people.

President Biden believes "looking someone in the eye" enhances an understanding of the person. That is why President Zelensky has come to Washington, DC to meet directly with President Biden. 

I think this press conference and this meeting in Washington, DC and the address President Zelensky will make to a bipartisan and bicameral Congress is a strong statement to Russia to end this conflict. The plans for Ukraine appear to be defensive and not escalatory. Building a strong defense for Ukraine is no different than a strong defense for the USA. We see the answer similarly. Peace is the objective and it is established by a strong national defense

February 21, 2022

There was Minsk I and Minsk II and they both failed because the Rebels along the Russian border never stopped their assaults. Putin didn't end the assaults either. Russia provided more and more weapons and never took a stance with the Rebels to end the conflict. Minsk meetings were a smoke screen to prolong the timeline so Putin could launch his ideological war into Ukraine. In other words, the Free People are fools for agreements while Putin does as he likes.

The peace meetings at Minsk were conducted by France and Germany. That is NATO. The meetings were in earnest with NATO's intentions to end the conflict and begin strong economic outcomes for Europe, Russia and Ukraine. That effort by the Presidents of France and Germany were not met with the same goal by the Russian president.

It is a great moment in the USA with President Zelensky visiting.

December 21, 2022

By John Wagner, Amy B. Wang, Mariana Alfaro, Azi Paybarah, Eugene Scott, Annabelle Timsit and Adela Suliman


Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (click here) arrived Wednesday at the White House for a meeting with President Biden that is part of his first trip outside Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of his country in February. Biden put his arm around Zelensky as he walked him into the White House. After the two moved to the Oval Office, Biden said he was “delighted” that Zelensky had made the trip. Zelensky offered “all my appreciations from my heart and from the heart of all Ukrainians.”


Later, Zelensky is scheduled to address a joint meeting of Congress....


Number of civilian casualties in Ukraine during Russia's invasion verified by OHCHR as of December 18, 2022 (click here)


6,826 confirmed killed of which 428 were children.


10,769 confirmed injured, some disabled of which 790 are children.


Just yesterday a verdict in the last Nazi tried for the deaths of World War II at the hand of Hilter came down and she was found guilty. It brought a stunning reality to the Ukraine invasion by Russia. It is still a bit unreal in the year 2022 that we are still facing autocratic leaders with no respect for life.


December 20, 2022
By Paul Kirby and Robert Greenall

Not all (click here) of the Stutthof camp remains and the site is now a memorial

A former secretary (click here) who worked for the commander of a Nazi concentration camp has been convicted of complicity in the murders of more than 10,500 people.

Irmgard Furchner, 97, was taken on as a teenaged shorthand typist at Stutthof and worked there from 1943 to 1945.

Furchner, the first woman to be tried for Nazi crimes in decades, was given a two-year suspended jail term.

Although she was a civilian worker, the judge agreed she was fully aware of what was going on at the camp.

Some 65,000 people are thought to have died in horrendous conditions at Stutthof, including Jewish prisoners, non-Jewish Poles and captured Soviet soldiers.
Furchner was found guilty of aiding and abetting the murder of 10,505 people and complicity in the attempted murder of five others. As she was only 18 or 19 at the time, she was tried in a special juvenile court....


At Stutthof, located near the modern-day Polish city of Gdansk, a variety of methods was used to murder detainees and thousands died in gas chambers there from June 1944.

The court at Itzehoe in northern Germany heard from survivors of the camp, some of whom have died during the trial....


President Zelensky is in the USA because he believes in democracy and the human and civil rights that accompany such governance. He is leading a war to defend the very principle of democracy, the right of a free people to govern themselves and pursue happiness. All the Ukrainian people wanted was the same the American people have defended for over two centuries now, the right to live a life that is productive and allows comfort.


Their requests cannot be denied. If Ukraine fails, there is no stopping the autocratic leaders that hate free people.


Ukraine was a declared and constitutional neutral country. The people wanted to have an economy that was open to Europe as well as Russia. That wasn't good enough for Putin, he had a date on his five year calendar and invaded a peace loving people with death and destruction and absolutely no regard for their lives. Basically, the Ukrainians were IN THE WAY of Putin's ideological plans.

Mr. Trump’s fortunes changed...Really? I guess we know why being in the Oval Office is important, huh?

If it weren't so serious, it would be laughable. It took running for office and sapping donors for money as well as leveraging power in the Oval Office in order for he and his family to get out of debt and even that was short lived. 

Trump wasn't just the worst business man for all his bragging, but, he was a disastrous businessman year after year after  year. And for this we never had Hillary Clinton as the first woman President of the United State of America. Disgusting.

December 21, 2022
By Charlie Smart

Mr. Trump’s fortunes changed (click here) during his presidency, according to the figures in the report, which include details on the former president’s tax returns from 2015 to 2020. In the two years before he became president, Mr. Trump suffered heavy business losses, the records showed. In his first three years as president, he had an adjusted gross income of $15.8 million....

And we don't even know how fraudulent his tax returns are in previous years. How can anyone trust Trump with anything if he can't even balance his check book?

December 7, 2022
By Kara Scannell and Lauren del Valle

A Manhattan jury (click here) has found two Trump Organization companies guilty on multiple charges of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records connected to a 15-year scheme to defraud tax authorities by failing to report and pay taxes on compensation for top executives.

The Trump Corp. and Trump Payroll Corp. were found guilty on all charges they faced.

Donald Trump and his family were not charged in this case, but the former president was mentioned repeatedly during the trial by prosecutors about his connection to the benefits doled out to certain executives, including company-funded apartments, car leases and personal expenses.

The Trump Organization could face a maximum of $1.61 million in fines when sentenced in mid-January. The company is not at risk of being dismantled because there is no mechanism under New York law that would dissolve the company. However, a felony conviction could impact its ability to do business or obtain loans or contracts....

There might be a fire sale at Indian Creek Island.

December 7, 2020
By Sara Nathan and Emily Smith

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner (click here) have splurged on a $30 million-plus lot of land on Miami’s uber-swanky and high-security Indian Creek Island — known as the “Billionaire’s Bunker” — Page Six can exclusively reveal.

Ahead of President Trump’s exit from the White House, the couple is busy making plans for life after DC and have viewed numerous properties and lots of land in the Miami and Palm Beach area.

The private, guarded and gated Indian Creek Island is also one of the most secure places in Florida, as it boasts a 13-man police force for just 29 residences....

 It speaks for itself.

There are going to be airline flight delays and cancellations within the next few days.

North America Extra Large Composite Water Vapor Satellite (click here)

NOAA Weather (click here)

December 21, 2022
By Ayana Archie

Winter weather (click here) across the country is expected to impact holiday travel, and several airlines have already begun offering customers more flexibility on their flights.

A bulletin from the National Weather Service (NWS) says a "strong arctic high pressure system," was sweeping down from Canada on Tuesday and appears poised to march toward the Great Plains, the Midwest and into the Southeast on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, bringing life-threatening blizzard conditions and cold weather systems across 17 states.

This is what airlines are doing to anticipate the conditions....

This is also a precaution about driving plans. Do not risk driving in seriously dangerous conditions. Blizzard conditions bring with it not just high amounts of snow, but, white out conditions that makes it impossible to travel.

Imagine being in a seriously "white out" condition and seeing the road is impossible so stopping the car and getting out to walk may seem realistic. Walking in "white out" conditions is just as serious as driving if not more so, because, there is nothing protecting a person from freezing temperatures except their clothing. 

"White Out Conditions" is not just a set of words, it is seriously dangerous conditions that no one regardless of experience with winter weather can survive.

There has been a devastating earthquake in California. It isn't over.

The aftershocks are 3.0. That is a problem all by itself.

December 20, 2022
By Natalie Nevsa Alund and Orlando Mayorquin

At least two people died and 12 were injured (click here) after a magnitude 6.4 earthquake rocked Northern California early Tuesday, local authorities said.

The temblor, which is the strongest earthquake the area has seen in years, also damaged infrastructure and cut off power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses around Humboldt County, about 250 miles north of San Francisco.

A local emergency was declared by Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal Tuesday night due to widespread damages in the county. Following the county's declaration, California Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to support emergency response....

December 20, 2022
By Lena Howland

San Francisco - Tuesday morning, (click here) while most people were still sleeping, things started crashing down from shelves in homes, cabinets and drawers pushed open, the Fernbridge cracking, leaving more than 70% of people (around 72,000 people) across Humboldt County in the dark, without any power.

To the west of Ferndale, California, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit around 2:30 a.m....

...According to the USGS forecast, there's a 50% chance of a magnitude 4 or larger earthquake happening and an 11% chance of a magnitude 5 or larger in the next week.

"Earthquakes always follow this pattern of every particular magnitude of an earthquake, there are 10 times as many of the next magnitude or smaller and 100 times as many the next magnitude or smaller," Minson said. "What happens is that the rate of earthquakes goes up and down, so when you have a significant earthquake, it kicks up the earthquake rate."...

The current aftershocks are still over 3.0. Anytime the coast is involved there is always a chance of tsunamis. To date that has not happened in the Northern California quake.

What to do after an earthquake (click here)

Expect aftershocks hours, days, or weeks after the main quake.
Aftershocks can cause building damage and falling debris that could injure you.

Avoid open flames in damaged buildings.
Earthquakes can damage gas lines, so don’t use lighters or matches

.If you live near the coast, stay away from the beach.
Earthquakes can cause dangerous tsunamis and flooding.

Drive carefully and plan alternative routes.
Structural damage and traffic light outages may make it difficult to get to your destination.

This was only one week ago. There is no climate name that accurately portrays the power of this storm.

 But, a TORNADO OUTBREAK near Christmas was never heard off a decade or so ago. The tornado outbreaks have become the norm and not the occasional and rare deadly outcome.

So, the states that hate immigrants absolutely consent to insulting federal authority at it's borders for profit.

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today applauded (click here) the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ move to eliminate the state revenue sharing cap that the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (GOMESA) establishes. Kennedy has worked closely with committee members and his Senate colleagues to lift the revenue cap that penalizes Gulf states unfairly and has remained especially focused, in recent days, on moving this bill to the Senate floor.

The Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act, which Kennedy cosponsored, would reform GOMESA to allow Louisiana and other states to share more resources from offshore oil and gas leases. Kennedy also introduced the Offshore Cap Parity Act to eliminate the GOMESA cap.

“The current GOMESA cap unfairly targets oil producing states and denies them revenue that they have earned. Without this money to build infrastructure and storm barriers, Louisianians remain even more vulnerable to natural disasters. Eliminating the GOMESA cap is key to protecting people’s lives and livelihoods, and I’m glad we’ve made a way to move this bill forward. There’s still more to be done, but this is a step in the right direction,” said Kennedy....

I have always wondered what "thoughts and prayers" means to Republicans. Now I know. It is about the petroleum income to the federal government. See, Louisiana's Kennedy recently expressed his sorrow for all those suffering from the climate crisis. Sorry, he considers the components of climate as different from the climate crisis caused by his beloved petroleum pet companies.

December 15, 2022
By Ron Brackett

At a Glance (click here)

  • A tornado hit the New Orleans metropolitan area.
  • Multiple deaths and dozens of injuries reported in Louisiana.
  • People were trapped in their homes after a tornado in New Iberia, Louisiana....
Those 20 tornadoes are due to the climate crisis. It is due to the propagation of the petroleum industry. Kennedy comes to the defense and promotion of the petroleum industry without remorse when realizing these deadly events. These tornadoes were part of a very violent front that moved across the country and caused enormous danger to the Northeast USA.

When a politician with divided interests like Kennedy makes these statements about thoughts and prayers, it is perfectly good to thank him and his spouse for their prayers, but, it is also better if they clarify what their thoughts actually are and whether they are in line with what is best for human life in Louisiana.

That is the most ridiculous regulation I have ever read regarding immigration and/or asylum seekers.

...Under the INA, noncitizens (click here) are inadmissible and therefore (1) ineligible for a visa, (2) ineligible for admission, and (3) ineligible for adjustment of status, if, in the opinion of DHS (or the Department of Justice (DOJ)) or consular officers of the Departments of State (DOS), as applicable),[2] they are likely at any time to become a public charge.[http://3]....

That is completely bigoted and racist against those in need that come to the USA border for asylum from slavery, life threatening danger including climate refugees and/or complete impoverishment due to political constraints in another country. Venezuela, under Chavez, used to send his young people to be educated in the USA at the college level. When they were finished they were encouraged to remain in the USA by the Venezuelan government rather than returning to the country and improving the quality of life there. That is a reason to revoke a visa or otherwise, but, the people coming to the borders of the USA today are families with children.

Office of the Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman (click here) just have their hands full long about now.



The immigration offices of the USA can't simply throw out an application because it has the wrong publication and printing date. The correct date is at the bottom of the form. 

This is outrageous. The immigration offices are CAUSING a backlog and prolonging immigration and asylum. Immigration is at the very heart of the history of a strong country and economy. The USA thrives because of immigration.

Controlling immigration was due to the fact companies seeking wealth were bringing foreign citizens to the USA for cheap labor. The work was dangerous and the lives of the foreign citizens were never valued and certainly they didn't carry the brevity of the vote. But, controlling immigration has become more or less an political act to satisfy cronies, such as the Kushners (click here).

1. Early American Immigration Policies (click here) Americans encouraged relatively free and open immigration during the 18th and early 19th centuries, and rarely questioned that policy until the late 1800s. After certain states passed immigration laws following the Civil War, the Supreme Court in 1875 declared regulation of immigration a federal responsibility. Thus, as the number of immigrants rose in the 1880s and economic conditions in some areas worsened, Congress began to pass immigration legislation.

The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and Alien Contract Labor laws of 1885 and 1887 prohibited certain laborers from immigrating to the United States. The general Immigration Act of 1882 levied a head tax of fifty cents on each immigrant and blocked (or excluded) the entry of idiots, lunatics, convicts, and persons likely to become a public charge.

These national immigration laws created the need for new federal enforcement authorities. In the 1880s, state boards or commissions enforced immigration law with direction from U.S. Treasury Department officials. At the Federal level, U.S. Customs Collectors at each port of entry collected the head tax from immigrants while "Chinese Inspectors" enforced the Chinese Exclusion Act.

But, the sincere immigration of people in need is historical and makes for a far stronger country when those that come here work hard to make their lives and the lives of their family better. 

Trump made the issue of immigration a fear tactic, when in fact, immigration is necessary if an economy is in need of workers. At the time Trump was mocking immigration to enforce fear there were cities in the USA that wanted immigrates. I don't think those needs have been filed yet and the idea that sending immigrants into USA courts to fight for their lives is completely counter productive.

...All of which has some Republicans in Michigan (click here) scratching their heads about why the national conservative discussion on immigration is being forced on Michigan. “We have a city like Detroit that needs human capital, we have agricultural interests that need people to harvest their crops and we have the largest Arab community in the country,” says Republican attorney Richard McLellan, who served in the Ford administration, both Bush administrations, and worked for Michigan Republican governors William Milliken and John Engler. “From my perspective, anti-immigrant issues don’t really exist very much in Michigan.”...

Immigration in the USA needs to be fixed. It needs to be reidentified as a good and benevolent act. What is happening in Texas is anti-American, anti-economy and anti-Constitutional law as the federal borders do not belong to the Texas Governor to reek havoc. It is all the toxic, racist and bigoted Texas politics that is causing harm to human beings seeking to live a little longer due to climate, poverty and harsh governments.

December 20, 2022
by Uriel J. Garcia and Alex Nguyen

El Paso - National Guard members and state troopers (click here) formed a line on the banks of the Rio Grande on Tuesday and blocked dozens of migrants who had already crossed the river from surrendering to nearby Border Patrol agents.
The Pentagon needs to review the reasons the Texas National Guard is being used by the Texas Governor.

The immigration courts need to rule on the constantly changing forms and reforming of lines for cases. The immigration courts are embarrassingly slow to move the cases forward because of all the ever changing regulations both state and federal. 

Enough already. These people have real reasons to show up at the border and it isn't because they wanted to just take a chance a dangerous walk would win a lottery for them. They are looking for humanitarian relief from the lives they left behind. They are looking for work. It is called civilization.