Prologue: Into the Woods

[NARRATOR]
Once upon a time
[CINDERELLA]
I wish...
[NARRATOR]
in a far-off kingdom
[CINDERELLA]
More than anything...
[NARRATOR]
lived a fair maiden,
[CINDERELLA]
More than jewels...
[NARRATOR]
a sad young lad

[JACK]
I wish...
[NARRATOR]
and a childless baker
[JACK]
More than life...

[CINDERELLA & BAKER]
I wish...
[NARRATOR]
with his wife.
[JACK]
More than anything...

[CINDERELLA, BAKER & JACK]
More than the moon...

[BAKER'S WIFE]
I wish.

[CINDERELLA]
The King is giving a Festival.
[BAKER & WIFE]
More than life...
[JACK]
I wish...
[CINDERELLA]
I wish to go to the Festival.
[BAKER & WIFE]
More than riches...
[JACK]
I wish my cow would
give us some milk.
[BAKER'S WIFE]
More than anything...
[CINDERELLA]
And the Ball...
[JACK]
Please, pal-

[BAKER]
I wish we had a child.

[BAKER'S WIFE]
I want a child...
[CINDERELLA]
I wish to go to the Festival.
[JACK]
Squeeze, pal...
[JACK]
I wish you'd give us some
milk or even cheese...
I wish...

[BAKER & WIFE]
I wish we might have a child.
I wish...
[CINDERELLA]
I wish...

[STEPMOTHER]
You wish to go to the Festival?
[NARRATOR]
The poor girl's mother had died,
[STEPMOTHER]
You, Cinderella, the Festival?
You wish to go to the Festival?

[FLORINDA]
What, you, Cinderella, the Festival?
The Festival?!

[LUCINDA]
What, you wish to go to the Festival?

[ALL THREE]
The Festival?
The King's Festival?
[NARRATOR]
And her father had taken for his new wife

[STEPMOTHER]
The Festival...
[NARRATOR]
a woman with two daughters of her own.

[FLORINDA]
Look at you nails!

[LUCINDA]
Look at your dress!

[STEPMOTHER]
People would laugh at you-

[CINDERELLA]
Nevertheless,
I still want to go to the Festival
And dance before the Prince.

[STEPMOTHER & STEPSISTERS]
She still wants to go to the Festival
And dance before the Prince?!

[NARRATOR]
All three were beautiful of face, but vile and balck of heart.
Jack, on the other hand, had no father, and his mother-

[JACK'S MOTHER]
I wish...

[NARRATOR]
Well, she was not quite beautiful-

[JACK'S MOTHER]
I wish my son were not a fool.
I wish my house was not a mess.
I wish the cow was full of milk.
I wish the house was full of gold-
I wish a lot of things...

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Why, come in, little girl.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
I wish...

It's not for me,
It's for my Granny in the woods.
A loaf of bread, please-
To bring my poor old hungry
Granny in the woods...

Just a loaf of bread, please...

[NARRATOR]
Cinderella's Stepmother had a surprise for her.

[STEPMOTHER]
I have emptied a pot of lentils into the ashes for you.
If you have picked them out again in two hours' time,
you shall go to the ball with us.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
And perhaps a sticky bun?...
Or four?...

[CINDERELLA]
Birds in the sky,
Birds in the eaves,
I the leaves,
In the fields,
In the castles and ponds...

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
And a few of those pies... please...

[CINDERELLA]
Come, little birds,
Down from the eaves
And the leaves,
Over fields,
Out of castles and ponds...

[JACK]
No, squeeze, pal...

[CINDERELLA]
Ahhh...
Quick, little birds,
Flick through the ashes.
Pick and peck, but swiftly,
Sift through the ashes,
Into the pot...

[JACK'S MOTHER]
Listen well, son. Milky-White must be taken to market.

[JACK]
But, mother, no- he's the best cow-

[JACK'S MOTHER]
look at her.

There are bugs on her dugs.
There are flies in her eyes.
There's a lump on her rump
Big enough to be a hump-

[JACK]
But-

[JACK'S MOTHER]
Son,
We've no time to sit and dither,
While her wither's wither with her-
And no one keeps a cow for a friend!

Sometimes I fear your touched.

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
Into the woods,
It's time to go,
I hate to leave,
I have to, though.
Into the woods-
It's time, and so
I must begin my journey.

Into the woods
And through the trees
To where I am
Expected ma'am,
Into the woods
To Grandmother's house-

Into the woods
To Grandmother's house-

[BAKER'S WIFE]
You're certain of your way?

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
The way is clear,
The light is good,
I have no fear,
Nor no one should.
The woods are just trees,
The trees are just wood.
I sort of hate to ask it,
But do you have a basket?

Into the woods
And down the dell,
The path is straight,
I know it well.
Into the woods,
And who can tell
What's waiting on the journey?

Into the woods
To bring some bread
To Granny who
Is sick in bed.
Never can tell
What lies ahead.
For all that I know,
She's already dead.

But into the woods,
Into the woods,
Into the woods
To Grandmother's house
And home before dark.

[CINDERELLA]
Fly, birds,
Back to the sky,
Back to the eaves
And the leaves
And the fields
And the-

[FLORINDA]
Hurry up and do my hair, Cinderella!

Are you really wearing that?

[LUCINDA]
Here, I found a little tear, Cinderella.

Can't you hide it with a hat?

[CINDERELLA]
You look beautiful.

[FLORINDA]
I know.

[LUCINDA]
She means me.

[FLORINDA]
Put ut in a twist.

[LUCINDA]
Who will be there?...

[CINDERELLA]
Mother said be good,
Father siad be nice,
That was always their advice.
So be nice, Cinderella,
Good, Cinderella,
Nice good good nice-

[FLORINDA]
Tighter!

[CINDERELLA]
What's the good of being good
If everyone is blind
And you're always left behind?
Never mind, Cinderella,
Kind Cinderella-
Nice good nice kind good nice-

[FLORINDA]
Not that tight!

[CINDERELLA]
Sorry.

[FLORINDA]
Clod.

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Who minght that be?

[BAKER]
It's the witch from next door.

[NARRATOR]
The old enchantress told the couple she had
placed a spell on their house.

[BAKER]
What spell?

[WITCH]
In the past, when your mother was with child, she developed
an unusual appetite. SHe took one look at my beautiful garden
and told your father that what she wanted more than
anything in the world was

Greens, greens and nothing but greens:
Parsley, peppers, cabbages and celery,
Asparagus and watercress and
Fiddleferns and lettuce-!

He said, "All right,"
But it wasn't, quite,
'Cause I caught him in the autumn
In my garden one night!
He was robbing me,
Raping me,
Rooting through my rutabaga,
Raiding my arugula and
Ripping up my rampion
(My champion! My favorite!)-
I should have laid a spell on him
Right there,
Could have changed him into stone
Or a dog or a chair...

But I let him have the rampion-
I'd lots to spare.
In return, however,
I said, "Fair is fair:
You can let me have the baby
That your wife will bear.

And we'll call it square."

[BAKER]
I had a brother?

[WITCH]
No. But you had a sisiter.

[NARRATOR]
But the witch refused to tell him anymore of his sister.
Not even that her name was Rapunzel.

[WITCH]
I though I had been more than reasonable.
But how was I to know what your father
had also hidden in his pocket?!

[BAKER]
What?

[WITCH]
Beans.

[BAKER & WIFE]
Beans?

[WITCH]
The special beans.

I let him go,
I didn't know
He'd stolen my beans!

I was watching him crawl,
Back over the wall-!
Then bang! Crash!
And the lightning flash!
And- well, that's another story,
Never mind-
Anyway, at last
The big day came,
And I made my claim.
"Oh, don't take away the baby,"
They shrieked and screeched,
But I did,
And I hid her
Where she'll never be reached.

And your father cried,
And your mother died
When for extra measure-
I admit it was a pleasure-
I said, "Sorry,
I'm still not mollified."

And I laid little spell on them-
You, too, son-
That your family tree
Would always be a barren one...

So there's no more fuss
And there's no more scenes
And my garden thrives-
You should see my nectarines!
But I'm tellling you the same
I tell kings and queens:
Don't ever never ever
Mess around with my greens!
Especially the beans.

[JACK'S MOTHER]
Now closely to me, Jack. Lead Milky-White to market and
fetch the best price you can. Are you listening to me?

Jack Jack Jack,
Head in a sack,
The house is getting colder,
This is not the time for dreaming.

Chimney stack
Starting to crack,
The mice are getting bolder,
The floor's gone slack,
Your mother's getting older,
Your father's not back,
And you can't just sit here dreaming pretty dreams.

To wish and wait
From day to day
Will never keep
The wolves away.

So into the woods
The time is now.
We have to live,
I don't care how.
Into the woods
To sell the cow,
You must begin the journey.
Straight to the woods
and don't delay-
You have to face
The marketplace.
Into the woods to journey's end-

[JACK]
Into the woods to sell a friend-

[NARRATOR]
Meanwhile, the Witch, for purposes of her own,
explained how the Baker might lift the spell;

[WITCH]
You wish to have
The curse reversed?
I'll need a certain
Potion first.
Go to the woods and bring me back
One: the cow as white as milk,
Two: the cape as red as blood,
Three: the hair as yellow as corn,
Four: the slipper as pure as gold.

Bring me these
Before the chime
Of midnight,
In three day's time,
And you shall have,
I guarantee,
A child as perfect
As child can be.

Go to the wood!

[STEPMOTHER]
Ladies.
Our carriage waits.

[CINDERELLA]
Now may I go to the Festival?

[STEPMPTHER]
The Festival-!
Darling, those nails!
Darling, those clothes!
Lentils are one thing but
Darling, with those,
You'd make us the fools of the Festival
And mortify the Prince!

[CINDERELLA'S FATHER]
Our carriage is waiting.

[STEPMOTHER]
We must be gone.

[CINDERELLA]
Good night, Father.
I wish...

[BAKER]
Look what I found in father's hunting jacket.

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Six beans. We'll take them with us.

[BAKER]
No!

The spell is on my house.
Only I can lift the spell,
The spell is on my house.

[BAKER'S WIFE]
No, no, the spell is on our house.
We must lift the spel.

[BAKER]
No. You are not to come and that is final.
Now what am I to return with?

[BAKER'S WIFE]
You don't remember?

The cow as white as milk,
The cape as red as blood,
The hair as yellow as corn,
The slipper as pure as gold-

[BAKER]
The cow as white as milk,
The cape as red as blood,
The hair as yellow as corn,
The slipper as pure as gold...

[NARRATOR]
And so the Baker, reluctantly, set off to meet the
enchantress' demands.
As for Cinderella:

[CINDERELLA]
I still wish to go to the Festival,
But how am I ever to get to the Festival?

[BAKER]
The cow as white as milk,
The cape as red as blood,
The hair as yellow as corn-

[CINDERELLA]
I know!
I'll visit Mother's grave,
The grave at the hazel tree,
And tell her I just want to
Go to the King's Festival...

[BAKER]
The slipper as pure as gold...
The cow, the cape,
The slipper as pure as gold-

[BAKER'S WIFE]
The hair-!

[CINDERELLA & BAKER]
Into the woods,
It's time to go,
It may be all
In vain, you/I know.
Into the woods-
But even so,
I have to take the journey.

[CINDERELLA, BAKER & WIFE]
Into the woods,
The path is straight,
You know it well,
But who can tell-

[BAKER & WIFE]
Into the woods to lift the spell-

[CINDERELLA]
Into the woods to visit Mother-

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Into the woods to fetch the things-

[BAKER]
To make the potion-

[CINDERELLA]
To got to the Festival-

[CINDERELLA, JACK, JACK'S MOTHER, BAKER, WIFE]
Into the woods
Without regret,
The choice is made,
The task is set.
Into the woods,
But not forget-
Ting why I'm on the journey.
(Little Red Riding hood Joins)
Into the woods
to get my wish,
I don't care how,
The time is now.

[JACK'S MOTHER]
Into the woods to sell the cow-

[JACK]
Into the woods to get the money-

[BAKER'S WIFE]
Into the woods to lift the spell-

[BAKER]
To make the potion-

[CINDERELLA]
To go to the Festival-

[LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD]
Into the woods to Grandmother's house...
Into the woods to Grandmother's house...

[ALL]
The way is clear,
The light is good,
I have no fear,
No no one should.
The woods are just trees,
The trees are just wood.
No need to be afraid there-

[CINDERELLA & BAKER]
There's something in the glade there...

[ALL]
Into the woods,
Without delay,
But careful no
To lose the way.
Into the woods,
Who knows what may
Be lurking on the journey?

Into the woods
To get the thing
That makes it worth
The lourneying.
into the owwds-

[STEMOTHER & STEPSISTERS]
To see the King-

[JACK & MOTHER]
To sell the cow-

[BAKER & WIFE]
To make the potion-

[ALL]
To see-
To sell-
To get-
To bring-
To make-
To lift-
To go to the Festival-!

Into the woods!
Into the woods!
Into the woods,
Then out of the woods,
And home before dark!

What is "Pro-Second Amendment?"

It is not possible to be anti-Second Amendment unless someone is proposing an amendment to the USA Constitution.

The Second Amendment allows for gun ownership, it does not allow each person in the country to be their own militia and kill others at will. The Second Amendment ever allowed that, but, because of inappropriate capitalism, that is exactly Americans face every day.

.......................................................

Trump has instructed his staff to respond to the press in a script. I can hear it with Treasury Secretary Munchkin. "We had a dialogue." - Protected by Executive Privilege. There ya go, "These are confidential discussions." "In my discussions with the President, the issue with Ukraine never came up." 

To begin that doesn't matter, the monies and timeline is all that is needed to prove that leverage took place. The Whistleblower's reporting is proof enough. There is also no way of knowing if Trump has other demands on authorizations of those monies that would prohibit a further discussion until he released the monies to be spent.

The "dialogue" is not blanketly exempt from Congress. There are too many people falling under "Executive Privilege" for it to be legitimate.

It is a scheme. The staff is stating the same words dictated by Trump all too often.

Ukraine's new leaders after the revolution inherited a huge corruption network from the Former President Yanukobych.

31 May 2016
By Maxim Tucker

Ukraine’s former president (click here) paid bribes worth at least $2 billion (£1.4 billion) during his four years in office – amounting to almost $1.4 million for every day he was in power – according to evidence handed to investigators.

Viktor Yanukovych, who was toppled during Ukraine’s revolution in 2014, appears to have kept a detailed record of backhanders distributed while he was in government.

A logbook has emerged listing the bribes paid to former and serving Ukrainian officials. In particular, election commissioners were handsomely rewarded in return for guaranteeing victory for Mr Yanukovych’s Party of Regions in the parliamentary election of 2012.

“We know that it’s real because of the minutiae of the detail - that so many of the small details corroborate with events or activities that took place under Yanukovych,” said Serhiy Leshchenko, the Ukrainian investigative journalist turned MP who published the logbook....

Don't take my word for it, but, look to the Republicans in Congress clamoring for LNG ports to export USA methane to Europe. 

The main goals of Gazprom in the European market (click here) are retaining its leadership position, ensuring reliable gas supplies, and improving the efficiency of its marketing activities.

European countries have been among the key consumers of Russian gas for over 50 years.

Gazprom is the largest exporter of natural gas to the European market....

There is absolutely no surprise in realizing the Obama Administration was very interested in having Ukraine remain autonomous. 

April 22, 2014
By Andrew Higgins and Andrew Roth

Kiev - Vowing that the United States (click here) would never recognize Russia’s “illegal occupation” of Crimea, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. on Tuesday reiterated America’s support of Ukraine, declared that “no nation has the right to simply grab land from another” and called on Russia to stop supporting masked gunmen who have seized government buildings across the east of the country.

Mr. Biden’s remarks, made during a meeting with Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, signaled strong American backing for the shaky new government in Kiev that Moscow does not recognize and condemns as the illegitimate fruit of a putsch engineered by the West.

In recent weeks, officials in Washington, including President Obama, have issued a string of warnings to Russia threatening increasingly harsh economic sanctions if the Kremlin does not help to de-escalate the crisis in eastern Ukraine. But those seem to have gone largely unheeded.

Mr. Biden’s stern words, accompanied by a pledge of a further $50 million in American aid and help to break Ukraine’s dependency on Russian energy supplies, underscored how little trust now exists between Washington and Moscow, despite their joint role in brokering an international accord on Thursday in Geneva that sought, so far with little effect, to defuse the crisis....

Yanukovych's corruption was like a spiderweb whereby the economic platform was OWNED by Yanukovych no different than the militias throughout the country while disarming the national military. The ability to unravel that corruption has been complicated.

The new Ukrainian leadership wanted to remove corruption and pivot to an economy that included Europe as a trading partner. As a result of that huge paradigm shift in Ukraine the countries willing to be involved was demanding they remove the corruption. The World Bank was the first among those demanding the end of corruption in Ukraine. These demands against Ukraine corruption began as soon as the revolution placed in leadership. There is no way any Biden, be it Joe or Hunter, was involved in corruption. It wasn't possible.

March 30, 2019
By Kari Volokh

...Ukraine’s Institute of Economic Research and Policy Consulting (IER) (click here) has attempted to separate the wheat from the chaff by quantifying the effects of reforms that have been undertaken by the Ukrainian government since 2014. The report, produced by a team of Ukrainian economists and refereed by a panel of their distinguished Western peers, examines the economic consequences of key reforms to arrive at a quantifiable figure of the reduction of corruption in dollar terms.

The findings are startling. According to the study, reforms now in place in Ukraine have reduced national corruption by a staggering $6 billion per year—a figure equivalent to nearly six percent of the country’s official GDP. These reforms, and the increased effectiveness of state tax and revenue authorities have also helped to significantly reduce the size of the country’s once-formidable shadow economy....

President Trump is attempting to remove scandal from himself in regard to the Whistleblow that witnessed something untoward our democracy. He may be trying to discredit the former Vice President, but, it is more than that, he is trying to use the power within the presidency to protect himself and his own self-interests.

I has been my experience that whistleblowing is about safety. It is vital to everyone.

That safety extends to all aspects of life, including the well being of an American democracy, liberty and freedom.

September 18, 2019
By Julian E. Barnes, Nicholas Fandos, Michael S. Schmidt and Matthew Rosenberg

Washington — A potentially explosive complaint (click here) by a whistle-blower in the intelligence community said to involve President Trump emerged on Thursday as the latest front in a continuing oversight dispute between administration officials and House Democrats.

While the allegation remains shrouded in mystery, it involves at least one instance of Mr. Trump making an unspecified commitment to a foreign leader and includes other actions, according to interviews. At least part of the allegation deals with Ukraine, two people familiar with it said.

The complaint, submitted by a member of the intelligence community to its inspector general, renewed questions about how the president handles delicate matters. Mr. Trump defended his actions, and allies described his style with foreign leaders as more freewheeling than typical high-level diplomacy. “I would only do what is right anyway, and only do good for the USA!” Mr. Trump wrote on Twitter....

EEE vaccines should be mandatory for all horse owners.

I didn't find any outbreak of Western Equine Encephalitis (click here), so the injuries that killed more than 30 horses this year should be submitted for investigation. These horses are normally covered with insurance, so when the owner experiences a loss, the insurance is paid.

September 18, 2019
By Laura Wagner

A 4-year-old gelding was euthanized at Santa Anita (click here) after breaking its pelvis during training, according to a statement released by the track’s owner, the Stronach Group (click here). The horse, named Zeke, pulled up on the training track on Monday and was put down Tuesday. Per the statement:

Veterinarians diagnosed a pelvic fracture. Zeke was initially stable, but, unfortunately, his condition deteriorated later that evening. After consultation with veterinary experts, the owner’s team determined that this type of injury would not be able to be repaired to support continual weight on all four legs, a must for a horse’s survival.

The statement says Zeke is the second horse to die from injuries sustained on the training track in 2019. It omits that 30 horses died at Santa Anita earlier this year during the winter and spring meets.

In March the track shut down briefly after it was revealed that 21 horses had died at the track in two months....

The east coast and Midwest of the USA is experiencing a serious Outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis. 

September 19, 2019
By Glenn McEntyre

A potentially deadly virus (click here) being spread by mosquitoes has made its way to Ohio.

Eastern Equine Encephalitis, or "Triple-E", has killed three people in Michigan. Health officials in Ohio are closely monitoring the spread of the virus.

Stephanie Green boards 36 horses at her Shoo Fly Stables in Fairfield County.

She says her horses are like her children, which is why she takes no chances with their health.

"Horses are very susceptible to a lot of different diseases, so we vaccinate every year. There's a seven-way shot that we give every year."

And this year, that precaution could be even more important.

"We've had three horses infected that have died from Triple-E." said Dr. Tony Forshey, state veterinarian with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. "Triple-E is Eastern Equine Encephalitis. It's a virus that circulates in the bloodstream and then gets into the brain and causes massive swelling. It's pretty much always fatal in those horses."...

The virus can be transmitted to humans in the same way it is transmitted to horses, the mosquito. My understanding is that it takes one mosquito carrying the virus to kill horses and people. There are known virus and bacteria that will cross species lines. When they do cross species lines they are frequently deadly.

From the Association of Equine Practitioners:

In the United States, (click here) equine encephalitides for which vaccines are available include eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE), western equine encephalomyelitis (WEE), Venezuelan equine encephalomyelitis (VEE) and West Nile Virus encephalomyelitis. The distribution of EEE has historically been restricted to the eastern, southeastern and some southern states (but disease incidence is also reported in the upper Midwestern states of Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin). Outbreaks of WEE have been recorded in the western and mid-western states. Variants of WEE have caused sporadic cases in the northeast and southeast, most notably Florida. VEE occurs in South and Central America but has not been diagnosed in the United States for more than 40 years. The availability of licensed vaccine products combined with an inability to completely eliminate risk of exposure justifies immunization against EEE and WEE as core prophylaxis for all horses residing in or traveling to North America and any other geographic areas where EEE and/or WEE is endemic....

September 9, 2019
By Christopher Zara

Some states (click here) this year are reporting elevated cases of Eastern equine encephalitis virus (or EEE or EEEV), a rare but serious and often deadly cause of brain infection transmitted through mosquito bites....

Connecticut: (click here) State health officials said this week they’ve confirmed their first case of EEE in Connecticut since 2013.

Massachusetts: (click here) Officials confirmed a ninth human case of EEE as of this week, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Michigan: (click here) The state is experiencing its worst outbreak of EEE in more than a decade, with at least three deaths and four additional cases confirmed. Health officials are urging affected counties to cancel activities taking place after dusk. 

New Jersey: (click here) The disease was recently detected in Union County, officials said.

Rhode Island: (click here) At least three cases have been diagnosed, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health, including a child under 10....

The CDC statistics (click here) clearly show the average number of cases are 7 per year. This year the number of reported cases is estimated to be 73 and possibly rising. 

The virus is very nasty. My understanding is that even if a person survives the virus' onslaught, there is a strong possibility they can still die within 3 to 4 years because of the damage done to body systems, including the brain.

September 18, 2019
By A. Pawlowski

...The highest chance of infection (click here) in humans is typically August, though the peak time for transmission extends through September, officials have said.

Most infections happen in the Atlantic and Gulf Coast states, and some in the Great Lakes region, according to the CDC. Aerial mosquito spraying began last month in some of the communities at high risk for EEE.

“It’s concerning from a public health point of view, no question about it,” Joe Conlon, a retired U.S. Navy entomologist and spokesman for the American Mosquito Control Association, told TODAY.

“(But) it’s not a very wide-spread disease, thank goodness… it’s not common like West Nile virus.”...

...Symptoms start four to 10 days after a person is bitten and include:

headache

high fever

chills

vomiting

As the disease progresses, the patient can suffer from disorientation, seizures and coma. There is no specific treatment....

PREVENTION is the best possible way to avoid the mosquito bite. In addition to a good insect repellant, STAGNANT water, even a puddle, can be a breeding place for mosquitos. Be sure all water is drained off lawn furniture after a rainstorm, fill any holes in the lawn or garden if there is stagnant water available to breed these mosquitos. But, as governors involved this year stated, stay inside upon the evening when the sun is setting. If any questions arise, the local Country Extension Agent should be helpful in prevention on a local basis.

- Use insect repellents that contain the active ingredient DEET.

- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants when outside.

- Maintain window and door screening.

- Empty water from mosquito-breeding sites around the home (buckets, old tires, etc).

- Use nets and/or fans over outdoor eating areas.

Health officials have said EEE will continue to be a concern until the first hard frost of the year.

September 20, 2019
By Christopher Gavin

It started with a headache. (click here)

The pain settled in for Star Jackman, of Coventry, Rhode Island, on Aug. 30.

The first grader had just finished her first two days into the new school year.

And while she would have usually either played with a Barbie doll or two, sang, or danced her way into the weekend, the 6-year-old spent the next day in bed, asleep, her father, Reginald Jackman, told The Providence Journal.

“She started running a fever and throwing up,” Reginald Jackman, 35, said in an interview with ABC6. “Sunday afternoon we brought her to the walk-in.”

Star is one of three people in Rhode Island this year who has contracted the potentially fatal and rare mosquito-borne Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus — a diagnosis that would take weeks to come for the Jackman family.

Just for the record, San Anita Race Track is not the only place where horses are dying unexpectedly.

September 11, 2019
By Kenneth Garger

Three racehorses died last week at Belmont Park (click here) on the track’s first week of racing for their fall meet.

Last Friday, which was opening day at the Long Island track, saw two deaths, according to online data provided by the New York Gaming Association.

One of the horses, Passporttovictory, was injured in the third race and removed from the track by an ambulance.

The thoroughbred was later euthanized....

Have a better weekend and have family activities indoors. It can be fun.

There are currently 500 cases of "Vaping Lung" and 8 deaths so far.

This is a very poor cultural practice. It has to stop. There is too much not known about everything from vap delivery systems to the fluid used. The oil found in Vaping Lung comes from somewhere. The delivery system is ridiculous, it pits delicate lung tissue against heated air carrying foreign substances.

The best way to experience nicotine addiction is with patches or gum chewing.

Stop being stupid simply because "the worst" hasn't happened to you, YET.

STOP DOING THIS!  PLEASE!

September 20, 2019
By Carlie Porterfield

The Topline: (click here) The eighth U.S. death linked with vaping-related lung disease was announced on Thursday, as the total number of probable cases rose to more than 500. 

• The most recent victim was a St. Louis, Missouri man in his mid-forties who began vaping in May to treat chronic pain, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. By August 22, he was hospitalized with respiratory problems and died less than a month later, on Wednesday....
• ...Of the 500 cases of vaping-related illnesses around 75% of the patients are male, and half are younger than 25, with 16% aged 18 or younger.
• Teenage vaping has doubled since 2017, according to early results of a survey released Wednesday.
• A U.S. congressional subcommittee will hold a hearing on Tuesday to discuss the outbreak.... 

A lot going on in Flint.

This weekend there is a "Touch a Truck" event for children (click here).

...Campus Department of Public Safety Director Ray Hall said trucks are exciting for children and a centerpiece of the event, but its purpose goes beyond that. It's a chance to build community and get children excited about various careers.

Admission is free. The event also includes free hot dogs, face painting, balloons, music and more.

The children should absolutely go and have fun. It would be nice if the Governor made a surprise visit, but, she is busy with state issues regarding the health of Michiganders, too.

September 18, 2019
By Ron Fonger

Flint - The state is no longer providing attorneys (click here) to employees who are questioned by Flint water prosecutors, a practice that cost taxpayers millions of dollars during the administration of former Gov. Rick Snyder.

Spokeswomen for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel confirmed the change in policy in response to questions from MLive-The Flint Journal, but the Governor’s Office said it is looking for another way to provide help to employees who could be in legal jeopardy and need an attorney’s advice....

It is about time. A few thoughts. This is a corruption of the State of Michigan's politicians that was to allow people well paid to receive WELFARE so they could keep their wealth. The employees involved in the Flint Water Crisis need to be responsible for their own neglect and willingness to cower to Governor Snyder. They should have stood up to him to make him stop the poisoning of Flint.

Employees, no different than any other person exposed to Due Process, have a right to request a state assigned attorney if they cannot afford to pay the cost themselves. In that, when people are brought before the courts again, they can place an application for such attorney assignment.

Realizing the millions of corrupt dollars taken from the State of Michigan Treasury to protect the wealth of State Employees; if they are found guilty of charges when the new investigation is complete; they should be held responsible for paying back those millions into the Michigan Treasury. If they were assigned a Public Attorney, that provision (which is a fine) can be set aside if the judge finds it appropriate.

Boil Water Advisories are still a reality in Flint. (click here)

September 20, 2019
By Zahra Ahmad

Flint - Flint’s wastewater system (click here) is receiving major, multi million-dollar upgrades.

City council approved $1.8 million in wastewater system upgrades at its Sept. 9 general meeting and is poised to approve $515,000 to replace a pump at its East Pump Station at its Monday, Sept. 23 special affairs meeting. The projects range from pump replacements and aeration redesigns to sludge dewatering improvements....

Good job. Rising waters recently brought sewage out of the plant into the streets and into the river. That is a shame. It shouldn't have happened. We live in a new era of destructive storms and torrential rainfalls. There has to be an insight to these events.

Perhaps the State of Michigan will be the first to pass state legislation that requires all cities to assess their infrastructure for climate readiness. This focus should be a country wide requirement to protect lives and the future of our children and young adults.

These contractors that used "hydrovacing" in the water pipe replacement have no standing. They were using a procedure that was known to be faulty, but, provided higher profits from their work than conducting the water pipe replacement correctly. The contractors basically blindsided the city officials to the known failures of "hydrovacing." These contractors caused more problems than they solved.

September 19, 2019
By Zahra Ahmad

...City officials required Goyette, (click here) and other contractors, to increase the size of excavations and forbid the use of hydrovacing, according to the suit. Hydrovacing is a non-intrusive method using high-pressurized water to dig soft surfaces, like grass and dirt.

Mayor Karen Weaver announced in June 2018 the city would no longer use hydrovac trucks because they weren’t identifying water service lines thoroughly....

I have just walked in the door to home and I will need a few minutes to see what has been happening with Flint.

I have been following "All In with Chris Hayes" and he is doing a remarkable job with the climate crisis.

continued...

Trump and Guiliani are seeking information about the Former Vice President Biden through intimidation and endangering Ukraine, hence NATO and USA national security.

September 19,2019
By Julian E. Barnes, Nicholas Fandos, Michael S.Schmidt and Matthew Rosenberg

...It involves at least one instance  (click here) of Mr. Trump making an unspecified commitment to a foreign leader and includes other actions, according to interviews. At least part of the allegation deals with Ukraine, two people familiar with it said....

Trump and Guiliani are in plenty of trouble. It is one thing to seek factual information from a foreign government that is an ally to the USA, it is quite something else to intimidate a sovereign government to create a story about a political opponent. These monies were to improve Ukraine's national security. It is unconscionable to even attempt intimidation of a foreign government.

September 10, 2019
By Viola Gienger

Vice President Mike Pence (click here) was about to finish a routine joint press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw last week, when he got two astutely specific questions about his meeting the previous day with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:

“Number one, did you discuss Joe Biden at all during that meeting yesterday with the Ukrainian President? And number two, can you assure Ukraine that the hold-up of [U.S. security assistance] has absolutely nothing to do with efforts, including by Rudy Giuliani, to try to dig up dirt on the Biden family?” Associated Press reporter Jill Colvin asked.

Pence answered the first question directly: “Well, on the first question, the answer is no.” His response to the second question was more interesting. He essentially demurred. But to decode the significance of Pence’s reply, it’s important to understand the recent history of Ukraine and U.S. policy toward the country. From there, we can unpack what’s at the bottom of the Trump-Giuliani efforts.

Those efforts yesterday became the focus of a new joint investigation by three House committees – Foreign Affairs, Intelligence, and Oversight and Reform. In letters to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo seeking “any and all” related records and a list of personnel involved, the three Democratic committee chairs outlined a litany of meetings, phone calls, tweets and other threats, including the withholding of the $250 million of security aid the reporter had referenced in the question to Pence.

“President Trump and his personal attorney (Rudy Guiliani) appear to have increased pressure on the Ukrainian government and its justice system in service of President Trump’s reelection campaign, and the White House and the State Department may be abetting this scheme,” the chairmen wrote....

The country doesn't need another bogus letter from Bill Barr.

If Barr is untrustworthy for his handling of the Special Counsel Report, he is absolutely untrustworthy AND interfering with the rule of law when it comes to a whistleblower complaint about Trump. If this was a whistleblower regarding President Obama it would be front page, above the fold news.

September 19, 2019
By Andrew Prokop

An internal Trump administration whistleblower (click here) has filed a complaint about “multiple acts” by President Trump, according to the New York Times’ Nicholas Fandos, Eileen Sullivan, Julian Barnes and Matthew Rosenberg.

Look this is the way I see it. Trump has loans backed by Russian oligarchs through Deutsche Bank. He has defaulted on those loans and the loans are being paid by the Russian Oligarchs. When the sanctions by Obama and the USA Congress hit hard in Russia, Putin stepped in and used the power of the Russian government to leverage the loans to Trump. BASICALLY, TRUMP'S INDEBTEDNESS is leverage over the USA Presidency. 

There are a few foreign leaders that Trump would promise anything; Kim Jong Un or Vladimir Putin. Those are also the only leaders that is known to have multiple calls with Trump. I believe Trump would promise Putin anything, including delayed responses of USA nukes.

I don't think this is a mystery. If it wasn't so serious there would never be a whistleblower complaint. Trump never denounced the intervention by Putin and Russian intelligence in the 2016 elections. As far as I am concerned that is good as permission. "Russia if your listening...." Who says that? 

The whistleblower account needs to go forward. Barr is way out of line. This guy still has his license?

In part, the complaint is about a troubling “promise” made during a conversation between President Trump and a foreign leader, per the Washington Post’s Greg Miller, Ellen Nakashima, and Shane Harris. But the Times reported Thursday that the complaint is broader than any one call or promise.

The complaint was passed on to the inspector general for the intelligence community, who determined it was credible and a matter of “urgent concern” — a legal standard that normally requires congressional oversight committees be notified. And, per a letter from the inspector general, he concluded the complaint “relates to one of the most significant and important of the DNI’s responsibilities to the American people.”

How is it Kushner has access to these documents, but, the US Congress doesn't?

But Trump’s acting director of national intelligence has stepped in to block key congressional committee chairs from receiving the details of the whistleblower complaint — which some legal analysts say could be a violation of the law requiring they be informed.

So over the past week, Intelligence Committee chair Adam Schiff (D-CA) has been demanding answers. The inspector general briefed the committee Thursday morning, but still withheld details about the complaint’s subject matter.

The big picture is that this could be a major new scandal in the making. And the two huge questions are: which foreign leader? And what was the promise?

On Thursday morning, Trump responded on Twitter, calling the story “Fake News” and saying he wouldn’t have said “something inappropriate” on such a call....

Welcome to the Intelligence Community (IC) Whistleblowing website. (click here) If you are visiting this website because you are considering whether to make a protected disclosure, or because you are interested in learning more about them, you should know that whistleblowing has a long history in this country. Over 240 years ago, on July 30, 1778, the Continental Congress unanimously enacted the first whistleblower legislation in the United States, proclaiming that "it is the duty of all persons in service of the United States, as well as all other the inhabitants thereof, to give the earliest information to Congress or other proper authority of any misconduct, frauds or misdemeanors committed by any officers or persons in the service of these states, which comes to their knowledge." To this day, Federal law (including the Constitution, rules, and regulations) encourages, consistent with the protection of classified information (including sources and methods of detection of classified information), the honest and good faith reporting of misconduct, fraud, misdemeanors, and other crimes to the appropriate authority at the earliest time possible.

Consistent with that tradition and public policy, this website provides a general overview of lawful whistleblowing in the IC. It explains how individuals may lawfully disclose critical information to authorized recipients while protecting national security. You will find information about what lawful whistleblowing is; what individuals should report; how to blow the whistle lawfully; who handles a whistleblower complaint; why we have a whistleblower program; and what an individual's whistleblower protections are.

Whistleblowers are a key source of information for countering wrongdoing and enhancing the effectiveness of our government. Lawful whistleblowing through authorized disclosures, and passing the right information to the right people, reinforces our public policy of encouraging individuals working for our government, and particularly within our IC, to provide patriotic dissent while maintaining loyalty to individual elements within the IC and protecting national security.

Regardless of your reason for visiting this website, I hope you find its information helpful. To close on another historical note, I keep on my desk a plaque with a quote from Benjamin Franklin - a former government employee - who began his day by asking "What good shall I do this day?" Reporting wrongdoing through authorized means is not only a public and patriotic duty with a long tradition in this country, it is a good that can be done today.

Michael K. Atkinson
Inspector General of the Intelligence Community

Opening-day frenzy at first Costco store in China

"Go, Costco." It appears the Chinese middle class is a seriously growing aspect of quality of life. Very nice. Evidently, the overcrowding was not expected. Costco has experience in handling large crowds, especially on "Black Friday." It is nice to see the Chinese having the opportunity to improve their lives. This Middle Class is a huge victory for the USA. China is now exhibiting a "Consumer Economy." That means the Chinese will build stronger local economies and the DEMAND for a better life.

This is fantastic. Finally, China has a burgeoning consumer economy that will equate to that of the USA eventually. That means China is looking more like our allies, in Europe and Asia. Japan has a very high quality of life. Hopefully, China will, too.

Trump is subverting the law. This law dates back to WWII. It has been a steadfast, regular publication of the USA.

Published by the Office of the Federal Register, (click here) National Archives and Records Administration (NARA),  the Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of Federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other presidential documents.

When is it published?

The Federal Register is updated daily by 6 a.m. and is published Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

Title 44. PUBLIC PRINTING AND DOCUMENTS (click here)
Chapter 15. FEDERAL REGISTER AND CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS

This was sent over the web today. The Federal Register is a very important archive. It is a common place to look for rules and regulations. This is a move by Trump to increase the cost of following rules and regulations. Lawyers and many others, including private companies subscribe to the Federal Register. If they have to look in more than on place for information regarding the government it will add higher personnel costs to find the laws, document and record them. 

On October 15, 2018, (click here) requirements for the importation of fruits and vegetables that were previously located in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) were moved to FAVIR. You'll find them for relevant commodities in a new section titled "Additional Requirements." This change is a result of a rule published by APHIS on September 14, 2018 to streamline the approval process for fruit and vegetable imports. It's important to note that this rule did NOT add or change any requirements for the importation of a particular fruit or vegetable, it simply relocated the existing documented requirements. To learn more about the updated FAVIR and what has and has not changed, go to the Streamlining Approvals for Fruit and Vegetable Imports Web page at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-health/q56-streamlining.

Rulemaking by agency secretaries is well outlined. The rules of the USA federal government is not established willy-nilly.The rules that manifest because of LEGISLATION has a specific process. Trump and his secretary is disregarding ESTABLISHED LAW.

"A Guide to the Rule Making Process" (click here)

More on rulemaking (click here)

CARE.

The government at any level is supposed to CARE about Americans and the impact of law(s). The Federal Register is a central processing TOOL so ALL AMERICANS can find changes in rules and regulations.

Hurricane Humberto is threatening the UK. Storm surge exceeding 30 feet.

The UK built significant sea walls about a decade ago. At the time those sea walls were calculated to be enough. The increasing heat in the troposphere is heating the ocean at the Air/Sea interface (click here). The effects on ocean turbulence is significant with a fraction of degree higher it becomes.

Until the warming of the troposphere continues to increase, the oceans and seas will reflect that with turbulence and sea level rise.

September 19, 2019
By Katie Sewell

Gradual weakening (click here) is now expected for the storm as it makes it track towards UK, where energy from the powerful hurricane will bring rain and fierce winds.

Bermuda is still feeling the effects of the hurricane, with powerful storm surges and swells impacting the island as Humberto passed by.

An NOAA buoy measured a wave of more than 30 feet Wednesday, it said.

Large swells will also continue to increase into tomorrow, the hurricane centre added....