Friday, April 3, 2026

Is it spring now?

 

Is it spring yet? The grass is now green, trees are blooming, and the birds are chirping and building nests. 

Here are trees we saw in Berkeley Springs when we went out early this morning.




Daily Beast, Hegseth’s Top Aide Spilled Jaw-Dropping Claim About Drunken Bender  According to rumor, Hegseth is something of a lush who is often in his cups. But now most information on this matter is being blocked.

THIRSTY, PETE?

Ricky Buria, a Biden administration holdover who has grown close to Pete Hegseth, has allegedly been spreading a bizarre drinking tale.


Now it seems that Hegseth is doing his best to quash this story. He may be also quashing concern about those first strikes on Iran, made without any provocation, not only killing the Ayatolla, but members of the civilian population, for example, like the rocket that annialated an elementary school for girls, killing children and teachers inside without any warning.
Hegseth acts like this is just a videogame, the same attitude he displayed when ordering lethal strikes on Caribbean boaters holding up their hands in surrender. Not only is Hegseth a probable war criminal, but so is Trump for keeping him in his position

The Hill, International law experts: US strikes on Iran may have amounted to war crimes

Hegseth is also firing the generals who might object to his orders.  


Axios, Hegseth's wartime firing of top generals stuns officials: "It's insane"

CBS News

Hegseth ousts Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George, effective immediately without explanation.



Hegseth is also blocking promotions of female and black officers, nor does he dare to explain that either.

Daily Beast, Hegseth’s Top Aide Spilled Jaw-Dropping Claim About Drunken Bender  According to rumor, Hegseth is something of a lush who is often in his cups. But now most information on this matter is also being blocked.

THIRSTY, PETE?

Ricky Buria, a Biden administration holdover who has grown close to Pete Hegseth, has allegedly been spreading a bizarre drinking tale.


But now it seems that Hegseth is doing his level best to quash this story too about his drinking. He may already be busy quashing concern about those first strikes on Iran, ordered without any provocation, not only killing the Ayatolla, but members of Iran's civilian population including children, as well as civilian boaters in the Caribbean. Hegseth's efforts to attribute his many fatal probable war crimes and mistakes to the "fog of war" just doesn't cut it, as this fog and this war are entirely of Hegseth's and Trump's own making, along with Netanyahu, who started the whole disaster. 


War Secretary Pete Hegseth (himself a probable war criminal with no military experience) also has taken steps to block or delay promotions for more than a dozen black and female senior officers across all four branches of the military, some possibly targeted because of their race, gender, or perceived affiliation with the Biden administration, according to U.S. officials familiar with the process.  As the Daily Beast observes: "For a man with the emotional maturity of a three-year-old and the foresight of a newt, Donald Trump is nonetheless a pretty terrible president."
Remember the pottery barn rule, you break it, you own it? I must now take responsibility.
I seem to only be able to post in these vertical columns. I'm not sure what is going on now or where to go from here, so let'sjust close this postnow and start over. .











 













Thursday, April 2, 2026

No room at the inn

 "No room at the inn" refers to the Biblical account in Luke 2:7 where Mary and Joseph found no vacancy in Bethlehem for Jesus' birth, forcing them to seek shelter in a manger. This is the season for celebrating that biblical tale and fostering the rebirth of hope in the face of unprecedented challenges. 

Now, at age 88, having lived through many US presidencies, I don't recall any as contentious as the current Trump presidency. Donald Trump seems to deliberately seek out and foment strife and to change his mind on a dime, keeping not only his staff but US citizens and those of other countries always on edge, always apprehensive about what he might say or do next when waking up from a daytime snooze. Is his capreciousness due to a personal mental quirk or is it a worrisome sign of continuing cognitive decline? A slim majority of American voters actually chose him this time around, unlike in his first term when he won by a quirk in the American electorsl system allowing him to win election while losing the popular vote. Now we're stuck with him for almost 3 more years. 

Unlike most US presidents--or the presidents of many other countries--Donald Trump does not wish the best for all those living here in our national territory. In fact, he seems to want many of those actually living and working here among us to go elsewhere, never to return. For Trump, there is no room in the inn, metaphorically speaking, despite "Help Wanted" signs being posted everywhere, even here in little Berkeley Springs. Many folks of working age who could and would do those jobs are being deported. 

Donald Trump attended a Supreme Court session on challenges to birthright citizenship. After the court had adjourned, Trump posted on Truth Social: “We are the only Country in the World STUPID enough to allow ‘Birthright’ Citizenship!” 

Actually, about three dozen countries, most of them in the Americas, do guarantee citizenship to children born on their territory. And what about Emma Lazarus and the Statue of Liberty? Think about Donald Trump's own mother, who was not born in this country. So maybe Mr. Trump is not a citizen here after all, not according to the requirements he wants to impose on others. 



Wash. Post, Trump’s gain with Hispanics is evaporating. Republicans should worry.


Hispanics are not going to support a change regarding birthright citizenship, since the current policy is why many of them are now here to begin with. 



Wash. PostJudge rules Trump order eliminating NPR, PBS funding is unconstitutional  This is proving to be still another setback for President Trump.


Wash. Post, Americans have little appetite for sending U.S. troops to Iran, polls show


Here again, although he was elected president, Donald Trump cannot bend US policy according to his will.



It's not Mt. Rushmore or a Nobel, but at least Donald Trump will have a local Florida airport named after himself.  



NY Times, Man convicted in murder of 13-year-old Bronx girl finally sentenced nearly 3 decades later

The long arm of the law has finally reached out and grabbed this guy, who probably thought he was home free.


Wash. Post,  Thieves steal works by Cézanne, Renoir, Matisse in less than 3 minutes


This happened in Italy this time. It's hard to know what thieves do with their musuem heists. Perhaps very wealthy people buy the works to be displayed in their private home collections?


Saudi Arabia is giving the National Zoo in DC $70 million to house rare, endanered Arabian leopards

Mr. Ye is back on stage after doing penance for antisemitic comments.
Ye (formerly Kanye West) has returned to the stage, performing a headline concert in Los Angeles on April 3, 2026, to celebrate his new album.



                         Josefina Aguilar, Mexican clay artist, has died at age 80.
                            


The last posting included this photo of the continuing Cuba blackout, due to failed oil deliveries from Russia. But help has finally arrived.

The Center for a Free Cuba, ever since 2022, has been calling on the international community to open a humanitarian corridor that directly provides assistance to ordinary Cubans in need, and "not for Cuba’s kleptocratic government to use for other ends."

 Canadian based NGOs are asking the Canadian government to urge Havana to legalize independent civil society to improve aid delivery.