Donald Trump has referred to himself as "the man who some say is the Greatest President in History." One of those actually saying that is Mr. Trump himself. He ranks himself in the same league as Washington and Lincoln, as one of our greatest presidents. Trump is no shrinking violet. He may sleep a lot, but when he is awake, he grabs center stage.

History hardly remembers Presidents Harding or Garfield, Harrison or Taylor, but President Donald Trump will certainly be rmembered, for better or for worse.

=================================================================

Warfare has undergone an unfortuate evolution over the long course of human history, even to the point where nuclear bombs have killed hundreds of thousands. The United States has observed a voluntary moratorium on nuclear explosive testing since 1992, although maintaining the ability to resume tests at the Nevada National Security Site. Ever since 1993, the United States has used a program known as Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship to maintain confidence in the "safety, security, and effectiveness" of its nuclear arsenal.

In October and November 2025, President Donald Trump suggested that the United States could soon restart nuclear testing. As president, he has his finger (figuratively speaking) on the nuclear button. To date, it is unclear what change of policy, if any, may take place following President Trump's announcement.

Mr. Trump himself poses a serious present danger to our country and to the world, especially as he is fast losing his own memory and cognition, so the sooner he is gone from office, the better. There are lower age limits for elected officials, but no upper age limits, although questions have arisen about specific elected individuals who have shown clear signs of dementia. While Trump may have "aced" a very simple cognitive test, that is no assurnace that his judgment and decisionmaking are actually sound.

Weapons of war have been evolving.

The "right to bear arms" in the United States is enshrined in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. It guarantees the people the right to keep and carry weapons, primarily for self-defense and protection against tyranny. The National Rifle Association has long championed "gun rights." There is a shop selling firearms right here in Berkeley Springs,

Other modern nations not according such "rights" to their citizens have fewer murders, fewer suicides, fewer gun accidents, overall many fewer gun injuries and deaths. Let's face it, while sometimes a gun might prove protective, in general, a gun actually is a threat to anyone possessing it and to all those in the vicinity. Why? Because human beings are too often careless, vindictive, impulsive, confused, mistaken. Children also might find a gun and harm themselves or others. (My son still has a foot injury inflicted at age 11 when a neighbor's unsecured gun was found, then discharged after being dropped by another boy.)

While it may be true that "people" actually kill people, as the NRA claims, still, without a gun, many fewer people would kill anyone. Guns do kill people. That is the main reason for having them. While it's possible to kill someone with a knife or an arrow, or by hitting their head with a rock, yet as has been found in modern warfare, it's so much easier to kill an enemy with a firearm. When wars were fought only with arrows, there were many fewer deaths. Before the widespread adoption of gunpowder, nearly all ancient and midieval conflicts were actually fought using bows and arrows.

Native Americans used bows and arrows in their wars, but found guns to be much more effective and lethal.

Now the U.S. Supreme Court has just struck down a 2023 Hawaii law that had banned gun owners with concealed-carry permits from carrying firearms into private property open to the public without the owner's explicit consent. That 6-3 ideologically divided decision has ruled that restriction to be unconstitutional.

Wash. Post, Ruling strikes down Hawaii limits on carrying guns in public

The struck-down legislation was often referred to as the "vampire rule," as it had required gun carriers to secure an invitation—like in vampire lore where a host must bid someone entry—in order to bring firearms into businesses like shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels. Hawaii, being a cluster of islands located far from the US mainland, would have made this law easier to enforce, since nearly all the folks arriving to the islands come by boat or plane with all their belongings being thoroughly searched. But alas, Hawaii residents will not now be afforded this protection after all.

Instead, lifetime job protections for Supreme Court justices have made this ruling both partisan and possible, as all those ruling in its favor have been Republican Court appointees. Fellow countries like Canada and Britain have so many fewer gun deaths. While lacking the so-called "right to bear arms," citizens of both Canada and Britain have more rights to just go on living, though Canada is too close to the US for comfort as firearms can easily cross the border. Montreal just had a deadly shooting days ago.

Deadly shooting in Montreal, Canada

Facebook ·

A deadly shooting in Montreal, Canada, has left at least two people dead, including a police officer and a civilian.

Supreme Court strikes down gun limits for stores, other public places

Now folks in the US are in danger whenever they leave home. Someone's freedom to carry a gun in public puts the life and wellbeing of others at risk.

==================================================================

In Venezuela, rescuers race to save hundreds trapped in earthquake rubble

At least 589 people were killed in back-to-back quakes, and at least 250 buildings collapsed. Neighbors and volunteers joined the desperate search for survivors.

=======================================================================
Many cows is the US are now being named Melania, Here is one. If readers find others please send their photos. This one is kind of cute.

=========================================================

I've been in conversations lately with an American friend who also was visiting Cuba

when I was, back in the 1990's (see my books, titles above). As I've told him, my Cuban

foster son, Alex, was gay and had died of AIDS after coming to this country. I'd then had Alex's

name put on the giant AIDS quilt. When I visitied Cuba after his death, his family then asked me how he had died and I said of AIDS. And how did he ever get that? Well, he was gay and AIDS had been spreading in the gay community. Oh no! He was never gay here in Cuba! Yes and no. Gay sex was outlawed in Cuba then--I don't know about now. Yet, back then, in Cuba's male prisons, a section

would be set aside for gays, while other prisoners strictly avoided any hint of same-sex activity.

I've known many former Cuban political prisoners. I've ghosted several of their memoirs appearing in English, though never asking for any payment nor does my name even appear. Except perhaps for my late foster son, those former political prisioners had always strictly avoided any hint of same-sex activitywhile in prison, though still forging strong personal bonds. By helping them write their

memoirs later, I learned a lot about their life back then in Cuba's male prisons. AIDS did spread in the gay sections of Cuba's men's prisons, but not throughout the prisons. I also knew women with AIDS

in Honduras, acquired from bisexual male partners. at that time, there was no effective treatment.

So what's happening now with regard to AIDS in our own country? We no longer hear very much

about it. Our family once knew an American woman who had it. I also met people in Honduras with AIDS: men who had sex with men and their female partners. Since homosexuality is so reviled in Latin America, many gay-oriented men also have female partners and have fathered children with them. Then, of course, if the man has AIDS, his wife may become infected and give birth to a child who also

gets infected. While living in close quarters, the whole famly all bathing and sleeping together and using a latrine may get infected.

Approximately 1.2 million people with HIV live in the US today, making the prevalence rate about 0.3% of the population. About 1 in 8 Americans with HIV today are actually unaware they have it. Roughly 31,800 to 39,000 new HIV acquisitions occur in the US annually. Most of them are among men who have sex wih men, though some such men also have women partners, which is how most women become infected. AIDS treatment relies on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART), which involves taking a daily combination of medications to control the virus. While ART cannot cure HIV or AIDS, it reduces the virus to an undetectable level .

Two famous American performers who died of AIDS were actor Rock Hudson and popular pianist Liberace. Rock Hudson, who always appeared in films as a very macho male, died of AIDS in 1985.