One of most dangerous people in the world today

Elon Musk

Elon Musk has financially wormed his way into Donald Trump's world by helping to buy the election for him. Trump has rewarded him by allowing Musk the ultimate insider's spot. But the incoming Oval Office lunatic has recently let know that the world's richest man could be getting on his nerves. This, however, did not preclude Trump from appointing Musk, along with Vivek Ramaswamy, another Republican wanna-be, to head up the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

The Mary Sue says, Elon Musk’s hatefulness makes him ‘More despised worldwide than Trump is.’ Here's the scenario...

He’s [Musk] currently using his vast wealth to fuel the flames of far-right groups in Europe, such as Germany’s AfD and Britain’s Reform. Then there’s the issue of the actual flames. Wildfires have devastating Los Angeles, and Musk is blaming everything but climate change, despite scientists agreeing that climate change was the root cause of the wildfires. Instead, Musk seeks to blame Governor of California Gavin Newsom, as well as “DEI” (diversity, equity and inclusion) policies. And he’s doing so using the most inflammatory language possible.

As Musk called California's Gov. Gavin Newsom  a “subt*rd" and a  “r*tard,” Newsom fired back accusing Musk of ‘encouraging looting’ with misleading claims which included...

"Factually incorrect posts shared by Elon Musk on his social media site claim California governor Gavin Newsom decriminalised looting."

Elon Musk rages on with malicious material like the above when at least 25 people have

GAVIN NEWSOM: Trump hasn't returned my phone calls

died in the Los Angeles fires, more than 12,000 structures have been damaged or destroyed, with over 150,000 still under evacuation notices. The comments on X (formerly Twitter) about Musk were not friendly but certainly colorful...

“I believe this loathsome, fear mongering sh*tbag may be even more despised worldwide than Trump is.” And even on Musk’s own social media platform, plenty of people agreed with her.

"Quite honestly, I find him to be the head troll, full of shit stirring, gaslighting and fake news. He's the biggest bag of toxic bile on this site."

"His money will never buy him respect..his support of felon trump was the kiss of death..Musk is a pathetic individual who will never achieve honour as there is none among thieves!"

Keep in mind, folks, the X platform belongs to Elon Musk. And Dr. Daniela Peterka-Benton, Associate Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University said...

“The online space has always held potential dangers for marginalized communities, and it appears to be getting worse.” With Meta rolling back its DEI policies in the wake of Trump’s re-election, it almost certainly will get worse. Social media has become a horrible place to be a member of any marginalized group and it’s all because of people like Musk. He deserves every last bit of the hate he gets.

This, folks, is what we have to look forward to for the next four years with the Donald Trump administration and his unprepared and incompetent minions. 

 

Jennifer Aniston helps save animals in Los Angeles fires

Jennifer Aniston with her rescue, Lord Chesterfield

Jennifer Aniston, of course, isn't on the scene physically fighting the fires in the L.A. metro area, but she is doing her part behind the scenes urging people to be aware of and help when they can any animal threatened in the ongoing inferno. The Southern California holocaust has been described as the "'most destructive' blazes in modern US history," by Sky News. I lived in L.A. for several years and remember a constant threat caused in part by the Santa Ana winds, which returned this past Saturday.

Here's the scenario...

"The Friends alum joined the wave of celebrities sending thoughts and prayers to those affected by the Palisades Fire, which began tearing through Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Many actors and actresses have been directly impacted by the fires as they faced evacuations and watched their homes burn."

And here's the perspective from Vox...

It’s not just human lives and homes that have been taken and are still at risk. A reporter and a photographer helped a Pasadena woman rescue her chickens from her burning home. Another journalist interviewed two residents evacuating with their horses while surrounded by flames. On social media, people have posted videos of animals like dogs and deer wandering alone amid the fires, confused and distressed.

 Here are the facts, also from Vox...

"In just four days, blazing wildfires across Los Angeles neighborhoods have put 150,000 residents under evacuation orders, burned over 30,000 acres, destroyed more than 10,000 structures, and, as of Thursday, killed 10 (now 11) people. Experts say it may be the costliest wildfire in US history. The fires are still ongoing, and the toll of destruction is still far from a final tally."

From High Country News, "Wildlife biologist Miguel Ordeñana explains how blazes push animals into the unknown." The piece continues...

"A family of deer gather around burned trees from the Palisades Fire at Will Rogers State Park on January 9, 2025 in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California."

There's more...

"NBC LA coverage showed a fawn with singed fur running down the middle of a deserted street in Altadena with no doe in sight as the Eaton Fire burned. Later that night, camera crews from ABC 7 spotted a mountain lion and two cubs running across Topanga Canyon Boulevard away from the Palisades Fire."

 Ordeñana added...

"Bobcats, cougars, coyotes, birds, bats and more all live in the region. Slow-moving creatures like snails and salamanders, wildlife that require specific habitats, nocturnal critters forced to move during the daytime, and animals with young are some of the most vulnerable."

Jennifer Aniston's new childrens book

The latest on Sunday morning shows at least 16 deaths plus more than 10,000 structures either damaged or destroyed. Hollywood celebs like Billy Crystal, Jeff Bridges, Mandy Moore, Anthony Hopkins and John Goodman have either lost their homes or have had fire damage. Sunday afternoon the Santa Anas were expected to strengthen, which everyone who has lived in L.A. knows could spell more disaster. So far, evacuation orders are in place for 105,000 L.A. residents, and 87,000 are in evacuation warning zones.

The largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, has expanded as it moves east and threatens Brentwood, Encino and Westwood. It is only 11% contained. Four wildfires continue to burn, with the Palisades and Eaton blazes still lowly contained. The Santa Anas are expected to be around for several days and that will certainly interfere with firefighters. In case you're interested, here's an explanation of the Santa Anas...

"The Santa Ana winds occur when there is high pressure to the east, in the Great Basin, and a low-pressure system off the coast. Air masses move from high pressure to low pressure, and the more extreme the difference in the pressure, the faster the winds blow."

This churning effect is what makes the winds so dangerous and what has been instrumental in this disaster striking Los Angeles. The fact that it could even get worse is terrifying. As Jennifer Aniston pleads, please keep your eyes open for animals in distress. 

 

 

 

Will democracy finally throw in the towel?

Democracy Lost

I have read a lot of disturbing posts recently that document Donald Trump's plans for the next four years. None has been so frightening as a recent Axios piece that literally portrays the United States as maliciously mutating into an authoritarian government. With Trump as the emperor. And the U.S. Congress--including Democrats--as his lackies. Followed by a mass of U.S. corporate CEOs who are sucking up for future favoritism. Sounds to me like it is cut and dried and I wonder just how many of us are waving the flags of despair.

Axios starts with...

"It's rare, if not unprecedented, for a newly elected leader to have so many world leaders and CEOs shift their policies or posture so blatantly during the transition to curry favor with a new president."

Check me on this, but aren't we talking about the despot who was voted out of office in 2020, and the demagogue who the Washington Post reports made 492 suspect claims in the first 100 days of his presidency. A total of 30,573 misleading claims over 4 years. Yet we sent this blatant liar to the White House in 2020 and will send him back again this coming January 20. From the beginning, Donald Trump has demonstrated his racist attitude with actions against immigrants, most recently to deport even those who are legal.

Zuckerberg's Facebook has closed its fact-checking operation to match Trump's interests. News media has become more Trump-friendly. Democrats have basically shut down and now want to work with Trump. He has opened the door to Elon Musk who has taken advantage of every opportunity possible to pursue issues that will put money in his till. Trump's latest suck-up, Jeff Bezos, made a $40 million deal for a Melania documentary. Throughout all this Trump continues to berate a less trusted media.

And finally, Trump has asked SCOTUS to block the sentencing in his New York hush-money case, arguing presidential immunity should extend to the transition period. In addition, he even placed a call to Justice Alito. The wheels have come off and democracy is reeling.

 

Elon Musk told to "get lost" by his father

Elon Musk carving up Twitter

It all started with a $250 million dollar donation by Elon Musk to the Donald Trump campaign that helped Trump buy the presidential election. Then, Musk moved into Mar-a-Lago and, according to Trump allies, has recently overstayed his welcome. In his race for power, the world's richest man was instrumental in killing a bipartisan bill to fund the government. Following this, Donald Trump found it necessary to exclaim he had not "ceded the presidency" to the tech billionaire.

But Elon Musk didn't stop there, he decided to skip over the pond and tell the United Kingdom how to run their government. The Daily Beast says,,,

"He kicked off the new year with days of manic posts—many of them wrong or misleading—aimed at toppling the Labour Party government.

"Musk’s attacks on government ministers, whole-hearted defense of a jailed far-right activist, and bizarre request that King Charles dissolve Parliament have gotten so extreme that even his British friends would like him to kindly pipe down about a country he doesn’t call home."

The DB says that Musk has the money to donate enough to make his wishes come true. As an example...

"He’s reportedly toying with the idea of donating up to $100 million to Britain’s conservative Reform Party. A single $100 million donation would be worth almost as much as all political donations across all parties combined in the U.K. in 2023, which reached a record 93 million pounds ($116.8 million), according to The Guardian."

On another front, Harvard Law School graduate and Musk biographer, Seth Abramson, has expressed concerns over Elon Musk’s mental state. According to The Economic Times, in a post on X, Abramson said he has followed Musk’s online activity for two years...

Abramson wrote, “I'm a Musk biographer who has been tracking his online behavior for the last two years—and given that he's admitted to all of mental illness, heavy drug use, and crippling stress, it is now reasonable to fear he is deeply unwell.” He added, “Protect America from Elon Musk”.

"Abramson believes Musk's position as incoming head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under the Trump administration, combined with his ownership of X, creates a potentially dangerous situation. 'His holdings across many civilization-essential industries and the fact that he's the incoming POTUS mean that his madness and increasing incitement of violence endanger us all,' Abramson wrote."

And we thought Donald Trump was the scariest... 

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THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL TRANSITION: Democrats drop the ball again...

Yes, there should be a peaceful transition in the presidency from Joe Biden to Donald Trump, and there was. With the loser to Trump, Kamala Harris, presiding over the affair. Harris even smiled and shook hands with House Speaker Mike Johnson. So, what is wrong with this picture? The Democrats should be making bold comparisons between the way Donald Trump handled the same transaction in 2020, starting an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, where five people died and 140 police officers were injured. 

Rather than stop the rioting, Donald Trump encouraged the crowd of hoodlums. He will go back to the Oval Office for four more on Jan. 20. Doesn't anyone see something wrong with this picture? I won't bore you with the reasons this lunatic should not be in the White House because there are hundreds, the most recent being using the U.S. military to take over Greenland and the Panama Canal. This would turn the U.S. into an imperialist government, something to match Trump's dictatorship.

So where are the Democrats when they should be demonstrating for the American public the difference between a tyrannical government and a democracy? THINK ABOUT IT!

 

Animal lovers ALERT!

6.3 million domestic animals enter shelters in the United States each year, with 3.1 million being dogs and 3.2 million being cats. 4.1 million animals are adopted from shelters each year, with 2 million being dogs and 2.1 million being cats. But, here's the tragedy...920,000 animals are euthanized each year, with 390,000 being dogs and 530,000 being cats. There were 132,216,000 U.S. households in 2024, 66% of which, or about 86.9 million families, own a pet. Folks, there's room for a lot more.

Abandonment is one of the cruelest of all animal issues, with actual abuse cruelty being the worst. How many times have you seen a stray cat or dog walking the streets and wondered where they came from? Sure, there is birthing going on in the wild, but millions of pets are turned out to survive on their own and, because they have been domesticated with care, it is sometime impossible for them to endure in this way. They end up as prey for larger animals or they starve to death of die from the elements. 

I have collected several examples of animals who have fallen on hard times...

An elderly deaf dog was chained to a fence in Asbury Park, New Jersey, earlier this week and left to freeze, officials said. The dog, who also suffers from arthritis, was "frozen half to death" in the 20-degree temperatures when a good Samaritan called the Monmouth County SPCA's cruelty hotline and officers were able to rescue him, MCSPCA said.

Jaina and Ivy, dedicated rescuers from Cats of San Bernardino, CA, stumbled upon an unusual sight while grabbing coffee. There, at the Starbucks entrance, was a small dog tied up with a sweatshirt knotted around her collar. Terrified and shaking, she was all alone, abandoned by those who should have cared for her. Jaina and Ivy, known for their work with cats, felt an instant pull to help this sweet dog in her moment of need.

Julie Saraceno's video showcasing shelter dogs at the Benton Franklin Humane Society in Washington picking their own Christmas gifts is nothing short of adorable. One now-viral clip, however, highlights one loving shelter pup named Finn who is in desperate need of a home.

Dog Spends 13 Years Waiting for a Home Before Meeting an Adopter Who Wants to Be His 'Best Friend.' Vito was in a shelter looking for a home before moving to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah. A man with experience caring for wolves adopted Vito this year and now travels regularly with the dog.

At the West LA Animal Shelter, staff and volunteers are heartbroken for one of their canine residents — Monty, a 3-year-old large mixed breed. Ever since Monty arrived at the shelter back in December 2023, he’s been nothing but a spectator of other dogs’ happy endings. Monty has watched — and continues to watch — other dogs that came after him go home with their new families, while he remains unchosen. He’s so far not gotten a single adoption application, and the reason is soul-crashing: potential adopters consider him “too big.”

A dog who was abandoned and left to fend for herself is facing a third straight Christmas without a home to call her own. n some way, Indigo is lucky to be alive. A spokesperson for Kiss My Paws, the non-profit dog rescue located in Las Vegas, Nevada, that first shone a light on Indigo's situation, told Newsweek she was "found in a park across the street from an apartment community." "They did some digging and ended up finding out what apartment and the people had either moved or got evicted and left her behind. She had been there several weeks."

Hearts have broken for a shelter dog who has completely shut down from the world around him. Ollie, found as a stray and brought to a shelter in Madera, California, where thanks to overcrowding, "shelter dogs are not promised tomorrow." In a video to her TikTok account @crittersandcrystals on December 18, which has over 277,000 views, Ollie lies on a concrete floor, ignoring a bed with a blanket, and looks utterly depressed, as Helga described it as "the reality of a dog who knows they lost everything."

Anti-democracy radical close to V.P. J.D. Vance

Curtis Yarvin

Curtis Yarvin, a “neoreactionary” thinker and far-right blogger, has been described as a serious intellectual influence of vice president-elect JD Vance and being close to several proposed Trump appointees. The Guardian says, "He’s anti-democracy and pro-Trump: the obscure ‘dark enlightenment’ blogger influencing the next US administration." Yarvin advocates an autocratic takeover of the US. Here's the scenario...

"The aftermath of Trump’s election victory has seen actions and rhetoric from Trump and his lieutenants that closely resemble Yarvin’s public proposals for taking autocratic power in America."

Donald Trump's goal is to install himself in the position of dictator, eliminating the laws of democracy, and ruling the U.S. until he dies. But you know what, no one could be his successor, and all successful tyrants want someone to carry on their work. His narcissistic personality would not allow for an ending, so you would have to assume this egomaniac would be looking for a process that would keep him alive forever. I did a blog recently, "Who wants to live forever with a Donald Trump?" 

My premise was, who would want to live endlessly if Trump had the same advantage. My post, above, looks at an article from National Geographic, "Could humans live forever?" The Nat'l Geo piece is very complex and I try to make the most of the author's contention that someday we could live forever. But enough of the terribly frightening thought that Donald Trump could live eternally. Back to Yarvin and this scenario...

"Trump’s legal moves against critics in the media, Elon Musk’s promises to pare government spending to the bone, and the deployment of the Maga base against Republican lawmakers who have criticized controversial nominees like Pete Hegseth are among the measures that resemble elements of Yarvin’s strategy for displacing liberal democracy in the US."

Michael Anton, a writer and academic was appointed by Trump to work in a senior role

under secretary of state nominee Marco Rubio. Anton has a podcast on which Yarvin has appeared with his ideological conservatism. And, the Verge reported that no one online has shaped Vance’s thinking more than Curtis Yarvin. Robert Evans, an extremism researcher and the host of the podcast Behind the Bastards said...

“He didn’t fall out of a coconut tree. He emerged into a rightwing media space where they had been talking about the evils of liberal media and corrupt academic institutions for decades.

There's more...

 “He has influenced a lot of people in the incoming administration and a lot of other influential people on the right. But a lot of the stuff he advocates is the same windmills Republicans have been tilting at for a while.”

Evans added...

“What’s unique is his way of rebranding or repackaging old reactionary ideas in a way that appealed to libertarian-minded kids in the tech industry, and in eventually getting some of them to embrace a lot of far-right ideas.

"That’s the novelty of Yarvin and that’s his real accomplishment.”

I dare say the corruption of innocent minds by conservatives is not a novelty. We all know it dates back to Newt Gingrich, eventually moving forward to Karl Rove. This guy has simply resurrected a typical Republican strategy.

Will Musk allow Trump's world dominion

Lately Elon Musk has been calling the shots in Donald Trump's procession of lunatic maneuvers. They are both crazy with power and the major objective for most of us - those that are sane - is just who will come out on top. Just a few months ago there would have been no doubt. Today, after Musk bought Trump an election, it isn't clear. What we do know, it is the Oval Office maniac's style to turn on his opponents when they threaten him. The question is when this will all come to a head?

Axios expounds on Donald Trump's empire dreams...

"President-elect Trump has big plans to make America greater — in terms of square mileage, Axios' Dave Lawler and Zachary Basu write.

Why it matters: Trump has been in a strikingly imperial mood since his election victory. He has floated acquiring Greenland, reclaiming the Panama Canal, annexing Canada, and potentially invading Mexico — to the intense consternation of their leaders."

The epitome of megalomaniacs

Donald Trump is a megalomaniac with Axios saying his plans "would rival the Louisiana Purchase [of 1803] or the [1867] deal that netted Alaska from Russia." Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is between a rock and a hard place... 

"already grappling with a contentious moment for his leadership and Donald Trump is adding fuel to the fire, taunting Trudeau with the prospect of making his country the 51st US state."

And the New York Times says taking Greenland and the Panama Canal is no joke. The world conqueror has completely flipped his lid on this one and it should be obvious where this imbecile is going and the serious trouble he will get the country into worldwide. Here's the scenario from Axios...

"Trump has little regard for the 'global order.' He thinks throwing foreign partners off balance — or, when possible, steamrolling them — better serves American interests."

A major concern is that a Republican Congress - and I do believe there are still some who are not just buffoons and who aren't completely incompetent - is still standing by and letting this idiot do whatever he wants. One must wonder the mentality of these politicians. With both Greenland and Panama exclaiming repeatedly that they are not for sale, the U.S. is once again a laughing stock on the international scene. In this new four years, Donald Trump could do enough damage to really hurt America's standing in the world.

And that's not all...

"Trump's allies have also been discussing a potential 'soft invasion' of Mexico, as one adviser phrased it to Rolling Stone. That could involve targeting cartels through cross-border special forces operations or drone strikes."

Axios defines it all as American imperialism. The Republicans can't even govern in the U.S. and they want to take over the world. The next four years could literally bring down this country. 

Elon Musk v. Donald Trump

Trump/Musk

The Trump/Musk wedlock may be just what the Democrats need to counter the ravages Donald Trump has planned when he re-enters the White House. A CNN analyst reports, "The Democratic Party has finally hit on an attack tactic which has found its target with Trump." I was beginning to wonder since the Dems haven't been able to come up with anything in recent months, precisely why Washington will become a Republican trifecta in 2025. But back to the new strategy  of posturing Elon Musk as being Donald Trump's decision-maker.

Here's the scenario...

"The strategy — used by multiple Democrats over the past weekend — is to take aim at the president-elect’s sense of security by suggesting his ally, Elon Musk, is really pulling the strings in his administration."

There's more...

They “are trying to tweak Trump’s vanity, mockingly suggesting that even after winning a second term, he is still not as powerful as the South Africa-born tech mogul whom he put in charge of slashing the size of government once the president-elect takes office,” Stephen Collinson wrote.

Democrats have jumped in to point out how Musk tanked Speaker Mike Johnson's spending

deal proving who is in charge. Trump doesn't like being overshadowed. The New Republic says Trump is "pissed." TNR reports...

"During his address at Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona, the president-elect pushed back on claims that Musk planned to supplant him as president."

“No, he’s not gonna be president, that I can tell you,” Trump said. “And I’m safe, you know why? He can’t be, he wasn’t born in this country.”

TNR is not so much worried that Musk will take over the Presidency, more so that he already has...

"Last week, Musk issued his own set of marching orders to Congress, ordering Republicans to oppose a massive spending bill to avert a government shutdown, or face being primaried by a Musk-backed candidate. Meanwhile, Trump stayed more or less silent, and Democratic leaders began to criticize the president-elect for allowing Musk to lead his party."

 Amanda Marcotte of Salon as reported in AlterNet...

"argues that Musk has been acting like a 'shadow president' — and that Musk has been leading the 'aging and tired' Trump around 'by the nose.'"

Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York City has been very verbal on the Musk/Trump tango...

In a video posted on X, formerly Twitter — which Musk owns — AOC said, "When Elon tweets something and when Trump tweets something…. Republicans don't know who their daddy is. They don't know which one they need to be listening to first."

There's more...

"AOC went on to say that Musk 'poses real political problems for Trump' and 'arguably…. may rival his power and influence.'"

If Trump starts driving a Tesla and decides to take a ride on Space X, do you think Musk will leave him in space? There's always the chance. 

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Who wants to live forever with a Donald Trump?

The idea of living forever has been studied and evaluated for years. It kind of depends on what your religion is and whether or not you'd rather stay on earth or go to that promised paradise in the sky. Of course staying on earth would have to be accompanied by some means of maintaining physical and mental health which then addresses our biological side. In the past it has been much too complicated for scientists to arrive at a solution so the concept is relegated to the future. 

National Geographic has come up with something called the immortal jellyfish that defies death...

"One of the planet’s most extraordinary creatures floats in the Mediterranean Sea. The pale pink disk doesn’t look like much, but this jellyfish, called Turritopsis dohrnii, has a survival skill like none other: When injured or dying, it can return to its juvenile form, becoming young again."

There's more...

"That ability gives Turritopsis dohrnii its nickname: the immortal jellyfish. Scientists are studying these creatures closely, hoping to uncover secrets about human aging. Is it possible that someday we could go on living far into the future?"

Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel laureate and author of the newly released “Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality,” says, "Science is making anti-aging progress. But do we want to live forever?" Here's the scenario...

"Ramakrishnan opened his packed Harvard Science Book Talk last week by noting the vast variabilities of lifespans across the natural world. Death is certain, so far as we know. But there’s no physical or chemical law that says it must happen at a fixed time, which raises other, more philosophical issues."

The next thing that comes to mind, will future generations be born with the ability to plan their lives all the way to their deaths? Kindergarten will provide the introduction to life for children that precedes future grades literally walking them through that life with all the joys one experiences mixed with the hardships they might encounter. After reaching the age of eighteen - an arbitrary choice - you decide how many years you want to live. Your decision would be based on the knowledge of your futuristic upbringing.

And if you still have a hankering to break the 100 mark, or maybe even 200, 400 years, read this article from Salon. Scientists have determined that death is “kind of arbitrary” and they "want to upload the brain so we can live forever." The piece starts with background on the latest quest for immortality, cryonics, that is a process which preserves biological tissues by storing them at extremely cold temperatures in the hope of someday reviving them.

Enter Dr. Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, a research fellow at Melbourne’s Monash University who makes the case that cryopreservation is possible and should be more widely available. Zeleznikow-Johnston argues a human’s connectome — a high-resolution map of all their brain connections — could be theoretically recorded perfectly before they die. The concept is very complicated and there are many who disagree with Zeleznikow-Johnston. Are talking about brain without body?

My advice is, if you have a very scientific mind, read the article, If you're a layman like me, just take the man's word that someday we will be living longer, maybe considerably longer.

 

 

Could U.S. bird flu outdistance the covid pandemic?

Remember the covid pandemic? Of course you do, and like most of the rest of the world, you don't want to see a replay. Worldometer reports there have been 704,753,890 coronavirus cases worldwide with 7,010,681 deaths. In the USA there were 111,820,082 cases accompanied by 1,219,487 deaths. Now a new virus called bird flu is challenging the medical field and so far it is winning. There are 61 reported human cases of H5 bird flu reported in the United States. AlterNet reports...

"Nearly a year into the first outbreak of the bird flu among cattle, the virus shows no sign of slowing. The U.S. government failed to eliminate the virus on dairy farms when it was confined to a handful of states, by quickly identifying infected cows and taking measures to keep their infections from spreading. Now at least 845 herds across 16 states have tested positive."

Further...

"Experts say they have lost faith in the government’s ability to contain the outbreak."

Al Jazeera provides worldwide figures...

Since the virus was first detected nearly three decades ago in China, about 860

people have become infected in 23 countries, including China, Egypt, Vietnam and Turkiye, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of those, 463 people died from the virus, giving a huge 52 percent death rate.

So, has the U.S. government dropped the ball on bird flu like Donald Trump did on the coronavirus pandemic during his administration? The Guardian says, "US repeating Covid mistakes with bird flu as spread raises alarm, experts say." Gregg Gonsalves, associate professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health believes the failure of this country to learn from past crises or simply a refusal to do so, could lead to another pandemic of bird flu. This is what is wrong with America. Here's the scenario...

"A lack of testing, opaque data, political divides, poor healthcare access and a sense of hubris – all have plagued the Covid response, and now these errors are playing across the bird flu response, Gonsalves said."

There's more...

“We have not really done anything to address what’s happening in terms of the onward spread of bird flu across the US – we’re back to the same old mistakes,” he said. “Right now, the imminent risk is low and we haven’t seen human-to-human transmission. But the point is, we don’t wait for that to happen. Right?”

In other words, we were completely caught off guard from Trump to Biden, and it looks as if the current apathy will continue, at least until Trump re-enters the White House. And then, will the Oval Office lunatic respond as he did before during the covid pandemic?...

“We have it [covid pandemic] totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”

          “We pretty much shut it down coming in from China.”

“I think the virus is going to be—it’s going to be fine.”

“The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA… the Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”

There is more of trump's drivel you can see here. The question is what will this maniac say when he is in charge of this country and responsible for your life?

Will Elon Musk have a desk in the Oval Office?

Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy

It has become dangerously obvious that Elon Musk has assumed a major position in Donald Trump's political decisions. Trump is scheduled to go to the White House in January and it would appear that Musk will be his shadow. Here are some comments from Democrats...

"Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-NY) accused President-elect Donald Trump of being Elon Musk’s “puppet” on Wednesday after Trump followed Musk’s lead in opposing House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-LA) continuing resolution to keep the government open."

Musk knows that if a bill isn't passed by Friday, the U.S. government will shut down. Yet,

Musk said...

“This bill should not pass,” Musk posted Wednesday morning, responding to a post by Vivek Ramaswamy, the co-leader of President-elect Donald Trump’s advisory group Department of Government Efficiency.'

Musk and Ramaswamy have plans, "to slash government spending, including at least $2 trillion in federal programs, a figure experts have called unrealistic." Musk, described as the world’s richest person, is also against a pay increase for members of Congress. In my opinion this Congress does not deserve a raise, rather, they should receive a pay cut for the incompetency they have demonstrated. But with the close margin in the House, it is clear the Republicans will need Democrats to pass any bill.

Musk and Ramaswamy, Donald Trump appointed to lead the nongovernmental group called the “Department of Government Efficiency,” DOGE, spent Wednesday posting on social media pushing Republican lawmakers to vote against a bipartisan stopgap funding bill. Folks, we're just days from a government shutdown, which apparently Trump wants since he supports the Bobbsey twins efforts. Here's a similar situation from 1888 that Donald Trump, today, has brought to American politics...

"One Sunday in March 1888, former President Rutherford B. Hayes wrote in his diary, “This is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people no longer. It is a government of corporations, by corporations, and for corporations.”

There's more,,,

"Hayes offered this private admission at the peak of the Gilded Age, when, as the historian Richard White put it, “corruption suffused government and the economy.” Businessmen amassed fortunes never seen before in American history and demanded government officials aid them in expanding those fortunes further."

And nothing has changed in the year 2024...

"For decades, the influence of money in politics has grown alongside the country’s increasing income inequality. Those who warned about this growing influence have been thoroughly vindicated. This year, Trump’s campaign was fueled by roughly $800 million from seven billionaire families. His administration will include more than a dozen billionaires, the wealthiest since President Warren Harding’s corrupt White House.

And as long as a misguided U.S. public chooses to follow this charlatan, nothing will change.

Blackjack leaves a hard life on the streets

Stray Cats

Estimates  range from 60 to 80 million stray cats on U.S.streets. They aren't all feral, many have been abandoned by their owner/parents, some 3.3 million each year just in this country. On the human side, there are 653,104 people experiencing homelessness on a single night, and in some cases they curl up with their pets under whatever protection they can find. It is a tragedy and in America, of all the countries in the world, it should not be happening. This piece is about Blackjack who had been on the streets for seven years, 45 in human years.

Blackjack was a black cat who had experienced lots of hard knocks, spending most of his life roaming the streets, until a young woman took him into her home. He thought he had hit the pot of gold, but it turned out to be a hoarding situation. With no help, Blackjack's health worsened and he began to regress. Knowing about the hoarding, volunteers came in and rescued the big black guy, and just in time. Here's the scenario...

"When they found Blackjack, he couldn't open his eyes. He was brought to us in Montreal in poor condition, covered in filth with his nose and eyes blocked due to an infection, Chatons Orphelins Montreal shared. He was treated for an upper respiratory infection and spent most of his time resting and healing."

Still, he wolfed down the food he was given. Somewhat withdrawn, when he did begin to recuperate, his foster family noticed a limp. Back to the vet with this scenario...

"Though he'd recovered from his cold, his eyes remained painful and closed due to entropion, which caused his eyelids to roll inward. Additionally, he had multiple infected teeth that needed to be extracted."

With the help of the Montreal community, Blackjack got all the help he needed, but after his years of struggling, he still couldn't trust people. However, the bunch from Chatons Orphelins Montreal wouldn't give up and even with his damaged leg, he began to play with the other cats. Then they discovered Blackjack was deaf, but apparently this didn't affect his lifestyle in the least. The rescue staff says he has come out of his shell and "has blossomed into a stunning house panther with a fluffy coat."

This is just one story of what must be millions when it comes to the stray domestic animals in this country. PLEASE support your local animal rescue, and PLEASE give all you can in donations to your favorite animal causes. You'll be glad you did.

The Luigi Mangione shooting will set gun control back 20 years

Guns on the street

Gun control activists have said for years that guns are too accessible; they are easily available on the street. There are over 500 million guns in circulation today, which is roughly 1.5 firearms per person. This makes the US the country with the highest rate of civilian gun ownership in the world. This is why we have already had 16,002 gun deaths and 30,441 injuries according to Gun Violence Archive. There have been 487 mass shootings in the U.S. in 2004. And now new technology has given us the ghost gun.

Everytown reports the ATF estimates that more than 70,700 suspected privately made firearms (i.e., ghost guns) were recovered by law enforcement between 2016 and 2022. They are easy to make with the parts readily available from over 100 companies, but the feds have enacted regulations requiring identification on these weapons and their parts. My point here is that Luigi Mangione used a ghost gun to kill UnitedHealthcare CEO, Brian Thompson, through new technical knowledge, something occurring regularly today.

Mangione also used a silencer, which provided him a cover so that he could easily escape.

Luigi Mangione

The combination of all these factors is clear evidence that current gun laws are inadequate. It is my opinion that we should start over at the federal level and impose the kind of measures that fit today's needs. It is time that hard core gun rights states understand that it is, in fact, the gun that kills...because there are so many of them available. I find it impossible to understand how these people cannot read facts and understand the situation.

Just yesterday there was another school shooting where a student and teacher were killed, six other students wounded. It was the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, WI, and the shooter, a teenage student, is also dead. CNN reports on school shootings...

"There have been at least 83 school shootings in the United States so far this year, as of December 16. Twenty-seven were on college campuses, and 56 were on K-12 school grounds. The incidents left 38 people dead and at least 115 other victims injured..."

The Brady report says Americans are 25 times more likely to be shot and killed than others in high income countries. Every day 327 people are shot in the U.S.; 117 will die. Every day 23 minors are shot in the U.S. There is much more in this Brady report that I suggest you look at and understand gun violence won't go away until something permanent and emphatic is done about it. From Luigi Mangione to Madison, WI, there is a message to the American public. In reality it is both guns and people who kill. Let's stop it today!