Jan. 6 Committee nails Donald Trump

 

My wife and I watched the last session of the January 6 Committee yesterday and the summary and wrap up was very convincing. Donald Trump is corrupt and an anarchist with solid proof from the Committee allowing them to refer prosecution of Trump to the Dept. of Justice on the following charges...

"to prosecute Trump for obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to make a false statement and incitement, rebellion or insurrection."

The Committee could also recommend ethics charges against 5 Republicans for refusing House subpoenas: House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and Reps. Jim Jordan of Ohio, Mo Brooks of Alabama, Andy Biggs of Arizona and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania. Of course, the GOP takes over the House in January 2023, but with the amount of chaos surrounding who will be Speaker, it looks like

there will be non-stop turmoil facing Congress.

If you watched, did you see the commitment and passion when Adam Kinzinger spoke? The U.S. Congress will lose a valuable asset when he retires, as well as Liz Cheney leaving due to losing her election. Cheney pledged herself and her career to get rid of Donald Trump, which culminated in the Jan. 6 Committee. Others on the panel were clear in their condemnation of Trump using clips from his administration to illustrate how he broke the law over and over.

There is talk that these prosecution referrals of Trump will face a number of obstacles when it gets to the DOJ. One is Merrick Garland's record of moving so slow in Donald Trump's prosecution, but it is hoped that the latest appointment of fireball prosecutor, Jack Smith, will move things along now. There is also the feeling that, if brought before a jury, a general public would be reluctant to convict

a former president, or a Trump minion would be on the jury.

No matter what, the Jan. 6 Committee has done an excellent job in bringing Donald Trump to justice for his transgressions. We can only hope that the DOJ will do their job now.

One homeless person in a wealthy America is too much

 

My wife and I were shopping at Costco recently and when we left after shopping, there was a homeless man at the exit with a sign indicating his plight. Don't care what people say, we keep a number of five-dollar-bills in the car for the homeless. My wife rolled the window down and gave the man $5.00. He was so grateful, thanked us for the money, but then said, "Have a happy holiday." Here's a man on the street, wrapped in a blanket (cold in Phoenix) and he wishes us a happy holiday.

I was totally taken aback by this kind and sincere wish from someone who had no place to live and probably no idea where his next meal would come from. Added to this, Phoenix was forecast to have a low in the 30s that night. I haven't been able to forget him and can only wish that more people around the country would have a similar experience and demand something be done about the homeless now. That's when I thought of the headline above to shame those in charge to do something.

And this is what shelters are asking for in the Phoenix metro area...

• Coats/jackets
• Sweaters/sweatshirts
• Sweatpants
• Hats/Beanies
• New socks and underwear 

If this is what is required in Phoenix, can you imagine what is needed in New York and New England where tens of thousands are without power from a powerful snowstorm. The Right to Shower homeless group says, "For most of us, winter means holidays, family gatherings, and gift-giving." However...

"for people experiencing homelessness, winter is a brutal challenge. The cold weather makes life on the street even more dangerous than usual, and the societal focus on togetherness and holiday cheer can create a sense of even greater isolation."

What's behind rising homelessness in America?

Here are some of their suggestions for helping...

"Donate warm clothes, socks, and blankets. Cleaning house for the cold season? Taking stock of your family’s winter wardrobe? Don’t let those coats and hats go to the trash. Shelters and individuals will be grateful for your gently used items, especially socks and blankets, which are even more necessary during the cold months."

Donate food, including leftovers. All shelters and soup kitchens will be grateful for donations during the holiday months, and if you over-prepare for an office party or gathering among friends, don’t let those leftovers go to waste. Rescuing Leftover Cuisine is one organization that helps redirect potential food waste to those who need it.

"Call 311 (non-emergency services) when you see someone in danger. The colder it gets, the more dangerous it is for people to live unsheltered. If you see a person outside on a cold night, contact 311 to access local services and potentially save a life. Many cities have their own cold-weather homeless-serving hotlines and 211 is another common line for essential community services. If you meet an unsheltered person who is also a veteran, they can find help through 1-877-4AID-VET, while homeless teens can call the National Runaway Safeline at 1-800-RUNAWAY."

In closing, I cannot understand why some millionaire or billionaire hasn't stepped

forward to organize a consortiun that would deal directly with this problem. Yes, there are numerous charities that do their best but there are still over a half-million homeless on the street with around 11,000 shelters in the U.S. 

Unfortunately, the displaced folks are not evenly distributed around the country so that is why a centrally controlled plan is necessary. So far band aids are being used where there should be a major bandaging of the problem. I just don't understand why millionaires and billionaires can't spare a few bucks to help those down on their luck. What good Samaritan will commit to this worthy project?

Have a happy holiday to our homeless friend at Costco and the same for all your peers. May you all find shelter and good fortune in the near future.

Pets should not be given as presents

 

The Jacksonville, Arkansas animal shelter says it right: "Getting a dog is a lifetime commitment, not a Christmas gift." But hundreds of animals will be given this year at Christmas and hundreds will end up in shelters in 2023. Here are some numbers from PETA...

• A shelter in Fargo, North Dakota, reports that in its area, more than 700 animals are turned over to shelters right after the holidays every year.
• An adoption group in tiny Edinburg, Texas, gets more than 400 animals. It says that the surrenders normally start with a phone call from someone saying, “I got this [animal] for Christmas…and I can’t take care of it.”
• A humane society in Reading, Pennsylvania, says that most of its post-Christmas drop-offs are puppies and kittens. They’re dumped soon after the holiday when training them requires too much time.
• By January 4 last year, one Georgia animal shelter was posting on Facebook begging for adopters because of the onslaught of returned dogs it was bombarded with.
  

Here's the scenario from Jamie Parker, supervisor of Jacksonville Animal Shelter...

"Some of them get adopted and they stay. But a lot of them end up coming back to us, and a lot of them find themselves back in the kennel with no one that can play with them all day."

PETA says you should never give animals as Christmas gifts. It does sound like a

good idea and the expectation of those faces when they receive their new pet makes the giver think they have done something great. Apparently they haven't...

"By January, many of those “present” animals will have joined the more than 6 million who enter shelters in the U.S. every year. Some animal shelters even get in on the craze, offering discounted or free adoptions and encouraging people to give animals away as gifts. Their intentions may be good, but they likely don’t realize that they’re exacerbating the homeless-animal crisis."

Other reasons not to do this include the fact the holidays are full of a lot of people having fun; a great deal of frivolity in the household; noise and commotion a new animal doesn't understand and most likely will be frightened of. The house is filled with strangers coming and going. But the worst thing are the things left around from gifts like ribbons, ornaments, electrical cords, and sweets as well as other foods and drinks.

PETA also warns...

"When shelters offer animals up for a pittance (or for free), they devalue them and encourage impulse adoptions by eager people who haven’t considered whether they or their gift recipients are ready to invest the substantial amount of money, commitment, and care that the animals will need. And animals can be acquired as cheap gifts by people who can’t afford to care for them. After the holidays, many of these “present” animals end up back at the shelter or, worse, sentenced to a life of isolation on a chain or in an outdoor pen or dumped on the street."

I, nor PETA, nor all the animal shelters and rescues nationwide don't want to discourage the public from adopting pets, at Christmas or the rest of the year. But you must want that animal to become a member of your family and realize the responsibility of caring for them. It's not easy but oh so rewarding. I know, my wife and I have taken in eleven rescues and we've had the time of our lives. Merry Christmas to you and your pets and to the rescue animals all over the world.

Barry Goldwater preceeded Donald Trump on RIGHT WING EXTREMISM

 

The American public was worried that Goldwater was a danger with his finger on the button. 

Goldwater lost in one of the largest landslides in history to Lyndon Johnson in 1964.

As the 1964 Republican convention approached, many political observers warned that right-wing extremists were about to take over the Grand Old Party. Barry Goldwater’s critics now see today’s Republican extremism in 1964.

But there is no comfort in knowing that Donald Trump was not the originalist on right wing extremism. And there is no doubt the Trump-borne extremism is much more severe than was Barry Goldwater's. At least Goldwater had the best for the country behind his beliefs.

Donald Trump's terrorism at work again...

 

Guess who opened the door to domestic terrorism resulting in activity in at least three states? Do I even have to say Donald Trump? He started with immigrants in his early administration calling them rapists, murderers and drug dealers. Then, during his run for president he called for barring all Muslims from entering the United States, then when in the Oval Office...

he signed an executive order titled 'Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States' which became better known as the muslim travel ban.

The new domestic terrorism acts started in North Carolina in Moore County where 45,000 utility customers lost power and local officials declared a state of emergency. Here's the scenario...

"The Homeland Security 'National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin' issued on Nov. 30 said individuals and groups motivated by a range of ideological beliefs and personal grievances 'continue to pose a persistent and lethal threat to the Homeland.'"

Trump labelled a 'domestic terrorist' by former US deputy secretary of state Richard Armitage...

 Since the perpetrators haven't been identified yet we can't definitely place the blame, but five will get you ten that there is some connection to Donald Trump and his followers. And then all the way across country in the northwest there were at least six attacks at electricity substations in Washington and Oregon. Current efforts are in place to determine who is doing this and why. Vox says that "Donald Trump is the accelerant" and everything points back to the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots...

"At Trump’s behest, throngs of his supporters descended on Washington, DC, to dispute the results of the presidential election, climbing the steps of the Capitol and busting through its doors and windows. Throughout the day, Trump continued to falsely claim that the election was stolen without any evidence to support this unreality, further riling up his followers to “take the country back.” By mid-afternoon, the Capitol building was breached and one member of the mob had been shot and fatally wounded. Five people died."

Need I say more? 

One euthanized animal in a wealthy America is too much

 

In case you haven't heard, animal shelters around the U.S. are loaded beyond capacity. The public decided they can no longer keep their pets so they just dump them at the local shelter. There are hardships where this is necessary but too many use this as an act of convenience even where the family has had their animal for several years, a forever home? I've said this before but it bears repeating...would you give up your human child in similar circumstances? I think not.

There are reasons for these actions, according to The Hill...

"Animal advocates cite the decline of virtual work, a national housing shortage and the rising cost of kibble, among other factors."

Packed with pets: how you can help struggling animal shelters...

This all coincides with the coronavirus pandemic where people began an influx of adoptions. But some apparently weren't really animal lovers. As the headline indicates, "the number of cats and dogs facing possible euthanasia stands 100,000 higher this year than last." This is incredibly insane for both the animal advocates (should do a better job of spay and neutering) and a portion of the American population that considers pets "just animals," whatever that means.

The word is out and here are just some of the numbers...

New York’s municipal shelter system has seen a 25-percent increase in surrendered pets, a trend driven by rent inflation and pet-averse landlords.

An Atlanta shelter designed to hold 80 animals has been running nearly 300 dogs over capacity. Another in Montgomery County, Texas, has housed more than 400 dogs in space designed to hold 180. At an overcrowded facility in nearby Brazoria County, “we’ve started stacking crates in the bathroom.”

100,000 dogs and cats facing euthanasia as people return adopted pets to animal shelters...

 Julie Castle, CEO of Best Friends Animal Society, said, “Nobody’s job description should have killing animals as one of the things on the list.” Yet someone has to do it...or do they? Volunteers are needed as this is certainly not a for-profit industry. Anyone who can spare any amount of your time, please contact your local shelter to let them know you are available. This would allow them to do more spay, neuter and release projects which helps to control the animal population.

On the other side, I would like to see a massive education program, funded by grants and/or animal lover donors, which details the fun and satisfaction of having a pet in your home. It should emphasize the love and affection that results and the times your animal(s) will literally lift you out of the doldrums. They will be there for you and you should be there for them. Please read this article in The Hill. You'll be glad you did and so will the animals in the shelters.

The love of animals...

 

Immanuel Kant feels that people can be judged by the way they treat animals. I worked for a guy once who was a complete jerk, but one day I learned how much he loved his cat, often discussing with me his care of the animal because he knew we had cats. After this I realized I couldn't fault the man altogether and our relationship improved measurably. But treatment of animals by some results in abuse, even cruelty, an area requiring new laws. 

But have you ever taken the time to see that lovin' look in your pet's eyes that says they adore you. And, of course, you adore them too. The connection to our animals has grown over the years to where they are now one of the family. And that's the way it should be as most of us consider them our children, most especially when you don't have human kids. These households treasure their pets and some families spend large sums on their animal for toys and miscellaneous things. 

The main thing is you must keep them healthy making regular trips to the vet. Find a caring doctor for your species, dog, cat, horse, etc. Depending where you live, housing is important. As an example, you should never leave a cat outside for the simple reason they are easy prey for predators. Dogs are better able to defend themselves but should be in a fenced yard high enough to keep out all other animals. Climate change has made some desperate and they are on the prowl.

Animal lover and vet, James Herriot, draws a comparison between animals and

humans, contrasting the souls of each, and animals come out on top. The traits Herriot emphasizes are love, loyalty and gratitude, three qualities that many humans are sorely missing. There is a saying that I use regularly in my blog: "All I Want is to Live." Animals don't ask for much but the least we can give them is a loving family and a forever home.

Just think about these stats from the ASPCA...

Approximately 6.3 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.1 million are dogs and 3.2 million are cats.

Each year, approximately 920,000 shelter animals are euthanized (390,000 dogs and 530,000 cats).

Approximately 4.1 million shelter animals are adopted each year (2 million dogs and 2.1 million cats).

Why not go to your local animal rescue, shelter or humane society today and take one, or more of those statistics with you to your forever home.