Gallup produces blueprint for Democrat's strategy

Unfortunately for outgoing President Joe Biden, the American public is fundamentally negative about his four years in office on 18 economic, national and international issues. Here's the scenario from Gallup...

"Majorities of Americans think the U.S. has lost ground in six areas over the past four years, including the federal debt (67%), immigration (64%), the gap between the wealthy and less well-off (60%), the economy (59%), the United States’ position in the world (58%) and crime (51%). Pluralities also say the nation has fallen behind in six other areas: education, terrorism, trade relations with other countries, race relations, the nation’s infrastructure and energy."

Gallup continues...

"Meanwhile, U.S. adults are more likely to see progress (39%) than regression (23%) or steadiness (31%) on just one of the issues -- the situation for gay, lesbian and transgender people."

Joe Biden through the years

In the report there seems to be no progress in climate change and the problems of African Americans. The U.S. is split on healthcare, national defense, the military, and taxes, in relation to their standings. I read recently where one of the reasons Americans did not vote for Biden was that his administration lectured to the public over issues not important to voters. In a progress report, Gallup has determined just where the U.S. population stands on the 19 most important areas during President Biden's four years.

The gay/lesbian community came out best with 39% saying progress was made. 31% felt it stood still and 23% felt it lost ground. Biden received his lowest grades on the federal debt and immigration, with 67% and 64% saying he lost ground, respectively. Following that were the economy and the United States position in the world, 59% and 58%, respectively, lost ground. There were a couple I was interested in, Gap between the wealthy and less well-off, lost ground 60%, and race relations, lost ground 39%.

The Democrats are obviously more positive over Biden's record than the Republicans. But you have to understand that the GOP has a negative opinion about anything that carries a Democrat label. Here are the comparisons...

"Under Biden, Democrats think the nation has lost more ground than it has gained on the federal debt and the gap between the wealthy and less well-off. On taxes, Democrats are divided over whether the nation has made progress or lost ground, with a majority (63%) believing it has stood still on the issue. Democrats are also split on whether the U.S. has seen progress (30%) or lost ground (33%) on immigration."

"Republicans and Republican-leaning independents perceive the country has lost ground in 17 of the 18 areas over the past four years, with their most negative views on immigration, the federal debt and the economy. The situation for gay, lesbian and transgender people is the only issue on which Republicans think there has been progress under Biden’s stewardship."

There is also a Partisans' Report on Joe Biden's progress included. The full report is worth a read, especially you strategists who are trying to put the Democratic Party back together.

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."