Day: January 16, 2025

Do Nothing

Today is National Nothing Day.

That is right a day for ‘nothing’ in particular.

In 1972, journalist Harold Pullman Coffin proposed National Nothing Day as a “non-event” to be observed — by doing nothing — every January 16. The next year, National Nothing Day made “Chase’s Calendar of Events,” a publication that marks annual occasions in print since the 1950s. National Nothing Day is sponsored by Coffin’s own “National Nothing Foundation.” Unsurprisingly, there is nothing to be found about that organization. True to its title, it doesn’t even have a website.

Here’s a fact that may seem to denote the idea of “nothing.” Martin Luther King day falls on the third Monday of January, one out of every seven years. The event is concurrent with National Nothing Day, which would seem to expropriate the idea that there is nothing going on on National Nothing Day every year. Since MLK is celebrated for his nonviolent activism during the Civil Rights Movement, many might refute the idea of nothingness during this particular day.  

Not only this, there are other days celebrated in contrast to this idea of nothingness. In an opposition to National Nothing Day, the Realist Society of Canada (RSC) has a religious holiday called There’s Always Been Something Day, pronounced THABS, which is dedicated on July 8 to the celebration of the “realization that if there was ever nothing, there would be nothing now.”

History is full of debates between philosophers and writers on the study of “nothing.” Because the question is, what is nothing? To answer the question of nothing, one must find the meaning of nothing. Even the true nature of “nothingness” in outer space causes disagreements between experts, because many claim even a true space devoid of anything is not nothing, because in space quantum particles exist even without gravity. 

On National Nothing Day, promotion of the day is kind of contradictory, because the day is meant as an “un-event,” which means it should not be seen as an event and refers to a thing of no importance, consequence or interest.

National Nothing Day

What will be your ‘nothing’ today?

Sounds like the perfect procrastination day to me.

But I could argue that doing nothing is still doing something….but that is a debate for another day.

Enjoy your day.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Is There A Gaza Deal?

After many long months of death and destruction there is news that there is a ceasefire deal for Gaza….

Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire deal, mediators announced Wednesday, pausing a devastating 15-month war in the Gaza Strip and raising the possibility of winding down the deadliest and most destructive fighting between the bitter enemies. The deal, coming after weeks of painstaking negotiations in Qatar, promises the release of dozens of hostages held by Hamas in phases and the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. It would allow hundreds of thousands of people displaced in Gaza to return to what remains of their homes, and would also flood badly needed humanitarian aid into a devastated territory.

With good news there is always a caveat when Israel is involved….

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday night addressed the ceasefire deal being worked out between Israel and Hamas, emphasizing that the agreement is not yet complete. He later went further, claiming Hamas backtracked on a previous understanding of the three-phase deal. The AP reports that claim “could indicate that obstacles remain” to actually implementing the deal, which would see dozens of Israeli hostages released by Hamas in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners being released by Israel and hundreds of displaced Palestinians being allowed to return to their homes in Gaza.

Then the news, if you were paying attention, it was a Trump envoy that moved the negotiations along to this point….

President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, did more to pressure Israel to agree to a hostage and ceasefire deal in one meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu than President Biden did in an entire year, two Arab officials have told The Times of Israel.

Witkoff met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Saturday and got him to make concessions, which Israeli media said was the deciding factor that led to the ceasefire deal announced on Wednesday.

It’s unclear how Witkoff got Netanyahu to agree to the deal, but the Biden administration refused to use any of its leverage over Israel to force a deal and continued providing huge amounts of military aid to support the genocidal slaughter in Gaza.

Even though Witkoff played a crucial role in the deal, Biden took credit for the agreement. “My diplomacy never ceased in their efforts to get this done,” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

In brief remarks at the White House, Biden credited his foreign policy team, who he referred to as “peacemakers” despite their role in backing the slaughter in Gaza. When asked by a reporter if he or Trump should get credit for the deal, Biden said, “Is that a joke?”

Biden also credited his strong backing of Israel as a factor that led to the deal. But unconditional US support for Israel emboldened Netanyahu to sabotage previous negotiations and escalate elsewhere in the region.

The ceasefire deal is based on an outline Biden proposed back in May 2024, which Hamas accepted months ago. The agreement involves three phases and does not commit Israel to a permanent ceasefire.

(antiwar.com)

My hat goes off to the Trump admin if the report is true….Trump may have done what Biden was unwilling top do.

Now I ask what was said to get this process to this point?

We there threats or promises?

And not to worry this will not be the end for Israel will find an excuse to kill more and destroy more….usually the two most common excuses are ‘self-defense’ and ‘national security’

I hope I am wrong but I feel this is far from over.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Biden’s Fond Farewell

Last night Biden took a lap around the nation in an attempt to put some sort of brave face on his administration…..my opinion….he failed.

President Biden bid farewell to the nation on Wednesday evening, taking pride in US achievements while warning of threats to “the idea of America”—including attacks on democratic institutions, misinformation spread by social media, and the rise of an oligarchy that concentrates money and power in the hands of a few Americans. One of the threats, he said, should be dealt with by amending the Constitution to say no president should have immunity for crimes committed while in office, the AP reports. After 50 years in public office—and listing accomplishments, dangers, and potential solutions—Biden closed his final address as president with, “Now it’s your turn to stand guard.”

As he spoke from the Oval Office of the White House with first lady Jill Biden in the room, the president committed to a peaceful transfer of power next week, giving the example of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire announced earlier in the day. “This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and will be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” Biden said, per the Washington Post, adding that he told his team to keep President-elect Trump’s informed of the agreement, “because that’s how it should be.”

Acknowledging Dwight Eisenhower’s farewell address that warned of the rise of a military-industrial complex, Biden said, “I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex.” Some of the world’s wealthiest people, including the titans of technology, have lined up behind Trump, per the AP. Biden warned of “dangerous consequences” if the “abuse of power” by the few goes unchecked. He also called for imposing 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices.

“Farewell addresses are challenging, because they aim to put the capstone on an era at a time when most of the country has already moved on to the next one,” author Robert Schlesinger said. In leaving Wednesday night, Biden expressed “my eternal thanks to you, the American people,” as well as to his wife and family, members of his administration, service members, and Vice President Kamala Harris. He said he still believes “in the idea for which this nation stands.”

If he wanted to truly shine a light on the dangers then he should have pointed to the Lobbyists and special interests that are destroying this country.

He pointed to many things that are a danger and yet if these were known the whole time why did he and the Dems do very little to correct the problems?

Let’s not mince words here….while the nation may be safer the rest of the world is on fire thanks to Biden and Dems policies…..

Let’s look at the real legacy…..

A key measure of any U.S. president’s success is the ability or good fortune to leave his successor with a better international situation than the one he inherited.  Donald Trump inherited a relatively stable situation from Barack Obama, but his chaotic and unstable leadership did no favors for Joe Biden.  Trump now inherits a broad pattern of disorder in Europe, the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific, and has named a national security team that seems destined to make all of these issues worse.

Sadly, Joe Biden is leaving the presidency with no awareness of his shortcomings.  He has charged Sudan with genocidal policies, but refuses to acknowledge his complicity with regard to Israeli genocidal policies.  Recently, Biden announced an additional $8 billion in fighter jets, attack helicopters, and artillery to an Israel that relies almost solely on sophisticated U.S. weaponry inappropriate for the terrain and the targets that Israel is facing.  Biden’s national security team ignored Israel’s right-wing attempts to undermine the rule of law, although the importance of the rule of law was Biden’s major campaign volley against Trump.

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/01/14/the-dangers-of-bidens-legacy-and-trumps-inheritance/

Biden is not leaving office with the world in better shape….

As President Biden’s term approaches its end, the US and several parts of the rest of the world are significantly worse off than they were when he took office. While the president is frequently lauded by members of the foreign policy establishment as a successful foreign policy leader, his tenure has been marked for the most part by deepening US involvement in foreign conflicts that show no signs of ending anytime soon. US policies under Biden have served only to stoke destabilizing conflict, and the president has shown no inclination to bring any of the wars currently backed by Washington to an end. Biden’s presidency showed the world just how extensive the rot in US foreign policy is, and most other nations will not soon forget what restored American “leadership” wrought.

Biden ran on the promise of ending America’s forever wars, but after the withdrawal from Afghanistan he then spent most of his presidency going out of his way to involve US in conflicts where no vital American interests were at stake. The risk of great power conflict has also risen under Biden as he has pursued a China policy of containment and rivalry that the US can ill afford while US-Russian relations have sunk to new lows over Ukraine. In the Middle East, Biden has enabled Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, backed their invasion of Lebanon, and supported their attacks on Iran. He has helped Israel sow chaos across the region, and he committed the US to a new open-ended and illegal war in Yemen. The president’s extreme ideological attachment to Israel led him to pursue an indefensible policy of unconditional support that has fueled the slaughter of civilians and created one of the worst man-made famines in modern times.

https://original.antiwar.com/Daniel_Larison/2024/10/31/bidens-destructive-legacy/

Let’s be honest Biden’s legacy will be one of making nothing better and assisting in a world on fire by arming those that would do the most harm.

Do I really mean that?

As the sun sets on Joe Biden’s presidency, the Commander-in-Chief and his top staffers are using their final moments in power to convince the American people that we live in a safer and more stable world.

“The United States is winning the worldwide competition compared to four years ago,” Biden declared Monday. “America is stronger. Our alliances are stronger, our adversaries and competitors are weaker.”

The claims that America is winning and strong are as laughable as when the mainstream media repeatedly attempted to convince the American people that Biden is as “sharp as a tack.”

Americans have witnessed Joe Biden’s physical and cognitive decline over the past four years, which perfectly personifies the American empire. Rather than becoming stronger, the treasury and arms depots were exhausted for the benefit of Ukraine and Israel. America is bankrupt; economic prosperity is increasingly elusive for the average citizen and enjoyed only by an exclusive class with access to government power.

https://original.antiwar.com/kyle_anzalone/2025/01/15/joe-bidens-legacy-waging-proxy-wars-spreading-terrorism-and-killing-diplomacy/

The world is on fire and Biden throws gasoline on it…..how does that make things better?

What say you?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”