Month: March 2025

The “Rotten Egg Oligarchy”

We all as consumers have been paying through the nose for our eggs….lots of bitching and very little from the politicians to lessen the burder on us with the exception of lots of rhetoric and ‘oughta do’

Trump, whose policies—from taxation to regulation and beyond—have overwhelmingly favored the ultrawealthy and corporations over working Americans. Meanwhile, one of the president’s signature campaign promises, to lower food prices “on day one,” has evaporated amid ever-rising consumer costs.

There is a report that we all know what it will say even before it was released….

As average egg prices hit record highs of nearly $5/dozen and a yearslong, worsening bird flu outbreak continues unfettered in all fifty U.S. states, the consumer advocacy group Food & Water Watch has released a new report detailing how the U.S.’s largest egg producer has exploited this crisis for profit.

In the report — “The Economic Cost of Food Monopolies: The Rotten Egg Oligarchy” — Food & Water Watch analyzes data from the first year of the current bird flu outbreak to detail how today’s soaring consumer prices are built on a foundation of corporate price-gouging.

Key findings include:

As Egg Prices Soar, New Report Details How Corporations Exploit Bird Flu Crisis For Profit

All the findings most of us egg eaters already knew beforehand….but what is to be done?

Well there is a plan….an investigation.

Justice Department has launched an antitrust investigation into the rising retail price of eggs, which has doubled in the past year and contributed to inflation. The inquiry will include whether large egg producers have colluded in raising prices or restricting the supply, the Wall Street Journal reports. The producers have said the avian flu outbreak is to blame; a statement by a trade group, the United Egg Producers, said egg farmers are “doing everything they can to fight back against this deadly bird flu outbreak.”

More than 150 million chickens, turkeys, and egg-laying hens have died in the outbreak since 2022, the Agriculture Department reports. Letters sent by the department to some egg companies for the investigation told them to preserve documents concerning their communication about prices and the flu with customers, competitors, and other companies. The most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows the price rose 53% year over year, per CNBC. “Farmers know people are frustrated and they are frustrated too by the situation,” said the head of an industry marketing group. “They know they are not able to put on the volume of eggs that people want.”

Democratic lawmakers called for an investigation into the issue last month, per ABC News. “You should look to the dominant food and grocery companies that have made record profits on the backs of working families who have had to pay higher prices,” they wrote to President Trump. “These companies often exploit crises like pandemics and avian flu outbreaks as an opportunity to raise prices beyond what is needed to cover rising costs.” And the Agriculture Department announced its own plan to lower prices last month.

That ought to do it!

An investigation will take about a year and all the while the bucks will keep rolling in for the egg producers….good plan!

We can immediately round up humans like cattle but no one has an idea how to lower egg prices….where’s the justice?

The meaning politicians cannot seem to stop price gouging but by a hefty fine and the practice can continue….what are we paying these idiots in DC to do?

I have had my say….now it is your turn.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

GOP’s Newest Spending Bill

It is the magical time again….the shutdown clock is ticking and the drama begins…..the Repubs have authored the newest version of their stupidity….

House Republicans on Saturday unveiled a bill to keep government funded for six months, a blueprint that would boost allocations for defense, make cuts elsewhere, but largely retain funding levels set last year by President Biden. Congress has to pass something before midnight Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The proposal would go around the usual budget process, shifting some of the power to set spending from the appropriations committees to the Trump administration, the Washington Post reports. Democrats immediately denounced the plan.

Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee said the bill is a “power grab for the White House and further allows unchecked billionaire Elon Musk and President Trump to steal from the American people,” per the Hill. Democrats said the continuing resolution would make it easier for Musk and his Department for Government Efficiency to slash the government and its employees. GOP staff members said the House leadership coordinated the bill and its release with the White House. Speaker Mike Johnson is moving toward a vote on Tuesday despite the lack of Democratic support, per the AP, trying to put the pressure on them. “I don’t like CRs,” Rep. Ralph Norman said. “But what’s the alternative? Negotiate with Democrats? No.”

The 99-page bill:

  • Increases spending: More would go toward veterans’ health care and defense. Republicans said the defense budget would be about $6 billion higher than in fiscal 2024 but below amounts previously agreed to for fiscal 2025.
  • Decreases spending: Non-defense programs would be cut by about $13 billion compared to fiscal 2024, Republicans said. The Internal Revenue Service would be hit, they said.
  • Excludes: Disaster relief for the recent fires in California, as well as funding for community projects that lawmakers deliver to their districts. There’s nothing in the bill about the debt ceiling issue.
  • Leaves intact: Benefits including the Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid programs aren’t touched. Those programs aren’t regularly reviewed by Congress, and funding continues. Most of government spending, in fact, is not addressed in the bill, per the AP.

At least for now the Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid will survive another day.  I was surprised to read that there is nothing in this about the debt ceiling….was that just an issue when Dems were in control?

The fun will begin when it goes to the Dems….and history tells us that they will pick at it…..but maybe they will play ball this time around…..looking for that elusive bi-partisanship.

Stay tuned….more to come….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribe”

Last Week At The Sh*t Show–09Mar25

Welcome to Daylight Savings time…..another of those promises from Donny the Plebeian that he has forsaken.

Opening statement:  This is for all my friends….Sue is improving but still in hospital…..Thank You for all the well wishes for her recovery…..your words are much appreciated.

Now on to the Sh*t Show.

Couple stories from the wealth of stupid that is coming from DC these days….

The most absurd report is that an idiot GOPer nominates Trump for the Peace Prize….again.

“No one deserves it more,” Republican US Rep. Darrell Issa said in a post on X Monday, announcing that he is nominating President Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize. Issa, who represents California’s 48th District, tells Fox News that Trump’s election last year “tangibly kickstarted the cause of peace in numerous regions of the world, and we are already seeing the benefits.” Trump was nominated for the prize multiple times during his first term, with one nomination coming from a right-wing Norwegian lawmaker.

“Not since Ronald Reagan has an American president better represented the national resolve of peace through strength or the fundamental case for a world without war,” Issa says. Jonathan Wilcox, Issa’s deputy chief of staff, tells the Hill that Issa recently led a delegation to the Middle East and “observed first-hand and from several heads of state that the spirit of peace and moving away from conflict is real and multilateral.” The Nobel Committee says nominations can be submitted by members of national governments and national assemblies, as well as certain college professors and previous Peace Prize winners

Every word of Issa statement is total bullshit.  I believe this is the second time some dullard has tried to nominate Trump.

Then there it is on a again Trump face on Rushmore….Again.

The House bill was introduced on January 28 by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL13). The bill does not appear to have a title. No Senate companion version appears to have been introduced yet.

The bill attracted 38 cosponsors but never received a committee vote. Rep. Johnson subsequently introduced the bill in 2022 and 2023, with the 2023 version even receiving a hearing before the House Natural Resource Committee’s Subcommittee on Federal Lands. Still, no version has received a vote.

https://thefulcrum.us/governance-legislation/trump-mount-rushmore-bill

Another complete waste of time and energy….and besides that an humorless joke.

Next is the GOP money thing….this one is new.

President Trump’s face could end up on the $250 bill—and the $100. After longtime South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson proposed a new $250 bill featuring Trump’s face last week, first-term Texas Rep. Brandon Gill put forth legislation, called the “Golden Age Act of 2025,” that would see Trump replace Benjamin Franklin on the $100 bill. “There has been no one who has done more to bring America into the golden age than President Trump,” Gill said in a Monday statement, per the Hill. “Featuring him on the $100 bill is a small way to honor all he will accomplish these next four years.”

It’s been almost a century since faces on US currency have been altered. Andrew Jackson last replaced Grover Cleveland on the $20 note in 1929, per Fox News. On X, Gill shared a photo of his idea, showing Trump’s official portrait on the $100 bill. His legislation states the Treasury secretary should present a preliminary design to the public no later than the end of next year, and that all $100 bills feature Trump beginning in 2029. A press release makes no mention of the 1866 law that prevents any living person from being depicted on US currency. Wilson has said his legislation would amend that law, per the State.

Not much more ludicrous than this idea.

Then there is new EO that is in essence strip mining of our forests….

President Trump on Saturday issued an executive order aimed at increasing logging in a big way. He directed federal agencies to look into how they might bypass environmental regulations including endangered species protections in order to boost timber production across 280 million hectares of public lands including national forests, the New York Times reports. The move is intended to decrease US reliance on foreign timber, the Guardian reports.

Experts were warning the move could lead to increased air and water pollution as well as devastate forests and animal habitats. “This Trump executive order is the most blatant attempt in American history by a president to hand over federal public lands to the logging industry,” says one wildfire scientist who warns that, yes, fires could increase due to the impact logging has on the microclimate of forests.

“This is a particularly horrific move by Trump to loot our public lands by handing the keys to big business,” says the public lands policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity. “Clearcutting these beautiful places will increase fire risk, drive species to extinction, pollute our rivers and streams, and destroy world-class recreation sites.” However, the Seattle Times spoke to experts who don’t think the executive order can do much to get around federal laws protecting trees.

Since the report the Trump administration is trying to walk this back.

Since not all is Trump’s doing there are a couple of silly and yet disturbing reports….like Speaker of the House residence…

In 2021, Steve Berger, an evangelical pastor who has attacked the separation of church and state as “a delusional lie” and called multinational institutions “demonic,” set off on an ambitious project. His stated goal: minister to members of Congress so that what “they learn is then translated into policy.” His base of operations would be a six-bedroom, $3.7 million townhouse blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

Recently, the pastor scored a remarkable coup for a political influence project that has until now managed to avoid public scrutiny. He got a new roommate.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has been staying at the home since around the beginning of this year, according to interviews and videos obtained by ProPublica.

The house is owned by a major Republican donor and Tennessee car magnate who has joined Berger in advocating for and against multiple bills before Congress.

https://www.propublica.org/article/mike-johnson-evangelical-pastor-steve-berger-roommates

And you do not think that this will bias Johnson’s actions?

This is a state GOP issue but if it is successful I can see it making it’s way to DC….

In an unprecedented move to funnel more public tax dollars toward groups that oppose abortion, Republican lawmakers in Missouri are advancing a plan to allow residents to donate to pregnancy resource centers instead of paying any state income taxes.

The proposal would establish a 100% tax credit, up from 70%, and a $50,000 annual cap per taxpayer. The result: Nearly all Missouri households — except those with the highest incomes — could fully satisfy their state tax bill by redirecting their payment from the state to pregnancy centers.

The move comes four months after Missouri voters reversed one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans, and just as clinics have begun performing the procedure again after overcoming Republican obstacles.

https://www.propublica.org/article/missouri-pregnancy-resource-centers-anti-abortion-tax-credit-bill

Then there is threat of criminal offense against anyone, especially students, that will not kiss Israel’s ass….

Donald Trump threatened American students with arrest for taking part in “illegal” protests in his latest controversial move.

The US president said on Tuesday that all federal funding will stop for colleges and schools that allow “illegal” protests and that agitators will be imprisoned or sent back to the country they came from.

“American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on the crime, arrested,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

Students have a long history in America and other countries around the globe in taking part in demonstrations, some which are declared “illegal”, and in pushing for change.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/donald-trump-threatens-us-students-arrest-tariffs-ukraine-b1214566.html

+++warning my thought on this will be obscene so turn away if you are easily offended+++

I say Israel is a scab on humanity….how’s that so come get me you mother-fuckers!

Peace  Out

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

IST Saturday News Dump–08Mar25

This weekend we spring forward with daylight savings time….what a wasted effort that serves no purpose….plus Trump said he would end this exercise and so far it was a lie.(go figure)

Just a few stories that the MSM was not bothered to report….in-depth that is….

Locally–Mercifully Mardi Gras is over and the last parades of the season got dumped on with rain and high winds….but I guess alcohol made it more tolerable for most….temps about on average for this time of the year.

Personal–First I would like thank all those sent good feelings to Sue….we both appreciate your concern….She has a touch of pneumonia and bad UTI ….she is still in hospital until all the infections are cleared up.

I apologize for the brevity of my response to all the kind words but I was on my phone and I am a crappy typist on the small scene.

My second week of radiation and it is taking a toll….I keep hoping that I will awaken one morning and find I have some sort of super powers….so far no dice.

I have many drafts saved so I will be working off them until I can Get Sue home and I have some time for more research…..please bear with me.

Let’s start with some food news….

For decades the Cajuns have been eating a swamp rat called a nutria and now the US wildlife people are suggesting we all might think about an alt meat for the table….

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is asking Americans to step up as conservationists and make a meal out of cat-sized rodents. The plea is part of the agency’s annual National Invasive Species Week (February 24-28), which highlights the numerous non-native animals wreaking havoc on local ecosystems across the country. Experts in this case are particularly focused on nutria—an herbivorous, semiaquatic mammal that looks like a cross between a giant rat and a beaver.

“Please consider the following slogan ‘Save a Swamp, Sauté a Nutria,’” the agency suggested in a Facebook post on Monday.

Nutria are native to South America, but were first brought to Louisiana in the 1930’s to help meet fur industry demands. By the early 1940’s, hurricane damage to nutria farms accidentally allowed the voracious and rapidly reproducing animals to escape into the wild, where females average two litters of pups per year. A single adult nutria can weigh as much as 20 lbs, and is capable of consuming its own weight in vegetation every day, year-round. Prior to concerted mitigation efforts, nutria were estimated to annually devour as much as 90,000 acres’ worth of coastal wetlands. The scope of their damage can affect everything from flood patterns, to agriculture, to public health. Thanks to decades of conservation campaigns (and $6-per-tail hunting season bounties), damage estimates dropped down to around 5,500 acres in 2024, but nutria continue to pose a problem if populations are left unchecked. Today, the rodents are also causing trouble along the Atlantic coast and in portions of California.

https://www.popsci.com/environment/eating-nutria/

I might give it a try….I mean I have eaten palm rat before and not bad….how about you?

Now beef is the main subject of this….Texas has its panties in a knot over steak…

The lieutenant governor of Texas has a beef with the name of one of the country’s most popular steak cuts. In a post on X, Lt. Gov Dan Patrick called for renaming the New York strip steak the Texas strip, arguing: “Liberal New York shouldn’t get the credit for our hard-working ranchers,” the New York Post reports. The Republican said he recently met with the Texas Cattle Feeders and Cattle Raisers and asked them why they called the cut a New York strip, “because New York has mostly dairy cows.”

New York strip is the most widely used name for a strip steak, a tender cut taken from the short loin, WFAA reports. The name caught on after Delmonico’s, a New York City steakhouse that opened in 1837, used it for one of its signature dishes. “Just because a New York restaurant named Texas beef a New York Strip in the 19th century doesn’t mean we need to keep doing that,” Patrick wrote, noting that “Texas has about 12.2 million head of cattle, the most in America.” He said he wants the name change to catch on across America and worldwide.

“The Texas Senate will file a concurrent resolution to officially change the name of the New York Strip to the ‘Texas Strip’ in the Lone Star State,” Patrick wrote. “We ask restaurants to change the name of this strip of meat the next time they reprint their menus, and grocery stores to do the same.” He may have been inspired by President Trump’s decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico,” the Guardian reports. “After session ends this summer, I might take a short cruise across the Gulf of America and have a juicy medium-rare Texas Strip,” he wrote. If the Empire State decides to retaliate, the most popular variant of poker might soon be known as New York Hold ‘Em.

What can we expect in Texas…politicians wasting time and doing stupid shit.

Now a couple of space things….

Could this be in the cards for future astronauts?

Scientists have discovered a wild treatment that they say could protect astronauts from the copious amounts of space radiation they’d be exposed to during trips into deep space.

In an effort to find new ways to protect cancer patients from the many side effects of radiation therapy, a group of researchers found that a protein from tardigrades — tiny, practically indestructible “water bears” that have been known to survive the hostile vacuum of space — may be the answer.

The protein was previously identified as helping tardigrades survive some of the most extreme conditions on Earth — and yes, even space.

Now, a team led by Harvard Medical School instructor and MIT visiting scientist Ameya Kirtane used messenger RNA encoding to inject the protein into mice. As detailed in a paper published this week in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, the team found that their technique generated sufficient protein to protect the mice’s DNA from radiation-induced damage.

https://futurism.com/neoscope/scientists-astronauts-tardigrade-rna-radiation-damage

There will be a lunar eclipse soon…..

Most nights, if the moon is clear, the celestial body hovering in the night sky shines with a bright silvery aura.

It can be a fetching sight, especially when the moon is full and unobscured by clouds. But it’s nothing like what hundreds of millions of Americans will have the chance to see this month during the first total lunar eclipse in nearly three years.

The moon will appear to us here on Earth to turn a striking rusty-red color when it aligns with our planet and the sun. When this happens, the moon is passing into Earth’s shadow in a color-shifting process that lends it the nickname, “blood moon.”

The upcoming total lunar eclipse, the first since November 2022, will also coincide with this year’s full worm moon, the third and final full moon of the winter.

Here’s what to know about a total lunar eclipse, including when and how to see the next one.

https://www.rgj.com/story/news/2025/03/02/total-lunar-eclipse-2025/81068555007/

Finally do dogs enjoy music?

Music is known to have a profound effect on humans. According to Healthline, it can improve memory and help lower anxiety and depression. But do dogs enjoy listening to music as much as people do?

Studies on the effects of music on dogs are limited, especially when compared to humans. Some evidence suggests dogs may be comforted—as in feeling less stressed or anxious—when listening to classical music. Researchers from the Sydney School of Veterinary Science examined nine studies of the effect of music on dogs in 2020. Their findings, published in the journal Animals, indicated that the classical genre soothed canines, as the pups exhibited calmer behaviors (i.e., lying down, resting, sitting, etc.) while the music played. It’s important to note that many of the previous studies took place in typically stressful environments—such as veterinary hospitals, boarding kennels, and rescue shelters—rather than in houses.

Amy Campbell, a certified dog trainer, told the dog care services website Rover that not all classical music has the same effect. Some pieces contain loud sounds that may actually induce stress. The animals also seem to have specific musical tastes. A 2023 study in the journal Animal Welfare found that heavy metal music caused stress in shelter dogs, as many barked as the music played.

You may have heard of “dog music.” If not, it’s exactly what you think. They’re tunes made specifically to relax Fido. There are several free playlists of such songs on YouTube, but the above-mentioned 2020 study found that dogs didn’t appear calmer when listening to specialized music—a collection called Through a Dog’s Ear, in this case—compared to regular classical music.

If you‘d like to try soothing your dog with music, Rover suggests paying attention to their behavior as the tune plays. You‘ll also want to ensure you don‘t have the volume too loud. Last but not least, check to see if your pet avoids rooms with music, as this may show they prefer quiet environments.

(mentalfloss.com)

Enjoy your Saturday before you lose that valuable hour of your life.

As always….Be well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Medical Update

I apologize if I missed a post or comment from my readers…..I had a rather busy day….in the morning Sue was unresponsive and had to be taken to the ER (no news on her condition only that vitals are really good)….then I had my draining treatment….I was not doing well afterword so my daughter brought me home and went back to be with Sue until she gets into a room.

Today will be a short day for I will return to hospital to be with Sue then another treatment later in the afternoon.

Please bear with me and I will be back to normal as soon as I can.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.

chuq

Is He A Russian Asset?

This post is NOT an endorsement of this ever trending meme.

Let me say here and now that I am not saying he is only that some things that are being done could lead people into believing this conspiracy.

One of my favorite movies is the original “Manchurian Candidate”….and when I saw this article and all the memes going around about Trump I had to include it in my post….

Almost overnight, Washington under Trump has turned against its post-war Western allies, threatened to end Nato, halted aid to Ukraine and publicly humiliated its leader, adopted the Russian version of the cause of the war, stopped the Pentagon from operating psy and cyber ops against Russia, and started talks to end US sanctions and to relaunch Nord Stream pipelines moving natural gas between Russia and Europe.

Whether Trump is a card-carrying Russian agent, an asset or merely a useful idiot is immaterial. The end result is that he is threatening to end the whole transatlantic alliance that has roughly defined what we call “the West” since 1945, and potentially realigning the United States with Russia. This may not be as shocking as many people seem to think.

Let’s not forget that the two countries were allies during the second world war. And shortly after their historic rapprochement with Mao’s China, Henry Kissinger told Richard Nixon that in the decades ahead, the US might have to realign with Russia to balance geopolitical power against a resurgent China. Now I am not criticising or applauding any of these developments, but merely observing with a great deal of trepidation and also some amusement.

https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3301172/donald-trump-real-life-manchurian-candidate

But I will admit that some of the actions taken by the Trump Administration is somewhat suspect.

Trump’s War Department has been told to stand down….

Russia has been pretty happy with the United States lately, and the latest news out of the Pentagon will likely continue that streak. US officials tell CBS News that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has issued an order to US Cyber Command to suspend planning against Russia for now, including any offensive digital initiatives. It’s not clear what spurred the directive, and the New York Times notes that the “precise scope and duration of the Defense Department order is not clear, as the line between offensive and defensive cyberoperations is often a blurry one.”

But the paper adds that Hegseth’s move is a “huge gamble” for the Trump administration, with US officials warning that Russia continues to try to infiltrate US networks, including via ramped-up ransomware attacks. “The order could derail some of the command’s most high-profile missions involving a top US digital adversary, including in Ukraine,” the Record notes. On Sunday, national security adviser Mike Waltz told CNN’s State of the Union that he’d been previously unaware of Hegseth’s order, but he insisted that “there will be all kinds of carrots and sticks to get this war [in Ukraine] to an end,” per CBS.

Why then the order?

Plus Russia is smiling ear to ear on the dust up between Trump and Zelenskyy….made Putin happy….

Now those Ukrainian refugees are about to lose their status here under Trump….

Under the Biden administration, more than 1.8 million migrants from various nations were allowed into the US via temporary humanitarian parole programs. Now, the newest White House occupants seem further intent on undoing that initiative: A senior Trump official and three other sources tell Reuters that the Trump administration plans to yank legal status for 240,000 Ukrainian refugees who fled the Russian invasion to come to the US, with an internal email from Immigration and Customs Enforcement showing those refugees could then be possibly fast-tracked for deportation.

The Telegraph calls the anticipated move, which could come as soon as April, an “extraordinary reversal” of President Biden’s open arms to refugees from the war-torn country. The report comes amid increasing tensions between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which worsened last week during Zelensky’s visit to the White House to discuss a peace plan involving Ukraine and Russia. Reuters notes, however, that this planned move on the refugees was in the works before Friday’s tense meeting, and that it’s just part of Trump’s desire to take away legal status from the full range of immigrants who came into the US under the Biden parole programs.

That includes 70,000 Afghans here after fleeing the Taliban, as well as 530,000 or so Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans; the latter group could see their legal status pulled as soon as this month, say Reuters’ sources. During his campaign, Trump had vowed to undo the programs, saying they crossed the boundaries of US law. The Kyiv Independent notes that about 5.2 million Ukrainians have taken shelter abroad, most settling in countries in the EU, as the war in Ukraine wages on. A Homeland Security official tells Reuters that the department has no comment at this time. The White House didn’t respond to the news agency’s request for comment.

Sorry but this sound like he has something special going on with Russia.

But the meme that has been flying around social media that in 1987 Trump was recruited by the KGB….

In the last few days, several U.S. media outlets have been reporting that three former KGB agents of the old Soviet Union now allege that it began grooming Donald Trump as their deceived asset in the 1980s. The KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti), established in 1954, thus near the beginning of the Cold War, was the Soviet Union’s foreign intelligence and domestic security agency. (Of course, those Communists tried to do that with other people.)

These former KGB agents claim this happened mostly for two reasons: (1) Donald Trump’s first wife, Ivana, was a modeling immigrant from Czechoslovakia, an Eastern European nation then a satellite of the Soviet Union, and (2) Donald’s father Fred was a very successful real estate tycoon in the greater New York City area. Then, according to these former agents, the KGB learned from its data gathered on Donald that he is a classic narcissist susceptible to flattery. That’s what the Soviets, and later, the Russians, seized upon when Donald was trying to build a big Trump hotel in Moscow. By various means they impacted Donald to favor Russia, hate NATO, and question the USA’s opposition to Russia.

The Hill reported last Wednesday (“Was 40-year old Trump recruited by the KGB?“), “The former head of Kazakhstan’s intelligence service, Alnur Mussayev, recently claimed in a Facebook post that Donald Trump was recruited by the KGB in 1987, when the 40-year-old real-estate mogul first visited Moscow.” Mussayev provides no documentary evidence” because “he alleged that Trump’s file is in Vladimir Putin’s hands.”

The Hill further reports, “Several years ago, Yuri Shvets, a former KGB major now resident in Washington, D.C., served as one of the key sources for Craig Unger’s best-selling book, American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery.”

The Hill continues, “Just after Mussayev made his claim, another ex-KGB officer living in France, Sergei Zhyrnov, categorically endorsed the allegations in an interview with a Ukrainian journalist. According to Zhyrnov, Trump would have been surrounded 24/7 by KGB operatives, including everyone from his cab driver to the maid servicing his hotel room. Zhyrnov said that Trump’s every move would have been recorded and documented, and that he could have been either caught in a “honey trap” (“All foreign-currency prostitutes were KGB — one hundred percent,” he said) or perhaps recorded bribing Moscow city officials in order to promote his idea of building a hotel in the Soviet capital.”

(patheos.com)

Again please do not assume that I believe any of these accusations all I am doing is pointing out there is some evidence that could lead one into the mind set.

If you have a point make it without going too damn nuts.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

War, Trade Or Otherwise

WE know that Donny is a one trick pony when it comes to global trade, tariffs and more tariffs….we are all well aware of the tariffs on Mexico and Canada which can be disastrous especially on food prices….but what about those tariffs against our ‘big’ enemy, China?

Donny the Man has doubled his tariffs on products from China (forget Temu)….and now China is firing back….

Some tough talk from China in response to President Trump’s tariffs: “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war, or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Tuesday night after Trump doubled the 10% tariff he imposed last month on most Chinese imports. The remark—which was shared in a post on X by China’s embassy in Washington, DC—came as leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual National People’s Congress, the BBC reports. “Intimidation does not scare us,” Lin said. “Bullying does not work on us. Pressuring, coercion or threats are not the right way of dealing with China.” More:

  • Fentanyl: Lin rejected White House claims that China is responsible for fentanyl flooding into the US. “The US, not anyone else, is responsible for the fentanyl crisis inside the US,” he said. “In the spirit of humanity and goodwill towards the American people, we have taken robust steps to assist the US in dealing with the issue.” But instead of recognizing China’s efforts, he said, the US “has sought to vilify and shift the blame to China, and is seeking to pressure and blackmail China with tariff hikes.”
  • Retaliatory tariffs: China announced new tariffs of up to 15% on a range of American food and farm imports Tuesday. The retaliatory tariffs are “very specific and directly targeted at American farmers, who are mostly in red states and mostly voted for Trump,” Neil Thomas at the Asia Society Policy Institute’s Center for China Analysis tells ABC News. “So China is trying to create pain where it matters for Trump, and it’s hoping to get Trump to the negotiating table.”
  • Growth target unchanged: On Wednesday, leaders at the National People’s Congress announced a growth target of around 5%, the same as the previous two years, despite a slowing economy and the looming trade war, AP reports. Officials said military spending would rise 7.2%. The legislature’s meeting will run for several days. The BBC describes it as a “rubber-stamp parliament, which passes decisions already made behind closed doors.”

Slowly those morons in DC are destroying what is left of the world trade network….tit for tat tariffs will provide the engine for a global recession or worse, a depression.

We can only hope that idiots come to their senses and find a way to work together and keep a vivant world trade intact.

But will they?

Side note–I see that Donny has paused auto tariffs on Mexico and Canada for 30 days….maybe someone should make up his mind for him.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Dems Lame Theatrics

During the Presidential speech the Dems tried to be cute….one Dem got tossed for being mouthy and the small cadre held up signs like Musk Steals, Save Medicare, etc and some even filed out of the speech slowly.

To me as I have said it was theatrics only and was not effective only to the media for they had a spectacle they could put on the evening news for a few minutes

This is a video that pretty much echoes what I have already said.

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Tariff Retaliation

Tuesday Trump’s big scheme of tariffs went into effect and all the chest thumping during his speech about the tariffs and now a couple of targets will retaliate….

There was no last-minute reprieve this time in regard to President Trump’s tariffs as three new ones took effect at midnight Eastern. A look:

  • Canada: Trump imposed a 25% tariff on most imports. Canada responded by imposing 25% tariffs on $30 billion worth of American goods immediately, a total it plans to increase to $125 billion by month’s end. Details on which goods are affected are still to come, reports the New York Times.
  • China: Trump imposed an additional 10% tariff on products from China, on top of the 10% that went into effect last month. Beijing retaliated with tariffs ranging from 10% to 15% on a slew of American food and farm imports, including soybeans, meat, and grains, per the AP and the Washington Post. They take effect in a week. China also put new business restrictions in place against US companies, including the military-linked Leidos and General Dynamics Land Systems.
  • Mexico: Trump imposed a 25% tariff on most Mexican imports. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is expected to lay out her nation’s response later on Tuesday morning, reports NBC News.
  • Markets: US markets cratered Monday afternoon in anticipation of the news, and futures trading was “muted” ahead of Tuesday’s open, reports the Wall Street Journal. Europeans indexes dropped, as did Japan’s Nikkei, but China’s markets didn’t move much. Global auto stocks retreated, including Stellantis, Volkswagen, Volvo, Toyota, and Hyundai.

I remember just before the tariffs went into effect Trump told us the was no other option for there was ‘no room for negotiation’….and yet….

After two days of steep stock market drops, President Trump might be preparing to pull back on his 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that Trump plans to “meet in the middle” with the two countries and an announcement will probably be made Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reports. Lutnick told Fox Business that he thinks Trump is “going to work something out with them,” but “it’s not going to be a pause.”

Lutnick and other officials have said the tariffs are linked to fentanyl coming across the border. “Both the Mexicans and the Canadians were on the phone with me all day today trying to show that they’ll do better, and the president’s listening, because you know he’s very, very fair and very reasonable,” Lutnick said. He cited the US-Mexico-Canada trade pact from Trump’s first term, Bloomberg reports. “If you live under those rules, then the president is considering giving you relief,” Lutnick said. “If you haven’t lived under those rules, well, then you have to pay the tariff.”

Trump paused the tariffs for a month after they were unveiled in February, but he said Monday, before the tariffs kicked in at midnight, that was “no room left” for negotiations. Canada and Mexico announced retaliatory tariffs on Tuesday, with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau calling Trump’s tariffs “a very dumb thing to do.” Trump also doubled his earlier 10% tariff on imports from China, and Beijing responded with tariffs of up to 15% on American food imports. Lutnick, pointing to the country’s role in fentanyl production, said he didn’t expect immediate tariff relief for China, Politico reports.

The whole fentanyl is pure BS….tariffs are the only trick Trump has in his bag of whimsy….it is his excuse to use the only tool he has…..

When President Donald Trump imposed his long-threatened 25 percent tariffs on most goods from Canada and Mexico last night, the White House declared the trade barriers are necessary “to combat the extraordinary threat to U.S. national security, including our public health,” caused by “the flow of contraband drugs like fentanyl into the United States.”

The stock market promptly plummeted. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada would respond with 25 percent tariffs of its own on $155 billion worth of goods from the U.S. (In a post on Truth Social, Trump fired back: “our Reciprocal Tariff will immediately increase by a like amount!”) China declared that it would impose tariffs of up to 15 percent on U.S. agricultural imports, and President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico said her country would impose retaliatory tariffs as well.

Trump originally announced the new tariffs last month, but he agreed to pause their implementation when Canada and Mexico agreed to step up their border enforcement. (That order also imposed tariffs on China, which were not paused.) The White House noted in this week’s announcement, “While President Trump gave both Canada and Mexico ample opportunity to curb the dangerous cartel activity and influx of lethal drugs flowing into our country, they have failed to adequately address the situation.”

https://reason.com/2025/03/04/trump-loves-tariffs-fentanyl-is-just-an-excuse/

Fun times, huh?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Do They Realize It Is A War?

In this case I am talking about the Dems….I have been watching DC to see just how these people will handle the Trump Admin and so far I am very unimpressed.

Lots of words and such and their actions have been muted. I know they are the minority at this point but at least they could fight for those they pretend to care about…us normal peasants they have ignored for several decades.

Sorry but they to do more than they have so far…they are fighting for the very soul of them nation….and I fear for it’s survival at this time.

After this past disastrous election I asked a question….

Will Democrats Ever Learn?

Two months later the question remains unanswered.

Everyone I know is complaining about the Democrats. They’re weak. They’re divided. They’re letting themselves get steamrolled. And on and on.

In this case, “everyone” is right. Even allowing for some degree of shock at the sheer scope of the onslaught in these first few weeks of Donald Trump’s second presidency, they should have found their sea legs by now. And not for the shallow purpose of “winning the day,” but for a very real one: Millions of Americans have a foot—or a leg—caught in Trump’s ideological bear trap, and they need a political party that will fight this illegal and indiscriminate rampage with everything at its disposal to help people pry themselves loose.

Naturally, we should have realistic expectations about what a minority party can achieve as far as parliamentary maneuvers. But you know what happens as soon as I type a sentence like that? I imagine too many elected congressional Democrats just nodding in agreement and exhaling in relief. The truth is simple: Far too many Democrats don’t want to think of themselves as fighters. This is a self-conception that has some deep historical roots; but far more importantly, it’s a potentially self-fulfilling prophecy of passivity that will have grave consequences for tens of millions of Americans, and for the Constitution and the republic, if they don’t get over this fast and come to terms with the reality they are in.

The historical roots go back to the late 1970s, when this new thing called “movement conservatism” was afoot in the land. Movement conservatism’s intellectual roots go back to the 1950s; but it wasn’t until the 1970s, when the “religious right” began to assume its form, that this movement started electing a critical mass of politicians and having a big impact on the country’s political culture.

https://newrepublic.com/article/191334/democrats-respond-trump-musk-purge

Somewhere there has got to be some balls in the party.

There are those like me that think we need to find some charisma in our Dem leadership….as it is now there is very little….

The Democratic race to succeed President Trump in 2028 could be shaping up to be an outsider’s race. 

Down in the dumps after their devastating loss to Trump — the ultimate outsider — in November, Democrats increasingly are saying they must consider all options as they chart the way forward. That means looking beyond candidates to people who don’t fit the traditional bill, they say. 

Billionaire business mogul Mark Cuban? Let’s take a look.

What about sports commentator Stephen A. Smith? I’m interested, say Democratic consultants and strategists.

Their sharp eyes are also considering politicians who don’t look like politicians. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)? Definitely a possibility.

“In modern political history, there’s never been a time that’s more favorable for someone not of the system to rise in Democratic politics,” said Joel Payne, a veteran Democratic strategist who added that these potential candidates “have a bigger lane now more than ever.”

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/5175423-democrats-eye-outsider-candidates/

While I agree I fear that the Dems will just another high dollar man to lead.

They have a new leader (DNC) with big words….they have a Progressive Caucus that tries but their numbers limit to what they can do….this is a war then fight like it is….but again they will preserve their place at the table by letting the special interests do their thinking for them.

And that is a sure way to lose the war and a best way to lose a nation.

Which do you want?  A nation in ruins or one that the Constitution is the foundation.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”