Month: August 2026

UK Funds “Therapeutic Healing”

I post this to ask my UK readers if they any more about this program.

It appears that UK taxpayers are footing the bill for treatment for IDF soldiers that fought in Gaza.

British taxpayers funded “therapeutic healing” for Israeli soldiers who fought in Gaza, Declassified can reveal.

An Israeli organisation received the undisclosed sum via a U.K. charity, with 25 percent Gift Aid added on by the British government.

Emails obtained by Declassified show how the Yahalom Foundation — an Israeli veterans group — tells British supporters to channel their donations via its “registered partner platform in the UK.”

“Processing your donation through them ensures you receive full tax recognition and enabled Gift Aid, maximising the impact of your contribution,” it says. “100% of your gift is routed directly to Yahalom to support our core mission.”

The Yahalom Foundation directs British supporters to a list of fundraising projects for Israel Defence Forces (IDF) veterans, claiming that donations would be eligible for the tax subsidy.

The list includes funding a £5,000 “therapeutic healing journey” for soldiers returning from Gaza, as well as “individual psychological treatments.”

The foundation is also raising money for a £100,000 memorial hall to commemorate fallen Israeli soldiers.

Additional records from two years ago show that British donations were made to fund equipment for serving Israeli soldiers — although it is not clear whether Gift Aid was added to these.

A fundraising page said: “With your help we can buy more specialized equipment and supply it to our soldiers.”

The Charity Commission has previously warned: “It is not lawful, or acceptable, for a charity to raise funds to support a soldier of a foreign military.”

UK Funded Therapy for Israeli Soldiers

The US kisses Israel’s ass every chance they have and now we learned that the UK is doing the same thing…..it is time for all this ‘charity’ to end….let the bastards deal with their own mental problems….they have done enough damage to the two countries.

If anyone has more information please bring us up to speed.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Our Vulnerable Power Grid

For some time we have been told that our power grid is old and in need of an upgrade for in this condition it is vulnerable to attack….so far no one in DC has taken these warnings to heart and our grid is getting older and weaker.

A recent article points out that if just 9 power stations go down it could take the whole grid with it.

The feature in the New York Times Magazine poses a stark question: “What if America went completely dark?” After interviewing more than two dozen experts on the nation’s power grid, Christopher Cox makes the case that the question isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. The grid itself, for instance, “is perhaps the most complex machine ever built, but it was created without a master plan,” he writes. It’s more accurate to think of three grids—the Western, Eastern, and Texas Interconnections. Cox reports that a federal analysis once found that disabling as few as nine key substations across those three grids could trigger a coast-to-coast outage. A related problem is that the hardware that makes those substations work—huge, custom-built power transformers—is in critically short supply. Meaning, such a blackout could theoretically last years.

“It is difficult to overstate how completely the loss of the grid would disrupt life as we know it,” writes Cox, whose story explores how the bottleneck, combined with rising physical threats, aging equipment, and long repair timelines could combine for a life-altering catastrophe. As for those threats, Cox revisits a still unresolved 2013 attack in California in which assailants severed underground cables at a substation before snipers expertly knocked out 17 transformers in about 20 minutes. It’s unlikely that a domestic terror group could wipe out nine entire substations, notes Cox, but the feat would not be beyond the scope of a “state actor.” Read the full story, which explores what emerging tech like solid-state transformers and grid-scale batteries might do to blunt the risk.

The admin seems more worried about what name is on a building than the possibility of a nationwide loss of power….at what point does someone start thinking about our aged infrastructure?

My guess is they will wait until it happens then blame the Dems.

This is a concern and yet we vote for idiots that say nothing about a growing problem….matters not which party for they both are as useless as tits on a flashlight.

Now I know there is some opinions out there….let them fly.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Project 2025 Scorecard

Back in the days leading up to the election of 2024 myself as well as many others warned that Donny was pushing the Heritage Foundations plan named Project 2025….once in office he started using the plan from day one….

With that said should we look at the success of this plan?

Project 2025 has moved much further than most people realize, and the groups keeping count agree on the direction even when they disagree on the math.

One tracker following the blueprint across 34 federal agencies counts 321 objectives, with 141 marked complete and another 70 underway. That is roughly 44 percent finished and about two thirds either done or in motion. The Center for Progressive Reform, working with Governing for Impact, tracks a different and larger list of 532 recommended executive actions across 20 agencies and found that 283 of them, about 53 percent, had been initiated or completed within the first twelve months. The numbers differ because the lists differ. The trend does not.

On food and household assistance, the reconciliation bill carried two items straight off the blueprint. It rolled back updates to the Thrifty Food Plan, which is the formula the government uses to calculate how much money a household actually receives in food stamp benefits. Adjusting it downward does not change who qualifies, it changes how much food a family can buy. The same bill imposed stricter work requirements on SNAP recipients. Separately, staff at the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which helps families cover heating and cooling costs, were fired, and the program was sharply limited.

On the environment, the EPA finalized the rescission of the 2009 endangerment finding, which was the legal foundation for federal climate regulation. Interior finalized a rule narrowing critical habitat protections so drilling, mining and logging can proceed as long as animals are not directly killed. The Center for Western Priorities found that nearly 70 percent of the fossil fuel related actions in the blueprint have been implemented, with another 20 percent in progress.

On health and reproductive policy, Reproductive Freedom for All tracks 57 actions and counts 24 completed with 10 more in progress. HHS canceled 53 of the 67 grants in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention program and now requires recipients to teach abstinence as the only method. The National Institutes of Health stopped funding research using human fetal tissue.

On government structure, the administration stripped collective bargaining rights from federal workers across 18 departments, a move currently tied up in court. Treasury permanently halted collection of ownership data on private American companies that had been required under the Corporate Transparency Act. The military drew down forces in Europe, including 5,000 troops out of Germany. Four agencies have completed every objective on their list, including USAID.

…

Now what is in motion but unfinished. The Department of Education has been hollowed out with the groundwork laid to dismantle it, but it still exists, because eliminating a cabinet department requires Congress. The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which the blueprint accused of being weaponized for domestic political purposes, has been targeted for major downsizing but has not been eliminated. On federal land protection, less than 20 percent of the identified actions are done, but nearly 70 percent are in progress, including efforts to rescind the Public Lands Rule and the Roadless Rule.

https://balleralert.com/project-2025-progress-completed-in-progress-pending-2026/

I would say that the implementation of Project 2025 has been a resounding success….to our chagrin….and to the country’s loss.

This runaway train must be stopped and it will be up to each of us to see that it is brought to a stop.

Can we do it?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Dolly Parton–R.I.P.

Sad news today an icon has passed away, Dolly Parton, her personality and music will be missed….the word is that she was dealing with cancer but no confirmation as of yet….

Stars are paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, at 80. Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond—the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography, and politics, the AP reports. Here’s a roundup of notable reactions to Parton’s death and legacy:

  • Dionne Warwick. “The Heavenly Father has made the decision to bring another of his children to him. Dolly a true child of God is in the best hands now,” Warwick said in a statement.
  • Paul McCartney. “Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly,” McCartney wrote on Instagram. “She was a very clever business woman who understood the value of her music and, most importantly, the effect that she had on the people of the world. There was no greater honour for me than to have her sing my song ‘Let It Be’ and, even though I only made a small contribution to it, I am so honoured that she did it.”
  • Jane Fonda. “I never knew anyone like her. She was simultaneously a naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves. She was many things … lyricist, songstress, player of many instruments, writer, prankster, visionary, loyal friend, who’d never go to bed before she and her friends had laughed so hard they’d have to cross their legs,” Fonda wrote on Instagram. She added: “To her gay and trans fans, I want you to know that she loved you. You know that without me telling you. She loved all her fans and they are legion. And you know she doesn’t want y’all to mourn now. Dress up and celebrate her spirit.”
  • Linda Ronstadt. “I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, Dolly Parton,” Ronstadt said in a statement. “One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her. The world is a poorer place without her.”
  • Bette Midler. “Our beloved Dolly Parton has died. I am devastated, and I’m sure the nation will mourn her as I do, and for many years to come. She had a voice of pure gold and a heart to match. What a terrible, terrible loss,” Midler wrote on Instagram.
  • Ken Burns. “One of twelve children raised in a cabin, Dolly Parton left home carrying nothing but songs to become the most beloved figure in American music. She wrote ‘I Will Always Love You’ as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Today it belongs to all of us,” Burns, the filmmaker behind the Country Music documentary miniseries, wrote on X.
  • Reba McEntire. “Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side,” McEntire wrote on X. “Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
  • Reese Witherspoon. “Throughout my entire career, she sent me little notes of encouragement and support, telling me to be the light in people’s lives and listen to my angels. Always signed: ‘I will always love you,'” Witherspoon wrote on Instagram.
  • Colman Domingo. “Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light. We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her,” the actor wrote on X.
  • Carol Burnett. “One of my favorite memories was taping the special ‘Carol and Dolly’ in Nashville,” Burnett wrote on Instagram. “We shot the week of Thanksgiving and Dolly made individual turkey dinners for every one of us, that she cooked herself. We were a family. That’s who she was.”
  • Beyoncé. “You were the barometer. The North Star. Bold and brilliant. Talented and tenacious,” Beyoncé said in a statement. “You taught so many lessons on how to be uniquely oneself. I am grateful for your art, your heart, your generosity, your humor, your entrepreneurship. I’m honored that I had the privilege to work with you. I will treasure that forever.”

As you can see she was loved by all those who knew her best.

As I said she will be missed….may she rest in peace and her family has our prayers….

As a closing tribute one of my favorite songs….from 1999….

 

I read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Mouth Of The South

And that would be James Carville….the quintessential grumpy old man….you may remember him from his opposition to progressives or his statement that if progressives win he would leave the Democratic Party, among other jewels from this old fart.

I do not agree with him on too many things simply because he is entrenched in the corporate wing of the Party….but I will say that on one point I do agree with him….and that would be his takedown of Jeffries for his meeting with that bastard Kushner….

Here is what he had to sat….

James Carville launched into a passionate and incendiary takedown of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) Monday after news that the latter met with Jared Kushner recently surfaced.

“Let me try to explain something,” Carville said. And Hakeem, you’re a smart guy … let me explain something here, very, very clear. You have Democrats that have a different position on Medicare for all, whether that’s a good idea. You have Democrats that have different positions on effective policing, and there’s a whole variety of subjects of which there are some disagreements within the Democratic Party.”

But Carville said that doesn’t extend to everything.

“On one thing, on one thing, there is no disagreement,” he said. “There’s unanimity. And it is simply this: in the opinion of every Democrat in the United States, progressive, moderate, middle road, left, f*ck, I don’t know whatever you want, we believe one thing above all. These people are a pack of felons and traitors and you do not meet with them. You do not meet with them!”

A more appropriate response to Kushner, who is President Donald Trump’s son-in-law via Ivanka Trump, would be to “drag his ass before a committee and find about what backdoor-dealing whorehouse sh*t he’s got going on with Steve Witkoff and everybody else,” Carville added.

The Trump administration and assorted family members and cronies “have no idea what they’re doing,” he continued. “They’re making every backdoor bullsh*t deal they can. And we don’t meet with them. Don’t meet with them.”

Carville added, “F*ck these people!”

(mediaite.com)

There is not much that I agree with Carville on but in this case I will have to bow to his words.

He is right….there is no way they can agree on anything unless it is who gets the loin share of the corruption.

Jeffries is a corrupt corporate Dem that is only interested in the cash thrown his way….when I heard about the two meeting I thought it smell like rotten fish….and I have not changed my mind.

What do you think of Carville’s takedown?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

They’re Watching!

From time to time I will re-post something from my other blog. Daily Agitator, for those that have not yet found their way to it with the hope that it will lead to more readership….

The government is watching you from facial recognition to what you do at the supermarket….it is not a new thing but rather a continuation from another era…

 

The D/Bags Are Watching

If you feel like joining the movement be warned you will be scrutinized….you whole life will be poured over.

Me?

I do not care….I cannot stand by and say or do nothing.

Join us if you dare.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Unscrupulousness Of AIPAC

It is no secret around here that I dearly hate AIPAC and what it has done to our political system….it has turned our elections into good and bad the good being whatever they tell the recipient of their money and in the meantime the country suffers from their sick influence….

After AIPAC failed to defeat El-Sayed in the Michigan Democratic Senate primary—after spending $32 million—it said that it remains committed to defeating El-Sayed and his “radical, anti-Israel” agenda in the general election. Which means it is poised to sink tens of millions of dollars in supporting Republican Mike Rogers. It also said that Haley Stevens, his opponent, had presented “an authentic Democratic agenda.” Meaning that El-Sayed did not? And they think that Mike Rogers, a MAGA Trump supporter, does compared with El-Sayed?

How can AIPAC say that El-Sayed does not present an authentic Democratic agenda when his socialist stance is much more in line with the principles stated in the Declaration of Independence than most centrist Democrats’? And making it sound like AIPAC cares about an authentic Democratic agenda is deceitful, when in the same breath they make clear that they will support Mike Rogers, a Trump lackey, in the general election.

AIPAC’s one-dimensional perspective is clearer now than ever. They will fight for the unequivocal U.S. support of Israel at any cost, even if it means having the Republicans and Trump remain in power and destroy our nation.

They are like the Evangelicals to whom there was nothing more important than the creation of a conservative judiciary that would reverse Roe v Wade and other liberal policies, such as LGBT rights, even at the cost of supporting perhaps the most Godless, misogynistic President that the United States has ever had and his MAGA allies. In both cases, they have made a bargain with the devil that will ultimately cost them their souls.

https://thefulcrum.us/governance-legislation/the-unscrupulousness-of-aipac-political-spending-u-s-policy

These fools will do anything to bolster support for Israel even if it means the destruction of the nation.

One can support Israel that is their prerogative but not at the cost of our country and our way of life.   Period!

This institution should be barred from dealing out influence….well not just them….the whole concept of lobbyists needs to be flushed down the crapper.   Period.

Thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

How To Mend A Broken Democracy

I have had several conversations here on IST and in my contact with people in my community on what will be needed to fix what is going wrong in our democracy….and of course not all the contact was positive….I do live in Mississippi which is bright Red and MAGA friendly….those interactions lead to a few ugly exchanges.

Most thinking agree that something needs to be done by the next government to repair the damage that Donny and the Band of idiots have done to this country….but will that be the will of elected officials?

An article in The Fulcrum takes a gander at the possibilities….an interesting article….

If he leaves, Donald Trump will not leave the Oval Office until January 2029. Seems like a long way off.

But whether it feels near or far, it is time for pro-democracy forces to begin thinking about the work needed to rebuild, revitalize, and improve the infrastructure and architecture of American Democracy. That should not be done as one part of a policy agenda, but as THE priority for a post-MAGA world.

Restoring and/or building a vibrant constitutional democracy will require that singular focus. The damage the Trump Administration has done and will do to the democratic fabric of American life is incalculable.

Addressing it can’t be a side gig. It will take a singular focus for a post-MAGA president to lead a “transition to democracy” in the United States and learn from the experiences of nations that have traveled that path before us.

But if you poke around on the internet, you’ll find several comprehensive projects that place the work of rebuilding democracy side-by-side with an ambitious policy agenda, many of which claim the mantle: Project 2029.

One of them holds itself out to be “a grassroots, citizen-led effort to reclaim our democracy. We are not affiliated with or supported by any political party or political action group (PAC).” But it says very little about how to rebuild democratic institutions and practices.

It offers a vision of government that does many things, like “prioritize(ing) people over profit, embracing policies informed by science, expertise, and empathy. It actively engages citizens as empowered participants in shaping their communities, rather than passive consumers of decisions made behind closed doors.”

https://thefulcrum.us/democracy/rebuilding-american-democracy-post-trump

In case no one read some of the included articles….this one caught my eye it is from a political abstract…..

  • When elites agree to compromise during regime transitions, democratization is more likely to succeed. Human agency is therefore central to successful democratization; however, it cannot be divorced from structural factors, such as class or economic interests, which incentivize elites to compromise in the first place.
  • Leadership plays a key role in guiding transition processes and can even help to break deadlocks between ideological opponents.
  • When existing patronage networks remain strong, elite defection and, hence, the likelihood of authoritarian breakdown is reduced. Conversely, when authoritarian rulers either face dwindling resources or do not co-opt key political and economic elites with patronage, their incumbency is threatened.
  • The nature of democratic transitions shapes the subsequent quality of democracy. Transitions that are “pacted” among elites may result in relatively smooth transitions to electoral democracy but they tend to permit political and economic elites to maintain their privileges, leading to less inclusive democracy.
  • The most vociferous opponents of economic liberalization may not be the marginalized mass publics but rather well-connected elites who benefited under authoritarian rule. Forging a more inclusive political and economic system is challenging, in no small part because it is difficult to dislodge authoritarian coalitions even after democratic transitions have ostensibly occurred.

Some great stuff in there but I disagree with a large part of the abstract….

I do not see any cooperation on major issues…..lobbyists will still own the Congress….oligarchs will still get their way….

That brings me to the newest brain fart by Dems…..Project 2029 (they could not even come up something in an original title….that tells me a lot)

01 Reward Hard Work

Our economy should reward hard work and not just huge wealth. We need to rebuild the ladder of opportunity for Americans and for American communities getting left behind.  (This is for the billionaires to keep them calm)

02 Give Americans Their Government Back

In today’s Washington, wealthy and well-connected people and interests call the shots and drown out the voice of the people. Government needs to work for everyday Americans – and it just plain needs to work by delivering real progress.  (Good idea but I do not think the next Congress will be capable)

03 Restore Law and Order

No one should be above the law – whether they’re on the street corner, in the corner office, or in the Oval Office. It’s time we strengthened our laws and our law enforcement to crack down on dangerous criminals, corporate wrongdoers, and corrupt public officials. (Good one….but what if we get another Donny that just ignores the laws?)

04 Make America Affordable Again

Americans are working harder but still finding it harder to make ends meet. They’re getting crunched by rising costs for housing and health care and squeezed for time as they try to take care of their kids or parents. We need to give them a helping hand and stop corporations from ripping them off.  (This one is my favorite….Just how will they go about this?)

05 Jumpstart Economic Growth

America needs to win the global race to make sure the jobs and technologies of the future in areas like AI and clean energy are here at home. New innovations need new rules of the road so that we protect consumers, lower prices, and stop big businesses from stifling entrepreneurs and competition. (Embracing AI will do little to make the workers important again….how will the lobbyists be controlled?)

06 Protect America’s Security and Prosperity

 It’s time for a new global agenda to open the doors of global economic opportunity for American workers and business and to ensure America stands on the side of democracies and not dictatorships.  (This is a shot for the M-IC to keep them calm)

All in all I think Project 2029 will not be as successful as Project 2025….using name recognition will do nothing to improve our plight.

The closing of the article says it all….

At the end of the day, the Brennan Center gets it right when it says: “A return to stable democracy requires sustained effort to revitalize democratic institutions to address the underlying weaknesses that made them vulnerable to begin with. While it may be tempting for leaders to simply revert to the status quo that existed before a country started to backslide, trying to do so may actually prolong a country’s period of instability.”

I do not believe the repair work can be finished in anything less than a whole generation for Donny and the Slugs have done damage that runs deep.

Any thoughts you would like to share?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

New Genocide Deniers

This is a re-post from my other blog, Daily Agitator, and I am just trying to expand the readership by re-posting….this is for those that may not know of my other blog.

The New Genocide Deniers

There should be NO acceptance of a genocide by anyone…..regardless of the situation.

The US should be the champion of anti-genocide issues instead we turn a blind eye for whatever reason….why?

Educate, Agitate

I Read, I Write, You Know

cogito ergo agito

 

 

The Mecca Agreement

One of America’s allies (?) has put together what some are calling the Middle East NATO, the Mecca Pact, which is designed to be a mutual defense agreement…sound familiar?

But what is this all about?

Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have signed the Mecca Joint Defence Pact, a new collective defence arrangement that connects the Middle East with South Asia.

Its central promise is striking: an armed attack against any one of the three countries will be treated as an attack against them all. This language has prompted comparisons with NATO, whose members make a similar commitment under Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty.

By bringing together a major global oil producer (Saudi Arabia), a NATO member with an expanding defence industry (Turkey) and a nuclear-armed state (Pakistan), this agreement has the potential to reshape security dynamics across the Middle East, South Asia and the Indian Ocean.

It signals a significant shift in how regional powers navigate their security, moving toward strategic self-reliance at a time of deep regional instability.

However, the Mecca agreeement is not a new NATO — at least not yet. It’s better understood as a form of strategic insurance for three governments seeking greater protection and political influence beyond traditional American guarantees.

Whether it matures into a credible military alliance or remains a piece of political symbolism will depend entirely on how these nations resolve deep underlying questions regarding their exact obligations and conflicting regional interests.

https://theconversation.com/a-new-nato-of-the-east-why-the-mecca-pact-isnt-quite-what-it-seems-289371

Okay this is a seriously issue….a reshape of the Middle East?

One more interesting turn…..the members have invited Iran into their midst….

Iran is reviewing an invitation to join the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, the head of the Iranian parliament’s official news agency said in an interview with Al Mayadeen on 23 August.

Mehdi Rahimi stated Iran had received an invitation to join the agreement and was currently considering the proposal.

Rahimi praised the “efforts of states in West Asia to create a regional security umbrella,” saying Iran has long advocated for such an initiative.

The recent war with Iran proved to everyone that Washington destabilized West Asia instead of fulfilling its promises to provide its allies in the region with security, he added.

The invitation has not yet been officially confirmed by Iran’s Foreign Ministry or by any of the three members of the Mecca Agreement.

https://thecradle.co/articles/iran-reviewing-invitation-to-join-mecca-joint-defense-agreement-report

This may read like it’s no big deal but ask yourself how will this play with Donny’s war with Iran?

Will this be a seriously attempt to reshape the Middle East or is it a fart in the wind?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”