GETTING GOOD NEWS: The Government vs. the Press in Times of War (realaudio) (WindowsMedia) ALT wma Mike's BROWN U. LECTURE (listing)- History of Press restrictions in Wars since WW2; How Vietnam changed everything and made the media the enemy- 27 min., Salomon Hall, Brown Univ., Dec 13, 04 Poster Post Movie Lecture (realaudio)- 52min MP3

 GAZA HORRORS, DUMB DEMS, TESLA RECALL, TRUMP'S TRIALS + HUNGER FOR JAIL, SANTOS EXPELLED, TRUMPORES/REPUBS TREASON ON UKR,  XI + the PANDAS, KISSINGER DEAD

 Updated Dec 31:  

 GAZA HORRORS           AP GAZA news

Hamas's stunningly vicious + successful surprise attack has shaken Israel to the core, and may finally provoke Net and Yahoo's demise, but whatever comes after may be worse. Of course, Hamas's admitted hope was to provoke a vast Israeli overreaction and slaughter of their poor charges, and a wider regional War. As several Arab countries made historic peace with Israel, Palestinian misery and hopes were being forgotten, and they wanted to "bring attention to the issue". Even they were shocked by the "success" of their brutal operation- killing, capturing, wounding ~2000 southern Israelis in 25 odd

Murdered Israeli

border punch-throughs; by land, sea, and air with paragliders, attacking 22 settlements and a rock festival. If past Israeli Invasion stats held, one could expect many tens of thousands of innocent Gazans to be slaughtered in the wild general retaliation against a relative few Hamas militants 30,000? (most of the attackers were killed, as many as their victims, but it was always a suicide mission) at the moment Gaza ~22,000 (Dec 31) fatalities claimed, but nobody has any idea how many are trapped under the 10,000 pancaked buildings... and no one is searching (and may never search). Already more have been killed in 2 months than 20 years of the US Afghanistan War! If only 5 couldn't or wouldn't leave per building, that would be 50k deaths there alone!!

The only good result of the reckless Repub budget and legislation freeze was that JoeB's 11 bil "emergency aid" request for Israel was also stuck. Imagine the PR debacle if that Aid arrived just as Israel was invading and depopulating hospitals- they are a Superpower, they don't need one more weapon from us to annihilate Gaza, already 95% of bombs, shells, bullets say MADE in AMERICA. Of course, they have the right of self-defense, but they are generating 10-20 new terrorists for every one they kill now, other Arab countries won't go back to any table for 

 Gazan premie babies, yanked from BICU

years; and the atrocities on all sides are ripping Israel apart.  

Dec 9 INSANELY, not only has JoeB shipped an emergency package of shells to Israel (not Ukraine), but to our everlasting shame, rejected a Security Council motion for a Cease Fire... just as the Blockade/ Israeli attack become increasingly murderous. Vids show desperate 3yo refugees sucking street disease-ridden puddle water through a straw- Epidemics will follow. More Gazans are now expected to die of the Embargo + Epidemics than the bombings. America will pay for this not only in the Court of Public Opinion but likely in blood, as Moslems outraged by the horrific spectacle, attack the enabler, not the executioner.

 I actually predicted in 2002 Israel's attacks on the hated PLO (threatening to kill Arafat) may end up provoking a much worse actor, HAMAS, into taking power. 4 years later in 2006, in Gaza, it did, after defeating the PLO on the streets + ballot. Since then there have been NO Elections, but Gazans are not in control of Hamas!  Gaza victims-

Israel's understandable fury has known no bounds, Settler attacks on West Bank residents (120 dead?), and jailings for the most minor SM posts are rampant. Meanwhile, 1.9 mil Gazans have been uprooted of 2.2 M with water, food, electricity, fuel, cut; which alone could kill many thousands- told to go South to clear the way for the great Hamas hunt, many were attacked there as well. With many taking refuge in hospitals, if only for water, safety, toilets; then they were  attacked there. The Hamas Command Centers are in tunnels under the Hospitals, Israeli's say (probably true), but so are the 129 hostages!         Israeli pinpoint strikes

Previously, Israel showed overwhelming concern for even just 1 hostage, exchanging 1 soldier for 1000 Gazans (crazy), now they seem resigned to their fate- even if killed by their own attacks. 60 have, say Hamas, that they haven't issued propaganda pronouncements shows how desperate their situation is.

Dec 18: Forget Israel rescuing the remaining hostages- after they blew away 3 surrendering shirtless hostages waving a white flag + screaming in Hebrew, just don't kill them! It shows the spectacular carelessness with which Israelis fire, "shoot anything that moves", soldiers were told after civilians were supposedly cleared- Israel is the most dangerous war theater for journalists ever (68 in 10 weeks, 61 of them Pals) + doctors, worse than Ukraine or Russia. Huge waves of outrage swept Israel, this could stop the assault or be a real death knell for the tone-deaf and brutal Net and Yahoo. JoeB is discovering what every Pres has, Bibi can't be trusted. NOW (Dec 31) he is pledging "many months more" of Israel's mechanized assault, which would lead to +100K dead- thirst, starvation, and cold deaths have started; and epidemics will ignite soon.

In the latest Swap Agreement, the ration is 3: 1, Hamas prisoners for Israelis, initially 50 Israeli hostages, with more by the same ration; and 4 day cease Fire + 300 relief trucks a day. That started Nov 24, 230 trucks, by Nov 30 about 111 hostages were returned in exchange for 240? Palestinian prisoners, both mostly women + children. The Cease Fire was extended for another 2 days, the return of prisoners proving too attractive, resuming general attacks on Gaza would shatter any comity produced. Nov 30: They extended the exchanges/cease fire for only one more day at the last minute Wed night, but Net and Yahoo continues to swear he will resume the War. Which he did Friday and Sat, including numerous attacks on the safe area of South Gaza, maybe with reduced ferocity, although they also claim to have bombed 200 apartment blocks, meaning many times those fatalities! The exchanges collapsed totally after the ~7 days, but family members have become more + more strident (Dec 31), Net+ ignores them at extreme peril.

The whole world was calling for a Cease Fire of this slaughter, America was supposedly finally on board, with blanken Blinken desperately trying to moderate Israeli depredations, if/when the Attack is renewed, but shamefully we have since blocked action in the UN Security Council over and over. Crushing Hamas totally without committing massive War Crimes in Gaza is a fools errand- 10x more terrorists are being generated than killed... the objective of ALL TERRORISM! JoeB has been treading a fine line, blithely pro-Israel to try to influence the famously duplicitous Net+Y... he lost some youth + Muslim support in refusing to believe Gazan death tolls- likely a big undercount- nobody is counting all the bodies under the buildings- (35K if this ends now?). But really, do any Muslims think Trump has their interests at heart??@#$%&

DUMB DEMS HELP DEPOSE KEVIN TO GET AN EVANGELICAL MAGAt

In the most reckless, heedless, foolish bit of political idiocy I've seen in some time, Dems helped the despicable Freedumb Caucus depose 2-faced Kevin McCarthy to to get a middle of the road Repub- lunatic Christian extremist Magat DENIER Mike Johnson, who wants to cut Ukraine off at the knees + ban Gays. You do not stage a COUP without having a better alternative, and there were none among Repubs, only worse and worsest. They got one of the Worst.. a serious Trumpore Denier who trimmed off

money for Ukraine and Israel in his budget extension extension, working w the hated Dems more readily than discarded Kevin! (Hey kids wasn't this FUN, let's do it again in 2 months). Great, so Dems emphasized the incompetence and disarray of Repubs, BUT they empowered the hateful Gaetz and his rabble allies; and lost the War for the sake of a Pyrrhic battle!! And now may pay for it for 1-3 years!! And not one Dem resisted this suicidal move. Hakeem was supposed to be brilliant!

The more you know about him, the more MikeJon seems a seriously fringe character; like he + his son monitor each others porn usage! Oh, really, is there a problem there?? Sir, Dennis H is on the line! McCarthy was understandable livid about the Coup, cursing out The Donald to his voice on the phone, and saying Gaetz should be in jail, well Dems coulda worked with him on that! Meanwhile Ukrs die because of this Trumpore. If they are starved of war material for Dec, Jan, Feb it may be the end of Pax Americana (Fiona Hill),  and Trump will have done his job for Vlad Vlad, why the Sovs encouraged him to become President in '87.

 

TESLA RECALL

Tesla recalled essentially it's whole fleet due to too many fatal accidents (only for software update). 2 weeks ago I asked Autonomous Car Safety expert + fmr Navy fighter pilot Missy Cummings about why TESLA was allowed to operate when their (radar/lidar?) system ignored anything not moving in the same direction, like uhhh, pedestrians at a crosswalk! This is one of oldest Scientific Societies in America- tremendous speakers, brilliant members, exc hors d'oeuvres; and about DC's only night lecture. 

"They rely on computer vision, + sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't... in my testing... half the time pedestrians are detected, half the time, they're not"!!!!  Absolutely unbelievable... 50%?? Was it only Musks power that prevented any action?

@ 54:06 Jumps 2 question:  https://youtu.be/NeWJYeGPs28?t=3246

https://pswscience.org/meeting/2486/  Cummings Bio + information

 

TRUMP'S TRIALS + HUNGER FOR JAIL

The LYIN' KING is finally getting a shot at the Big House, with his 4-5 trials and endless attacks, threats, incitements, and whining about the Judges, Prosecutors, + Staff; no matter how many times he is "muzzled", fined, or threatened, he will keep going till one of his loyal  Trumpores kills or wounds a Prosecutor or Witness. Only THEN, will Agent Orange be jailed, as he should have been months ago. He is uncontrollable and I pray they don't allow any trial to be televised for him to "instruct" his acolytes. Dec 10 - After one disastrous appearance, Trump finally got his preening lust for the limelight under control, listening to his screaming lawyers, and refused to testify Mon... ahhh too bad, it's always nice when the perp shouts his guilt.

His lawyers are chips off the ol' Blockhead, endlessly attacking the Prosecution with frivolous motions, Alina looks like a call girl, but he likes them hot- competence isn't mandatory. Incredibly, Trumps dime store lawyers didn't even request a Jury trial, guaranteeing him a conviction by the Judge he had trashed dozens of times! Trump's "defense" is that I did nothing wrong, I had a right to do it.. do anything, because I'm rich!  Best thing for the Judges to do is simply RULE him Guilty, as Engoron has already done. There really doesn't need to be any Trial, Trump trumpets his guilt! I listened to 2 hours of live trial on whether to reestablish the Gag order on The Pig, and it was quite incredible how the Appeals judges bent over backward to accommodate Trump, when the case was simple- anyone else would be in jail for his endless attacks, slanders, + threats- Was Trump above the law? With his appointment of 28% of (high?) Federal Judges.... maybe! That was on display when the Supreme Repubs pretty much decided to let Trump's Mafiosa DELAY TO DEATH  legal strategy... succeed by denying Jack Smith's appeal to expedite a ruling on Trumps idiotic Immunity claims; and Apeals court delays. Everything now looks to be pushed past the Election!

Were Presidents... untouchable, a dangerous idea to even entertain!! Trumps Fascist tendencies are also being TRUMPETED, he "will cleanse America of the VERMIN", as his hero Adoff said. At what point does our self-defeating Intel Community realize this guy is the greatest threat since the Civil War, and deal with him?? Just release the 40 years of tapes of Trump doing business with Russians, our Mafia, oligarchs- record a degenerate hustler hobnobbing with foreign enemies and mobsters is what they doooo!!! Obama's failure to do this in 2016 has endangered our very Republic. 

Democracy is held together by a Gentlemans Agreement that the LOSER DOES NOT dispute the result- but this 2-3 time loser is not a gentleman (Putin won the 2016 Election for TPD). Nixon in 1960, Humphrey in 1968, Gore in 2000, and Hillary in 2008 had good cases that they actually WON, but none wanted to risk the Nations' Electoral stability on a challenge. In 2000, as Pres of the Senate, incredibly Gore crushed a Black challenge to certifying the Election, since the Supreme Republicans had made their corrupt decision + would again... imagine if that Election had stayed Undecided on 9-11!!!

GEORGE SANTOS EXPELLED 

 Congressional page George Santos

Amazingly for ethically challenged Repubs, there is SOME level of criminality that they won't accept, I think the final straw was the fabulist sleaze-bag ripping off another R-Congressman + his mother for ~$30K (w expenses) on their donations. This weasel won't be missed but is promising to spill the beans on multiple other Congresspeople, the charges he's leveled against leveled against 3 seem credible, incredible Reps confiding their sleaze and crimes to a such a flake newbie- Repubs are simply so corrupt that if the FBI pursued them with the same intensity they do w Dem Mayors + IL Govs, 90% of political convicts would be Repubs.

 Literally Santos was putting on his jacket in the middle of the vote, and they ripped off his name plate and changed the locks of his Office within minutes of him bolting the Capitol. But he is making $400K doing Cameo vids for detractors + admirers... he will need it ALL for the lawyers.

The Great Pretender, Trumpolini, must be shtng his pants with this demonstration how Repubs can turn on a wild degenerate lying criminal of their own persuasion. Let's see what Trump has done... compared to Santos w √ :

• 1. pathological lying about everything √
• 2. using campaign funds for personal expenses √
• 3. massive fraud- cheating friends, clients, investors, contributors, banks √
• 4. multiple aliases to disguise lying √
• 5. rape and molestation
• 6. Colluding w Russia on Election theft; R Agent since 1987
• 7. Organizing a Coup against Congress + Constitution Jan 6
• 8. Tearing America apart worse than anything seen in our lifetimes

Hmmm, looks like Trump is alot worse! Next stop on the Santos tour, min 5 years in prison in 6-12 months. And another beneficial effect, 1 less R-Magat for a few months!

 

XI + the PANDAS

In a finally hopeful sign- Biden + Xi stepped back from the brink of real violence and reaffirmed our need to live together- we are totally interdependent and it was crazy the Repub China-bashing seemed to sweep up Joe in harsh + foolish slams. Mind you China is a deadly threat, and WILL INVADE Taiwan, maybe not in the next year or 2; but their Uyghur Concentration camps and cultural genocide (sending Han men to "live" w wives of the prisoners); their spectacular land grab in the South China Sea; their constant bullying, harassment and threats against US surveillance flights, and every other SC Sea nation whose islands they've stolen.. all are the actions of a brutal rogue state; and I believe it may be time to shoot one of their 15 ft fly-by jets down! 

But constant screaming attacks, racial slanders, and pointless humiliation; like various Repubs (FBI Dir) dredging up the DISCREDITED Hunan Biolab Covid creation myth for the 10th time are ignorant and counterproductive. Or JoeB talking about containing China... of course we need + want to, but you can't talk about that openly... it's like Obama slamming Russia as a "faded Regional Power"- I physically winced, wondering how many people would die from Puta trying to prove him wrong.

 So, after stealing all US Pandas, including the Washington Zoo's US Citizen baby BORN HERE, the stone faced Xi will send some of the lovable marsupials back!! How about the same ones- they probably liked the freedom in America too. No social media scores! I had tickets for the DC Zoo, where it's all happening, but lame DC closes them at 4 or 5pm, even in the Summer, and still requires advance ticket requests, crazy for a Zoo. One goes to the Zoo with a new GF or BF, or as circumstances dictate, not plan 1 month ahead!! Then it will always rain!

KISSINGER DEAD @ 100 yo

The endless Henry Kissinger, shrinking into his chair like a garden gnome, finally succumbed at an even 100. He was one of the most hated, reviled AND respected people in America, some of which, no doubt, was anti-Semitism, mostly about his Vietnam legacy. The brilliant power academic won the Noble Peace Prize- I present 2 pics of the many faces of a man, whom at one point, seemed to have the whole world wrapped around his little finger, jetting from capital to capital cajoling, browbeating, bullying warring participants into agreements.

My father was in a 12? man US Intelligence unit w Henry cruising around the shattered Germany, deciding whom to toss in jail for 6 months w/o appeal. But the ingratiating political wizard got himself appointed Mayor/Gov of a whole province, where he wined and dined visitors and assorted ladies at a hillside mansion, a mark of his spectacular ability to become invaluable to powerful people. In the 80's he gave a lecture in Providence, I was late, but had a photo studio, articles in Modern Photography, so staked out the exit.. and as he came out the back exit, ever present protesters slammed him with loud chants: BABY KILLER, KISSINGER, BABY KILLER... VIETNAM!!    and he shuddered and winced as I took the perfect shot. Sure to make Newsweek or some big paper, I then went to some Black dive bar to get some award winning gritty pics, and the camera was snatched within 3 seconds of me putting it on the pool table. Also had team pics, both of which promised to bring in $1000s, much more than the SLR was worth.  

I think he got a somewhat bad rap for the War Criminal slams- and did an extended Blog post on Vietnam, the passions, rage, untruths that became accepted unchallenged wisdom; and Kissinger's role- I spoke about the press misconceptions about Vietnam that led to the Media becoming the enemy to US Military in my Brown lecture, re The monstrous lies of GB2's IRAQ INVASION:

GETTING GOOD NEWS: The Government vs. the Press in Times of War (realaudio)  (WindowsMedia)  ALT wma     Mike's BROWN U. LECTURE (listing)- History of Press restrictions in Wars since WW2; How Vietnam changed everything and made the media the enemy- 27 min., Salomon Hall, Brown Univ., Dec 13, 04  Poster     Post Movie Lecture (realaudio)- 52min  MP3

 

All this is in a Sept 2005 BlogPost, when this Blog was young, at the end,        VIETNAM REDUX- final terrible act 30 years ago,

along with the lead, a long deep haunting analysis of 9-11, when I was supposed to fly smack over Manhattan.. the most compelling and important piece of +18 years of Blogdom. I had many amazing connections (predicted an attack on NYC or DC 2 months before, everyone knew something was coming) to that day, and was so mad... for so long... about the grotesque failures of US Intelligence; and the 20 years of hopeless War that could have been avoided.

9-11 Predictions + Dreams

 Sat Sept 16, 2001 - Manhattan on first day of commercial flight resumption-

 w Ground Zero smoke visible from Bridgeport CT! PVD-CIN. Still from Sony Hi-8 video 2001 MHammerschlag©2001

 

In early Dec 2001, with extraordinary effort, I got into the sprawling GZ zone and watched the 10 story subterranean rescue efforts from a skybridge to nowhere (a bldg that was gone!). See POST for extended photos of the event, site, my long tour up WTC after Y2K (5 hours), and many haunting connections (believe I ran into 2 hijackers in the Ft Lauderdale library in April 2001!). 

OLD ACQUAINTANCES: Rosalyn Carter, Sandra Day O'CONNER

The Indefatigable Rosalyn Carter also succumbed at 96, I bet many men would have give much to have a wife so steady, supportive, competent, and enterprising. Chances are Jimmy won't last long with his rock + light gone.

Sandra Day was a groundbreaker
first female SC Justice, and deserves credit for supporting the Right to Abortion, when she personally may have been against it... that it wasn't the State's RIGHT to impose their religious opinions on the public. But she lost much honor in supporting the Loser of the 2000 Election in a blatantly political decision (We can't let this GORE win!) that changed the course of World History (9-11, two 20 year Wars, 2 million? dead, + America crippling itself w promiscuous security- OBL's true objective).

PRIGO MUST DIE, LOST SUB, STRIKE 2 FOR "DONALD the CRIMINAL", PAGING NOAH, ERDO-GONE, DEBT DOPES, PURPLE HAZE, HAWAII HEAT, KENNEDY KRAZINESS, HOLLOWAY HOO-HAA

WAGNER GROUP INSURRECTION  

Operatic Wagner head Progozhin has jumped the shark, attacking Rus Southern Command HQ in Rostov, with possible support of others, after claiming a rocket attack on his troops by the RF Army, and calling for the deposing of DM Shoigu, and Army head Gerasimov.  Now the following is looking quite prescient- Prigo will appear in prof AI videos (not so prof), his jet will bop around the FSU, and some carefully trained double will wave at people, but the real guy may already be toast. Once his Opera men have been dispersed, the sham may end. Horrible fuzzy video of speech to his men could have been anyone.

UH HUH, AM I BAD?- Aug 24

PRIGOZHIN MUST DIE

by Michael Hammerschlag

Jun 28

1) He Betrayed Papa Putin, who values loyalty above all else (what fishing buddy + martinet DM Shoigu gives him)

2) Prigo has done the most Inexcusable thing... become much more popular than Putin, as his rock star reception in Rostov showed- Crazy thing is, save a few pilots + elements in Voronezh, NOBODY stood up to stop them, or defend Putin- after 23 years of playing everyone off against each other + bleeding Oligarchs, he is NOT LOVED. Even a ghoulish crude convict is regarded as a savior!

3) My guess is he called pal Putin and said, "This is just a demo Coup, and we're going to turn around"; and gangster Vlad Vlad said: "Get out of Russia or I'll have you whacked." They like each other, these Vory, and Wagner has been the only military success story in Russia...

4) but his worst "crime" is telling the truth about the monstrous lies Putin used to justify war, that there were Nzis in Ukraine, + West was behind conflict, instead of being a sick 3 decade Imperial obsession to subjugate Ukraine. Russians rot in prison just for calling this War a... WAR! As if Colin Powell had exposed the faked evidence of Saddam WMD at the UN.

5) Maybe 35,000 Rus dead, or +2x US total real cumulative Deaths (40% contractors) in 20 years of Iraq + Afghanistan in only 1 year. 3x official Rus Aghan War toll! That's huge. Putin kept Invasion secret from even Officers, soldiers had no Maps, Ukrs changed all the street signs, amazing incompetence. Ukraine is lucky Biden yapped about Invasion so loudly! Zelly (and I) didn't believe it till few days before. BBC says 25k w hand count, always less than actual because of unidentified, burned, + mixed remains.

6) Convicts are the ultimate cannon fodder, but Prigo is 1st Rus Commander EVER to ostensibly give a crap about deaths of his troops- that's why soldiers + people follow him. Russian soldiers have been used like farm animals for 500 yrs, part of the horror in Bakhmut + Stalingrad

7) This battle of snakes will end w death of Prigozhin or sacking of DM Shoigu... or both! Great, the CIA should have dispatched this evil... Chef ages ago for installing Red Donald with his Internet Research Agency. Ukraine would've held the election again- in fact, they DID! Most successful intel op in history!

8) Integration into the MoD is death for Wagner, literally in some cases. Regular soldiers hate them, for their big pay, for freedom, for exemption from rote + torture, for Prigo's vicious attacks on Army, for better PR, for being CONVICTS! Why Prigo did his Revolt, it was demanded they be split up. Wagner only works as a separate org!

9) I believe the Army WAS starving Wagner of ammo, shelling them

, what will happen when they are separated, alone? In Africa, they may continue their operations, maybe some will be sent there; but Prigo will be disappeared, his financial empire carved up (bils $) like any "critic" of the Little Big Man. Putin is torn over this- Wagner has been only effective Rus fighters, are obviously popular, and Puta needs them. Plus as a real gangster, he likes Prigo. But retreating to his Estate, no reaction, no good defense, stunning gains of Prigo.. made him LOOK WEAK.

10) Prigo killed at least a dozen crew in 4 helicopters and 2 planes (and unknown #'s in Voronezh). Yes, they were attacked, but their duty was to die!

11) so PRIGO MUST DIE, probably be disappeared off the face of the Earth to avoid provoking his Men, still carrying the flag, and raking in the gold, metals, + gems in 4 Africa nations. He stood down after getting 70% of way to Moscow when the FSB/GRU threatened his family- who also flew to Belarus for what looks like a (very) permanent exile. Too bad, but Putin will pay ultimately- many shark smell blood in the water.

LOST DEEP-SEA SUBMERSIBLE 

updated June 23 12:45apm EDT

CATASTROPHIC HULL IMPLOSION SUN  - All Dead instantly  WRECKAGE DISCOVERED 1600 ft from Titanic at 9am! 1st EVER submersible loss 

6/22 7am Canadian P3 Orion surveillance aircraft HEARS NOISES- banging CNN -exc (via dropped audio/sonar buoys!) every 30 minutes over 4 hours, meaning IT IS NOT FLOODED! 10pm: Since there is no more news, it's probable banging was from many search vessels ~5 with 7 more coming, + 2 ROVs; maybe like too many cops contaminating the crime scene.

6/23 12:30am Apparently the NAVY heard the very distinctive sharp sound of the total implosion of the craft just before the total loss of communications, and decided to suppress that news, cruel and inexplicable- causing massive wasted efforts to detect sounds from the crew (news released about 1pm) James Cameron says that carbon fiber is a totally inappropriate material for external pressure, but good for internal, the opposite of what I thought, usually outside compression increases the strength and stability of spherical craft, but (as I say below), carbon composite develops invisible fractures and progressively gets weaker and weaker- it's incredibly light and strong.. initially, extremely attractive to aircraft designers. Cameron descended 33x to the Titanic for his opus movie in Russian Mirs (Peace or World- 20,000 ft limit), Russians eschewed exotic titanium, vanadium, + carbon for high-strength cobalt steel in their spacecraft and submersibles, MUCH more durable and tolerant of impacts. I have a picture book of Cameron's Titanic pics on dinner table. They did have an enclosed separate independently-powered location transponder, said Cameron, when that failed simultaneously with the USBL location/message system, he knew they were gone - Cameron built his own ultra-deep 1-man submersible to successfully go to the Challenger Deep, the bottom of the World. Only 10 subs can even reach the Titanic. A Stockton pal who dived in it and heard cracking noises (Jul 18), called it a "Mousetrap for billionaires", and the fired chief pilot warned Stockton it was a dangerous lemon in 2018!

At least their end was instant, like being at the center of a circular explosion (like a plutonium bomb-debris moving at +1000 mph), they didn't suffer, and they went out heroic explorers. Cameron said they had some warning- creaking or cracking delamination noises, and tried to drop their sled (platform), but the End came too fast, sadly 10-30 seconds faster and they might have survived, surfacing is fast and the stresses immediately reduced. Every dive they made reduced that crush depth, already too close to Titanic depth.

6/22 7am The probable loss of the TITAN Titanic exploring submersible illustrates the spectacular danger of deep sea exploration, much much more hostile than even the vacuum and temp extremes of Space- at the Titanic depth of 12,600 ft (381 ATM, or 381 x sea level), every sq inch of the subs surface has the weight of a Humvee on it -5600 lbs, 806K lbs/ sq ft, maybe 140 mil lbs on the vehicle!

Besides using a regular game controller as the one propulsion controller, the high-tech carbon-fiber shell sub allegedly has 7 redundant surfacing systems, dropable lead ballast, air ballast tanks, inflatable collars, dropable platform, including some that drop by a "dead mans switch" (soluble cables), yet there isn't one word about them on the SPEC SHEET - if I were going down, that is what I want to see!  I tried to join Robt Ballard's deep sea team at their NASA-like HQ at URI Oceanographic Ins., at the time they were running a rover at the bottom of the Black Sea exploring a perfect Phoenician ship from ~500 AD (which has the greatest wealth of perfect ancient wood shipwrecks in the world, because of anoxic conditions below 500 ft- maybe 15,000 years!) on the Big Screen. In another lecture in New London, he said that in the nutrient starved deep Deep, even the Titanic bones dissolve, leaving ghostly clothes + shoes laid out in the shape of a person on the floor, untouched as a live gravesite- he discovered the luxury liner after the Navy first forced him to dive both our lost nuclear subs (only they knew where the Titanic was and he was retired Navy!). He also said it is the calmest place on the planet- a shallow trench he dug with the sub arm was unchanged 7 years later! ARCHIVED OCEANGATE site.

  Hamish Harding, Shahzada Dawood, Paul-Henri Nargeolet and Stockton Rush

They say it might have already surfaced, but seemingly they don't have any kind of radio beacon (wrong), utterly inexplicable. To solve the weak link of a hatch, they simply bolt it down like the pre-Apollo-fire capsule with 18 bolts, from the outside. This could lead to the absolute horror of the passengers suffocating while bobbing on the surface, cause they have NO way of opening that hatch- and perhaps no external ventilation system (another possible weak link to pressure). 

There is no way they should be searching a Conn-sized area (now double that!), they know where it went down and where the Titanic is, that should be a 10 x 10 mile area at most, they reached perhaps 11,000 ft, in the 1:45 hours before they lost communication (a previous expedition also lost comms for over an hour), 7/8 of the 2 hour descent time. Nothing on the spec sheet about comms either, they can only communicate through some little known text system, ultra-short baseline acoustic system, an underwater acoustic GPS-equiv system that relies on a transceiver (with multiple receivers an inch-ultrashort- from the central sender)  on the main ship or sub (inverted) and numerous transponders on the sub, surface ship, deep bottom, etc; this location system includes the ability to send (vid) texts, but balky ("problems on every one of 4 trips")- they can be confused by thermoclines. Perhaps their location/depth determination malfunctioned + they descended too fast, plowing into the deep silt, deep enough to trap them, though they only descend at 105 ft/min. But if only at 11,000 ft, getting trapped inside or under the Titanic isn't likely.

Sadly, everything seems to argue for a catastrophic hull failure, a leak anywhere would cut members to pieces at that pressure, and totally fill the ship (380/381) with 39F water. The problem with damn carbon composite is it doesn't show damage, but develops microfractures, leading to complete failure, like the wing breaking off in Rutan planes (John Denver- wing snapped off over Ocean)- the only way to detect such flaws are full body X-ray scans- very rare + expensive. Also, constructed by the lamination of carbon fiber + epoxy layers, any modifications are impossible or very risky! Some employees argued about the integrity of the 5" carbon titanium hull, claiming it was supposed to be 7". But this thing was built with NASA + U Wash with impressive cutting edge techniques. 

At the Experimental Aircraft Assoc Fly-In at Oshkosh WI, I once could have bought a 220 mph, aerobatic, transcontinental LONG-EZ front canard plane for $7000!! Couldn't have X-rayed it or installed a ballistic parachute though, but no one ever has to die in a small plane (listen, FAA!!). Later watched the takeoff of the Rutan ultralight Voyager, piloted by Dick R and Jeana Yeager, bigger wingspan than a 747 on a wispy 1020kg- the gas weighed more (2 years later they went nonstop around the world in 9 days). The wings flapped like a bird for 5 seconds and I thought- the first thunderstorm will rip it apart! In their record-setting flight, they barely made it: both winglets were ripped off on takeoff on the overloaded plane, they diverted 500 mi to dodge a typhoon, a fuel pump failed approaching CA, and almost fell asleep many times; their romance didn't survive 10 days in a phone booth! Couples, don't share bathrooms!

When I started this blog I covered the trapping (tangled in fishing nets) of the 2005 Russian rescue sub in the (maybe half) shallow (623 ft) Sea of Okhutsk off Vladivostok (BLACKBASS DOWN page down), on an excellent live blog on WikiNews that accurately predicted many events w live analysis (since removed by some PoS Serbian editor who thought I was too critical of lying Russian officials, who'd even declined the help of a US rescue sub, which sat on the dock in a crate). For 36 hours I monitored 5 TV channels and 10 websites, inc Russian news- interestingly the only network with a reporter on the ground in Petropavlovsk was FoxNues! I was positive they had expired 2 days after oxygen ran out, when they ALL WERE RESCUED safely by a 2 Brit Scorpio 

subs in a real miracle, I was almost sobbing, totally invested in the multiday effort. They had had some extra oxygen generators. I even earning a following among a real submariner Blog. So one can never give up hope. BTW, submariners don't usually die from low oxygen, they are poisoned by CO2, which reaches fatal levels at 12%- not a nice way to go, having tested it with a bathtub bucket for my scuba + caving adventures- lower levels cause wild panic.

I toured one of the only two American DSRV rescue subs that we have on one of my many Navy Day ship tours in five cities.  Our DSRV looks more like a torpedo, 24 passengers + 5000 ft depth range, but they were never used- both Thresher and Scorpion were way too deep... with no one to rescue- regular subs crush between 1000-3000 ft. With a vacuum seal on the bottom rescue hatch. Now replaced with a crummy ROV that can only reach 2000 ft. But almost nothing can lift an 11.5 ton craft that deep- except the Navy's Flyaway Deep Ocean Salvage System (FADOSS)- basically a monster cable winch welded to the surface ship and attached to a lost sub by an  ROV- it can lift 30 tons at 20,000 ft. One is waiting for an ROV and transport at St Johns, when/if the TITAN is found- BBC live updates.  When James Cameron went down 33 times on the Russian piloted MIRs for his opus movie, the reckless gonzo drivers bumped Titanic surfaces again + again, causing ball-retracting terror!! The worst thing is that they didn't hear any noises!  

And I happen to be just watching a good, but inaccurate, movie about the 2000 Kursk Typhoon boomer sinking (The Command) after Russian officials forced them to test some garbage unstable H2O2 torpedo that blew the front of the sub off. The last of the behemoths was just retired, replaced by the smaller quieter Boria. Putin couldn't be bothered to interrupt his Black Sea vacation, and he refused foreign help 6 days while decrepit Sov rescue vehicles failed to link up in a dozen attempts. Only 23 sailors survived in a rear compartment for 6-10 hours, but no one could have saved them in time after 6-8 torpedoes had exploded! 2000's SEASON OF PLAGUES excoriates the official Russian tendency to LIE, in the unsinkable Kursk disaster and simultaneous fire on the Ostankino TV tower (then tallest structure in the world), which almost collapsed (+ where I covered the violent Oct Revolt against Yeltsin).

They should ask the Company CEO Stockton Rush about all these mysterious unpublished specs (what instrumentation do they have?), but he's on the sub! No way to communicate except for some balky text system (USBL ultra-short baseline acoustic system), (my speculation:) no hydro phones, no radio buoys, no radio beacon if they surface, no sonar (one explorer said all their location and navigation info was transmitted from the surface), no heater... BUT this was an experimental craft with no certification!! 96 hours, 4 days, is a very limited amount of air, here's praying they have a CO2 scrubber! Their boat yard is in Everett, Washington (where Boeing Co + Seattle airshows are held and massive kelp forests lie offshore) and they have no real office, just some shed, according to some reporter who banged on the door. The Twitterverse says that CEO fired the safety director, who had concerns, and had derided Safety concerns. Move fast, but don't break too much. The crew is amazing, Frenchman Paul-Henri Nargeolet  is a reigning expert on the Titanic, making +37 trips, and the Billionaire Hamish Harding is a super Explorer who has been to Space via Blue Origin, and set a world's record circling the planet via both Poles. (CNN article) Oceangate charged $250k, initially someone (Russians?) was doing it for $20!

Will Trump Go Down?

                    

The Greatest Liar in Human History* is facing his 2nd Indictment, this one Federal, each UNPRECEDENTED in American history about Illegal Retention of Documents, under the admittedly miserable semi-Constitutional Espionage Act – for the Top Secret nuclear docs (a Lt Colonel just got 3 year sentence for a much lesser offense). Like in ALL his crimes, there is no doubt Trump is guilty- he could have just returned them with no penalty for years, but he repeatedly hid, moved, lied about, and refused to return them. Like in ALL his massive sprawling half century of Corruption, he thought he had a RIGHT to do it by virtue of the Imperial Presidency, and being a Billionaire Businessmani (a Russian oligo-criminal boss). Every normal New Yorker has avoided him for decades, lest they get fleas from this dishonest dog.

* 31K before the WaPo stopped counting

To help seal his fate, Chump ADMITTED his crimes in a contentious Bret Baer interview on Fox, undoubtedly to be played by Smith since I can't imagine any attorney letting this diarrhea-mouth testify. First Indictment (inditement) was of course, a NY State/City charge of payoffs to Stormy, maybe the weakest case since people probably should be able to pay blackmail, or at least pay for the silence of their paramours. Mind you the scumbag scheduled 2 other assignations with porn stars during his Weekend, as his wife was giving birth. Nothing illegal about that, Melania made her deal with the devil, and got her ticket to the Show.

The most serious- Inciting an Insurrection; and the most indisputable- corruptly trying to Overthrow the Election + ELECTION FRAUD ("I just want to find 11,780 votes"- Res ipsa loquitur- the thing speaks for itself) in his Georgia phone call... should have been brought first, unfortunately the wide variety of State + Federal Govs preclude a wise coordination to ensure justice. 3-4 more to come.

"How should we deal with giving the ex-President (AKA scurrilous dirt bag) air-time"? whine the Media when the answer was always simple: Run a game-show buzzer at every lie while running the truth on a fast scroll- pausing his video if necessary, undoubtedly since he lies in every sentence!

The Justice Dept inexplicably may have thrown the case by filing it in Florida, when the crime... ILLEGALLY REMOVING DOCUMENTS, occurred in DC, where any Court would find The (criminal) Donald guilty. Guess the hiding, moving, + lying; the Obstruction, occurred there, though. In Florida, bycontrast, there will be far more Trump voters, and I'm not sure how they can be excluded, but ANY single ONE could be a Trumpore Denier who will vote not guilty, just like they believe the huckster couldn't have lost without "cheating". And they will lie to get seated! Also there will be few jury Blacks in Palm Beach, whereas DC would have 30-50%. 

Most troubling is Trumpore FL Judge Aileen Canon hearing his initial pleading Tues, who had blithely decided to grant Trump a special master for "his" documents  "and the very conservative 11th Circuit unanimously concluded she has no jurisdiction at all -- she was off the reservation! ... Maybe she is only handling the arraignment on Tuesday afternoon, but if she is appointed, then I do worry that the degree to which she leaned over backwards in .. ruling for Trump, in ways even a conservative court slapped her down for, suggests that her loyalty may be more towards the guy who made her a federal judge.., than to the Constitution."  - Lawrence Tribe (video)  Before being appointed by DT, she had never been a judge; and with 98% of federal cases plead out, has only presided over 14 days of trials!! BAD NEWS Jul 13- she has been appointed to run the case, has set the location to the remote Red zone of Ft Pierce (at the north end of her region); and Trump, as always is looking to delay to Death the trial till after the Election! Indeed, why SHOULDN'T a major multiple criminal be allowed to run for President, whereupon he can make the case disappear. The Fugitive ... in a Run for his Life! File for RECUSAL, jumping Jack, now!

Jack Smith is a stone-cold giant-killer, unlike the pliable Mueller, who allowed his lowlife boss to denigrate and degrade his massive Russia Report without standing up and calling Barr a LIARR!! He found 10 likely crimes for Justice in Trump’s Russia Collusion but never publicly stated them, plainly. Trump will undoubtedly continue to incite his acolytes to violence with his torrent of Big Lies, he really should be muzzled + jailed, sadly that will only happen once he causes a Twiticide or 2 (otm pod), which I've expected for years. Any judge who orders him to keep mum about anything can be assured he will scream about it that night, whereupon he should be held in contempt and jailed. So no judge dares order him to stop his non-stop 130 db jury tampering. Smith reportedly glared at Chump the whole arraignment, but the Donald couldn't return a glance. 

Trump's seriously morose bearing in both arraignments and probably 2-3 more should have provoked the Judge to SEIZE his passport- I'm sure Puta has a Villa waiting for him in Crimea staffed with 19 yo goddesses- this man has his own Jet!!!   MASSIVE FLIGHT RISK! But fingerprinting is a big deal- he could be convicted in 4 decades of  FRAUD from his past paws on financial docs. Too bad that didn't include DNA- I bet some of his rape victims have a blue dress in the closet. And of course his order to not discuss case with co-defendent Nauta was instantly violated as the (auto) "body man" stayed glued to the Orange Man all day + night.

When you hear Repubs bleating about the weaponization of Justice, remember- that is what THEY DO- in Barr lying about the Mueller Report, that detailed Trump's RUSSIA COLLUSION; in the psychotic 5 year witchhunt of Clinton, impeaching him over a cookie in the back room and causing 9-11 (when he couldn't dispatch OBL after his '98 Africa Embassy bombings), in the multi-year nonsense about Hillary's emails, in the chaff dispersed by diversionary hack Durham in his persecution of the FBI and Trump critics. TRUMP is being prosecuted because he is the greatest political criminal America has ever had-3 times over!!  And the hysterical Repubs fulminating over Hunter B are, like the Donald, scared shtless. Among Repubs, there must be 20-25% patriotic types who find his sleaze a Bridge Too Far- considering Repubs are already a structural Minority + Biden has been hitting everything out of the Park, that means  TRUMP  CANT  WIN! A few more SOS Election Deniers might have fixed the Election, but they almost ALL LOST!

Speaking of Elon, the emerging extremist has lost 2/3 of Twitter’s ad revenue with his embrace of RW Dregs, like the bow-tied Supremacist twerp Tucker Carlson, whose Twitter debut gleaned tens of millions of views. Popular Hater Demagogues just don’t fade away, they need the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood treatment- Tucker's Great Replacement trash has been direct inspiration for 2 mass murdering bigots, at least. Twitter’s new so-called CEO has been, as expected, INVISIBLE.

 Every SM has now embraced killer Trump, if Insurrection and Treason weren’t enough, throw in 400K Covid victims from his antivax blatherings and promotion of garbage cures. If Musk isn’t careful, NASA may decide he is just too erratic and provocative to be trusted to launch their satellites. Space X sats work much better though.

Trump will remain the leader of the Repub dwarves- the most ballsy is Christie, he may redeem himself if he can chop down The Pig Donald with his pithy critiques; I just listened to a Manchester speech, and Man, he is good. He seems ready to take the bullet for the survival of the Repub Party. By the end of Summer (corrected error), Trump may have 4-5 INDICTMENTS + CRIMINAL CHARGES, so maybe the non Fux outlets will label him as Former (Criminal) President. No doubt Chump will come up with 3 scathing Fat Boy nicknames for the Bridge-Closer, but I suspect he will dodge any debate- CC has his measure by now. Putz Pence is still trying to have it both ways (as is the despicable DeSantis), defending the injustice of seeking justice for a degenerate who ginned up a lynch mob against him!! Instead of realizing the Trumpores will never vote for him, so he might as well swing for the fences. The "Religious" will stick w TPD, who gave them the ability to force a 10 yo to have their rapist's child. Pro-Life... right. 

DeSantis claims no drama, but he is a whinier bich than even Trump- everything about him, his bullying tendencies, his wholesale embrace of STUPID and every culture war shibolleth, (like denigrating AGW when he acknowledged the reality when he took office), his high reedy voice, his Christian Barbie wife... is repulsive. A real Man doesn't have to attack the weakest members- trans + gays, and if you hate Disney, why, you hate America!!! And he is a utterly incompetent Governor to boot!

The best thing I've ever read about the mystery of Trump's emergence and support is a parallel piece in Foreign Policy - The Problem Child of Europe about Herr Hitler in April 1940, which always tortured me since my parents were German. "Couldn't you have done anything", I demanded of my mother. You could plug in the name Trump and no one would notice it is 83 years old- every bit of it applies!! The, uh, problem child would go on to butcher 60 million people. But notice the complacency is still in the title, when AH had total power for 7 years, and the War was underway!!  TPD and his zombie army of Repub Election deniers + fixers are maybe halfway there...

--- "WHEN a drastic revolution occurs in a society the change in atmosphere and behavior is so overwhelming that one cannot believe one’s eyes and ears. This is not the society with which one was familiar, the place where one felt so much at home. The old society had a face which one knew and trusted. Suddenly it is gone. Another face is there—a strange, foreign face. One thinks, “This is a nightmare.” One closes one’s eyes and pinches oneself, naively expecting that with another look the distorted vision will have passed, and the old familiar face will be there again. The first impression which a revolution gives anyone not a part of it is that it will certainly pass, and almost immediately. One says to oneself, comfortingly, “These people are not like that! I have known them for years!”

This attitude greatly contributes to the success and expansion of the revolution. For even the classes and groups hostile to it lend it collaboration, in the optimistic certainty that it is not really representative...." ---

PAGING NOAH - DAM DESTRUCTION

Jun 21: The devastating damn Nova Kakhovka Dam + 355 MW Hydro Plant destruction  in the snaking Kahovka Reservoir on the mighty Dnieper is almost equally bad for both sides, but since it was controlled by Russians, reportedly mined by them for months, and Russians were apparently freaking out about the upcoming Ukr offensive... overwhelmingly likely Russian caused- US satellites reportedly saw an explosion- charges had to be carefully laid, Ukrs say the 98 ft high, 2 mi long Dam was supposedly designed to withstand nukes! Ukr apparently has played the panicking Ruskies masterfully, like the Brits played the Argies in the Falklands War, half winning the War before their task force even arrived! I never crossed those 3 immense dam reservoirs, 2 in the South, that bisect the TX-sized country, I only went East from Kyiv (to Kharkiv), and South to Odessa + Krim and West/ SW to everywhere else. Note Russian X is transcribed as KH but like in Kharkiv, it actually is pronounced as a rough H (gutteral), esp in the middle of a word, like Kahovka.

This eco-disaster is devastating for “Nova Roosiya” too- the bad flooding is on the lower elevation Russian occupied Left (SouthEast) Bank, and it will dry up fresh water for Crimea, which has NO SOURCES of its own!! All 4 North Crimea canals are now dry!  The one thing Russia wants above anything is to retain Crimea, the site of it's greatest historical battles and victories; it is majority Rus (at least since they drove out Tatars + Ukrs). The loss of a Great Salt Lake amount of drinking/irrigation water will also cause a collapse of agriculture across the arid hot Southern area, that which hasn't been swept away by the raging floods (along with precious topsoil), and might lead to starvation in Africa. I was thinking the deposition of river silt would replenish it.... BUT this was clear deep Lake water, so the opposite occurred. The Gov has pledged to rebuild it, says my brilliant Ukr Kyiv student Victor, but only with control of both banks, and nobody shooting at them. Win fast!!

The immense 6 reactor Zaporizhna Nuclear Power Plant, biggest in Europe (almost in world), was already shut-down, except for one in “hot shutdown” for steam 200C; but they still also need water to cool all the spent fuel pools, up to 1 mil gallons an hour (like Fukashima), there is a large cooling pond, some lake above the plant; floating intakes- the water already has dropped below the normal intake level (12.7M measured from the Baltic Sea) Thursday night!! Haven’t been able to find out the altitude drop from Lake to old time and new River to be, but hope to find a current satellite pic to monitor it. Reservoir level is dropping 4-7 cm/hour (2-3”) and has already dropped ~5M (Fri morn EST).

 

In every aspect, I am tremendously proud of the skill and smarts my Ukrs have shown in managing this War, from their initial unlikely survival, to the growth of Winston Zelensky, to fearless battlefield courage in the face of daunting casualties and a vicious enemy, to a brilliant mastery of the propaganda message. In 2014, it was SOOOOOO agonizing watching them lose Crimea and the East without a shot before clumsily, spastically fighting back. I did my part, trying to get Erdogon to close the Bosperus to Russian ships, and begging multiple Ukr Ministers in March-April to send Commandos to the East, when driving out the Russian inspired Rebel/Insurrectionist/Drunks from 120 Admin Building would have been almost painless; and begging Obama to send Ukr our anti-missile HARM Wild Weasel F-16s.

   dry lake bottom

But one thing I really worry about is that expectations are so high for the ballyhooed OFFENSIVE, that Ukraine can't measure up. Despite all the high-power hardware, these are still the same parties that have been bashing each other for 8 years across the trenches of the Donbas, Russia just got another 300K draftees, is good on defense (as Ukr was initially), has gotten wiser in tactics and strategies, and simply has a 3x greater pool of everything. But Ukrainians are fighting for their homeland, whereas Russians are only fighting for the Imperial whims and fantasies of a tinpot twerp... it may just come down to who wants it more.

BTW, the dimwitted thug Erdogon just won another 5 year term, although he caused 80%/year INFLATION, and keeps lowering Interest Rates in response! All things are possible when you jail 50,000 of your critics. 25 years in power... Maybe why the Burmese violently oppress Muslims

The Repub-Russian clock is ticking- there are enough fans of Puta, Orban, and mass-shooters among the extremist loony tunes of the far Right, that Ukraine may have a year before Repub opposition reaches a critical mass, at least in any vote requiring more than plurality or in a sketchy Committee.

DEBT DOPES 

As expected, Repub Blackmailers allowed the desperate Debt Deal go till the very last day- $15 trillion of historical Repub Deficits were covered without a peep, but when a Dem is in the WH, Repubs are desperate to balance the Budget. They didn't get much of their extreme demands, but did get the Most important thing- killing the 87,000 new IRS agents to be able to investigate criminal mill/billionaires, like Chump, who had 500 shell companies (LLCs) to hide his assets- investigating the rich is so time consuming and difficult that the IRS lets them go with paying 0-3% tax, when ordinary humans pay 30-35%!! #1 job of the Repub Party is protecting the wealth of the uber-rich.

PURPLE HAZE

The much ballyhooed Canadian smoke has created a thick haze throughout the Northeast (down to NC and West to Minn), it is evident in DC, but I don't feel or smell it, although the tiny 5 micron particles are supposed to penetrate deep into the lungs. But to anyone who has spent 1 day in ANY 20 mil Megalopolis- Delhi, Cairo, Sao Paolo, Beijing, Mexico City, Lagos ... this is a piece of cake. Within 2 days in 53F Jan Cairo, I had severe bronchitis, the air burns going down and carbon particles slap you in the face as dirty cars zip by!! Only having 5 fresh squeezed fruit juices in Tahrir Sq (25 cents each) first thing in the day kept me breathing. There is a fixed LOW pressure area off of Maine that's blowing the air SW, normally this stuff is blown into the Atlantic by Prevailing Westerlies. My latest AGW Apocalypse article has hundreds of continuous Arctic fires burning all Summer, even over the winter in Siberia when the peat bogs ignite. And this is dozens, maybe 100s of fires from Ontario to Nova Scotia (where I saw the Total Eclipse of the Sun- see Carly Simon)- not sure if Canada has the capacity to deal with them. Blowing away this weekend.

HAWAII HEAT 

And the most accessible volcano in the world, the drive-up Kilauea on The Big Island is erupting again (Volcano Nat Park), it was totally asleep for the 3 years I was on Hawaii, the volcano then was the remote lower Pu-u-oh-oh, 5-8 miles off the road through spectacularly dangerous jungle covered lava fields- almost snapped my leg in the first ¼ mi coming from Volcano Rd on the North, then went 7 miles in from the Road to the ocean (4000 ft to sea level) at about 2500 ft, but hiking on the bare frozen pa-hoe-hoe fields was deadly; broke through 2 razor edged glass bubbles 2-3 ft, each of which could have slashed leg to the bone, before I gave up. The ocean flow, where the molten lava emerged and poured in the ocean from long underground tubes (like subway tunnels- later on Maui scuba dived those 30 ft underwater), was far safer and more stable… I actually did tours there with German tourists, who hadn’t created Hell on Earth for a while so wanted to see it.

KENNEDY KRAZINESS

Anti-vaxxer crackpot Robert F Kennedy Jr. is going to drag the Kennedy name into the mud by becoming a SPOILER in the Presidential Race, there is little doubt he can and would provoke a JoeB loss, if he runs as an Independent, gleaning even 3% in a close race (remember +7 mil votes was winning by a hair- 106k Electorally!!) and some polls have him getting 20% in the Dem Primaries!!!! Just Mariane Williamson's votes would have made Hillary President. Reportedly slovenly convicted (pardoned) Trump Conspirator Steve Bannon encouraged the ex-Mass Rep to run, another removed brick in his destruction of the American political edifice. The crooked pig is a fan of Lenin, like the murderous Commie, he wants to burn the US Political System to the Ground. Other RFKJ backers include Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, Aaron Rodgers, + David Talbot.  Fresh from poisoning Twitter by his sale to "savior" Elon Musk, previous Head Twit Jack Dorcey is a fan, maybe because RFKJ is a big backer of Crypto, which Dorcey is heavily invested in. Leftist Pres. candidate Dennis Kucinich is his campaign manager 

Kennedy's anti-vax lunacy (exc) has resulted in dozens of measles deaths in Samoa, where nurses careless cross contamination of the MMR vaccine had caused 2 deaths. 

--- "In his bestselling, turgidly footnoted book, “The Real Anthony Fauci,” Kennedy spun a story about a powerful vaccine cartel — led by Fauci and Bill Gates — that colluded to prolong the pandemic, hide the efficacy of alternative treatments, and sit by as millions died needlessly" ...  (A) "President Kennedy would gut the agencies that currently regulate, monitor and recommend schedules for childhood vaccines — the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and the expert advisory panels of doctors, scientists and professors they rely on." ---

Covid was a Godsend to the Crazy Conspiracist, increasing contributions 4-fold- he insanely believes the vaccines have killed more people than they saved, even after 3 bil successful vaccinations! Even a 5% fatal bug would probably take down Civilization, but imagine millions of anti-vaxxers refusing an effective vaccine to deny pops reaching the Threshhold Resistance Levels needed to stop a Pandemic. This is very very bad- 43 years ago, his Uncle Ted helped elect Reagan in a quixotic primary bid, and we are still paying the Bill for the anti-Gov Jihad RR unleashed. But JFK grandson disemboweled RFKJ in a rousing endorsement of Biden!

RFK Jr.’s rising profile sparks Democratic jitters Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect that the CNN poll referenced was released on May 25. Democ...

HOLLOWAY HOOHAA

 As it happens I recently spent 2 hours reading the whole story of rich murdered AL blonde HS grad  Natalee Holloway on a vacation jaunt in Aruba in 2005 (paradisaical Dutch Is just off Venezuela). Her connected fundamentalist mother was a fanatical force of nature, who got a Lear Jet to fly down there within a day of her disappearance, but was such an Ugly America (with her hubby) that they alienated everyone in the tidy country, including American allies; organizing tourist boycotts when her every whim wasn't obeyed. Her pure virgin daughter couldn't have had ANY weakness, when supposedly she was drunk every minute, desperate to escape her mothers suffocating religious extremism. The cast of semi-scumbag characters rotated but the prime suspect- pretty dirtbag Jon Van der Sloot, was arrested 3 times and released when the stories kept changing over 3 years- her body was never found. It got more media airtime than any murder mystery EVER!

Disappearance of Natalee Holloway - Wikipedia Natalee Ann Holloway (October 21, 1986 – disappeared May 30, 2005; declared dead January 12, 2012), was an 18-ye...

5 years later on vacation in Peru, he strangled a hook-up (allegedly when she read his laptop about Holloway!), and was convicted of murder- sentenced to 20 years. This argues that the low life did kill her, but it's possible it was a drug overdose, or something as prosaic as drunkenly choking on one's vomit. An American buddy who claimed to have helped crush and burn her remains, was himself later stabbed to death by a woman he tried to kidnap!! Good people! The spoiled scumbag VD Sloot tried to extort money from the family about the location of the body; and in another testament to their political power, he just was extradited to AL to stand trial by her home town by a very very Impartial jury.