Good-bye Noel

​Last night, we watched sadly as our Noel crossed over the Rainbow Bridge. It was sudden, as if she were herself all day, until suddenly, at about 4:00 she began to take a decline until she crashed.

She was not in any noticeable pain, but could not stand up anymore. She just lay there, refusing to drink water or take her favorite cookies.

By nine pm, it was inevitable she would be gone soon. 

Noel was a rescue which my daughter got in December, 2011 for her then-fiancé, now husband the Saturday before Christmas. She was about a year or so, and was rescued from a kill shelter.

She was a tan-colored coon hound and made her mark in our lives almost immediately. When she walked into the house that first time, she spotted a roast resting on the stove top. She must have thought it was a “Welcome” meal, and proceeded to pull it down and began to enjoy it lavishly.

It was then we all realized she was a girl who had very definite ideas who was going to dominate whom. She began to take charge, as any alpha dog would, even letting our white shepherd, Angel, know who was now going to be the boss.

She was a mush, a loving dog, bringing joy to all of us. And when my daughter’s children were born, she showed she was protective. But of course, she let them know they were only guests in her home.

My daughter, and her husband, still have three rescues: Lucy, a lab-shepherd mix (we think), Daisy, a bichon, and Lulu, a border terrier. All loving dogs.

So, as we say good-bye to Noel, we are at least comforted knowing that she was not alone when she passed, and believing Angel, Jameson, Shea, Candy, Skippy and Tara will be there to welcome her when she arrives.

You were a good girl, Noel. Rest in Peace.

The Church Exposes Itself of False Moral Equivalence

"Let he who is without sin among you, may cast the first stone" (John 8:7)

​Pope Leo lamented during an event in Angola on Monday that many people in the world were being "exploited by authoritarians and defrauded by the rich," the latest example of a forceful new speaking style he has adopted on his ‌four-nation Africa tour.

During the Mass, his homily focused on all things that claimed violence and oppression went against the Christian message.

"Every form ⁠of oppression, violence, exploitation and dishonesty negates the resurrection of Christ," he said.

This is, of course, very prescient at first glance. But upon reflection, it seems he was directing his message to President Trump, the United States and Israel.

The Pope told journalists on Sunday that his speeches during the tour were ⁠written weeks ago and not aimed directly ‌at Trump. However, he is increasingly revealing his dislike, if not contempt, for the more conservative elements of American values.

He has been displaying a leaning toward more Socialist ideals, much like his predecessor, Pope Francis. And considering his years spent in third world countries, perhaps his beliefs are even more leftist than we all originally believed.

For years, the Church has moved to become increasingly more liberal, and more involved in politics, perhaps in order to make up for the sins against humanity by Popes Pius XI and Pius XII, when they turned blind eyes to Mussolini and Hitler when they slaughtered so many innocents from at least 1922 to 1945.

Pope John XXIII strived to correct the wrongs of his predecessors,  by modernizing the Church, creating an Ecumenical Council to renew relationships with other religions and by reaching out to Communist-led countries in order to foster peace and religious tolerance in those countries.

Pope Paul VI continued the Ecumenical Council and some of the benefits the Church still enjoys today. He journeyed extensively to bring a positive message to all humanity, but confused Catholics with many mixed messages concerning their loyalties to the Church. In the end , the laity began to leave, slowly at first, but later, much more noticeable.

Pope John Paul strived to halt the bleeding but ultimately, was unsuccessful in this endeavor. He did, however, push to continue some of the attributes of Vatican II by continue to improve relationships with all faiths, becoming a catalyst in anti-Communist fervor in Europe, and apologizing for the Church’s mistakes  including its involvement in the African slave trade, its silence during the Holocaust, and the clergy’s sex-abuse and the subsequent silence which was propagated.l

But Benedict, Francis and now, Leo have become increasingly involved in politics and social issues, and have moved away from its primary obligation, which is to save souls.

Over the last sixty-five years or so, the pendulum has swung further to the left in order to distance itself from the horror it allowed before Vatican II. This “mea culpa” is now falling on deaf ears and has lost all sincerity in order to claim a new “moral clarity” of a righteous plateau.

And suddenly, the American left, which is as anti-Catholic and as anti-Semitic  as they come, is cheering Pope Leo because he is criticizing the Iran War, Donald Trump and Israel for attacking the Islamic Republic. But he and the leftists were silent when the IRGC and the regime were slaughtering innocents.

Reminds one of Pope Pius XI AND XII, doesn’t it? Until Leo and the American left begin to offer that same criticism against Iran, it would behoove you to quietly take a seat and shut up.

The world sees through your hypocritical moral outrage. It is repelling and disgusting.

Is This the End of the Experiment of a Failed Mets Season?

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The Mets have already played 13% of the 2026 season and in twenty-one games, their record is already seven wins with fourteen losses, including the last ten in a row. They are mired in last place in their division and in the entire National League.

They are tied with the Kansas City Royals with the worst record in all of baseball with a .333 winning percentage. And worst of all, they have a negative run score of twenty-four runs. Which means they are scored twenty-four less runs than they have allowed opponents to score against them.

They also have already been shutout four times this season, with three of those shutouts coming in the last ten games.

As Met Fans will recall, at the end of last season, President of Baseball Operations, David Stearns made a statement that this season would be focused on run prevention. Little did we know it was going to be METS  run prevention, not their opponents.

In the same twenty-one games, they have also DFA’d, released or sent down five players who were on the Opening Day roster. That roster was finalized by said David Stearns, as well. He also was the decision-maker who decided to rid the team of several players last off-season, either via trade or not offer a contract to those who went through free agency.

And it is highlighting his small-market  capabilities big time now.

The last time the Mets started off this bad was back in 2004. The last time they lost ten in a row was also in 2004, when they lost eleven. The all-time losing streak was way back in 1962 with seventeen, their Inaugural year.

Since Stearns and Carlos Mendoza took over the team beginning in 2024, the record has been 179 and 166, through Saturday’s game, with one playoff appearance in 2024 and a huge miss last year. And doesn’t look promising for this season.

Mendoza’s contract is up at the end of this year, and Stearns’ contract is up after 2028. But owner Steve Cohen, who promised a World Series within five seasons when he acquired the team in November, 2020, is not a man who likes to be embarrassed. 

Having his $360MM team plus a $120MM luxury tax being booed off the field after the last homestand did not sit well with him this week. You can be sure some serious conversations were held at the Citifield offices while the team was on the road.

This early season performance will not be tolerated much longer, especially if the fans stop showing up. While season tickets are already bought and paid for, the lack of cheeks in the seats by the unsold beers, the unsold food and the non-purchase of souvenirs will affect the bottom line. Which, after expenses, is all profit to the team.

For a man who made his $23BB of net worth, this is totally unacceptable. You can be sure that both Mendoza and Stearns will not see the end of the season if this continues.

Certainly, he has ignored the fans and some of the sportswriters calling for the team to do something dramatic. But continued sub-par play is not going to give pause to his impatience. Soon enough, an eruption will occur 

And when it finally does, the ghost of George Steinbrenner will make its overdue appearance in Flushing. And the fans will be stunned by what could possibly happen next.

Will joy in Metsville finally return? The ball is racing to Uncle Steve at breakneck speed.

Batter up!

What Needs to be Part of the Iran Negotiations

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Amid the ongoing negotiations with Iran during this ceasefire window, we have seen much emphasis placed on all things nuclear, including missles and enrichment. This includes the recovery of existing nuclear material and potential dust.

This is a major redline goal which must be met, but not the only goal in the process.

Certainly, we also must be assured that the Strait of Hormuz will be forever guaranteed safe and free passage for all ships which pass through. Also, the military will never possess offensive weapons of any kind again.

All of these are important issues which must be agreed to, before any finalization of a deal occurs.

However, not much has been discussed, or even briefly mentioned about all the human rights violations and pleas from Iranian citizens, to help stop the torture from the Islamic Regime, which was one of the early reasons for why America entered into this “excursion”. This MUST be a major focus before any deal is completed.

The regime has repeatedly executed its people for trumped up charges of “sins against God” or other perceived crimes against the wishes of the state, as people have demanded for years to enjoy greater rights and freedoms. Instead, the Regime and its political arm, the IRGC, have violated their basic human rights by hanging them from cranes in the public square.

And Iran, quite hypocritically, is a member of the UN Human Rights Commission. While the Regime continues to execute without trial even to this day. Over FORTY THOUSAND people have been executed since the protests began just after Christmas. And just this week, four more people have been sentenced to be hanged.

Before the United States enters into any deal with Iran, as the champion of human rights throughout the world, we must INSIST that the release of political prisoners, a cessation of executions and an agreed on random, unknown inspection by a neutral country or commission must be contingent on any deal we sign with Iran. Otherwise, we no longer can lay claim to morality and ethical, virtuous behavior for the world.

Short of the occupying force of Iran agreeing to this, we should continue all military actions, and the blockade, against the Islamic Republic and its proxies. Perhaps, finally, justice will be served for the Iranian people.

Then, the citizens will be able to decide the  government for which suits their own historical future destiny. Freely, without force from any outside or occupying authority. 

Understanding and Defining Totalitarianism

The term "totalitarianism" (or totalitario) was coined in the early 1920s by Italian anti-fascist journalist and politician Giovanni Amendola, who used it to critique Benito Mussolini's fascist regime. It was subsequently adopted and popularized by fascist philosopher Giovanni Gentile and Mussolini himself to describe their ideology of a state with total control.

Totalitarianism is an extreme form of authoritarianism where a single-party state, led by a dictator, seeks total control over all aspects of public and private life. Key characteristics include an official, utopian ideology, the use of terror-driven secret police, and strict control over media, economy, and social life.

The state is led by one dictator and a single party, often confusing the party’s interests with the state's. All social, religious, and community gatherings are heavily restricted or abolished, forcing individuals to rely entirely on the state. And it is enforced by removing guns from all citizens, EXCEPT the loyal police and military.

Some of the most totalitarian regimes to be found during the Twentieth Century are Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin,  Italy under Benito Mussolini, Cambodia under Pol Pot and Communist China under Mao Zedung.

Modern day examples include North Korea under the Kim dynasty, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Cuba under the Castro family, and Iran controlled by the Islamic Republic and its Ayatollahs and Mullahs.

As you can see for yourself, the United States is NOT a totalitarian  state, in spite of what the leftists, some Democrats and the sympathetic media would try to have us believe. They are so blinded by their hatred for President Trump, and all the benefits and freedoms we still enjoy, as opposed to the historical examples oulined above, their rage continues to poison their attitudes. 

There is no help for them. And nothing one can say to convince them otherwise. We can only pity them as they wallow in their false delusions.

For the rest of us, we can pass along to our children, grandchildren and our posterity all the knowledge and experience we have to distinguish between the American viewpoint of government, as faulty as it is, and a dystopian view where the State has all the rights, privileges and control while its citizen have little or none.

It is important for our continued human survival to understand the difference.

A Disaster in the House

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It is about time that the House of Representatives began cleaning house (no pun intended) from those who have besmirched the reputation many of us have held for the integrity expected from the Members of Congress. The most recent resignations are from Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) for their sexual and other indiscretions.

But there are more Members who are presently under investigation.

 Key Details on Investigations (As of April 2026):

• Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL): A House Ethics Committee panel found her guilty of 25 of 27 ethics counts, including misuse of campaign funds and potential fraudulent activity.
• Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN): Implicated in allegations involving a fraudulent scheme regarding a $1 million earmark for a non-existent clinic.
• George Santos (Former R-NY): Previously charged in 2023 by the Department of Justice for fraud, money laundering, and theft of public funds and was expelled.

There have been others in the recent past who were under the same scrutiny, but ultimately left the Congress either by retirement, death  or election loss before any investigation was completed. The process itself seems to be broken since it moves at a snail’s pace because a quick expulsion would result in a loss of votes for months, leaving one party with less potential influence and power.

So, who is left under-served by this inaction? Only the people Congress is supposed represents. Us, the American people.

And then, once a Member leaves prior to the end of his or her term, the process to replace takes months, leaving a Congressional district unrepresented while important matters are discussed and decided. This is not what the Founders had intended.

However, the Seventeenth Amendment provides that State Governors have the authority to appoint an immediate replacement should a vacancy occur in the Senate should a Senator leave prior to his term. Then, at the next bi-annual Federal election, the PEOPLE will vote who will complete the remaining term until the next regular election.

Rather than leaving a district without a Representative when a vacancy occurs, a Constitutional Amendment should be written and passed to allow the same process for vacancies in the House. Since all Members are subject to the bi-annual election, the people will decide in a timely manner their Representatives.

Certainly, sweeping changes are necessary in the House of Representatives in order to regain and reaffirm the trust the People have in the integrity of their Representatives. Otherwise, continued  high levels of dissatisfaction and distrust, often holding it in low esteem, will be held by Americans  of all political persuasions.

It is time to clean it up and fix it before all trust is lost.

The Pope Has to Stick to Saving Souls

​It is understandable that Pope Leo is presenting himself as the Vicar of Christ and wishes for peace to be blessed throughout the world. But his primary responsibility is to save souls and not be so naive to think that some people will not also be evil.

This Pope, as so many others recently, have made steps to reach out to leaders of many other faiths. And, on the surface that is quite noble.

But recent events in the Middle East have brought a certain twisted silence from Pope Leo, as it also did from Pope Francis. 

Francis was silent when Hamas kidnapped and killed many innocent Jews and Christians over his reign, especially after October 7. But when Israel retaliated, he was extremely critical of Israel’s response.

Ironically, Leo was equally silent as the occupied forces of the IRGC and the evil Islamic Republic MURDERED innocent protesters for perceived “sins against God”, and instead, made arrangements to visit several African Muslim countries. Yet, he found his voice to criticize the US and Israel for responding to the Iranian citizens’ pleas to save them from these evil  monsters.

Pope Leo described the US war efforts as being fueled by a "delusion of omnipotence" and "madness". When the US walked away from the recent peace talks, the Vatican continued to distance itself from the US military action, leading to a public feud where President Trump described the Pope as "WEAK on crime" and "terrible for Foreign Policy".

We can all agree that Pope Leo has taken great strides to push his belief that “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God", a famous quote from Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew5:9, are words to live by because it emphasizes that those who reconcile broken relationships, foster harmony, and activel make peace in a divided world are recognized as acting in the likeness of God. 

But he must consider other key biblical principles on defending the vulnerable which include some of the following which he has seemed to have forgotten:

• Active Defense of the Weak: Psalm 82:3-4 (NIV) instructs, "Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed." This requires taking action rather than just giving advice.
• Speaking for the Voiceless: Proverbs 31:8-9 urges believers to "speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves" and defend the rights of the poor and needy.
• Protecting Against Oppression: Proverbs 14:31 Protecting others from harm, such as intervening against abusers, is seen as honoring God, while neglecting to help the poor is seen as insulting Him 
• Contextual Justification for Force: While the Bible emphasizes peace, it allows for the use of force to protect others when there is no other choice to stop imminent evil.
• Biblical Examples: God is frequently described as a defender of the defenseless, and believers are called to imitate this character.

He, and others who look for any reason to criticize Trump, the US, Netanyahu and Israel  for engaging in the war against Iran, must equally consider ALL aspects of of the Bible and blame Iran for its sins against humanity. Otherwise, you are selectively ignoring the lessons which God gave us to follow and instead, are following your own agenda.

But, ultimately, both the President and the Pope  need to stand down and reconsider the words each of them are saying. Both men are right, but then, both men are also wrong. Each has legitimate reasons for acting as they do to try and fix the world as they seek justice for all mankind.

And consider the goal which they both want to achieve.

The Trump Master Class Is Now in Session

​Many Liberals and Democrats have vilified President Trump for years because he has systemically dismantled their pet projects both domestically and globally. He has consistently called for Americans to Make America Great Again, and the Libs, Dems and Media hooted and laughed at his long term campaign.

As part of that campaign, Trump has long promised to keep America out of “forever foreign wars”. And all through the first year of his second term, he maintained that promise. 

The economy was doing well during 2025 but his critics still found fault with everything he was doing. And when he began attacking narco-terrorists for drug smuggling, they raised their horror levels to shrieks.

When he captured Narco-Dictator Maduro for pushing drugs onto Americans, they wrung their hands because he was finally brought to justice. The result? Venezuela’s oil is no longer going to China, but rather, under the joint control of the US and Venezuela.

And when he finally took the bull by the horns to attack Iran for  pushing its terrorism by declaring they were ready to make nuclear weapons, the critics said he was unjust for attacking the one nation who sponsored terrorism throughout the world.

And killed over 30,000 Iranians for protesting for more freedoms and liberties. 

Of course, the media and its acolytes turned a blind eye to all of this until the US military took out the military strength and leadership of the regime.

When finally a ceasefire was announced and negotiations began, they cheered. For the Islamic Regime. And when the US walked away from the negotiating table, it was portrayed as weakness by the US in the media.

Of course, the one card Iran could play was its control over the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, it backfired as the US Navy created a blockade AND Saudi Arabia re-routed its oil pipelines to the Red Sea ports.

Which stopped cheap, discounted and sanctioned oil from going from Iran to China.

In addition, iTankData and TankScan are monitoring the rerouted oil tankers now heading to the US and Venezuela to fill up. And China now has to pay bust-out retail in order to get its energy.

Iran’s economy will continue to suffer because its economy is reliant on the sale of its oil to the world. Its only recourse is to come to the table quickly before its economy completely collapses. It needs to understand it has little recourse but to negotiate with a more reasonable attitude.

Until it does, the stranglehold by the US on Iran's oil will be unwavering. They can eat or drink it until they show they get it. And neither Russia nor China is in any real position to help.

Oh, and the Trump critics don’t have any alternative to offer either, since they were playing checkers while Trump is playing three-dimensional chess. 

Trump is conducting a Master Class on The Art of the Deal for the rest of the world to take notice. Most of the countries in NATO and in the European Union are failing, but Poland, Romania, Greece and the Baltic States are getting passing grades, as are countries which comprise the Gulf Region.

Maybe, as well, it is time for Democrats, Liberals and the Media  to take a seat and shut up to learn something. The dunce hat must feel as awful as it looks.

The short-term spike in that tuition by the rest of us in oil prices will pay off long-term with a neutralized Iran, a more compliant China and a more reasonable reduction in our total cost of living, including future gasoline costs.

The Trump Master Class is deep into the lesson, so pay attention to what else we will learn.

Time to Hold Your Nose

One lesson you can take from the Swalwell sexual scandal is: He who yells the loudest against his opponents, generally.is looking for you to look away from the stink he himself is guilty of reeking.

In 2018, during the Kavanaugh confirmation, Eric Swalwell was a leading voice opposing Justice Kavanaugh based on false, unproven charges of rape and other unseemly and perverted actions. 

- He acted as a vocal advocate for accusers, insisting that their claims be thoroughly investigated and that survivors "deserve to be heard".

- Swalwell utilized the hashtag #BelieveSurvivors, contending that allegations against Kavanaugh required investigation prior to any confirmation vote.

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- He suggested that if Kavanaugh was indeed innocent, he should welcome a full investigation, stating: "'You know what? Bring in all the victims, all of them to be questioned".

He has also been accused of violating immigration and employment law to keep his illegal live-in Brazilian nanny in the country, according to a pair of recently filed complaints.

When his South American babysitter’s temporary work authorization was about to expire in 2022, he and wife Brittany Swalwell lied to the feds to keep Amanda Barbosa working for them, a new complaint filed Tuesday with the Department of Labor claimed. In addition, he is accused of paying her "off the books" with campaign funds for a period of two years when she didn’t hold a valid work authorization, in violation of campaign finance laws, as well as DHS and IRS regulations.

Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna said she would force a House floor vote this coming week to remove him.

This means Swalwell, who announced he was ending his campaign for California governor Sunday, could faces an expulsion vote this week, as lawmakers return from a two-week Spring break.

Thus far, fifty-five former staffers have claimed shocking sexual assault allegations against California gubernatorial candidate Eric Swalwell are “serious” and “credible.”

The ex-employees released a stunning joint letter after the claims from four women, including a former aide who alleges he raped her.

He is also under investigation for that rape allegation by the Manhattan DA's office for that  charge, as it is alleged to have occurred in NYC in April, 2024, certainly within the statute of limitations.

Swalwell was holed up this weekend up in the $26 million Beverly Hills mansion of his eccentric billionaire benefactor, Stephen Cloobeck, who is now looking to claw back over $1MM in campaign donations for Swalwell's now-suspended governor's campaign. Even  Cloobeck has criticized his former protégé for his alleged crimes and potential tax and immigration violations.

The stink around Eric Swalwell is very dank and rancid, indeed.

Did Mamdani Make a Huge Blunder?

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Anerica’s Unfavorite Anti-American communist Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has unilaterally decided to prevent Americans from celebrating many American events this summer in New York City. These include the FIFA World Cup and America 250.

He issued an “emergency” order that will block events, including some concerts and food festivals, from city parkland, where no more than twenty people could congregate. And not surprisingly, permits for demonstrations will be exempt from the rule and will be granted.

So if you want to demonstrate against American values or supported events, have at it with no resistance from the Mayor.

“The events associated with the FIFA World Cup and United States 250th anniversary will require significant realignment and deployment of NYPD personnel, which will further divert resources from regular assignments and from crime-fighting, public safety, and counter-terrorism duties,” according to the rule, which was signed by Mamdani and Parks Commissioner Tricia Shimamura. 

At least, that is presently the rule being offered to the public.

About 1.2 million visitors are expected to converge on the New York metro region for eight World Cup games at MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. Many fans will stay at Big Apple hotels.

Another 6 million visitors are expected for events around the 250th anniversary of the country, with which Fleet Week will coincide this year.

This is an extremely short-sighted position he has taken, especially since he has been struggling with a $5BB budget deficit, and a failed campaign promise to provide “free” buses and subways.

There is potential for unexpected income from various sources including additional tax income, fees paid by FIFA for using city-owned areas and parks, fees paid by vendors, sales taxes earned by commercial properties on me4ch sold, and other sources of income. Additionally, FEMA is expected to susidize the cost for additional  security support. Most of this would be forfeited because permits would not be issued.

There is still some time, though not much, for Mayor Mamdani to reverse this very poor decision. Perhaps, he should utilize a real accounting firm to look at the numbers again, and ignore all the Socialists who pervade the City government who seem to clamor only for their own agenda.

It is worth a chance to revisit the overall financial benefit to New York before an irreversible blunder causes more chance for harm.

Melania and the Epstein Debacle

It isn’t enough for Democrat and liberal muckrakers to continue to spin the Epstein Files in order to implicate Donald Trump. Now, in an act of  desparation, they want to drag Melania Trump into this obscene display of disgusting behavior.

Where were the media and the Democrats while they controlled both Houses of Congress AND the Presidency? Does the Sound of Silence strike a chord in order to hide your hypocrisy?

Only now, since you have failed to present an alternative to the successful Trump Administration agenda which has proven to benefit Americans, do you bring up old, stale and tired talking points, hoping something will stick and hurt Republicans and Trump in the mid-terms.

American voters are not stupid in spite of the BS Chuckles and Hiccup keep spewing. And they have proven to us that they are only good at trying to deceive.and keep failing.

Now, once again, the Democrats and their media goons are trying to tangle that proverbial web in order to deceive by using the First Lady who addressed the entire Epstein scandal yesterday by giving a speech to the media.

Immediately thereafter, the media, Democrats and others took to their bullhorn to ridicule her. Of course. That is what they know; denigrate her as loud as possible rather than look in the mirror to see their own failures.

Are they so fearful to see and hear the truth when it is said by a strong woman? Rather than admit they were wrong, they criticize the messenger, in the hopes this will resonate, instead.

And in an effort to smear her reputation, they are creating memes to attempt to succeed in their deception. Right. From the party who defends ALL women.

Oh, wait! She isn't a woman who apparently deserves the same respect given to women who believe as they do. Such true misogyny by the leftists in the media and Democrats.

The first lady has been just as aggressive in her legal fights, winning Epstein-related retractions and apologies from the Daily Beast and James Carville, for their false reporting 

And thank you, Melania for calling them out; they and other anti-Trump synchophants have shown their true colors by trying to slink like snakes into their mud holes when confronted with the truth.

The Failure of No Bail Laws

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Whether you believe DeCarlo Brown Jr is an illegal immigrant or not really is not an issue. He is the individual accused, via onboard video recordings, of stabbing twenty-three year old Ukrainian immigrant Iryna Zarutzka to death last August.

According to a motion filed April 7, Brown was evaluated December 29 at Central Regional Hospital, and the subsequent report determined he was not competent to stand trial, according to WBTV. His attorney has asked the court to delay his competency hearing by 180 days.

He allegedly atabbed his victim on a Charlotte light rail train and has been found “incapable to proceed” on state murder charges. Brown has been in federal custody in Chicago since a grand jury indicted him on October 22 for violence against a railroad carrier and mass transportation system causing death, which is a federal crime.

Brown has been arrested fourteen times in North Carolina for crimes ranging from assault and firearms possession to felony robbery dating back to 2007.

At the time of the senseless attack in late August, he was free on the failed liberal "cashless bail" law after a magistrate released him with a “written promise” to show up for court after placing a bogus 911 call.

"No bail" or "cashless bail" laws (also known as pretrial reform) replace money-based release with risk-based assessments, aiming to prevent detention based solely on poverty. These laws, enacted in places like Illinois, California; Maryland and New York, and many other blue states, aim to reduce jail populations by releasing defendants for many, but not all, crimes, focusing on public safety and flight risk rather than wealth.

And of course, bleeding heart liberal judges have been too lenient, taking wide latitude and interpretation, as they give repeat offenders a free pass to commit crimes again, while not holding them accountable. Expecting the criminal to return to court voluntarily on the assigned court date.

This case highlights the failure of  a liberal, compassionate conception which, instead, has proven to be a hallucinating delusion. One is daydreaming if he or she thinks a repeat offender would follow a warped reality.

Cashless and No-Bail laws have been tried and have been proven to be failures in order to create an "enlightened" society which sees good in people, while overlooking victims' rights. 

The better option would make the criminal justice system more efficient by expediting the entire process by giving justice and fairness for all concerned, by actually following the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution which guarantees a speedy trial.

It is time to recognize that another altruistic ideal by America's left belongs in the trash heap of unsuccessful and inauspicious liberal fantasies.

A Ceasefire MUST Include a Path to Humanity

As of 8:00 PM EDT Tuesday, the US, Israel and its Middle East allies, entered into a two-week ceasefire with Iran, with the assistance of Pakistan, Egypt, and several other nations. It is contingent on the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, with no encumbrance.

The immediate impact was a $41.00 drop in the price of oil futures from Tuesday's close of $113 a barrel, and an immediate spike on stock prices across the world.

As it was announced, the Nikkei 225 surged over 4%, with prices exceeding 56,000 in early trading. The index saw sharp gains, rising approximately 2,500 points at one point from the previous close of 53,429.

The Dow futures are up 1,308 points after an uncertain day which resulted in a drop of almost 86 points. Some breathing room for investors with this announcement.

But of course, it is early and not  actually on rock-solid ground. Any mishap would blow it all up. But it is a hopeful start.

Presently, the US has fifteen conditions on the table, while Iran has countered with ten of its own. As President Trump indicated when he stopped the clock on the countdown to the next phase of the war, it was all subject to negotiation.

For now, the ceasefire is tenuous, at best. If no one has the stupidity to allow a mishap to occur due to shaken nerves, or innate hatred, the chances for a permanent ceasefire increase exponentially with each passing day.

The military objectives have been met, with no chance for a resumption of nuclear weapons development by Iran. In addition, its missile capability has been virtually destroyed, where other gulf nations are no longer threatened.

But all sides must remember that the hopes for freedom and a return to the liberties lost are paramount to the NINETY MILLION SOULS who have lived under this tyranny for forty-seven years. With a theocratic dictatorship to fear. The removal of that fear was a HUGE promise which was made back in December.

That promise MUST be kept in order for this war to have meant something to all the victims who sacrificed their lives by hanging, or gunfire, or other means of torture and death by the IRGC and the evil Islamic regime. It must be a non-negotiable requisite to NEVER happen again for the US and its allies to demand from Iran in order to accept any deal.

A long-term ceasefire is meaningless unless a final path to humanity is realized.

Another Childhood Food Bites the Dust

This was a startling bit of news which came as a surprise. For a lot of Americans, this one is going to sting, as Coca-Cola is discontinuing Minute Maid's frozen juice concentrates in the US and Canada, ending a product line that goes back about 80 years and lived in countless family freezers.

Certainly; many Boomers were raised on Minute Maid orange juices and other frozen canned juices and drinks.

These were not just random grocery items. Minute Maid's frozen concentrates, especially orange juice and lemonade, were a genuine staple for generations of kids who remember watching a parent pry open a little paper-and-metal can, dump the icy concentrate into a pitcher, and add water before breakfast.

People Magazine reported that the lineup being phased out includes orange juice, lemonade, limeade, pink lemonade, and raspberry lemonade.

Coca-Cola's explanation is straightforward, even if longtime fans will not love it. The company explained during a press conference that it is ending the frozen products business because consumer tastes have changed, and it wants to focus on products that better match current demand. 

It makes sense: profit margins have declined over the years as Coca-Cola continued to offer this as a viable sales product. But recently, internal reports have confirmed that numbers are in the red.

The decision also reflects a bigger change in how Americans buy juice.  The Associated Press reported that Minute Maid helped make orange juice a year-round breakfast staple back in 1946, but now Coca-Cola says shoppers increasingly prefer fresh juices instead. In other words, the freezer-can format that once felt modern now looks like a relic of another grocery era.

So while Coca-Cola sees the move as a business decision, many shoppers are experiencing it as the quiet end of a childhood icon. And for anyone who grew up with that unmistakable little can in the freezer door, it really does feel like the end of an era.

Just another product from our youth which has gone by the wayside. Like Jell-O Pudding Pops, Post Alpha-Bits and Sen-Sen.

Seeing the Islamic Republic as Nazi Germany

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We can all admit that war is hell. Many people, including Pope Leo, have called for the US and Israel to stand down and return to the negotiating table to find a solution with Iran.

On the surface, that is a noble idea. But then, that was the position which Neville Chamberlain foolishly took, thinking Hitler was a man of integrity. And after forty-seven years, the Ayatollah and his Mullahs are like Hitler, proving they, too, are liars who negotiate while still going after what they want.

The Islamic Republic has used the function of diplomacy as a delay tactic while continuing to develop missiles, a navy, the IRGC, proxies in other countries, and finally, striving to obtain workable nuclear weapons, all while smiling at the negotiating table, in order to terrorize its neighbors into submission. And until now, it worked.

President Trump attempted to get Iran to cease and desist. But, the regime continued to lie and dissemble, until its negotiators thought it was able to get Trump and the US to stand down by claiming Iran had enough nuclear grade material to make eleven weapons.

As if that fear would be enough for Iran to  control the negotiations, as it did with other Presidents.

And at the same time, over the previous few months, the  regime managed to murder upwards of 30,000 protesters who wanted more rights , and freedoms, which were denied for all these years.

Ironically, this was the same method of control the Nazis used against Jews and others who protested, or who were considered defiant. Or “inferior”.

The world turned a blind eye to the Nazis until it no longer could. Similarly, it was evident that at least some could no longer stand by and allow the Islamic occupiers of Iran continue to act without consequence of their crimes.

If one looks at war as always being  wrong, without looking at ALL the facts, while you might be altruistic, you are also naive. Sometimes, there are reasons for a “just war”. Like this one.

The regime is reliving the Holocaust, where “undesirable Jews and others”, who were murdered by the Nazis in ovens and gas chambers, are now murdered by the theocratic Islamic Republic in the public square by hanging from cranes for all to witness “their crime against God”. Why could anyone ignore this crime against humanity and give a pass to these satanic monsters?

It is time to save innocents from further torture by those who have no regard for life, and by saving humanity  from those who maintain some perverse belief that killing “infidels” will get them to heaven faster. Like this one is.

You can disagree and that is your right. But answering the pleas from those who cried out for help and relief from continued torture is the more humane act.

All through history, countless groups have been subservient to those who conquered them, removing the ability for oppressed people to defend themselves. The history has been repeated by the Romans, the Huns, the British, the Nazis, the Communists  and the Islamists. Only when some came to the aid of others, where the shackles of oppression were removed.

This is history repeating itself once again, where some have seen wrong and tried to right it. The US, Israel and several Arab states are united to free the Iranian people from the tyranny they have lived under for forty-seven years. 

Once upon a time, our forefathers, who  led a revolution against a tyrant, had the help of several countries to give them an opportunity to declare independence and decide a future for themselves. The alliance to give Iranians a chance to chose a different destiny for themselves are doing the same.

But, since Iranians don’t have the means to do it themselves, we at least are giving them a fair shot. When it is over, we can celebrate and entrust Iran will be able to join the nations who will respect sanity, rather than totalitarianism and cruel theocracy, once again.

Several Bible verses offer hope for freedom from tyranny, emphasizing God’s protection, liberation from oppression, and the establishment of righteousness. Key verses include Psalm 72:14 (freedom from tyranny and torture), Isaiah 54:14 (a promise of being established in righteousness, far from oppression), and Galatians 5:1 (Christ setting us free).

Like the war to free the world  from the evils of Nazi Germany, this is what the War against the Islamic Republic is all about. It is time to recognize why it is waged and stop saying it is about US military domination. 

Soon, the world will be free of another tyrannical and evil regime.

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Watching Mamdani Stumble to His Ultimate Failure

It is becoming evident that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani doesn’t know what he is doing. He is increasingly alienating even some of his most ardent supporters on the City Council.

And that takes a lot considering many of them are equally Socialist in their beliefs.

Peeved City Council members roundly ripped Mamdani after he used one of his slick social-media videos Wednesday to call out Speaker Julie Menin by name and wrongly portray her budget proposal, an alternative to his doomsday version, as slashing billions of dollars from city agencies.

This is not the first time Mamdani has had a run-in with the City Council or its Speaker. Previously, I spoke about his altercation with Speaker Menin and key members of the Council in my commentary, Stopping  Mamdani where he criticized the Department of Health over its “Global Oppression Working Group” and whether taxpayer funds were misused.

Instead, Mamdani is focused on his primary agenda which has become more clear as he moves the city toward a more anti-Semitic and Socialist mirror of other American cities like Dearborn or Minneapolis. 

This latest brouhaha erupted as Menin and City Council members released their official response earlier Wednesday to Mamdani’s $127 billion proposed 2027 budget.

Their alternate spending plan argued Mamdani’s projected $5.4 billion budget shortfall could be bridged with a mix of re-estimated revenues, savings and creative funding sources, and without resorting Hizzoner’s preferred method of taxing the rich.

A unnamed council source said Mamdani risked burning bridges with lawmakers over standard disagreements during budget negotiations.

“Speaker Menin did her job, and the mayor responded with a wild personal attack, and that’s going to affect his relationship with the entire council moving forward,” the source said.

Mamdani is reportedly preparing to hire a slew of additional staffers who could cost taxpayers $10 million, after previously claiming the city was facing a critical budget deficit. 

The New York Post reported Wednesday that Mamdani plans to hire at least 79 more workers to support his "pet projects."

As for the relationship between Mamdani and Governor Krazy Kat Hochul, they continue  to maintain a pragmatic, productive alliance focused on shared priorities like affordable housing and child care expansion. Despite ideological differences, particularly on taxing the wealthy, they have established a collaborative working relationship with intense, ongoing communication between their teams.

The partnership is seen as a crucial, closely monitored alignment between the moderate state executive and the progressive city administration. 

He is counting on her willingness to continue to support his aggressive Socialist agenda. But she is looking at her own political  survival as she is deep into her own re-election campaign; and she knows her support for Mamdani does not play well with voters outside of New York City.

He has already destroyed any chance for a constructive relationship with the City Council. Will he be able to salvage his relationship with Krazy Kat as her chances to be re-elected continue to waffle?

By the end of June, the questions will all be answered.

Boldly Going Where No One Has Gone Before

Yesterday, we witnessed an event we haven't seen since Apollo 17, launched on December 7, 1972, where humans last were sent to the Moon. It was a twelve-day mission, launched on a 363-foot Saturn V rocket, which had been the most powerful vehicle of the time.

In comparison, the Artemis II Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and Orion capsule stand 322 feet (98 meters) tall when fully stacked, roughly equivalent to a 30-story building. It is shorter than the 363-foot Apollo-era Saturn V, but is the most powerful rocket ever built by NASA.

The crew, which by itself is historic and consists of four astronauts manning the ten-day mission around the Moon: Commander Reid Wisenan, Pilot Victor Glover, and Mission Specialists Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen. This crew includes the first woman (Koch), the first Black astronaut (Glover), and the first non-US citizen (Hansen) to fly to the Moon.

The ten-day trip will not involve a moon landing at this time; however, it will feature the farthest humanity ever traveled beyond Terra Firma. These heroes will travel around the Moon, about 4,700 miles behind the Moon, easily breaking the previous 158-mile mark set by the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft during its lunar journey in 1970.

Similar to Apollo 13, the mission will use a free-return trajectory, a type of orbital path in which a spacecraft travels from a primary body (like Earth) to a secondary body (like the Moon) and returns to the primary body using gravity alone, requiring no additional propulsion. This maneuver uses the Moon’s gravity to slingshot the spacecraft back toward Earth, typically forming a figure-8 shape.

The knowledge we have learned since the earliest days of the space age is astounding, and much of it will be applied in this flight. As humans, across many nations, we have achieved many successes in space and suffered several tragedies. But humanity's quest for knowledge is is a goal which cannot be diminished.

These four people will learn more about our Solar System during this trip, than all people who ever lived who gazed at the stars and wondered what was beyond. They will look out into the deep reaches of space, well beyond the safety of Earth and Moon to see what no one saw before from that distance.

Fiction showed us in 1966 what humanity would witness in the twenty-third century. Over the next ten days, four people will actually take the first look what is clearly out there from a distance never before traveled.

Godspeed Artemis for a great journey to the beyond and for a safe return to tell us what you saw.

Accepting Pedophilia as a Mental Illness is Actually Criminal

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Yesterday, I published a commentary concerning the mental illness which surrounds the attempted normalcy associated with transgenderism. But, that same normalcy is being applied by some to the crime of  pedophilia. 

It was recently reported that a married former New Jersey middle school teacher had sex with her  student and then continued to carry out six years of “grooming, manipulation and abuse” starting when the boy was just twelve, a prosecutor argued during a bail hearing Wednesday.

Her purported victim, now an adult, alleged the pair had a sexual relationship while he was her pupil. But she is not the first. 

Mary Kay Letourneau, an American teacher who pleaded guilty in 1997 to second-degree rape of a child. Her case gained massive national attention because she was in her 30s, the mother of four, and engaged in a sexual relationship with a twelve-year-old student, bearing his children,  and finally marrying him.

A public school teacher in Florida is also in trouble with the law. The forty-one year-old man is accused in Seminole County of having a sexual relationship with a thirteen-year-old student and the child’s mother. He taught his student Morse code in order to secretly message her without her mother’s knowledge.

A forty-six year-old man wiho used to coach and teach at two Minneapolis charter schools was already serving twelve years in prison for sexually assaulting four boys, was additionally sentenced to life in prison on twelve additional charges of criminal sexual conduct.

Numerous Catholic dioceses in the US, and throughout the world, have filed for bankruptcy due to sexual abuse lawsuits, leading to comprehensive, high-value settlement funds for survivors. The abuse of both boys and girls was widespread, and often went unreported for years, as bishops transferred the accused priests rather than report their crimes to police.

Legal restrictions on minors entering contracts protect them from their own lack of experience, judgment, and maturity. Because minors are legally deemed to lack the capacity to fully understand contractual rights and obligations, they can generally disaffirm (void) most contracts, making them unenforceable against them. These protections prevent exploitation, though they allow contracts for essentials, like food and shelter.

For these same reasons, statutory rape laws are on the books, so that adults are unable to take advantage of innocent minors. And pedophilia has been treated as a crime. 

In addition, "look-back laws" are state-enacted, temporary, or permanent legislative changes that reopen the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse (CSA) lawsuits, allowing survivors to sue even if their claims were previously time-barred. Since 2019, over thirty states have enacted such laws, often prompting thousands of claims against institutions.

Pedophilia is legally considered a crime because it involves sexual attraction to children, which inherently violates the bodily autonomy, safety, and rights of minors.

Laws have been designed to protect children from sexual abuse, exploitation, and the long-term psychological and physical harm caused by such acts. 

It is time to recognize pedophilia  as a crime, and not to give those who practice it a sense of "victim-hood" for suffering from a mental illness. That is equally a crime.