I’m being a bit facetious, but in the case of California, it borders on the truth as it could take a month to count all of the mail-in ballots.  It is possibly the most corrupt election system on the planet.  While Steve Hilton, a Republican, has taken a lead position, California Democrats will not allow for him to win and I predict that Xavier Becerra will become the next governor of that state.  If you recall, it was Becerra while in the Biden Cabinet who allowed the importation of tens of thousands of children illegally . . . and then lost them!

Meanwhile, incumbent Karen Bass maintains the lead in the Los Angeles mayoral race despite an abominable performance while her primary opponent, Spencer Pratt, a Republican, is a far better choice with a logical plan for improving a once beautiful city while Bass couldn’t run a corner fruit stand much less a city.  When is the California populous going to wise up?  (Update) Pratt lost and another inept Democrat will run with Bass.

Even more alarming, Maine Democrat senatorial candidate, Graham Platner has been endorsed by party high-ups despite a frightening list of abhorrent behavior which is expanding almost daily, including a nazi tattoo, despicable treatment of women and a penchant for masturbating in portapotties.  Chuck Schumer, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are among them.  Governor Janet Mills, also a Democrat, dropped out of the race due to a lack of donations and Platner now faces current Republican Senator Susan Collins November.  (Update): Adolph Platner won with seventy percent of the vote!

One thing which concerns me a great deal is the fact that Islam has made such inroads into our society.  It is the second largest religion following Christianity.  It is not the faith in which I find concern; it is the culture. We’ve all been inundated with the fiasco in Minnesota where fraud has been rampant within the Somali community.  Example: The Learing Center. 

Islamic extremism is rampant in Europe.  Recently, a teenager was knifed to death in England, but no charges were brought because the perpetrator, a Muslim, said the victim ridiculed his faith.  In Ireland, a Muslim was caught trying to behead an Irish citizen with a knife all radicals carry.  So much for guns being bad . . .    

J. D. Vance has been appointed by the president to uncover rampant fraud there as well as California and now Ohio, all  with large Islamic populations.  There is ample evidence that many government officials have looked the other way in these fraud schemes, I’m sure to their own benefit.  The chances are good that criminal charges will be filed in the not-too-distant future.  This is particularly true with Minnesota’s governor and attorney general.  It is my understanding that a half dozen arrests have already been made in Ohio and California.

Voter fraud is rampant in our society.  This is particularly true in blue states; the results in California and Maine are classic examples.  A logical solution is stalled in the Senate, thanks to both the left and right; Donald Trump’s Save America Act and I am particularly upset with the GOP members.  We desperately need trusted election results that restore the faith of American voters.  I will never comprehend the reluctance on the part of elected politicians to resist honest and fair elections.

Currently, Bill Gates is testifying before a Congressional committee regarding his relationship with infamous Jeffery Epstein.  Like most Americans, I wish we could move on to much more important things; however, the left persists, certain that at some point scurrilous activity on the part of Donald Trump will miraculously appear.  This is the same Trump who threw Epstein out of Mar-A-Lago when he learned that Epstein was making inappropriate comments to a female guest.

On to other things:  June 6^th marked the 82^nd anniversary of D Day when allied forces invaded France from Normandy Beach resulting in 3,000 casualties, 2,400 of them American troops.  It marked the beginning of the closing of the war in Europe which would end a year later.  It would be another several months until Japan surrendered.  I wonder what those young men would think if they could see the America of today?  Corrupt politicians, massive criminal fraud, illegal immigrant invasion . . .

Paco   

Memorial Day has passed and some on the left have made a mockery of it as expected.  Probably most prominent, is Tampon Tim Walz’s devotion to George Floyd, who was murdered six years ago by a police officer and his dance to said devotion.  It is difficult for me to comprehend this level of stupidity or vanity.  And to ignore those who actually surrendered their lives to defend this country only adds to my anger.

First, George Floyd was not murdered!  His autopsy confirmed that he died from a drug overdose while resisting arrest by an honest decent police officer who was only attempting to subdue him.  That man, Derek Chauvin, is currently in prison serving twenty-two-plus years after being convicted of “murder” by a radical leftist court.  How can anyone be convicted of a murder that never occurred, I ask?

Floyd had a long criminal record. At the time, he was accused of attempting to pass a counterfeit twenty-dollar bill and failed to comply with law enforcement instructions and had to be taken down.  Had he complied,  the outcome would have been entirely different.  On the other hand,  during his service Chauvin had received several commendations including a medal of valor.  While in prison, he was stabbed twenty-plus times with a shank by a fellow prisoner, but survived.

Did Officer Chauvin lean on Floyd’s neck longer than necessary?  As someone who has been involved in similar incidents, I can only attest to the fact that stress and adrenalin are factors when attempts to arrest are met with resistance.  It is my understanding that Floyd refused to enter the unit vehicle and began struggling and was then placed on the ground.  At six feet, four inches, he would have been imposing to say the least.

The incident caused nationwide riots and demonstrations throughout the summer and resulted in enormous damage, injuries and some deaths.  It also resulted in a suit awarding a twenty-seven-million-dollar settlement to Floyd’s family although I assume that ambulance chasers got a good chunk.

Meanwhile, the midterms are creating significant surprises.  Trump’s endorsements of those candidates opposing Swamp creatures have created anger and frustration of many in his party, mostly other creatures.  I firmly believe that if John Thune was running this time, he’d be gone too.  We desperately need a genuine Republican Party back to support the president.

Speaking of genuine, Texas Democrat candidate James Talarico is a genuine enigma.  He’s already earned the nickname “Talafreako” due to his alleged platform indicating that God supports abortion and there are actually several genders.  According to Talarico, transgender children are “special” and have his love.  He is also avowed vegan in a state which depends on exportation of meat products.  The fact that he won the nomination is of deep concern for me.

The Iran conflict remains at the top of the news.  Frankly, I’m becoming impatient with the progress and I believe most Americans feel the same.  Trump continues to predict an “end soon” and it’s obvious that the Iranian leadership has no intention of capitulating.  As much as I dread it, the only solution is a full assault and surrender by the Iranian government.  As the midterms approach, Americans are impatient and grumping over high fuel prices and that could definitely affect the November election.

Demonstrations outside an ICE facility in New Jersey have been ongoing for several days and show no signs of ending.  Several protesters have been arrested for threats against not only the agents, but their families as well.  Only recently has its governor authorized local and state police to assist federal agents in the protests.  Those protesting are claiming poor conditions for those in custody who are allegedly being starved and mistreated.  My solution would be to allow several protest leaders to enter and determine that such is not the case.  And I wonder if these paid protesters are paying their income tax?

Should the protests continue after said determination, I would employ a rather simple solution to disperse the protesters . . . fire hoses.

Paco

As the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence nears, I can’t help but wonder what the “Fathers” would think if they could witness the current state of affairs.  I visualize them shaking their heads and weeping.  These individuals literally placed their lives on the line to divorce this country from an oppressive regime which controlled every facet of existence.  Does that sound familiar?

Their ultimate achievement, the Constitution, particularly the first Ten Amendments, guaranteed personal rights which every citizen possessed.  Today, those rights are abused by those in power or ignored completely.  A classic example is the right to “keep and bear arms”.  That’s pretty specific, don’t you think?  Yet that “right” has virtually disappeared.  The purpose of the Second Amendment is clear: an unarmed populace cannot defend itself from oppression.

What do you suppose George Washington would think of a president who, as soon as he was sworn in, opened the southern border allowing millions of illegals to flood the nation, many of whom were convicted criminals in their own countries and who then continued their criminal activity with Americans as victims?  I think George would agree with me that it was an act of high treason.

Most presidents are unsung heroes.  One was a favorite of mine: Harry S. Truman, a Democrat believe it or not.  A native Missourian, Truman got into politics after his haberdashery business failed during the Depression.  He was not a popular president during his administration, being referred to as Harry Ass Truman by his opponents.  In 1945, he was a U.S. Senator from Missouri when Franklin Delano Roosevelt chose him to run as vice president that year.

Within weeks from the election, FDR died rather suddenly and Truman found himself President of the United States.  World War II had been raging for several years and while the European war was slowly winding down, the war in the Pacific conflict with Japan was becoming more intense.  Finally, he was compelled to make the most devastating decision of any president in history; ending the war by employing the newly developed atomic bomb . . . not once, but twice on Hiroshima and Nagasaki before the Japanese finally surrendered.

He went on to serve another term before returning to Missouri.  There was no Air Force One or Secret Service sendoff.  That didn’t start until JFK was assassinated a decade later.  He and Bess climbed into their secondhand vehicle and drove back to Missouri to the only asset they had; a house left to them by Bess’s mother.  One of my favorite stories about Truman goes like this:  He and Bess were travelling and got lost. 

Harry finally got out of the car and knocked on the door of a residence to get directions.  After getting them, he thanked the owner and turned away.  Suddenly, the owner exclaimed, “I hate to tell you this, but you look like Harry Truman.”  Truman turned around and smiled, saying,   “I hate to tell you this, but I am Harry Truman.”  He died the day after Christmas in 1972.

Those were the sane days.  The Democrats and Republicans had different agendas; however they worked together to solve serious national issues.  Today they fight amongst themselves, particularly the GOP, the Save America Act being a classic example.  I wasn’t particularly surprised to see several Republican members lose their primaries due to Trump’s endorsement of opponents.  Massie and Cassidy are among those who will no longer be serving.

This is Memorial Day weekend.  Folks who plan on driving to their destination are upset and concerned over the cost of gasoline and diesel fuel.  Like others, I’m getting impatient with the progress of the Iran conflict and wish Trump would bite the bullet (bad analogy) and take what we all know is the only action which will bring the war to an end.  

I’d love to get back to Arlington Cemetery and see the resting places of those who devoted their lives to this great country: my Uncle Jim, Audie Murphy, JFK and so many others.

Paco  

Before hate, let’s talk love.  Tomorrow is Mother’s Day.  Dorothy Ruth Hopper Kelly raised six children with her husband, Miles.  I was the oldest.  She did so during an extremely brutal period, World War II, when Miles was away much of the time and she essentially filled both roles.  With the help of her sister, Hustie, she did an amazing job.  I love you, Mom!

Now the bad part:  The hatred of our president continues to grow.  Recently, actor Mark Hamill, of Luke Skywalker fame, published a photoof Trump lying dead in a casket with the words “If Only”!  Try as I might, I cannot comprehend the level of venom directed at a president who has accomplished so much during this term in office. 

I saw a headline the other day which would have been humorous under other circumstances.  It read; ”Congressman (deleted) who was endorsed by President Trump has been charged with spousal abuse”. The implication?      

 I am reasonably certain that Hamill will get a visit from the Secret Service if it hasn’t already occurred.  I wonder how the actor would react to a published picture of him lying dead with the same phrase?  I’m sure he’d be screaming “lawsuit”!  Just another Hollywood phony. 

Speaking of phonies, I’m hearing rumors that Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona might consider running for president in 2028.  This is the same moron who published a request for military personnel to disobey “illegal” orders coming from above!  This from a former military officer!  My brother Marc Kelly, a former combat marine, is muttering in his grave . . .

Hate seems to be the watchword of the left.  I’m encouraged to hate folks whose skin is a different color or who practice a different faith.  I must support the termination of life while in the womb and protect the poor illegal alien who raped and murdered a citizen.  And I’m compelled to look the other way when thieves ransack our government programs and laugh while doing it.

And cruelty isn’t limited to politics.  Family issues also abound.  I recently read an article which left me speechless.  A caretaker brought a fourteen-year-old boy to the emergency room.  Subsequent examination revealed horrific mistreatment suffered by the teen.  Example:  The average weight of a male that age is ninety-five pounds.  This child weighed forty-five!  He was also covered in numerous cuts and bruises and had difficulty communicating.  Medical staff called police and the caretaker was taken into custody.  Get this: While the boy was very malnourished, the caretaker was morbidly obese.  A photo revealed a frame which would have difficulty fitting into the bed of a pickup truck!

Speaking of news, billionaire Ted Turner died a few days ago.  He was a media icon having developed the first twenty-four-hour cable news channel, CNN in 1980.  His third wife was actress Jane Fonda to whom he was married for ten years.  He is also known for his philanthropic accomplishments and the fact that, for years, he was the largest private landholder in the United States and had an intense love of bison.  He was eighty-seven.

The leftists took another hit when the Supreme Court of Virginia declared the latest gerrymandering attempt unconstitutional.  If approved, it would nearly have eliminated GOP representation in Congress.  As I’ve indicated previously, the Democrat Party is on life support.  The midterms will indeed be interesting.

Lastly, President Trump has delivered on another promise: release of government documents regarding Unidentified Flying Objects which have previously been kept secret despite decades of demands for disclosure.  I’ve always been a “sci-fi” nut and look forward to discovering the contents.  On one trip to Arizona, we stopped in Roswell, New Mexico, the most famous site and I snapped a picture of the entrance.

Is there life out there.  Have they visited?  I have a strong feeling they have.  I suspect that one visitor created the Democrat Party.

Paco     

As I begin to compose this masterpiece, my thoughts return some six decades to my time in Germany while in the army.  May Day was Communist Day and the streets of Stuttgart were filled with boisterous commies.  We military personnel were strongly advised to stay on post.  If we chose to leave, we were ordered not to do so in uniform.  I can’t recall whether I ever did so.

All of that returned as I witnessed crowds gathering in various cities here to protest the efforts of the current administration.  What I wasn’t prepared to learn was the fact that many schools were closed so that our leftist teaching profession could participate and encourage students of all ages to attend.

I started teaching high school English and history at the ripe old age of twenty-one in 1959.  I did so for several years before moving on.  At that time, the focus was on the basics.  Students learned those things which would be required to live in a sane society: English to communicate, history to avoid pitfalls occurring in the past, science to comprehend our surroundings.  Today, none of that matters.  What does matter is the socialist agenda.  Cursive writing?  What is that?  And who cares?

Socialism and communism vary only mildly and both have never worked in previous decades.  Private property and individualism are ignored for the sake of the working class.  The extremely wealthy are the enemy.  What is ignored is the fact that both socialism and communism require funding.  And who provides the required funding?  What isn’t common knowledge is the fact that it is the wealthy who pay over forty percent (40%) of all taxes.  We are being taken over by a philosophy which has never been successful.  Look at New York City.

Former FBI director Jim Comey has been indicted . . . again.  If anyone ever deserved indictment it is Comey and his cohorts who engineered the Russian collusion fiasco.  While strolling on the beach, Comey allegedly found seashells spelling out “8647”.  “It isn’t working so we’ll 86 it,” is an old expression for getting rid of something.  And 47 relates to Trump’s position in the presidency.  No one believes, of course,  that washed-up seashells can spell, and Comey insists that he was not familiar with term 86, which is ridiculous.

The indictment is justified.  In addition to “8647”, there is numerous evidence that Comey was deeply involved with the “Russia Collusion” and that he passed classified data to the press via a close friend and kept other classified information in his home!  Whether said indictment will result in criminal conviction depends on which jurisdiction the trial takes place.  I am convinced that there are others who will be indicted.

On another front, I am horrified by the number of mass shootings which are taking place in the country.  It seems like there is one almost daily and many are familial or social.  The obvious question is: “why is this happening?  The left will be very quick to blame guns as they always do; however, the old adage still applies.  Guns don’t kill, people kill people.  How does one cope with anger and hate?  Candidly, I believe the lamestream media must share responsibility.

Another shooting incident occurred at the Washington Monument just days ago.  The shooter was shot when he drew a weapon as Secret Service agents approached him because their sensors indicated a concealed weapon.  While he was being transported to the hospital he continued to spew disparaging comments about the White House and its occupants.  He did not mention a specific target.

As I’ve stated ad nauseam, I will never understand the level of hate directed at a president who has accomplished so much during his terms of office, all of it positive.  Possibly I should sit down with an extreme leftist and inquire as to why the hatred is so extreme.  Then, again, it would more than likely wind up in a fistfight.

I have absolutely no doubt how history will portray Donald Trump and the left will not be pleased.

Paco              

Once again, thanks primarily to the “lame stream media”, we have an attempt on President Trump’s life.  Rather than some dark character, this attempted assassin is a thirty-one-year-old Californian with two master’s degrees, a teaching certificate and is a video game creator with no history of violence that has come to light . . . except for his manifesto, published after the act where the hate becomes  evident.  His name is Troy Allen.

The reason why he took a train rather than flying is obvious; his weapons, including a dismantled shotgun, would not be detected due to a much laxer security system.  They were also not detected when he checked in to the hotel the day before the event thereby avoiding extremely strict surveillance just prior to it.

It’s obvious that he planned the attack.  Rather than attempting to walk through the Secret Service perimeter he ran, thereby catching the agents off guard.  While the agents drew their weapons, I think they were reluctant to fire with thousands of attendees just behind the wall.  Allen did fire his handgun, one bullet striking one of the agents in the chest.  Fortunately, he was wearing a bullet proof vest.  Allen was then taken down.  Trump, Melania and his cabinet members present were quickly evacuated and chaos ensued, however, no one was seriously hurt.

A couple of things puzzle me:  First, Both Trump and Vance were attending.  I had always assumed that, for obvious reasons, the president and vice-president were not permitted to appear in public together.  Second, the majority of his cabinet was also there.  Had a bomb been placed and not detected and then exploded, nearly all of the administration would have been wiped out, thereby rendering the country incontinent.  (Pun intended.)

If you think this not a problem, please keep in mind that half of those attending hate the president.  In fact, he has avoided attendance on previous occasions for that very reason.  All it would take is one nutcase reporter with a suicide wish . . .

This marks the third serious attempt on President Trump’s life and I place much of the responsibility on the legacy media.  While I peruse news reports each day, I grudgingly count the number of negative stories published by Irish Star, Daily Beast, Atlanta Black Star News, Raw Story, New York Times and several others making much of his alleged shortcomings.  He missed a step, appeared to be asleep in a meeting, screamed profanities at a reporter, mumbled a response  . . . you get the gist.  He isn’t fit to be president, they holler.  This disorder is referred to as Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS).

As I’ve indicated previously, Donald Trump is his own worst enemy.  He’ll make a humorous remark which is immediately determined to be serious by the idiot left media.  A classic example is his comment that he would be a dictator the first year of his term and the left screamed, “Trump admits he is a dictator!” 

Now, imagine if you will that this is the only news source the nutty left hears.  I’m always amused when the socialist left describes Trump as a “Nazi” or Adolph Hitler.  The term Nazi comes from the German word, pronounced “not ze o nal”, hence the phrase.   Hitler’s party was called National SocialistGerman Worker’s Party and Adolph Hitler was a socialist . . . the opposite from Donald Trump.  I’m curious: does our socialist left consider socialism evil?

I firmly believe that the Democrat Party is on life support.  It has no positive agenda and no established leader.  Some federal law enforcement agencies have gone months without pay while the left supports illegal immigration and ignores taxpaying citizens suffering from criminal activity perpetrated by those illegals. 

It is socialism that is evil.  It opposes private ownership which is a staple of American existence.  Everything belongs to everyone!  Capitalism is verboten.  To verify that socialism doesn’t work, check out New York City.  Personally, I can’t determine the difference between socialism and communism.  Both are abhorrent.

When is it going to end?

Paco

Remember that famous poem?

Listen my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere

On the eighteenth of April in seventy-five

Hardly a man is still alive

Who remembers that famous day and year

I wonder what Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would think if he could see our country today.  Do you suppose he could grab the concept of socialism and corruption now ravaging this nation?  And what would our Founding Fathers think of the abuse of their Constitution?

The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.  That sounds pretty straight forward, doesn’t it?  Why are socialists so intent to deprive us of that right?  The answer is actually quite simple: Control!  The purpose of the amendment was to eliminate control by an aggressive government as they had under English rule.  An armed militia would prevent it.  Sounds like an excellent concept . . .

Massachusetts and Virginia were bastions of the revolutionary movement.  Today they are rigorously controlled by the people the Fathers feared.  A phenomenon referred to as gerrymandering controls its governments, the rigging of voting districts to favor a particular political party, 

Act Blue is a Democrat entity charged with collecting donations for party members running for office.  It collects billions od dollars, much of it coming from foreign doners like George Soros which is illegal.  Trump is making an effort to declare it so and an investigation is under way.  Act Blue’s lawyers have left the organization and its employees have pled the 5^th Amendment to questions from investigators over a hundred times!

Eric Swalwell’s flight from office is only the beginning of the exodus.  More resignations are coming and some have already occurred.  Sheila Cherfilus McCormick, a Democrat member from Florida is currently being investigated for alleged misuse of campaign money and chances are good that she will be compelled to resign.

And Ilhan Omar is on the hot seat once again.  She is disputing her net worth of thirty million dollars, stating that it is actually ninety-five thousand and that her bookkeeping staff made an error.  She is currently married to her third husband, a millionaire.  If you recall, her first husband was her brother.  If irregularities are proven, she could face deportation.

Another investigation has captured my interest involving ten scientists who have been reported missing or died under mysterious circumstances.  All were involved in some way with aerospace and nuclear science and all had top security clearances.  While there is no known connection, President Trump has ordered an investigation by the FBI.

Speaking of the FBI, Kash Patel has become the latest target of the legacy media reporting that Patel has a drinking problem.  This is allegedly according to FBI agents who have witnessed erratic and disturbing behavior and who reported it to the media anonymously.  Patel, of course, hotly denies the claims; however I’ve always wondered why Dan Bongino left the organization so abruptly.

And the Iran conflict drags on.  The president has extended the cease fire a few more days causing consternation among congressional members, some his own faithful supporters.  He keeps setting deadlines which they continue to ignore and I find myself wondering whether “boots on the ground” will be the final result. 

The Save America Act is still in limbo, thanks to Republican Senators led by John Thune.  I cannot fathom the resistance to a bill which will make America safer and accomplish their leader’s objective?  It only firms up the reason I left the Republican Party.

Paco    

It’s finally happened!  Eric Swalwell has been exposed.  Not only has he dropped out of the governor’s race, but he’s also resigned from Congress.  For decades, the Left has ignored his behavior, particularly the Fang Fang fiasco.  For that same period, he has sexually abused many women, some of whom were his employees. 

His dropping out of the governor’s race could prove could devastating for the Democrat Party.  In California, the top two contenders are placed on the ballot regardless of party affiliation.  In other words, the governor’s race could have two Republican contenders rather than one Republican and one Democrat.

Swalwell was considered the frontrunner for the Democrats, followed by billionaire Tom Steyer and Katie Porter both of whom are extreme left.  Steyer has loudly called for the elimination of ICE and prosecution of its employees as well as open borders while Porter’s gross mistreatment of employees and abusive nature are well documented.  In other words, they’d have trouble winning, even in California.  On the GOP side, are Steve Hilton and Sheriff Chad Bianco.  Hilton has been endorsed by President Trump.

Not only is Swalwell’s political career over, but he is facing possible criminal charges in New York City as well as countless civil suits.  His alleged “best friend”, Arizona’s Senator Ruben Gallego, has denied any knowledge of Swalwell’s sexual activities which is ludicrous.  A video clip of Swalwell in a hotel room with a hooker and another man has appeared.  While there is only a side view of the other man on the bed with them, it clearly could be Gallego.

History tells us that the chances of Republicans losing the mid-term election are good.  For decades, this has been the case; however, this one could be an exception.  Despite the corruption of the legacy media, Trump’s successes during this term are evident, even to the left.  Should the Republicans lose you can rest assured that the 25^th Amendment will come into play.

Paco       

Well, Musk has done it!  We now have astronauts hovering around the moon for the first time in decades.  I must admit that I’m impressed!  One thing puzzles me though.  Both genders are participating in extremely close quarters and one would think that personal hygiene such as washing and using the toilet would be an issue.  They’ll be up there for days.  With no gravity, does poop hover in the air?

Trump’s war objectives continue to be somewhat productive although Iran ignores  deadlines continually.  We’ll see if the latest receives the same attention which would result in the loss of its infrastructure.  You would think that, at some point, the Iranian people would finally rise up and overthrow the current radicals.  I’m extremely disappointed that our European allies are hiding in the closet and I would definitely support a divorce from NATO.

Meanwhile, the legacy media continues to thwart the president’s agenda with falsehoods regarding his health and ability to perform his duties despite the fact that he outpaces those around him on four hours of sleep a night.  The 25^th Amendment is often brought up as a solution to the “problem”.  His efforts at humor are dismissed as dementia or worse.  He has accomplished more in a single year than any previous individual in that capacity has in an entire term and he is still ridiculed by the left.

While consuming the news, a couple of stories have concerned me.  Hundreds of retail outlets are closing including many very well-known brands.  Estimates indicate that the number could reach 1500 outlets before the year ends.  Many are fast food outlets; however, major retail brands are also trimming down.  Among them are: Starbucks 627 locations, Walgreens 450, Family Dollar 370. Macys 66, Kroger 60 and Kohls 27.

There are a multitude of reasons why this is occurring.  On-line shopping is a major reason, but there are others.  Delivery services have increased and commercial real estate rental fees have skyrocketed.  Staffing in many areas is also a problem.  Foot traffic has diminished,  leaving malls struggling.

My other concern is far more troubling.  Violence against children.  Children are our most valuable asset and I have difficulty accepting the suffering many endure at the hands of adults . . . some their own parents!  I recently read an article concerning the arrest of parents for the murder of their two-year-old daughter.

Our children have been victimized by society for the past several decades.  Their education has been divisive to say the least, in many cases separating parent from child, as with the gender issue.  Children are and should be asexual and not questioned as to whether they are male or female.  “Readin’, Writin’ and Rithmatic” have taken a back seat to DUI.

A related concern is the dropping fertility rate in the country.  Currently, it is about 53 births per thousand women of reproductive age, a drop of twenty percent (20%) from just two decades ago!  For one reason or another, women are  not choosing to reproduce.  Those who do are waiting until age thirty to do so.  One of the more obscure concerns is social security.  Fewer young Americans will be available to pay into a system which supports seventy million retirees and others.             

As I compose this masterpiece, a two week cease fire agreement has taken place in the Iran war.  One of the conditions is the free passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.  Candidly, I don’t have very high hopes that the attempt will be successful.  The Iranian people have no access to free press and must depend upon Iranian propaganda which is deceiving.  They are being told that Iran is winning.

The 250^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is just a few months away.  Several of my ancestors participated and some lost their lives.  I’m afraid that the current political divisiveness will affect the celebration in a negative way and hope that I am wrong.

We are indeed the greatest country on earth.

Paco

Just when I think I’ve seen it all, the left pulls another moronic stunt.  Streets are filled with protesters screaming “No Kings”!  All are wearing face masks while demanding that ICE agents remove theirs.  One is shown scribbling Kill your local ICE agent on a nearby wall!  As usual, I find myself wondering . . . don’t these people have jobs?

The answer is, of course, yes; they are now performing those jobs.  Leftist billionaires have established “companies” which maintain groups of professional “protesters” who appear when and where needed as well as supplying posters and signs demeaning the current issue.  George Soros name is frequently mentioned as well as a billionaire American citizen, Neville Roy Singham, currently living in China.

The No Kings protests are particularly amusing for me.  They graphically display the low intelligence quotient of the left.  Do they honestly believe that, were Donald Trump king, he would allow the protests to take place?  Wouldn’t he dissolve Congress and declare himself sole ruler?

Speaking of dumbness, there is, as I understand it, a quiet contest taking place to determine the identity of the dumbest Democrat in Congress.  The current top contender is Eric Swalwell, but my money is on Maxine Waters who, at eighty-seven years of age, is re-running in her district.  Swalwell, currently considering a run for California governor, is best remembered for allegedly playing a game of Hide the Hillshires with Fang Fang, a possible Chinese communist agent.

Swalwell is rather upset because FBI Director Kash Patel is considering re-opening an investigation into Swalwell’s relationship with Fang Fang a decade ago.  Like all Democrats, he is alleging that it is “lawfare”, using the law to punish for political gain, a practice the Democrats are well acquainted with and have often used against their adversaries.

My usual readers are aware of my distain for most members of Congress, both on the left and the right.  I defy you to identify one who has been a member for a decade or more who is not a millionaire.  Nancy Pissoli comes to mind.  Hackmee Jeffries, avid Trump hater, two million plus.  Upchuck Schumer, who has been in Congress since Trump was a teenager?  Eighty-five million!  What’s worse?  Most are ambulance chasers.

I bring this up because I have it on fairly good authority that another esteemed member is being targeted to be expelled from Congress.  His name?  Adam Shit . . . er . . .Schiff.  He is best remembered for his efforts to push the so-called “Steele Dossier” during Donald Trump’s first run for office.  Oh, and he’s a lawyer.  I’m not very hopeful that this will occur . . .

The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments regarding birthright citizenship and the Fourteenth Amendment.  Currently, the left is arguing that any infant born in the country is automatically a United States citizen regardless of parental status.  In 2023 300,000 infants were born here whose parents were not citizens.  This amounts to about eight percent of all children born that year.

Hospice fraud is once again in the news.  As I’m sure you are aware, Trump assigned Vice President Vance to head up investigations into fraud in the medical arena.  I’ve previously mentioned the situation in California and dozens of arrests have taken place in the past few days and American taxpayers have suffered countless billions of dollars of their hard-earned money fraudulently disappearing.

I recently read an article which I found both fascinating and disturbing.  During wartime, we instituted the draft to boost military forces.  Individuals called up to serve were required to pass a rather stringent physical examination.  The article concluded that seventy-seven percent (77%) of potential current draftees would be unable to pass the physical!

Patriotism is indeed on life support if not already deceased.

Paco