The presidential election in Brazil isover. Lula DaSilva is elected president, again. The former chief executive has rebounded from oblivion to the top of elected politics in his native Brazil. After spending 2 years in prison, he was back in action and on the campaign trail as his many followers convinced him that the country needed someone who could defeat the sitting, right-wing president, Bolsonaro. He has been defeated. Lula will taken over January 1, 2023.
Viva Lula
The record keepers had a moment yesterday after the 49er win. Not many times in football history was such a game recorded. One player for the 49ers, K. McCaffery, ran for a touchdown; caught a pass for another; and best of all-he threw a pass that was caught for another touchdown! Jimmy G. had a good day himself. The Rams didn't bring their "A" Game, and didn't look so good. Oh, well, on a given day.......
Go '9ers!
So, the competition moves to Philadelphia today for the next 3 games. The Series is tied: 1-1. Always nice for the traveling team(Phillies) to win one game on the road. They can win it all if they win the next 3. The Astros need 1 win to return to Houston for the decider. Houston's pitchers will focus on winning one out of three to make it happen. Dusty Baker will sit back and manage in his low key, but serious style, not thinking what the final outcome will mean to him.
Whereas there is much sympathy in the Phillies quest for a championship, I think the empathy of the moment goes to Dusty. He is deserving, after his lengthy career on the field and in the dugout gives him ample credibility. Go Dusty. ( yes, the Mayor recalls Dusty as a player with the hated Dodgers, but is willing to let bygones be bygones).
Russya's Putin announced they will not provide assistance with the shipments of grains from the port on the Black Sea after a drone hit a Russyan Navy minesweeper there, causing extensive damage. Vlodomir Zelensky, president of Ukraine stated that it was not fired by his army forces. Putin's spokesman said otherwise. Now both sides claim the other will cause food shortages in Africa and other 3rd world countries on the brink of starvation. Hmmm Makes one wonder.
Well, it started out fine for 3 innings when Houston scored 5 runs, for a nice lead in Game 1 of the 2022 World Series. But that lead would not stand. A few innings later, the Phillies made a comeback, defying the incredible odds of overcoming such a deficit(1 in a 100). Then it was all tied up 5-5. And it appeared that the Astros were having problems at the plate. Then, one of the boys from Philly launched one and it reached the seats just inches from the out stretched glove of the center fielder, score 6-5 Phillies. In the bottom of the 10th, it appeared that Lady Luck would alter her favors and but for an amazing catch, the 'Stros went down to defeat, 6-5, leaving 2 men stranded in scoring position.
Next time.
Ksenia Sobchak, a 40 year old Russyan citizen has disappeared from her home in Moskva. She is the daughter of Anatoly Sobchak, former mayor of St. Petersburg, and was the political mentor of V. Putin when Mad Vlad was a Lt. Col. in the KGB stationed there. Ms. Sobchak has long played a fine line between support of the Kremlin and Putin and support of critics and the opposition. This past week, her apartment was entered by state police and searched, perhaps looking to arrest her. Her chief of staff was arrested and taken away. She has made a career in broadcasting and was a popular figure among media types. Information as to her whereabouts is limited: she passed the border yesterday into Lithuania, using her Israeli passport. Her plans are unknown, but it is assumed she was advised by Kremlin insiders to leave the country as soon as possible. Apparently, Mr. Putin is under intense pressure from business owners and academics due to the draining of leaders from their ranks as Russya's position in Ukraine becomes more precarious as time goes by.
Good luck, Ksenia, wherever you are.😱😱😱😱😱🙈🙉🙊
What has happened in China with US diplomats is a disgrace. How this Was allowed is unprecedented in State Dept. history. Families subjected to isolation; filthy confinements, rotten food; fake medical test results, and all with knowledge by Foggy Bottom. Newly assigned personnel were not told what awaited them when they arrived at their assigned posts. They were not allowed even to protest their treatment. It was up to "whistle blowers"-insiders who went through various media outlets to inform the public about the failings of management at the highest levels. All was detailed in an op/ed in the Wall Street Journal, a conservative newspaper that caters to Republicans and Wall Streeters. Anthony, are you listening? Get with it; time to give Beijing the treatment. Remember when we closed the Chinese consulate in Houston? Beijing then retaliated by closing the American Consulate in Chungdu. Results: 6000 would be visa applicants had to go to Shanghai to apply. Good luck. You'll be waiting 5-7 years for that interview. Tough.
In another sign that the City by the Bay, home of the Golden State Warriors, the 49ers, the SF Giants, and cable cars, Elon Musk has arrived with the kitchen sink in hand. He bought Twitter, the media outlet preferred by perverts and pedophiles. $44 billion dollars he paid for the web address and its numerous users, the most infamous was past president, Trump, who was shut out by management when he continued to promote misinformation, eg. he won the 2020 election, not Joe Biden.
So, Elon immediately had the existing management team summarily fired and escorted directly out of the building at market St. and 8th. He will fire additional thousands and create a vacuum in the central part of San Francisco's storied thoroughfare. Small businesses thought the pandemic was bad. Just wait. Elon will prove to be worse. He wants to be a disrupter; instead, he's just another punk.
The Kremlin Monster now says he would not use nuclear weapons. How pathetic! After mentioning same on numerous occasions since Russya invaded Ukraine, he now back pedals. Why? Because those Russyans who can are fleeing the country by the thousands. Who wants to live in a country run by mad men? Answer: No One. Intellectuals, scientists, academics, engineers, truck drivers, cab drivers, doctors, lawyers, politicians, peasants, farmers, zoo keepers, fishermen, loggers, ice cream servers: all say "Nyet".
Bye ,bye, Mother Russya
Well, Beijing is at it again. Seeking more control over global technology. By sending operatives into targeted countries, Beijing hopes to conquer the leading position in technological industry. So, no situation is too small for consideration. Just this week Pres. Joe Biden put a stop to all US chips that end up in China, no matter the company selling the product. If the product contains US made chips, it cannot be sold or sent to China, Chinese affiliates, or foreign countries who market products to China. This effectively closes all China to American made chips. This will have a devastating effect on all Chinese tech production and reduce their capacity to compete around the world. Better late than never. So, Pres. Biden is starting to reverse what Obama started 8-10 years ago: opening a new era in Sino-American relations. Sorry: not happening Mr. Xi.
Mr. Xi just wrapped up the latest Communist Party 5 Year Convention where he was appointed dictator for another 5 years. During the Party Congress, he made a big deal of hauling former Premier Xi Jintao out of the meeting hall. Poor old(79) Xi J T. He had no idea what was happening; he resisted the eviction but the party thugs were too much for this slight old man. Ahh, Communists. Heartless forever. All party opponents must be dealt with harshly, no matter their former position.
New Xi J P has a faltering economy to cope with now. The real estate economy has gone bust; the tech industry has been rocked; and Hong Kong is showing signs of cracking up. Lay Covid lock downs over everything, and you can imagine what's ahead:chaos. Please, don't mention Taiwan; don't mention Tibet; don't mention Ai Weiwei; don't mention Xinjiang; don't mention Muslims; don't mention coal; don't mention strong dollar; don't mention birth rate; don't mention climate change; and don't mention Russya.
Well, now, it's about time the public was made aware of recent illegal moves by Beijing to harass official US diplomats while posted to China.
We Californians got our mail-in ballots over a week ago, making voting easier than ever. So, one way or the other, get out and exercise your right. Don't wait, then complain about the results. It's your civic duty: act now.
Residents of Jackson, Wyoming will get some snow this week, announcing the end of Fall with the yellow Aspens, and the beginning of their winter, with its howling winds, serious snow storms, and icy roads, snow tires w/ studs, and roaring wood fires in the stove/fireplace/ pellet machine. The snow clothes will be shaken awake, the skis/snow boards/snow shoes will be examined for function and form, and the November election will come and go. And Covid will remain in the Rocky Mountain closet, again. The FDA and the White House are asking Congress for more money to finance the next rollout of vaccinations for the winter season when the flu will piggyback upon the Covid virus to shake the population again through the dark months ahead.
But, the long winter of Covid appears to have slipped from the consciousness of the citizenry; it is accepted as endemic, and health officials are in a quandary about solutions to a still-deadly health emergency that continues to kill 350+ folks per day. In Lake Tahoe area, skis will appear before Thanksgiving if a little white stuff falls and temps stay below freezing for a few days. Maybe we'll have winter this year.
And the World Series begin Friday, next.
Rishi Sunak has climbed to the top of the British mountain. He now reigns supreme over the venerable country with the former global reach. Now the reach at best is regional. However, the 800 millions millionaire seems to think that the decline can be turned around with proper management and steely-eyed decision making.(meaning unpopular). The wealthy young man is highly educated(Oxford & Stanford), very experienced in high finance(Goldman Sachs), well grounded(married to a fellow cultural companion), handsome and healthy. While his predecessor, Liz Truss, shared many of the same attributes, she failed in execution during her brief tenure at 10 Downing St. How could she have thought a tax cut for the wealthy would fly during a time of serious inflation coupled with serious energy shortages that affect all citizens, rich and poor? Hmmmmmm. Couldn't read the tea leaves? Bad juju?
So, being touted as the first PM of color, and the first Hindu, and one of the youngest, Rishi will have to make sure he can navigate stormy economic times as the UK copes with the Brexit debacle, the war in Ukraine, record inflation, and a political party unable to lead and solve any pressing problems. The Conservatives have proved inept, and the Labor Party offers no serious solutions other than providing a larger social safety net. And King Charles lacks the vigor to provide the royal support that has in the past aided various PMs when the storms descend across the continent.
Best wishes, Rishi.
As readers know, the Mayor traversed the UK, north, south, east, and west in August and September. The weather was extraordinary affording a comfortable close-up wherever our travels carried us. While the locals were cordial and upbeat, there did seem to be an underlying bit of anxiety, whether from Brexit, the death of Queen Elizabeth II, or the bumpy ride with the buffoon Boris, now gone. As the UK slips to 2nd tier status on the international scale, the City of London, the financial brain of Europe, continues to exert significant influence. Time will tell.
The Ukrainians have suffered under the Russyan army's invasion. It is perfectly clear: the repeated violations against a population have been exposed to the world. Vladimir Putin is a war criminal with a well-earned reputation. That reputation has now been enhanced once again. As the Russyan army buckles in retreat, the Kremlin's agents have added a new tactic in 2022: take the locals prisoner and bring them with the retreat to bolster the declining population of Mother Russya. Yes, this "new" tactic is really the main tactic of the war: we need citizens; so, we will capture a reluctant, helpless people and call them "Russyan". Case closed. We will now defend them as citizens of the Steppes/Siberia. Catch us if you can.
They've gone to orphanages, homeless shelters, refugee centers, anywhere they could find helpless, defenseless people who could be caught up in a dragnet of a reeling military force in retreat. Women and children appear to be the most included in the numbers; reporters have interviewed victims who report being taken away without questioning them as to permissions, or destinations, or future. This is beyond criminal; this is genocide. The Russyan chief of military departments, Gen. Gerasimov, will have to stand trial in the near future. He will be sent to the Gulag to pay for his crimes against Ukrainian humanity. And it will be well deserved. The Old Dirtbag is nothing more than a thug in uniform working for the other thug, Putin. Sad, how a population, Russyan, is ruled by thugs. But, it's Russya, Land of Thugs.
That Russya's population is declining is a well known fact. The birthrate is one of the lowest in the world, hovering near 1.5%. This foretells an aging, stagnant people whose future is not bright, but grim. No more workers, no more students, no more leaders, no more country. It's happened before and continues(see Japan). Men and women in Russya choose not to multiply: who wants to raise a family in Russya? Not many is the obvious answer. Can they turn things around? Not as long as vodka sales are at record levels. Good luck, Ivan; and good luck Svetlana.
And so, Dusty Baker has another chance to reach the summit. His Astros defeated the New York Yankees, 4 games to Zip. Aaron Judge struck out on his last at bat in the bottom of the 9th, symbolizing a final statement from the Astros' closer: "It's over". On the National League side of the balance, the San Diego Padres entered the best-of-seven contest with high hopes, only having the dream shattered by a surging 9 team, whose roster included one Bryce Harper, the "Hope of Philly", who sent an 8th -inning pitch deep into the seats, sealing the fate of the Pads. The bearded slugger answered the call of the faithful, who prayed for relief from infamy and winter's gloom. Bolstered by tense situations, the highly paid Harper responded in kind, blasting home run after home run, speaking in his own prowess, telling the fans:"I've arrived; I'm here to carry the burden across the finish line after a season's toil".
The table is set; the guest list is complete, the menu published for all to savor. It's the World Series. Be there.
Houston is now 6-0 in the post season. Pitching is the answer, as it always is. Hitting has had nothing but problems up and down the lineup(s). A team is better off with lots of pitchers than lots of hitters. Starters, mid-relievers, late-inning specialist, closer, lefty and righty. Batters are reeling from the mixture.
The shift will be banned next year; that will cause more hits to the right side, sure. Right fielders will have to play shallower, even with a left handed batter. Southpaw pitchers will face more difficult choices when the defense lacks the extra fielder on the right side of the diamond. More hits, better batting averages, more action on the bases; more baseball fans, better games to watch; better fan experience.
Case closed.
That is the question on the mind of pundits across the fruited plain, of baseball. The Houston stros are up 2-zip on the Yankees, the scum of New York.
Poor old Oleg: he was sent to Kherson to work on the TV channel established by the Kremlin to aid in its disinformation campaign in Ukraine. He had barely unpacked his suitcase when out of the sky, a misplaced Russyan cruise missile shattered the building in which he worked, killing poor old Oleg. Such is life or the end of life with Russyans today. Mad Vlad, dictator for Life in the Kremlin, has punished his Russyan people like some of the old Commies of the past. I mean Stalins of the past, to include various Czars.
And most recently, he's been sending young, new conscripts, hauled off the side streets of Red Square, to the frontlines to plug the holes left by some of the veteran troops who are being sent elsewhere to plug those gaps as the Ukrainian offensive gathers momentum eastward. These troops, green as green can be, are cannon fodder. Untrained in the military arts, these innocents are martyrs, dying without recognition; alone without friends or family, discarded like so much old cabbage leaves. This represents the "NEW" Russya, a perverted image created in the brain of Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.
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| Lake Tahoe from 30000' |
While I've flown over Lake Tahoe many times, this seems to have been a first. And there it is! I think I see Tahoma.
Desperate, desperate move by Mad Vlad. The poor schlub has talked himself into a corner, a corner with few, if any, options. So, now we will have to endure the scenes of murder in the streets of cities occupied by the Kremlin's mercenary troops, those shiftless Russyans who work for the Wagner Group, the palace guard, members of a private army run by one of Putin's henchman. This move underscores the deprivation of Putin and his ruthless attempts to revisit an imagined past that he somehow recalls as a better life than his present life.
He wants to live as he did: living a privileged existence only beholden to the few Communist scum who ran the entire country from a dacha outside of Moskava. Putin probably doesn't even realize how close he came to being sent to the Gulag Archipelago. He survived purges, landing upright on his two feet. With any slight deviation, he would have been sent away, probably forever. Now he's the man; all are beholden to him and his whims. King Croesus comes to mind. Or Tutankamen. Or Genghis Kahn, or one of his Communist successors.
So, martial law. The definition is quite broad, depending on who defines the activities of the enforcers. Number 1: curfew- all citizens will have to adhere to a schedule of daily activities, movements among the populace will be severely controlled from dusk to dawn. If discovered by police(army troops), one is subject to arrest or possibly shot on sight. Forget any normal life. Businesses and schools will be shuttered, professional offices closed to activities. The net result, a flood of refugees will flee; locals without options will seek a life elsewhere very quickly, and Putin will inherit a desert.
Sad for the Ukainians, sad for what was once a Russya with a future. Now the entire population of Russya(129 million) will be branded as inhumane puppets of a dictator, pawns to new czar, and skulking robot followers of a madman.
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| I am your leader:follow me |
The Dubs, aka Warriors of San Francisco/Golden State, started the long road to 2023. They played their first game at home in the gorgeous venue Chase Stadium. The fans were treated to vintage Warriors: Performances by the starting 5 did not disappoint. Steph Curry played with grace, determination, verve, and high art/ballet. LeBron James displayed his remarkable talents again. The Lakers tried to make it a contest but the Dubs never let the game get out of hand. Looks to be a great season for Golden State and all their fans.
Now if only Draymond Greene can control his temper.
The 5-Year Show is winding down in Beijing. 2500 delegates are getting a little tired of the hoopla surrounding dictator-for-life Xi Jin Ping. The architect of China's present and future has consolidated his hold on this country of 1.3 billion citizens. Despite the zero Covid policy, the population somehow continues to exist. With sudden and widespread lockdowns, large swaths of the country are ordered to stay home during outbreaks of the Covid virus. These fractious orders from Beijing's central command post, impose harsh conditions on everyone affected. People can't go to work, can't shop, and must depend on the government for their immediate survival. It's not pretty, and it appears the populace is starting to crack under the pressure. Just this past weekend a banner denouncing XiJP was hung over a freeway and showed up on social media, for a short while. It didn't take too long for the banner to be scrubbed from all outlets.
Additionally, China seems to rattle the West Pacific realm with intimations of a move against Taiwan, which, like the pseudo-Communist nut case in the Kremlin, lets the world know where China wants to be sometime soon. It won't be long before China starts to move against its neighbor to the north, the Russyan Bear. As the climate warms, more arable land appears ready for planting near and north of the Amur River valley in Russya's vast eastern Siberian provinces. Now already home to 5 million Chinese farmers, this area will eventually be claimed as ancestral Chinese property expropriated by some long-dead czar or Communist dictator. It will pass to China without much fuss.
As the 2500 delegates start packing their overnight bags, Xi JP will return to Tianamen Square where his house-bound Yes-Men will offer sincere congratulations for a job well done. NYT pundit, Bret Stephens, wrote a letter to Xi in today's paper, thanking him for his role in making it obvious why the world still looks to the West for guidance, and the rest avoid any thought of teaming up with Communists or pseudo-Communists(Russyans).
No doubt even the trained soldiers know a loser when they see one. And it's in Ukraine where the Big Loser is the Russyan Army, led by incompetents from top to bottom.
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| Yes, I'm From the Holy Trinity:Help us |
Yes, These secret commndos were sighted near the Dnipro River, no doubt to aid the crossing of Russyan soldiers(recruits) who needed immediate assistance since all bridges were bombed by the Russyan air force awhile back. As the worm has turned against the "Special Operation". All the Kremlin Sychophants are hiding from Mad Vlad, afraid they'll be singled out as responsible parties to the disasters befalling the incompetent armies in the field down south. Even the Kremlin's friends in Belarus are getting a little nervous as the EU sharpens its focus on those who support the invasion of a sovereign nation. The Little Idiot now claims that the provinces he overran in February of this year are now Russyan territories, 100%.
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| Send More Troops, Vlad, We Need Help Now |
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| Vlad, It's Mom:Call Home |
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| Uncle Vlad Call Me |
Viva Ukraine.
So, the special operation being conducted in Ukraine by Putin's army is faltering on all fronts. His legions are reeling, falling back across the Dnipro R. in confused disarray. Casualties are significant, and the survivors are demoralized. How to fix this? Kremlin advisors have suggested expanding the draft to add more soldiers to the gutted field army in Ukraine. Initially, recruitment was carried out in the traditional manner: appeals to Mother Russya; appeals to patriotism; appeals to history(The great Patriotic War). These efforts produced 2 or 3 conscripts/volunteers. Then, the shocking truth hit the Kremlin like a sledge hammer. The result: mass "gathering" of volunteers. Homeless shelters became targets for recruiters where residents were forcibly herded into waiting trucks. Prisons were emptied of offenders of minor crimes. And vodka drinkers were casually escorted to waiting trains for a trip to the training battalions. And then, these new-found "recruits were sent to--------the frontlines, some with guns, some not with guns. Welcome to the "New" Russyan army, led by old, fat, vodka swillers living in luxury in Moskava. Oh, Vladimir Vladimirovich: what have you done to Russya?
Most recently, you've stepped up your assault on Ukraine's infrastructure, in addition to its civilian population. Only yesterday, a 36 year old doctor was on her way to work in Kyiv when a missile destroyed her vehicle, killing her. An apartment house was struck by a drone, smashing a number of apartments. These drones really are model airplanes built by Iran and sold to the Russyan army for use in Ukraine. Much cheaper to use than advanced cruise missiles. These drones are easily thwarted with ground fire from armed infantry units.
And, as winter approaches, the Kremlin and Kyiv prepare their citizens for the long, cold months ahead. New sanctions will continue to pour onto the heads of Russyan citizens as they wrestle with abuse foisted upon them by Mad Vlad. The old Goat, aged 70, is suffering late -life anxieties and doubts, consoled somewhat by his young partner, the mother of his baby twins. It won't help; it never does. The end is nigh for Mad Vlad.
So, Alex Jones, the carney shill from Austin, Texas, lost in court, again. (more loses to come!). The judge in the punitive damages trial awarded the plaintiffs almost a billion dollars, not an insignificant amount. The living, breathing scumbag, Mr. Jones, blew off the award with a challenge:"try to get it" message. He's scrambling to hide his millions behind shell companies and declarations of bankruptcies, but in the end, this home-grown mental case will pay up, no matter his bleak future. His backers, those deranged individuals who attach their fantasies to a pathetic personality, will go along with his slide into obscurity. They will have to find another Texan who can give voice to their perverted dreams and otherwise shallow lives.
An excellent recap of Jones' career was written in an NYT column, describing his rise as a "bloviating" red-faced liar. It started in 1995, awhile ago, really. But, as can happen, given the microphone of internet connections, he was able to fool the gullible, uneducated fringe that seems to have grown over the years in a society broken by political hacks for whom truth is not a factor in their work. Jones is more than a despicable human being; he's a terrorist, picking on the weak and down trodden among the public. We know these folks, decent persons, suffering from tragedies beyond their control. The weak legal structure offers little protection from these mongers of conspiracies that stretch belief by any measure. First Amendment rights are trumpeted as inviolable, and hence they pursue the goal of convincing a few sad cases that there could be some truth/facts among their many statements.
Will his career go down into history as yet another example of aberrant behavior? We hope so.
My,my. Mad Vlad must be experiencing some indigestion. After commandos blew up his bridge across the Kerch Strait, Vlady talked with his yes-men and they advised sending a "strong" statement to Volodimir Zelensky in Kyiv. Results: 90+ cruise missiles were directed at targets across Ukraine, hitting a multitude of targets including civilian sites. However, 50+ missiles were intercepted, softening the impact of the barrage. International outrage was swift and broad-based. The Kremlin is now seen as struggling to accept the failed effort to bring Zelensky's government to its knees. The citizens are more resolute than ever, and the Ukrainian army continues to march forward sending the ragtag Russyan army reeling in disarray.
All of this makes clear that Putin erred. His desire for a successful annexation without local or international resistance has not happened. The isolated idiot will not have a successful birthday party number 70. His arteries are clogged with old borscht and bad vodka. His brain is showing signs of early onset dementia and Alzheimers. His food tasters are probably afraid to taste anything put in front of them. His domestic partner probably is looking for a way out. And his friends in Beijing aren't answering his email pleas for arms.
And winter will begin soon.
