HAMAS Political Leader Killed in Tehran

         So, HAMAS wants to play rough with Israel. Well, now HAMAS is learning some new parts of the "Game".  Stir up a hornets nest- get ready. Oh, by the way, Hezbollah in Lebanon figured they could add to Israel's woes by lobbing a few rockets into northern Israel without repercussions.  Hmmmm, how has that worked out? Well, Israel responded to a missile strike by Hezbollah by sending in a larger missile aimed at a structure holding the 2nd in command of the terrorist organization. The large missile destroyed a multi-story building in a suburb of Beirut.  Israel claimed responsibility for killing a leader of the group. 

Wildfire Roars Across Northern California

     The Park Fire, now burning more than 600 square miles, continues to burn with only a 14% containment situation. The alleged arsonist appeared in Butte County superior Court today and was ordered held without bail. The perp is a 3-time loser with a long rapsheet that includes prison time, probation, and a recent arrest for a DUI. The 42-year old could face a long prison time for arson under 3-Strikes.  It's one thing to start a fire, and quite another to start the 6th largest in the state's history.

Jamie Vance Comes to Nevada

      Vice presidential candidate, James Vance, arrives in Nevada today to give a campaign speech. Will anybody show up to hear his drivel? Will he spout his real position or will he spout republican Party dogmatic positions based on the Orange-haired baboon? Now that the cat is out of the bag and the true James Vance has been exposed, the Republican Party will soon realize its error by allowing the standard bearer Trumpie to pick his own running mate. What a mistake. The Orange hair picked a loser, a babbling sycophant. Maybe if he shaved he'd have a chance.

         One of his law school classmates has revealed numerous emails that Vance sent to her a few years ago.   She feels that they will help to illuminate the "true" Vance, not the current empty suit Vance.

     The Silver State doesn't need the like of Vance. 

Ivan Flies to South America

       What's a Russyan to do when hedisagrees with Mad Vlad's war on Ukraine and the insatiable appetite for more cannon fodder?  Hmmmm. Well, first, Ivan has had restrictins placed on his movements outside of Putin's oligarchy: European countries will no longer allow any Russyan's to slink across their borders without visas that are next to impossible to obtain. America? Forget it: Russyans-Nyet.

       How about Turkey? How about the UK? King Charles III- not so friendly after some nasty press regarding Novichuk and a couple of former Russyans. So, Ivan has few options if he wants to flee. Then , with a stroke of luck, Ivan heard from a friend: Brazil and Argentina do not require visas to visit. Come on; check it out. Soon, Ivan and his family were flying to the West- in this case: Argentina, where many Europeans fled decades ago to avoid that nasty little Nazi.  Ivan and his family chose to settle and live in a city called Florianopolis where they found many other former Russyans. Soon, they found friends; found work, found a new life distant from the sad, sad place they were willing to abandon to avoid the dictator and his kleptomaniacs in charge in the Kremlin.

     In addition, other Russyans have chosen to settle in Brazil- a larger country with an amazing landscape, so different from the land they left: Siberia, the Arctic; the taiga, the frozen wastes, the Gulag; and the Kremlin.  Maybe he would have stayed but after 24 years of VOVA, enough. Hundreds of Russyans just like them have abandoned the country run by kleptomaniacs.  The once proud nation has slipped into pariah status without any hope for a future.

    Happy Summer.

Jamie Vance Meets Mass Media

        Of course, Jamie thought he could handle it-the media/Press. He wrote a memoir(who does that @ age 32?-ans. Narcissus, that's who). So, he's in the public eye(s): a senatorial candidate and ultimate winner of a seat, representing the State of Ohio, despite being a resident of San Francisco where his wife worked until a month ago.

      He's on the campaign trail; a new path, divergent from the former path that had two old geezers wobbling around the country, scaring little children and a few grand parents, too. Jamie figured this would be a cake walk, eezy-peezy. Old Joe would be humbled, the Dems also humiliated for putting Old Joe through the wringer. And then-lightning struck- Dems worked the back rooms, the back doors, the back of the room. Nancy, Chuck, Obama, Jimmy Carter, Barbara Boxer, all put their best efforts together and Joe withdrew from the campaign, stating it was time to turnover the reins to the next generation: Kamala Harris' generation. She is the new face of the Democratic Party running for the White House in 2024.

       So Jamie doesn't have to worry about debating Kamala; now he faces an unknown. However, one can expect he'll face someone with a lot more experience; someone whose resume wasn't plumped up by a tech billionaire; someone who knows where he stands, then and now. Someone who's not a chameleon, wandering the environment, adapting as necessary to conditions as they are encountered. His adoptive father, Trumpie will now question his choice for VP. He will probably dump Jamie before the election and pickup a woman VP who can stand up to Kamala.

      Which Democratic governor will Jamie have to debate? There's a few. But the most likely opponent will be: Mark Kelly. Good luck going up against this man. Jamie will cower like a hillbilly caught tapping Daddy's moonshine barrel. Jamie didn't know which daddy, so that never happened.

      And, oh, those speeches? Computers have them all, and they will be replayed, endlessly until he is defeated and sent back to his seat. Maybe he'll find work as a lawyer, but w/o legal experience he might just end up shuffling his wife's legal briefs from her home office somewhere in Ohio, not San Francisco.

Jamie, get a shave.  

California Fire

     350,000 acres at last count. That's a lot of space. Fortunately, the fire is in the agricultural sector of northern California-farmland, grasslands, with few structures. It has taken only about 20 structures and few homes. Many nearby residents have been evacuated, but few lives are threatened. It is high summer with attendant heat and hot weather. This fire will burn for awhile despite the best efforts of 26,000 firefighters on the ground and in the air. Don't overlook the pilots and crews who brave extremely hazardous conditions above the hottest zones as they drop tons of retardent ahead of the flames.

God bless all those men and women at their jobs. 

How is Putin Supplying His Army in Ukraine?

          Hmmmmmm. 30,000 man call up every month. Where do they come from? Hmmmmm. Maybe Siberia? Maybe prisons. Maybe immigrants? Hahahahahaha. Not a chance. Hundreds of thousands of Russyan men have fled the Steppe and the marshes for better weather. They don't believe in Mad Vlad's Czarist vision of a "Russya"; they want the old/new Russya where they had a sense of belonging in the world community, somewhere, anywhere. Not any more.

       Russya  and the Rus are collectively an international pariah, rejected by the West and its allies worldwide. Who wants to do business with this rogue state? NOBODY, that is, excepting the other rogue states of Iran, China, and North Korea. That alone tells a sad, sad story of how one little man can take down not just a nation, but a country with some serious history. Maybe not the most glorious history, but none the less, some.

      Now we have a nation wallowing in its own filth. Hobbling its people with tragedy and death after sending its youth to die in a foreign territory, for what? A FEVER DREAM at best. A Little MAD MAN takes over the culture. How does this happen? We see the evidence: restrict information; murder opponents; put dissenters in the Gulag to warn all the rest. This equals once modern Russya. The future of Russya is over. The brains are leaving, hoping to take refuge elsewhere, not on the Don River, not on the Steppe, and definitely not in the Frozen Wasteland of Siberia. China pays lip service to VOVA"s pleadings for more ammunition, etc.  Iran agrees with the Kremlin; then sends another barrage into Israel. North Korea welcomes the skinny little guy and sends him some parts for coffeemakers and microwave ovens. Hezbollah lobs a missile or two into Israel daily and then agrees to allow Russyan military units a comfort zone near a US installation.  Hmmmmmm. 

      VOVA has been at the helm now for over 24 years; he's not getting any younger.  71 years old and probably needs a nap. His buddy in MAr-A-Lago will now face off with a new candidate and will lose, again. Fat chance a Democrat will change policy on Ukraine.

      Oh, and why did VOVA replace his Defense Minister with an .....................Economist? Strange move, really. Desperate move many observers are calling it.  The numbers are not good in the Russyan economy, not at all.   Runaway inflation is what its called here; in the largest country in the world it's called fiscal adjustments. An example:

potatoes-----+91% price increase

white cabbage----+44%

Economy flight----+35%

Onions-------------+31%

Lamb meat--------+19%

Cold water supply-+12%

       Ivan down south in Ukraine is on the move as military strategy is in disarray. The European community has begun a new round of support, sending hundreds of millions of supplies to Kyiv. F-16 fighter jets will soon seek out Russyan targets, including ill-trained Ivans seeking shelter that doesn't exist.

    And the demographics dictate that the Kremlin doesn't have a future cohort of young men to send south-there aren't any there. Gone. Ivanka doesn't want to give birth to a son who will drink vodka and die in a foreign cesspool. Woe is Putin. Kremlin staff told reporters on Thursday they are working out new policies to contain inflation. Seems if one even mentions "inflation" in Moskva, one could end up with Evan Gershkovich, in jail for 16 years. Poor Evan-that Wall St. Journal's incarcerated, convicted, kidnapped prisoner who waits for freedom. Over a year in jail for what? Nothing.

   Ah , Russya. Yes, you all will pay, and history will not be kind to you and yours.

Whose Your Daddy?

         As psychologists have learned the search for a Daddy can be a lifelong quest. Some succeed. some do not. The Mayor is not a psychologist; the Mayor knows who his Daddy is; the Mayor has not searched for a father figure. VP candidate, Jamie Vance expressed his own search for Daddy. He has now succeeded: Trumpie is his new Daddy.

       

VP Kamala Harris' Ascends New Heights as Candidate

     Pres. Biden's vice president, Kamala Harris, has set a new record as donors showered her campaign with a record -setting $80 million dollars in 24 hours. She then began her campaign to claim a role as the Democratic Party's 2024 Presidential candidate. What a change. Seems like a sigh of relief could be heard across the fruited plain as hesitant voters were collectively soul searching for a good reason to vote their conscious and not the obvious choice.

      The Trump Campaign saddled with a 78-year old convicted felon who cannot under most circumstances speak a single truth. It's as though he's programmed by AI to mashup "alternative facts" created in his confused, ancient little brain.  No doubt, he was instructed to take on some youthful -looking VP candidate who really makes Trumpie look OLD, OLD, and very OLD.  Jamie 'JD' Vance, also known as the "Immoral Sycophant", has been propelled into the limelight by billionaire 'influencer' Peter Thiel, who spent millions of his own money to have Vance grab a US Senate seat at age 37, after he had JD hired by Thiel's friends in tech and finance for which he was hardly qualified at all. So now we have two unqualified rumpots running for the White House under the guise of being qualified by some low, low, standard of quality.

        Go for the gusto, Kamala, you cannot lose this contest. Good bye, DJT, off to the ash heap of history and all your disgusting career points go with you.

Pres. Joe Biden Withdraws From 2024 RAce for 2nd term

👀      From his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, the President announced he would no longer be a candidate for the 2024 Presidential election. His decision came after he was diagnosed with the Covid virus a few days ago and had been isolating from public and withdrew from the White House office.

      Over 40 House Democrats had called on him to withdraw given the status of the campaign and the amount of time left before election day in November. He added that he would support his Vice President Kamala Harris as a candidate as the DNC convention will soon convene in August.

     Meanwhile, the RNC will now unveil the backup plan to put in place if Pres. Biden did, indeed withdraw.  Now the Republicans will take a shotgun approach as they wait until a clear candidate emerges from the pool of possible candidates who will face former president DJT, recently declared the party candidate for 2024.

     Any candidate the Dems put up will have an excellent chance of defeating the Republicans' unstable party leader who has more baggage than a 100 car freight train. Apparently, the various legal travails of Mr. trump have been sidelined courtesy of the Supreme Court's ruling that a sitting president is immune from prosecution for "official acts" while in office. Federal Judge Aileen Cannon ruled that the documents case will not be heard until at least after the 2024 election. Jack Smith's case against Trumpie will also be postponed until after the election when a sitting president could cancel the entire case against himself.

     The American public is getting a law school lecture on the law that we live with that is guided by our Constitution, that document we as a democracy have relied upon for over 230 years. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts is the lead instructor on this seminar for all Americans. After overturning Roe V. Wade; after Citizens United, and others, we now know it's anew ballgame with SCOTUS.

     So, sports fans, as we move deeper into thesummer months, lots of political activities will struggle for out attention from now until election day. Are you ready? Get ready.

     Oh, and when will Trumpie remove the white gauze patch from his right ear? After Halloween? Christmas? New Years? Hmmmm. Maybe it will be permanent.

WSJ Reporter Sentenced in Russya

       Mad Vlad and Company exhibit true colors-all dark. The Kangaroos lived up to their astonishing reputation(s): they sentenced Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in a maximum security penal colony, no doubt deep in the Siberian plain/steppe.

     Ah, Russya: the country can't shake its Czarist past.

The Good Samaritan and the Cold Waters

        Ah, Summertime: get out of town and find a setting with natural beauty, comfortable weather, diminished crowds, and easy access to water-lake, stream, or river. Here in the High Sierra we have it all, in Tahoma alongside Lake Tahoe: The Gem of California. One can say a lot about the once 'Golden State" and despite modern day changes, the natural beauty found north and south, east and west, remains attractive. Maybe, too attractive.

      Yesterday afternoon/evening, the Mayor was at the beach and enjoying the calm water's edge with few vacationers still around. Looking east over the still waters, the Mayor observed a few paddle boarders taking in a late day exercise. Two had 2 persons on board, another was solo. They were off shore about 6-700 yards. After some few minutes, the Mayor observed two boarders take to the water and soon began to kick for the shore. Now the time has reached about 7:00pm, a time when few folks remain on the lake: it's dinnertime and they're tired of all the fun. Under close observation with binoculars, it appears to this viewer that not only are the 2 in the water, only one is making any effort to move the board toward shore- not good.

      Locals and many visitors know about water temperature and hypothermia, many do not. Soon the Mayor has a growing concern for these 2. Now enough time has passed, and the situation has changed: the element of danger is now in the equation- now it's decision time, Call for help or wait? Too much time has passed, and the sun is setting over the western edge of the rim.  The call is made: first to Meeks Bay Fire, house line. Recording only, closed for the day(admin). Next call: 9-1-1. 

     1st question: Why are you calling and what is your emergency? Appropriately, information is requested by the agency dispatcher. Simultaneously, the Mayor observes a jet ski speeding in the direction of the 2 boarders in the water. This is relayed to dispatch. In a minute, one boarder climbs aboard and the jet ski cranks the motor and heads into Meeks Bay shore. The lone person in the water clutches the side of the board. After the drop, the jet skier does a 180 turn and returns to the individual still in the lake. After arriving at the site, the swimmer/boarder is taken aboard with help, and then the board is attached with a line, also a large inflatable doughnut is fixed aboard. Then a quick trip back to the beach. A successful rescue.

     The 9-1-1 dispatcher asks if there's a need for more help. No, not at this time. Condition of the boarders is unknown, but the nearby fire station can handle any medical attention if needed. Thank you.

     At the same time, there are 2 other parties in the vicinity on their board(s), about 200 yards apart. Fortunately, conditions are ideal: no wind or stiff breezes, temperature(air) in the mid-seventies, and locations are easily observed and easily achieved. The jet skier returns w/o passengers and stops to assess both parties. Both decline assistance; skier returns, and both parties are soon picked up by boaters, no doubt were called by boarders themselves-ah, cell phones!

       So, a few happy folks have a story to tell with a happy ending. Newsworthy, sure. Unlike other timely reports from the Midwest/East.

Have a nice, safe day.

Not So Secret Service

       Well, Pres. Biden has Covid, again. Poor Joe, no luck, unlucky with a virus. But, with Paxlovid, it appears from recent news releases, he's managing as best as can be expected in his home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, not far from D.C. Meanwhile, the presidential watchdogs, aka., the Secret Service, is under increased scrutiny after a lapse of duty in Pennsylvania where candidate Trumpie was slightly wounded by a "lone wolf" would be assassin from a nearby Pennsylvania town.

     Videos are circulating on all media suggesting in graphic detail what was happening in the moment. We know Secret Service anti-sniper teams were positioned near the podium on which Trumpie was to speak to the crowd of supporters at the campaign rally.  Members of the audience became aware of the sniper's pre-positioning on a roof top well within range of the podium. Despite efforts to call attention to this threat, the Secret Service teams did not recognize the threat. We have also learned that local police force members were inside the same building.  This clearly a group leadership failure. The Chief of Police of the township and the head of the Secret Service must go: TODAY.

      These people Failed spectacularly in front of the whole world, including our world in the USA. Their must be at least minimum efforts to hold the leaders of these organizatoions responsible for the actions of their subordinates down the line. No excuses here; just obvious failure, after failure, after failure. Read: Incompetence. Too much business as usual. Oh, and don't forget the other big issue: weapon of choice: AR-15!

America's Murder Weapon of Choice. Keep up the good work, Chief Justice John Roberts, it's working. And your 2nd Amendment position-solid.

Jamie D. Vance, Author

       Well, Trumpie again grabbed some headlines. As the Repulsican Convention begins and his toadies line up to kiss his big fat ass, the RNC has engineered a high profile talking point when Trumpie announced his choice for the Vice-President's name on the ticket: James Vance, Senator from Ohio. Chubbie-faced, bewhiskered, former Ivy-leaguer, lawyer, some kind of veteran, and best-selling author. And that's not the half of it.

      He's a noted flip-flopper! One of the best at that game. Media outlets all over town are flashing his speeches when he denounced Trumpie.  Called him unfit. (2016+++). And then he was struck by an invisible light, guided by the Almighty, a light that removed the shadows and shades that "clouded" his Ivy League-trained brain. Now he could "SEE" the truth, God's truth in the MAGA movement. So, then, after several seconds of reflection, he hopped down to Mar-A-MAGA to ask/beg forgiveness.

     His efforts were rewarded with a 'ticket' on the 'train' back on track now as a full time supporter of the "Thomas" he doubted a short time before. He even had some great support among Trumpie influencers like Elon M.(who recently  endorsed Trumpie, as if he was an influencer). Then he was elected to the Senate; now he was someone with critical support where it counts: among the cabal of twisted Brains who have sway over legislation( for awhile). Then Flip Flopper was cast as a possible running mate; after vetting by Stephen Miller, et.al., James V. was announced as the VP. He will 40 years of age soon, but don't give him all the credit his lawyer wife has been pushing him behind the scenes from her law office in San Francisco where the family has lived for a number of years. (She quit her job there on the day of the announcement.) Ah, San Francisco, such a dichotomy of political influence and purpose: on the face -demonstrably liberal; but behind the face, critically conservative in a decisive way:$$$$$$.  

        So the May-September(or November) wedding is now complete. Trumpie can groom the Flip Flopper into his own image and wait for his young son to gain more experience in MAGA thought.

Big Day for Soccer Fans

       Well, sports fans, don't despair: today's championship contests will go ahead on schedule. Participants do not include any teams or players from the USA. Who is involved?

COPA Championship Game

Colombia V. Argentina

UEFA Championship Game

Spain V.  England

Times:

Noon (PDT)

4:00 pm

Results:

Spain 2,  UK-1

Argentina 1, Colombia 0

Country Band Appears in Tahoma

    As part of the summer music series in Tahoma, on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, local bands and groups play for summer residents and summer guests. Tonight's band is a special group:

LOCKED AND LOADED.

Don't miss it; admission free.

Trump at Rally in Pennsylvania

        So, shots fired, crowd dives to cover; Secret Service agents grab Trump, protecting him, and hustle him away from rally site. Pres. Biden expresses concern for former president. Few details emerge at this time except that the would be murderer was killed by local police and a bystander unfortunately was killed in the fusillade.

     Trump has not made a statement and had some facial cuts caused by flying glass. Media is going bonkers as can be expected. Congressional leaders are responding as necessary. Campaign operatives for both parties are processing the event to fit it into their campaign narrative.  Some loopy folks are already using the word martyr, demonstrating their ignorance. Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has issued a statement expressing concern.

     What will unfold at this point in time is hard to predict; however, Trump's campaign activities will become restricted, less open, more controlled, and definitely more cautious. Hmmm. and where and when will gun control advocates join the fray? And how about the NRA? And the ATF? 

      What will the new president of Iraq have to say? Or the new president of Harvard University or Columbia University? How about AOC?

Kangaroos Running Loose in Moskva

       It has been reported by reliable sources(not RT or Pravda) that a new infestation /plague has arrived on the Steppe/Siberian Plain/Ural Mts./White Sea/Black Sea/Lake Baikal/Vladivostok/Kamchatka Peninsula. A defined appearance has not been corroborated, only sketchy reports that describe these "'Roos" as monster-like apparitions, grotesque in the face(s), snowshoe-like feet/footwear, bulbous nose-appendages, ears like cabbages, dental work that would stop a train, tongues that flop like uncooked slabs of caribou, hirsute attachments everywhere-dread locks, matted, greased, odiferrous, gaseous as a pig pen, with bulging pig eyes streaked with red blood squiggles. These animals can now be found in every community.

        These animals live and work at the behest of the State, the central organization of life in this country, the largest country in the world where up is down, east is west, and yes means no. Sadly, these animals have official positions: they rule what passes for 'the Law' in this country. These animals make decisions that send real people away to faraway places, like the Kola peninsula in the Arctic.

      Lately, one of the animals decided to make a declaration: this animal issued an arrest warrant for the widow of a dead state prisoner-Alexsei Navalny. Fortunately, the widow is living outside of the largest country in the world. She is somewhat beyond the immediate reach of the animal's handlers-the FSB. However, as the world has come to know, her days are numbered. This mother of 3 fatherless children will be a target of state assassins, those roaming killers who work for the Kremlin, always under orders to carry out the wishes from those hideous beasts who live in fear of dissenters who speak truth, that foreign concept missing from the Steppe. She will live her life now, knowing her name is on the Kremlin's "hit list". She will lose sleep, she will cry for her children, she will mourn the loss of her murdered husband, tortured in a filthy cell in the Arctic Gulag, the last life stop of the condemned prisoners.

       The animals who make these decisions exist on vodka provided by the state. It helps a little to numb the reality of their monstrous lives, executing countrymen and country women who speak truth to power. Putin's twisted power.

      Yulia Navalnaya- we pray for your freedom from fear.

Where Are All the Californians Going?

   Hmmmm. Gov. Gavin Gruesom, erstwhile "roving" chief executive of the 'Golden State", has been hopping around the country, popping up here, there, and everywhere. He wants to be in the right place at the right time. He might even pop up near his ex-wife, the fiance of Donald Trump, Jr. Maybe Gavin should stay closer to home and answer a few questions. Such as: why are some California residents giving up their life on the Left Coast for "greener pastures" in Red States? Hmmmm. Are they not aware of Texas' hurricanes? Or Florida's October surprises? Or how about the tornadoes that plague the Mid-West? Oh, yes, we have earthquakes; who cares? We have prodigious wildland fires-very smoky, and scary. But other things scare Californians more.

      How about gasoline prices per gallon? Or my favorite: high insurance rates, if you can get a policy. The State had to form a policy of last resort as major insurers abandoned the state because the commissioner wouldn't allow them to raise rates( that many owners could not afford). How about poor schools? How about a terrible lack of affordable housing? How about street crime in large cities? Oh, pundits write, continuously, that major crimes are down(really?). Or how about those property taxes- one of the best if you bought your home 30 years ago and have a 3% mortgage; otherwise, you pay through the nose. 

     Oh, but California has META, and X, and Apple, and LAM Research, and some of TESLA. Oh, how about the wine country: Napa Valley, Sonoma Valley, Russian River Valley. And UC Berkeley and UC SF Medical School/Hospital. But, still, folks leave, and leave, and leave some more. What does this mean, in real numbers?

       How about adjusted gross income(AGI)? California LOST $23 billions, followed by New York-$14; Illinois-$9.8 billion, New Jersey-$5.3 billion, and Massachusetts-$3.9 billion. In 2022, California lost 3 times as much income as it did in 2019. 3 times  as much in only 3 years. How sad, really, for those left with a massive state deficit. Again: left with a massive state budget deficit to fill with...................TAXES!!!!!!.

      How about the costs of electricity.? This is nothing new; we ousted Gray Davis in a recall after we were fleeced by Enron and Texas. It's been going up higher and higher and home owners are screaming uncle-enough; we're outta here. Costs are 2-3 times as other states; and those still here keep paying more. Those sales taxes : 8-9+%- way over the top. And those income taxes: California taxes middle-income wage earners (9.3% at $68,350) higher than millionaires in most states. Restaurants must pay workers at minimum $20/hour. And then they want tips. Or they must add a health tax/fee.

      So Mr. Newsom: Please seek higher office and let us try to remold our state without you. Maybe then  folks will stop leaving and the homeless will go to Florida instead. Recal that you have a super majority in the state legislature: NOT A GOOD THING, Gavin. Look what you and them are doing to the "Once" Golden State.

Argentina Bests Canada

      Well, there were thousands of fans wearing the blue stripes of Argentina's flag tonight in the Meadowlands stadium. Yes, thee were some fans wearing red of Canada's team color.  Canadian fans were happy to be here in a venue with more than 80,000 fans attending the COPA semi final game. Many came to watch the "Flea", a moniker of Lionel Messi, the legendary boy wonder of South America's iconic team.

Messi did not disappoint: he scored a goal, he made several shots on goal, and he played full time. The Argentines will go to the final, again, and play the winner of Colombia v. Uruguay game. Canada will play in the third place game against one of those 2 teams.

Spain Victorious In Semi-Final

    After taking the lead on an own goal, Spain advances to the final. They will face the winner of England v. Netherlands . That contest will be a good game.

Final score:

Spain 2

France 1

Airports Crowded? A Record Set

       The Mayor joined over 3 million fellow travelers over the 4th of July long weekend. On Sunday, TSA reported over 3 million passengers passed through security gates on their way to their aircraft seats: a record number. The actual number was about 3.01 million passengers. Early flights were almost full, and most other flights were fully booked. It was busy, especially airline hubs. Adding to the mix were Europeans ahead of the August vacay period-a Euro tradition.

Russya Attacks Childrens Hospital in Kyiv

    In a merciless assault against humanity, the Russyan military operation in Ukraine rained down missiles indiscriminately on Kyiv. Many citizens were killed, and many more wounded. One target was a Childrens Hospital in the city. A substantial portion of the building holding over 600 patients -all children was severely damaged. Staff members were observed pulling victims from the rubble, many children were missing.

      The missile attack clearly underscores the vicious attitudes of the Russyan military leaders in Moskva who are controlled by Mad Vlad in the Kremlin. The Little Dictator, recently returned from a tour of China where he asked for continued Chinese arms to support his assault on Ukraine. He also visited Vietnam to embrace that regime. 

      Summer is on in the northern hemisphere and ground troops can move without restriction by the weather. The U.N. is investigating this assault on the Children's Hospital.

France V. Espagna: Halftime 2-1

       Fans have seen some scoring: how about that? Seems like this tournament has had few goals from the field. Favorite Spain has provided some aggressive moves  all over the pitch. France' Mbappe' has been moving with his usual quickness but has yet to find the net. Espagna has the youngest scorer in EURO Cup history: Tamal-age 16 and 361 days. Impressive. teammate Omol scored later(OG) to put the Spaniards up 1.

2nd Half about to start

Trump's Assistant's Case Goes Forward

      Federal Judge Aileen Cannon  is in charge of the federal documents case involving classified government papers that were taken by President Trump when he left office. Those documents were found at Trump's resort hotel in Florida where Trump maintains a residence. The F.B.I. investigating the location of missing documents were sent to Mar-A-Lago to search for documents that the National Archives office believed  were removed from the White House in an unlawful manner and kept secretly at the resort.

     An attorney for the personal assistant-Mr. Nauta, Mr. Stanley Woodward,Jr., claimed that the judge was prejudiced against him and his client. She rejected that claim and has allowed the case to go forward. The case also involves another employee of Trump, Carlos De Oliveira, who is seen on camera footage helping Nauta carry cases of documents inside Mar-A-Lago to another location in the building.

     Trump's lawyers have filed motions to have the case against the Ex-President to be dropped in light of the Supreme Court's ruling that the President is immune from prosecution for actions while in office. The decision has upended almost all the cases filed against Mr. Trump. And so it goes when one "packs" the Court with 'Toadies' as is the case here.

Chicago: The Windy City and Then

      So, Chicago, an iconic American city in the heartland of America. A city built on the backs of American workers. Located on the south shores of Lake Michigan, this city has a reputation for lots of different attributes. However, there's another thing it has become noted for: violent crime.

     Sadly, the political establishment has been unable to control the violence. Over the 4th of July holiday weekend-a long one indeed, there were 100 victims of shootings with 20 fatalities, including several women and children. Most of the violence occurred in Chicago's South Side neighborhood, and area of low income residents and high numbers of criminal activities. The Mayor of Chicago has asked the federal government for immediate assistance in combating this new situation in the form of additional police numbers. Can the Feds help? They were called into San francisco to combat drug dealers who flaunted the laws. Temporarily, they reduced the incidence of drug sales and drug related crimes. Then they left the City to its own devices. The drug trade resumed operations.

     If Chicago has any hope at all, it will include a multi-faceted task force charged with changing a culture of crime that has existed for decades in the South Side. Maybe a half century of more. And the Democratic Convention will soon join the activities in the city. Good luck, Chicago-you'll need all of it.

Big Day By the Bay

       Well, sports fans, Sunday in the City was something yesterday: The Pride Parade-a City tradition, and the Giants v. Dodgers, Game 3 of a 3-Game series. Also, the weather was perfect: suny, warm, with a slight breeze. The crowds arrived from all over the state and nation to add to the various festivities. Bars and restaurants were hopping. The Mayor drove down for the game and was not disappointed: the Giants rebounded after a Game 2 loss(14-7 in extra innings!) and the bats came alive again, scoring 9 runs early to put the Dodgers-the 1st place team, in a deep hole from which they couldn't dig their way out from.

     On a sad note for local Giants fans, the team announced the passing of a famous Giants player: Orlando Cepeda, a super star Hall of Fame player who joined Willie Mays on the team in the late '50's. He became an MVP and was on the World Series winning team in 1967 with the St. Louis Cardinals, He still owns the team RBI record of 147 in 1 season, a remarkable number. He played 1st base and the outfield. He was a Latin from Puerto Rico and was considered a hero at home. He loved San Francisco and enjoyed its night life and cultural variety. He was 86 years old.