Trump Pressured Still Another Foreign Head of State to Assist in Investigating the Mueller Inquiry

It apparently has been revealed that Trump requested Australia's leader to assist Attorney General Barr in investigating the origins of Mueller's Inquiry.

This guy seems to literally feel that everyone in the world owes him a personal favor, and should be thankful for his existence.

He knows absolutely no limits to his false sense of entitlement, nor to the lenths that he is willing to abuse his power to get his way.

Indeed, this is why we have laws in place against exactly this kind of thing, this kind of abuse of power. Let us make sure that, when this is actually being tested, as it clearly is now, we make sure that this system of checks and balances actually works, and cuts a big fat cat off at his knees, before he can do any more damage. 

God knows he has done more than enough damage to the country, and indeed to the world, already!

Trump Pressed Australian Leader to Help Barr Investigate Mueller Inquiry’s Origins The discussion was another instance of the president using American diplomacy for potential personal gain.   by Mark Mazetta and Katie Banner, September 30, 2019:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/30/us/politics/trump-australia-barr-mueller.html?fbclid=IwAR3hTqL1PQDAzRKvlmlY7a8_F5hoggLppkzgkTJIAAjArIAZbhVjHnHIZes#click=https://t.co/HNFx7TF5aI

Luke Skywalker Completely Trashes the Trumps

Ivanka Trump just posted a picture of her and her criminal husband, Jared Kushner, in formal evening dress, with the caption:

The Force is strong in my family.

Clearly, this is a Star Wars themed tweet for her apparently 7 million followers. I was surprised to know that she had 7 million followers, frankly. But then again, it still drops me to think that tens f millions of Americans still support the obvious, complete asshole who's in charge currently at the White House.

Anyway, that is clearly going to garner some attention. And since the presumptuous Trumps are always flattering themselves, and have such an undeservedly high profile, you just knew that there were going to be some people who trashed this tweet, and tore into them.

But it is extra rich when the person who contradicts the Trump's claims of some measure of superiority, with claims of being particularly strong in the Force, is the name and the face and the voice of the most famous Jedi warrior of them all.

Yes, Mark Hamill had something to say about the Trumps, and Ivanka's ridiculous "joke" that the Force is strong in her family. Here is what he tweeted in response:

Mark Hamill ✔ @HamillHimself  You misspelled "Fraud."#GoForceYourself https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump/status/1178127374078140416 …

Hamill is, of course, quite busy these days. The last installment of the Star Wars Skywalker saga is coming out in just a few months, and Hamill will be busy as one of the major actors in the movie. Also, he will be doing promotions and such, of course. And this man, who is well known for having played Luke Skywalker, and for being the voice of the Joker in the Batman animated series, nevertheless regularly takes some time out to comment on the horrific political situation in this country currently, and trying to remind everyone of just who Donald Trump, and the entire Trump family, frankly, really are: frauds.

Now, that is great slapdown and, I might argue, a powerful Jedi mind trick, to counter the arrogant and loud self-congratulations of members of the Trump family by reminding them of what they actually are most known for the world over. 

Like daughter, like father.

Personally, I am glad that we have a wise Jedi Master who so easily and effortlessly parried their ridiculous excuse for a charm offensive by revealing an obvious exposure, even though many in this country do not want to be reminded of what this absurd family actually is.

Bravo!

Mark Hamill zings Ivanka Trump for 'Star Wars' tweet BY JUDY KURTZ - 09/30/19:

https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/in-the-know/463617-mark-hamill-zings-ivanka-trump-for-star-wars-tweet?fbclid=IwAR3bSHAoKlKaL0HqPWejDy3DypZR8h1NWtjNd6kRXHa9llG6yumagwIOPUY

⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain 1, Bordeaux 0 ⚽️

⚽️ ⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain 1, Bordeaux 0 ⚽️  ⚽️ 

Paris Saint-Germain - Bordeaux ( 1-0 ) 

So, it did not take long for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to get back on track, after a letdown loss at home last week to Stade de Reims.

Once again, for the third time in four games, PSG star Neymar scored the game's only goal to lift his team to victory. This time, his goal came in the 70th minute.

PSG's win once again sees them alone atop the Ligue 1 standings with 18 points in their eight games thus far, two points ahead of Angers and Nantes.

UEFA Champions League group stage match against Turkish club Galatasaray Spor Kulübü on Tuesday, befoe resuming regular Ligue 1 play when they visit Angers on Saturday.

NFL 2019-20 Week 4 Preview

Two battles of unbeaten teams this week, as the 3-0 Chiefs visit the 2-0-1 Detroit Lions, while two unbeaten teams in the AFC East, the Pats and the Bills, square off today in Buffalo.

The Packers already got knocked from the ranks of the unbeaten teams on Thursday. Most likely (barring the unlikely scenario of another tie), two teams will be joining them during these battles between unbeatens. Will other undefeated teams fall this weekend, to boot? Will dome of the remaining winless teams finally earn their first win? And will some of the teams in between take steps towards joining the ranks of the elites, or perhaps will they go the other way, edging towards a season of an abyss?

Let's take a closer look at the upcoming games this weekend:



N.Y. Giants at Washington – This suddenly is a big game for the Giants, who are looking to win their second game in a row. They got blasted in their previous divisional game in Dallas in the season opener, but they have a real shot here in this one. Washington still is reeling from a tough loss against Chicago, and they had a short week to prepare for this one. Their offense is not producing particularly well, although the G-Men’s defense has been  But Washington is a team that is having some serious problems right now, and they have to be reeling. New York should be feeling good about themselves, having won their first game last week, and finally showing what that offense is capable of. Can they do it again this week, though? That is the big question. If they can, they should be able to pull off a solid road win and make their season very relevant. If not, then they will likely lose and be tied again for last place in the division, and with a dismal outlook for the rest of the season. Meanwhile, Washington just wants to get their first win, obviously, and especially against Big Blue, a team that they likely feel they should beat. Huge game! My pick: N.Y. Giants              

Oakland at Indianapolis – The Colts seem to have a real quarterback at the helm. They also seem to have salvaged a season that looked in disarray just a few weeks ago, after Luck retired, and when their present seemed uncertain. But Jacoby Brissett really seems to have that offense rolling. Plus, they have a decent defense, which gives them a shot in the division, and to remain in the playoff picture. They are especially tough at home, and they are facing a Raiders team that is, once again, experiencing problems. Their defense is looking vulnerable, and the offense just has not been able to fully get things going. Not hard to make this prediction in favor of the home team. My pic: Indianapolis              

Tennessee at Atlanta – This is actually a very important game for both teams. Each one is 1-2, and desperately wants to avoid going 1-3. The Titans are falling behind the Texans and the Colts, and cannot afford to give up more ground. Ditto for the Falcons, who have fallen behind New Orleans, and need to keep the divisional race as close as possible. Tennessee is a tough physical team, and they shocked people with their offensive explosion in the first game. But they have scored 24 points combined in the last two games, and their offense is really struggling again. They were able to keep the game close against the Colts, but then got soundly beaten by Jacksonville. With their offensive struggles, they need to rely heavily on their defense, which will have their hands full against the Falcons for this game. Both teams have their problems, but Atlanta’s offense, particularly quarterback Matt Ryan, coupled with their considerable home field advantage, should pull them through in the end. My pick: Atlanta              

Cleveland at Baltimore – The Ravens fought hard and kept in the game at Kansas City last weekend. But they do return home, which should prove to be a benefit to them. They are familiar with the Browns, but that works both ways. The Browns still are expected to be a new and exciting team, but the Ravens defense is known to frustrate opposing offenses. Plus, their own offense is not horrendous, and that means that the Browns will have an extremely difficult game to try and beat the division leaders. It could happen, but safe money still seems to be on the Ravens. My pick: Baltimore              

Kansas City at Detroit – Well, the Chiefs are one of the very hottest teams in the league, which is no surprise. What is a surprise is that Detroit also looks like one of the hot teams in the league, sporting an unbeaten record of 2-0-1. This is the toughest test yet this season for both teams. The Lions have home field, which should help them. But they will have a very tough time trying to contain Mahomes and that dangerous KC offense. In fact, Detroit has been susceptible to allowing too many points for comfort this season. That is not a comfortable weakness to have when you are about to face one of the most explosive offenses in the entire league. I think this will be a good game, and likely an offensive shootout. But in the end, there is a reason why the Chiefs usually win those kinds of games, and they should do it again this Sunday in the Motor City. My pick: Kansas City              

Jacksonville at Denver – The Broncos have not had much fun so far this season, losing all three games that they have played. They have played respectably in each game, but no, they have not managed to win one just yet. But now, the Jaguars come into town, and they are 1-2, and probably quite beatable. Sure, Jax won last weekend, finally earning their own first win after hosting Tennessee. The Jaguars themselves have looked surprisingly tough this season, responding respectably to the challenge of opening the season at Kansas City, barely losing to the Texans, before dominating the Titans last week. So, I think both teams are going to fight hard in this one, and this really could go either way. But my guy tells me that, with home field advantage in the thin Rocky Mountain air at Mile High, the home team should finally get their first win of the season. My pick: Denver              

Minnesota at Chicago – Boy! What a game this is going to be! Rarely do you see a battle between the two bottom teams in a division as hotly anticipated, and with as much relevance, as this one. But the Vikings and Bears are no ordinary last place teams, even just entering the fourth week of the still young season. They both are 2-1, and both still very much feel that they have a legitimate shot at not only a playoff berth, but a division title. After all, whoever wins will be at least tied for second place, and if the Lions lose at Green Bay, whoever wins this one will be in sole possession of second place, just a game behind the Packers. Yet, whoever loses will also lose their winning record, and will be assured of sole possession of last place in a tough division a quarter of the way through this season. So, clearly, there is a lot at stake in this one. The Vikings so far look like the better, more complete team. They have a solid offense, with a strong running attack. Plus, their defense is quite good. Da Bears have a better defense, but their offense is also more of a liability than it is for the Vikings. That offense looked very good at Washington during the first quarter on Monday Night Football, but then stalled and struggled yet again in the second half, when they needed to try and stop the bleeding during Washington’s decent comeback bid. Chicago did win, but not as easily or automatically as perhaps they should have, given that they took a 28-0 lead at one point in the second quarter. Minnesota, meanwhile, has played well in every game. Even that one loss at Green Bay had one silver lining, because they came back strong to make what was shaping out to be a blowout win for Green Bay suddenly turn into a close game. So, the Vikings, I feel, are the slightly better team. But the Bears do have home field advantage, which could really help them here. Yet, it could also possibly hurt, because Trubitsy seems to allow the fans vocal frustrations to get into his head, which could happen again If the Bears offense struggles yet again. My guess is that the Vikings find a way to squeak by in this contest. My pick: Minnesota

New England at Buffalo – Another battle of unbeatens. This one is huge, as the winner takes sole possession of the AFC East lead early in the season. Buffalo has one of the strongest defenses in the league, and they do have home field advantage. But then again, New England are the defending champions, and a virtual dynasty, for a reason, right? They have looked incredible in their first three to open up the season, and they have superior experience, and perhaps talent. The Bills will likely have their hands full, and in the end, I expect that the Pats still find a way to get it done. Some things never seem to change, and until the Bills actually finally beat the Pats, there will always be legitimate questions about just how much they have turned things around. My pick: New England           

Carolina at Houston – The Panthers finally got their first win of the season. That is good, because they likely cannot realistically expect to win this one, or keep up with all of Houston’s weapons. The Texans should be a solid contender for the playoffs and a division title this year, and may even have a chance to make a run deep into January in the playoffs. When they are on, they are tough to beat, and Carolina having to go on the road, with the question marks surrounding Newton and the offense, and the overall struggles for the Panthers thus far, should prove too much. Hard to predict anything but a victory by the home team in this one. My pick: Houston              

L.A. Chargers at Miami – The Chargers were in trouble, after having dropped two straight games. It was a disappointing loss at Detroit, followed by a home loss to the Texans. But they probably have the cure to what ails them, at least this week by facing the Dolphins. Sure, on any given Sunday, one team could beat, or even shock, another. But the Chargers know the importance of winning this game to get back on the right track, and the Fins just do not have many weapons to try and keep up with L.A.. The Chargers have a tough defense, which will likely keep Miami to a low score. And the Chargers have an elite quarterback in Rivers, and a tough offense generally speaking. Cannot predict anything but a Chargers win here, heading into this week’s games. My pick: L.A. Chargers              

Seattle at Arizona – The Seahawks lost to New Orleans last week, although at least they made a game out of it, after looking like they were going to get blown out. They have a solid offense that can be explosive, and still are tough on defense. While the Cardinals themselves have proven a bit tougher than most expected them to be, they still simply do not have enough to be seriously competitive this season. Seattle definitely does not want to lose a second game in a row, and fall even farther behind to either the Rams or the 49ers, or perhaps likely both. So, they need this win, and I believe they will get it. My pick: Seattle              

Tampa Bay at L.A. Rams – This should not be much of a match-up, frankly. The Bucs have some weapons and shown some signs of potential improvement, and they had a solid offensive game last week. But they are still 1-2, and clearly struggle to get the better of other teams. The Rams are one of the most complete teams in the league, with an elite offense, and a surprisingly tough, albeit underrated, defense. Maybe if this game was in Tampa, I might scratch my head (although most likely not) in determining who will come out on top. But in Los Angeles, it is really hard to see the Bucs even making much of a game of this one, unless the Rams have a major letdown. My pick: L.A. Rams                        

Sunday Night Football - Dallas at New Orleans – Another huge game! Undefeated Dallas has looked awesome thus far, but this is clearly their biggest test to date this season. The Saints are good, even without Brees, but they also enjoy home field advantage. Now, the Cowboys are going to benefit by the absence of Brees, but will that be enough? This is a tough one to call, and I could see this going either way in a tight contest. But if I had to put money down, it would be on the home team. My pick: New Orleans               

Monday Night Football – Cincinnati at Pittsburgh – A couple of matches between unbeaten teams this week, so it is no shock that there is also a battle of winless teams. Both teams clearly have their share of problems so far this season. Yet, both teams have come close to winning, but just have not yet managed to seal the deal. Traditionally, the Steelers have basically owned the Bengals in recent years, and they do have home field advantage. Also, they are likely the better, more complete team overall. Would love it if I am wrong on this one, but my guess is that the black and gold pull off the win. My pick: Pittsburgh    

Donald Trump & Administration Keep Unraveling While Impeachment Proceedings Loom Large Over Washington

Ah, yes. We kind of expected some kind of impeachment proceedings against this president in particular, did we not?  

And yes, we also all knew what his reaction was going to be, surely, right? I mean, this guy has a meltdown whenever someone expresses any opinion that does not translate to kissing his big, rich, fat ass. We have grown very used to his childish tantrums, particularly with those ridiculous tweets that even many, if not most, of his political allies cannot stand. So we knew that he was going to have a bit of meltdown.  

But we could not expect him to release material that would actually condemn him and his actions and prove the case against him was spot on, despite him boldly claiming that it would prove his innocence. After all, this is a man who claimed that the Mueller Report totally exonerated him, even though Robert Mueller himself made a point of saying that it did not, and even when we saw several high-ranking members of the Trump White House go on trial and receive prison time for crimes committed.  

Many are now suggesting that Trump has become completely unhinged. Of course, this is not the first time that such reports have come out. And who can blame those who made those reports, since, indeed, Trump’s behavior tends to lend many to feel that he has indeed come unglued.  

Yet this time is apparently different. Many top advisers in the White House itself are privately worried, especially as these proceedings continue. They fear that Trump’s behavior may compromise him, and that he either might say or do something to damage his own case, or perhaps his own credibility as an actual competent, functioning president.  

As if he had not already done that on an everyday basis for nearly three years since taking office.  

One thing that seems surprising is how fast this whole thing is going. Think about it: a week and change ago, hardly anyone had heard much of anything about this conversation between Trump and Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky. Just as a humorous aside, apparently Ukrainians themselves are now referring to their president as “Monica Zelensky.” Apparently, he is hardly pleased about this. Yet, let’s face it: the nickname kind of fits, with the degree to which he was kissing Trump’s ass and corroborating every part of Trump’s version of the story. Besides, that is pretty much what a desperate president in need of immediate military assistance that only Trump can provide right now would do, right?  One thing for sure: Trump is absolutely livid with all of the leaks that have sprung from his White House. But you have to admit that it is kind of funny that this man, who demands loyalty no matter what, is paying for his own lack of loyalty. After all, there is never any hesitation on any part to throw anyone else and everyone else under the bus, if he thinks that it will save his own skin.  

There have been a lot of leaks with this White House, perhaps more than any other presidency that we have ever seen. Remember, this whole whistleblower controversy is nothing new, because there was a whistleblower regarding Trump’s personal tax returns. And let’s face it: there have been leaks for all manner of embarrassing episodes regarding this pathetic man, the so-called “leader” of this country, and the conduct of so many within his administration, not least of all his own ridiculous, immature conduct.  

What I find strange is how much this story seems like a slam dunk, depending on who you ask. If you ask Trump supporters, he did nothing wrong, there is nothing in what he said that warrants impeachment or any serious action, even, whatsoever, and all of this will work to Trump’s advantage come election time. Hell, many Republicans are claiming that Democrats simply cannot beat him, so they are trying desperately to do whatever they can to discredit him, as if he has not already made a point of discrediting himself.  

But there are others on the other side who think that this is a slam dunk going the other way. Many who cannot stand Trump seem to feel that this is virtually in the bag, with some even hoping that Trump might be gone from the Oval Office come Christmas. Frankly, while that would be a nice holiday gift for so many people all around the world, it hardly seems at all likely. Some are hoping that he will simply resign, and that, too, does not seem all that realistic. Frankly, I am not convinced at all that these proceedings will ultimately come to anything. My suspicion is that it will resemble 1998, in that the House of Representatives seems to be moving towards impeaching this president, but the Senate will likely prevent that from ever becoming a reality.  

As for how this impacts the election, it is simply too soon to tell. However, I think that the message needs to be relayed, and repeated as often as necessary, that absolutely no one is above the law. Trump, like Nixon before him, has basically recycled the opinion that something is not illegal if the president does it. But that is not true. There are laws and a system of checks and balances in place for a reason. The Founding Fathers did not limit the powers of the presidency because they were misguided, or had failed to think it through. They did so because they knew the danger of having a leader with absolute power doing whatever he wants and imposing anything that he wants onto the people he rules over. To defend against that happening again, they set up a Constitution that set up a system of checks and balances, to make sure that none of the three branches of government ever grew so powerful as to make the other irrelevant. That means, ultimately that even the President, who is the most powerful government official, still does not have absolute power to do whatever he or she wants. The Constitution is the law, is the document that Donald Trump swore to uphold, and we are still a nation of law and order. When Trump has been shown to violate the law, and the spirit of the Constitution – frankly, again and again and again – we need to cut him off at the knee. Let him fall, and let him be disgraced. He deserves no better than that.  

Yet, there are still some mainstream Democrats who feel that this is not the right thing to do, despite Trump’s pretty clear abuses of power. One of them, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo – who I would argue cannot hold a candle to his father – switched his opinion, apparently literally overnight. One day, he was apparently all in favor of the impeachment proceedings. The next day, he was bitching that this might not be the time for impeachment, that the “leftists” within the Democratic party had forced Nancy Pelosi to take action when he apparently felt that it was unreasonable to do so.  

Again, though, while I actually mostly liked and respected his father, I do not really care for or respect for Andrew Cuomo, despite some people feeling that he might be a serious presidential candidate. I think that he s a typical politician, trying to groom the proper image and say and do only things that advance his political career, regardless of whether or not it is the best thing for the state or country that he represents. A mediocre man with a false sense of entitlement. A bit like Trump, in fact.  

So, I cannot claim that I know what will happen, and I also have my doubts that these proceedings will actually lead to Trump’s removal from office. But finally, it seems like the Democrats are at least finally doing something to put some kind of check on Trump, and holding him accountable for his abusive actions.  

This is long past due.

These are the links to the articles that I used in writing this particular entry:

Ukraine’s president is being dubbed “Monica Zelensky” at home by Ephrat LivniSeptember 26, 2019:

https://qz.com/1717059/ukraines-president-is-being-dubbed-monica-zelensky-at-home/

Donald Trump Actually Has 2 Whistleblowers To Worry About  Don’t forget the whistleblower alleging possible interference with the IRS audit of the president’s tax returns. by Arthur Delaney, 09/25/2019:

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-tax-whistleblower-irs_n_5d8bafc6e4b08f48f4ae8978?fbclid=IwAR04bN661vxQyiCUHvkScM0_7OxlNft0v-9KqjlAnoi-EbfBbzcfuKBf2wU&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZmFjZWJvb2suY29tLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMavVQW9FP-9G_sGCo0GW0gppNaRG-7T6tX5ir_7ICZyT8ShXNqBroqwPP93_illHp9CfmwBfKropLIyOIznEKgQ6_Pox-AAwzxF41nHN9bbr9TFnSK5YBlkqaKDUgEsUp407TFRiiGISfCW6i7zlCG4zYEctHBxYAlKhmx4-z8A&guccounter=2

LISTEN: Gov. Cuomo blames angry ‘leftists’ for impeachment of Trump, appearing to contradict previous stance By DAVE GOLDINER, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, SEP 27, 2019:

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/ny-andrew-cuomo-impeachment-christie-20190927-gqjvracwhbfn5prr4kgftvbsuq-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3afQv9H8ltOGE-RBrJhP3sidjGUdOhzpoMFODWM0pe4QhYBX13_wW-SAs

The Simpsons Predicted a Lot About What Has Come to Be Reality Today

Yes, the writers of the Simpsons predicted that Donald Trump would one day occupy the Oval Office, although they hardly seemed thrilled about it.  

Well, they also seemed to predict the angry glare from Swedish teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg earlier this week, when Donald Trump came into the room with his ridiculous swagger, and his big mouth running, as it always does, even while most people with any sense know that, in fact, he has absolutely nothing of substance to say.  

The eldest daughter in the animated series, Lisa Simpson, was always the activist voice, the conscience of the show, if you will. And in episodes from over a decade ago, Lisa Simpson was an activist trying to get people to wake up to the abuses against the environment.  

And in another episode aired in 2016, Lisa Simpson glared at Donald Trump when he came waltzing into the room, for that matter. It was a scene that was eerily similar to what would happen in real life, when Thunberg’s glare at the incompetent symbol of climate change denial waltzed into the United Nations after having entirely ignored the environmental conference that had been taking place just before.  

Remember, Trump is obviously the most famous name and face, and the loudest voice, of climate change denial. He once infamously claimed that it was all a hoax invented by the Chinese in order to hurt the American economy, even though he denied this during one of the presidential debates against Hillary Clinton. He has remained skeptical from the get go, and pulled the United States out of the Paris Climate Accord, weakened environmental laws and especially the Environmental Protection Agency, and tried to censor any and all mention of climate change within the National Parks system, which seems to me against the spirit of the Bill of Rights, and freedom of speech and thought.  

Apparently, watching the Simpsons has been a little bit of a crystal ball into the future.  

Hopefully, there is an episode of a post-Trump America, when the country finally puts this nightmare of a presidency behind it, and begins to recover from the abuses and divisions that the presidency fostered and represented.

Did 'The Simpsons' Predict Greta Thunberg's Speech and Clash with Donald Trump? Twitter users believe that the makers of the show predicted teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg's impassioned speech at the United Nations Climate Action Summit. Jashodhara Mukherjee | News18.comUpdated:September 27, 2019, 9:02 AM IST:

https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/did-the-simpsons-predict-greta-thunbergs-speech-and-clash-with-donald-trump-2324327.html

NFL Week 4 Thursday Night Football Review: Eagles Manage Upset Win at Green Bay

Philadelphia Eagles 34

at

Green Bay Packers 27

Well, they were champions two years ago for a reason.             

Yes, Philly managed to surprise the Packers at home, handing Green Bay their first loss of the season in front of their home fans. In large part, it was because the Eagles offense finally found it’s rhythm, although Philly also benefitted greatly from turnovers, as the Pack committed some costly turnovers in the first half. Indeed, the turnovers were a big part of the Eagles winning this one, as the Pack committed two turnovers, to none by Philly.             

Otherwise, statistically, the Pack seemed to hold most advantages. They outgained Philadelphia, 491 yards to 336. They won the time of possession battle, and produced 31 first downs, to only 24 for Philly. Carson Wentz completed 16 of 27 passes for 160 yards, but he did throw three touchdowns. Aaron Rodgers completed 34 of 53 passes for 422 yards and two touchdowns, but he did have one costly interception – the first and only that he has thrown thus far this season – that ended a scoring threat, although it bounced off the intended receiver’s arm. Rodgers also les his team in rushing yards, picking up 46 yards on 5 attempts. Jordan Howard picked up 87 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries for Philadelphia.             

Philly might not have been quite as productive on offense, and bent a bit on defense, but they both units played well when they absolutely had to. The Eagles seemed to get the ball rolling and move down the field when they really needed to, always seemingly responding when the Packers scored and made the game tight again. Also, the Eagles defense really stepped up big, particularly in the fourth quarter, when they had two goal line stands to help preserve the victory.             

A solid win for Philadelphia, as they improve to 2-2, back into sole possession of second place in the NFC East for the time being. Meanwhile, Green Bay drops to 3-1, and will have to either share the lead in the division with the winner of Chicago-Minnesota this weekend, or perhaps even lose the lead outright in the event that the Lions upset Kansas City.        

My pick: Inaccurate

RIP, Jacques Chirac

Woke up to new from my brother that Jacques Chirac, the former president of France, has died.

Chirac served as French President from 1995-2007. That is a long time, so clearly, a lot happened during his tenure. However, he was most famous for having stood up against the unjustifiable, American-led invasion of Iraq late in 2002 and into early 2003, which was championed by then American President George W. Bush, and then British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Ultimately, American forces invaded Iraq in March of 2003, and the war predictably turned into a quagmire. Despite assurances by top American officials at the time of a quick, decisive, easy victory . Then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld claimed that the United States would win within "six days or sox weeks" and dismissed any notion that it would take six months or longer. Ultimately, the war in Iraq lasted for well over a decade, was condemned by a vast majority around the world, and even became hugely unpopular within the United States itself.

Thus, Chirac became a very well-known figure, by becoming arguably the most prominent name and face to resist an unjustifiable war that, as many predicted, turned quickly into a quagmire. His popularity shot up in France itself as a result of this resistance to the Iraq war.

Still, Chirac's defiance was seen as a personal affront by many both in the United States and Great Britain. In fact, so strong were these hard feelings, that many in both countries continue to view Chirac in largely negative terms, and many believed that he was anti-American. This, in spite of the fact that he had attended Harvard University, and had been so impressed with the American economy, that he wanted to make reforms to model France's economy much more closely to the American model.

What Chirac's refusal to go along with the Iraq invasion, as Tony Blair did, was give the world a prominent world leader who stood in opposition to a hugely unpopular and immoral war. Some almost turned him into a hero for it, while he continued to be vilified for it in other circles.

Chirac was 86 years old. He is survived by his wife, Bernadette de Courcel, and his two children, Laurence and Claude. Claude was one of her father's closest advisers for years. 

Jacques Chirac, Who Led France Envisioning European Unity, Is Dead at 86 by James F. Clafrity and John Tagliabue, September 26, 2019:

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/26/obituaries/jacques-chirac-dead.html

⚽️ Paris Saint-Germain - Stade de Reims 0-2 ⚽️

⚽️ ⚽️ Stade de Reims 2, aris Saint-Germain 0 ⚽️  ⚽️ 

Paris Saint-Germain - Stade de Reims ( 0-2 ) 

After a brilliant start to the season that saw them pull ahead of everyone for sole possession of first place in Ligue 1 standings, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered a loss yesterday that served as a sober reminder that they still need to execute and earn another championship, if indeed they are to obtain one at season's end.

PSG had some opportunities, but failed to convert, before their frustrated home crowd. Meanwhile, Stade de Reims was able to capitalize on a couple of their opportunities. The first came when Hassane Kamara scored in the 29th minute to give the visiting team a 1-0 lead, which they kept through the first half.

PSG continued to be unable to answer with a score, and Stade de Reims played solid defense, continually frustrating the home team and their fans, before Boulaye Dia iced the game with a goal in the 4th minute of extra time, providing the final margin of 2-0. 

With this loss, PSG lost sole possession of first place and is now tied with Angers for first place in the Ligue 1 standings, each side having 15 points after 7 games played so far this season.

NFL 2019-20 Week 4 Thursday Night Football Preview: Eagles Head to Lambeau to Take on Undefeated Green Bay

Philadelphia Eagles 

at

Green Bay Packers 

NFL 2019-20 Week 4 Thursday Night Football Preview              

Philadelphia at Green Bay – If you had very short term memory, you might never know that the Eagles actually won the Super Bowl two seasons ago. Thus far in the season, they have shown almost none of what made them champions just a little over one year and a half ago. They struggled to come back and beat Washington in the opener, which might have been a source of inspiration, if not for the two losses that quickly followed. One on the road against Atlanta, and then last weekend at home against the Lions.              

So, what gives? Well, the Eagles defense certainly seems to be yielding too many points to this point. In their three games, Philly’s defense had given up 78 points, which means an average of 26 points. I can promise you that, in the Super Bowl championship season, they were not allowing 26 points per game.              

It is not like the Eagles are losing badly, because all of their games thus far have been close. But they are losing, and that is often the difference between good teams and great teams – whether you win or lose the close ones.              

Green Bay, meanwhile, is exceeding everyone’s expectations. The defense obviously has come to play, and they have allowed 35 points total in the three games, which means an average of less than 12 points. Nobody has scored more than 16 points against them yet. And while the offense has not quite resembled the offense that the Packers typically have enjoyed with Aaron Rodgers, the fact of the matter is that, with him present and healthy, they always have the potential to be explosive and rack up the yard and the points.              

Plus, of course, Lambeau Field is renowned as a tough place to play. That may be especially true this season, the way that they are playing.              

The Eagles just are not playing very well, and this will be a tough road game for them. Their offense has not found it’s rhythm, and it is a lot to ask that they find it against an apparently very tough Green Bay defense.              

Yet, if the Eagles are to turn this season around, before it spirals out of control, they really need this game as a win. After all, if they lose this, it is their third straight loss, and they would stand at 1-3. Needless to say, that is not where they want to be. Their offense needs to find some rhythm, finally, and their defense needs to dig in a little bit more deeply, and hold a potentially explosive offense from scoring too many points. But there are question marks about whether or not they can even do that.              

Ultimately, the Packers are playing extremely well. I think that Philadelphia should prove to be a tough test, and I would not be surprised if they even win. Yet, looking at these two teams, and how they are playing, it would seem to offer no reason to not pick the red hot home team to win this home game to complete a perfect month of September for them.              

My pick: Green Bay

NFL 2019-20 Week 3 Predictions

Well, week three of the 2019-20 NFL season is in the books. 

The Giants got their first win of the season. It was a big win, and with a lot to talk about, so I already reviewed that earlier in a previously published post.

However, there were plenty of other games, as well, which I will review.

There are eight teams remaining with undefeated records. Seven have won all three of their games thus far. These include the New England Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys, the Green Bay Packers, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Los Angeles Rams. The Detroit Lions have yet to lose a game, although they did have to settle for that tie against the Cardinals in the season opener, after having blown a 24-6 lead in the fourth quarter. They almost lost that in overtime, yet they managed to just avoid the loss, and have won each game since.

On the other side, there are teams still looking for their first win. The New York Jets, Miami, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Denver, and Washington all are 0-3 and still searching for their first win of the season.

Like the undefeated Lions, the winless Cardinals had that tie. So even though they have yet to win a game this season, they did not literally lose every single game that they played, either.

Let's take a closer look:



Dallas 31, Miami 6 – Frankly, I was actually a bit surprised that Miami managed to keep this game as close as it was through the first half. To be sure, the Cowboys were winning, but only by 10-6, against a team that has looked completely inept to this point in the season. But from that point onward, it was all Dallas, as they began to take control and pile on the points. With the win, coupled with the Philly loss, the ‘Boys now own a two-game lead over the rest of the NFC East, and remain unbeaten at 3-0. But they will have a much tougher test next week, when they travel to the Big Easy to take on the Saints in New Orleans. The Dolphins, meanwhile, fall to 0-3, and are tied with the also winless Jets for last place in the AFC East, three full games already behind both New England and Buffalo in the race for the division title. My pick: Accurate

New England 30, N.Y. Jets 14 - The Patriots were on fire yet again, grabbing a 30-0 lead before the Jets managed to score a couple of garbage time touchdowns to make the score look more respectable. In truth, the game had long before been decided. Tom Brady once again had a phenomenal day, completing 28 of 42 passes for 306 yards and two touchdowns. New England’s defense played phenomenally well, just lights out on the Gang Green offense that has looked far from spectacular this season. While the Patriots have admittedly faced opponents who currently have a combined record of 0-3 (the Steelers, the Dolphins, and the Jets), they have opened this season in historically dominant fashion. Their offense had scored 106 points in those three games, which means that they are averaging just over 35 points per game, while their defense has allowed 10 points total this season, for an average of slightly more than three points. It should be noted that one of the touchdowns by the Jets in yesterday’s game came on a pick six very late in the game, when everything was already decided, and when the Pats starters were already watching on the sidelines. A solid win for New England, as they now prepare for a big divisional showdown at Buffalo against the also undefeated Bills next week. For the Jets, yet another loss, as the season just keeps growing worse and worse. My prediction: Accurate

Buffalo 21, Cincinnati 17 - This match-up reminds me of those classic battles between these two teams in the 1980's. But let's face it: only one of these teams looks like they will have a promising season. The Bills entered with two impressive wins already under their belt, while the Bengals had suffered two defeats. So, most people would assume that the road team, the Bengals, pretty much figured to have a difficult time on the road. Sure enough, the Bills got off to a hot start, and looked like they might blow the Bengals away. Cincy did make it interesting, but a win up at Orchard Park is a tall order for the Bengals right now. They fall to 0-3, while the Bills improve to 3-0, with a big showdown against the Patriots coming up this weekend, which all of Buffalo is excited for. My prediction: Accurate

Kansas City 33, Baltimore 28 - The Ravens, to their credit, were able to keep this one close. Close, yet no cigar. Ultimately, the favored team won this game, as the Chiefs offense did more than enough to win this game. True, the Ravens closed in and made a game of it, but when Patrick Mahomes completed 27 of 37 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns, they are going to be hard to beat. Mark Ingram II had a great game for Baltimore, providing 103 yards and three touchdowns on the ground attack for the Ravens. Ultimately, it was not enough, as Baltimore drops their first of the season, while KC remains perfect at 3-0.  My pick: Accurate


Detroit 27, Philadelphia 24 – The Eagles won the Super Bowl two seasons ago, showing few signs beforehand that they were about to break through. Last season, they still showed some toughness, despite going 9-7 and barely qualifying for the postseason. I expected more from them this season, but they keep losing these close games so far. This was their second straight loss, and they are now 1-2, two full games behind the red hot Cowboys in the NFC East. Meanwhile, the Lions have surprised some people, winning two consecutive tough games, last week against the Chargers, and this week in Philly. What an impressive showing, as they stay unbeaten (but not precisely perfect) with a 2-0-1 record. My pick: Inaccurate 


Green Bay 27, Denver 16 - Another battle between a winless road team visiting an undefeated home team. That said, the Broncos feel a bit different than the Bengals, Jets, or especially the Dolphins, in that they have a decent defense, and were a serious contender until just a few seasons ago. Their offense, however, has been nothing special for a few years now, and they did not look good on Sunday against the Packers increasingly impressive defense. It might not be the frozen tundra yet in September, but Lambeau Field is still a very tough place to play for road teams, and the Broncos simply had no answers in this one. The Pack moves to an impressive 3-0 start, while the Broncos fall to 0-3.  My pick: Accurate 

Minnesota 34, Oakland 14 – The Vikings went to work, trying to erase the memory of their loss to the Packers the week earlier. Indeed, they really started to take over the game in the second quarter, taking a 21-7 lead by halftime, and never looking back. Kirk Cousins completed 15 of 21 passes for 174 yards and one touchdown, while Dalvin Cook added 110 yards and one touchdown on 16 carries. All too much for the Raiders, who drop their second straight and fall to 1-2. Minnesota, meanwhile, goes to 2-1, yet incredibly, are tied with the Bears for last place in the NFC North right now. That is how hot that division is.  My pick: Accurate

Indianapolis 27, Atlanta 24 – The For whatever the reason, I had assumed that the Falcons had home field advantage, so I picked them. If I had known this game was in Indy, my pick would have been different. Seriously! But the Falcons still played well and tough, even in a losing effort. The Colts might not have Andrew Luck, but Jacoby Brissett is still playing extremely well, helping Colts fans forget about Luck. He completed 28 of 37 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns, helping lift Indy in a tight game. In a losing cause, Matt Ryan completed 29 of 34 passes for 304 yards, with three touchdowns and one INT. The Colts go up to 2-1, tied for first with the Texans, while the Falcons fall to 1-2, tied for last in the NFC South with Tampa and Carolina.  My pick: Inaccurate

Carolina 38, Arizona 20 – Kyle Allen started in place of injured Cam Newton, and he had a phenomenal day, completing 19 of 26 passes for 261 yards and four touchdowns, helping to lift Carolina to their first win of the season.  Meanwhile, Arizona's Kyler Murray also enjoyed a good day, completing 30 of 43 passes for 173 yards, with two touchdowns, as well as two INT's.  The Panthers produced 413 total yards, to just 248 for Arizona. The Panthers win their first game of the season to improve to 1-2, while the Cards are still seeking their first win at 0-2-1. My prediction: Accurate

Houston 27, L.A. Chargers 20 -  Uh-oh. The Chargers are in trouble. Granted, they have not lost to any bad teams yet. But they were winning these kinds of games last season, and instead, so far this season, they keep losing them. Deshaun Watson enjoyed a great day at the expense of the Chargers defense, completing 25 of 34 passes for 351 yards and three touchdown. Meanwhile, veteran Los Angeles QB  Philip Rivers completed 31 of 46 passes for 318 yards and two touchdowns. The Texans improve to 2-1, tied with the Colts atop the AFC South, while the Chargers drop to 1-2, tied with the Raiders for second place in the AFC West, but already two behind the Chiefs.  My pick: Inaccurate

New Orleans 33, Seattle 27 – The Seahawks had far more first downs, held onto the ball longer, and produced 515 total yards on offense, to just 265 for the Saints. Yet, the Saints jumped out to a big lead, and then did just enough to hang on and, ultimately, earn a tough road win. Russell Wilson had an incredible day statistically for Seattle, completing 32 of 50 for 406 yards and two touchdowns. While Teddy Bridgewater's number did not look nearly as good, he still had an effective game, completing 19 of 27 passes for 177 and two touchdowns. New Orleans improves to 2-1, and now sit alone atop the NFC South. Meanwhile, Seattle drops to 2-1, falling behind both the Rams and 49ers in the NFC West.  My pick: Inaccurate  

          

San Francisco 24, Pittsburgh 20 – The Steelers were able to keep this one close, and even held an early lead for quite a while. But San Fran answered, as most probably figured they would. Jimmy Garoppolo completed 23 of 32 passes for 277 yards, with one touchdown, although he also three two INT's. In his first start for Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph looked decent, completing 14 of 27 passes for 174 yards, with two touchdowns and one INT. Somehow, the Steelers kept this game close, despite almost 200 yards less yards on offense, and holding onto the ball for less than 24 minutes of the game. But the 'Niners also committed five turnovers, to only two by the Steelers, which cost them. Still, San Francisco hung on to earn a tough home win. The 49ers improve their record to 3-0, while the Steelers fall to 0-3, which is their worst start in six years. My prediction: Accurate

Sunday Night Football - L.A. Rams 20, Cleveland 13 - Unlike, say, the Cowboys or the Patriots or the Chiefs, who keep filling up the highlight reels with fresh and often spectacular looking material week in and week out, the Rams have remained unbeaten through their first three games fairly quietly for a team that was just in the Super Bowl. Dallas has scored 97 points in their first three games, KC has scored 101 points so far, and the Pats have scored 106 points. But the Rams, who had one of the most explosive offenses last season, have not overwhelmed many with how incredible their offense looks. They did score 30 against Carolina in week one, but scored 27 against New Orleans, and only 20 last night. Yet, they keep on winning, which seems to be a testament to their defense, which came up big in producing an interception late in yesterday’s game when the Browns were threatening, and which effectively iced the game in favor of the Rams. That moves Los Angeles to 3-0, as they apparently are on another unbeaten run to start a season, just like last season. They are now tied with the 49ers, who are also unbeaten at 3-0. The Rams will next face the Buccaneers next weekend, with a golden opportunity to reach 4-0. The Browns, meanwhile, fall to 1-2, and are one game behind the first place Ravens.   My pick: Accurate

Monday Night Football - Chicago 31, Washington 15 - This was a tale of two halves. Chicago looked unstoppable and completed dominated in the first half, taking a 28-0 lead in the second quarter, before Washington managed a field goal before halftime. But to their credit, Washington fought back and started to flirt with what was looking like a huge comeback effort in the second, although a mistake by Case Keenum in reaching for a first down, only to have the ball slapped away and turned over to the Bears defense, effectively killed the comeback attempt. 30 of 43 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns, but he also had three picks, and two fumbles, including that very costly one at the end. Mitch Trubisky, by contrast, finally had the kind of game that Chicago fans had long been hoping for, as he completed 25 of 31 for 231 yards and three touchdowns, with one INT. The Bears move their record up to 2-1, while Washington remains winless at 0-3.  My pick: Inaccurate

If Ukrainian Controversy is Not the Breaking Point For Trump's Presidency, Nothing Will Be

Donald Trump has gotten away with everything that he has done thus far. All of the crimes, all of the lies, the blatant corruption, everything.

In an article in The Atlantic by David Frum which just came out today, we can all understand, in plain language, what we all know Trump's lessons from all of this are. Some are acting horrified by these newest revelations regarding the Ukrainian scandal, but Frum rightly states, you should not be:

So don’t say you weren’t warned. Trump got away with it the first time. The lesson he learned was to try again.

Yup. That pretty much sums up what this particular president has taken away from all of his wrongdoing in these last three years in office (not even). He keeps getting away with it, so he keeps pushing the envelope, each time just a bit further, to see if he continues to get away with it. So far, he very clearly has.

When Trump conducted himself in a very unprofessional, and unbelievably unpresidential manner early in his term, then House Speaker Paul Ryan tried to urge everyone to have patience, to give Trump time. Eventually, he will come around, he claimed. Frum, however, reveals what that kind of green pass led to.

Give him time, Ryan seemed to suggest, and Trump might stop acting like a criminal in office.  

Trump drew a very different conclusion from the one to which Ryan had hoped to nudge him. He concluded: Nobody is going to stop me.

Indeed, Trump just continues on and on with his bad behavior, betraying that oversized and disgusting sense of entitlement that he has revealed from day one, at least to anyone who actually paid attention, and did not buy into this snake oil salesman's BS. Frum perhaps meant this following statement regarding the current Ukrainian in particular, but I think it applies to the entire Trump presidency:

There’s no mystery; there’s never been a mystery. There’s been only impunity, and there continues to be impunity.

Indeed, that is what Trump has gotten thus far. He wanted it, just like he wanted the prestige of the most powerful office in the land, but he is not willing to bend his corrupt ways and rise to the esteem of the office that he holds even a little bit. 

Trump takes advantage of a human tendency to think, If he’s not ashamed, maybe he did nothing wrong. Normal people are taken aback by pathological people, and Trump is the most pathological president in American history.  

But we’re at the breaking point. The Ukraine story confirms that Trump will do anything. Anything. Everything.  

He relies on everybody around him being too dazed, too psychologically weak to resist him and uphold even the most basic legality and decency. So far, he’s gambled right. It’s time—way past time—to prove him wrong.

Please take a look at the article by Frum. The link is below. It is an important read, and one that anyone who claims to be a patriotic American, and who also has an ounce of intelligence and objectivity left, needs to read and understand.

We’ve Reached the Breaking Point The Ukraine scandal confirms that Trump knows he can act with impunity—and no one will stop him.  9:07 AM ET  David Frum Staff writer at The Atlantic

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/09/trumps-ukraine-scandal-shows-he-will-do-anything/598681/?utm_source=atl&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share&fbclid=IwAR20Pf1H2wrdfKKkCrJ-aoW9yYeFxkQvTjWpLownKHSeK4Tbw5s2ecl86xU

Trump White House Should Get Impeached Over Ukraine/Biden Controversy, But Will Democrats Show a Spine?

Like pretty much everyone by this point, after three (not even fully three) long years with a pathetic excuse for a man and even worse excuse for a "leader" at the helm in the Oval Office, I have observed the whole Ukrainian interference in the 2020 election and the investigation into the son of former Vice-President Joe Biden with a mixture of reactions.

First of all, there is horror at the level of hubris and invulnerability that top White House officials, particularly on the part of President Trump and his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani. They really seem to believe that they are above the law, and cannot be brought down by anything.

Next, of course, is outrage at the lies and inconsistencies with their version of the story. Again, I should make clear that there is anger, but not surprise or shock anymore. Anyone who has been paying attention to Trump for at least these three plus years since he became the official Republican Presidential nominee in 2016 can hardly be surprised anymore that this man, or his top lawyer, are caught with their pants down, lying again.

There is disgust with how blatant this kind of corruption is. It has run rampant in Washington, and has been that way for years. Yet paradoxically, and I should add in typical Trump fashion, the most obviously corrupt politician of them all always accuses his political opponents of that which, in fact, he is far more guilty. If Joe Biden, and the entire Biden family, is as guilty of corruption as Trump claims, then so be it, and let them fall. Hell, let's see them behind bars, for all I care. But even if Biden and his son really are that corrupt, they still can never hold a candle to the astonishing levels of blatant and transparent corruption that we have seen from Donald Trump, and those individuals whom he picked to surround himself with. The more I see and hear from Trump, the harder it is to ignore the history of Rome in the decline, when they, too, were tangled with corrupt leaders, trying to get their peace of the pie, even as their country slides ever deeper into a hole that it is digging for itself.

Finally, my reaction is similar to a growing number of people out there in another regard, because if this man and his entire administration truly are as corrupt and not just prone, but addicted to breaking the law as they are, then the obvious question that follows is obvious, is it not? When is he going to be held accountable for those crimes? When are the Democrats, particularly the mainstream Democrats in Congress like Nancy Pelosi, going to how some spine and force accountability? After all that he has done over the course of three years now, if they fail to move on impeachment proceedings with this, then they will simply never impeach him. Which, again, while infuriating, is also something that can hardly be expressed as even mildly surprising, let alone shocking. 

What a state of affairs in Washington these days. No wonder so many people are disgusted beyond words at the state of our country. All of this, and so much more, is happening in front of the entire world, for all to see. Think of all the paradoxes between what Trump supporters claim, and the reality. We Americans have the most climate change deniers, despite having contributed far and away more than any other nation in history towards those greenhouse gases that have raised temperatures globally.  We are also the only industrialized country that fails to provide it's citizens with universal, affordable healthcare, even while it is also well-known that many in big pharma and private health insurance companies are raking in enormous, even often record, profits. We have the most lax gun laws while the NRA exerts enormous influence over politicians on the issue of gun control, or the obvious lack thereof. We have more people behind prison bars in this "land of the free" than any other nation in the world. We have the lowest minimum wage of any industrialized nation in the world, and the least amount of benefits, to boot. And we have a man in the Oval Office who "won" the 2016 election while failing to win the popular vote, and who brags about the supposedly historically dominant election win, even when it is demonstrably not true. And that is basically the least of his lies, as he is so well-known for lying, that even his political allies on Fox News admit that he plays fast and loose with the truth. He keeps committing crimes and lying about his own greatness, and rarely is he even held accountable for any of this. 

Yet, some Americans - particularly his rabid supporters - enthusiastically let him get away with all of this, and with his generally proudly immature, man-child behavior. They stomp their feet and are loud and rowdy at every single one of his ridiculous rallies. They believed him when he said that the entire world was laughing at us, but under him, the world would respect the United States and take it seriously. That under him, we would just win and win and win, to the point that we would get so tired of winning, that we would need to ask him to stop winning, but he would refuse.

Since Trump has taken office, we have basically added four trillion dollars in debt. Obama added trillions to the national debt, but remember, he was trying to fix a broken economy that his predecessor had run to the ground. Yet, when Obama did it, he was relentlessly blasted for the increased debt by the Tea Party crowd. Now that it is Trump doing it, and without the country being in crisis mode, as it was when Obama took over, are they outraged? Nope. Crickets. And he keeps getting away with what no one else seems to be able to get away with. Can you imagine the reaction by the Tea Party/Trump supporter crowd if, as the anniversary of the September 11th attacks neared, Obama had mentioned, almost in passing, that he had cancelled talks with the Taliban in Afghanistan, the way that Trump just did earlier this month? There would surely have been cries for his impeachment, and perhaps a few armed nuts who physically appear at the White House to try and take matters into their own hands. But when Trump does it, what happens? Absolutely nothing. No negative reaction from Fox News or Breitbart, and no significant dip from his obviously loyal supporters. Indeed, no wonder this man thinks he is invincible. He said so himself, remember? He claimed that he could shoot someone in Manhattan in broad daylight, and his supporters would not waver. Of all the times that he lied and/or said misleading things, he was telling the absolute truth that time. No matter what he does, no matter how many crimes he commits, his supporters will never waver.

Again, the whole world is watching.

Should we Americans expect respect and admiration through all of this? Should the world envy what Americans have today? It is debatable that the whole world was laughing at us before, but it sure seems that they are laughing now. Who wouldn't, when you have the closest thing to an actual clown representing the country with the highest office in the land? Either they are laughing, or crying, or perhaps, both. But they are clearly not happy with what is going on. Again, the symbolic moment of all of this ridiculous nonsense, to me, was when Trump began to toot his own horn in a major speech in front of the United Nations, only to get literally laughed at in front of the entire world. He apparently mistook the occasion as yet another version of his Trump rallies, except the world is not interested in him relentlessly praising himself, like the Trump supporting crowd is during those insipid rallies of his. 

What a circus! What a theater of the absurd!

This country used to produce leaders who truly inspired the rest of the world. Washington. Lincoln. The Roosevelts. Eisenhower. John F. Kennedy. These were leaders who were not perfect, who had flaws, yet who in some way or another, revealed a certain greatness appropriate to the times, and the great country they were trying to help build. They helped the image of the United States before the entire world, to the point that they are remembered and admired by much of the world still to this day. 

Look at us now, though. What the hell happened?

Now, we have a joke at the helm, a vulture capitalist trying to get rich by feathering his own nest at the expense of the American nation. His supporters empower him by never criticizing a damn thing that he does, and by proclaiming him the greatest of leaders, with absolutely no merit to these boisterous claims. 

Earlier today, I ran into this video of Seth Meyers, who took "A Closer Look" at the whole Trump-Ukrainian controversy, and helped to put things in perspective. He is a late night comedian with his own talk show, of course, and so this is quite humorous. Yet, it is also informative, and does reveal the paradoxes and contradictions of the biggest players involved, particularly Giuliani and Trump. I recommend taking a look, and asking ourselves when enough is enough, and when this man and his ridiculous excuse for a presidency will, once and for all, be held accountable for his criminal behavior? When will enough be enough?

Greta Thunberg Delivers Powerful & Emotional Speech on Climate Crisis Before United Nations & World

So let me start by saying that about one and a half months ago, as I was preparing to leave for vacation, I made an active decision to try and take a break from politics and all of that nonsense. In other words, to extend my vacation to a break from dealing with the stress of politics, particularly anything to do with the man who is presently occupying the White House, but has done nothing to warrant the official title that he now holds.

Eventually, I knew that there would be a return to my discussing politics. But it took surprisingly long. I found myself feeling better, and a bit less stressed, trying not to think about it or even talk about it for a while, and especially not delving into it at length in one of these blog entries.

However, something happened yesterday which made me feel that it was time to end my silence and jump back in.

No, it has nothing to do with Trump's apparent repeated attempts to get the leader of a foreign nation to try and dig up dirt on a political opponent. Nor does it have anything to do with any number of other frankly embarrassing things regarding Donald Trump, as his insistence on embarrassing the country that he officially represents knows no bounds. Of course, he has tirelessly and relentlessly humiliated Americans with his arrogant and ignorant conduct for years now, but it is not about that. The most that he is attached to this story at all is in his absence in it, which in and of itself is pretty telling and, frankly, an embarrassment. But given how his presence, and especially his words, always seem to make every situation worse, perhaps his absence was, in some strange way, a blessing.

I am talking about the United Nations conference on the climate crisis, which the Trump White House did not feel was important enough to even have American representation for. It is an embarrassing and shameful position to take, of course. However, we can hardly claim that it is a surprising one anymore. By now, we surely all know what Trump's game is. His presence in the White House - where he should never have been in the first place - coupled with his deliberate absence from this conference, in and of itself speaks volumes about the very arrogant and indifferent mindset to the climate crisis that he and the rich friends he works so hard to protect historically have always had towards their own contributions to creating the climate crisis to begin with. 

So let us forget him and not mention his name from here on out. Let us discuss someone who is the polar opposite, in fact. A teenage girl who has become the clearest and strongest voice for action on addressing the very real climate crisis. 

Greta Thunberg, the teen activist who has effectively become the most readily identifiable face and voice of global youth activism on the climate crisis, delivered a powerful, and uncharacteristically emotional speech before assembled world leaders at the 2019 United Nations Climate Action Summit.

She did not mince words, nor pull her punches. She opened up with a tearful warning:

“My message [to world leaders] is that we’ll be watching you...I shouldn’t be here. I should be back home, at school…. You come to us young people for hope. How dare you! You have stolen my childhood and my dreams. And I am one of the lucky ones. People all over the world are suffering and dying. And all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!”

Thunberg continued:

“For more than 30 years, the science has been crystal clear. How dare you look away and say that you are doing enough!” 

She noted that the budget to deal with the 1.5 degree Celcius rise in temperatures in the future will be exhausted in less than a decade, according to the scientists of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and then blasted the world leaders for what he called their "business as usual" approach on this impending catastrophe:

“How dare you pretend that this can be solved with business as usual?” 

She went on to predict that none of the speeches from assembled leaders would actually address this reality, she dismissed them as “still not mature enough to tell it like it is.” 

Then, betraying her anger, she offered a scathing indictment to the indifference of these leaders of the world:

“You are betraying us…. If you choose to fail us, then I say, ‘We will never forgive you.’”

What a speech, and what a moment for her! Her passion and refusal to pull punches, in the knowledge that she and other members of her generation who will inherit the mess that has been generations in the making, is so refreshing compared to the largely indifferent approach taken by far too many - including many young people - towards the climate crisis. Hell, we here in this country have far more climate change deniers than any other nation in the world, even while historically, we Americans have been responsible for far more of the carbon gas emissions that have contributed to warming temperatures than any other nation in the world, going back many decades. 

Shameful!

Let us hope that the absence of any American delegation continues not to diminish the urgency to take action and at least address this very real crisis. And let us hope that Thunberg and other members of the future generations who will inherit this mess will indeed force world leaders to finally, actually take this seriously, instead of merely posing as concerned citizens pretending to take serious action, while actually simply masking their own selfish political and business concerns, and their reluctance to take more serious action. We really have no time to waste, if it is indeed not already too late.

Please watch the video below of Thunberg's speech (at least a part of it, the part that has made far and away the most headlines). It is very powerful, and more people need to see and understand this, because this is the voice of future generations, the ones who did nothing to produce the climate crisis, yet will be facing the consequences of our collective actions, over the course of many generations, in blind pursuit of money and greed and "strong economic growth."

This is what people in the future will indeed think of us, and our collective indifference. to the crisis that we have all actively contributed to in our own ways. Frankly, this probably qualifies as the worst crime in all of human history. The native Americans who warned us that the ways of the conquering new immigrants would indeed lead to catastrophe have proven true.

Here is the link to the article I used in writing this, and from which I obtained all of the quotes used above:

“How Dare You!” Greta Thunberg Rebukes World Leaders “We will not let you get away with this,” the 16-year-old climate strike leader tells the UN Climate Action Summit. By Mark Hertsgaard, September 23, 2019:

https://www.thenation.com/article/climate-summit-greta/