Update no.1238

 Update from the Heartland

No.1238

29.9.25 – 5.10.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

On Tuesday, 30.September.2025, Secretary of Defense [not war] Hegseth recalled all flag officers (generals and admirals) and command non-commissioned officers to a collective meeting at MCB Quantico. Admirals and generals of brigadier rank and above who are in command rather than staff positions for what he billed as a major, short notice conclave. The podium was placed before a large American flag as if to resurrect the opening scene in the movie Patton. Implicitly comparing himself to George Patton is farcical. To his credit, Hegseth appeared to have given his entire speech from memory. Frankly, it was a very polished and smooth presentation. If he utilized a distant large teleprompter, he used it very effectively. Beyond the venue and presentation, I found most of his presentation to be quite offensive, and I am not and never have been a general officer. Hegseth implied that the U.S. military has not won a war since the name of the Department of War was changed and the Defense Department created in 1947. To be blunt, he really needs to go back to school and study history a little more closely; I will not detour into a history summary, and will only state for the record, the wars we fought after WW2 were political losses, not military losses. The politicians of the day lost their will to fight a war properly. You do not pull a pistol to intimidate someone; if you pull a pistol, you must be prepared to kill. So, I adamantly condemn his contention. Hegseth directed the military to return to the highest “male” physical fitness standards for combat arms. I am all in favor of high standards for the military and especially for the combat arms. I am not in favor of “male” standards—only standards for the job. He must drop that paternalistic nonsense. Hegseth also claimed their silly, ill-advised attempt to change the name of the Defense Department, since he claimed he wanted to change “The Woke Department to the War Department,” as if  the professional military is more involved with social progress than warfighting. It was an outright insult to officers and NCOs who have served the Republic for decades and continue to serve. Congress chose the name of the new coalesced department; only Congress can change the name. Hegseth also implied that that military belongs to the president. WRONG! WRONG! ABSOLUTELY AND CATEGORICALLY WRONG!!! The military is an agency that belongs to We, the People, under the Constitution. We pay for it. We staff it. We choose our political leaders to point the sword in the correct direction. The professional military in its various forms is a constitutional entity, NOT the personal militia of whomever we employ in the Oval Office.

Then, that abomination was not bad enough. [The person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name, the orange one, the Felon, et al] felt compelled to get his face time; he simply cannot pass up a camera. He kept the gathering of flag officers waiting for a long time, presumably so he could finish his morning Big Mac. I suspect he did not get a good night’s sleep. He appeared to be half-asleep with no energy in his speech. He meandered and chopped up his sentences. The orange one tried to use a teleprompter.

At least Hegseth tried to give a Rah-Rah speech. No name gave a political speech like it was at campaign rally for loyal MAGAts, rather than a gathering of generals—a political speech to an apolitical group. The orange one desperately wants the military to be loyal to him personally (sounds quite familiar, e.g., 1934). They are sworn to defend the Constitution . . . no individual or position. The military is a reflection of the people they serve. It is NOT a white, male, Christian organization as it appears no name and his lackey Hegseth want to make it. None of the social factors should affect or influence the military’s business.

As with all things, the devil is in the details. It is rarely the policy that causes problems. It is the interpretation and basic implementation where the problems lay. Case in point, Hegseth no more no nation building, To which, I say – right on! However, when get go into a country and destroy the government—you broke it, you fix it; e.g. Japan and Germany post-WW2.

All in all, I laud their attempt to tighten up the military, but their effort was yet another genuine embarrassment.

 

At 00:01 [R] EDT, Wednesday, 1.October.2025, the federal government of the United States of America suspended operations due to lack of funding from Congress. The leaders of the two major political parties are blaming each other, of course. Yet, it is Republicans who have total control of both the Executive and Legislative branches of the federal government. The Republicans are taking a “my way or the highway” approach to bludgeon Democrats into submission. Democrats, on the other hand, want to restore government subsidies for low-income individuals for basic health care protection. The shutdown has affected us in minor ways, not substantively as yet. However, if it continues, it will surely affect every American in major ways eventually.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1237:

Comment to the Blog:

“The attack on Tylenol is just one more facet of a general attack on American society. (Someone posted that the parent company hadn’t played along with the DEI attack.) I find both Agent Orange’s and RFK, Jr.’s speaking style annoying; therefore, I don’t listen to more than 30 seconds of either at a time, most. I don’t need to hear the original speech in full to know what they’re up to now.

“Agent Orange’s rant at the UN reminds me of a particularly belligerent drunk, except Agent Orange went on far longer. The rest of the world can’t afford to ignore his many transgressions of international laws and norms. The worst is yet to come.

“Meanwhile, in Agent Orange’s worst nightmare, House Democrats have released more Epstein documents. They name Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Steve Bannon, and Prince Andrew among the likely culprits. (Per https://oversightdemocrats.house.gov/news/press-releases/oversight-democrats-release-third-batch-documents-jeffrey-epstein-estate.) Musk and Thiel would be especially important catches due to their political spending.”

My response to the Blog:

It would be difficult to argue against your initial statement. That is certainly how I see things as well. The company that makes Tylenol is Kenvue, which was spun-off of Johnson & Johnson in 2023. You are quite right on both no name and RFK Jr. Every speech is just more of the same in shades of gray.

Again, spot on! His voice and manner of speech is truly irritating and annoying, but unfortunately, his words have impact on the actions of the government. He has appointed far too many feckless minions to positions where actions are taken, e.g., RFK Jr. Yes, indeed, the worst is yet to come. It will be morbidly interesting to see what allies remain after he is done.

Good. We need much more of that information. We both known another name who was undoubtedly a participant and thus perpetrator in that infamous affair. There is much more to come.

 . . . follow-on comment:

“The New York Times notes this morning that 4 of the 8 government shutdowns since 1990 have been under Agent Orange. Here we go again. Also, his speech to the generals yesterday suggested training the military on US civilians. Keep nausea medication handy.

“Agent Orange was close to Epstein, and he has been found liable for sexual assault. We can connect the dots.”

 . . . my follow-up response:

Indeed, here we go again. This one will be different as no name superimposed his vindictiveness on the shutdown consequences.

There are so many despicable elements of Hegseth’s and no name’s speech to the gathering of flag officers and command NCOs; more in this week’s Update.

Yes, he was, because he was getting easy access to young and under-age women for his sexual gratification. Yes, indeed, we can connect the dots, but his MAGAts do not care a twit. Sovereign immunity = the King can do no wrong!

 

Another contribution:

“OMG- just reading the latest twist between your politicians, your favourite man in the middle of the turmoil. This is no way to run a country, stand him down Cap.”

My reply:

You are spot on, correct! This is no way to run a country, which is precisely why I refer to this nation as a once grand republic. We have degenerated and continue our disintegration under the actions of no name and his devoted minions. The MAGAts are cheering him on. The only way we can stand down the orange one and his MAGAts is by our votes. Our next opportunity is next fall; we have a long way to go. I remain guardedly optimistic that we will eventually right the ship. I know it is hard for all of us but keep the faith.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1237

 Update from the Heartland

No.1237

22.9.25 – 28.9.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

On Monday, 22.September.2025, [the person who shall no longer be named; AKA no name, the orange one, the Felon, et cetera ad infinitum ad nauseum] called a presser at the White House to seemingly inform us of a presumably important medical finding. What they were trying to say is, they believe they found a link between the use of Acetaminophen (Tylenol) while pregnant and the onset of autism in children. They offered no evidence other than they said so, and numerous other physicians who are experts in their field of practice refuted the contention of the announcement. No one has mentioned whether the linkage was a result of chronic, overuse, or abusive use by pregnant women. The annoucement was supposed to be focused on pregnant women, but it came across as all Tylenol use.

Listening to no name is like hearing scratches on a chalkboard. His speaking style is absolutely atrocious. As he always does, he chops sentences, cannot pronounce common words, and inserts outright false statements as if they are facts, just because he says them. Toward the end of his yammering, he dropped the qualification and condemn Tylenol entirely, essentially telling everyone, don’t use Tylenol. I am not going to take medical advice from a proven, consistent, and consummate liar.

Then, Bobby Junior added his worthless two cents. When I say worthless, I truly mean worthless. Listening to RFK Jr. is very difficult and downright irritating. To be fair, he is genuinely afflicted by a rare neurological disorder known as spasmodic dysphonia that causes halting and raspy speech. He was diagnosed with the affliction circa 1996, and several in his family exhibit the same dysfunction. He really needs a spokesperson to better communicate his message [not that I really want to hear his nonsense conspiracy theories].

No name and his minions accomplished nothing other than instill confusion and fear about using Tylenol. If you overuse anything, it can be toxic or injurious—too much oxygen, too much water, et al. This Tylenol announcement was the redux of the tragic COVID pressers. Anything would be better than this current administration.

 

On Tuesday, 23.September.2025, we were treated to an even more bizarre oratory performance. I listened to no name’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly. Excuse me, I should have said I ‘tried’ to listen to the president’s speech. To put my assessment simply, he is an unmitigated embarrassment. [emphasis mine] He is not, never was, and never will be representative of the United States of America. I have railed against the Ugly American Syndrome since the 1960s when I first witness the affliction, but no name is so far beyond the worst of those afflicted with the Ugly American Syndrome. Not only is he a horrific speaker, he openly and freely spews falsehoods and outright lies about myriad topics. He exaggerates everything. He is an orange buffoon. No name is striving mightily to isolate the United States. Despite what he thinks and claims, we cannot and will not stand alone. The orange one (and he was really orange on Tuesday) brought solely domestic matters to the world stage as if he is the oracle of humanity, which is quite akin to airing private family affairs on a nationally broadcast talk show--atrocious. The White House clown spoke for FOUR times the allotted time, and he rambled aimlessly, went off script far too many times with nonsense clumps of words. [emphasis mine] I cannot give him credit for cogent sentences. Even when he was reading off the teleprompter, he chopped up sentences and droned on with his irritating monotone voice as he gyrates at the podium. As he did in his Tylenol speech the day before, he spews his personal opinions as if they are the policy of the United States.

To the world I say, please forgive us for what we did in 2024. The foolish clown who we elected to be our employee and representative is NOT in any way reflective of what citizens of the United States of America were, are, or could be in the future. We made a dreadful mistake, and we shall do our best to repair the damage he has wrought on the planet.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1236:

Comment to the Blog:

“The $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications will destroy high-tech in the US if it stands and will do severe harm to the Orange Menace’s attempt to onshore manufacturing.

“On a still more serious note, Judd Legum’s column this morning discusses the attempt to sanctify Charlie Kirk

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FmfcgzQcpnVJcTxRVWlKxHQsPrGCrvrP.

I was unable to read this carefully due to nausea, but I couldn’t avoid the parallel to Horst Wessel.”

My response to the Blog:

Perhaps so, but I think not. I suspect it is more likely that the companies than rely on H-1B visas will pay the tax as they are able. Each company will make a risk-benefit assessment, just as they are preparing to pay the Felon’s foolish tariffs. The H-1B fee (tax) will harm the new and future start-ups more than the established companies.

I am instantly reminded of Chief Justice John Marshall’s observation in McCulloch v. Maryland [17 U.S. {4 Wheat.} 316 (1819)] [416], ““[T]he power to tax involves the power to destroy.” The orange one is well on the way to proving that axiom.

I could not open the Legum article, but I can imagine. Kirk’s martyrdom has already been created by the MAGAts. I must say, the parallels between Kirk and Wessel are undeniable and unavoidable. We will witness similar veneration of Kirk as the NSDAP/Nazis did with Wessel.

 . . . Round two:

“I suspect you underestimate the number of people from India (mostly) working in high-tech jobs. I did a temp assignment in about 2011 or 2012 for a couple of months in an IT placement company here in Columbus, with revising Indian resumes for US needs as one of the duties. With only one major client (insurance company, not IT focus), I was doing four to six resumes a day from India. If we multiply that by all the companies using IT people, that’s a ton of money at $100,000 a head.

“The future is particularly unreadable right now. Robert Reich’s column today gives several reasons he believes the tide is turning, based on decades of experience in or dealing with Washington.”

 . . . my response to round two:

Perhaps so. From my perspective, it does not matter whether it is one or a million. It is still a tax. A rose by any other name . . .

No name is trying to claim he is “making money” on the routine operations of government. He is just increasing taxation by another name.

Reich would know better than me. He may be seeing something I have not seen, yet. I certainly hope he is correct.

 . . . Round three:

“The number of high-level workers affected by that visa fee could change the course of the industries that use them. Perhaps Agent Orange thinks many thousands of American workers are available in those specialties, but I doubt it very much. Thus, it's another economic misstep.

“The drastic consumer cost increases won't pay for the tax breaks for the very wealthy.”

 . . . my response to round three:

I can agree with that perspective. I might add, we have no clue whatsoever what the orange one is thinking. Whatever it is, it does not appear to be rational. He seems to be completely focused on revenge against those who do not support his actions and extorting money from whomever he can.

Quite so, but that will not stop no name from pressing on with his extortion program.

I wonder how many years will be necessary to recover from the destruction he has wrought on this once grand republic and the world in general.

 . . . Round four:

“The Orange Menace’s mental processes fail. Another source brought my attention to the effect of those visas on rural medicine. They’re already suffering plenty out there, and an enormous share of the doctors come from other countries.

“I also believe the recovery time will be long. Even if he vanished tomorrow and were replaced by a competent Chief Executive, our norms, international standing, economy, and government structure would take at least ten years to fully restore.”

 . . . my response to round four:

There a lot of things that have failed about the orange one, but there are also a lot of things that never were with him. Very good point. The pain induced by no name’s destructive behavior is incalculable. His mindless assault on Tylenol, his insulting virtually all world leaders at the General Assembly, and his putting his thumb on the scales of justice and parochial advocacy of prosecution of his enemies list are all impeachable offenses—conduct unbecoming . . . 

Oh, I think it will take far longer to recover from the damage no name has done to this once grand republic and to the world in general. He has made us far weaker on the world stage, e.g., Putin’s new aggressiveness.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1236

 Update from the Heartland

No.1236

15.9.25 – 21.9.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

It would be easy to say, We, the People, and this once grand republic have reached a new low in the nation’s history, and from my perspective, the history of humanity—all six millennia worth of written human history.

This week, I watched a news segment broadcast around the world of [the person who shall no longer be named; AKA no name, the orange one, the Felon, et al ad infinitum ad nauseum], who happens to be the duly elected president of the United States of America. Our employee (the president) was sitting in the Oval Office with all its gold trappings at the historic Resolute Desk while one of his yammering minions, Commerce Secretary Howard William Lutnick, was hawking the Trump Gold Card that looks distinctly like a credit card with his scowling mug dominating the face of the card along with the Statue of Liberty, a bald eagle, and his scrawl of a signature.

The orange one signed two presidential executive orders on Friday. One introduced the “Gold Card.” The other directed that a US$100,000 fee be added to all H-1B visa applications. When Raytheon bought Corporate Jets Ltd. from British Aerospace in the early 90s, I was tasked with moving as many engineering personnel as possible from England to Wichita, Kansas. I estimated that we might get 10-20 people. We achieved 122 individuals. If the president’s order had been in place, the fee cost alone would have been prohibitive. The so-called “Trump Gold Card” is not illegal or unconstitutional as far as I can tell, but it is a world beyond the ethical boundary. The transgressions are beyond counting. It is a sleazy initiative. Government in any form is not a for-profit business. We should not be making policy decisions based on money. Further, giving wealthy individuals preference for entrance to this country is abhorrent and absolutely wrong. The president is selling (hawking) U.S. citizenship.

In writing the gold card order, he felt compelled to malign the prior administration, which served no purpose other than to inflate his ego farther. For those who have the means and choose to participate, they are required to make “an unrestricted gift to the Department of Commerce.” Further, “The requisite gift amount shall be [U.S.]$1 million for an individual donating on his or her own behalf and [U.S.]$2 million for a corporation or similar entity donating on behalf of an individual.” The collected “gifts” shall be deposited in a segregated Treasury fund for the secretary of Commerce to utilize for promotion of “commerce and American industry,” which is code for businesses they approve of and toe-the-line with respect to administration policy.

It is quite interesting that the orange one chose the Commerce Secretary to make the flashy Oval Office public announcement when the State Department has responsibility for visas and immigration.

Lastly, the orange one’s action is yet another example of our employee in the Oval Office taking unilateral action that is truly the domain of Congress. And so far, what does Congress do to protect its constitutional authority? NOTHING! They have, de facto, abdicated to the autocrat (dictator). Such are the times in which we live.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1235:

Comment to the Blog:

“The Russian moves echo past wars, but Putin’s incursions into Poland and Romania have at least taught him that NATO will respond to his transgressions.

“The Felon’s use of tariffs violates common sense, of course. I can predict the Felon a little bit by remembering that his only strategy is blitzkrieg.

“We’re getting the sunshine you miss, and currently are in moderate drought.

“I’m making laptops work, but starting to really long for a desktop.

“Many of us still follow the Epstein saga, and information continues to trickle out.”

My response to the Blog:

If Putin pays attention to the Europeans, I would agree. Unfortunately, no name has injected considerable doubt regarding NATO’s unified resolve, which is most likely why he is probing Eastern European NATO member states. I suspect he will probe the Baltic states soon. How far he is willing to go is entirely up to Putin. No one in NATO wants war with Russia, but again unfortunately, no one in NATO controls that trigger.

Blitzkrieg is a well-organized and executed tactic. I cannot give him credit for such logic. He is chaos, plain and simple.

One thing is certain, the weather will change.

My writing is much easier on the big desktop. I am still not back to normal, but I am moving closer.

You are not alone. The statute of limitations has long expired, so there are not likely criminal charges that can be brought against the consumers of Epstein’s services. However, public shame is still a powerful force. The consumers should suffer the consequences of their actions.

“That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”

[Postscript: Three days after the above response, the Russians flew three (3) MiG-31 fighter jets into Estonian airspace {a NATO member state} despite repeated warnings to turn back. From my perspective, the Allies should have shot down all three violators just as the Poles did with the Russian drones, and the Soviets did with KAL007. Unfortunately, and regrettably, we failed to do so, which will only embolden Putin and his ultra-right supporters. Either we defend ourselves, or we do not. Regardless, we shall endure the consequences. We are at our Munich ’38 moment.]

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1235

Update from the Heartland

No.1235

8.9.25 – 14.9.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

On Tuesday evening, circa 23:30 [A] CEST, the Russians launched at least 19 drones from or across Belarus into Poland. Four of the 19 drones were reportedly shot down by Polish air defenses with the assistance of Polish F-16 and Dutch F-35 fighters. No one was injured, although several buildings were damaged. Then, on Saturday, the Russians launched another set of drones into Romania. These incursions were NOT an accident. They were an intentional provocation and purposeful probe most likely to locate air defense systems. This is another step closer to war. Putin is playing a very dangerous game, and he apparently feels he has the upper hand to do what he wants in Eastern Europe. Unfortunately, we are left to wonder whether the orange one is up to the task. There should be little doubt that Putin will exploit perceived weakness, which was probably the rationale for the drone probe in the first place.

 

Let us be crystal clear! Tariffs do not punish foreign exporting businesses or states, at least not directly or immediately. It is only through reduced demand that other countries eventually feel the pinch, but that is a protracted affair. Tariffs do, in fact, punish American consumers and companies directly and swiftly. Tariffs are not on other countries; they are directly on us—We, the People. Tariffs are a tax by another name. We, the People, shoulder the burden. We pay the taxes. No matter what the orange one and his lackey minions say, tariffs punish us, not other countries. The orange one’s foolish and rather ignorant contention that tariffs punish exporting countries is quite akin to his persistent assertion that Mexico was going to pay for the border wall.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1234:

“Greetings from a sunny U/K! Not that it will last!

“How are you keeping Cap-you never seem to slowdown mate.

“I must admit I do have problems following your politics, ours indeed are difficult enough. I guess I was never trained in that direction! I guess you know what direction I’m speaking about.

“I’m trying to throttle back somewhat but not getting far as yet.

“Keep striving on Cap, we enjoy your blog.”

My reply:

In contrast, we have had an abundance of rain here on the Great Plains. Enjoy the sunshine while it lasts.

I am glad it seems that I have not slowed down, but the reality here is I am not as productive. I am currently confined to my laptop as I struggle to get my desktop running properly. It has not functioned properly since the move.

Heck, my friend, we are immersed in politics, and we have trouble understanding it. The current fellow is doing things that have never been done before, and I truly hope are never done again after he is gone. These are very trouble times in which we live. Putin seem determined to start World War III.

Good luck throttling back. At our age, we all need to do more of that . . . smell the flowers and enjoy the warmth of the Sun.

I’ll keep writing as long as I am able . . . and my tools work. ;-)

 . . . follow-up comment:

“Good day my friend. Yes getting older isn’t that much fun but we both do what we can while we can, I’ve been nursing one or two stubborn bugs but I’m doing battle with them. I feel we’re of the same age-I was born during the battle of Britain and I remember ‘Doodle Bugs’ buzzing over.

“I’m still reading your books Cap and wish I had more time! I intend to stand down from some the work in the village and then I can play ‘catch-up’.

“I trust your good lady is well and surviving.

“Keep going Cap, there is always something to do.”

 . . . my follow-up reply:

I hope you beat your bugs soon. I fear this has become the new normal for us. Keep fighting, my friend.

I can’t imagine listening to those pulse jets and knowing what was coming. Today, we have different things to worry about.

I hope you are enjoying the stories. You have always done so much for your community and veterans’ groups. You are a generous citizen.

Jeanne is holding up well so far, but I constantly fret about becoming too much of a burden for her. We keep pluggin’ away. Never give up.

Thank you for your generous words, my friend.

 

Comment to the Blog:

“I remember noticing at some point that Bill Clinton’s people changed the method of taking unemployment numbers, which changes national news to this day. It was my first big clue that Clinton wasn’t a progressive. The Felon deals in personalities, so his method failed.

“The Felon knows how he beat the draft and nothing else military. His ego wants the Department of Defense’s name change, but I see no point in arguing the semantics unless there’s policy change.”

My response to the Blog:

If we cannot have truly independent analysis, then it would be better to have nothing. Injecting politics in data analysis is just as bad as injecting politics in the law.

There is no policy change I am aware of. It is just another foolish brainfart like the Gulf of Mexico thing. I am afraid these are not the last of his moves like this. It remains the Department of Defense as original configured to me.

 . . . Round two:

“Clinton and the Felon both played politics with the employment numbers. Clinton’s method worked; he changed the mechanism. The Felon expected to change the personality in charge and so make the math different. Nope.

“I agree that ‘Department of War’ is mostly semantics, but such things sometimes matter in international relations. The attack on the Venezuelan boat, however, is consequential. Rand Paul has clarified that.

“I can’t let the moment go by without commenting on the shooting of Charlie Kirk, who wasn’t a government or campaign official but was a major advocate for the Felon. I hope he doesn’t become the Horst Wessel of our time. In a poetic irony, Kirk advocated against gun control and died by the gun. Snopes verified a quote from him,

"I think it's worth it. I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights."

“It’s being a big week in news, but I’ll note that the Epstein issue hasn’t gone away at all.”

 . . . my response to round two:

Very well described. The orange one does not care about the process or mechanism. He only cares about the result as long as it compliments him.

Yes, indeed, such things matter. So much is a question of perception rather than fact. The attack on the Venezuelan boat was a unilateral extrajudicial murder. We do not know what was on that boat. We are taking the word of a convicted felon with a long established record of falsehoods.

I did not agree with many of the things Kirk espoused, but he did not deserve to die. The right to bear arms was not among “certain unalienable Rights,” endowed by our Creator. The right was granted by the Constitution.

I suspect the Epstein affair will not go away any time soon, despite the efforts of the orange one and his minions to make it disappear.

 . . . Round three:

“The Evergreen High School victims deserve our sympathy, not Charlie Kirk. Homicide is wrong, but Kirk wasn’t bothered by it (see quote above). The Kirk case is getting more interesting as the shooter’s background emerges. I believe the Second Amendment was meant to enable a ‘well regulated Militia,’ not homicide.

“We’re still learning more about Epstein’s operation, including revelations about Ohio’s wealthiest person, Leslie Wexner, who lives in Central Ohio and has major influence here. Epstein owned houses near Epstein’s mansion for the sole purpose of visiting Wexner.”

 . . . my response to round three:

No argument on that, but like the New York Times article headline, we may not agree with him but he espoused his beliefs the correct way—peaceful debate. He did not advocate violence.

Yes, we will probably learn more . . . as facts, trickle out. It is interesting to note that the British are handling the Epstein fallout for their citizens more aggressively than the United States. The British ambassador to the U.S. was dismissed for his involvement.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-) 

Update no.1234

 Update from the Heartland

No.1234

1.9.25 – 7.9.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

The follow-up news items:

-- After dismissing the previous commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), [1229] and installing his ‘boy,’ [the person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name, or the orange one] got another very weak labor report despite having his guy in the BLS. The initial or preliminary August report indicated a mere 22,000 employment growth with an unemployment rate increasing to 4.3 per centum. The last four months of jobs have been quite anemic. Add on top of the poor job growth, the inflation rate has also been increasing since April as well. I wondered, what happened four months ago? Oh wait! I know. No name’s lame-brained tariffs on everything and everybody. Alienating our allies, friends, trading partners, neighbors, and well, just about everyone on the planet. It would appear we are just beginning to feel the consequences of the chaos wrought by no name and his radical minions. Unfortunately, and regrettably, we are a very long way from being done with these yayhoos.

Just to be clear, the tariffs the orange one likes so much are in reality taxes that We, the People, pay for. Tariffs are NOT paid by the exporting nations. Foreign countries paying tariffs is quite like Mexico paying for the border wall. How did that work out?

 

Like no name’s unilateral mandate to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, no name has mandated that the Department of Defense change its name to the Department of War. His justification? He is returning us to a time 236 years ago when Congress and President Washington created the Department of War. The U.S. Army remained the operating element of the War Department until Congress passed, and President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947 [PL 80-253; 61 Stat. 495; 26.July.1947]. The original organization formed by the new law was the National Military Establishment (NME). The NME officially became the Department of Defense when President Truman signed into law the National Security Act Amendments of 1949 [PL 81-216; 63 Stat. 578; 8.August.1949]. Thus, it can be argued that the orange one is unilaterally (i.e., without Congress) taking us back 236 years, or at least 78 years. The MAGAts, including their foolish leader, are hell bent on regression, and they are probably plotting to take us back to the ante-bellum days of WASP supremacy. The odd thing about the orange one’s dictatorial action is he seems to be implicitly favoring the Army over the other services. Further, this action appears to be a sign of weakness, i.e., striving for a sign of strength and failing miserably. As with the numbskull Gulf of Mexico thing, I shall protest and refuse to use his idiotic regression. To me, the Department of Defense remains the Department of Defense.

Furthermore, no name is wasting precious Treasury dollars with these myriad nonsensical actions that have no benefit to the common good. I dare say he is not done with his regression brainfarts he continues to perpetrate on this once grand republic. This too shall pass. We shall overcome.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1233:

Comment to the Blog:

“Wonder of wonders, SpaceX has made one machine that almost works properly.

“Hate groups are part of ‘civilization,’ and so are those who use them for their own enrichment. In doing so, they create an alternate universe, much like a fiction writer. The differences in the current example are the leader’s lesser cognitive ability and greater mental illness. That’s the only explanation I can see for attacking all of our allies at once.

“I don’t see dictatorship as an efficient form of government for a nation as a whole. The corruption and the flaws of only one person doing the thinking defeat them.

“RFK, Jr. is a lawyer who’s made his fortune by suing over vaccines. He may not be as demented as he seems.

“Dismantling civil government is a trait of dictatorships. They want the money for themselves.

“I’ll point out that the Annunciation Church shooter purchased their weapons legally.

“Comments are going ‘round social media that the Orange One appears very ill and hasn’t been seen in several days except for a couple of dubious still pictures. Do your sources have anything about that?

My response to the Blog:

I might suggest, if you have not watched the video of the IFT-10 flight, you might feel differently when you see what was accomplished. Just a thought . . . 

Ostracism, condemnation, and hate toward those not like them has been an artifact of the human community since before recorded history began six millennia ago. That reality is not likely to change anytime soon. I think the alienation of our allies and everyone is actually simpler; they seek isolation; break ties with everyone; stand alone.

That is why I chose my words carefully. Dictatorship can never serve a diverse population; it only serves those who are aligned with the dictator.

RFK Jr.’s law degree has no meaning to me. He ignores science. That is a disqualifier by itself. Just to be clear, science and medicine as a subset of science evolves as knowledge grows. Today may be wrong, but tomorrow will be better. Science learns; conspiracy theories do not.

Well, there is that, isn’t there.

He did indeed.

No. I guess I have not been paying attention. I will try to be more observant.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“SpaceX’s technical details bore me, but the tax dollars get my attention.

“The hateful serve the greedy. Greedy people create a false reality to make that happen. 

“My point about our allies is that alienating all of them at once is historically unusual.

“RFK, Jr.’s disregard for science serves his financial interest. Maybe he’s not so irrational.

“I’m still seeking information about the Felon’s health. His death or complete disability would affect the entire world and also set off many celebrations.”

 . . . my follow-up response:

Well, then, I shall marvel in the technical details alone. You can ignore future reviews. As with virtually everything involving the federal government, or any level of government for that matter, it is about what we spend our Treasury dollars on. We can certainly debate the value of the space program, or even science.

It would be hard for me to argue with your observation.

I would say it is more than unusual. It is unprecedented. Even at the peak of the isolationist era in the late 1930s, we did not alienate our neighbors and allies. The orange one is executing a scorched earth policy to truly and perhaps irrevocably isolate the United States. Tragic!

I will not give RFK Jr. that benefit. He is buck-ass crazy. If he is benefiting financially from his craziness, then he is as corrupt as the orange one.

No name’s health reached the mainstream media. His health will inevitably be known. His speech is still disjointed, choppy, and often incomprehensible. But, I guess that is exactly what the MAGAts want.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)

Update no.1233

Update from the Heartland

No.1233

25.8.25 – 31.8.25

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

Wonder of wonders! I have seen a lot of spaceflight launches over the course of my life from the Mercury days of the early 60s to the latest event on Tuesday of this week—the SpaceX Integrated Flight Test no.10 (IFT-10). A ground equipment problem that could not be resolved to meet the launch window scrubbed the first attempt a week ago Sunday. A second attempt was made the following Monday, but that effort had to be scrubbed due to a cumulonimbus cell that was too close and not moving away fast enough. The third attempt to launch was the charm.

After several dramatic previous flight failures, the IFT-10 completed all its mission objectives, start to finish. All 33 Raptor engines ignited, lifted the entire stack to hot staging. All six (three sea-level and three vacuum) engines ignited during hot staging. The booster executed its boost-back burn. The first stage executed an intended hover over the Gulf of Mexico within sight of Starbase, Texas, and then landed smoothly in the water. Due to envelope expansion tasks during the return to base portion of its flight, the team decided to exclude a chopstick catch—too much risk.

The Starship continued through its ascent on the desire suborbital trajectory to the planned engine shutdown. We watched the payload door slot open and the sequential deployment of eight Starlink simulators, and then the door closed successfully. Then, one of sea-level Raptor engines was briefly and successfully re-ignited in the vacuum of space. Lastly,  we witnessed a complete re-entry through the plasma field to a successful landing flip and smooth, controlled, landing in the Indian Ocean off the Northwest coast of Australia. The re-entry was fascinating to watch since the team had intentionally removed ceramic tiles to test the effects of re-entry heating. Several burn-throughs could be seen, e.g., the inboard trailing edge of the aft port flap and the aft root of the forward starboard wing. Neither burn-through appeared to affect the performance of the surfaces or the control of the vehicle. About halfway through the re-entry phase, a small explosion appeared to occur in the engine bay. While damage could be seen, the event did not appear to affect the controlled landing. The Starship hovered above the ocean for a short time before descending slowly into the sea.

In summary, IFT-10 was a magnificent demonstration of engineering, physics, manufacturing, and teamwork. Congratulations to the entire SpaceX team.

 

I have long seen [the person who shall no longer be named, AKA no name, the orange one, et al] for what he is and always has been, a con-man charlatan afflicted with an extreme and severe case of malignant narcissism. He has consistently proven his inability to modify or lessen his adverse traits.

For a short time, I held a distant hope that he might rise to the occasion of his extraordinary election to be president of the United States in 2016. That hope was swiftly and irrevocably dashed into a misty nightmare. Lately, I have spent a portion of my cognitive capacity trying to understand those American citizens who voted for him three times and who continue to support his autocratic actions, inclinations, and leanings.

Do the MAGAts really want a dictator, an authoritarian? The best answer I can derive at present is, a qualified yes. The principal caveat: as long as he does what they want him to do. Clearly, the orange one is doing what they want. So, what is it they want? Smaller federal government (as long as the reductions are in areas they approve of). It certainly cannot be fiscal restraint, because he is spending money on his stuff faster than the Treasury can take it in. He has added an enormous amount to the national debt. Republicans have a long history of isolationist thinking. The only difference with the orange one is, he is quite satisfied alienating every ally we ever had. He has consistently demonstrated that he is the consummate ‘Ugly American.’

Perhaps most importantly, why has Congress abdicated its constitutional authority to the Executive Branch? The orange one has managed to cower and intimidate one of the few checks on executive authority provided in the constitution. And now, he is actively working on the last constitutional check—the Judicial Branch. He might find it far more difficult to intimidate the Court than Congress, because judges do not have to face the MAGAt base in elections. I can only conclude that the MAGAts simply do not care.

One last commentary thought on this topic. There is no question that a dictatorship is a far more efficient form of government with the caveat noted above. I will leave this topic with Sir Winston’s famous observation, 

‘Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.’

 

No name says he has fired Federal Reserve governor Lisa DeNell Cook, who joined the board of governors from the federal reserve bank of Chicago. The orange on has been trying for years to intimidate the Federal Reserve to bend to his will, which is absolutely contrary to established law. Interesting . . . he has accused her of mortgage fraud for claiming two primary residences on mortgage applications. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. The orange one said, “Even the appearance of fraud is cause for removal.” If that was the criterion, he should have been removed from office in his last administration and even more so in the current administration. No charges have been filed against Cook . . . only the accusation of the orange one. If he has cause, follow ‘due process’ and present your charges in court. Him accusing her of mortgage fraud is really rich given the orange one’s long history of fraudulent conduct in his business dealings and during his term as POTUS. By law, he can only remove her for cause. His accusations are NOT cause. He has no authority to do what he says he has done. Cook is properly and appropriately challenging the president’s unilateral action in Court. A few years ago, I would have said she will win. I am not so sure today, given the recent decisions of the Supreme Court.

 

Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) –a new standard, where QAnon meets the real world! We bear witness today to the destruction that unfounded conspiracy theories can do to the precision of science. What no namehas done in nominating Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be the secretary of HHS is, he has unleashed conspiracy theorists into the real world of science, medicine, health care, and the well-being of ALL American citizens. On Wednesday, on behalf of the president, Kennedy dismissed Director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Dr. Susan Patricia Monarez, MD (née Coller), on the job just three weeks. She had been nominated by no name and confirmed by the Senate. Four other senior CDC executives resigned in solidarity with Monarez.

If any citizen wishes to believe the conspiracy nonsense, that is their freedom of choice. If you wish to believe vaccines make you sterile, that is your choice. Where you go drastically crosswise with me and with science is when you start to impart your nonsensical personal beliefs on the entire population. I want—we need—a strong HHS, NIH, CDC, et al.

This interference with science did not begin with no name. Oh NO! There is a long history of such political interference. Nixon’s prohibition of research regarding the uses of THC, the ridiculous “war on drugs,” are prime examples of recent political dabbling. I will also add W’s very foolish prohibition of research regarding stem cell development. However, such political interference dates back at least to 30.April.1633, when Galileo was placed on trial for his seminal scientific work—Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo (Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Ptolemaic and Copernican).

What Kennedy did on Wednesday is nearly as grievous and certainly more personal to all Americans today. His actions, under the tutelage of no name, is outrageous to the extreme. 

I do not fault Kennedy. He is entitled to believe whatever he wishes to believe. Where he goes dreadfully and catastrophically wrong is the imposition of his wild ideas to ALL American citizens. He is imposing upon me. I need the best science can provide. I absolutely do NOT need Kennedy’s junk QAnon nonsense. No, Kennedy is doing what he believes. Who is absolutely at fault in this instance is no name. He created this terrible situation by his mindless nomination.

 

As if all of that above is not enough, no name and his minions are dismantling FEMA, CDC, IRS, FDIC, USAID, and so many other vital programs. The affected services are the common good in the spirit of united we stand divided we fall. I have long declared myself to be a state’s right person, seeking autonomy for the states to be the incubator of ideas and approaches to problem solutions. What I am not willing to do is allow our individual unalienable rights to be parsed by states. I also hold similar opinions about those common good programs. We pay our taxes for the common good, not for some parochial political party to remake the government in their image. Yes, there are thousands of reasons I vehemently object to what the current administration is doing to the federal government. They are wrong. What they are doing is wrong.

 

Once again, we have dysfunctional parents who created and then neglected their child who degenerated into a young killer. The signs were there for years. The parents knew. The school knew. Probably everyone who came in contact with that killer saw the signs. And what did they do? NOTHING! The young killer knew s/he needed help, and no one made even the slightest effort to help him deal with his dark thoughts.

 

Continuation exchange from Update no.1231:

“On Hitler, yes, I would put him in the category of a dictator and evil man. That is based on the history being reported, as I was not there.

“On Zelensky, the reason I call him Dic-Z many times is it is hard to spell his name.  Kidding aside, my intuition built on lots of reading, often alternative type news, would lead me to believe it is fair to continue to say Zelensky is a dictator. How many forced conscripts are on the front lines? Youngsters and old guys. Didn't "Z" suspend any elections once Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022? My intuition (again, based on reading and watching and trying to absorb many various opinions and gauge history) is President Z of Ukraine is behind one of the biggest weapons/money laundering operations in history. He allowed himself to become CEO of a PROXY country so NATO could continue to try to dry out Russia. Russia has been warning U$A and NATO since 2008 not to continue to expand NATO east, which we kept doing. President-Z had to know very well his country was the red line to be crossed for Putin, if Ukraine was forged into a client to NATO and/or the E.U. (E.U. comes first). Other people, not me, have observed President-Z's body language and behavior and suggested he is a coke head. I've done no drug tests, and ‘Z’ is never drug tested, so who knows.

“I too could be wrong, but reckon in time, and history, I will be proven correct. I was correct on the Iraq War of 2003, when I had great pushback because everyone was on a 9/11 frenzy then.”

My reply:

OK, Hitler is on the dictator list. How about Stalin?

If conscription is a requisite criterion, then Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Lyndon Johnson were dictators, I suppose? Pardon me, but I dare say, perhaps it is the alternative news you are absorbing that is the root. I have seen no evidence or signs that Zelensky is a dictator. Martial law had been declared in the Ukraine when the full-scale invasion began in Feb. 2022. They were dealing with massive infrastructure destruction and wanton population assaults. I think it would have been very hard, if not impossible, to conduct a fair and meaningful election under such circumstances. Further, I have seen no evidence of civil unrest in the Ukraine. To be blunt, the Ukrainians have been literally fighting for their lives and freedom.

Money laundering . . . evidence, my friend. Ukraine, like the former Soviet Union, has been dealing with corruption for decades. I suspect you may be conflating bureaucratic corruption with money-laundering.

One more time, I have seen no evidence anyone in NATO has been trying to expand NATO. The Ukrainians have independently and freely sought the umbrella protection of NATO as a bulwark against Russia, which is precisely why Putin so vehemently objects to the Ukrainian NATO application and vociferously accuses the U.S. of violating the no eastward expansion promise made all those years ago. He wants a vulnerable, not protected, Ukraine. NATO has NEVER threatened the Soviet Union or Russia. It is a red herring. Additionally, I have seen no signs of drug use by Zelensky; I think such an accusation is a figment of a burgeoning imagination.

I will certainly acknowledge that you may be correct, and I may be wrong. Quite possible. That said, based on what I know and have seen so far, I believe I am closer to correct than you, but as you say, time and history will eventually tell the tale.

The 2003 Iraq War is a whole different matter for significantly different reasons. I was writing the Update by that time. We could go back and review my opinions on that topic, if you wish.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1232:

Comment to the Blog:

“I share your rage over the Felon’s racism, homophobia, etc. That orange clown doesn’t care about our rage, though. The New York Times’ ‘The Morning’ newsletter this morning concerns itself with his deeper goals of blocking laws that limit his and others’ fraud and abuse of ordinary people. He has almost ended the rule of law in the USA. Speaking of laws, why are the media and the courts not listening to Epstein’s victims?

“No theocracy (Israel) has the capacity to fairly govern those of other religions (Palestinians).

“The Word of the Day a few days ago was ‘defenestration.’ My mind went instantly to Putin’s former associates.”

My response to the Blog:

He may not have ended the rule of law, but he has most certainly made a mockery of the law. Worse, he has inspired others to do the same, defying the law, taunting law enforcement and the Judiciary. He can and does move much quicker than the adjudication process.

There are undoubtedly complex factors underneath the Epstein affair. There is also zero doubt in my little pea brain that there are more than a few (then) minor girls and boys who were physically intimate with powerful men like the orange one. They excoriated Prince Andrew for one photograph. How many images have we seen of no name partying with Epstein?

I absolutely agree. A theocracy is a very parochial organization. They believe in freedom of religion, as long as it is their religion.

Very appropriate word, I must say. Quite applicable to Putin. Far too many examples. Yet, we barely blink when another Russian oligarch is tossed out of a 16^th Floor window, and there are MAGAts who defend Putin.

 . . . Round two:

“The ‘they’ who excoriated Prince Andrew are the English. I'm embarrassed to be a USA person about now.”

 . . . my response to round two:

To be a little more precise, it was the Royal family and the King that condemned Prince Andrew. My point was, to my knowledge, Andrew was censured and punished for far less physical evidence than is publicly available on the orange one, Bill Clinton, et al. Many things disappoint me about American culture; the Epstein affair is one of many examples. However, I remain a proud American citizen.

 . . . Round three:

“Your point about the English Royal Family is correct, and gives a redeeming point about that specific family amid the criticism of recent times.

“I perceive being an American as being one part of the larger whole USA. Right now, the larger USA embarrasses me.”

 . . . my response to round three:

Very well. Accepted without rebuttal.

Another good point. I will complement your embarrassment by noting my experience more than a few times in my work and travels outside the United States of America. I cannot count the number of times I have directly witnessed the manifestation of the “Ugly American Syndrome” in simple, everyday events. A man who was vociferously outraged that he could not obtain a hamburger in a restaurant in Milan, Italy. A couple (man and woman) who demanded they go to the head of a check-in line at the Frankfurt, Germany, airport simply because they were Americans. There are so many more across of wide variety of situations, locations, and times. During those moments, I share your embarrassment, and more often than not, I tried to apologize to the gate agent, or the restaurant owner, or the victims of the “Ugly American Syndrome.” Sometimes, Americans are extraordinarily embarrassing. We are a far better nation than the orange one presents to the world. We can only hope . . . this too shall pass, and we will once again return to being a respectful, compassionate and caring nation.

 

Another contribution:

“Good day young man. Trust you are well, you certainly sound energic in your update!

“What a mess us humans continue to make of our blue planet. We continue to argue amongst our-self’s instead of progressing with increasing love and good will to our planetary colleges. Do we, us humans, deserve the right to inhabit our home? Sometimes I believe no, we do not.

“Keep soldiering on my friend, we like your words.”

My reply:

My mind is a lot healthier than my body, but the struggle continues. I hope and trust all is well with you .

Yes, we have truly made a mess of the big blue marble. Our form of the problem is, we have had a group (WASP = White, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant) has had a tight grip on power for several centuries in this country. They are losing their dominance, and they are acting out. I do not want to make government harder, more parochial, and rigid. I want a compassionate, sympathetic, inclusive government. Diversity is vital to our ideals. The WASPs are desperately trying to resist diversity, and they have a willing agent in the Oval Office. I am with you on this one.

Thank you for your encouraging words. I will certainly do so.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)