*** 12 days after hurricane Irma hit Key West, Florida it looks like today the SLOPPY JOE WEBCAMS are back up and running. I been checking on them for days. This is the first day they came back online. The place looks like it was never hit. Good looking as ever. It appears the ERNEST HEMINGWAY HOME & MUSEUM also faired well. The WEBCAM AT MALLORY SQUARE also came back online. The cruise ship dock is looking good too.
However Key West still isn't ready for visitors. According to The Monroe Tourist Development Council...
*** Trump spoke to the U.N. this morning. One headline read, ‘Rocket Man is on a Suicide Mission’: Trump Threatens to ‘Totally Destroy North Korea’--" The United States has great strength and patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea.”. Although that may go without saying--I'm not sure why he felt the need to say it. Some of the other stuff he said wasn't framed kindly either. Some may find it refreshing. I don't. Got to remember there are a bunch of other nations sitting there unfriendly with us who won't take his bulling too well. Many have egos as big as his. I expect strong responses in the days ahead. Not the best way to win friends and influence enemies over to our side.
*** The Senate passed $700b for defense spending in 2018. In 2017 the budget request was for $582.7. In 2016 we spent $580.3b on defense. In other words this year's will be a 20% increase over last year. Course if you're gonna threaten to "totally destroy North Korea" you might wanna be prepared, right?
*** Meanwhile congressional conservatives lament we can't continue paying for these so-called "entitlements". I suppose that's true if we're gonna spend more money wrecking other peoples stuff with our military. Not to worry. There's another plan afoot. It's called "tax reform". 'Bloomberg News says, Here’s How Tax Reform Could Squeeze the Middle Class-- "Upper-middle-class taxpayers in particular could face a triple whammy. On the table are limits on—or even the elimination of—three of their favorite tax perks: deductions for mortgage interest and for state and local taxes and the ability to make pre-tax 401(k) retirement contributions.". Hey we got our priorities--you just don't happen to be one of them.
*** Speaking of entitlements-- what's with that gang over there in Norway? Turns out their pension fund is now worth $1,000,000,000,000. According to CNN--"The fund's value works out to over $190,000 for each of Norway's 5.2 million citizens.". Yeah but they don't sure don't have all the fancy military equipment we do with their Norwegian Armed Forces. Who's da' man!
*** In Pennsylvania the cost of tree trimming is about to rise dramatically. The U.S. Justice Department charged-- Asplundh, headquartered in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, is an industry leader in tree trimming and brush clearance for power and gas lines. The information alleges that in or about 2010 to on or about December 2014, Asplundh managers... directed their personnel to accept false identification from prospective employees. The acceptance of these false documents facilitated the re-hiring of Asplundh employees who had been determined previously by Homeland Security Investigations to be aliens unauthorized to work in the United States. This is good news for all you job seekers looking to get in on this exciting growing industry. No more picking apples for you. Line forms at the end.
*** Oh the horror. A free 16 day cruise. 'The New York Daily News-- "A five-day pleasure cruise turned into a 16-day "experience of a lifetime" for some Royal Caribbean travelers this month. The luxurious Majesty of the Seas was transformed into a rescue and supply ship to help victims of Hurricane Irma... Many passengers stayed on board the ship even when given a chance to disembark in Florida after a few days." Although many of the amenities like booze, unlimited food and casinos were cut off I'd still take it. Looks to me like most of the Eastern Caribbean cruises will be a washout for sometime. I suspect for many months these cruise ships will ply the Western and Southernmost areas of Caribbean instead, Visiting the Eastern & Northern Caribbean islands will not be the same for sometime. Hearts go out to Puerto Rico who looks like it will be next to be hit hard.
*** I'm extremely uninterested in awards shows for three reasons (1) They're all composed of self congratulating people full of one another patting each other on the back. (2) None of them can rein in themselves. Either they do something really stupid of shock value to get noticed OR can't refrain from politics. (3) Who cares what those voting inside their own industry think. People know what they like. They don't have to be told.
Gosh I have so much more to say. but that ought to do it for now. I've gone on too long already.
This administration's harder line than the previous administration, I indeed find refreshing as well as necessary. I do not see The United States’ strong response to the threats, actions and bluster by North Korea, and others, as bullying itself. It is a strong response to bullying from others. The United States is attempting to call others out for what they are. This is leadership. Leadership like this has been lacking and needed for a long time. The time has come to put attempting to try and appease or not offend others in its rightful place. My wife and I await with baited breath as we anticipate the arrival of our son on US soil, as he has about 30 days remaining at Osan AFB near Seoul, South Korea.
ReplyDelete*bated breath
ReplyDeleteI won't dispute you. I'm waiting to see how this tactic plays out. Will it be more successful or not remains to be seen. I'm inclined to think escalation my not be the best path to take. If it does--I'll readily admit I was on the wrong path Too early to say.
Delete