Rambling -- April 17, 2025

Locator: 48492ARCHIVES.

Trump: it is amazing how often and how easily the president talks to and with the press. 

This afternoon's press conference was another example. He says that over the past few weeks, seven trillion dollars ($7 trillion) in new US projects  has been promised by corporations, and from countries around the world. Trump mentions that US electricity demand will double, maybe triple. His administration will fast-track new power plants to generate the electricity that will be needed.

Samoa: 77% support Trump. Executive order signed today:

Executive orders: President Trump has raised this art to a new level.

Most amazing: the president's $5-million Gold Card to fast track one's way to citizenship. Very, very similar to what other countries do.

The blog: lots of stuff in draft, ready to go up over the weekend, but not interested in much today, at least not at the moment. I'm enjoying the Bat Cave.

I'm really in a good mood for so many reasons. 

It's always great to start off with Victor Davis Hanson on YouTube. But if I can, if I don't forget, I start off with Morning Joe for five minutes early in the morning, and then mid-morning the first five to ten minutes of The View.

It's sort of like reading the comics first before getting to the front page. LOL.

One of my favorite daytime news shows: the White House briefing with Ms Leavitt. I had not noticed it until today: the members of the WH press corps look absolutely bored and appear to wish they were anyplace else. Especially now that many of them are not welcome to be there, and if the courts will not allow the president to decide who can attend, the White House press secretary can pick and choose from whom she wants to hear. LOL. A lot of those folks are simply keeping seats warm. They're not even taking notes. 

After yesterday's press conference, all of a sudden the Ebrago Garcia narrative becomes a lot more complicated, particularly with documented court rulings that he had been give many restraining orders after beating his wife. 

Unfortunately, to make their case, the White House and ICE had to release some important investigative information, information that should never have been released.

RFK, Jr: all I can say, for Trump, a useful idiot.

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The Military Page

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The Book Page

Assyria: The and Fall of the World's First Empire, Eckart Frahm, c. 2023.

Notes here.

Very much like the Roman Empire.

2000 BCE - 710 BCE. 

Evolved from a small city to a city-state to a kingdom.

The city (from which the name Assyria was derived) and the name of the god: Ashura.

"One damn king after another."

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The Military History Page

Sugar Loaf Hill.

Casualties, taking the island:

• 12,000 dead. Dead.
• Nearly 40,000 seriously injured.