Helveticus
Army veteran - Retired Special Ed Teacher
Joined Feb 2023
#politics Chapter Two:
People in the know state that the invitation is always the prelude to an indictment but in this case the nature of the crime is so far unknown. Trump’s lawyer, M. Cohen, first said that he had used his own funds to pay the porn star and then added that Trump has asked him to do it!
Donald Trump has always denied he had sex with Ms. Daniels, a statement that begs the question of why he paid her such a large sum!
#politics First chapter: Donald Trump Sr. has been invited, yes invited, to talk (?) to a grand jury in New York regarding the settlement, or, as the DA prefers to call it, hush money, he reached with Stormy Daniels (the porn actress) for $130,000.
He likely will not show up since the only time he got subpoenaed, he plead the 5th every time even though he had declared in 2016 that those who do that are also admitting their culpability!
#politics Ron deSantis, the governor of Florida, reminds me of Bolsonaro, the ex-President of Brasil, who attempted to regain power with violence when he lost reelection to Lula, the leftist politician! (Reminds you of somebody else?)
DeSantis has all the ingredients to become a would-be dictator: He is well-educated, he is very smart (unlike Trump), and he has professed, albeit covertly, his desire to acquire power, lots of power by any means necessary!
Let us think about this!
#France The mecca of millions of tourists is once again paralyzed by multiple manifestations against the new retirement age!
The proposed change by President Macron would extend working until 64 from 62, thus provoking the ire of many Frenchmen, including university students who have a long way to go before retiring.
Rational arguments by Macron based on fewer financial resources have not moved the resolve of unions!
Olalala, quelle farce!!
The TV series lasted 15 years.:Ghost Hunters.
Did they find one ghost?
Well, not precisely, only strange sounds which could be anything!
I have always had a serious wish: To see a ghost!
Alas, looks like they don't exist!
That puts a serious dent in our belief in a life after death!
So how could people watch this nonsense for 15 years?
Hope and Fear are the answer!
We want ghosts to show up so we can die knowing that there is more life!
Is there????👹
#constitutional rights
I like to watch YouTube videos about people harassed by police for filming in public places or for no valid reason!
A friend of mine became a police officer after a year of training and learning at the academy and so I ask why there so many cops who violate (or attempt to) first amendments rights of ordinary citizens!
And why is there so much violence (unjustified) by police who seem to vent their frustrations or sadistic instincts?
Aren't they thoroughly vetted?
A man in his early 60s wrote to a column on CBC to ask whether he and his wife could retire on more than 2 Million dollars in savings!!
I would dare to guess that 99% of the ordinary citizens would be overjoyed at the idea, whatever their age!
O Yeah!😍
#doctors What is wrong with doctors in America (Texas)!
Why do they refuse to make a brief phone call when a long time patient asks for clarification of an upcoming procedure?
Is money more important than the health of their patients??
The French refuse to accept the government's plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64, a change that makes a lot of sense since people live longer!
Even university students have manifested against the measure by President Macron!
The French government can no longer afford to pay the generous pensions, mainly due to a much larger population of older citizens!
But, as usual, the French workers refuse to accept logic and even want a 4-day work week!
Good luck les amis!
The price was tragic; 60 dead would be immigrants dead when their boat sank on the way to Italy!
Almost daily, people try to cross the Mediterranean sea from Africa to reach Europe and find a better life!
Hundreds of children, women, and men, have died in the attempt with subpar boats unfit to brave storms!
And yet, nothing has been done to solve the humanitarian problem in spite of numerous demands by activists.
There is money for weapons but not for refugees, as usual!
I share the first and last name with that evil monk who wrote the famous book detailing the needed steps to detect witches.
No indication we are related even though my family (father) came from northern Switzerland!😩
The world belongs to the young
O really? And who will guide them?
The older generation, of course!
You mean somebody like Putin?
Or Trump??
Or Musk?
Or Senator Scott?
Or De Santis?
Or none of the above?
There must be some older wise men or women who can lead us back to a saner world, isn't there?
Well, I am still looking, just like Alexander the Great!
Good luck!
Idris Elba the superb actor from London just said something so true it resonates within my conscience like church bells!
He does not want to be referred to as this excellent BLACK actor!
I don't remember de Niro being called a great WHITE actor!
Idris is absolutely correct. We are perpetuating racism by focussing on the skin color 😘 instead of the artistic skills!
Food for thought!
I had a nightmare which showed me what a Christian theocracy would look like in the US!
Dress code for women
Mandatory Sunday prayer in church
Censored movies and TV shows
Religious police
Mandatory Bible studies in schools every day
Etc..
"How big Christian nationalism has come courting in North Idaho"
https://religionnews.com/2023/02/22/how-big-christian-nationalism-has-come-courting-in-north-idaho/
#religion He or She or It?
The Church of England has decided that God was neither Man nor Woman! (The Week)
It's about time for religions to recognize that an invisible deity cannot fit in a human mold!
Yet, when I was still part of the catholic faith, I asked a bishop why God was thought to be male!
He seemed shocked at such heresy. His answer was predictable: the Bible says so!
The real answer of course lies in the traditional inferior position of women in societies!
Food for Thought
#culture Why is it that most younger folks do not trust, do not listen to people over 80 years of age?
Assuming of course the old ones do not suffer from senility or Alzheimer!
Don't they have something valuable to teach us?
Joe Biden lived through the hot and cold wars of the 20th century! Isn't that useful when confronting mad men like Putin?
Just a thought!
Naked and Afraid
A commercial TV show that makes no sense whatsoever!
How low have we fallen since the show must have some clientele, a group of avid voyeurs!
The funny (or sad) part is the fact that it is heavily censored (of course) lest we might catch a loose breast (God forbid) and incur the wrath of polite society!
Have we become such idiots?
Yes, at least some of us to allow the show to continue!😭
Do we really need a President Day, originally created in honor of Gen Washington?
Nobody cares nowadays about this holiday, or am I wrong?
Anyway, I don't remember having a day off on that day, so what's the poin?
Scientists should make an extensive psychological study of the profound mental changes that sometimes occur when a man puts on a uniform, a badge, and a weapon.
The recent killings of unarmed individuals by policemen have all the signs of prepotency, in other words:" I am powerful and you are weak, so submit to me".
The military can tolerate such individuals because they make good soldiers, but cops should learn humility when confronting civilians as in:"I am here to protect and serve."
My friend, who is 85, gave me good financial advice:"I had three opportunities to make a killing in the market when Wall Street collapsed. I did not act out of fear of losing my savings". Later I understood that rich people wait for these opportunities and buy shares of top companies at rock bottom prices. For example, in 2008, GE fell to $7 a share and today, it sells for $84. You do the math. The secret is to pounce on such opportunities and wait patiently no matter what happens!