As I lay in bed in the wee hours, trying to shut my mind down so that I could catch a bit of sleep, a song popped into my head. No, not the Bee Gees, not Lionel, not even Stevie Wonder. Ernie. Yep, Ernie of Sesame Street fame singing … Rubber Ducky! And so, at 4:34 a.m. I lay in bed singing softly …
And that confirms my suspicions … I am losing my marbles! Don’t ask how that leads into today’s Snarky Snippets, but somehow it does.
On Tuesday, the United States set a record … we flew past the one-million mark in COVID deaths. No, I never said it was a record to be proud of … but who didn’t see this one coming? Initially, scientists predicted we would set this record in late spring or early summer, but by January it was plain to see that it would happen sooner. Mask mandates? Gone. Vaccine mandates? Gone. And yet, the pandemic is still very much with us and not likely to leave anytime soon. The death toll slowed somewhat for a week or two, but it is very much on the rise again and I won’t be surprised to see it go back to an average of 2,000 as it was last year and into the first part of this year.
Today, March 24th, marks one month since Russia first invaded Ukraine. Since then …
- Some 3.2 million refugees have fled from Ukraine,
- 150,000 people are stuck in the northern city of Chernihiv with little hope of aid after Russia cut them off from the capital, Kyiv,
- 13,000 – 14,000 Ukrainians have been killed,
- Between 7,000 and 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed,
- Cities have been nearly leveled, leaving many homeless and without food or water
Putin denies claims of war crimes, saying that civilians were not targeted and civilian deaths and injuries were merely ‘collateral damage’. Seems to me he doesn’t understand the definition of ‘collateral damage’. Collateral damage is when you bomb a munitions factory and the night watchmen are killed in the process. When you intentionally bomb an apartment complex where people live, as Russia has done in Ukraine, that is a war crime. There is really no grey area here. Those in this country who support Dictator Putin can never lay claim to being humanitarian!
Last month, two top prosecutors leading the criminal investigation into Donald Trump and his business resigned after the Manhattan district attorney said he was not prepared to authorize an indictment against Trump. One of the two, Mark F. Pomerantz, was a prominent former federal prosecutor and white-collar defense lawyer who had come out of retirement to work on the case against Trump.
One part in particular of Mr. Pomerantz’ letter of resignation dated February 23rd stated in no uncertain terms that …
“The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did.”
So why did Manhattan District Attorney Alan Bragg basically drop the investigation? I don’t know, but frankly it seems highly suspicious to me. Bragg claims that the investigation is ongoing, but he damn sure doesn’t appear to be putting the effort into it that his predecessor, Cyrus Vance, did. Someday, somehow, the truth will be known. I just hope it isn’t too late to keep a megalomaniacal madman from overtaking the nation in 2024.
Our friend Keith mentioned a John Oliver video about ‘Critical Race Theory’ that he had found particularly interesting. I found the video, watched it, and I concur fully with Keith … it is a ‘must see’! It is 28 minutes long and if you’re like me, that’s a big chunk of time that you cannot often afford, but please do take the time to watch this one … John Oliver makes some excellent points and I think you’ll find it noteworthy, but also humorous. Thanks, Keith, for pointing me in this direction!
Nope. YouTube hath decreed this is not a topic of interest to the British Public.
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So I gather. Sigh. It really was a good one, too. I’ll keep looking …
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YouTube; FaceBook; WP……
Go figure 🤷♂️
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1.Tell the deniers of Covid to wave guns in the air and threaten the virus; see how much good that does.
2. Putin has gone ‘Czar’ which doesn’t mean they were all unpleasant folk (for autocratic rulers that is). It means he’s the archetype brooding, paranoid authoritarian states throw up (take that anyway in its meaning) from time to time. There’s no talking to him now. The tragedy is still in Act 1. Options are open….He may not survive even to the end of ‘play’.
3. YouTube seems to think the item is only suitable for American….
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1. Not so far-fetched when you consider that as soon as the pandemic began here, gun sales soared! I commented then, musing whether they thought to shoot it out of the air!
2. Agreed — there’s no talking to him now. When I first read that Ukraine was going to engage in peace talks with Russia, I rolled my eyes and muttered, “Why bother … Putin isn’t gonna settle for less than 100% of what he wants, and what he wants is an empire.”
3. Yes, Clive and Sheree both told me the same. I found this one on the UK’s The Independent, so I’m hoping it will work for you: https://youtu.be/EICp1vGlh_U Please let me know, for I have no way of testing whether it will play on t’other side o’ the pond!
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I hadn’t realised that the Manhattan DA wasn’t indicting Trump. That sounds very suspicious to me. Sadly, the John Oliver video wasn’t available to watch here, but I’d have at least liked to try it!
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I hadn’t realized it, either, until the resignation letter was published a couple of days ago. I found one in The Independent that I think should work on your side of the pond, but of course I have no way of testing it, so try it and please let me know if it works for you: https://youtu.be/EICp1vGlh_U
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Definitely suspicious! Thanks for trying with the video but I’m afraid it had the same result. Maybe they think we aren’t interested here: wrong!
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Yeah, I heard. Sigh. I’ll keep trying, but I’m losing hope. Darn it … it was a really good one, too!
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Never mind! I did find one which summarised it, so I got a taste of it.
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That’s good, then! I still cannot figure out why it can’t be viewed on your side of the pond! Ridiculous … especially given that John Oliver is a Brit!
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I’m guessing it’s a copyright thing – the company who own it probably want to make money out of it by putting it on one of the streaming services.
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You’re probably right … everything boils down to profit these days.
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I have not seen the video yet, but I will, soon. It is not the middle of the night here anymore, but I am winding down from writing two posts “in the middle of the night.” I woke up with one thing on my mind, then crashed head-first into the other. At last they are mostly editted, and published, and then I looked at the new posts that arrived while I was writing. You lucked out. I have a bit of energy left for you.
1. I was just singing Rubber Ducky two days ago. Hope you weren’t listening!
2. Covid is far from over, despite what Jason Kenney is telling Albertans, “for the 5th time.” Like any good Conservative/Republican, he will never learn. Covid doesn’t care what he tells it. It is not over. It may never be over! (Just by-the-bye, Jill, all the rules for the upcoming leadership review have been tossed out the window, or changed unrecognizably. Kenney is so desperate, he is changing the rules faster than the media can report them. Instead of In-Person voting, now all balots must be cast by mail! Fortunately, Canada Post is under federal jurisdiction, not provincial. All the ballots will arrive at their destination. But will they all be counted? Stay tuned for newer updates.)
3. Call the civilian deaths in Ukraine what they are: Premedirated Murders. This is no time for euphemisms!
4. Someone check Alan Bragg’s offshore bank accounts. I’ll bet they show large unexplained deposits of money! (Just like the offshore bank accounts of many members of the 2016 Electoral College!)
5. And then CRT on top of all that? I’m panting with anticipation.
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Let me know if you were able to view the video … our friends across the pond could not. Sigh.
1. OH NO … not you, too! It’s a global conspiracy … subliminal messaging! A few minutes ago, I noticed I’m still singing the song!
2. Kenney is not alone … seems that state and national leaders here have all decided to let the chips fall where they may as far as COVID goes. It could have been over by now, but for the stubbornness of the human species. (Good grief! How is it that Kenney can do that??? Doesn’t it require a majority vote to change the rules?)
3. Yep, premeditated murders.
4. I had the same thought … something smells rotten here.
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1. And now I am singing it again too.
2. Let’s not include the whole human species. But certainly enough to AFFECT the whole human species.(Some party members are fighting back. The city of Red Deer, where the meeting was supposed to take place, is fighting back. The media is fighting back. But here is the newest thing I learned. Party members have to be, wait for it, at least 14 years old to vote! No 14 year-old kid is interested in politics unless their parents are forcing them to be interested. My own feeling is that the UCP, who are charging kids $49 a year to be members, are desperate for money, and they also want parents to indoctrinate (brainwash) their kids, just like Christianity does. Unpardonable!)
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Ha ha … be funny if half the world started singing it … we could start a movement!
No, no 14-year-old is qualified to make a sound judgment call on the candidates! That’s just nuts! Sigh … it’s bad enough here, but at least we don’t have to pay to vote!
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We don’t pay to vote in civil elections, andI have no idea what other parties do, but the UCP is a political party, and they do whatever they want. The leadership review is a UCP event, only UCP members csnvote. I’m not durprised they have to pay to vote. Even by mail. The latest accusations against Kenney are that his henchmen are anonymously and illegally signing up people whose email addresses they find on Facebook, without telling the people they are now UCP members. When Kenney was asked about it at a news conference, he talked around it, but never denied it. That, to me, says he is guilty!
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Oh, well I’m glad you don’t have to pay for your general elections … I was beginning to think that just having a voice in government would require taking out a bank loan! Kenney sounds like the very definition of a corrupt, self-serving politician! I hope he goes DOWN!
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And stays down. He is a little man (but big around the middle, lol) and he has Little Man Syndrome, like Putin and Napolean. He will do anything to prove how powerful he is, but all he does is prove how stoopid he is.
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Ah yes … Little Man Syndrome. That ‘splains a lot!
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Oh, yeah. The video is available. I just don’t have time for it right now. I’m not feeling so great either these days. Nothing serious, but I’m not sleeping good at night, and so I end up napping off and on during the day. Keeping up with Word Press is taking more and more time. AND I am trying to do my own editting on the book I am hoping to get published. AND I have taxes come up on top of that! I’m supposed to be retired! I’m busier now than 10 years ago, without the same energy reserves. BLECH!
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Yeah, I hear you … I’m not sleeping well at night either these days. My mind won’t shut down. I’m not a napper, so I’m just growing bags under my eyes and getting grumpier by the day. Ha ha … I’ve said since 2008 when I retired that I stay busier retired than I ever did when I worked. Of course, since I often worked 100-hour weeks, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but at least I’m busy doing the things I want to be doing (mostly) nowadays.
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And getting paid in likes and comments. They don’t pay the bills!
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It’s true that ‘likes’ and comments don’t pay the bills, but I thoroughly enjoy the camaraderie and the friendships (such as with you) that I’ve made in my nearly two decades of blogging. I really only started my blog as an additional venue for the book reviews I was writing. I never intended it to be a political blog, but … you see how that worked out. Things evolve and we often change our direction a bit. I’m happy with what I do and the people I’ve ‘met’ online! But then, I’m lucky that Chris makes enough money to pay the bills so I don’t have to worry too much.
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That helps. Gail is on a pension too, for another few years, but she makes more than I do, so that helps too.
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I just can’t stomach what those di#&less tiny excuses for men are putting Ketanji Brown through. The war on race continues but there is a war on women that must be acknowledged and stopped before it os too late. I cannot stand seeing Lindsay Graham’s face or hearing Cruz open his mouth. 🤮
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Well, I look at it this way … they are proving themselves to be grade-A jerks, while giving Judge Jackson the opportunity to show her better angels, which she has done remarkably well. Their rabid base may applaud them, but the rest of us see them clearly for the racist, homophobic, misogynistic fools they are.
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Thank you for sharing so many interesting news, even most of them are sad, like them from the Ukraine. Today, POTUS is meeting all relevant groups of the EU. Maybe they will find a solution, to end this horrible war activities. Have a nice day, Jill! xx Michael
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Thanks, Michael! Yes, they are meeting and hoping for solutions, but I have to wonder at the moment if there even IS a solution. Putin is a madman, in my view, who is like Donald Trump in that he would burn it all down rather than accept losing. Still, we must hope, yes? xx
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Only hope will bring a change, Jill! As sad the situation is, i think there are evil players behind the scene. We dont know if, and which way someone had blackmailed Putin. His actions are so against the rules, its not conceivable that he only did it out of boredom. Why not at the beginning of the pandemic? There are many unanswered question, but there is a big industry producing and selling weaponery. As they cant furthermore sale to other states, now Europe could be a great new costumer. xx Michael
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It appears to me that Putin’s ultimate goal is to rebuild a Soviet-style empire, leave a legacy so to speak. I am not the only one thinking so, but of course it’s only speculation on my part. Money and power, as always, dominate the world stage. Sigh. xx
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Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
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Sadly, the video isn’t available in France but I have no idea why
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Well darn! Clive tells me it isn’t available in the UK either. I’ll see if I can find it elsewhere, or you could Google “John Oliver critical race theory” and see if you can find it that way. It really is worth watching!
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Thanks Jill, I’ll see what I can find.
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Try this one … it came from the UK’s “Independent”, so I think it should work in the UK and France. If it does, please let me know and I’ll post it on the post! Thanks!
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Okay, thank you
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I’m sorry … that one didn’t work, either. Sigh. I’ll keep trying …
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Not to worry, thanks for trying
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Thanks, Ned!
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Thanks, Ned!!!
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