Next Year, Someplace Without Missiles

Here's the thing: I'm an egg matzah person. Always have been. Doesn't much matter what's on it...Temptee Whipped Cream Cheese, butter, even cottage cheese, but given my druthers, I'll go for the egg matzah everytime. As those who actually know me already know, Passover is not my favorite holiday. Never mind the cleaning, the changing, the exorbitant pricing of anything with a P for pesadik on it, or the endless cooking. That's actually okay. Mind numbingly okay. It's the counting of the Omer that drives me over the edge every year. But you already knew that. 

It also means I'm rattling around my own head, trying to remember how to not think about stuff. I read the various news organs and just shake my head at global stupidity. I wonder how we can possibly have a head-of-state who lies like a rug each time he opens his mouth. And I sleep fitfully as the Tzofar alarm goes off throughout the night. I know I can turn off the sound, but then I keep waking up to look at the screen. President Felon keeps saying he's decimated Iran's military capabilities, but my friends are under almost constant bombardment from all those decimated missiles. It's not that we can't handle the truth, cognitively diminished tangerine doesn't have any clue what the truth actually is. 

Clearly, all his threats and banging about hasn't convinced the regime to open the Straight [sic] of Felon...I mean Hormuz...and to be honest, the only winner in this pissing match seems to be China's clean energy industry which is just raking in the chips. According to the Washington Post:

China is seizing opportunities in renewable energy as the Trump administration pulls the United States back from the emerging sector in favor of fossil fuels. Last week, as the Trump administration was agreeing to pay nearly $1 billion to stop a French company from building wind farms off the East Coast, officials in Beijing said they intended to raise the share of non-fossil fuel consumed by the country from 21.7 percent to 25 percent by 2030.

Makes one wonder whose side is Feckless is on anyway? Well, that's sorta a moot point, isn't it? He's on whatever side will best line his own pockets. Maybe he can sell China clean coal?

But all is not well at the Pentagram...I mean, Pentagon. CNBC has reported extensively on calls for investigation into Department of Defense insider trading. Citing a letter written to the SEC and the DoD Inspector General by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va) and Adam Schiff (D-Ca) advising that they are probing into the allegations:

Recent reports of equity trading that occurred shortly before significant government policy announcements suggest that federal officials are disclosing material nonpublic information for financial gain,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins and Pentagon IG Platte Moring. “These actions undermine public interest and market integrity, and demand oversight by each of your respective authorities, as well as by Congress.”

One of the items on that list for investigation includes Pete Hegseth's broker's attempt to invest in an defense EFT in the weeks before the Iran War broke out. Some people might call that profiteering; others might just call it a lucky guess. Unless they were participating in the prediction markets where bets are made on what comes next.

What does it say about a society where bets are made on any and everything? In that wonderful ol' warhorse, GUYS AND DOLLS, that's exactly the premise of the whole show! The men bet on everything...did Mindy sell more strudel or cheesecake? Can a certain guy get a certain girl to go to Havana with him? And we laughed at that. Sucker bets, they call them. But now, instead of those bets happening in bars and booths, they're on internet betting sites. Why not, looking at the prediction markets, begin to take more calculated risks on the stock market? How can that be illegal?

Well, it can when insider trading is involved. But why is insider trading illegal? According to a raft of sources all saying basically the same thing, it's illegal because it's unfair and undermines the idea of a level playing field. It reduces those who invest in publicly traded  companies into uninformed players being played by an uber class of "savvy" investors who profit from information not available to the public. Despite the penalties, there are those in this country who believe they are above the law and cannot be touched by insider trading laws. I have no idea if that is true; in this administration, they may very well be untouchable. 

As I write this, it's very possible the wheels are spinning out of control. And not just because President Felon has, once again, promised to bomb the shit out of Iran. Sure, that's part of it. Pete Hegseth has taken it upon himself to make the war a religious event. At a prayer service held at the Pentagon on March 25,2026, Hegseth said:

Give [US soldiers] wisdom in every decision, endurance for the trial ahead, unbreakable unity, and overwhelming violence of action against those who deserve no mercy. Preserve their lives, sharpen their resolve, and let justice be executed swiftly and without remorse that evil may be driven back and wicked souls delivered to the eternal damnation prepared for them…. We ask these things with bold confidence in the mighty and powerful name of Jesus Christ, King over all kings and amen.

On the same day, he ordered chaplains to cease wearing rank on their uniforms, only religious insignia. Military Times explain the orders:

The directive follows a broader effort by Hegseth to reshape the military’s Chaplain Corps. In a December message, he said he wanted to restore chaplains’ focus on ministry and argued that the role had shifted toward counseling and support functions in recent years.

He terminated the Army’s spiritual fitness guide and said he would simplify how the military categorizes religious affiliation.

In his most recent message, Hegseth said that the number of religious affiliation codes was reduced from over 200 to just 31. Military Times was unable to independently verify these numbers.

I wonder which religions/sects/faith practices will now be excluded...and who makes that decision. Considering Hegseth is a member of CREC - Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, one has to take into account his devoutness to a sect that believes, amongst other things:

1. The Bible is the ultimate authority on all matters of life. They use the New King James translation.
2. Christian Nationalism and implementation of Christian biblical law in government. 
3. Homeschooling children as a way to "conquer" secular society.
4. Strict patriarchy where women submit to their husbands in all things and are not permitted to hold leadership roles in the church. Some believe women should not vote.
5. Opposition to modernism...which rejects LGBTQ+ identities, and secular pluralism, often viewing these as "enemies" of the faith

Hegseth has been open about spreading his version of the faith to his subordinates. This is scary on a whole lotta levels. His meetings are decidedly religiously oriented as evidenced by the prayers he invokes. 

Hegseth has a collection of tats beneath his shirt that are more than simply provocative tattoos, the largest of which is a Jerusalem Cross, also known as the Crusader Cross, which has been adopted by far-right groups to symbolize the fight for Western Civilization. They all basically line up with far-right ideology and are viewed, by some, as a harbinger of a Christian new world order based on white supremacism.

New Lines Magazine describes them as follows:

He also has a “Chi-Rho,” the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ and one of the earliest forms of a so-called Christogram (letters formed into a monogram expressing the essence of the religion). Perhaps the most contentious is the Christian expression on his bicep: “Deus Vult,” meaning “God Wills It,” believed to be a Crusader battle cry. Τhere is another cross with a sword, referencing a verse in the Gospel of Matthew reporting the following words of Jesus: “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” “Yeshua,” Jesus’ name in Hebrew, can be read across his elbow. All these Christian-related symbols, words and letters are accompanied by others that draw on American history and identity: the U.S. Constitution’s famous opening phrase “We the People,” the year “1775” in Roman numerals (the year the American War of Independence started), a “Join, or Die” snake from the American Revolution (from a cartoon attributed to Benjamin Franklin, urging the then-colonies to unite), an American flag with an AR-15 rifle, a pair of crossed muskets, a circle of stars and a patch of his regiment, the 187th Infantry. 

I just thought everyone should know about this. Hegseth is just like the rest of the Cabinet of Dunces we have running the country. Toddler-In-Chief only wants people who will give him cookies on demand. The rest of us are fucked. 

I am worried about tomorrow, although recent history tells us that President Felon will hold off for yet another week. Whatever. 

Meanwhile, back in the Crimea.....

Volodymyr Zelenskyy remains the very model of a modern major general despite being virtually abandoned by this administration. I have no idea how he does it. AND he offered drone technology and support to President Felon which the felon promptly rejected. What a horse's ass we have in the Gold House! 

Someone down line had the smarts to take up Zelenskyy's offer. Good for them.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Putting away the Pesadik?

Don't forget to leave yourself a written inventory of dry good.

There are only so many matzah balls you can eat in a week

Wag the Dog. Again. And Again. And Again.

There is a whole lot to unpack this week. I had planned to write about the State of the Union and, by extension, women's sports, but like SNL's original thoughts about this week's opening, that's ain't happening. Like everyone else, I am stuck on Iran, the US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia....and, on the side, why the hell President Felon spent the weekend dancing at a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago instead of in Washington DC.  But that begs a different kind of question. We'll get to that, too. 

There are a whole lotta questions that need to be asked for which I'm not seeing satisfactory questions...much less answers. 

Question #1: Is this attack even legal?

Without consulting Congress, this administration attacked yet another country. Board of Peace, my ass, He doesn't give a shit about the Constitution or the role of Congressional governance/oversight as continually made clear with each new attack. And what's possibly worse, is that when he gets bored he turns his back on the victims of his machinations. Just ask Ukraine how he's working out for them. All hat, no cattle, as the saying goes. He's abandoned Ukraine, just like he ultimately signed the death warrant for Afghanistan. He signed off on the plan, then walked away, leaving the Biden Administration to try to sort out and clean up the mess.

President Felon already describes this action as a "war" in his announcement to We, the People, on Saturday

The Iranian regime seeks to kill. The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.

Yet, this is an undeclared "war" which is forbidden by the Constitution as it explicitly states only Congress can declare war. Article I, Section 8, Clause 11:

[The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; . . .

In other words, this is yet another case of President Felon exercising power that are specifically NOT granted to a sitting president. 

Former Federal prosecutor at the DoJ, Ankush Kardori writes in Politico:

The Trump administration’s war also cannot be squared with the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which allows the president to initiate hostilities abroad “only” when there has been “(1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.” Trump did not even attempt to argue that any of these conditions had been met, probably because he could not seriously do so. 

As for international law, the attack on Iran goes much further than the Trump administration’s military campaign to oust and arrest Maduro, which itself ran afoul of multiple domestic and international legal prohibitions.  

The U.N. Charter —which was overwhelmingly passed by the U.S. Senate and signed by President Harry Truman in 1945 — prohibits the use of force “against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.” The U.N. Security Council can authorize the use of force in support of a party’s “right of self-defence,” but that did not happen here. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has already condemned the strikes as a violation of the U.N. Charter.

In other words, the short answer is "NO," this is not legal on any level...but we already know he doesn't give a shit. 

Question #2: Does anyone really have a plan for what happens next?

While there is no question about the need for regime change in Iran, and the removal of the mullahs as rulers, there is also a long history of what happens when the US takes a sitting government down. One needs only look at the long term chaos in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan. and most recently Gaza to understand that if no plan for what happens next is in place, these places are unable to suddenly produce a functional government to lead. Same thing with the Arab Spring. Lots of slogans but not a leader in sight to unify any of the toppled governments...and now, it's  back to business as usual. Economies pretty much collapsed in the wake of these optimistic revolutions. And Gaza? President Felon is too busy lining his own pockets to pay attention to the spiraling of Gaza.

Back in the 80s when Iran fell the first time, the underlying reason why that revolution actually succeeded was because there was already a shadow government in Paris ready to go. That was the one that gave Iran the first ayatollah, Ruhollah Musavi Khomeini. These guys had a plan and they executed it almost flawlessly. Does Pahlavi and his friends have a government in exile ready to step into the breach? If they don't, the current dead ayatollah, Ali Khamenei, was known to be in ill health and it's believed his succession had already been laid out. You can bet if that's the case, it's already moving forward to consolidate their position as the legitimate rulers of Iran. 

Still, I listened carefully to former former crown prince Reza Pahlavi on 60 Minutes talk about how he wants to lead the transition to democracy, saying he did not want to be king or president or prime minister...but rather the guy who shepherds them into a functioning government. Very well spoken, but does he have a shadow government in place waiting to step in? That wasn't clear. If the voice of the Iranian Diaspora is any indication, he can, with their backing, begin the long process of going home which, if you listen closely, is what they want. Just like the Jewish Diaspora, they long to return to their home, and gee, I don't blame them one bit. 

Question #3: Why now? Why at just this moment?

Anyone remember the movie WAG THE DOG with Dustin Hoffman? IMDB sums it up rather succinctly: 

Shortly before an election, a spin-doctor and a Hollywood producer join efforts to fabricate a war in order to cover up a Presidential sex scandal.

If you haven't seen it. you should watch it. It's out there on all sorts of platforms. It's pretty funny. Of course, the name EPSTEIN is never mentioned....but in the here and now, every time a new Epstein scandal rises over the horizon, this presidential Fruit Loop creates a crisis to take it off the front page. And usually he succeeds...for a moment. 

It's no secret that President Felon has not been totally exonerated in the Epstein files. Yes, I know he keeps saying that, but that's part of the fantasy he's spewing. But the newest allegations are seriously horrifying should they turn out to have been intentionally removed from the files. According to an investigation conducted by NPR:

The Justice Department has withheld some Epstein files related to allegations that President Trump sexually abused a minor, an NPR investigation finds. It also removed some documents from the public database where accusations against Jeffrey Epstein also mention Trump.

Some files have not been made public despite a law mandating their release. These include what appear to be more than 50 pages of FBI interviews, as well as notes from conversations with a woman who accused Trump of sexual abuse decades ago when she was a minor.

NPR reviewed multiple sets of unique serial numbers appearing before and after the pages in question, stamped onto documents in the Epstein files database, FBI case records, emails and discovery document logs in the latest tranche of documents published at the end of January. NPR's investigation found dozens of pages that appear to be catalogued by the Justice Department but not shared publicly. 

But there is so much more to this timing that any Jewish kid can tell you about: PURIM.

Let's pretend you actually have read the bible, specifically the Book of Esther. It's an interesting book to be in the canon since it never mentions G-d in any way, shape or form. What it does talk about is a guy named Haman. Here's the short version:  King Achashverosh, the king of Persia, deposed his queen, Vashti, and needed a new one. A contest was held to find a new queen and a guy named Mordechai sent his niece Esther to try out. She wins and becomes the new Queen. Meanwhile his prime minister hates Mordechai and the Jews and plots to destroy them. To make a long story short, Esther intervenes, Haman is hanged on his own gallows, and the Jews stop the attacks. In other words, like so many of our holidays, they tried to kill us, we won, let's eat. Kids dress up in costumes, but instead of trick-or-treat, we go around giving shalach manot,  gifts of food and sweets (often in secret) to our friends and neighbors. 

Tonight, Purim begins at sundown. We will gather to read the Megillah. Every time Haman's name is mentioned, it will be drown out with graggers, boos, and hisses. Kids dress up in costumes as Esther, Mordechai, even Haman, but instead of trick-or-treat, we go around giving shalach manot,  gifts of food and sweets (often in secret) to our friends and neighbors. We will sing and dance and have plays to tell the story as we celebrate the destruction of Haman and the saving of the Jews of Persia.

Perhaps you missed this....Israel and Persia have been allies for a thousand years. After the exile, Persia helped us to return to our land and helped rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. Persians are not our enemies. They sheltered Jews during World War II. Jewish communities in Persia/Iran thrived...until the ayatollahs took over. It shouldn't surprise anyone that the Iranian Diaspora turned to Israel for help. 

But did they get the help they needed from the US....or were they played to wag the dog? To provide yet more smoke and mirrors to hide a sexual predator from prosecution as he wages an illegal war?

Question #4: Will Israel be blamed for it all?

Funny, all those pro-Gaza people shouting to free Palestine are now decrying the bombing of Iran. Don't they realize that Iran is the moneyman for Hamas and the terrorists? Where were their voices as thousands of Iranians were being slaughtered by their government? Why were they silent to those pleas for help? 

Oh. There were no Jews involved. 

Well, now there are. I do worry about not just the timing, but the preparedness of the Iranians to take back their country. We can only hope there really is a government in exile waiting in the wings to step up. 

I should probably mention there are already those who claim Netanyahu conned President Felon into attacking Iran, especially at this time of year. They already claim the US is being used as a proxy by Israel...and Saudi Arabia. They will espouse the ol' Jewish Cabal theory of world domination. Never mind that President Felon is a loyal disciple of the Christofascist Brigade.

If you are asking my opinion here, I will tell you that I truly believe Khamenei had to go, that Iran needed to be free. But I am not convinced that the actions of President Felon are warranted without the backing on Congress and adherence to the law of the United States. Unless someone knows there is a plan and a government waiting to go, this is doomed. As for Netanyahu,  getting deeper into bed with that sexual predator just means he's got the fucking of his life. Israel does not deserve that. They deserved a plan and a plan, not this rogue cowboy shit that's going down. Feckless Felon says it can last 4-5 weeks....as Ukraine about that. I do not trust him to wage this action. It's all about him and his pockets and how much the Saudi royal family is paying him. It' all about the baksheesh.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....

I'm trying to get this thing done so I can go don my costume for Megillah reading with the kiddies tonight. They don't know I'm wearing a costume, but I am. I'm going as Atossa, daughter of Cyrus the Great, and often said to be the mother of Achashverosh. Or so some legends claim. In other words, I'm going as Esther's mother-in-law. Once upon a time, I wrote a midrash for her: QUEEN 101: Intro to Queenship. I always had a soft spot for Vasti and I do like Atossa. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

The lingering cold in my nose kept me from 

the annual rush of baking and sending out

hamantashen. 

Next year, I'll do better.

And Another Thing....

Since I got back two weeks ago, I have been steadily trying to process a whole boatload of information. The sheer normalcy of everyday life in Israel is astounding. People ride the buses and trains, go to the markets and supermarkets, eat in cafes and restaurants, go to the beach, walk in the parks, and even now, have an ear open to the sirens even though there is currently somewhat of a cessation of hostilities. I say somewhat because everyone knows this is not over. Armed Hamas fighters are reported to be hiding out throughout the tunnels. My friend (and cohort in adventure) Jen has a wonderful blog and wrote about our trip to Nova, but this section was edited out. I asked her for it because she wrote what I could not. 

Bomb shelter at Nova/photo by Jen

 Both at the Nova site and at Tkuma there are bomb shelters and signs posted in Israel's three official languages (Arabic, English and Hebrew) instructing you what you need to do in case there is a missile alert.

There are bomb shelters at all the bus stops and public areas in the Gaza Envelope and if no shelter is available, you lay down on the ground and cover your head. You have 15 seconds to get to a safe place.

  

On October 7th, the terrorists first fired multiple rockets into Israel and counted on people herding themselves into bomb shelters and make their murderous attack more "efficient." The terrorists killed anyone they encountered. They didn't stop to ask if you were Jewish, Muslim or Christian, Ba'hai or Buddhist. They didn't stop to ask if you were in favor of a Palestinian state or not. They killed and have been doing it nearly non-stop since Israel left Gaza in 2005. That's nearly 20 years ago.

Today, the United Nations Security Council approved President Felon's 20 point "peace plan" for Gaza, Hamas did not. In a statement, Hamas leadership did not. The Washington Post reported:

Hamas, in a statement, said the resolution “does not meet the level” of Palestinian political and humanitarian demands. 

 “It imposes a mechanism to achieve the [Israeli] occupation’s objectives,” the group said. 

Turning in their weapons, as the peace plan demands, Hamas said, “must remain an internal national matter” tied to the end of the Israeli occupation....

...While initial elements of the plan — a ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and expansion of humanitarian aid to Gaza — have at least partially been carried out, the rest has been stalled.

The U.S.-sponsored resolution enshrines the complete plan in international law, establishing a vaguely defined Board of Peace, headed by Trump with membership chosen by him, that for two years will control virtually every aspect from security and governance to reconstruction of Gaza.

The highlight is mine. Draw your own conclusions, just make sure you follow the money.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch.... sources in Gaza report that Hamas is stockpiling weapons outside Gaza. The Palestinian Authority was approached and asked not to destroy their arsenal, but to hold it for Hamas. The PA, in an odd moment of clarity, declines the request.  KAN-news floated an unsourced report that Hamas was stockpiling weapons in Yemen and unnamed African states with the intent of smuggling them into Gaza. Since the report is unsourced and I could not find other confirmation, I'm not endorsing this theory. HOWEVER, (and is there always a however) it's not a big stretch to see the possibilities there. Additionally, there are grumbles that President Felon is considering dropping the disarmament portion of the "peace plan." 

And if you're wondering why this is not acceptable, look at this picture.

This is not a playground climbing toy. This is a playground bomb shelter in Sderot, the city that has been under constant siege since 2005..when Israel left Gaza. That's right. Israel vacated Gaza and Hamas began firing missiles at Sderot. It is not a military installation or an armaments manufacturing center. It is a town whose schoolyards are in missile range of Hamas. Children in Sderot only know life with bomb shelters...some even have underground play areas because being above ground is not reliably safe during the day, at night, whenever. 

The children of Sderot have spent the last 20 years living a reality no one wants to acknowledge exists. But it does. Herein lies one of the biggest differences between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza: Hamas built tunnels to protect their fighters, not their civilians. Israel built happy looking bomb shelters and underground playgrounds to protect their children. 

Think about that for a while.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you haven't been to Israel, you don't get to have an opinion

about life there because you don't know squat.

If you haven't been to Israel lately, you need to go back.

Israel defies the imagination. 

It's frickin' magic....warts, faults, and all.

To There And Back

October 14, 2025 ~
dead hostages returned

Coming back from Israel is never easy, and a week later, I am still processing the experience. To be there on the heels of the living hostage release was joy muted with the sadness that came with the return of the corpses. No matter how joyous one might be, even the freed hostages, all Israel was grieving with the families who gathered to bury their dead. You see, those hostages, those who were murdered at Nova, at the kibbutzim, on the road, and in the tunnels belong to all of us. They are family. Our  family. And we, עם ישראל, the People of Israel, mourn together. Being there as bodies are repatriated for burial, defies any and all description. The national sadness is palpable; it shades the return of the living. 

All of Israel, כל ישראל, may join together to mourn, but that does not mean all of Israel is united in their opinion about their government. There are deep philosophical and political divides that threaten to tear apart the country. The split between the secular Israelis and the ultra-orthodox factions is deep and dangerous. Israel is a democracy, and like the U.S., you get the government you elect. Sorta. Israel has a coalition government, meaning differing factions have to join forces to cobble enough votes to elect a Prime Minister. The result? No one is happy. 

But there is one thing all of Israel can pretty much agree on: they are surrounded by countries who, in the past, have tried to kill them all. 

Right now, it's just Lebanon, Yemen, and Gaza...all proxies for Iran. For over 70 years, Israelis have lived with wars, homicide bombers, and  

Can you spot Israel?

missiles directed at this tiny (in comparison to its Islamic neighbors) state....that is start-up nation. A highly successful bed of technology, medical research, civic applications, and desert agriculture. They have a long track record of sharing their innovations worldwide, yet their neighbors want them dead. Do they think they will just move in, take over, and continue the scientific progress made by Israel? Maybe they're really thinking about buying that bridge in Brooklyn. 

The country that gave you WAZE, drip irrigation, USB flash drives, and cherry tomatoes just wants to live in reasonables security. They don't want terrorists swarming out of tunnels and over fences to murder kids at a music festival, grandparents, kids, and whole families in their homes. And if someone swarmed over your borders, trust me, you'd do whatever was necessary to take them out while ensuring this never happened again.

And if some rando American politician says he supports boycotting Israel or believes Israel doesn't have the right to exist as a Jewish state, I'd be suspicious of him, too. Especially if he doesn't make the same statement about the 57 Muslim states that include 15 who operate under Sharia law. And refuses to call out terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthi, I sure as hell wouldn't vote for someone who espoused that kind of rhetoric. But we'll get to that in a minute.

I really did very little adventuring on this trip...unless you consider the hunt for Bamba Halva an adventure. I think every grocery store in Herzliya recognized us on site as the Bamba ladies. See, that was the beauty of this trip. It was regular. We did a whole lotta regular stuff. Sure, we had the wedding and we were on baby-watch, but we also got to the Eretz Museum in Tel Aviv and the Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem. We hit a lot of grocery stores, too. We cooked, we baked, and even taught Jen the basics of mah jongg. It was everyday living and I loved it. I got a better feel of the daily rhythm, a sense of what life might be like.....if.

Still, I am an American with American habits, sensibilities, and proclivities. Can I really make the leap? Well, after this visit I'm thinking it might actually be do-able. I'm not there quite yet, but..........

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have a few things to say about the election of Zohran Mamdani:

1. I may be a New Yorker, but I do not live in the city and I did not vote for mayor.
2. I did, however, vote for Jesse Ventura, so I have "vote NO" experience.
3. I firmly believe you elect the government you deserve and I firmly believe New York City...all five boroughs...deserve Zohran Mamdani.
4. And perhaps most importantly, if someone tells you repeatedly who they are, it's best to believe him/her.
5. Remember, four years isn't that long, so if he proves to be a terrible mayor, he's gone.
6. If he proves to be a terrific mayor, great. I'll be happy to be proven wrong.

And while I'm on the subject of American politics, I can think of no better time to starve everyday working Americans while demolishing their access to healthcare than November....the lead up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. Demanding federal workers work without pay or back pay is a great way to garner support for your administration while you bulldoze that White House. 

2025 White House 
ornament

And as if that's not enough, the theme for this year is 150 Years of White House State Dinners....in a room that no longer exists. 

And I cannot shake the idea that there's a big, giant piece of performance art coming as he magnanimously reinstates benefits, standing on the balcony arms out wide like Evita while Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Darryl Strawberry, John Eastman, Sidney Powell, Ross Ulbricht, and Stewart Rhodes stand beneath tossing rose petals in the air. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Donate, donate, donate. Help if you can. 

Your local relief shelf needs more than just food. 

They need diapers, wipes, underwear, socks, and feminine supplies.

So many people not-so-slowly falling into the cracks.

Live and In Person: The WP in Israel

Einav Zanguaker reunited
 with her son,Matan 

It’s hard to know where to begin this week...or not. So, let’s start with the obvious: I am coming to you live and in person from Herzliya, Israel. There was a wedding involved, and the need for some time away from Minnesota. So while the trip was planned several months ago, the timing could not be more auspicious. I arrived 2 days after the release of the live hostages, and now, I am watching reports of body repatriation slowly move forward. We see pictures of the live hostages reuniting with families and friends, and the burial of those who were kept as gruesome trophies. We are painfully aware that the process of returning to some new normal for all the families will not be easy, smooth, or without serious therapy. These live hostages have been subjected to physical and psychological torture. They have weathered the emotional and bodily abuse we can not dare to imagine. Some were told their families were dead...when in fact they were not...while others were told the opposite. Some believed they would come home to wives and children that had been murdered on October 7th, 2023.  

Danny Miran removes his
son's picture from display at
Ben Gurion Airport

Yet, these incredibly resilient people survived. Their paths forward will be their own journeys. They will learn how the world turned against Israel, Jews, and even the hostages themselves. They'll eventually catch up with the news only to learn the victims had been cast in the roles of the aggressors. But for the members of Be'eri, Nir Oz, and K'far Aza, places that had reasonably good relations with their neighbors in Gaza, places that supported peace outreach and cooperation, learning those neighbors invaded across the border with intimate knowledge of the town layouts in order to kill them all, their roads will be even harder to traverse. The best the rest of us can do is to be active, articulate witnesses to the cruel, bullshit that is Hamas. 

And from the lest we forget department: a guy Mohammed Nazzal spoke to Reuters

DOHA, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Hamas intends to maintain security control in Gaza during an interim period, a senior Hamas official told Reuters, adding he could not commit to the group disarming - positions that reflect the difficulties facing U.S. plans to secure an end to the war.
 
Hamas politburo member Mohammed Nazzal also said the group was ready for a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given "horizons and hope" for statehood.
 
Speaking to Reuters in an interview from Doha, where Hamas politicians have long resided, Nazzal defended the group's crackdown in Gaza, where it carried out public executions on Monday. There were always "exceptional measures" during war and those executed were criminals guilty of killing, he said. 

PRESSURE TO DISARM 

While Hamas has broadly expressed these views before, the timing of Nazzal's comments demonstrates the major obstacles obstructing efforts to cement a full end to the war in Gaza, days after the first phase of the ceasefire was agreed.

They point to big gaps between Hamas' positions and U.S. President Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, ahead of negotiations expected to address Hamas' weapons and how Gaza is governed. 

I particularly enjoyed the line:

...a ceasefire of up to five years to rebuild devastated Gaza, with guarantees for what happens afterwards depending on Palestinians being given "horizons and hope"

If you need a translation, allow me to clarify: Hamas remains active in Gaza. The ceasefire will last UP TO five years...which means they can resume their efforts to attack Israel without fear of any condemnation after that time. Horizons and hope = the complete destruction of Israel and the "removal of all Jews and others" from the river to the sea. And executions of their own citizens in the public square. In other words, it's back to business as usual.

So, if you're delusional enough to believe President Felon delivered some kind of lasting peace deal that would guarantee Israel's safety, there's this bridge in Brooklyn I can sell you at a bargain price. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch..........

Yesterday was No Kings Day and by all counts, it was pretty successful. According to Strength In Numbers, an independent, data-driven analysis of politics, public opinion, and elections to be found on Substack, the numbers are pretty impressive.

Strength In Numbers partnered with independent Atlanta-based science newsroom The Xylom on Oct. 18, 2025, to produce a crowdsourced estimate of turnout for the second “No Kings Day” protests held around the country. This follows our first attempt at crowdsourced crowd-counting for the first protests held in June.

Our median estimate is that 5.2 million people participated in a No Kings Day demonstration somewhere in the country on Saturday, with an upper bound of 8.2 million people. We provide an “estimate” and not a “count” because we are making predictions of turnout in protest sites where official records are still missing.

Our estimate is based on reports from local officials, local organizers, and attendees, and suggests the count from organizers — who report 7 million participants nationwide — may be a bit optimistic (but is not impossible). Still, regardless of whether the precise number is 5, 6, 7, or 8 million, Saturday’s events are very likely the biggest single-day protest event since 1970, surpassing even the 2017 Women’s March demonstrations against Trump.

The protests come as Donald Trump’s approval rating hit a new low last week, and as Democrats look likely to win upcoming races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia.

The photos you can find online are also pretty impressive. As is the spreadsheet they produced. That alone is worth seeing so you can check your own city. Even MAGA strongholds filled their public squares. People are upset and they are, indeed, taking to the streets. Can tiki torches and pitchforks be far behind? 

Of course, our Man-Who-Would-Be-King-in-Chief, had to post the most childish, idiotic video in support of his coronation on Bullshit Social.

Sir Bedbug's version

That said, seems we already have a king...according to JD Vance's official page on via Bluesky . I cannot pretend to fathom what prompted Vice President Bedbug to post such a ridiculous clip. I guess it just wasn't enough that his boss dumped shit all over protesters. Nope; he had to come out in support of this charade. Sir Bedbug certainly has expectations of heirdom, although I cannot understand why. What does he think he's gonna be? Clown Prince? The three stooges are way ahead of him in the lineup. The best he can hope for is evil prime henchman or maybe court jester. Hard to say. 

Look, it keeps coming back to the same thing: when Hamas tells you their final solution is the total annihilation of Israel and its Jewish population, you have to believe them. I mean, how many times do we have to go through this before we do? Same thing with President Felon. He keeps telling us he has no intention of leaving the Oval Office....especially after he decorated it with all that cheesy gold plastic...even if he has to suspend the midterms and/or the Constitution. Ever hear the phrase shadow docket? If you haven't, you soon will. 

The government shut-down is already hitting thousands in their wallets, and not just federal workers. The Speaker's refusal to recall the House is nothing but a hostage maneuver against the most at-risk portions of the population. When are President Felon's loyal minions gonna figure out they're left holding a very empty bag with no meds, no food, no heat, no roof, and no hope? But hey! This is their choice, right? You elect the government you deserve. 

Question: do you think the Nobel committee takes into account what he's doing here? Just wondering if destroying your own economy impacts your deservedness for getting the peace prize. 

The bride and groom

But rather than leave you all on this dreadfully depressing note, I will tell you there is nothing like a modern Israeli wedding for group dancing, screamingly funny skits, and overall good times. The groom's friends did a wonderful send-up of him and I can't remember laughing that hard at any wedding. There were wonderful speeches, heartfelt hugs...and a general sense of relief that the hostages were home. There was something special about families coming together to celebrate knowing other families had been reunited. 

Yes, everything has been impacted by the hostages, and weddings are no exception. This one might have just been that much more lighthearted because this is Israel and for the moment, we are all breathing a little bit easier. No one takes those moments lightly; they are cherished. 

On an odd note: the wedding was held in Yafo, and as luck would have it, the rooftop venue overlooked the Yafo Stairs. The stairs haven't changed a bit.....but I am afraid I have.

   1969                                        2025                        

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

If you happen to be in Tel Aviv and want a great dinner,

visit CLARO;TLV. 

You will not be disappointed@

Wishful Thinking

Y'know, I'm not a big fan of snake oil hawkers, grifters, and tent revival holy rollers. I view all those folks with a jaundiced eye and a healthy measure of total disbelief in anything and everything they say. Their idea of truth is largely their idea only, and their sole intent it to separate fools from their money. And if President Felon's earning statement for 2024 is any indication, he had a very lucrative year. And now that his company is starting a new mobile phone service the sky's the limit. Of course, claims that the phone is totally American made are absurd. Currently, the only phone assembled in the US is the $1,999 Liberty phone  by Purism...and even that has parts from China and India. It is not $499 like the Sons of Swindle have promised. I cannot imagine the FCC going along with this...oh wait. Maybe I can, 

What it comes down to is yet another scam, another pile of streaming bullhockey issuing forth from President Felon's Fraud Central Factory. There is nothing that comes outta his mouth, outta the mouths of his henchfolk, or outta the mouths of his family members that can be trusted. Nothing can ever be fully vetted with these people. His hyperbole aside, he just plain lies about everything...from the size of his winkie to the size of the parade crowd. Art Of The Deal ...my ass; more that the Art of The Scam. 

Which should make you wonder about the ceasefire he claims Israel and Iran have signed onto. ...especially when Iran is continuing to lob missiles at Israel as of a few minutes ago. 

He posted this on Truth Social. And you know what we all say about believing everything you see on the internet....

But then, again, he posted something similar about India and Pakistan on May 10th:

According to Chatham House, a respected British think tank:

The ceasefire also does not address any of the underlying grievances in the bilateral relationship. In a social media post, Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that both sides have agreed to ‘start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site’. Talks between both countries’ military personnel took place on 12 May, but it remains to be seen if this paves the way for meaningful political dialogue.

India has stated that talks can only discuss the issues of terrorism and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, while Pakistan will want to focus on the resumption of the IWT and the status of Indian-administered Kashmir. The last time both countries engaged in substantive peace talks was the Composite Dialogue process that came to a halt following the Mumbai terrorist attacks in 2008.  

In the absence of political dialogue, it is not a question of if but when hostilities resume. New Delhi has stated that it will consider another attack like Pahalgam an act of war, while Islamabad has said the same with respect to any violation of the IWT.

The phrase that pays here is: In the absence of political dialogue. The highlight is mine. Sending tweets about ceasefires you think you've secured is a lovely thought, but In the absence of political dialogue, it's not a real ceasefire. It's wishful thinking. 

Back to Israel and Iran. AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME: I have yet to see any news bulletin from either Israel or Iran stating they have accepted a ceasefire agreement from President Felon. That statement may be forthcoming, but right now, at this moment, it sounds like a con. He’s hoping he can bully them into some kind of discussion via social media. 

I just checked again. As of  8:58 PM E.T., no confirmation has been received from either government. 

Never mind the congressional or constitutional issues here. I already heard one Democrat congressman say that the US sortie into Iran was the fault of AIPC....loosely translated: it's the Jews' fault. Like a said a few episodes ago, all he is doing is putting a bigger target on our backs as he pretends to be our friend. And he is still vying for the Nobel Peace Prize. President Felon is nothing more than an oversized playground bully compensating for his lack of...well, you know...playground equipment by manipulating the games, the systems, and ultimately the players.  Enough about this troll of a human...for the moment anyway.

Meanwhile, whilst doing my research about the attacks and reprisals, I kept hearing the phrase surgical strike. It reminded me of a similar line my favorite movie, THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT. After an incident with Libya that requires a military response, President Shepard says:

Someday someone's going to have to explain to me the virtue of a proportional response.

That line reminded me of surgical strike, so I looked it up and found it's actually from a piece of satire by Richard Barnet, published in HARPER'S Magazine back in November of 1971  which happens to be during the Vietnam War. Lo and behold, Niall Ferguson and I clearly operate on the same check-it-out school of writing, because he wrote about that phrase just today in a piece for Free Press called What Comes After Trump's 'Surgical Strikes'?

Ironically, as Richard Nixon’s former speechwriter William Safire pointed out nearly 40 years ago, the term surgical strike originated as left-wing satire. The first use of the phrase, according to Safire, was in an article by Richard Barnet in Harper’s Magazine in November 1971. “Even [in] the language of the bureaucracy,” Barnet wrote, “the ‘surgical strike’ for chasing and mowing down peasants from the air by spraying them with 8,000 bullets a minute—takes the mystery, awe, and pain out of violence.”

Safire

You can read the whole article from the NY Times here: Safire on Language: Surgical Strike. I think it's worth reading. BTW, Safire's On Language was one of my favorite columns in the Times, and one I almost always talked about with my dad. I loved their love of language; it was simply grand.

Meanwhile, back on the tundra....

This assassin Vance Boelter guy was really prepared for the apocalypse, The cops picked up his wife with the kids, a sack of cash, passports, and other accouterments for blowing this pop stand. They called him a prepper: he was preparing for this for a long time. According to Minnesota Public Radio,  they found the following stuff on or near his Green Isle property:

•        4 dozen guns
•         5 body bags
•         Another Ford Explorer made to look like a police vehicle
•          3 AK-47 rifles
•         Dozens of boxes of ammunition
•         $17,940 in cash
•        Lots of spent cartridges and casings

And just for good measure: Investigators recovered a Beretta handgun from the backyard of a home on the west side of the golf course. In the woods between an adjacent home and the Shingle Creek Regional Trail, police found a partially-loaded magazine, the flesh-colored silicone mask that Boelter was allegedly seen wearing in surveillance video, as well as a wig. 

The feds are now running the show on the trial et al. I understand how that's gonna go down. But honestly, I am worried that if it's a federal conviction, President Felon will issue a pardon because Hortman and Hoffman are Democratic legislators. He's already called our governor vile names, and some of his cronies have intimated that Governor Walz set up the hit to "send a message." Really? . If you love conspiracies, you'll love this in the Minnesota Reformer. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Hydrate. 

I'm not kidding. 

That's a very serious tip.