2024 Around The World:
Sydney, Australia
Auckland, New Zealand
Tokyo, Japan
Manila, The Philippines
Bangkok. Thailand
Singapore
Hong Kong
Dubai, the United Arab Emirates
Istanbul, Turkey
Kyiv, Ukraine
Berlin, Germany
Paris, France
London, the United Kingdom
"Biden shouldn't have left
the United States over New Year's. He should have stayed in this country to fix
things."
No matter what your political
beliefs are there's no excuse for not knowing that the US Virgin Islands (where
Biden currently is) is in the United States - it's literally in the name - and
has been since we bought it from Denmark in 1917.
The United State Virgin Islands
is one of 5 inhabited Territories of the United States (along with: Puerto
Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam and American Samoa.)
Every Federal Law that is made in
Washington DC is also valid in 4 of the 5 US Territories (except for American
Samoa.)
Everyone born in a US Territory
(Except for in American Samoa) is an American Citizen.
Those born in American Samoa are
American Nationals, but not automatic American Citizens.
On the map:
The Green = The 50 states and the
District of Colombia
The Purple = Incorporated,
unorganized territory
The Blue = Unincorporated,
organized territory
The Orange = Unincorporated,
organized territory with Commonwealth Status
The Pink = Unincorporated,
unorganized territory
From the BBC:
“Queen of Denmark Margrethe II
announces abdication live on TV”
Queen Margrethe II announced her
abdication during her annual New Year's speech. She will abdicate on 14
January, which will be 52 years to the day since she became queen. "I will
leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik," she announced. The
83-year-old is the longest serving monarch in Europe, taking the throne after
the death of her father King Frederik IX in 1972. She revealed the decision was
made after a period of reflection following surgery on her back in early 2023. "The
surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had
come to leave the responsibility to the next generation," she said. "I
have decided that now is the right time," she added, and offered her
thanks to the Danish public for their support over the years.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
thanked the queen for her service. "On behalf of the entire population, I
would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Her Majesty The Queen for her
lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom," she said in a
statement. "Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and throughout the
years has put words and feelings into who we are as a people and as a
nation."
Unlike British royal tradition,
there will be no formal crowning ceremony for Crown Prince Frederik, who is 55.
Instead, his accession will be announced from Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen
on the day. He will take her place as King of Denmark and head of state in the
country - which is a constitutional monarchy - as well as in Greenland and the
Faroe Islands.
Queen Margrethe is a popular
figure in Denmark, and many Danes had expected her to remain on the throne
until her death. "She is to us what Queen Elizabeth was to you,"
Danish journalist Tine Gotzsche told the BBC. Queen Margrethe attended the
funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and they celebrated their respective
jubilees in the same year. She had not been expected to become Queen when she
was born. But when she was 13, Danish law changed to allow women to take the
throne. More than a decade ago, Queen Margrethe reflected that she was inspired
by the late British Queen "that I must somehow understand that I must
dedicate my life to my nation like she has done, and in that way she has been
very important to me." Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, Queen
Margrethe had become the world's only remaining female sovereign. Known for her
smoking habits and rejection of mobile phones
Some also consider her the
world's longest reigning monarch. The Sultan of Brunei has been on the throne
for longer, but his country only gained independence in 1984. She is also the
second longest-serving monarch in Danish history, surpassed only by King
Christian IV, of Denmark and Norway, who was on the throne for 60 years. Affectionately
known as Daisy, Queen Margrethe is known for her smoking habits and rejection
of mobile phones and the internet - declaring herself "very happy"
without them. Gotzsche said the Danish royal transition is a moment of mixed
celebration and sadness. "She has always been there, she has been ageing
with all of us," she said, but added: "the Crown Prince is in a very
good position to take over, the succession is laid out - it's very logical, and
it absolutely makes sense." During her time on the throne, Queen Margrethe
continued to work as an artist and was well known for her love of the arts. She
also studied in the UK, spending time at Cambridge's Girton College and the
London School of Economics.
Each year on New Year's Eve, she
delivers a speech broadcast on television. This year, aside from the
announcement, she also spoke of the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, as
well as the importance of addressing climate change. Facing similar challenges
of modern society as other royal families across Europe, the Danish royal
family has decided to slim down its number of royals. This led to a very public
rift last year after Crown Prince Frederik's younger brother Prince Joachim's
children were stripped of their royal titles.
^ This was a surprise. ^
From Володимир Зеленський’s Facebook:
Новий рік по-українськи – коли не
тільки вітаємо, а й діємо.
Не тільки бажаємо, а й робимо
все, щоб побажання здійснились.
Ми, українці, як ніхто, знаємо,
що краще завтра не настає саме, бо кожне своє завтра ми відстоюємо власноруч.
І тому наш новий рік буде таким,
яким ми його хочемо та зробимо.
Не лише новорічне, а й цілорічне
диво – це всі ви: рішучі, відповідальні, небайдужі й дієві.
Життя та снаги людям, які
захищають вільне й безпечне майбутнє – не лише власне, а й усього світу.
——
The Ukrainian New Year is not
only a time for greetings, but also for action.
Not only for wishes, but also for
doing everything possible to make them come true.
We, the Ukrainians, understand
better than anybody else that a better future does not come by itself, but only
because we defend each of our tomorrows.
Our New Year will be what we make
it.
The New Year's miracle, but also
the year-round miracle, is all of you: dedicated, responsible, caring, and
effective.
We wish the people who defend a
free and secure future life and vigour, not only for themselves, but for the
whole world.
^ This was a good message. I hope
Zelenskyy and Ukraine is successful in 2024. ^
In Putin’s 2022 New Year’s Speech
to Russia the Russian Military was behind him - literally.
In Putin’s 2023 New Year’s Speech
to Russia the Russian Military is nowhere to be seen.
Here’s to a horrible 2024 for
Putin.
“Happy New Year In Different Languages!”
Albanian Gëzuar Vitin e Ri
Basque Urte berri on
Belarusian З Новым годам [Z
Novym hodam]
Bosnian Sretna Nova godina
Bulgarian Честита Нова Година
[Chestita Nova Godina]
Catalan Bon any nou
Corsican Bon annu
Croatian Sretna Nova godina
Czech Šťastný
nový rok
Danish Godt
nytår
Dutch Gelukkig
nieuwjaar
Estonian Head uut aastat
Finnish Hyvää
uutta vuotta
French Bonne
année
Galician Feliz aninovo
German Frohes neues Jahr
Greek Ευτυχισμένο το νέο έτος [Eftychisméno
to néo étos]
Hungarian Boldog új évet
Icelandic Gleðilegt nýtt ár
Irish Athbhliain
faoi Mhaise Duit
Italian Buon
Anno
Latvian Laimīgu Jauno gadu
Lithuanian Laimingų Naujųjų
metų
Luxembourgish Schéint Neit
Joer
Macedonian Среќна Нова година
[Sreḱna Nova godina]
Maltese Is-Sena t-Tajba
Norwegian Godt nytt år
Polish Szczęśliwego
Nowego Roku
Portuguese Feliz Ano Novo
Romanian An Nou Fericit
Russian С новым годом [S Novym
Godom]
Scots Gaelic Bliadhna Mhath Ùr
Serbian Срећна Нова година
[Srećna Nova godina]
Slovak Šťastný
nový rok
Slovenian Srečno novo leto
Spanish Feliz año nuevo
Swedish Gott nytt år
Ukrainian Щасливого Нового року
[Shchaslyvoho Novoho roku]
Welsh Blwyddyn
Newydd Dda
Armenian Շնորհավոր Նոր Տարի
[Shnorhavor Nor Tari]
Azerbaijani Yeni iliniz mübarək
Bengali শুভ নব বর্ষ [śubha naba barṣa]
Chinese Traditional 新年快樂
[xīnnián kuàilè]
Georgian გილოცავთ ახალ წელს
[gilotsavt akhal ts’els]
Hindi नए साल की शुभकामनाएँ [nae saal kee shubhakaamanaen]
Japanese あけましておめでとう
Kazakh Жаңа
жыл құтты болсын [Jaña jıl quttı bolsın]
Khmer រីករាយឆ្នាំថ្មី
Korean 새해 복 많이 받으세요 [saehae bog manh-i bad-euseyo]
Kyrgyz Жаны
жылыңар менен [Janı jılıŋar menen]
Lao ສະບາຍດີປີໃຫມ່ [ sa bai di pihaim]
Mongolian Шинэ оны мэнд хүргэе [Shine
ony mend khürgeye]
Myanmar (Burmese) ပျော်ရွှင်ဖွယ်နှစ်သစ် [ pyawshwinhpwalnhaitsait]
Nepali नयाँ बर्षको शुभकामना [nayām̐ barṣakō śubhakāmanā]
Pashto نوی
کال مو مبارک شه
Punjabi ਨਵਾ ਸਾਲ ਮੁਬਾਰਕ [navā sāla mubāraka]
Sinhala සුභ නව වසරක් [subha nava vasarak]
Tajik Соли
Нав Муборак
Tamil புத்தாண்டு வாழ்த்துக்கள் [puttāṇṭu vāḻttukkaḷ]
Thai สวัสดีปีใหม่
Turkish Mutlu
Yıllar
Turkmen Täze ýylyňyz gutly bolsun
Urdu نیا
سال مبارک ہو
Uzbek Yangi
Yil muborak
Vietnamese Chúc mừng năm mới
Arabic سنة
جديدة سعيدة [sanat jadidat saeida]
Hebrew שנה טובה
Kurdish (Kurmanji) Sersala ve mibarek
be
Persian سال
نو مبارک
Afrikaans Gelukkige Nuwe Jaar
Amharic መልካም አዲስ ዓመት [melikami
ādīsi ‘ameti]
Somali Sanad
Wacan
Swahili Heri
ya mwaka mpya
Zulu Jabulela
unyaka omusha
Filipino Maligayang Bagong Taon
Hawaiian Hauʻoli makahiki hou
Indonesian Selamat Tahun Baru
Malagasy Tratry ny taona
Maori Nga
mihi o te tau hou
Samoan Manuia le Tausaga Fou
Esperanto Feliĉan Novjaron
Latin Felix
New Year
(A Ukrainian Woman killed by the
Russians yesterday.)
To my Friends complaining that Ukraine
attacked Belgorod, Russia (19 miles from the Ukrainian Border) today killing 20
people and wounding over 100: Good.
Yesterday Russia attacked – with 158
missiles - 5 different Ukrainian Cities (Kyiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Lviv)
killing 39 people and wounding 160.
The “Military Targets’ Russia
attacked were: a School, a Maternity Hospital, an Apartment Building, a
Kindergarten, a Metro Station and a Shopping Mall.
Its hard to feel sorry for the
Russians when the Ukrainians have had to constantly suffer for the past 664
days (by Russian Bombs, Russian Missiles, Russian Soldiers, Russian Mines,
etc.) The Russians are trying to play the Victims as they always try to do even
though they and we know they are the Aggressors.
Sadly, I have heard more Russians
complain about the high cost of chicken and eggs (up 40%) and rationed in many
places than I have about all the deaths caused by their Country.
The Russians only have themselves
and Putin to blame for any Russian deaths inside Ukraine or inside Russia.
As soon as Russia stops murdering
innocent Men, Women and Children in Ukraine (including the Russian-Occupied
Parts of Ukraine) the sooner Russians will stop dying.
The US (especially Congress)
needs to put their Big Boy/Girl Pants on, stop their petty in-fighting and pass
more Aid for Ukraine and Israel.
From ABC News’ Facebook:
After more than two years apart,
U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Mike Alcala has finally reunited with John, a
now-retired German shepherd military working dog with whom Alcala served for
three years while stationed in Hawaii.
The pair reunited a few days
before Christmas, when Alcala and his family welcomed John to their home in San
Antonio, Texas. Alcala adopted John following the dog's retirement after
serving almost a decade as an explosives detection canine.
As 2023 ends lets take a
moment to see what has been going on inside Ukraine by the numbers:
674 days = Time since Russia
started its War in Ukraine.
900,000 = Number of Russian
Soldiers sent to Ukraine.
600,000 = Number of Ukrainian
Soldiers in Ukraine.
357,520 = Number of Russian Soldiers killed.
190,000 = Number of Russian Soldiers wounded.
70,000 = Number of Ukrainian Soldiers killed.
120,000 = Number of Ukrainian
Soldiers wounded.
33,452 = Ukrainian Civilians
killed.
4 Million = Number of Ukrainian Civilians that have
been internally displaced inside Ukraine.
7.8 Million = Number of Ukrainian
Civilians that have been externally displaced outside Ukraine.
1.3 Million = Number of Russian
Civilians that have fled Russia since February 2022 (the largest Emigration
since the 1917 Communist Revolution.)
19 Million = Number of Russians who live below the
Poverty Line.
14,900 = Number of Russian
Civilians that have been arrested for publicly protesting Russia’s War in
Ukraine.
15 = Number in years of the
Mandatory Term in a Forced Labor Penal Colony for Russians that speak out
against Russia’s War.
1,000 = Number of International
Companies that have left Russia since February 2022.
600 = Number of Russian War
Criminals Identified so far.
1.2 Million = Number of Ukrainian
Men and Women abducted by Russia inside Ukraine and sent camps in Russia.
250,000 = Number of Ukrainian
Children abducted by Russia inside Ukraine and sent to camps in Russia.
39,347+ = Number of Open War
Crime Investigations by the Ukrainians against the Russians.
9 Million = Number of Ukrainians
without Water, Food, Shelter, Electricity or Heat due to the Russians.
31,014 = Number of Air Raids on
Ukraine by Russia.
1,311 = Number of attacks on
Hospitals and Clinics by Russia.
118 = Number of Religious Buildings (Catholic
Churches, Orthodox Churches, Synagogues, etc.) destroyed by Russia.
54 = Number of Countries and
Territories that refuse entry of Russian Planes into their Airspace.
4 = Number of Countries that call
Russia’s War in Ukraine a Genocide (Estonia, Lativia, Lithuania and Ukraine.)
4 = Number of Countries that partially
calls Russia’s War in Ukraine a Genocide (Canada, the Czech Republic, Ireland
and Poland.)
1 = Number of Ukrainian
Autonomous Republics (Crimea) that have been completely occupied by the
Russians since March 2014.
0 = Number of Ukrainian Oblasts
(Provinces) that have been completely occupied by the Russians since February
2022.
40 = Number of Countries that
have given Military, Humanitarian and Financial Aid to Ukraine since February
2022.
$75 Billion = Amount in US Dollars the United States has
given Ukraine in Military, Humanitarian and Financial Aid since February 2022.
1 = Number of Attempted Coups
inside Russia since the War began.
50 = Percentage of Russians who
want the Russian Special Military Operation in Ukraine to end.
6 = Percentage of Russians who
believe in a Russian Victory in the Special Military Operation in Ukraine.
1 = The one man that has united
Ukraine, Europe, NATO and the Whole World against Putin and Russia since
February 2022 (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.)
2024? = The Year that Ukraine
will defeat Russia and Putin’s Dictatorship will end.
Note: This is a current map of
the situation inside Ukraine. The blue areas show formerly Ukrainian Territory
occupied by the Russians, the Pink shows the current Ukrainian Territory
occupied by the Russians.
David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus
Marcus was a United States Army Colonel,
later Israel's first General, who was a principal architect of the U.S. Military's
World War II Civil Affairs Policies, including the organization of the War Crimes
Trials in Germany and in Japan.
He was born on February 22, 1901
in Manhattan, New York City (to Jewish Parents that came from Romania.)
After High School he was accepted
into the West Point Military Academy and graduated in 1924 (one of the few
Jewish Cadets allowed in.)
After completing his Active-Duty
Military Service he went to Law School. He spent most of the 1930s as an Assistant
US Attorney in New York prosecuting Gangsters like Lucky Luciano.
In 1940, New York Mayor Fiorello
La Guardia named Marcus Commissioner of the New York City Department of
Correction for the City of New York.
After leaving Active-Duty
Military Service he stayed in the Organized Reserve Corps. In 1939, he joined
the Judge Advocate General's Corps, and became Judge Advocate of his Army
National Guard Unit, the 27th Infantry Division, which was Federalized in 1940.
After the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Marcus deployed to
the US Territory of Hawaii where he organized
and commanded a Ranger Combat Training School.
In 1943, he was sent to Washington DC and was
assigned to the Civil Affairs Division, as Chief of Planning for Occupation Governments
in Territories liberated from the Axis. He accompanied U.S. Delegations to the Conferences
at Cairo, Teheran, Yalta and Potsdam, and helped draft the 1943 Surrender Terms
for Italy.
In 1944 he got transferred to the
United Kingdom where he used his West Point connections to parachute into
Normandy on D-Day with the first wave of the 101st Airborne Division, despite
having no Paratrooper Training. He took informal command of some of the
scattered Paratroopers and was in combat for a week. He was then sent back to
the United States.
After V-E Day in 1945, General
Lucius D. Clay asked for Marcus to serve on his Staff in the Occupation of
Germany. Marcus was in charge of providing for the millions of Displaced Persons
in Germany. Clay required all his Subordinates to tour the Dachau Concentration
Camp outside of Munich, West Germany. Marcus was shocked by its horrors; though
not previously a Zionist, he began to think differently about a Jewish State.
In 1946, he was named Chief of
the Army's War Crimes Division in Washington, planning legal and security
procedures for the Nuremberg Trials and the Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. He
attended the Nuremberg Trials, making sure that Nazi Crimes were thoroughly
documented. After the Trials, he was offered promotion to Brigadier General,
but instead elected to return to civilian life and his law practice.
In recognition of his service in
"negotiation and drafting of the Italian Surrender Instrument, the
Instrument of Unconditional Surrender of Germany, and the international Machinery
to be used for the control of Germany after her total defeat" he was
awarded the Distinguished Service Medal. In 1946, he was named an Honorary
Commander of the Order of the British Empire, ‘in recognition of the
distinguished service performed … in cooperation with British armed forces
during the war." He also was awarded the Bronze Star and other awards.
In 1947, David Ben-Gurion (who
was trying to form a Jewish State in British-Mandatory Palestine) asked Marcus
to recruit a U.S. Officer to serve as Military Advisor to the nascent Israeli Army,
the Haganah. Marcus could not recruit anyone suitable, so he volunteered
himself and after receiving permission from the US Army (and using the Nom de
Guerre – Michael Stone) Marcus went to Palestine in January 1948.
He designed a command and control
structure for the Haganah, adapting his U.S. Army experience to its special
needs. He identified Israel's weakest points in the Negev south, and the
Jerusalem area.
On May 14, 1948 (the day before
the British Mandate in Palestine ended) David Ben-Gurion declared Israel’s
Independence.
Immediately, 70,000 Arab Soldiers
(from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, etc.) attacked
Israel from the north, south, east, west, the air and the sea.
Marcus was appointed Aluf ("General")
and given command of the Jerusalem Front on May 28, 1948. As no ranks had been
granted to the Israeli High Command at that time, he became the first General
in the fledgling Nation's Army (the Israel Defense Forces.)
(A bulldozer tows a truck on
Burma/Jerusalem Road, June 1948.)
He participated in planning
Operations Bin Nun Bet and Yoram against the Latrun Fort, held by the Arab
Legion, which blocked the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which was under Siege
by 8,000 Egyptian and Jordanian Soldiers (for nearly a year and where at least
600 Jewish Civilians were killed by the Arabs.)
Both attacks failed, but Marcus then built the
"Burma Road to Jerusalem" – a makeshift winding road through
difficult hill terrain, nicknamed after the World War II supply route to China.
His "Burma Road" was opened to vehicles on June 10th,
breaking the Siege of Jerusalem, a day before a United Nations Ceasefire took
effect.
A few hours before the Ceasefire
on June 11, 1948, Marcus returned to his Central Front Headquarters in Abu
Ghosh. Shortly before 4:00 a.m., a Sentry, Eliezer Linski, 18 years old, and a
one-year Palmach Veteran, challenged Marcus, whom he saw as a figure in white.
When Marcus failed to respond
with the password, Linski fired at Marcus, as did one or more fighters in a
nearby Sentry Post. Marcus was found dead, wrapped in a white blanket.
Marcus knew very little Hebrew
and had responded in English, which Linski did not understand. Marcus wore no Rank, although Officers had
been recognized by a ribbon pinned to their Uniforms. As Marcus's body was
removed from Abu Ghosh, a ribbon was found and placed on his casket.
Marcus’ body was returned to the
United States for burial at West Point, accompanied by Moshe Dayan and his Wife
Ruth.
(The Marcuses' Graves in the West
Point Cemetery.)
His burial, with Military Honors,
was attended by Governor of New York Thomas Dewey, former Secretary of the
Treasury Henry Morgenthau, and General Maxwell Taylor, then Superintendent of
the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Marcus' Grave is the only one in
the West Point Cemetery at the United States Military Academy for an American
killed fighting under the flag of another country; he was still eligible for
interment there because he was a Graduate of the Academy who served honorably. His
gravestone at West Point reads: “Colonel David Marcus—a Soldier for All
Humanity".
His Widow, Emma Marcus (Chaison),
received a Monthly Pension from the Israeli Government until her death in 1982.
(David Marcus Memorial BKiryat
Ya'arim, Near Abu Ghosh.)
In 1966, the film “Cast a Giant
Shadow” was released about Mickey Marcus with Kirk Douglas starring as Marcus
and also starring: Senta Berger, Yul Brynner, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra and
Angie Dickinson.
