Thursday, October 31, 2024
Halloween Facts
62 Interesting Facts About Halloween
Halloween is now considered as a
global holiday that is celebrated by millions around the world. Given this
level of popularity, you might be wondering how it came about and what led to
its development. In this article, we delve deeper into the origins and other
interesting facts about Halloween.
1. Halloween happens every
evening of the 31st of October. It marks the start of Allhallowtide, a series
of Christian holidays meant to remember the dead such as loved ones, saints,
and martyrs.
2. In several Hispanic countries,
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, takes place from 31 October to 2
November.
3. Current Halloween customs can
be traced to the pagan traditions of ancient Celtics, particularly the festival
called “Samhain” which means summer’s end. It is part of their preparation for
the gloomy winter.
4. Celtics believed that the
boundary with the Otherworld is weaker during Samhain, allowing spirits to pass
through and walk among us. People left food offerings outside their homes to
appease the spirits.
5. By the 1500s, the festival
began to include costumes and house-to-house visits. Young people impersonated
the spirits, recited verses, and sang songs in exchange for food. Households
obliged to receive good fortune.
6. “Halloween” first appeared in
Christian writings around 1745. It is a shortened form of the term Hallows
evening, referring to the vigils and other activities the night before All
Hallows Day (also called All Saints Day).
7. Most celebrations of saints
and martyrs were held from spring to summer. In 837, Pope Gregory IV moved All
Saints Day to November 1 which coincides with Samhain. This was a practical
decision to decongest Rome from pilgrims during summers.
8. By the 1100s, the festivities
included street parades with criers in black asking people to remember the
dead. Homes baked soul cakes marked with a cross and gave these out in exchange
for prayers. Shakespeare mentioned this souling tradition in his play “The Two
Gentlemen of Verona”.
9. Although most people consider
Halloween as major US holiday, it did not reach mainstream consciousness in
North America until the 1800s. Mass immigration of Scottish and Irish people
allowed their traditions to flourish here.
10. New York’s Greenwich Village
Halloween Parade is the largest of its kind in the world. It features over
50,000 participants in costume. Millions of spectators turn up each year to
cheer them on throughout Manhattan.
12. Fires, such as those burning
from jack-o’-lanterns, were thought to prevent demons from haunting homes and
guide wandering souls back to their families. People roaming during the night
could also ward off evil spirits.
13. While Ireland and Scotland
preferred turnips, US immigrants used native pumpkins instead. These were
larger, softer, and easier to access. Pumpkin carving was a common harvest time
tradition before being linked to Halloween.
14. The state of Illinois
produces roughly 90 to 95% of the USA’s pumpkins – around 500 million pounds.
15. A popular Irish folktale
explains the origin of the jack-o’-lantern. It is said to contain the soul of a
person who was denied entry to both heaven and hell, condemning him to roam
forever.
16. The most jack-o’-lanterns on
display at one time was 30,581 on 19 October 2013 in Keene, New Hampshire.
17. The heaviest jack-o’-lantern
in the world was carved from a massive pumpkin weighing 2,684 lbs (1,217.5 kg).
This monstrous pumpkin was grown by Italian Stefano Cutrupi and the record was
set on 6 November 2021.
18. Another enduring image of the
holiday is the skull. This is a reminder of death and the fragility of life. In
the Christian tradition, it is a reference to Golgotha where Jesus was
crucified.
19. Trick-or-treating comes from
the medieval practice of mumming in which costumed actors parade on the streets
and perform in homes. Aside from Hallows Eve, they also did this on other feast
days like Christmas, Shrove Tuesday, and Twelfth Night.
20. As for the term “trick or
treat”, the first printed mention was in 1927 also in Canada. It was from the
newspaper Blackie Herald based in Alberta.
21. The first recorded instance
of “guising” in North America was in 1911. A regional Canadian newspaper from
Kinston, Ontario published an article about children disguising in costume as
they roam for food or coins around their neighbourhood.
22. The city of Bathurst in
Canada banned teenagers over the age of 16 from trick-or- treating, and a
citywide curfew for all residents of 8 p.m. is in place to ensure pranks and
mischief was avoided. Those caught breaking the rules are fined $200.
23. Children were often seen in
Halloween postcards from the early 1900s but they weren’t tricking or treating.
The practice only became widespread in the US during the late 1930s.
24. In rural areas where homes
are spread far apart, a safer alternative known as trunk-or- treating is often
arranged. Kids can ask for treats from decorated cars filled with goodies in a
church or school parking lot.
26. The Middle Ages was a
difficult period for all, including churches that did not have resources to
display saintly relics. They let their parishioners dress up as these saints
and go around instead.
27. Putting on costumes for
Halloween parties is an early 20th century development in North America. People
poke fun at the things they fear including ghosts and monsters. Over time,
options moved beyond the supernatural such as notable celebrities, fictional
characters, and other themes.
28. From 1909, the Dennison
Manufacturing Company produced Halloween costumes, decorations, and
invitations, increasing the popularity of Halloween.
29. In 2022, roughly 69% of
Americans dressed up for and participated in Halloween festivities.
30. Although it’s quite popular
at Halloween, Silly String has been banned in Hollywood, and if you get caught
using Silly String on Halloween, you can receive a $1,000 fine.
31. Master escape artist Harry
Houdini died on Halloween of 1926 from a ruptured appendix, but many of the
circumstances surrounding his demise remain mysterious to this day.
32. Pets are part of the family
so they can’t be left behind. In 2018, Americans collectively spent roughly
$480 million on Halloween costumes for their pets. It is a massive increase
from the $200 million estimate back in 2010.
33. In Ireland, it was customary
for unmarried women to gaze into a mirror at night during Halloween to see the
face of their future husband. Sometimes a skull might appear to signify that
the person will pass away before marriage.
34. Halloween bonfires were also
used to determine mortality. After the fire dies, individuals will each place a
ring of stones on the ashes. They believed mislaid stones foretold imminent
death for the associated persons.
35. Another Irish Halloween
tradition involves hiding small items in food and serving these randomly. Fortunes
depend on the item obtained. A coin predicts wealth, a ring signifies marriage,
and so on.
36. The first Halloween-themed
attraction opened in 1915 in England. It was called the Orton and Spooner Ghost
House, a steam-powered carnival fun house. It continues to be displayed as part
of the Hollycombe Steam Collection.
37. In the US, the San Mateo
Haunted House began its operation in 1957. This was soon followed by other
major attractions that proved so popular that the haunted house became a
cultural phenomenon.
38. In 1984, the fatal fire at
the Haunted Castle in New Jersey led to tighter safety regulations, new
building codes, and more inspections. Smaller venues could not handle the
higher expenses so many of them folded. Bigger commercial attractions dominated.
39. The longest haunted house in
the world is Dragon’s House of Horror, which is 7,183 feet (2,189.59 meters)
long. This haunted house is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and earned this
status in November 2015.
40. By the late 1980s, famous
theme parks like Six Flags, Universal Studios, Disneyland, and Knott’s Berry
Farm began to hold annual Halloween events that draw large crowds. The
decorations, attractions, and live events are tweaked to align with the season.
These contributed to the globalization of the holiday.
41. Rhode Island plays host to
the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular every year and has over 6,000 jack o’lanterns.
It attracts around 140,000 visitors annually.
42. Halloween comes right after
the annual apple harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s no surprise that
apple-based treats are popular during the holiday. These include candy apples
in which the whole fruit is covered in sugar syrup and rolled in nuts.
43. Unfortunately, the practice
of giving out candy apples faded due to nasty rumors of dangerous embedded
items. The reality is that cases were extremely rare and usually traced to the
children’s own parents according to research from the University of Delaware.
44. It is also common to bake or
order a Halloween cake with a spooky design fit for the occasion. These usually
come on black, white, and orange but other colors may be injected as well. They
often feature jack-o’-lanterns, skulls, ghosts, cobwebs, bones, bats, and other
well-known symbols of the holiday.
45. In some Christian
denominations, people are encouraged to go on a fast or abstain from meat. This
increases the demand for vegetarian dishes such as colcannon in Ireland. It can
be described as a combination of mashed potato and kale or cabbage.
46. The annual Halloween
expenditure in the United States was projected at $8 billion in Around $2.6
billion of that went into costumes. The average consumer will spend $92 for
Halloween-related items.
47. In 2022, the money spent on
Halloween candy in the US was a scary $3.1 billion – an all time high!
48. The survey conducted by the
National Retail Federation also found that 148 million consumers planned to
celebrate the holiday in 2020. Nearly half wanted to decorate their homes and
carve pumpkins.
49. In 1958, the White House was
decorated for Halloween for the first time. Mamie Eisenhower decorated the
dining room and foyer with jack o’lanterns, flower arrangements, twinkle
lights, owls, black cats, goblins, and witch heads.
50. On the 31st October 2013,
Stephen Clarke of the USA carved a pumpkin in a world record-setting time of
16.47 seconds. This was his third time setting the record – he previously held
the record at 54.72 and 24.03 seconds.
51. Pop culture has had a
tremendous impact on Halloween over the years. Gothic novels and horror films
have defined our modern monsters. The top adult costumes for 2020 were witch,
vampire, ghost, cat, and Batman.
52. Horror and scary movies are
especially popular around Halloween, and made over $700 million at the US box
office in 2022.
53. The 1962 song “Monster Mash”
was banned by the BBC in the UK because it was too morbid. However, when it was
re-released in 1973, the Halloween favorite became a “graveyard smash hit”.
55. Disney’s 1993 movie Hocus
Pocus was originally going to be called Halloween House. It was meant to be
scary rather than funny.
56. The 2017 movie “It” is the
most successful horror film ever made. The Stephen King classic grossed over
$700 million worldwide.
57. Halloween sales indicate the
health of the retail sector heading into the holidays. Although Black Friday
officially kicks off Christmas shopping season, about 39% of shopper actually
start before November.
58. The three most popular treats
given away by households include chocolate bars, chocolate candies, and chewy
candies. Many will also hand out gums, corn candies, and salty snacks. Lucky
children may even get toys.
59. Candy wasn’t the original
fare of Halloween and trick-or-treaters used to get anything from coins, nuts,
and fruit to toys and cake. In the 1950s, candy companies saw an opportunity to
get into the market, starting the tradition of Halloween candy.
60. The popular confection “candy
corn” was created by George Renninger in the 1880s and sold by Goelitz
Confectionery Company (today it’s called the Jelly Bean Co.). It was originally
called “chicken feed” and was sold in a box marked with a rooster.
61. Reese’s Cups are America’s
favorite candy based on sales figures in 2022. Skittles, M&Ms, and
Starbursts came in close behind Reese’s Cups.
62. Do you think that Candy is
only a child’s affair? Over 86% of parents have stated that they have stolen
their children’s Halloween candy. Plus, over 50% admit to stashing Halloween
candy to indulge in later in the year.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Repression Victims
Repression Victims
Today is Day of Remembrance of
the Victims of Political Repressions in Russia (День памяти жертв политических
репрессий.) It was officially remembered in the Soviet Union from October 30,
1991 to December 25, 1991 and in Russia since December 26, 1991.
The repressed were called the
“Enemies of the People” (Враги народа) by the Soviets. Punishments by the State
included summary executions, sending innocent people to Gulags, forced
resettlement, and stripping of Citizen's Rights. If one member of the family
was found to be an “Enemy of the People” then the whole family was considered
one and punished.
Repression was conducted by the
Cheka, the NKVD, the KGB and other State Organs. While Political Repression was
an everyday occurrence in the Soviet Union - as in all Communist countries -
there were special campaigns throughout the USSR’s existence (1917-1991.)
The Red Terror (1917 to 1922):
3,284,000 people murdered.
The New Economic Period
(1923-1928): 2,200,000 people murdered.
Collectivization (1928-1935):
14,400,000 people murdered.
Forced Psychiatry Treatments
Part 1 (1921-1955): 1,802 people murdered.
The Great Purge (1936-1938):
4,345,000 people murdered.
Holodomor Man-Made Famine
(1932-1933): 3,500,000 people murdered.
Katyn Massacre (1940): 22,000
Poles murdered.
Forced Population Transfers
(1930-1952): 389,521 Kulaks murdered, 400,000 Chechens murdered, 90,000
Poles murdered, 40,000 Soviet Koreans murdered, 5,400 Estonians murdered,
17,400 Latvians murdered, 28,000 Lithuanians murdered, 18,800 Finns murdered,
20,000 Hungarians murdered, 19,000 Karachais murdered, 228,800 Soviet Germans
murdered, 360,000 non-Soviet Germans murdered, 16,000 Kalmyks murdered, 23,000
Ingush murdered, 11,000 Balkars murdered, 195,471 Crimean Tatars murdered,
50,000 Meskhetian Turks murdered.
Gulags (1919-1953): 1.7
Million died as a direct result of their detention (doesn’t include those who
died from starvation, the extreme cold, forced labor, etc.)
Forced Psychiatry Treatments
Part 2 (1964-1989): Out of the 10,347 officially punished people 96% of
them were murdered through extreme usage of dangerous chemicals and medicines.
After Joseph Stalin died in 1953
and until Nikita Khrushchev was overthrown in 1964, the Soviet Government had a
process called Legal Rehabilitation (Юридическая реабилитация) in which
innocent men, women and children that were tortured, imprisoned and/or killed
or their relatives could apply to have them officially made full legal Soviet
Citizens again (with all the pensions and other benefits restored.
-
32 million men, women and children were officially Rehabilitated by the
Soviet Government from 1953-1964. 13 million of those were from the Russian
Civil War Period (1917-1923) alone. The vast majority of the Rehabilitated had
died during their official imprisonment.
From 1988-1991 different Soviet
Republics (like the Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republics in April 1991)
of the Soviet Union created different Political Rehabilitation Laws. In 1993,
the Russian Federation created their first Rehabilitation Law.
-
From 1993 to 2004, the Russian Prosecutor's Office reviewed 978,891
applications for Legal Rehabilitation of which 797,532 were allowed and 388,412
were satisfied, 636,335 cases against 901,127 people were reviewed and 634,165
were recognized as victims of Political Repression and Legally Rehabilitated.
In 2004 the Russian Government stopped announcing official Legal Rehabilitation
numbers. That is when President Putin moved away from blaming Stalin and the
USSR to praising, promoting and
rehabilitating Stalin and the USSR.
Note: These are only the
men, women and children that the Russian Government has declassified that the
Soviet Communists officially admit to murdering from 1917-1991. The actual
number is much higher. It also doesn’t include the millions upon millions of
men, women and children that the Soviet Communists repressed and imprisoned and
that survived.
Sunday, October 27, 2024
Ukrainian
Today is Ukrainian Language
Day.
As you would expect Ukrainian is
the Official Language of Ukraine (just like Russian is the Official Language of
Russia), but just because many Ukrainians understand Russian (they were forced
to learn it from the 1600s until 1991) doesn’t mean that Russian and its
Transliterations should be used in Modern-Day Ukraine. By the way almost no
Russian understands Ukrainian (including ethnic Russians that have lived in
Ukraine their whole life.)
Alphabet: The Ukrainian
Language uses the Cyrillic Alphabet like the Russian Language does, but that
doesn’t mean they are the same Language or can be fully understood.
It’s the same way that just
because you know the English Language doesn’t mean you automatically know the
Spanish Language – both of which use the Latin Alphabet.
The Ukrainian Language has
Letters that the Russian Language doesn’t have. Just look in the Ukrainian Name
“Київ.” Russian doesn’t even have the Letter ї. Russian also doesn’t have the
Letters Ґ, І or Є.
The Russian Language has the
Letters Ё, Ъ, ы and Э which Ukrainian doesn’t have.
Also, when translating from
Russian into English you say “the Ukraine”, but when translating from Ukrainian
into English you say “Ukraine.”
When translating from Russian
into English you say “the Crimea”, but when translating from Ukrainian into
English you say “Crimea.”
Phrases: Here are some Everyday Phrases in
both Ukrainian and Russian to help you see the difference between the two
Languages – even if you don’t know the Cyrillic Alphabet:
Welcome: Ukrainian (Ласкаво просимо) Russian (Добро
пожаловать!)
Hello: Ukrainian (Вітаю)
Russian (Здравствуйте!)
How Are You?: Ukrainian
(Як ти поживаєш?) Russian (Как дела?)
Goodbye: Ukrainian (До
побачення) Russian (До свидания!)
Yes: Ukrainian (Так)
Russian (Да)
No: Ukrainian (Ні) Russian (Нет)
Thank You: Ukrainian
(Дякую) Russian (Спасибо!)
Ukrainian Language:
Ukrainian (українська мова) Russian (Украинский язык)
Russian Language:
Ukrainian (Російська мова) Russian (Русский язык)
Ukrainian Language Day
Today (October 27th) is The Day
of Ukrainian Literature and Language (День української писемності та мови.)
37 Million People speak Ukrainian
as their First Language.
15 Million People speak Ukrainian
as their 2nd, 3rd, etc. Language.
The Ukrainian Language is a
separate Language from the Russian Language in the same way as English is
separate from German.
History of the Ukrainian
Language in Ukraine:
15th Century to 1945 in
western Ukraine: The everyday Official Language was Polish. Ukrainian or
Yiddish were used at home in secret.
1650s to 1917 in the rest of
Ukraine: Most of Ukraine was forced into the Russian Czarist Empire. The
everyday Official Language was Russian. Ukrainian and Yiddish were used at home
in secret.
1720: Czar Peter 1 forbade
anything to be printed using the Ukrainian Language.
1864: Adoption of the
Charter of the Primary School at which education was to be conducted only in
Russian. This Charter only legalized the use of only the Russian Language in
Schools in Ukraine – a practice done since the 1650s.
1876: Czar Alexander II's
Ems Decree banned the printing and importing of any text in Ukrainian from
outside the Czarist Empire.
The Ems Decree also banned
Stage Performances, Public Recitations and schooling in Ukraine, as well as it
ordered removal of all Ukrainian Books from School Libraries, Teachers that
were suspected of promoting the Ukrainian Language were to be transferred
outside of Ukraine.
1911: The Resolution VIIth Congress of the
Nobility in Moscow made it illegal to use any Language, except Russian, in any
School in the Czarist Empire.
1914: Prohibition of
celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Taras Shevchenko (who promoted the
Ukrainian Language and Culture), the Decree of Czar Nicholas II’s Prohibition
of the Ukrainian Press.
1922: Ukraine was forced
into the Soviet Union after the 1917 Communist Revolution and Civil War.
The Communist Party of the Soviet
Union declared there to be two cultures in Ukraine – the city (which used the
Russian Language) and the Peasant (which used the Ukrainian Language.) The CPSU
declared the only acceptable outcome would be a Modern Ukraine (ie one where
everyone works in the Cities) and so the Russian Language became the only
Language Officially allowed in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic.
1932: Stalin's Campaign to
end "Ukrainization” inside Ukraine began (making it illegal to use the
Ukrainian Language even at home.)
1932-1933: The Man-Made
Famine, the Holodomor, was created by the Soviets in Moscow to end Ukrainian
Nationalism. 5 Million Ukrainians died.
1941-1944: Nazi Germany
occupied Ukraine. The Nazis promised to make the Ukrainian Language a
Co-Official Language (along with German) if the Ukrainians fought with the
Nazis.
In reality German was the only
Official Language with Russian as a 2nd Language.
1945: Western Ukraine was
transferred from Poland to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Poland
received former Nazi German Territory in exchange.
A rapid period of Russification
was carried out by the Communists in Moscow throughout western Ukraine. The
Laws making it illegal to use the Ukrainian Language were extended to western
Ukraine.
1945-1953: Any Ukrainian
that had promoted the use of the Ukrainian Language during the War Years were
hunted down and sent to the Gulags by the Soviet Communists.
1958 – The Principles of
Legislation of the USSR and the Union Republics on Public Education on the
Situation on the Free Choice of Language Learning was created.
Officially it said that Parents
across the Soviet Union could decide which Language their Children learned in
School. If the Parents chose a Language other than Russian then the Children
had to also learn the Russian Language as a 2nd Language.
Unofficially, nothing changed
throughout the USSR and all Education was carried out in the Russian Language.
1964: After Nikita
Khrushchev’s overthrow by the Communists the Russian Language again became the
sole Official Language throughout the USSR.
1970: An Order of the
Ministry of Education of the USSR declared that an Academic Thesis could only
be written and defended in the Russian Language.
1984: An Order of the
Ministry of Culture of the USSR declared that all Soviet Museums only use the
Russian Language.
1989: A Decree of the Central Committee of the CPSU
again declared the Russian Language as the sole Official Language throughout
the Soviet Union.
1990: The Supreme Soviet
of the USSR approved the Law on Languages of the USSR reaffirming the sole use
of the Russian Language.
1991: Ukraine became an
Independent Country. The Soviet Union collapsed.
The Ukrainian Language became the
Official Language of Ukraine for the first time ever.
Russian and other Foreign
Languages were also allowed.
2014 to Present Day: The
Ukrainian Language (and Ukrainian Culture) have been banned in Russian-Occupied
Crimea, Russian-Occupied Luhansk and Russian-Occupied Donetsk. Anyone using the
Ukrainian Language or promoting the Ukrainian Culture is sent to Infiltration
Camps in Russia to have the “Ukrainian beaten out of them.)
2022 to Present Day: The
Ukrainian Language (and Ukrainian Culture) are banned in the Russian-Occupied
Parts of Ukraine. Anyone using the Ukrainian Language or promoting the
Ukrainian Culture is sent to Infiltration Camps in Russia to have the
“Ukrainian beaten out of them.)
At least 700,000 Ukrainian
Children have been kidnapped by the Russians and sent to Russia to make sure
they “grow up as Russians.” The International Community has declared this to be
a War Crime.
2024: In the Non-Russian
Occupied Parts of Ukraine; 81% of Ukrainians speak Ukrainian over Russian in
their Daily Lives with more Ukrainians (especially those over 50) learning
Ukrainian every day.
Note: When I was in Kyiv,
Ukraine in 2007 I used Russian since I didn’t know Ukrainian.
I heard Ukrainians (both Ethnic
Ukrainians and Ethnic Russians) speak to each other in both Ukrainian and in
Russian. One would say something in Ukrainian and the other would reply in
Russian. No one seemed to mind.
Saturday, October 26, 2024
Attacks On Iran
From The Times of Israel:
“IDF hits military sites
across Iran in hours-long attack, weeks after Iran’s missile barrage”
(A handout photo released by his
office on October 26, 2024, shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting
with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and IDF commanders in the bunker below the
Kirya military base in Tel Aviv.)
Israel launched a long-awaited
retaliatory strike against Iran early Saturday, almost four weeks after the
Islamic Republic’s massive ballistic missile barrage on the country, with the
military saying the “precise strikes” by the Israeli Air Force targeted
strategic military sites — specifically drone and ballistic missile
manufacturing and launch sites, as well as air defense batteries. Reports of
explosions near Tehran began to emerge around 2:15 a.m. local time, with the
Israel Defense Forces quickly releasing a statement confirming that it was
attacking, in response to “months of continuous attacks from the Iranian regime
against the State of Israel.” The strikes were carried out in several waves
over the course of several hours, in various areas of Iran, with the Islamic
Republic closing its airspace for the duration and seemingly showing little
ability to counter the assault. Strikes were reported in the Tehran, Karaj,
Isfahan and Shiraz areas.
The operation, hitting targets
some 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles) away, marked an unprecedented attack in
terms of its scale, duration and Israel’s immediate acknowledgment of
responsibility. The first wave of attacks apparently targeted Iran’s air
defense capabilities, both to ensure the IDF’s freedom of operations during
Saturday’s sorties, and to lay the ground for further strikes, should Iran
retaliate. As the campaign was underway, Syrian state media reported that
Israel struck several military sites in the south and center of the country,
action possibly taken to enable the IAF to operate more freely in Iran.
The next waves hit drone and
ballistic missile manufacturing sites — those used in direct Iranian attacks on
Israel on April 14 and October 1 — as well as sites used to launch such
weapons. Iran confirmed an Israeli attack had targeted military sites in the
capital Tehran and other parts of the country, but said it had caused “limited
damage” and that air defense systems had successfully countered much of the
attacks — an assertion dismissed in Israel. The Israeli military said at 6 a.m.
that the assault had been completed, with “all goals achieved” and all aircraft
returning safely home. It dubbed the campaign “Days of Repentance,” a reference
to the recent Yom Kippur holiday. It said dozens of IAF aircraft, including
fighter jets, refuelers and spy planes, participated in the “complex” operation
some 1,600 kilometers from Israel. The military said the strikes had given the
IAF “wider freedom of aerial action in Iran,” and that it had a broad bank of
targets that it could hit in the future if required. “The regime in Iran and
its proxies in the region have been relentlessly attacking Israel since October
7th –- on seven fronts –- including direct attacks from Iranian soil,” the IDF
said. “Like every other sovereign country in the world, the State of Israel has
the right and the duty to respond.”
Following the strikes, the IDF
said it was holding an assessment on a potential Iranian response to the
attack, but as of now, there were no changes to guidelines for civilians. The
IDF added that its “defensive and offensive capabilities are fully mobilized,”
and that it “will do whatever necessary to defend the State of Israel and the
people of Israel.” “Iran struck Israel twice… and has paid the price for that,”
IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said in a statement, referring to Iran’s
direct attacks on Israel in April and earlier this month. “We are focused on
the goals of the war in Gaza and Lebanon. It is Iran that continues to push for
a wide regional escalation. “If the regime in Iran were to make the mistake of
beginning a new round of escalation — we will be obligated to respond,” he
continued. “Our message is clear: All those who threaten the State of Israel
and seek to drag the region into a wider escalation will pay a heavy price. We
demonstrated today that we have both the capability and the resolve to act
decisively, and we are prepared — on offense and defense — to defend Israel and
the people of Israel.” Ynet cited an Israeli source with knowledge of the
matter as saying: “The intelligence provided here by the IDF Intelligence
Directorate was science fiction-like, beyond imagination.” He said the highly
precise intel enabled Israel to hit “an irreplaceable factory” behind the
manufacture of surface-to-surface missiles. There was no immediate comment from
Israeli political leaders, though Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office
released a picture of him huddled with Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and top
IDF generals at IDF headquarters in Tel Aviv as the operation was launched. It
later said he held a security assessment with Gallant and the heads of the IDF,
Mossad and Shin Bet. The IDF said Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi was also
below the Kirya base to command the strikes from the Israeli Air Force’s
command center, with the chief of the IAF, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar.
In a statement, Iranian air
defenses said Israel attacked military targets in the provinces of Tehran,
Khuzestan and Ilam. “The loud blasts heard around Tehran were related to the
activation of the air defense system against the actions of Zionist regime
which attacked three locations outside of Tehran city,” state TV reported,
citing officials of the Tehran province air defense. An unidentified Israeli
source told the Ynet news that the Iranian claim of interception was “a lie. It
was a total failure, [there were] zero interceptions.” According to an Israeli
official quoted by NBC News, Israel did not target Iranian nuclear facilities
or oil fields and focused on military targets. “We’re targeting things that
might have threatened us in the past or could do in the future,” the official
said. The Biden Administration had pressed Israel not to strike nuclear or oil
sites, while backing Israel’s right to respond to Iran’s October 1 ballistic
missile attack. An American official told Reuters that Israel notified the US
ahead of the strikes, stressing the United States was not involved in the
operation. “We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against
military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defense and in response to
Iran’s ballistic missile attack against Israel on October 1,” said White House
National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett. Iran’s semi-official Fars
news agency reported that several military bases in the Tehran area were
targeted in Israeli strikes. It specified that several bases in the western and
southern areas of the capital were attacked. Sources quoted by the Tasnim news
agency threatened that Iran was prepared to respond to any Israeli
“aggression.” “There is no doubt that Israel will face a proportional reaction
for any action it takes,” Tasnim quoted the sources as saying. Iran had braced
for an Israeli reprisal after its latest direct attack on Israel, in which it
fired 200 ballistic missiles that sent most of Israel to bomb shelters on
October 1, killed a Palestinian man in the West Bank, and caused damage in
residential areas and at military bases — although the IDF said that the attack
had no operational impact.
Netanyahu also blamed “the agents
of Iran” for an attack by a drone fired by Hezbollah last Saturday that smashed
a window and caused additional minor damage at his home in Caesarea. The prime
minister, who was not at home at the time, described the attack as an
assassination attempt and warned that anyone who harmed Israelis would pay “a
heavy price.” Iran said that the October 1 attack came in response to strikes
in Lebanon that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and much of the terror
group’s senior leadership last month, as well as the killing of Hamas politburo
leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July in a blast which has been widely blamed
on Israel despite its silence on the matter.
^ Hopefully now the attacks from Iran
and Hezbollah will stop on Israel. ^
Secret Talks
From the Moscow Times:
“Elon Musk Held Secret Talks
With Putin Amid Shifting Views on Ukraine – WSJ”
U.S. billionaire Elon Musk held
secret talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin throughout the war in
Ukraine as his initial support for Kyiv appeared to shift in Moscow’s favor,
the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday, citing several anonymous current and
ex-U.S., European and Russian officials. The private conversations reportedly
addressed personal topics, business and geopolitical tensions, and took place
between October 2022 — when he proposed a controversial peace deal — and “into
this year.” One current and one former intelligence source were cited as saying
the contacts with Putin continued as Musk began increasingly criticizing U.S.
military aid to Ukraine and endorsed former President Donald Trump’s latest bid
for office. WSJ noted that Musk’s alleged engagement with Putin comes amid
Trump’s proposal to cut a deal over the war in Ukraine.
The newspaper also reported that
the billionaire was having regular conversations with “high-level Russians,”
including Putin’s first deputy chief of staff Sergei Kiriyenko, amid pressure
from the Kremlin on Musk’s businesses and “implicit threats against him.” “They
[the U.S. government] don’t love it,” one source was quoted as saying,
referring to the reported Musk-Putin contacts, but adding that the Biden
administration has not yet raised alerts over possible security breaches. Kremlin
spokesman Dmitry Peskov told WSJ that Musk and Putin had only one phone call,
in which they discussed “space as well as current and future technologies.” The
billionaire, who did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment, said
in October 2022 that he had discussed space with Putin in April 2021. WSJ
reported that Putin asked Musk to not activate his Starlink satellite internet
service over Taiwan as a favor to Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Starlink does not
currently provide service to the island nation. The Kremlin later on Friday
denied the allegations in WSJ’s report, saying “It’s all untrue.” “Putin had
only one conversation with Musk. It was reported, and it happened before 2022,”
Peskov told journalists at a daily briefing. “They talked about visionary
technologies, technological solutions for the future.”
^ Someone should look into this
and see if it is true or not. ^
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Official Apology
From the BBC:
“Biden apologises for Indian
boarding schools 'blot on history'”
US President Joe Biden has
formally apologised to the Native American community for a 150-year-old Indian
boarding school policy that aimed to culturally assimilate indigenous children,
calling it a "sin on our soul". He said apologising for the
"blot on American history" was one of the most consequential things
he has done as president.
The federal government
established Indian boarding schools from 1819 until the 1970s that forcibly
removed children from their homes and families. Ten days before the general
election, Biden's apology at an event in Arizona also gave him a chance to show
support for tribal nations in a swing state that the Democratic White House
ticket won just by 10,000 votes in 2020. "I formally apologise as
president of the United States for what we did, " Biden said while
visiting the tribally controlled Gila Crossing Community School outside of
Phoenix. "It's long overdue." The Biden administration says it has
provided billions of dollars to support indigenous Americans, though
communities affected say the president could do more.
The boarding schools stripped
indigenous children of their heritage and tried to assimilate Alaska Native,
American Indian and Native Hawaiian children into white American culture. There
were more than 523 government-funded Indian boarding schools throughout the US
in the 19th and 20th Centuries. Many of these schools were run by churches. Tens
of thousands of children were forcibly abducted by the government and sent to
schools far from their homes. Indigenous children often faced emotional and
physical abuse, including being beaten and starved when speaking their native
languages. In some cases, children died. Under the Biden administration, the US
Department of Interior launched its first-ever federal investigation of the
Indian boarding school system to address its history. Interior Secretary Deb
Haaland, the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary, went on a
tour last year to speak with indigenous survivors. The Department of Interior
also launched an oral history project to document the experience of survivors.
In Canada, which had a similar
policy, the prime minister apologised in 2008 for forcing about 150,000
indigenous children to attend state-funded Christian boarding schools. The
government also launched a truth and reconciliation commission that documented
the history of the country's residential school system.
^ This is long over-due, but I’m
glad it finally happened. ^
BRICS 2024
From Reuters:
“What happened at the BRICS
summit?”
.jpg)
(BRICS representatives at the
2024 summit, from right to left: Mauro Vieira, Masoud Pezeshkian, Mohamed bin
Zayed, Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Cyril Ramaphosa, Abdel Fattah
el-Sisi and Abiy Ahmed)
Here's a brief summary of the
outcome of the BRICS summit:
(As the UN slips further into
Russian receivership, UN Secretary-General Guterres arrives at the BRICS summit
in Kazan, Russia. Upon arrival, he sampled Russian karavai and Tatar chak-chak.
Today, he is set to meet with the Russian dictator, Putin. Notably, the
Secretary declined Ukraine’s invitation to the first Global Peace Summit in
Switzerland.)
* XI AND MODI: Chinese President
Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met just two days after New
Delhi announced that it had reached a deal with Beijing to resolve a four-year
military stand-off on their Himalayan frontier.
* LOTS OF LEADERS ATTENDED:
Putin, who wanted to show that the West's attempt to isolate Russia over the
Ukraine war has failed, was able to attract major leaders such as Xi and Modi,
and nearly 20 others including Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan. U.N. Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres also attended.
* BRICS WAITING LIST: Putin said
more than 30 countries had expressed a desire to join the BRICS, though there
was little immediate clarity on how the expansion would work.
* UKRAINE WAR: BRICS leaders did
raise the Ukraine war with Putin in different formats, but there was no sign
that anything specific would be done to end the conflict.
* BRICS MONEY: BRICS predicted
its influence would grow and outlined common projects ranging from a grain
exchange to a cross-border payments system. Here are the main points.
* MIDDLE EAST: Putin told BRICS
leaders that the Middle East was on the brink of a full-scale war after a sharp
rise in tension between Israel and Iran.
^ Any Country or Organization
(including the UN) that is kowtowing to Russia now (after their public display
of War Crimes) are just as guilty of these crimes as the Russians themselves. ^
https://www.reuters.com/world/main-takeaways-brics-summit-2024-10-24/
Deployed
Today is Day of the Deployed.
Out of the 1,328,000 Men and
Women in the US Military 167,206 are deployed around the World.
Here are the numbers deployed
around the World according to location:
In Europe: 67,395
(including 35,068 in Germany; 12,375 in Italy; 10,058 in the UK, 3,292 in Spain;
299 in Poland)
In The Former Soviet Union:
240
In East Asia and the Pacific:
84,093 (including 54,774 in Japan and 24,234 in South Korea)
In North Africa, Near East and
South Asia: 6,561
In Sub-Saharan Africa:
1,035
In the Western Hemisphere:
1,947 (including 616 at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; 152 in Canada and 135 in
Greenland)
On the Oceans on Ships and in
Unknown Destinations: 5,935
These numbers do include the US
Marines stationed at the American Embassies and Consulates around the World.
These numbers don’t include the
American Civilian Federal Employees working for the US Military around the
World.
These numbers don’t include the
American Civilian Contract Workers working for the US Military around the
World.
These numbers don’t include the
American Military Spouses and Military Children (Military Brats) living around
the World because their Spouse or Parent is in the US Military.
Friday, October 25, 2024
95: Marion Ross
Happy Birthday Marion Ross!
Born: October 25, 1928.
Best-known for her role of
All-American Mom Marion Cunningham on the ABC television sitcom "Happy
Days," was born in Watertown, Minnesota.
Her Disney credits include the
ABC sitcom "The Drew Carey Show" (playing the recurring role of
Beulah Carey), 10 episodes of Disney's animated "Handy Manny," 3
episodes of ABC's "Brothers & Sisters," an episode ABC's "The
Middle," an episode of the Animated Series "Guardians of the
Galaxy," and an episode of Disney Channel's "Best Friends
Whenever."
Her long list of TV credits
include Guest Spots on such shows as "Hot in Cleveland," "Two
and a Half Men," "Major Crimes," "Night Court," and
"Gilmore Girls."
Her film credits include
"The Glenn Miller Story," "Sabrina," "Hidden In
Silence" and "Grand Theft Auto."
She was married twice:
1st: Freeman Meskimen (m. 1951; div. 1969)
2nd: Paul Michael (m. 1988; his
death 2011)
She has been retired since 2021.
She is 96 years old today!
Thursday, October 24, 2024
Christoween
Some Channels have Christmas Movies/Shows on them. Some Channels have Halloween Movies/Shows on them.
Some Channels have both Christmas
and Halloween Movies/Shows on them.
It's Christoween or Hallomas.
Trifecta
Russia’s Vladimir Putin, America’s Donald Trump and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un are more alike than you think and they have done things to support their Regimes.
Putin has created a Russian Nazi
Group (the Zs) and has used Hitler’s Playbook (Invasion, Occupation, Fake
Annexation Vote, War Crimes, Civilian Massacres, etc.) since 2014 in Crimea and
since 2022 in the rest of Ukraine.
Putin interfered in the 2016 US
Presidential Election to get Trump in Office.
Trump sent Covid Tests to Putin
at the Height of the Pandemic while Covid Tests were hard to get throughout the
US and hundreds of Americans were dying every single day.
It is believed that Putin offered
the Taliban in Afghanistan a bounty for every American Soldier they killed
there.
Trump made a Peace Deal with the
Taliban in February 2020.
Trump became the first US
President to go to North Korea when he met Kim Jong Un at the DMZ in 2019.
Kim sent 3,000 (of an expected
10,000 total) North Korean Soldiers to train inside Russia which are expected
to be sent to fight in Ukraine in October 2024.
Trump wants to implement Project
2025 (a 900+ page blueprint on how he plans to rule) if re-elected that will
give him the power to rule without any Checks or Balances.
Hitler had his Blueprint Book “Mein
Kampf” that showed how he planned to rule.
Trump said he needed “the kind of
generals that Hitler had” in October 2024.
FYI: Hitler was a Fascist.
The Trifecta of Fascists.
Sometimes if it walks like a Duck
and Quacks like a Duck it’s a Duck.
If you create a Nazi Z Party,
have an Authoritative Government, have a 900+ Blueprint on how to Govern
without Opposition, make Allies with other Fascist Dictators, praise long dead Fascist
Dictators, etc. chances are you’re a Fascist.
Those who legally vote into
Office a Fascist are also a Fascist.
The Germans voted Hitler into
office in 1933.
The Russians have voted Putin
into office since 2000.
The Americans voted Trump into
office in 2016 and have the prospect to do so again in 2024.
Please keep that in mind on
November 5th.
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
New York
I went to New York last Saturday (October 19th) and got back last night (October 22nd.)
I had a nice time visiting
Friends, Family and the Old Places I used to go to.
It was a short trip, but we were
busy non-stop.
Now I am getting ready for my
Trip to Europe (Spain and Germany) in November and December to visit Relatives,
Friends and the Christmas Markets.
Thursday, October 17, 2024
No Thaw Turkey
From Today.com:
“Butterball introduces
cook-from-frozen turkey for a no-thaw Thanksgiving”
The largest turkey producer in
the U.S. wants to save you time this Thanksgiving by eliminating the dreaded
thaw. Butterball just introduced its Cook from Frozen Premium Whole Turkey,
which customers can simply remove from the freezer and pop into the oven on the
big day. The company says there’s “no thawing, no mess and no stress” involved
in the preparation of its new product. “From frozen to fantastic,” reads
Butterball’s product page. “No more need for planning days in advance to thaw,
dealing with messy necks, giblets, or touching raw meat. Forget about basting
or brining. That means more precious moments spent with loved ones and less
time on kitchen stress.” Butterball tells TODAY.com that its cook-from-frozen
turkeys are prepared with a specially-formulated brine (with water, sodium
phosphate, spices and natural flavors, according to its website) that will keep
the bird moist throughout roasting and that the neck and giblets aren’t
included to make it easier to prepare. (Sorry to your gravy.)
Here’s how it works:
Remove the outer packaging and
run the inner packaging under cold water while massaging it.
Remove the turkey from the inner
bag by gripping and tearing it.
Place turkey on a rack in a
3-inch-deep roasting panbreast-side up.
Brush or spray turkey with oil.
This turkey doesn’t need to be
basted, brined or seasoned, but if you’d like to add your own personal twist to
it, you would sprinkle on your favorite flavorings at this point.
Pop it into a (recommended)
325-350 F oven. How long you cook it depends on its size, but Butterball
recommends you start checking its temperature after 4 hours, until breast and
thigh reach 170 F. The average cook time is about 5 hours, but ovens may vary.
And no, you cannot and should not
stuff this turkey, as it would pose a food-safety risk. Your stuffing must be
prepared and cooked separately, making it more of a dressing. The 70-year-old
company says it doesn’t set prices at retailers, but the suggested retail price
for its cook-from-frozen turkeys is $2.49 to $2.99 per pound. These turkeys
will run 10 to 14 pounds, with an average of 12 pounds.
The new product is now available
at Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods and Publix stores, and can also be purchased at
select Walmart locations and select Kroger and Kroger banner stores like Fred
Meyer, Fry’s and Ralph’s. Customers can use Butterball’s store locator to find
their closest retailer that sells it. Butterball’s new turkey is meant to
simplify your holiday cooking schedule, but just so you’re aware, the FDA says
it’s safe to cook a turkey directly from the freezer — it’s just going to take
longer to hit your Thanksgiving table. “A solidly frozen turkey will take at
least 50 percent longer to cook than a thawed turkey,” the FDA says on its
website, adding that if a turkey is only partially frozen, it still will take
longer to cook. Butterball’s cooking calculator estimates that a turkey can
take anywhere from 2 hours to more than 6 to cook. So, unless you pop your
30-pound frozen turkey in the oven at least 12 hours before dinner, you might
want to remember to thaw it. Nicole Johnson, director of the Butterball Turkey
Talk-Line told TODAY.com that the ratio for thawing a turkey in your
refrigerator is 24 hours for every four pounds of turkey meat.
^ This is interesting. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/butterball-introduces-cook-frozen-turkey-015543099.html
Zelenskyy's Plan
From the BBC:
“Zelensky presents 'victory
plan' to Ukrainian parliament”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelensky has presented MPs with a long-awaited "victory plan" that
aims to strengthen his country's position enough to end the war with Russia. Zelensky
told parliament in Kyiv the plan could finish the war - which began with
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 - next year. Key
elements include a formal invitation to join Nato, the lifting by allies of
bans on long-range strikes with Western-supplied weapons deep into Russia, a
refusal to trade Ukraine’s territories and sovereignty, and the continuation of
the incursion into Russia's western Kursk region. The Kremlin dismissed the
plan with a spokesman saying Kyiv needed to "sober up". Addressing
MPs on Wednesday, Zelensky also criticised China, Iran and North Korea for
their backing of Russia, and described them as a "coalition of
criminals". He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin had
"gone mad", describing him as bent on waging wars. Zelenksky said he
would present the victory plan at an EU summit on Thursday. "We are at war
with Russia on the battlefield, in international relations, in the economy, in
the information sphere, and in people's hearts," he told parliament.
The plan outlined by Zelensky
consists of five key points:
Inviting Ukraine to join the
Nato military alliance The strengthening of Ukrainian defence against
Russian forces, including getting permission from allies to use their
long-range weapons on Russian territory, and the continuation of Ukraine's
military operations on Russian territory to avoid creation of the "buffer
zones" in Ukraine
Containment of Russia via a
non-nuclear strategic deterrent package deployed on Ukrainian soil
Joint protection by the US and
the EU of Ukraine's critical natural resources and joint use of their economic
potential
For the post-war period only: replacing
some US troops stationed across Europe with Ukrainian soldiers
Three "addendums"
remain secret and will only be shared with Ukraine's partners, Zelensky said. In
the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, residents who spoke to the BBC were mostly
supportive of the plan. "We should not give up territory," Anatoly
said, adding that he hoped Ukraine would still have a chance to join Nato and
would also get more support from its allies. Nadia said everything depended on
what security guarantees Ukraine would be able to get. Another woman, Maria,
stressed that "people want to end the war as soon as possible".
Zelensky's plan was presented to
US President Joe Biden, as well as presidential candidates Kamala Harris and
Donald Trump, back in September. Key allies such as Britain, France, Italy and
Germany have also reportedly been shown the plan.
On Wednesday evening, Zelensky
spoke to Biden to brief him about his "victory plan". He also thanked
America for a new $425m (£327m) defence assistance package for Ukraine, which
included air defence systems and long-range weapons. The White House said the
package comprised "a range of additional capabilities", including air
defence and artillery systems, as well as ammunition and hundreds of armoured
vehicles. It said of Zelensky's "victory plan" that "the two
leaders tasked their teams to engage in further consultations on next
steps". Last month, US officials were quoted by the Wall Street Journal as
saying that the Biden administration was concerned that the plan lacked a
comprehensive strategy, and was little more than a repackaged request for more
weapons and the lifting of restrictions on the use of long-range missiles. Analysts
both in Ukraine and the West have also suggested that the White House is keen
to show that it wants to avoid further escalation with Russia in the run-up to
the US presidential election.
But Oleksandr Merezhko, a member
of Zelensky's Servant of the People party, reiterated his leader's playing down
of concerns about what a Trump win would mean for the war. He told BBC Newshour
that "no matter who becomes the next American president, he or she will
have to follow American interests and it is in the best American interest to
support Ukraine".
Zelensky's conditions for peace
are increasingly at odds with the situation which surrounds him. In front of
MPs, he acknowledged the growing fatigue in his country. His own tiredness was
etched across his face as he said that "victory has become for some an
uncomfortable word and it’s not easy to achieve". National morale has
gradually been crumbling under the weight of a mounting death toll, a
controversial mobilisation law and never-ending Russian assaults on Ukrainian
territory. It’s increasingly thought any peace deal would have to involve
Ukraine conceding territory in exchange for security guarantees. However, there
was no hint of a compromise to bring the end of the war closer. Instead,
Zelensky doubled down on wanting to force Russia to negotiate and to not cede
Ukraine’s territory, through the strengthening of his own military. Merezhko
stressed that Zelensky's speech did not hint at any territorial concessions,
which he described as "out of the question". He also claimed his
extensive plan could be implemented with the agreement of his allies, and not
Russia.
In public, Zelensky evidently
still sees this war as existential, and warned of Russian President Vladimir
Putin continuing to strengthen his position. He also seemed to frame his vision
as an investment opportunity for Western allies in terms of natural resources
and economic potential. The Ukrainian president wants his exhausted troops to
keep fighting. But with his army so reliant on Western aid, his "victory
plan" will need the approval of the next US president.
Reacting to Zelensky's plan,
Nato's new Secretary General Mark Rutte described it as a "strong
signal" from Kyiv. "That doesn't mean that I here can say I support
the whole plan - that would be a bit difficult because there are many issues
that we have to understand better." Mr Rutte added: "I am absolutely
confident that in the future, Ukraine will join us [Nato]." Immediately
after Zelensky finished speaking, the Kremlin rubbished his "ephemeral
peace plan," saying Kyiv needed to "sober up". The only way the
war would end was Ukraine to "realise the futility of the policy it is
pursuing," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
^ Ukraine needs to defeat Russia
and the West (the US, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, the UK, Australia, etc.)
need to continue to support Ukraine. ^
Trump's Health
From the AP:
“Trump would be the oldest
person to become president. He's not sharing health details”
If he wins next month's election,
Donald Trump would be the oldest person in U.S. history to be elected
president. Yet the 78-year-old Republican nominee refuses to disclose new
details about his physical or mental well-being, breaking decades of precedent.
There have been limited snapshots of Trump's health over the last year. After
he survived an attempted assassination in July, Texas Rep. Ronny Jackson, a
staunch supporter who served as his White House physician, wrote a memo
describing a gunshot wound to Trump's right ear. And last November, Trump's
personal physician, Dr. Bruce Aronwald, wrote a letter describing him as being
in “excellent” health with “exceptional” cognitive exams. He noted that
“cardiovascular studies are all normal and cancer screening tests” were
negative. Trump had also “reduced his weight.” But those communications didn't
address more fundamental questions about Trump's health, including his blood
pressure, exact weight or whether he has continued using previously prescribed
medication for high cholesterol — or even what testing he underwent. His
campaign has also not disclosed whether Trump has been diagnosed with any
diseases or received any mental health care after the assassination attempt.
That's giving his political
adversaries, including Democratic rival Kamala Harris, an opportunity to raise
questions about his age and ability to execute the duties of the presidency
into his 80s. “It makes you wonder: Why does his staff want him to hide away?”
Harris asked recently as she needled Trump for withholding medical records,
opting against another debate and skipping an interview with CBS' “60 Minutes.”
“One must question: Are they afraid that people will see that he is too weak
and unstable to lead America? Trump's doctors have long been opaque about his
health, such as when his team at the White House initially downplayed the
severity of his 2020 hospitalization for COVID-19. His representatives ignored
multiple requests from The Associated Press to provide more detailed
information about his status for this story.
Drawing a contrast with Trump In
an effort to draw a contrast with Trump, Harris released a letter from her
doctor on Saturday that went into far more detail about her medical history
including a list of exams and the results. The letter said she has no heart,
lung or neurological disorders, is at low risk for heart disease and up-to-date
on cancer screenings. She takes medication for allergies and hives. She wears
contact lenses, and her only surgery occurred at age 3, when her appendix was
removed during an intestinal-related procedure. While the letter didn't
specify her weight, the 59-year-old vice president was declared to be in
“excellent health” and to possess "the physical and mental resiliency”
required to serve as president. Still, it’s unclear that age will be a
significant factor for voters. Polls found that voters were significantly less
concerned about Trump’s mental capacity and physical health than they were
about President Joe Biden's when he was still in the race. Since Harris
replaced Biden on the ticket, Trump’s advantage on the issue has diminished.
The dynamic is ironic for Trump, who spent years assailing the 81-year-old
Biden's age, depicting him as frail and unable to manage the challenges of the
presidency. After a disastrous debate performance in June, Biden's fellow
Democrats began openly raising similar concerns, ultimately prompting his
decision to withdraw from the race and back Harris.
There’s no requirement that
candidates release health data. But presidential nominees traditionally
disclose medical records voluntarily given the demands of the job, particularly
if there are concerns about their age. In 2008, Republican nominee John McCain
opened more than 1,000 pages of medical documents for the public to examine. At
72, he would have been the oldest president elected to a first term. Facing
scrutiny over his advanced age in 2019, the then-77-year-old Biden released a
three-page note from his doctor. The last thorough report on Trump's health
came in 2019, when he was still president. That checkup classified him as obese
with a weight of 243 pounds and a body mass index of 30.4, which raises the
risk of heart disease, diabetes and other problems. That report also revealed
increased dosages of medication for high cholesterol. While Trump doesn’t drink
alcohol or smoke, he has long avoided exercise other than golf and loves fast
food. As for his family history, his father had Alzheimer’s disease late in
life, one potential risk factor. Trump’s allies point to his active public
lifestyle as evidence that he’s not on the decline. Trump is a frequent golfer
and an engaged host during social functions. He takes questions from the press
far more often than Harris. He often speaks for more than 90 minutes at his
rallies, standing the entire time and often ignoring the teleprompter.
Trump often rambles through
his public appearances Still, Trump's public appearances are often marked
by rambling. He regularly confuses timelines, events and people. Trump
has confused Republican rival Nikki Haley with former Democratic House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi. He confused the location of a major military base. He mistakenly
said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán led Turkey. Trump
regularly acknowledges questions about his age and health during public
appearances. On Sunday in Arizona, Trump mocked critics who declare him
“cognitively impaired” because he “mispronounced a word.” “They say,
He’s cognitively impaired!” Trump teased. “No, I’ll let you know when I will
be. I will be someday — we all will be someday. I’ll be the first to let you
know.” Without further information, simple life expectancy of the
average American man shows Trump has about a 79% change of surviving a
four-year term, said aging researcher S. Jay Olshansky of the University of
Illinois at Chicago, who studies presidential health and echoes the call for
candidate medical records. The younger Harris has a nearly 97% chance of
surviving a first term in office, he said. When it comes to the
presidency, “it’s not about age, it’s about function,” Olshansky cautioned.
^ When you have something to hide
with your Health (including your Mental Health) you refuse to make the details
public. ^
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-oldest-person-become-president-163156952.html
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