No – Epstein files have not gone away – that horror still shocks and damages the nation and all morality.

No – the War with Iran has not stopped and oil prices have not dropped, and all the dead will not be celebrating on the Day of the Dead.

Charlie Brown looked for the Great Pumpkin every year. But the pumpkin has come and it is not what we want or need.

No, our nation is not friends with Canada even though most of us truly want to be. In fact, many of us wish we were Canadians.

No – Ukraine is still not safe and trumps friend Putin is not stepping out of his house of horrors to stop the killing.

No – dictators are not admirable. And most would have run over trump by now.

But we know all those things – what I didn’t know was that trump could obliterate geographic names on a nasty whim.

El Pais writes, “While an executive order can impose a name within the United States, it cannot dictate how the rest of the world identifies a shared territory.”

We have an agency – “The U.S. Board on Geographic Names was established in 1890 by President Benjamin Harrison and reestablished in its present form in 1947 by Congress to standardize geographic name spellings throughout the federal government. The Board’s work is primarily carried out by the Domestic Names Committee and the Foreign Names Committee.” U.S. Board on Geographic Names | National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

So here is what I think we should do – flood Google AND Apple with our outrage that they would allow this hollow headed monster to change the names on their maps.

Boycott and write to any of the minions who follow the dictators bluster.

AND CONTINUE TO USE GULF OF MEXICO AND LAKE ONTARIO ON ALL OF YOUR NOTES, LETTERS, POSTINGS. DO NOT GIVE THE DUFUS THE RIGHT TO MAKE ANY OF US FOLLOW HIS DICTATES. SMALL THING, BUT IMPORTANT – ANOTHER EFFORT TO DIVERT ATTENTION FROM THE REALLY IMPORTANT ISSUES.

Heavy rainfall events are intensifying at high confidence. Warmer air holds more moisture, so when storms do hit, they dump more water. This shows up clearly in flood data: a global analysis of floods from 1985 to 2015 found that flood frequency has risen significantly, with long-duration floods (lasting 21 days or more) increasing the most. In tropical regions, floods have increased fourfold since the 2000s. In the northern midlatitudes, the increase is 2.5-fold.

Now look at the opposite – fires. Axios says”

“By the numbers: Last year, 77,850 wildfires were recorded across the U.S. — “noticeably higher than the five- and 10-year averages,” according to the National Interagency Coordination Center.

“This year’s wildfire season is surpassing the 10-year average for the number of fires and acres burned, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.”

On the NASA site they have not taken down this 2023 article - Warming Makes Droughts, Extreme Wet Events More Frequent, Intense. Droughts led to fires, but are we prepared or even trying to respond?

We know that tackling climate change is off the table for the mob in republican clothes. But what about response.

The only thing the trumpers are doing is using it as an excuse for more logging. Don’t worry about fires, just figure out how to profit from them.

“Several fire service programs and related agencies have been impacted by the changes, most notably the National Fire Academy, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and several National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) programs focused on firefighter health and safety.” Trump’s budget cuts hit the fire service: What’s changing and why

These are the proposed changes in the 2026 USFS budget from the trump regime: The President’s FY2026 budget proposed:

• Elimination of Forest and Rangeland Research and State, Private, and Tribal Forestry programs

• Transfer of all Wildland Fire Management funding to DOI

• Reductions of 21–48% in remaining Forest Service programs, including a one-third cut to Forest Service Operations covering salaries and administrative expenses

• Supplemental funding of $945.16 million through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) taxpayer.net.

Is it possible to get the Republicans to look at our nation with compassion for the world outside their investment port folios? Can we find someone who can remember the environmental leadership of Republicans – Theodore Roosevelt and Richard Nixon?

The NPS sites says, “Poverty Point National Monument is one example of a great and ancient society. Poverty Point preserves the remains of a community that was part of a large trade network. The construction of the site shows impressive engineering skills. The Poverty Point community reached its peak 1,000 years before Rome.

“In Barataria Preserve, shell middens and mounds show where people once lived in camps and villages. Indigenous people built mounds as burial and ceremonial structures. Mound-building societies lived throughout North and South America. These practices can be traced back as early as 4,500 BCE.”

The area of New Orleans was Spanish, French, Creole, Mexican and pirates before the Louisiana purchase.

The unfortunate fact is that we changed New Orleans, Louisiana, when the state was added. It was an international port and was more open to Black freedoms than most of the south. This upset the US legislature and delayed their admittance as a state until they changed their rules. With the Missouri compromise continuing the terrible slave policies of the nation Louisiana was impacted.

Louisiana was the smallest state that would be carved out of the gigantic acquisition called the Louisiana Purchase. Many free blacks that already lived in New Orleans and that would lead to a number of rule changes as reported on JSTOR: “These included the 1806 territorial prohibition of showing disrespect for whites; the state’s 1830 order for all free persons of color who arrived after 1825 to leave the state; an 1835 city law mandating that separate cars be used on railroads for transporting corpses of differently colored bodies; the 1840 banning of whites from the balls hosted by free people of color; the 1852 emancipation law that required owners who emancipated slaves to ship them to Liberia; the 1857 law that banned emancipation altogether; and the 1859 law that prohibited free people of color from owning businesses that sold alcohol.”

“A large population of free people of color, gens de couleur libres, lived amid enslaved people of color.” The French and Spanish were much less restrictive of black activities than the US would be.

The purchase would be signed at the Cabildo in New Orleans.

Note that not all of the state was included in the purchase!

For some reason Jefferson chose General James Wilkins to be the first governor. He had been an aid to Benedict Arnold, tried to get Kentucky to leave the union and join Spain, served as agent 13 (we have the document) in the Spanish government, conspired with Aaron Burr, may have ordered murder of Merriwether Lewis, court marshalled three times, investigated by congress four times, and died in Mexico where he was advising the Mexican Army about Texas.

Perhaps most surprising was the fact that St Louis St. Louis was the official capital of the Louisiana Territory from its creation in 1805 until the territory’s reorganization in 1812. The first state capital would be New Orleans. Government House would burn down in 1827.

It is hard to imagine but the congress then took over the Ursuline Convent!

In 1830 the voters of Louisiana thought their congressional representatives were not representing them while in New Orleans – instead they were having too much fun. So, the state voters decided to move the capital to Donaldsonville. The Senate would often meet in a local bar, and the House could not convene committees because members were in New Orleans. The only real action that they took while located there was to move the capital back to New Orleans.

The voters acted again in 1845. The government had been meeting in the Charity Hospital of New Orleans, and the voters created a new constitution.

The new constitution 1845 stated that the Capital could not be located within 60 miles of New Orleans.

Baton Rouge, at last, but …

First of all, it was a unique structure.

“It is pathetic enough that a whitewashed castle, with turrets and things – materials all ungenuine within and without, pretending to be what they are not – should ever have been built in this otherwise honorable place; but it is much more pathetic to see this architectural falsehood undergoing restoration and perpetuation in our day, when it would have been so easy to let dynamite finish what a charitable fire began, and then devote this restoration-money to the building of something genuine.”

– Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

The castle would not remain the capital for long – the Civil War saw Baton Rouge fall to the Union and the capitol building became theirs. A kitchen fire would damage the building. And the confederate state now had to find a new place to legislate.

Bring on Opelousas.

Followed by Shreveport

Until 1864 when another constitution moved the capital to NEW ORLEANS.

In 1865 Mechanics institute of New Orleans became the capital.

St Louis Hotel – purchased by Congress becomes capital 1874 – in New Orleans and it was the capitol building.

Then in 1882 the Baton Rouge Capital – castle was refurbished.

And it would be the capitol building until Huey Long faced down impeachment and then insisted congress build a new Capitol building.

But guess what – there is nothing in there for floods! Here is a small visual for July – 920 people killed.

Recent floods in August 2026 have impacted multiple regions worldwide, including Alaska, the Philippines, the U.S. Midwest, and parts of Asia, causing evacuations, infrastructure damage, and fatalities.

It puts money into the illegal Iran war but does nothing for Climate Change.

It does not put back the cuts in the weather bureau.

It does nothing to support our national parks

It does nothing to reduce inflation or make groceries more affordable.

Even the conservative Cato institute looks askance at this bill, “If Republicans truly wanted to put the budget on a more sustainable path, by, for example, living up to their aspiration of reducing deficits to 3 percent of GDP (gross domestic product), they would go big before they go home. The bill pays mere lip service to that goal but offers no credible path to get there.”

It does not restore FEMA to good leadership

House Republicans on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, unveiled a $95 billion budget resolution — dubbed “Reconciliation 3.0” — that would fund defense and intelligence operations tied to the ongoing Iran war, provide farm aid to struggling agricultural producers, and channel $10 billion toward implementation of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

“Mr. Secretary, the administration is taking an enormous risk by asking for $350 billion in priorities through reconciliation,” Rep. Betty McCollum, D-Minn., the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this month. “As we told you in our last meeting, reconciliation is not the best way to fund the department. Last year, reconciliation created broken glass—funding holds for vital programs that the appropriators had to fix. And that’s why we need the information in a timely fashion.”

The current chair of the committee Christopher Phelan taught at the University of Minnesota. That does not make him a true Minnesotan. I thought I would check to see what his students thought of him –

Rating Distribution

• Awesome 5 (8)

• Great 4 (4}

• Good 3 (10)

• OK 2 (16)

• Awful 1 (21)

Overall 2.3

So how does that compare to other economic instructors at the U? Similar Professors Christopher Phelan at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Rate My Professors

• 5.00Bruno Freitas

• 5.00Carter Braxton

• 5.00Jacob Wright

Stephen Miran was Trump’s original advisor. He resigned as Economic Adviser under Donald Trump, having been confirmed in March 2025. He did this as a maneuver to influence the Federal Reserve and to keep making larger cuts in interest rates.

“Lisa Gilbert, of Public Citizen, said the Fed has intentionally been “kept away from the whims of the White House,” because it sets monetary policy based on the relative success of the economy — not on politics.

“If you’re a president, you might have reason to be touting how the economy is doing as part of a political gambit or something you want to share in an electoral context — not factors that should influence our markets,” she said. Who is Fed nominee Stephen Miran, and why is he so controversial? - OPB

Axios looked at Miran’s latest move – “Former Federal Reserve governor Stephen Miran is returning to Hudson Bay Capital Management as a senior strategist in his first role since leaving the Fed in May.

“The big picture: Miran returns to the hedge fund with a rare insider view of the White House’s economic agenda and the Fed’s interest rate-setting debates after serving as President Trump’s top economist and the central bank’s most persistent advocate for lower rates.”

Insider training is at the heart of the Trump regime and their personal gains in wealth. But the economy that his constituents face is not something that trumpers worry about unless it is for votes.

Since the original “It’s the Economy – Stupid” (James Carville remark politics has taken that to heart and it has been a driving force in all elections. Trump tried to capitalize on this and mislead so many MAGAs with his supposed business acumen. But they did not realize that it is only the economy of he and his oligarch buddies that he cares about. Tell your buddies you are going to put on a tariff, sign a peace agreement, start bombing – but give them a day to invest or divest first.

My old courses in economics did not prepare me for the kind of fascist attack on basic economic institutions and policy.

2026 (Projections)

Nominal GDP (US $)

#

Country

GDP (US$)

GDP Growth

GDP per Capita (US$)

1

United States

$32.38 trillion

2.32%

$94,430

2

China

$20.85 trillion

4.41%

$14,874

Yes, we are number one in GDP – but have you looked at our National Debt? It is more than our GDP.

GEORANKING “The United States has $38.1T in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 123.9%. In 2025, the United States made up 26% of the world’s economy, compared to 39.6% in 1960.”

For good economic insights go to Paul Krugman’s Substack. My economic background can’t stand up to his, but I am concerned. The potential AI/Data Center bubble and their rising debt worried me – those of us on the low end of the economic scale suffer greatly when these bubbles burst.

Investopedia – “An economic bubble is marked by rapid escalation in asset prices, often due to speculative behavior, followed by a sharp contraction. These bubbles can be difficult to identify in real-time and are usually recognized only after they’ve burst, leading to significant economic consequences. Notable examples include the Japanese economy in the 1980s and the Dot-Com Bubble of the late 1990s.”

And we have a history of these from Railroads to Tulip Mania in the 1600s. It is about fads and get rich quick schemes.

We pay higher prices and I don’t need to list all the ways that is true. But our world is also paying higher prices too. There is no ECO in trump economics. Drill, dig, set the climate on fire, remove safeguards, push species to extinction, destroy our parks and force us into uncertain futures.

As Nagendra writes, “Nepal has one of the smallest carbon footprints in the world, yet it bears the brunt of the severest kind and pays the highest price like this glacial lake outburst and flash flood. Sad, And still there who don’t believe in climate change.”

What I am quickly coming to believe is that these people actually know that there is damage to the planet – they just don’t care.

In another message today a friend included this message in his Facebook post, “John Morales, a meteorologist and hurricane specialist with NBC6 in South Florida, was reporting on an upcoming storm when he suddenly shifted gears, right in the middle of the broadcast.

Morales explains that in his 34 years of presenting the weather, he’s always been able to confidently tell his viewers when a hurricane might hit, or when it might turn away. He’s always been able to stand behind his data, modeling, and forecast in order to help protect the people of South Florida.

“I am here to tell you that I am not sure I can do that this year.”

Why? “Because of the cuts, the gutting, the sledgehammer attack on science in general.”

Morales then pulled up a graphic instead of his usual weather map. It laid out some stark realities about severe understaffing of the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Between brutal layoffs, employees accepting the recent DOGE buyout, and straight-up resignations, the agencies responsible for collecting weather data have lost hundreds and hundreds of valuable experts.

He also explained that due to federal government budget cuts, there’s been a sizable decrease in weather balloon launches across the country. Weather balloons are instruments that take crucial measurements of the upper atmosphere and send data that helps with forecasting. With less data available and lower-quality data, Morales says that “the quality of forecasts is becoming degraded.”

This is consistent with the theory that if you don’t talk about it, it doesn’t exist. Buy up the TV stations, remove the weather reports and the problem is gone.

It doesn’t help to attack the deniers. They are not worried about facts – only their own profits. Like Nero fiddling – trumpers who still think he is their corrupt savior will not change. What we need to do is work at every level to provide the correct information, to support efforts and nations that are trying to address the issue. Trump will not change; his terrorist regime will not change – we cannot reason with them. We have to counter them.

Donald loves coal. After years of reducing coal use in the energy field and its pollution Donny Boy wants to bring it back and increase its use. June 4, 2026 “Today, we’re taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful coal,” Trump said.

“Do you notice under four years of Sleepy Joe Biden and the radical left Democrats in Congress, not a single permit was approved for a new coal mining project, but in over one year of our administration, we’ve already approved 76 permits to clean beautiful coal, last year, we prevented 17 gigawatts of coal-powered electricity from going offline, and that’s enough power for about 13 million homes,” he added later.

Wish I May, Wish I might, have my wish come true tonight. (I can’t list all my wishes) but I wish coal burning and coal pollution would go away.

Notus reports, “Trump’s stock portfolio includes investments in Vistra, Southern Company, Entergy, NextEra Energy and Dominion Energy, utilities that produce nuclear energy along with natural gas, solar energy, coal, and more.” Insider trading cannot describe the manipulation and profiteering of this administration.

While the globe burns with fires and record heat, while drought and flood are side by side and storms become stronger and more dangerous, trump lives in his golden cocoon and does not care.

We have seen what coal can do.

What is coal?

A short way of describing coal is to say it is an ancient carbon sink. The kind of carbon sequestration that we talk about in trying to mitigate climate change. But in this case we are not mitigating, we are aggravating because we are unlocking ancient deposits and turning loose the carbon we thought was locked up.

Air Pollution and Health Risks

1. Coal combustion releases a toxic mix of pollutants:

2. Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) cause acid rain, smog, and respiratory diseases

3. Particulate matter (PM2.5/PM10) penetrates deep into lungs, linked to asthma, heart disease, and premature death iere.org

4. Mercury and other heavy metals (arsenic, lead) are released into the air, where they can convert to methylmercury in water, bioaccumulating in fish and entering the food chain scienceinsights.org

5. Worldwide, coal power is responsible for tens of thousands of premature deaths annually (Wikipedia)

Another AI – Data Center – trump threat to the world. And who will profit – people like the trump family.

This is the second in a series on the essential elements of Data Centers. It is important to understand these centers and the problems that extend beyond water, noise and pollution. They also put pressure on our various mineral reserves.

Silver is a critical industrial metal in data centers, used for power distribution, connectors, thermal management, and renewable energy integration due to its unmatched electrical and thermal conductivity.

“Silver is extensively used in switchgear, relays, circuit breakers, and busbars to manage the extreme electrical loads of AI and hyperscale data centers. Its superior conductivity reduces resistance, prevents overheating, and ensures reliable operation under high-cycle switching conditions, which is essential for servers drawing 60–130 kW per rack in AI workloads.” Silver in AI Infrastructure: The Hidden Metal Behind Every AI Model

Silver is a precious metal and used in jewelry, and silverware. Despite the need to polish your silverware, the mineral has been used for coins for 3000 years. Between Gold and Silver, Silver can beat Gold as more of an electrical conductor and most reflective

.

In my historical reading and understanding the biggest conflict between Gold and Silver was when Willliam Jenning Bryan in 1896 made his famous speech in which he was advocating for Silver to join Gold as a standard for money. “some of the very people who are in this convention to-day, and who tell us that we ought to declare in favor of international bimetallism -- thereby declaring that the gold standard is wrong and that the principle of bimetallism is better -- these very people four months ago were open and avowed advocates of the gold standard, and were then telling us that we could not legislate two metals together, even with the aid of all the world.”

Historically, a major use of silver has been monetary, in the form of reserves of silver bullion and in coins. Of course, we now print money whenever the government wants it and gold and silver are token symbols

.

For the love of Silver Mr. Bryan concluded, “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns; you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.”

Such a champion no element has ever had. Unless, of course, it was the Lone Ranger – “Hi Ho Silver, Away!

”

Britannica says, “Silver is located in Group 11 and Period 5 of the periodic table, between copper (Period 4) and gold (Period 6), and its physical and chemical properties are intermediate between those two metals.” Unlike elements synthesized in a laboratory, the “discovery” of silver was not a single, definable event but a gradual process rooted deeply in prehistory.

• Mexico and Peru are the world’s leading silver-producing countries.

• The Fresnillo mine in Mexico is the largest silver mine globally by production volume.

• Many of the world’s largest silver mines extract silver as a by-product alongside base metals like lead, zinc, and copper.

“The majority of silver is synthesized through what astronomers call the rapid neutron-capture process, or r-process. This mechanism involves an atomic nucleus rapidly absorbing a large number of free neutrons before it has time to undergo radioactive decay, building up a very heavy, unstable isotope. The resulting neutron-rich nuclei then stabilize through a series of beta decays, forming stable heavy elements like silver. The astrophysical setting that provides the necessary neutron density is the catastrophic merger of two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole.” Where Did Silver Come From? From Stars to Earth - Biology Insights And Astronomers finally find the cosmic source of gold and silver

The Silver Mine I have visited most often is underwater now. In Lake Superior a small island was the site of a very prosperous mine. Wiki describes it, “A rich vein of nearly pure silver was discovered on this small island in 1868 by the Montreal Mining Company. At that time, the island was approximately 50 m² (540 sq ft) in size and only 2.5 meters (8 ft 2 in) above the waters of Lake Superior. In 1870, the site was developed by Alexander H. Sibley‘s Silver Islet Mining Company which built wooden breakwaters around the island to hold back the lake’s waves and increased the island’s area with crushed rock. The islet was expanded to over 10 times its original size and a small mining town was built up on the shore nearby.

“After most of the purest ore from the original site had been removed, a second vein was discovered in 1878. By 1883, most of the highest quality silver had been extracted and the price of silver had declined. The final straw came when a shipment of coal did not arrive before the end of the shipping season. The pumps holding back the waters of the lake stopped and in early 1884 the islet’s mine shafts, which had reached a depth of 384 meters, were flooded. They would never be de-watered, and the mine’s underground operations would never be reopened

.

“Over the 16 years that the mine was in operation, $3.25 million worth of silver was extracted.”

• The word “silver” comes from the Old English word “seolfor”, which means “silver” (SURPRISE!).

• Silver has the highest electrical conductivity of any element.

• The largest silver nugget ever found weighed over 2,800 pounds.

• In the 19th century, silver was used in photography to create daguerreotypes In the 19th century, silver was used in photography to create daguerreotypes.

• The chemical symbol for silver, Ag, comes from the Latin word “argentum”, which means “silver”.

• Silver is used in solar panels.

• Silver is a component of some antibiotics, such as silver sulfadiazine, which is used to treat burn wounds.

• Silver nitrate is used in some eye drops to prevent infection in newborns.

• Silver dollars are 90% silver

.

• Spanish Silver dollars were the most popular in 16th and 17th centuries.

Data Centers are raising the cost of Silver – check out the investments of the trumps.

“US President Donald Trump has bought millions of dollars worth of shares in data center industry firms this year, newly released financial records reveal.

The 113-page public financial disclosure from the president details hundreds of publicly-traded companies he has taken a stake in during 2026.

As well as a host of tech stocks, Trump’s portfolio includes data center power and cooling firms Trane and Eaton. On March 17, he purchased between $1 million - $5m worth of shares in each company.

These are among Trump’s largest purchases of the year so far. He had previously made five smaller investments in Eaton, and four in Trane, since the turn of 2026.

US President Donald Trump personally invests millions in data center industry firms - DCD

Today I read about Donald’s effort to increase the supply of beef and reduce the cost – that is he will import beef that has not been inspected; is not USDA approved and will fill his Big Beautiful Big Mac buns.

“On Friday, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day window during which as many as 300,000 metric tons of ground beef could be imported outside of tariff-rate quotas, a move aimed at bringing down costs for American consumers.” Yahoo.com

Where will it come from? “The president said the imported beef would be sold at 25% below current market prices but did not identify which countries the beef would come from or who had committed to that pricing.” He made the announcement but would not take questions.

A ban on Mexican cattle imports, put in place because of a flesh-eating parasite outbreak, has further tightened supplies, according to Reuters. But why inspect beef?

USATODAY reports - Ag. Secretary Rollins defends Trump decision to import more ground beef – that is despite protests from US agriculture – “Iowa and U.S. farm groups criticized the move, saying it undercuts American producers, hurting cattle markets and discouraging herd expansion.”

Remember how Argentina got onto trump’s good list? “In February, Trump allowed to the 80,000 metric tons to be imported from Argentina.” Here is a quick summary of the action: “Amna, the United States is exchanging dollars for Argentine pesos to prop up that currency, which has been losing value recently. President Trump announced the move on Tuesday as he met with Argentine President Javier Milei at the White House.

“And he made clear that this is contingent on Milei’s party winning legislative elections later this month.

“Donald Trump, President of the United States: I’m with this man because his philosophy is correct. And he may win or he may not win, but I think he’s going to win. And if he wins, we’re staying with him, and if he doesn’t win, we’re gone.” Why Trump is giving Argentina a $20 billion lifeline to help its flailing economy | PBS News It boils down to election interference = of course.

Rob Larew, the National Farmers Union president, said in a statement Trump’s decision is “a handout for monopoly meatpackers, who can mix cheap imported beef with American beef and pocket the difference, with no guarantee consumers ever see lower prices or ranchers see fair ones.”

It’s not that we haven’t been importing beef but this is without the regulations and constraints of the past.

The cattle raisers are furious, farmers in the Midwest are angry, but the consumer should also be angry – our farce of a department of health along with the goofball in charge of the department of agriculture have already threatened out health and the health of the planet. Now they want to sell us mystery meat.

August 11 USATODAY reported “Nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef imported from Argentina were recalled in Florida and Texas after the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service found the meat had not undergone a required inspection, classifying the recall as a Class I health hazard.” Nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef recalled over missed inspection

We have not seen the assurance of vigorous inspection and protection from diseases and risks that are in other nations where trumpy might get his burger. Do you feel safe? Is a lower price enough to offset greater food safety?

Hard to hear copper and not think of copper and the term “cop” is believed to have originated from “copper,” referring to the copper badges worn by police officers in the 19th century. Language evolves, but the dedication to serve remains! According to the National Fraternal Order of Police. #PoliceTerminology #History #Cops #LawEnforcement

Essential for electrical wiring, plumbing, and antimicrobial applications, it is recognized for its corrosion resistance and high thermal conductivity. Copper is a key industrial material, commonly alloyed into brass and bronze, with significant historical use dating back thousands of years. (International Copper Association).

The Royal Chemistry Society, “Copper beads have been excavated in northern Iraq and are more than ten thousand years old and presumably made from native copper, nuggets of which can sometimes be found. Copper was widely used in the ancient world as bronze, its alloy with tin, which was used to make cutlery, coins, and tools. In China it was used for bells.

“Copper is not difficult to extract from it ores, but mineable deposits were relatively rare. Some, such as the copper mine at Falun, Sweden, date from the 1200s, were the source of great wealth. One way to extract the metal was to roast the sulfide ore then leach out the copper sulfate that was formed with water. This was then trickled over scrap iron on the surface of which the copper deposited, forming a flaky layer that was easily removed.”

A mysterious green rock discovered high in the Pyrenees suggests that prehistoric people maintained a high-altitude copper mining camp in Spain for more than four millennia, according to archaeologists. The cave was filled with layers of green mineral fragments and abundant pieces of charcoal, which suggests that people repeatedly returned to the seasonal camp for generations.

At this time, we are fighting against mining in the BWCAW – a bill sponsored by Pete Stauber has opened the door for a Chilean mining company and many people are in opposition and Governor Walz has issued an executive order to try and stop it.

This is part of a watershed of thousands of lakes and even Lake Superior. Copper mining comes with some drastic problems. “Copper mining causes significant environmental and social issues, primarily through toxic pollution, habitat destruction, and water contamination. The industry creates massive waste piles, often leading to acid mine drainage (sulfuric acid and heavy metals) that poisons water sources for centuries. Mining often involves blasting large areas, emitting harmful dust, and causing air pollution.’ according to Federal Metals. Copper sulfides create acid mine drainage, leaching heavy metals (mercury, lead, arsenic) into groundwater and rivers

.

Because copper is less than 1% of the ore, vast quantities of toxic waste rock, tailings, and sludge must be stored indefinitely. (EPA) Smelting releases sulfur dioxide and particulates, causing respiratory illnesses (silicosis) in workers and nearby communities. (Science direct) Mining often results in legal battles and conflicts with local communities, particularly regarding environmental damage and water access, with high incidences of complaints in South America and Africa. (Climate Home News)

The Britannica says, “The major portion of copper produced in the world is used by the electrical industries; most of the remainder is combined with other metals to form alloys. (It is also technologically important as an electroplated coating.) Important series of alloys in which copper is the chief constituent are brasses (copper and zinc), bronzes (copper and tin), and nickel silvers (copper, zinc, and nickel, no silver). There are many useful alloys of copper and nickel, including Monel; the two metals are completely miscible. Copper also forms an important series of alloys with aluminum, called aluminum bronzes. Beryllium copper (2 percent Be) is an unusual copper alloy in that it can be hardened by heat treatment. Copper is a part of many coinage metals. Long after the Bronze Age passed into the Iron Age, copper remained the metal second in use and importance to iron. By the 1960s, however, cheaper and much more plentiful aluminum had moved into second place in world production.”

Unlike the other element I have described there is no single discoverer of copper. In 1650 copper was first identified as an element. It was found in raw form by numerous cultures throughout human history and did not need to be distilled or removed from other rocks. The Sumerians and the Chaldeans living in ancient Mesopotamia are believed to be the first people to make wide use of copper, and their copper crafting knowledge was introduced to the ancient Egyptians.

Cleveland Clinics say, “Dietary copper is essential for healthy blood flow, as it helps regulate cardiovascular homeostasis, aids in iron absorption for red blood cell formation, and supports blood vessel function. It helps improve circulation, reduce blood clots, and supports tissue health. However, wearing copper bracelets for circulation has no proven medical benefits.”

It has antibacterial properties that made it useful for doorknobs and other surfaces in hospitals. As an alloy it is responsible for the cultural era known as the bronze age.

Found in the raw stage it is easily malleable and was convenient for pots and other implements. The name “copper” is derived from the Latin phrase aes cyprium, meaning “metal of Cyprus,” which was later shortened to cuprum.

Arizona is the U.S. state with the most copper, producing approximately 70% of the nation’s supply as of 2023. Known as the “Copper State,” it houses major operations like the Morenci mine. Arizona routinely leads the nation in copper production, with Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah following far behind, but the upper peninsula of Michigan on the Keweenaw Peninsula gained fame for its copper deposits. Louis Agassiz’s son Alexander was the engineer who developed the mining process that unlocked the valuable ore and a lot of the profit went back east to build Harvard.

Copper facts

• Copper can be recycled without any loss in properties, making it a logical choice in an era of global sustainability.

• Copper-rich foods include dried beans, almonds, broccoli, chocolate, garlic, soybeans, peas, whole wheat products and seafood.

· Over 400 copper alloys are in use today. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, while bronze is an alloy of copper, tin, aluminum, silicon and beryllium.

• The oldest metal object found in the Middle East consists of copper; it was a tiny awl dating back as far as 5100 B.C.

• Penny’s are no longer being made, but even when it was the coin was mostly zinc. Pennies were made of pure copper only from 1783 to 1837.

• third-most-consumed industrial metal in the world, after iron and aluminum, according to the U.S. Geological Survey

• If all of the copper wiring in an average car were laid out, it would stretch 0.9 miles (1.5 km), according to the USGS.

• Copper has anti-microbial properties and kills bacteria, viruses and yeasts on contact.

• Wheat is one of the most important food staples in the world, and copper deficiencies can lead to both a lower crop yield and lower crop fertility.

Whether you like Data Centers or not – they will increase the demand for copper. In our waste dumps as I pointed out in the last post there are great quantities that can be mined and reused – copper is highly recyclable. But the issues surrounding this metal and mining are significant and the trump policies to open sensitive areas to mining and exploitation threatens all of us.

Copper sulfide mining releases a variety of chemicals into the surrounding ecosystem, including mercury, lead, and sulfates. Copper sulfide mining also generates sulfates, which turn into sulfuric acid and leach heavy metals into ground water and soil. This is caused by acid mine drainage and can seriously harm entire ecosystems. How copper mines pollute

In addition to the copper used in the Data Center it will also demand access to more power and powerlines rely on copper. ”Copper ranks second only to silver in electrical conductivity but is more abundant, cost-effective, and durable, making it the preferred choice for power transmission lines, busbars, and transformer windings.” The Role of Copper in Power Transmission and Distribution: Why Efficiency Depends on Materials - North

These minerals are essential for electrical conductivity, heat dissipation, semiconductor performance, and data storage on a 24/7 basis. As trump wants more coal, wants to log more of our forests and wants to drill and mine our parklands the intensity of demand will continue to escalate and we must be prepared by being informed.

Key Minerals by Application as outlined by USGS.gov.

1. Serverboards and Circuitry

• Copper – 45% imported; primary conductor in wiring and circuit traces.

• Silver – 64% imported; used in high-conductivity contacts and connectors.

• Tin – 73% imported; solder alloy for circuit connections.

• Tantalum – 100% imported; capacitors for stable power delivery.

• Palladium – 36% imported; plating and connectors.

• Platinum – 85% imported; catalysts and connectors USGS.gov.

2. Heat Sinks

• Aluminum – 47% imported; lightweight, high thermal conductivity.

• Copper – 45% imported; high thermal conductivity for heat transfer USGS.gov.

3. Semiconductors and Microchips

• Silicon – <50% imported; base material for chips.

• Germanium – 100% imported; used in some high-speed transistors.

• Gallium – 100% imported; in gallium arsenide semiconductors.

• Indium – 100% imported; in indium tin oxide (ITO) for displays and sensors.

• Arsenic – 100% imported; in gallium arsenide semiconductors.

• Fluorspar (fluorite) – 100% imported; in semiconductor manufacturing.

• Rare Earth Elements – 80% imported; in advanced semiconductors and optics USGS.gov.

4. Magnets and Data Storage

• Barite – >75% imported; in magnetic recording media.

• Rare Earth Elements – 80% imported; in neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets for HDDs and SSDs USGS.gov.

Broader Context

• Energy and storage minerals: Data centers also rely on lithium, cobalt, graphite, and rare earths for batteries and renewable energy systems that power them Critical Minerals: The #1 Data Center Risk for 2026

• Supply risks: Many of these minerals are concentrated in a few countries, with high import dependence (often >70–100% for some). This makes supply chains vulnerable to geopolitical and environmental factors orivium.com.

• Urban mining: Recycling e-waste (e.g., servers, switches, cooling systems) can recover valuable metals like gold, silver, and rare earths, reducing reliance on primary mining orivium.com.

Strategic Importance

As AI and cloud computing demand grow, the mineral intensity of data centers is rising. Between 2014 and 2024, data center load tripled, and by 2028 they could consume 12% of U.S. electricity USGS.gov. Securing stable, diversified mineral supply chains is now a national security and economic priority.

In summary: Data centers depend on a mix of conductive metals (copper, silver, aluminum), semiconductor materials (silicon, gallium, indium, rare earths), and specialty minerals (tantalum, barite, rare earths). Their high import dependence and concentration in few sources make mineral supply a critical bottleneck for future digital infrastructure.

How do we control this demand and destruction?

Be informed, watch out for mining and destruction, demand EIS, protect our natural landscapes. Encourage more urban/garbage mining. Use what we have and use it wisely.

Using copper as one example - In the United States, about 830,000 tons of copper are recycled each year, which is roughly 32% of the total U.S. copper supply for that period Elements by Visual Capitalist. This means that the remaining ~670,000 tons of copper are not recycled and are either discarded, landfilled, or otherwise lost to the waste stream.

Mining waste and e-waste means millions of tons of copper are present in landfills and informal dumps. This hazardous material poses contamination risks. But improving recovery rates — especially in e-waste and dump leaching — could significantly reduce this environmental load as well as reducing the demand for primary mine material.

And that is just one of the elements that is in this summary. I will be looking closer at the various elements like I did for nuclear energy over the next few weeks.

“Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration “has been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America’s debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction.” (AP)

-What about fraud and abuse from the White House and Administration. “The federal debt is already raising the cost of living and choking out other spending and investment, threatening our economy and Americans’ long-term prosperity,” said Margaret Spellings, president and CEO of the Bipartisan Policy Center.

“Our current fiscal trajectory is plainly unsustainable, and that’s the best-case scenario. AI disruption, a recession, global war, or any number of other events could quickly push us over the edge from a challenge into a full-blown crisis,” Spellings said in a statement.” (AP)

How about the cost of an illegal war in Iran? Check out the cost tracker - Iran War Cost Tracker: $40.55B Live — Operation Epic Fury – the amount is already over $40 billion.

The cost of the ballroom - $600 million so far.

Or the cost of trump’s birthday parade? $30 million. Army reveals the real cost of Trump’s birthday parade in Washington | The Independent

The trump arch - $100 million. How Much Will Trump’s Triumphal Arch Monument Cost?

Reflection pool – so far $15 million

Trump’s golf trips - $101.2 million so far

Trump’s already obsolete Golden Fleet battleships $275 Billion Senate minority leader criticizes Trump’s proposed ‘Golden Fleet’ battleships as costly ‘vanity’ project

Spending on Operation Southern Spear and Operation Absolute Resolve in Venezuela, the Caribbean, and the Eastern Pacific cost at least $4.7 billion from August 1, 2025-March 31, 2026 - $4.7 billion so far. What Did the U.S. Attack on Venezuela Cost? - Institute for Policy Studies

Rebuilding our weapons inventory; $10 billion. Rebuilding U.S. Missile Inventory: A Multiyear Project

In 2026, the U.S. is projected to pay approximately $1.0–1.2 trillion in interest on its national debt, making it one of the largest federal budget expenditures. (Forbes)

The U.S.’ fiscal position stands as the worst among other developed countries, according to recent data analysis from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

What does this mean to you and I? Home loans and car loans will see interest rise. High fuel – especially diesel means higher delivery costs and higher grocery prices as inflation will be triggered again. This means higher prices for everyone – and most of us are not billionaires. It will impact farmers for fertilizer, tractor and equipment prices and cost of their use. And what if we have an AI boom go bust like other bubbles in the past or more wars as trump thumps his pathetic chest and Hegseth pops his testosterone? Report: U.S. Debt Crisis will Directly Harm Families, Students, Retirees | Headline USA

I was joined by many who were succinct and continually added new concerns, new data and additional information that was crucial to the session.

As I pointed out, this is like the Gold Rush – there were no data centers and suddenly they are popping up like weeds in every corner of the country. And just like the Gold Rush – not every corner will prosper, some will be left with an ugly hulk like the old strip malls that have had to resort to recruitment and reuse stores.

As I pointed out to the council – I was working at Honeywell in the late sixties when they brought in their first supercomputer – and it took over one floor of the building I was in. Yet that computer had less power than the cell phone in my hand! Even if you are in favor of Data Centers know that they will evolve. They will have to address the energy, pollution and water issues. They will do more in less space and some will wither away – why be first in line for the most inefficient models – wait a year – maybe longer, get informed, do research, put rules and regulations in place and especially put enforcement in place to make sure the rules are followed.

The Harvard Gazette published this year: “Why are communities pushing back against data centers?” “Tech, data policy expert says concerns legitimate over rising power rates, water use, environmental issues amid mushrooming growth.”

“The public is concerned about rising electricity rates caused by data centers. They are concerned about the enormous water use that data centers require. They’re concerned about public handouts in the form of tax breaks that are going to data center developers, and they’re also aware that data centers don’t bring meaningful economic development, especially in the form of jobs.

“I think the public is quite right to be concerned about data centers. My research and other research have shown that these are a bad deal for communities on the local level.” Liz Mineo Harvard Staff Writer

“Michael Webber, a mechanical engineering professor at the University of Texas at Austin, tells Axios that grid operators face a “triple whammy” under extreme heat, as air conditioners, na01.safelinks.protecti… lines and power plants all become less efficient.

• “At the times we need the grid the most is when every single component in the grid is less efficient ... but also more fragile, and then we run it more,” says Webber, who’s also CTO of Energy Impact Partners, a clean-tech venture capital firm.

• A 2018 na01.safelinks.protecti… Webber co-authored found that power plants, air conditioners and transmission systems tend to operate more efficiently at cooler temperatures.”

So, we add Data Centers?

“Climate change is extending periods of extreme heat just as electrification and data centers add new loads, leaving parts of the grid working harder for longer.” (AXIOS) and the part so many overlooks if the rise in the low temperatures each day – which means there is no rest and renewal for the grid. “Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies, a consulting firm focused on electric transmission, says that problem is particularly acute for local distribution systems — including transformers — which need time to cool overnight.”

Already we know from California experiences that the power lines are potential fire starters and with the use of water and increased drought this becomes more serious.

Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro has changed his position on Data Centers as he recognizes the increased issues and dangers – “ Shapiro yesterday issued an executive order that creates a tougher road for data center developers.

• Changes include stricter standards on community buy-in, booting data centers from the state’s fast-track permitting program, and making future projects ineligible.

• It comes after the state’s Senate did not act on his proposals in May, but it’s also tougher than the earlier policies.

The big picture: The shift in political tone is unmistakable.

• While his May rollout talked up strict standards, it also said the state is looking to compete on “innovation,” and he’s previously been more welcoming.

• The vibes were different yesterday. Shapiro went after “predatory” actors and used other tough language. Still, he stopped short of a moratorium.” (AXIOS)

He did stop short of a moratorium. But still we celebrate his increasingly informed stand. And this matters because none of us anticipated that Data Centers would be prominent in upcoming elections.

“However The Senate GOP campaign arm, in a private memo to top AI companies, warns that toxic views of U.S. data centers are killing the party’s chances of holding a vital seat in Ohio, Axios’ Alex Isenstadt scooped this morning.”

Let’s check in with Data Center Knowledge for some of the most current news:

July 23 - Fault in Data Center Alley Triggered 3 GW Load Drop

Dominion says data centers transferred to backup power after a transmission line fault, creating one of the largest sudden load changes publicly reported on the US grid.

July 21 Electromagnetic Interference: The Invisible Threat to Data Center Uptime

Denser digital infrastructure and pervasive wireless have raised background radio-frequency levels. This can include interference with cell towers.

AI data centers could disrupt the industry’s resiliency trends due to cooling demands, power risks, and grid instabilityImage: Alamy / Data Center Knowledge

And what would you expect from your Epstein inspired partner? As numerous victims have told us, you know all about both Epstein and Trump and what went on at their compounds. You might have noticed the blonds that trump put in powerful positions like Bondi and Leavitt and now Ms Natalie.

Of course, they are now gone or leaving because the narcissist needed a new playmate and found it in Natalie Harp.

MSN reports: “Natalie Harp has become a near-constant companion for the 80-year-old president, attending Oval Office meetings, carrying a portable printer to print out news stories she thinks he might like, and posting from his social media accounts late into the night.

“Her own estranged brother has called her bond with the president “very unhealthy.”

If you ever had any doubts about trump being a narcissist this should end it. His desire is to be worshiped to be adored to be the most popular and beautiful being on earth. He is delusional, selfish and self-absorbed. Worship him or get out of the way. To finish that thought his relationship with South Korea – a long-standing US ally has soured because they will not fight Iran so for the first time the US has canceled the joint military training exercise. I am sure that Kim Jong Un and Xi Jinping are smiling.

Musk’s social media platform X reportedly boosts right-wing and other extremist voices and minimizes pro-democracy and other political views he disagrees with.”

Social media has been purchased by billionaires and trillionaires. They own television networks like CBS and FOX. They own Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, and threads. Who Owns Social Media? The Ownership Structures of Major Platforms • Journalism University

Look further at the ownership of the platforms we are trying to use to send our messages and organize our efforts. All our information does not belong to just us and our friends. The social media and their algorithms have the information too and A.I. is processing it. Check out this site to see more of the ownership Who Owns Which Social Media Platforms This must be a good site because Facebook blocked me from posting it.

• News Corp (Murdoch family) – Owns Fox News, Fox Business, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, MarketWatch, and numerous newspapers in the U.S. and abroad. Rupert Murdoch – Controls Fox Corporation and News Corp, giving him influence over Fox News, the WSJ, and the NY Post factually.co+1.

• Jeff Bezos – Owns The Washington Post since 2013 factually.co+1.

• Patrick Soon-Shiong – Owns The Los Angeles Times factually.co+1.

• Laurene Powell Jobs – Owns The Atlantic via Emerson Collective www.trueframe.news.

• John Henry – Owns The Boston Globe

“U.S. newspaper ownership is dominated by a handful of conglomerates and billionaire owners, with the Murdoch family, Bezos, Soon-Shiong, and others holding significant influence. This consolidation raises concerns about editorial independence and media diversity, as most Americans’ access to major news is filtered through a small number of corporate entities.” US Media Ownership | The Future of Media Project

That makes Substack very important. Substack is privately owned by its three co-founders—Chris Best, Hamish McKenzie, and Jairaj Sethi—alongside institutional investors and a small community of writers and users.

Use the phone, use the mail, communicate with supporters on every platform but be aware that some content might not be accepted by the platforms and we just have to work around them. We cannot let the oligarchy win.

As WIKI says, “Ownership of Substack is therefore a combination of founder-led control, venture capital backing, and minority stakes held by the creator community. The platform remains privately held, with no parent company, and continues to operate independently despite external acquisition offers, including a rejected proposal from Elon Musk in 2023.”

Avoid the onslaught of outsiders telling you how to vote - it is our right and our vote. Try to offset the lies where you can - letters to the editors are good forums. Stay committed and get the government back for the majority of people.

The complexity of the oil industry and Iran is long and should be explored as the US continues its foolish Iranian war. VBP traces its roots to the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (APOC), founded in 1909 after British investor William Knox D’Arcy secured a 60-year concession from Persia in 1901 to explore for oil.

May 28, 1901, William Knox D’Arcy was granted a 60-year concession to explore and market oil, gas, asphalt and ozokerite across vast stretches of Persia. Burmah Oil provided another £40,000 of funding and the drilling of two wells began at Masjid-i-Suleiman. At 4am, the drill plunged to a depth of 1,180 feet. And then, a fountain of oil erupted into the dawn sky.

On its completion in 1912, Abadan refinery in Persia became the world’s largest.

The company was almost bankrupt when it signed a lifesaving deal - Anglo-Persian signed a deal to supply the Royal Navy with 40m barrels of oil over 20 years in return for £2m and the British government taking a 51% stake in the company.

The British Petroleum brand was originally created by a German firm as a way of marketing its products in Britain. During WWI, the British government seized that company’s assets, and the Public Trustee sold them to Anglo-Persian. They became Commonwealth Oil Refineries Limited

In 1924 by Grangemouth, in Scotland, also playing a crucial role in Scotland’s oil industry. A concession covering most of Iraq was granted to the Turkish Petroleum Company, in which Anglo-Persian held a 47.5% interest. In 1927, oil was discovered near the city of Kirkuk.

1932 Anglo-Persian and Royal Dutch-Shell agreed to combine their UK marketing operations, to be known as Shell-Mex and B.P. Ltd.

1935 – no more Persia. The Anglo-Persian Oil Company changed its name to Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. This was a result of the country of Persia changing its name to Iran.

In 1951, the Iranian Parliament decided to nationalize oil operations within the country’s borders.

In 1954 With the ending of the unwritten agreement between the former Shah of Persia and William D’Arcy, in December 1954, the board changed the company’s name to the British Petroleum Company.

So, what has changed? CNBC reports “BP profit more than doubles as Trump blasts Big Oil for ‘making too much money’”

“Britain’s BP on Tuesday reported a sharp upswing in second-quarter profit, as energy supermajors reap massive profits from higher fossil fuel prices amid hostilities between the U.S. and Iran.” (CNBC)

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at U.S. oil majors Exxon Mobil and Chevron for making “too much money” off higher fuel prices amid the Iran war, reiterating his demand for lower prices at the pump.

“They’re making too much money based on a shortage,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “I don’t like it.”

But what profit has trump made?

Washington Post reported – “President Trump’s proposed 20% toll on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz could generate nearly $200 billion annually in revenue — a windfall large enough to cover about half of the federal civilian payroll.”

But don’t think trump is not profiting personally – “Trump’s unqualified son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has been leading negotiations with Iran while personally raising billions of dollars from neighboring countries with a stake in the outcomes of this war. The Trump family is raking in profits while thousands of innocent people are killed as a result of U.S. government actions (including least 168 students and teachers killed in the horrifying Minab school bombing on Feb. 28).

“In fact, a draft peace deal with Iran included a $300 billion post-war “investment fund” for real estate development and other investments for U.S. companies to rebuild on the destruction left by this gratuitous war, according to recent reports.” Making a Killing: Who Profits From Trump’s Foreign Policy? Trump and His Inner Circle. - Ms. Magazine

1. January six insurrection

2. Epstein files

3. Pete Hegseth

4. Kristi Cruella Noem

5. Robert Kennedy Junior

6. Tearing down the East Wing

7. Trump infecting the reflection pool

8. J.D.Vance

9. War on Iran/Peace with Iran

10. War on Iran again

11. Strait of Hormuz

12. Peace with Iran/War with Iran again

13. The Trump Arch (archvillain yes – actual arch – no)

14. J D Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner as representatives at peace negotiations

15. Attacks on Journalist who happen to be smarter, better looking and more educated

16. Gift of jet from Qatat – did he give them a trump Bible in return?

17. Partnership with Netanyahu

18. Romance with Putin

19. Lack of help for Ukraine and insult to Zelensky

20. Disrespect for Prime Minister Carney and Canada

21. ICE>>>>>>>>>>>>>

22. Deportations of American Citizens

23. Murder of innocent people by ICE

24. Concentrations camps – Alligator Alcatraz

25. Reduction of pollution standards

26. Destruction and Privatization of Public Lands

27. Refusal to address or admit Climate Change – Global Warming, fires, flooding, storms.

28. Pam Bondi Attorney General

29. Todd Blanche Attorney General

30. Personal Bribes and scams that make him $2.2 billion last year while in office.

31. Doug Burgum Secretary of Interior

32. DOJ weaponized against James Comey

33. Brooke Rollins Department of Agriculture

34. DOJ weaponized against Olympic Biker for touching the reflecting pool

35. Howard Lutnick Department of Treasury

36. Obsessive blaming of President Biden

37. Lori Chavez-DeRemer Secretary of Labor

38. Hatred and jealousy of President Obama

39. Chris Wright Department of Energy

40. Bribes to eliminate renewable energy projects

41. Melania as first illegal alien lady – actually first administration porn star

42. Tulsi Gabbard – CIA

43. Susie Wiles Chief of staff

44. Musk and Doge

45. Attacks on Fauci

46. Russel Vought – Darth Vader

47. Steven Miller – Dracula or Goebel

I know – There are many more, but 45 – 47 fit the conceited bastard and now you can add more – many more I am sure Like Marco Rubio

and the attack on Venezuela – those are for the next 47 list.

It is so visible to every visitor to DC – it is the ultimate trump monument.

Unfortunately, it sits in front of the Lincoln Memorial but maybe that is the ultimate reflection – the greatest president looks out on the scum that is the worst president. Let’s keep it green and call the trump memorial pool – he does like his name on things.

USATODAY -

Collapsed Reflecting Pool case latest of ‘politicized’ DOJ misfires

The DOJ’s collapsed felony criminal case charging a former Olympian with damaging the Reflecting Pool is just the latest in a string of legal misfires

“D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a former county court judge in Westchester, New York, and former Fox News host, asked a judge to dismiss a felony criminal charge that she had personally announced with great fanfare against former Olympian David Hearn. The DOJ had accused Hearn of yanking the pool’s lining and causing more than $1,000 in damage, bringing a felony destruction of property charge that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.”

And of course trump threw his attorney under the proverbial bus. Trump said Pirro “folded like an umbrella” and he was “really disappointed” that she was dropping the charges. “Frankly, I think she choked,” he said.

Of course, the narcissist needed to blame someone – so he chooses an Olympic biker who had the temerity to reach into the pool. But even his corrupt DOJ could not figure out how to prosecute him, so he was released.

Most Americans are embarrassed by these outrageous events. The man daily commits crime right in view of the public. It does not take NCIS to ferret it out. The mob boss is in the White House.

Sometimes we have to look back in history for perspective. Thomas Paine wrote “Common Sense” the most influential pamphlet in American History

.

So, I wondered if it might have relevance to us today with the leader who wants to be King, a man who sees everything through the lens of personal gain and can stand no criticism.

Trump wants the power of monarchy; he is authoritarian and vindictive so he seems like someone that Thomas Paine would have resisted just as we are trying to do and need to keep working in addition to voting this year.

And a note to the Democrats – this is your opportunity but keep perspective. Hold back on radical ideals and just work to get the nation back on track. We do not need a pendulum to swing to far, we just need to give the nation a refreshing breather and undo what trump has done.

We know we cannot reason with MAGA; we cannot compromise with the trumpers.

As we know the intimidation of Vought, Miller, Hegseth and trump through ICE, and the corruption of the FBI and CIA that is meant to keep them in power. We cannot give in to it or them.

There is no real excuse for those who voted to elect trump or those who chose not to vote when they had the opportunity because of personal choices that missed the danger of the situation we find ourselves in. Those individuals must now rise and vote to correct the damage that was done.

The issues that have to be resolve are in all the agencies, but also in the corruption caused by the Oligarchs – Zuckerberg, Bezos, Musk, Murdoch, Kushner, Abramovich, Reid Hoffman, VC billionaire Marc Andreessen, Laurene Powell Jobs. Koch brothers and many others.

The Rise of the American Oligarchy – Mother Jones

We have the power in the mid-term election to turn things around. We have to work from library and school boards to congress and chose leader we can trust to bring the country back towards its former position. It will take time to recover from the disease of narcissistic bombastic rein. The infection runs deep and no level of government is inconsequential.

According to Axios - Nuclear energy startup funding is heating up. Nuclear energy startup funding is heating up You can check out the article.

“The Nuclear regulatory agency says: “Depleted uranium is produced in the uranium enrichment process when uranium-235 (U235) is extracted from natural uranium to concentrate this isotope into fuel for nuclear reactors.

“For the types of nuclear power plants operating in the United States, uranium needs to be enriched. Natural uranium primarily contains two isotopes, uranium-238 (U238) (99.3 percent) and U235 (0.7 percent). The concentration of U235, the readily fissionable isotope in uranium, needs to be increased to between 3 and 5 percent for practical use as a nuclear fuel. Enrichment plants use various means to concentrate the U235, including gaseous diffusion, gas centrifuge, or laser separation enrichment.

“The U235 is increased in a portion of material by decreasing the U235 in the remainder of the material. For example, if an enrichment facility processes 1,000 kilograms (kg) of natural uranium to raise the U235 concentration from 0.7 percent to 5 percent, the facility would produce 85 kg of enriched uranium and 915 kg of depleted uranium. The amount of U235 in the bulk of the material decreases, or is depleted, to a concentration of 0.3 percent. Uranium with a concentration of U235 below that of natural uranium (0.7 percent) is called depleted uranium.”

So, what is the problem? Uranium is a radioactive material with two primary isotopes, U235 and U238. These isotopes decay at a constant rate that has a half-life (i.e., time for the activity to reduce by half) greater than 100 million years. According to the NRA “As the fluorine is extracted, the uranium is converted to an oxide (either U₃O₈ or UO₂). These oxides are chemically stable compared to UF₆. They are generally suitable for near-surface disposal as low-level radioactive waste.”

There is also a liquid fluoride thorium reactor (LFTR; often pronounced lifter) is a type of molten salt reactor. ‘LFTRs use the thorium fuel cycle with a fluoride-based molten (liquid) salt for fuel. In a typical design, the liquid is pumped between a critical core and an external heat exchanger where the heat is transferred to a nonradioactive secondary salt. The secondary salt then transfers its heat to a steam turbine or closed-cycle gas turbine.” (wiki)

Among the lighter elements, fluorine’s abundance value of 400 ppb (parts per billion) – 24th among elements in the universe – is exceptionally low: other elements from carbon to magnesium are twenty or more times as common.

And where does Fluorine come from? These options blow me away –

• during type II supernovae, bombardment of neon atoms by neutrinos could transmute them to fluorine;

• the solar wind of Wolf–Rayet stars could blow fluorine away from any hydrogen or helium atoms; or

• fluorine is borne out on convection currents arising from fusion in asymptotic giant branch stars.

So there!

Fluorine is the 13th most abundant element in Earth’s crust at 600–700 ppm (parts per million) by mass. “The word “fluorine” derives from the Latin stem of the main source mineral, fluorite, which was first mentioned in 1529 by Georgius Agricola, the “father of mineralogy”. He described fluorite as a flux—an additive that helps melt ores and slags during smelting.” (wiki)

Fluorine’s presence was first noted in compounds such as hydrofluoric acid, which was known for its ability to etch glass as early as 1670. Chemists recognized that this acid contained a distinct element, analogous to chlorine, but the element itself could not be isolated due to its extreme reactivity and the toxicity of hydrogen fluoride.

The breakthrough came on June 26, 1886, when Henri Moissan successfully isolated fluorine. He used electrolysis of a mixture of potassium bifluoride (KHF₂) dissolved in anhydrous hydrogen fluoride (HF). Key innovations included cooling the reaction mixture to very low temperatures (-23°C to -50°C) to reduce reactivity and using platinum-iridium electrodes and fluorite stoppers to resist corrosion.

Discovering the element was dangerous several 19th century experimenters, the “fluorine martyrs”, were killed or blinded. And discovering the process to discover the element was dangerous. Humphry Davy, as well as the notable French chemists Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac and Louis Jacques Thénard, experienced severe pains from inhaling hydrogen fluoride gas; Davy’s eyes were damaged.

Irish chemists Thomas and George Knox developed fluorite apparatus for working with hydrogen fluoride, but nonetheless were severely poisoned. According to Purdue - Primarily used in industry for manufacturing fluorinated chemicals, nuclear fuel processing, and electronics, it poses severe inhalation risks. https://www.chem.purdue.edu/chemsafety/chem/FluorineSafety.html

Fluorine is the most reactive of all elements due to its high electronegativity, requiring only one electron to complete its outer shell. Its isolation paved the way for the development of fluorochemicals, including refrigerants like Freon and polymers such as polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), which became industrially significant in the 20th century. (BING) Unlike chlorine it does not deplete the ozone layer.

Its common uses are:

• Chemical Synthesis: Production of fluorochemicals, fluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride (electrical insulator).

• Nuclear Industry: Processing uranium hexafluoride (for nuclear fuel).

• Manufacturing: Used in producing electronics and semiconductor components.

• Laboratory/Specialty: Used as an oxidizer for rocket fuels and in specialized chemical synthesis.

National Institutes of Health (.gov)

It is part of the Halogen group of the six nonmetallic elements located in Group 17 (formerly Group VIIA) of the periodic table: Fluorine (F), Chlorine (Cl), Bromine (Br), Iodine (I), Astatine (At), and Tennessine (Ts). They are known as “salt-formers” (derived from the Greek hal- for salt and -gen for produce) because they readily react with metals to produce a wide range of salts, such as sodium chloride NaCl (or table salt). Many exclude Tennessine which we do not really understand – I will get to that eventually.

Because it is so reactive it does not appear as a natural rock only in ion or combined form and never as the pure element. A certain variety of it, the so-called “fetid fluorite” or “antozonite” from the “Maria” mine in Woelsendorf in the Upper Palatinate (Germany), has been an object of contention in science for some 200 years. When crushed, it emits an unpleasant, pungent smell. https://www.geologyin.com/2014/11/scientists-discover-elemental-fluorine.html

“Using 19F-NMR spectroscopy, they were able to identify the fluorine “in-situ,” i.e. non-destructively in its natural environment, and thereby put an end to the long discussions about the cause for the odor of “stinking fluorspar.”

“The elemental fluorine is generated through minute uranium inclusions in the mineral, which constantly emit ionizing radiation and thus split the fluorite into calcium and elemental fluorine. The fluorine remains in minute inclusions, separated from the calcium by the non-reactive fluorite and thus retains its elemental form. The ionizing radiation also leads to the formation of calcium clusters, which give “antozonite” its dark color.”

And you might be using fluorine when you make dinner! In an attempt to make a refrigerant of chlorofluorocarbon the experiment failed, and they ended up with something they would name Teflon. “. Invented in 1938 by DuPont, it is widely used in cookware, industrial coatings, waterproof fabrics, and medical applications. While generally safe, the manufacturing process historically involved PFOA, a PFAS “forever chemical” linked to health risks. (American Physical Society)

It is also used in Gore-tex.