Day: October 15, 2023

It’s difficult deciding that someone is “dumb.” That’s because someone can be dumb in one area and smart in another. Unless we know the person, REALLY, REALLY well, I would hesitate — I really would — to just label someone “dumb.”

Gym, Jordan is dumb. Gym’s dumbness seethes, in a fountain of utterly blazing, fiery, bright, glossy, glorious dumbness. Gym and dumb go together. Why I shouldn’t be surprised if Gym’s picture was featured in the dictionary underneath the wonderful word “dumb.”

Some people just come by it naturally. Gym is definitely such a person. “This is the dumbest way to support Jordan.” Those words come from — believe it or not –a Republican.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw absolutely blasted Jordan and his allies for their dumb idea to try to get Gym votes by twisting arms and threatening other Republicans. Yeah –, it sounds more then a bit dumb to me.

“The dumbest thing you can do is to continue pissing off those people and entrench them,” Crenshaw said on CNN. One knows it’s bad when Jordan’s getting criticism from REPUBLICANS. And all this bullying by Jordan might lead some moderate Republicans to throw up their hands — and work with Democrats.

If it’s so dumb, then why is Jordan doing it, one might ask. I have the answer, and it’s a pleasure to give. Gym is doing it because Gym is dumb — really dumb — the type of dumb that regularly gets mocked on Twitter.

Gym of the grotesque baby blue shirts, ear-splitting voice, and extremely disturbed behavior is the poster child for dumbness. Dumb came to Jordan early in life and decided to stay awhile — and in Gym’s case, it looks to be permanent.

Gym is feeling desperado about his chances of becoming a speaker. It looks like nobody ever told Gymbo he should not bully his fellow colleagues. But even if someone had told him, he likely wouldn’t have listened. This is because Gym is dumb — wholly and amorally dumb.

The post Even for Gym Jordan, this is dumb… appeared first on Palmer Report.

The fighting continues as Secretary of State Antony Blinken urges regional powers not to escalate the conflict; the U.S. also appeals to Israel to protect Palestinian civilians. The latest from Afghanistan after another deadly earthquake and election results in Poland.

Bombs fall on Kherson; Putin praises troops; Russian priests allegedly still spying on Ukrainians; small advances for AFU near Bakhmut; Madonna pays tribute to Ukraine

We haven’t spoken much about the republican contenders for president. That’s probably because none of them are doing all that well. Reportedly several Republican candidates hightailed it to Dallas Texas last week to talk to top donors. Nikki Haley was there as was Ron DeSantis and Tim Scott. What did they say? Help us big donors before it’s too late!

Haley reportedly pitched the donors that her poll numbers are rising. Ah Nikki, Nikki, Nikki. You always did see the world through a collage of pink — pink rose-colored glasses that is.

The fact is, Haley’s numbers have risen by a teeny-tiny margin. That’s not impressive. Also a lot of people don’t seem crazy about endorsing Nikki Haley probably because her opinions change like the wind.

DeSantis was also there and in recent days he has stepped up his attacks on Donald Trump. It won’t do any good, though right now the only person who does not recognize that fact is Ron DeSantis .

And Tim Scott has about as much chance of becoming the nominee as Donald Trump does growing one iota of intelligence. In other words, no chance at all.

And yet we know somebody has to be the nominee. I still predict it’s going to be a while before we know who. And I’ve maintained from the beginning that I don’t think this sad array of contenders is it. In other words, I do think there will be more Republicans, jumping into the race at sometime down the line.

In the meantime, we’re stuck with these sad sacks. They’re all getting terrible press, especially since the attack on Israel, which both Nikki Haley and Tim Scott tried to blame on President Biden.

And in terms of President Biden, he’s doing just great. Reportedly many people both in America and other countries, including Israel are praising his response to the terrorist attack.

I remain extremely optimistic about 2024. We just have to put in the work, work like there’s no tomorrow, and get our guy across the finish line along with keeping the Senate and taking back the House. We will do it because we have to do it, and because we’ve proven that we are the champions — of winning.

The post One big sack of crap appeared first on Palmer Report.

Business scion Daniel Noboa will fulfill a long-held family ambition when he takes office as Ecuador’s president, after winning election on Sunday on promises to create jobs and bring crime gangs under control.

Noboa, 35, who quit a job at his family’s sprawling conglomerate when he was elected to the national legislature in 2021, won more than 52% of the vote, beating leftist challenger Luisa Gonzalez, who had about 48%, with the initial tally nearly complete.

“Tomorrow we start work for this new Ecuador, we start working to rebuild a country seriously battered by violence, by corruption and by hate,” Noboa told supporters in the seaside town of Olon after clinching victory in a campaign marred by the murder of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio.

“From tomorrow Daniel Noboa starts work as your new president,” he added.

Gonzalez conceded defeat to her rival and congratulated him.

Noboa grew up accompanying his banana baron father Alvaro during the latter’s multiple failed bids to become president, and was a surprise qualifier for the second round run-off.

His campaign was a shift away from his father’s populist rhetoric and the cries from his rival to return to the social policies of her mentor, former President Rafael Correa.

Noboa, a native of Guayaquil, has pledged to attract foreign investment and develop Ecuador’s business sector.

His victory will be an immediate balm to markets, analysts have said, but his cabinet picks are still unknown and are likely to influence long-term market outlook.

Noboa has also promised job creation, particularly for young people, and his supporters have touted the married father-of-two’s fresh perspective on the country’s problems.

Ecuador’s economy has struggled to recover since the coronavirus pandemic, contributing to soaring crime – which outgoing President Guillermo Lasso blames on disputes between drug-trafficking gangs – and a sharp rise in emigration.

Noboa has promised to create a new intelligence unit to tackle gangs, supply security forces with tactical weapons, and house the country’s most dangerous convicts in prison ships out at sea.

The next president is due to assume office in December.

President Joe Biden said he is “confident” Israel will act under the rules of war in its conflict with Palestine, and added deploying U.S. troops is not necessary.

In an interview with “60 Minutes,” Biden said that while he believes Hamas must be eliminated entirely, there must be a path for a Palestinian state. And he cautioned that the threat of terrorism in the United States had increased due to unrest in the Middle East.

Poland’s incumbent Law and Justice (PiS) party was narrowly ahead in Sunday’s general election, exit polls showed, but the liberal opposition appeared to secure a majority, raising the possibility of an end to eight years of nationalist rule.

If the outcome is confirmed by official results, the vote would mark a massive turnaround for Warsaw, which has feuded with the European Union over the rule of law, media freedom, migration and LGBT rights since PiS came to power in 2015.

With war raging in neighbouring Ukraine and a migrant crisis brewing, Brussels and Washington have been watching the vote closely, although both PiS and its mainstream opposition support NATO-member Poland’s key role in providing military and logistical support to Kyiv.

The Ipsos exit poll gave PiS 36.8% of the vote, which would translate into 200 lawmakers in the 460-seat parliament.

Opposition parties, led by the liberal Civic Coalition (KO), were projected to together win 248 seats, with the KO seen winning 31.6% of ballots cast.

Partial official results were due to be published on Monday.

KO leader Donald Tusk, 66, a former European Council president, has vowed to mend Warsaw’s relations with Brussels, undo PiS reforms and hold its leaders to account.

“Democracy has won … This is the end of the PiS government,” a jubilant Tusk told party members on Sunday evening.

If official results confirm the exit poll, Tusk and his allies from the centre-right Third Way and the New Left may have to wait weeks or even months before getting a turn at forming a government.

President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, has said he would give the first shot to the winning party, suggesting Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki or another party leader would have the chance first. But with the far-right Confederation scoring 6.2%, below expectations, he will have few obvious allies, experts said.

“We are facing an intense few weeks,” said Anna Materska-Sosnowska, a political scientist from the Warsaw University.

In addition to its democratic record, which critics say had put Poland on a path towards authoritarian rule, PiS is accused of deeply polarising Poland.

Seeking an unprecedented third term, PiS had cast the vote as a choice between security from unfettered migration, which it says its opponents support, and a creeping Westernisation it sees as contrary to Poland’s Catholic character.

Reflecting mounting discontent in the former Soviet bloc country over democratic backsliding and an erosion of women’s rights on one hand and the cost of living on the other, turnout appeared to reach the highest level since the collapse of communism in 1989.

Many voters from Warsaw, where KO usually wins, traveled to PiS-supporting towns outside the capital to cast votes. Broadcasters showed long queues still forming outside some voting stations even after the election had officially ended.

PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski, 74, told officials gathered at the party’s headquarters in central Warsaw that it was not clear whether Sunday’s showing would translate into a new term in office.

“We have to have hope that regardless of whether we are in power or in opposition, our project will continue … We will not let Poland lose … the right to decide its own fate.”

PiS, which denies eroding democratic standards, says its reforms aimed to make the country and its economy more fair while removing the last vestiges of communism. It has built its support on generous social handouts and a pledge of more independence from Brussels.

Tusk has said he would seek to unblock some 110 billion euros of EU funds earmarked for Poland which have been frozen due to rule-of-law concerns, from day one if he heads a new government.

However, EU officials say it is unlikely to be so simple as changes to any laws pushed through by PiS would still require the signature of President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally.

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Business heir Daniel Noboa is leading the vote count to be Ecuador’s next president with 52.7%, ahead of his leftist rival Luisa Gonzalez, who has tallied 47.3%, with over half the ballot boxes counted.

Noboa, a surprise qualifier for the second round run-off, has pledged to attract foreign investment, create jobs for young people and house dangerous criminals on prison ships.

Voters’ top concerns largely center on the economy, which has struggled since the coronavirus pandemic and motivated many thousands of Ecuadoreans to migrate, and rising crime, including increases in murders, robberies and prison riots.

The violence, which the outgoing government blames on drug gangs, reached a crescendo during the campaign with the murder of anti-corruption candidate Fernando Villavicencio, who was shot dead while leaving a Quito campaign event in August.

Business scion Noboa, 35, had led recent polling, but at least two surveys placed him and Gonzalez, a protege of former President Rafael Correa, within the margin of error.

Noboa was set to await results in the seaside town of Olon while Gonzalez waits for them at a hotel in Quito.

Polling firm Estrategas Infinity said its exit poll of more than 32,000 voters showed a seven point lead for Noboa, giving him victory with 53.85% over Gonzalez’s 46.15%.

Noboa won 23% in the first round, while Gonzalez, a 45-year-old former lawmaker, won 34%.

Noboa is the son of multimillionaire banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, who himself ran unsuccessfully for president numerous times.

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Etan Goldman doesn’t pack light. On a Wednesday El Al flight from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, he brought with him six large pieces of luggage filled with bullet proof vests, knee pads, toiletries, and flashlights. 

There was also a case of Fresca and a box of Entenmann’s donuts.

The supplies were for those helping in the war effort. The food was for a friend. “I knew he was going through a difficult time,” Goldman said Sunday in a video call, “and I knew he needed some comfort food.”

Goldman, who goes by the name Etan G, is a 53-year-old rapper who, in more peaceful times, runs a program called Rock4Israel, which brings musicians to perform in Israel. He’s now bringing something else: supplies to help soldiers called to fight since a surprise attack by Hamas on Oct. 7  killed 1,300 Israelis and launched a war. Israel has called up some 360,000 reservists since the attack, and more than 125 Israelis continue to be held hostage, the Israeli Defense Forces confirmed on Sunday.

Goldman sprang into action after spotting an online list of tactical gear needed by Israeli soldiers. He quickly crowdsourced among his friends and secured a number of needed supplies. The only thing left to get was his wife’s permission to fly into a war zone. 

It took her a day, but she gave Goldman, a father of four, the green light. “She texted me one word,” he said. “Yes.”

Chaos and confusion

Ad-hoc supply runs by American Jews like Goldman have spurred the Israeli government to send out a detailed list of the exact items needed. The list — which includes bulletproof vests, drones, helmets and knee pads — cites specific brands and model numbers that Israel wants to receive. 

Some groups have already sent supplies and, in one instance, a chartered flight full of military gear. But not all of it is making its way to the battlefield. “That gear was easily available, which usually means it doesn’t meet the specifications,” a source told the Times of Israel, adding that the influx of donated goods has created a “logistics and supply chain nightmare.”

Some of the goods Goldman brought over didn’t end up meeting army specifications. He and some others have developed an unofficial workaround, giving their basic battle gear to local police officers who, in turn, have given their own army-approved gear to soldiers.

The IDF said it is also accepting cash donations for soldiers’ welfare. Those looking to contribute can email Trumot_migun@mod.gov.il.

‘The power of your presence’

Etan Goldman, inset, attended a last-minute wedding on Oct. 15, 2023, in Israel. Courtesy of Etan Goldman

Goldman has some experience with this. He flew a similar mission to Israel in 1991 during the Gulf War. “There are things that you can do here that you don’t even have to plan,” he said. On Sunday afternoon, he took part in a massive effort in Modi’in in central Israel to grill burgers for IDF soldiers. Later that night, he attended a last-minute wedding. “Never underestimate the power of your presence,” he said.

Asked what he plans on doing during the duration of his time in Israel, he said he’s playing it by ear. He’s offered to babysit, do household chores or just be a shoulder to cry on.

Goldman has no return flight home scheduled yet — perhaps to his wife’s chagrin — but the trip has provided him another opportunity: visiting his children. Two of his teenage kids are currently studying in Israel, and one plans to join the army next year when she is eligible.

“I asked my daughter Maayan if she was sure she wanted to serve in the IDF,” Goldman recalled.

Like her dad, she didn’t hesitate.

The post Bulletproof vests and Entenmann’s donuts: American Jews send supplies to war-torn Israel appeared first on The Forward.

Children take their places at folding tables on a church patio several miles from where their school burned down. Plastic tubs hold brand new textbooks quickly shipped from a publisher. Recess is on the resort golf course across the street.

The wind-driven wildfire that leveled the historic Maui town of Lahaina this summer displaced many pupils not just from their homes, but from their schools, forcing their families and education officials to scramble to find other ways to teach them.

Now, more than two months after the Aug. 8 wildfire killed at least 98 people, the three public schools that survived are set to reopen this week, posing an emotional crossroads for traumatized children and their families as they decide whether to go back to those campuses or continue at the other schools that took them in.

Some parents said they won’t send their children back because they worry the fire left toxins behind, despite assurances from education officials that the campuses are safe.

“I’m feeling optimistic about it and grateful we get to go back,” said Cailee Cuaresma, a 10th-grader at Lahainaluna High School. “I’m grateful our school is still standing.”

For the past month, Cuaresma has attended classes at the makeshift campus of Sacred Hearts School, a Catholic school founded in 1862. Most of the school burned down, but its leaders quickly got classes up and running at Sacred Hearts Mission Church 10 miles (16 kilometers) away.

Sacred Hearts and other private schools across the state took in displaced public school students, such as Cuaresma, while offering a year of free tuition. Other students bused more than 45 minutes away to public schools on the other side of Maui or opted for remote classes.

On a recent school day at Sacred Hearts’ temporary site, teachers moved students between pockets of shade to keep them out of the relentless Lahaina sun. Principal Tonata Lolesio told students assembled on cushioned pews in a chapel that it might be two years before they can return to a rebuilt school.

“Pray that it can be sooner,” she said.

Meanwhile, space limitations require students to attend classes on staggered days. Workers have been readying an adjacent lawn for tents allowing at least the younger children to attend school daily.

Cuaresma sat with a group of younger students petting a golden retriever comfort dog brought in by Assistance Dogs of Hawaii. Her home survived the fire, but her dad only recently got his job back at a hotel. Being at Sacred Hearts was a good opportunity because the work was challenging, she said.

One public school in Lahaina, King Kamehameha III Elementary, was destroyed. Pupils from there will share space with Princess Nāhiʻenaʻena Elementary, which was closed for post-fire cleaning along with Lahainaluna High and Lahaina Intermediate.

The schools are just blocks away from piles of potentially dangerous ash, prompting concerns from parents, but education officials have said air-quality tests show it is safe to reopen.

“He is not going to be stepping one foot back there,” said Tiffany Teruya, the mother of a Lahaina Intermediate eighth-grader.

She and her son, Puʻuwai Nahoʻoikaika, have been staying in a hotel since their apartment building burned down. He has been participating in a Hawaiian immersion program connected to Lahaina Intermediate.

After the school closed, the program held classes outdoors, away from the burn zone, and focused on cultural learning such as making bamboo trumpets and working in taro patches.

Teruya doesn’t know where she will send her son once the school reopens and the immersion program returns to campus, she said.

Debbie Tau’s two children won’t return to their Lahaina schools because she also is worried the air isn’t safe. They live in a Lahaina neighborhood north of the burn zone. She plans to drive them after fall break, when the school district stops providing busing to other schools in Kihei, about 45 minutes away.

“Asbestos is something that really scares me because it’s a carcinogen. And 10, 20, 30 years down the road, our kids could have cancer,” she said. “I feel like it’s like back to COVID, where every decision you make is wrong and you’re, like, putting your kids’ lives at risk.”

Some of the public school students who have joined private schools plan to stay. Patrick Williams said the first time he saw his son Kupaʻa praying at Sacred Hearts reminded him of his own childhood in Mississippi.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, this is where he should have been all along,’” Williams said.

The family, whose home wasn’t touched by the fire, will make sacrifices to afford tuition, especially because Williams lost most of his Lahaina water delivery routes to the fire.

The difficult circumstances have prompted teachers to try different ways of connecting with the displaced students.

At Maui Preparatory Academy, which at one point had taken in 150 public school students, science and math teacher Gabby Suzik said she checks in often with her Lahainaluna High students who lost their homes. Suzik lost the home she and her husband bought last year on Lahaina’s Front Street.

When some students showed up at Maui Prep with no shoes, no backpack and no pencil, she told them not to worry, noting she was wearing borrowed clothes.

“I just like being honest with them and saying, like, ‘Hey, you know, I get what you’re going through and you can talk to me anytime,’” Suzik said.