He’s baaack!

Marble curb and gutter in Athens. Photo by D R Pico and may be freely used, with appropriate credit.

Mrs Pico’s and my vacation in Greece is over, and I’m back at the computer typing in my hopefully-not-completely-mindless drivel! My thanks to William Teach of The Pirate’s Cove for keeping this poor site going for the last two weeks.

Greece is a beautiful, if very arid-looking country, but one thing really, really, really annoyed me. Athens is supposed to be the crown jewel of that ancient nation, full of ancient monuments. We climbed the Acropolis to visit the Parthenon, we visited the Temple of Zeus, and we saw things created by the hand of man 2,500 years ago. Even Jerusalem doesn’t boast signs of civilization that old, other than just a couple of places where stones from the original Temple built by Solomon 2,900 years ago can be seen.

As a Catholic, it was interesting to have walked some of the same streets as St Paul on his visit to the city. (Acts 17:16-34)

We climbed on Mt Olympus, because I wanted to have a talk with Zeus, but, alas! he was nowhere to be found.

Athens is so magnificent that, as in the picture on the right, there are streets on which the very curb-and-gutters are made of marble. The photo is on a side street devoted to restaurants just a block from our hotel.

But Athens is an absolutely filthy city! It seems that every block is scrawled with graffiti, major amounts of graffiti, graffiti as high as the “artists” can reach. How can a city so dependent upon the euros of tourists let itself become so defaced and dirty? The European Union has designated several sites in Greece with the European Historical Label, and are national parks in the Hellenic Republic.

The rest of Greece? Much cleaner — except Thessaloniki — and amazingly inexpensive. Our meals in Kefalonia and Litochoro cost half, or even less, than what they would have cost in a comparable American city. Real estate was so inexpensive that we saw, and considered a detached beachfront house in Kefalonia for only 315,000€.

OK, OK, I considered the house, but my darling bride — of 46 years, 4 months, and six days — was pretty much vetoing it, saying, truthfully I’m afraid, that we couldn’t afford it. Our current property, were it located in Massachusetts or Maine would be worth more than that, but in low-cost Kentucky, it isn’t.

Litochoro? Mrs Pico would have considered that, a town just 20 minutes from Aegean Sea beaches and Mt Olympus.

We visited the ancient monasteries at Meteora, including the one featured in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only.

Greece is a great place to visit, but not for the reasons and places that most people would expect.

There was one thing that I regretted, not being able to write on this site because I didn’t take a computer, and that was we left just before the assassination of Charlie Kirk. But, in retrospect, perhaps that was a good thing, because I wasn’t able to write anything stupid by jumping the gun on things.

 

NY Times: US Isolation On Display During UN Climate Week Or Something

Weirdly, the Paper Of Record forgot to mention all the long fossil fueled trip, mostly on private jets, world leaders took to NYC

At Global Climate Summit This Week, U.S. Isolation Was on Full Display

At a climate summit at the United Nations on Wednesday, the vast majority of the world’s nations gathered to make their newest pledges to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade.

Geopolitical heavyweights including China, Russia, Japan and Germany were there. Dozens of small island states were there. The world’s poorest countries, including Chad and the Central African Republic, were there. Venezuela, Syria, Iran — there, too.

The United States was not.

There are few issues on which the United States is more diplomatically isolated from the rest of the world than climate change. President Trump’s hostility to renewable energy, which he clearly broadcast in his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, is at odds with the rapid construction of wind farms, solar arrays and other renewable energy sources in a range of countries. The construction boom includes even oil-producing giants like Saudi Arabia, which is adding solar capacity at a rapid clip.

Do we care? Does Trump care? If the other nations want to mortgage their future on this scam, have at it. If the Elites in other countries want to use this to initiate authoritarianism, real, that’s on them. None of those Elites at the UN nor their staffs are practicing what they preach.

At Wednesday’s climate summit, 121 countries were scheduled to deliver a message very different from Mr. Trump’s, pledging to rein in global emissions not only for the sake of trying to slow catastrophic global warming but because renewables are getting cheaper faster than was previously thought. In some cases, renewables now produce electricity more affordably than plants that burn fossil fuels, bolstering the argument made by some countries that solar and wind can help with economic growth while providing energy security by limiting reliance on imports of fuels like coal, oil or gas.

Can they start by making their leaders take trains and sailing ships back to their home companies?

Trump Offers 21 Point Gaza Peace Plan At UN

The typical political thing to do when you see a problem is to talk about the need to fix it, go on the news stations and talk about fixing it, say you might offer legislation, you have a committee looking at it, and, if you re-elect that person they’ll get it done. Now, love Trump or hate him, when he sees a problem he doesn’t put together committees, he doesn’t yammer about working on fixing it, he just works to fix it.

Trump administration presented Gaza peace plan to Arab leaders

The Trump administration proposed a 21-point peace plan to end the war in Gaza to Arab leaders on Tuesday, which led to an exchange of ideas among the leaders over how to agree on a final proposal that could potentially drive an end the conflict, according to a senior administration official and regional sources familiar with the matter.

On Wednesday US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expressed confidence that there would be “some sort of breakthrough” in the coming day but did not go into details.

“We had a very productive session,” Witkoff said of the meeting between President Donald Trump and the US delegation and the Arab leaders.

“We presented what we call the Trump 21-point plan for peace in the Mideast, in Gaza,” Witkoff said at the Concordia summit in New York.

“I think it addresses Israeli concerns, as well as the concerns of all the neighbors in the region,” Witkoff added. “And we’re hopeful, and I might say even confident, that in the coming days, we’ll be able to announce some sort of breakthrough.”

The plan that the US proposed included a number of points that the administration has made publicly, including the release of all hostages and a permanent ceasefire, according to a separate source briefed on the matter. It also outlined a framework for how Gaza can be governed without Hamas and included a proposal for Israel gradually withdrawing from the Gaza strip, the source said.

In all the time while Biden was president what did he do? Yammer and give aid to the people supporting the terrorists who started all this. Trump wants it ended. Other world leaders are recognizing Palestine, making things harder.

But, of course, now we wait to see if this plan gets any traction.

“Day-Zero Droughts” Coming Soon Or Something

I mean, I’m seriously impressed, the doomsday cult has really been working on coming up with new stuff instead of recycling the same old stuff

Where ‘day-zero droughts’ could happen as soon as this decade

Many parts of the world are predicted to endure “day-zero droughts,” periods of extreme and unprecedented water scarcity, which could happen as soon as this decade in certain hotspots including parts of North America, the Mediterranean and southern Africa, according to a new study.

It’s well known that climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels, is throwing the global water cycle off balance and causing scarcity. What’s much less clear is when and where extreme water shortages will hit. The new research helps provide answers and some of them are surprising, said Christian Franzke, a climate scientist at Pusan National University in South Korea and an author of the study published Tuesday in Nature Communications.

The scientists used a large number of climate models to assess the timing and likelihood of day-zero droughts. These are “unprecedented water scarcity events, events which haven’t occurred so far,” Franzke said. It’s when “you turn on your water tap and no water comes out,” he told CNN.

Day-zero droughts arise from the confluence of various factors, including a prolonged dearth of rain, low river levels and shrunken reservoirs, as well as rocketing water demand to supply people, farms and industries.

Computer models, LOL. They tell the doomsday scientists whatever they want. Anyhow, what happens if this doesn’t happen? Who loses their job, pension, and reputation?

More than a third of these regions, including the western United States, could face this situation as early as the 2020s or 2030s. The finding that day-zero droughts could happen so soon, at current levels of global warming, was “something that surprised us,” Franzke said, even though a few cities have already come perilously close.

Oh, right, no one will remember this particular bit of scaremongering, it’s meant for now, to freak people out and get politicians to pass laws. But, I think people are mostly done being scared. I’ve always watched a ton of horror movies since I was young and read horror books. There’s little that scares me anymore.

Good News: 2 Million Illegals Gone In 250 Days

It’s a good start

Trump’s immigration crackdown: 2 million illegal immigrants gone in just 250 days

The Department of Homeland Security celebrated on Tuesday that two million illegal immigrants have either self-deported or have been deported since the start of the Trump administration.

“The numbers don’t lie: 2 million illegal aliens have been removed or self-deported in just 250 days— proving that President Trump’s policies and Secretary Noem’s leadership are working and making American communities safe,” Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “Ramped-up immigration enforcement targeting the worst of the worst is removing more and more criminal illegal aliens off our streets every day and is sending a clear message to anyone else in this country illegally: Self-deport or we will arrest and deport you.”

Amid President Donald Trump’s heightened efforts in supporting Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s mission, which includes increasing the agency’s budget by $75 billion through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, ICE is on track to shatter its record by deporting nearly 600,000 illegals by the end of the year. So far, ICE has successfully deported 400,000 illegal immigrations. Meanwhile, 1.6 million illegals have voluntary left the country. Since May, the Trump administration has offered illegal immigrants that decide to self-deport a free flight as well as $1,000. It is uncertain how many illegal migrants have taken the Trump administration up on its offer.

I was told that the only thing that could be done was pass a law that would have shut *wink wink* the border down when daily encounters exceeded 4,000 a day. Those claiming asylum would be quickly given work permits. Denials would take years to adjudicate. And then give amnesty and stuff with a promise that border security would be ramped up. Meanwhile, Trump comes in and puts people in place who have policies that simply shut illegal immigration down and caused illegals to get out. It tells them “don’t come”.

And DHS said “it’s just getting started” as it intends to recruit more ICE agents thanks to funding from Trump’s “one big beautiful bill.” While offering $50,000 sign-on bonuses and other recruitment bonuses, ICE has received more than 150,000 applications in the past couple of weeks. ICE has also signed more than 1,000 286(g) agreements, which gives local and state enforcement officers the tools and authority to perform specified immigration officer functions.

Keep it going. They say there are around 11 million in the US. Most likely the number is well over 20 million.

NY Times Talks To Six World Leaders On ‘Climate Change’

I hope it was by Zoom

Six World Leaders on Navigating Climate Change, Without the U.S.

International collaboration on climate change is fraying. The Trump administration withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, the 2015 treaty aiming to limit global warming, and has penalized the renewable-energy business and promoted fossil fuels. Ten years after Paris, a vast majority of countries are not on pace to meet their climate targets. With the United States sidelined and China ascendant as a clean-energy superpower, the global map of alliances on climate action is being redrawn. On top of all this, the planet keeps warming.

Debates around climate change often focus on the world’s largest economies and biggest emitters. But much of the hard work of figuring out how to adapt — both to a hotter planet and to a new geopolitical landscape — is happening in countries that have contributed relatively little to the problem yet are still navigating complex climate-related issues. Hoping to better understand how global warming and the changing world order are affecting some of these often-overlooked places, I spoke with six world leaders from different geographic regions. I heard some common themes: the ravages of extreme weather, the difficulties posed by the Trump administration’s retreat. But these conversations also illustrated the intensely varied predicaments facing world leaders right now.

They talk to

  • Hilda C. Heine, president of the Marshall Islands, who says ‘We will be submerged by 2050 if the world doesn’t do its part.’
  • Anthony Albanese, prime minister of Australia
  • Mohamed Irfaan Ali, president of Guyana, who says ‘We can’t be naïve. The world will need fossil fuel a long time into the future.’
  • William Ruto, president of Kenya who said ‘When it comes to emissions, we are paying for a crime that others committed.’
  • Muhammad Yunus, chief adviser of Bangladesh
  • Petteri Orpo, prime minister of Finland who said ‘We are going to change our whole society.’

Orpo’s full quote

Today we produce more than 95 percent of our electricity carbon-neutral. We are going to change our whole society to use clean energy and get rid of fossils and to be carbon neutral. And we can do it. Our companies are committed. And our people, the whole of society, is committed to these targets.

You will change whether you like it or not. Oh, also the NY Times

It’s Gridlock Week in Manhattan as U.N. General Assembly Starts

It’s that time of year when Midtown East in Manhattan both brims with action and comes to a standstill.

The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, starting Monday, will bring together more than 140 world leaders to discuss contentious issues like the war in Ukraine and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. It is known by many diplomats as the World Cup of diplomacy.

But it is known by many New Yorkers as a pain in the neck.

The main event, which takes place this week along First Avenue between East 42nd and 48th Streets, brings with it impassable streets in Midtown East as well as intermittent closures citywide. The Department of Transportation is encouraging New Yorkers to use public transit and other “nondriving modes” for getting around Midtown over the next five days.

They want New Yorkers to take mass transit while the all the big shots, including the 6 mentioned above, take fossil fueled trips in big SUVs, along with their whole retinues. Climate doom is for you peasants.

Your Fault: Hotcoldwetdry Is Damaging Your Skin

The cult is really looking for things to fearmonger over (the question mark in the headline is not mine. Not sure why it is there)

How Climate Change Is Quietly Damaging Your Skin?

When we think about climate change, images of melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather often come to mind. But there’s a more personal—and often overlooked—dimension to this global issue: your skin. Yes, the largest organ of your body is silently bearing the brunt of a changing climate. From increased UV radiation to humidity fluctuations, climate change is influencing skin health in subtle but significant ways.

Global temperatures have steadily climbed over the past century, and with them, heat-related skin issues are on the rise. Prolonged exposure to higher temperatures can exacerbate conditions like:

  • Heat rashes and hives: Sweat ducts can become blocked, leading to irritation and inflammation.
  • Rosacea and eczema: These conditions are often aggravated by environmental stressors like heat and pollution.
  • Acne flare-ups: Increased sweating can clog pores and worsen breakouts, especially in humid climates.

Yes, you’re sweating because of 1.7F increase in global temperatures since 1850. You can really notice.

As the ozone layer thins, more ultraviolet (UV) rays are reaching the Earth’s surface. This intensification of UV exposure accelerates:

  • Skin aging: UV radiation breaks down collagen, leading to premature wrinkles, sunspots, and loss of elasticity.
  • Skin cancer: Higher UV exposure increases the risk of all forms of skin cancer, including melanoma, one of the deadliest types.
  • Photosensitivity: Certain medications and skincare products may make the skin more sensitive to sunlight, compounding the risks.

Other People driving fossil fueled vehicles is really messing you up, right? Not you, of course. Your use of autos is just fine. Anyhow, more blamestorming, ending with

What You Can Do: Protecting Your Skin in a Changing Climate

Despite the looming threats, you’re not powerless. Here’s how to keep your skin resilient:

  • Use broad-spectrum SPF every day, even when it’s cloudy. Reapply every 2 hours if you’re outside.
  • Cleanse thoroughly to remove pollutants and dirt, especially if you live in an urban area.
  • Hydrate and moisturize to maintain a strong skin barrier—look for products with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide.
  • Wear protective clothing like wide-brimmed hats and UV-blocking sunglasses.
  • Invest in air purifiers if you’re in a high-pollution area or wildfire zone.
  • Consult a dermatologist if you notice unusual changes in your skin or if you suffer from chronic skin issues.

These are literally things you should do anyhow, and have nothing to do with ‘climate change’….oh, right, the cult thinks everything is part of their cult.

Surprise: Hamas Declares Victory After UK, Canada, Australia Recognize Palestinian State

It wasn’t like tons of people stated that recognizing the Palestinian state would be a victory for the terrorists who started this on October 7th, right?

Hamas declares ‘victory’ after UK recognition of Palestine

Hamas has declared victory for “the justice of our cause” after Sir Keir Starmer announced Britain would recognise Palestinian statehood.
In a video message on Sunday, Sir Keir insisted the move, one of the most significant shifts in British foreign policy in decades, was “not a reward for Hamas”.

But Mahmoud Mardaw, a senior Hamas official, claimed it represented “a victory for Palestinian rights and the justice of our cause” and would “send a clear message” to Israel.

On Sunday night, US president Donald Trump said the decision was “rewarding Hamas”. Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, he added: “I don’t think they should be rewarded. I am not in that camp, to be honest.”

Canada and Australia, which have been overrun with Islamist just like the UK, also recognized Palestinian statehood

“With the actions of Hamas, the Israeli government escalating the conflict and settlement building being accelerated in the West Bank, the hope of a two-state solution is fading, but we cannot let that light go out,” Starmer said.

Alongside similar announcements of recognition from Canada and Australia, he described Hamas as a “brutal terror organisation”.

He said: “We are clear this solution is not a reward for Hamas, because it means Hamas can have no future, no role in government, no role in security.”

The group which is a designated terrorist organization by the UK government disagrees.

Jewish organisations, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews, condemned the decision, arguing there will be “deep dismay at the Prime Minister’s announcement across the Jewish community”, while the Campaign Against Antisemitism described the decision as “Sir Keir Starmer’s Neville Chamberlain moment”.

Meanwhile, the families of hostages held by Hamas said the UK and its allies were responsible for a “catastrophic failure of political, moral and diplomatic leadership” and said any recognition of Palestine must be contingent on the release of their relatives.

Britain is lost.

Update: LOL

 

A Dozen SCNY Officials Arrested By ICE

Maybe it’s time to start throwing some real federal charges at these unhinged Sanctuary City New York wackos interfering with federal agents?

More than a dozen city officials arrested while protesting immigration crackdown

More than a dozen city officials and lawmakers, and dozens of other demonstrators, were arrested Thursday both inside and outside 26 Federal Plaza while protesting conditions at the building and President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the city.

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, state Sen. Julia Salazar, Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and members of the City Council were among those detained at the protest. (snip)

Others, including City Comptroller Brad Lander, were taken from the 10th floor of the plaza after trying to catch a glimpse of the conditions there.

All the officials have now been released. Lander and 10 others were given summonses for blocking the lobby and the foyer upstairs. They have a court date in November.

Defending illegal aliens, many of whom are serious criminals, seems like the hill they want to die on

(Newsweek) Thursday was Lander’s second time being detained at the facility, following an arrest in June.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek in a statement, in part, “Brad Lander’s obsession with attacking the brave men and women of law enforcement, physically and rhetorically, must stop NOW. The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line every day to arrest violent criminal illegal aliens to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. This type of rhetoric is contributing to the 1000% surge in assaults of ICE officers through this repeated vilification and demonization of ICE.”

Have they passed the point of not protesting peaceably? Sooner or later these protests are going to lead to serious violence, because the Democrat politicians and high end activists are whipping everyone up into a frenzy.