Letter To President Zelensky

Monday March 3rd 2025 

Dear President Zelensky:

I am writing this letter to you to express my sincere regrets and I would assume the regrets of countless other Americans regarding the shameful and uncalled for disrespect you received last Friday in the White House.  

Clearly the ambush you received from President Trump and Vice President Vance was a setup designed by them to denigrate you and give them an opportunity to back out of an agreement with you and pursue Donald Trump's obvious wish for a Pro Putin and Pro Russian Agenda. Those of us Americans who I feel are on the right side of history and on the right side of Ukraine are truly appalled by the treatment you received from Trump and Vance.  

I want you to know that despite the rude and obnoxious treatment you received from Trump and Vance You are a hero to the majority of American citizens and your fight with Russia is known by most of us to be clearly an unwarranted and illegal invasion of your country by Russia.  Clearly Trump and Vance and their Congressional Toadies know that, yet Republicans who days ago supported You and Ukraine now are changing their tune and calling for you to resign.  People like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Walz and Senator Lindsey Graham have caved in to Trump's twisted view of You and Ukraine.  They and their Republican Traitors Club Members in the United States Congress have shown an incredible amount of Cowardice in this situation while they try to kiss up to Donald Trump as he attempts to squirm out of the United States Long Term Commitment to help Ukraine remain a Democracy.  Anyone with a brain can see what Trump and Vance and their Quizling Congressional Followers are doing. They should be doing the right thing but they are not.

The truth is that our situation is much like your situation was before you were elected President of Ukraine.  As you are acutely aware, your Ukrainian Government prior to your election was plagued by Corruption and Fraud and you and your party cleaned things up and sent Vladimir Putin's Puppet Ukrainian Leader scurrying to Moscow to avoid prosecution.

Unfortunately for us and for you, we in the United States have watched a perfectly good Democratic Administration be voted out of power and Donald Trump be voted in  I still have my serious doubts about the odd participation of Elon Musk's million dollar lotteries and Starlink in the last election but be that as it may, Donald Trump is now back living in the White House and the stink of corruption is everywhere today in the Trump Administration and will apparently be there for the next four years.

As much as it pains me to say it President Zelensky, I can see and I'm sure that you can also see that Although America during the Biden Administration was a relatively reliable ally, such is not the case anymore.  Things have unfortunately changed, and not for the better when it comes to Ukraine.  You still have strong support in our Democratic Party but unfortunately the Democrats are presently not in control and at the present time can make noise but can't make much else happen.  

The unfortunate ambush of you in the White House may, in fact, have a silver lining.  It is my understanding that NATO and European Union Countries are stepping up their support for You and your country.  

I would strongly advise you to concentrate on getting help from your European Allies and Keep fighting for your freedom and for the freedom of all Democratic Nations.  

We American Democrats recognize how important your fight for freedom is for every free nation in the world.

Donald Trump is truly an embarrassment but it looks like we are stuck with him for the next four years so I would advise you, President Zelensky to do what other Free European Countries seem to be doing.  Write him off and in the process write off the United States until and unless we can get our act together and find some way to rid our country of this Embarrassing Putin Fan from the White House.

I sincerely hope that you and your country are able to prevail in your Fight for Freedom because I feel that your Fight is just as much our Fight for Freedom, as well.

Once and Forever Slava Ukraine.        

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Trump, Vance and Musk - Traitors In The White House - The Politics Of Insanity, Incompetence and Inhumanity

 Friday, February 28th, 2025

My Dear America:

"Ambush" is a word that I am hearing a lot today.  President Zelensky of Ukraine was ambushed for sure by Donald Trump and JD Vance at the White House this afternoon when he went there to meet with Donald Trump.  Trump and Vance made sure that the TV Cameras were on when they began verbally pummeling President Zelensky.  Although Trump and Vance seemed to think that verbally bitch slapping President Zelensky was the right thing to do all it did was show Zelensky to be the responsible Individual in the room and Trump and Vance to be shown up to be the Repulsive Assholes that they continue to be.  

The world response to this embarrassing treatment of someone who is a genuine ally of America is going to be a long range mistake of epic proportions as Donald Trump goes out of this way to kiss Vladimir Putin's ass once again as he seems to never get tired of doing over and over again.  The end result of this incident will be a further falling away of European Allies who have always had confidence in American Independence and Democracy

Although today's incident is disturbing on many levels I think that the most disturbing thing about this embarrassing situation is that Republicans in Congress and elsewhere, with Few Exceptions, seem to be unwilling to express anything but complete fealty to Donald Trump as he rips apart our countries government and apparently is willing to sacrifice Ukraine and probably other Allies, as well to the Russians as long as Putin says nice things about Trump.

I think that this latest incident in a long line of disturbing side shows featuring Trump and Vance shows clearly that there is something truthful in the recent revelations by a former KGB officer that Donald Trump was turned into a Russian ASSet on his 1987 Trip to Russia.  According to the Former KGB Agent Trump's  code name is Krasnov.

In less than 2 months Trump has sent JD Vance to lecture our Allies in Munich on what they should be doing while Trump has turned Elon Musk into a a rather rabid looking creature who is doing Trump's dirty deeds all throughout the United States Governmental Agencies, while setting himself up with even more lucrative government contracts than he had in the first place.

While Musk doesn't seem to know what he is doing as he goes slashing through government programs like a Bully in a China Shop Career Government Workers and their families are having their lives thrown into panicked disarray.

Why, What is the purpose of all this insanity.  Clearly neither Trump, Nor Vance, nor Musk really know what they are doing.  That seems to be more clear every day as unintended Consequences force Musk and Trump to try to rehire many of the workers they have stupidly fired.

Jesus Christ, Republican voters, what in God's name have you done to us?  Why the hell did you vote for these Fools, these Idiots, these Traitors.

And while Elon Musk runs amok in the governmental agencies Republicans in Congress confess to their Democratic Colleagues that many of them are truly distressed by what is going on but are too worried about protecting themselves and their families from the dangerous MAGA Lunatics who invaded the Capitol on January Sixth of 2021 that Donald Trump set loose to be his Personal Gestapo on Day 1 as he had promised to do.

These are hard times People.  There are no Easy answers to what we can do to stem the tide of insanity that seems poised to take our liberty and justice for all away from us.  Right now it is the immigrants who are being rounded up and transported to God Know's Where.  But the job is too overwhelming to be done.

Back in Nazi Germany it was the Jews who were targeted for immigration.  But that job became too overwhelming for the Nazi's to accomplish.  That was when the Nazi's came up with another method to deal with the Jews.  We all know what that led to.

Aushwitz

Treblinka 

And Many other Death Camps.

Certainly we don't want to think about such things happening in our country but it is time to keep your eyes and ears open to hear the screams of the Immigrants being hauled off and the Loud Wails of the Government Workers Screaming as they are tossed out of their Civil Service Guaranteed Jobs.  

The Glass is breaking and the Guarantees of Civil Liberties are no longer in effect.

The Monsters are loose not only in Moscow but also on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington and the Sirens are Wailing Loudly and Frighteningly.

Watch out People,  The monsters are on the Move.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher  

    

Saturday Night Live - Celebrates 50 Years Of Relevant, Edgy And Topical American Comedy

 Thursday February 20th, 2025

My Dear America:

It certainly doesn't seem to me as though 50 Years have passed since my Wife (Who was my girlfriend at the time) and I first started watching Saturday Night Live at 11:30 PM on Saturday Nights.  The first episode of this unusually funny and topical show that we watched was not actually the first show aired.  The actual first show that aired was Broadcast on October 11th, 1975 and was rebroadcasted this past Saturday Night shortly after a 3 hour Saturday Night Live Special featuring the music and musicians that Saturday Night Live featured over the years.  Often times just being featured on Saturday Night Live could make or kickstart a musicians career.  

The first show that aired featured George Carlin, Billy Preston and my Talented Gray Haired Facebook Friend, Janice Ian, who was a teenager when the first episode of Saturday Night Live was taped.

Over the years watching Saturday Night Live has become a Saturday Night Ritual that my Wife and I continue to enjoy together.  We have seen some of the funniest people in the world as hosts and as cast members on this fabulous Comedy Playground.

The list of comedy stars who got their start on Saturday Night Live is endless and the list of hosts is just as long.  Even Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who I'm sure will never be invited back to do it again, took their turns as hosts.

This past Sunday's Spectacular Four hour extravaganza featured many of the stars that have been featured over the 50 year history of SNL.  Musical guests Paul Simon began the show and Paul McCartney put the finishing touches on the show.  Comedians were featured throughout.  Steve Martin, Martin Short, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Adam Sandler and so many more were there.

The fact that this show has survived for 50 years is truly a miracle.  

I was lucky enough back in the day in I think it was 1977 or 78 to spend a week backstage with the Saturday Night Semi Original Group Cast that were called at the time "The Not Ready For Prime Time Players".  I had called NBC and spoken to someone there stating that I wanted to write a piece for Rolling Stone Magazine about Saturday Night Live and I was invited by SNL to spend a week backstage as the group produced the Miracle Show at the end of the week.  Robert Klein was the host and Bonnie Raitt was the musical guest for the week that I was there.  I simply hung out for the week backstage feeling tremendously intimidated and not talking to anyone except Bill Murray, who was nice enough to talk to me first.  I wrote the piece and sent it to Rolling Stone but they never published it.  I plan to include the piece in a book I am presently working on called "Recovered Memories".

I had the privilege in that week that I spent behind the scenes of SNL to watch as all of the separate pieces of the Saturday Night Live Puzzle were seemingly randomly put in place over the course of the week that produced what looked like and actually was in the end an Incredibly Precise Entertaining Funny and Musical Performance that I could have sworn at the beginning of the week would never and could never have actually worked out in the professional way that it did.  

And this production mostly helmed over the 50 year period by Producer Lorne Michaels not only produced SNL Episodes but also produced some very funny movies based on characters initially created on Saturday Night Live.  The Blues Brothers, Coneheads, Waynes World and other SNL Characters made their way to the big screen after being created on the small screen.

It must also be realized that Saturday Night Live existed through some very difficult and frightening times during the course of its years on Television.  The Vietnam War, Watergate, Iran Contra, The Clinton and Trump Impeachments, The Iraq War, Three Mile Island were all subjects of Comedy and sometimes Tragedy on Saturday Night Live.  

Some of SNL's best sketches skewered very well known real life characters. Those characters included Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton, George Bushes 1 and 2., as well as Donald Trump.

My Friend Larry Let me know recently that he had watched some additional Saturday Night Specials on Peacock that he thought were pretty entertaining.  Also Lawrence O'Donnell just recently featured an interview with the author of "Lorne", a book about SNL's Longtime Producer, Lorne Michaels. Another special to watch for is a movie called "Saturday Night", which features actors playing the cast and crew of Saturday Night Live producing their First Live Broadcast.  This movie has been in theaters but I am assuming will be streaming soon. 

Indeed, on the first SNL show my wife and I watched the host was Ron Nessen, who was at the time of the show's airing Gerald Ford's Press Secretary.  The fact that Gerald Ford, who was portrayed on Saturday Night Live by Chevy Chase as kind of a bumbling fool, allowed his Press Secretary to host this show and still keep his job blew our minds. Once we saw that show we knew that this show was something very special and it has continued to be very Special for 50 years on Television and I hope will remain a relevant and funny Saturday Night Special for at least 50 more years to come.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

   

Donald Trump - Emperor Of The Arts

February 11th, 2025

My Dear America:

 If There was any doubt about the fact that Donald Trump sees himself as The 2025 Fuhrer of the United States of America Trump just destroyed that doubt by firing the board members of the Kennedy Center For the Arts including the Chairman of that board.  In addition to that disturbing development, Trump derangely appointed himself to be the replacement for the Kennedy Center Board Chairman.

Now, Isn't That Special.

Clearly Trump was not in agreement regarding the many Artists of all kinds chosen for the Kennedy Center honors

Where was Kid Rock, for instance, in the winners box at the Kennedy Center Honors.  I'm sure that he will be there in that winners box very soon getting his just due from the Fuhrer.  How could the Kennedy Center have passed over K Rock and The Village People for Kennedy Center Honors.  Jesus, how could it be that these talented Artists have been overlooked  for Kennedy Center acknowledgement of their remarkable talents.

Yes, Friends,  Not only does the Emperor have no clothes on He also has nothing to qualify him as a judge of artistic talent.  Well ,yes he was the judge and jury on his Fake TV Show, "The Apprentice" but everybody knew that this show wasn't real life.  Didn't they?

Well, based on MAGA and the last Presidential Election, apparently not everyone thought that "The Apprentice" was just a Fake TV Show.

The Make America Great Crowd apparently felt and still feel that Donald Trump was a talented businessman who knew much more than how to fire people.  The MAGA crowd still refuses to accept the facts about Donald Trump which include the following:

Donald Trump is a notorious Liar who lies about everything but MAGA seems to want to believe that everything he says is the truth despite the fact that they can often times see with their own eyes that he is not telling the truth.

Donald Trump has been a businessman who has not had a great deal of luck or talent as a businessman.  He was initially financed by his Father. He has lost fortunes in business and has declared bankruptcy in several of his business ventures.

I have made it a habit to watch the Kennedy Center Honors on Television almost every year.  It has been a pleasure to see the honoring of so many truly talented Artists of all kinds getting recognized by the Kennedy Center for their artistic achievements.

I have the feeling that my days of watching The Kennedy Center Honors are over.

I will certainly not be tuning in to watch Artists Fawning all over Trump since that is the only way that anyone calling themselves an Artist is going to receive Kennedy Center Accolades from Donald Trump.

I just hope that Donald Trump does not do to the Kennedy Center what he has done to so many of his failed businesses, namely Bankrupt and Destroy it.

Well, The Kennedy Center was nice while it lasted.

I sincerely hope that the Kennedy Center Outlasts the Trump Administration but I wouldn't bet big money on it.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher

Republicans, What In God's Name Have You Done To Our Country

Monday, February 3rd,  2025

My Dear America:

After two Hellish Weeks following Donald Trump's return to the White House all I can think of is "How in the Hell are we going to put up with Four Years of this Reckless Bullshit?"

Certainly no one in their right mind expected Trump's Election and Inauguration to lead to prosperous and wonderful times but these two weeks have been Awful beyond belief and every day seems to lead to something more Stupid and Harmful than the day before.

Good God, How the hell are we expected to last through this.

And speaking of God, one of the first things Donald Trump did as he began his Administration was to attend Christian Services at The District of Columbia Episcopal Cathedral to put on a phony show of how religious he claimed to be.

The Service Trump attended along with his Vice President and their wives was conducted by Bishop Marian Budde, the DC Episcopal Bishop who as a part of her Sermon Pleaded directly to Donald Trump as President to show Mercy to Gay and Transgender Children as well as Immigrants, legal and Illegal and others who were "Scared".

In other words, Bishop Budde in her own Honest, Peaceful and Respectful Approach urged President Trump to show some manner of adherence to the humanistic teachings of Jesus, who Trump Claims to revere.  As the Bishop was gently talking Mercy Donald Trump showed his Angry Face, while Melania Trump and JD Vance were observed to be smiling and possibly chuckling as if what the Bishop was saying was funny. 

Jesus Christ, You would have thought by the reaction of Trump and Vance and other supposedly reputable Republicans that Bishop Budde might have revealed herself to be a Sadistic Pervert instead of a Purveyor of Peace, Love and Mercy.

I have often asked "What is wrong with the Republican Party" but rarely have I seen something that so clearly shows what's wrong with it as the Republican response to this Peaceful Bishop's Gentle and Soft Pedaled Urge to be Merciful to those individuals who are frightened by the prospect of a certified Mentally Unstable Racist Megalomaniac in the White House who has promised to root out Gay, Transgender and Illegal Immigrant Human Beings who Trump has called "Vermin".

Instead of Prominent Republicans calling out Donald Trump's horrible actions over the past couple of weeks many Republicans have instead chosen to focus their anger and attention toward The Bishop who had the Audacity to speak about Actual Christian Values to people who at least claim to be Christians but don't show much evidence of it.

What Republicans have shown, however and continue to show is that those Republicans who are still in office are spineless puppets who never would have made the grade in Ronald Reagan's Republican Party. Those Few Republican Heroes who have shown the courage to speak out against the madness have been largely thrown out of their party.  

Republicans, like the rest of us, can clearly see what Donald Trump is trying to do and so far he is mostly successful in his efforts.  Those efforts include pushing Unfit Candidates to fill Cabinet seats and setting up an outrageous agenda and then forcing Republican Leaders to go along with his reckless policies and awful picks for Cabinet positions and other Government Leadership Positions.

Among Donald Trump's Reckless actions during the past couple of weeks are the following:

Withdrawing America from the World Health Organization.

Pushing Congress to Confirm his terrible Cabinet Picks including Pete Hegseth, who is now in charge of the Pentagon and has followed through on Trump's desire to take away General Mark Milley's Security Detail apparently with the hope that Iran might be successful in assassinating Milley.  Other Terrible Cabinet Picks include Kristi Noem, Robert Kennedy Junior and Tulsi Gabbard.

Establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency with Elon Musk in charge of trimming Government Spending.  What could go wrong there.

Eliminating Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Programs throughout the government. 

Sending The American Military to the border.

Establishing 25 Percent Tariffs on Our long established trading partners Mexico and Canada and a 10 Percent tariff on China with promises of more tariffs to come.

Eliminating Birthright Citizenship even though it is a long established Constitutional Right.

Reversing countless Biden Administration principles apparently because they were Biden's including doing away with the cap on Insulin costs.  

Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Eliminating what The Trump Administration determines are "Burdensome Rules & Regulations" including such things as food inspection regulations.  

Mass Firings of individual Prosecutors and others in the FBI, Justice Department and other Government Agencies such as the Federal Administration Authority (Although the chaos in the FAA may or may not be related, we have had two disastrous Airplane crashes in the past week. One in DC and One in Philadelphia resulting in extensive loss of life and injuries.  

All of these actions are cause for concern but probably the most Outrageous act that Donald Trump was responsible for was the Pardoning of all of the January Sixth Convicted Felons releasing all of those violent offenders from Prison.

One more outrage is the revoking of Security Clearances for at least 50 Long Time Intelligence Professionals.

Trump has also begun the process of taking Thousands and eventually probably Millions of Illegal Immigrants from wherever they can be rounded up and put them on Military flights to their country of origin or to Guantanamo Bay Where they will be housed with the accused Terrorists left from past wars.

And Much, Much More.

Clearly these early and outrageous acts are meant to establish that Trump is in charge in these early days of his Administration and although Trump made a big issue during his campaign of distancing himself from Project 2025 almost every outrageous action he has taken so far is taken from suggested actions featured in Project 2025.  

Surprise.

What is clear to me is that Democrats will largely unite against the outrageous conduct and Cabinet picks but Those Republicans who remain in office largely feel that they are indebted to Donald Trump.

It is time for Republicans to unite around something other than Donald Trump.  They may feel indebted to Trump but they truly owe Trump Nothing.  He has virtually destroyed the Republican Party and it is time for Republicans to stand up and be counted not as Trump Loyalists but to join with their Democratic Colleagues and recognize where we are now and what we are now and what we should do about it.

We are No longer going off a cliff.  We are off the cliff and crashed at the bottom of the Mountain and our Government is racing toward destruction just as disastrous as the planes that crashed over the Potomac this week.  

Republicans need to wake up to Reality.  Donald Trump doesn't need you any more and doesn't care about you any more.  And for that matter he never cared about you.  He led you down the Garden Path to the Eve of Destruction and he is leading you further and further into the Destruction of not only our Country but our Constitution and our Democracy.  Clearly some of you don't give a shit about the Constitution and Democracy.  But i am sure that some of you Republicans who still possess consciences are still capable of saying STOP to Donald Trump.  Now is the time to say STOP to Trump and to recognize where we are going to end up if this Ruthless Dictator is allowed to Ruin our Country as he appears to be poised to do.

Republicans in Congress can and should put the brakes on this Madman before he causes any more rupturing of our Agreements with our Neighbors and Friends around the world.

Donald Trump is shredding the Constitution just because you have been letting him do whatever he pleases.  Once you cave into him on his outrageous Cabinet picks he will own you and he will own this country and bankrupt it like his has bankrupted every Company and person he has ever touched.  If Republicans want to recognize where this is going and how destructive it is going to be please look at what Donald Trump has done to the Reputation and Finances of Rudy Giuliani, who was once a prominent Republican Lawyer, Prosecutor and Mayor and even a Presidential Candidate.  Now he is a Broke Ass Wreck of a man because he believed in serving Donald Trump instead of the Constitution.  Take a Lesson, Republicans.  This can and will happen to you if you count on Donald Trump to be your savior

Wake up Republicans. It may already be too late but it certainly is Very Late in the Game and this Monster needs to be stopped Now.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher 

 

Inauguration Day In America - It's a Weird, Weird World Today

Monday, January 20th, 2025

My Dear America:

I have not been looking forward with anticipation to Inauguration Day In America this year.  

Before 2025 I have Often Times had mixed feelings On Inauguration Day.  Usually by Inauguration Day I have either been thrilled by the Elections of people I supported (usually Democrats) or have by late January of Presidential Inauguration Year at least begun to accept, even if I'm not thrilled by those Presidential Candidates that I did not support (Usually Republicans) for President.

This year is totally different for me, however.  I saw very clearly that this past year's Presidential Contest was not only a battle between Political Parties, Democrats Versus Republicans, but also to my mind a battle between Good And Evil and Democracy versus Autocracy.

In 2024 the end result to my mind was not one that I had expected or approved of.  I know that it is easy to look back on 2024 and find fault with Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and other Democrats but I don't find much fault with Biden or Harris.  

There certainly was a problem with Joe Biden's performance in his first 2024 debate with Trump.  From what I recall he had a lot going on at that time including traveling around the world for various functions and also legal issues with regard to his son, Hunter Biden.  Was Joe sluggish and distracted on the debate stage. Yes. But to his credit, Joe Biden tried his best to answer every question truthfully on the debate stage.  While Donald Trump certainly seemed to be a little more quick on the uptake in the debate What stood out to me was the fact that Trump blatantly but skillfully lied on almost every question he was asked.  He also skillfully turned almost every question around to the border, which Biden failed to push back on Trump's outrageous demand that the Congress not pass the border bill that had been worked out between Democrats and Republicans because Trump wanted to run for President on the issue of the border, and he did run on it.

Although I don't know if it would have made much difference in the end election result, I think that Democrats reacted way too quickly in demanding that Biden get out of the race and every time that a Democrat demanded that Joe should Go it reduced his chances of winning and the chances of Democrats to show strength in the upcoming election.  Certainly despite everything Joe Biden had a four year record of astounding success to run on.

When Biden finally faced the fact that he had lost control of the race and bowed out he wisely turned the reins of the Biden Campaign over to Kamala Harris, who ran an absolutely outstanding Campaign with the Biden team and her own team working well together with the Democratic Party.  The Democratic Convention was outstanding with Party Unity seemingly with Kamala Harris, as well as her wisely chosen Vice Presidential pick, Tim Walz appreciated all around.  Everywhere Kamala and Tim went there were Large and Enthusiastic crowds.  Things looked good wherever and whenever the Democratic Candidates spoke.

Trump on the other hand appeared to be Verbally Rambling and "Weaving" everywhere he went and appeared at many points to be losing his mind and his memory.  He lost so badly to Kamala in the only debate that they had that he was forced to tell his followers, many of whom probably didn't watch the debate, that he won the debate and that Harris was begging for another debate (which she probably was) but he was not going to debate her because he didn't have to because he won the debate with her.  This message that Trump gave to his followers was an outright lie.  Clearly anyone who watched the debate saw Kamala Harris Embarrass and Humiliate Donald Trump throughout that debate. But that wasn't the message that Trump voters were getting.

Toward the end of the Campaign Trump had a Campaign Event at Madison Square Garden that had echoes of another American Nazi movement from a bygone era.  I certainly saw that disgusting spectacle as something that hammered the last nail into Donald Trump's Political Coffin.

But in the end Donald Trump's lies and deceits somehow did not apparently keep him from being Re Elected

Despite the fact that it appeared to me as though Donald Trump could not win, I was wrong and on Today's Inauguration Day Donald Trump came back to the Capitol, where he had sent his Shock Troops on January Sixth of 2021, and was once again sworn in as the 47th President of the United States.

I was so determined not to watch today's proceedings that I had set up a Doctor's appointment today to keep me away from a television set.

But today the considerable amount of snow that hit eastern Pennsylvania kept me home from my Doctor's Office and since I was home and had watched many an Inauguration in past years I capitulated and watched this one too.  

It was indoors at the Capitol and as in other years previous Presidents such as George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama were there.  Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton were also there, as Was, of course Melania Trump and Trump's family members.  Michelle Obama was not there. 

The Supreme Court Members were there with Robes on.  Congress members and proposed Trump Cabinet members were also there, as well as several Millionaires and Billionaires.

Donald Trump gave a speech which started out OK but soon weaved into what George Bush might be calling "Some Weird Shit" under his breath.

But clearly this "Weird Shit" is not going to be going away soon.  Certainly not for another Four Years, at least.  

As weird as this shit is going to get it was actually kind of encouraging after what happened four years ago to see that despite the Weirdness of Trump's Return to Power it was not weird to see Trump's predecessor and the other Presidents show up to show that at least on this day we are still a democracy with Rules and Traditions.  At least Maybe we are going to remain a Democracy despite what we are going to see and experience for the Next Four Years.

I think that in the end the best way to deal with what is coming in the next four years is to Hope for the Best but Prepare for the worst.  At least that is what I am going to try to do.  

I am going to try to look forward to every day that I am alive and be grateful for what I have and that I have the Good Fortune to live in the United States of America.

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher  

 

Unhappy New Year In New Orleans And Las Vegas - Murder And Suicide As Political Statements

 Saturday January 11th, 2025

Back in 2001 Bill Maher lost his Late Night ABC Television Show "Politically Incorrect" for stating that the 9/11 Hijackers who killed themselves along with thousands of Innocent Americans had a lot of guts for being willing to sacrifice their own lives for a purpose that they believed in.

Maher was absolutely correct, of course.  It certainly did take a lot of guts for the Islamic Terrorists to sacrifice their own lives in what they considered as Jihad.

Once again in the early hours of New Years Day we have seen Terrorists, this time Homegrown American Terrorists, willing to sacrifice their own lives in the New Orleans Case for the apparent alligiance to the Islamic State or as it is better known, ISIS.  

The New Orleans Terrorist had left social media posts indicating that prior to his despicable act on Bourbon Street in which he ran down New Years Revelers he had pledged his commitment to ISIS.  He also had an ISIS Flag on the rented truck which he rammed into the Bourbon Street Partiers in New Orleans.  When the truck stopped the driver jumped out of the truck and started shooting.  New Orleans Police who were nearby returned fire and killed the Terrorist.  Certainly the man driving the truck down Bourbon Street in the early hours of New Years Day would have known that this particular street at this particular time would have been loaded with people celebrating the arrival of New Years Day.  It certainly looks as though the individual who committed this crime was looking for maximum damage to people and he certainly got it and got new publicity for ISIS, which had been starving for publicity these days.

We had not heard much about ISIS lately.  Our Once and Future President, Donald Trump had claimed responsibility for wiping ISIS off the map during his prior Administration.  Could it possibly be that Donald Trump was not telling us the truth about that?  

Yes, that is certainly possible.

Not only has Donald Trump lied about the elimination of ISIS.  In this terribly unstable period of time as he prepares to return to the Presidency he has also taken the tragic situations in New Orleans and Las Vegas and lied about the perpetrators of these criminal acts.  Prior to much being known about the New Orleans and Las Vegas Terrorists Donald Trump was quick to claim that these people were "Illegal Aliens".  Following investigations by the FBI and Regional Police forces it was learned that not only were the New Orleans and Las Vegas Terrorists American Citizens but, like many members of the January Sixth Mob that attacked the Capitol, they were American Citizens and either current or Former Military Personnel. We still don't know much about why these men did what they did early on New Years Day.  Since both of the Terrorists are dead in what appears to be in New Orleans Suicide by Cop and in Las Vegas Suicide by shooting himself and blowing himself up in a Tesla Truck outside of a Trump Hotel, it is doubtful that we will ever truly know how and why both of these men who had Relatively Positive Military Service Histories went Rogue on New Years Day in 2025.

There are clues, of course, regarding the motives of these two men who ended up killing themselves and in New Orleans many others also.  But the clues are confusing and in many cases contradictory regarding why these men did what they did on New Years Day.

Although it certainly appears as though the New Orleans killer was looking to promote the fear that ISIS likes to promote, the motives of the Las Vegas man who blew up a Tesla Truck with himself in it outside of a Trump Hotel is a bit more difficult to fathom.  

Supposedly this Military man was a Trumper. So What in the hell was he doing committing suicide by shooting himself and blowing up a Tesla Truck outside a Trump Hotel in Las Vegas.  What kind of message was his desperate act sending to Donald Trump and/or Tesla Founder and Trump Buddy, Elon Musk.  Or was he sending a message to America and if he was, What in the hell was it?

It wasn't that long ago when a well educated University Of Pennsylvania graduate named Luigi Mangione was identified as the killer of the CEO of United Healthcare outside a hotel in New York city.  After a tip by a McDonalds employee in Altoona, Pennsylvania, Mangione was caught and with much publicity he was brought back to New York to be indicted.  

Although Television Network News programs have shown the murder of the United Healthcare CEO over and over, Mangione, who is a handsome guy seems to be well on his way to being somewhat of a Folk Hero to some, rather than a villain as a result of his murdering the Healthcare Executive.

What the hell is going on Here?  Have we gone Completely mad as we watch the mention of Mangione's name being cheered like a Rock Star on Saturday Night Live recently.  Are we really going to become a country in which Killers and Terrorists are cheered and revered rather than reviled.  Are ISIS and Al Quida being welcomed back as if Their terrible legacies do not exist.

We witness daily the frightening situation in Ukraine, as the brave patriots of that country fight to keep their Freedom as the Russians (Who have no right to be in Ukraine in the first place) keep fighting to annex that presently Democratic country.  We wait nervously as we hope that Donald Trump will not sacrifice Democracy in Ukraine to satisfy his Puppet Master, Vladimir Putin.

We watch with Horror as Israel wipes out not only Hamas, but also the Palestinian People, most of whom were not responsible for the Hamas Terror Squad who killed and kidnapped so many Israelis back on October 7th of last year.

We see that the world, which has always been a dangerous place seems to be getting more and more dangerous by the day not only in our country but all over the world where the warning lights are flashing multiple Red alerts.  

Not only are Americans worried about keeping their freedom in the Second Coming of Trump but England, France, Germany, Taiwan are all concerned about keeping their own Governments from falling into the wrong hands.

We are living in an astonishing age where Responsible Political behavior seems out of style and only insane behavior seems to be worthy of being rewarded.

Thank you once again, Joe Biden for not only telling us the truth but for improving all aspects of our lives and keeping us from what we are now headed into in just a few days.  I don't know why or how there were enough voters to give Donald Trump a Political victory in November.  We have seen him appoint many of the worst people possible for his cabinet members and we have seen Republicans become nothing but Insensitive Lap Dogs for Donald Trump.  You and Kamala have done your best Joe but apparently it wasn't good enough to keep the Democracy going.  Maybe miracles will happen and we will get through the next four years without our country descending into complete insanity.

Maybe Pigs will fly.  But then Maybe not.

God help us, Joe.  You have done what you could and we certainly appreciate it.  At least some of us do.  Unfortunately you were not a Miracle Worker.  You were just a Good Man doing a Good Job and Not enough Americans appreciated that.

There's not much more to say to you, Joe Except.

Happy New Year.  

Enjoy your time at Rehoboth Beach.      

     

Sincerely Yours

Jerry Gallagher