Thursday, December 18, 2025

This smells really bad

This smells really bad: Back in August 2022, I watched the Biden administration send agents to former President Trump's home. I told my wife that it was crazy overreach and would backfire along with all the other lawfare. The explanation was that they were…..

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Back in August 2022, I watched the Biden administration send agents to former President Trump's home. I told my wife that it was crazy overreach and would backfire along with all the other lawfare. The explanation was that they were searching for documents that the former President was not releasing. The whole thing just looked like a banana republic operation.

Well, a new article by Byron York provides some new information that may confirm that my "banana republic" reaction may have been on target. This is the story:

As the FBI raised doubts that a search warrant for Donald Trump’s Florida estate met probable cause standards, the Justice Department under President Joe Biden pushed to expand the search’s scope, refused cooperation with Trump’s attorney, and discounted the agents’ concerns about the optics of the raid, according to newly declassified emails turned over to Congress.

The new evidence that surfaced Tuesday may have more than political impact, as a top congressman warns it may give Trump cause to sue for civil liberty violations or prompt prosecutors to pursue a criminal investigation.

"This is going to go down as a very dark chapter in American history, and President Trump may have recourse now to be able to seek damages at some point in time," Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., told Just the News.

The new emails were turned over to Congress after Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel declassified them. They show the FBI in summer 2022 raised repeated objections to raiding Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida, expressing doubt that there was sufficient “probable cause” to believe the then-former president had broken the law in handling classified documents. 

The memos also show that the bureau's Washington Field Office and its agents repeatedly tried to find alternative solutions to a contentious raid of the property, including having a “reasonable conversation” with Trump’s lawyers and limiting the search warrant to avoid private areas of the estate.

 Repeated objections? So why did they approve the operation when there were repeated objections?

My answer is that they knew that it was "a banana republic" operation by people who thought that a Democrat would be elected in 2024 and the whole thing would be pushed under the rug. It reminds me of Director James Comey protecting Hillary Clinton on the assumption that he'd be given a nice job when she was in the White House. Maybe I'm too cynical, but we are talking about very calculating and ruthless people.

So it's up to the Congress to pick up this ball and move forward. A former President's house was raided and now we learn that there were doubts about the whole thing. It smells bad and should smell bad even if you hate Trump.

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2013 podcast: Christmas and "war stories" with Leslie Eastman and Barry Jacobsen


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Listen to "Christmas and "war stories" with Leslie Eastman and Barry Jacobsen" on Spreaker.

Happy # 82 Keith Richards

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We say happy birthday to Keith Richards who was born in the UK on this day in 1943.  

Keith made a big name for himself as the lead guitarist for The Rolling Stones.  Along with Mick Jagger, Keith composed most of the group's big hits.  He is one of the most influential rockers in rock history. 

In fact, Rolling Stone ranks Keith among the top guitarists in rock music history.

Keith has also led a crazy and fast life.  Frankly, it's hard to believe that he is 70-plus!  He must have good genes because Keith "has had a lot of fun in life".

Click here for "Jumpin' Jack Flash", one of the best examples of Keith Richards' guitar.

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We remember Ty Cobb (1886-1961)



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Ty Cobb was born on this day in 1886.  He died in 1961. 

His career was all about consistency,  

Cobb played his first game in 1905 and set all kinds of records along the way:   .366 career batting average, 1,937 RBI, an unbelievable .433 on base average and 4,189 hits!

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Christmas 1958: Alvin and the Chipmunks: Christmas song


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THE CHIPMUNKS
THE CHRISTMAS SONG

"All right you Chipmunks! Ready to sing your song?
I'll say we are! Yeah! Let's sing it now!
Okay, Simon? Okay! Okay, Theodore? Okay!
Okay, Alvin? Alvin? Alvin! Okay!
Christmas, Christmas time is near Time for toys and time for cheer
We've been good, but we can't last Hurry Christmas, hurry fast
Want a plane that loops the loop Me, I want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait Please Christmas, don't be late.
Okay fellas get ready. That was very good, Simon.
Naturally. Very good Theodore. Ah
Ah, Alvin, you were a little flat, watch it.
Ah, Alvin. Alvin.Alvin! Okay
Want a plane that loops the loop I still want a hula hoop
We can hardly stand the wait Please Christmas, don't be late.
We can hardly stand the wait Please Christmas, don't be late.
Very good, boys Lets sing it again!
Yeah, lets sing it again! 
No, that's enough, lets not overdo it
What do you mean overdo it?
We want to sing it again! Now wait a minute, boys
Why can't we sing it again? Alvin, cut that out Theodore, just a minute.
Simon will you cut that out? Boys...."

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We remember Zoilo Versalles (1939-1995)



Zoilo Casanova Versalles y Rodríguez was born on this day 1939 in Marianao, Cuba. He broke with the Senators (now the Twins) and became a pretty good shortstop in the early 1960’s.

In 1965, Versalles won the AL MVP and led the Twins to the World Series against the LA Dodgers: .273 with 19 HR & 77 RBI’s plus 42 doubles, 13 triples and 126 runs scored. It was a great season for the young man from Marianao, and one of the many who played in the Cuban winter league and later in the majors.

Zoilo died in 1995. In 2005, he was posthumously honored by induction into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame.

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The Ronettes and "Sleigh Ride"




The Ronettes were one of the great girl groups.     

They were Veronica (Ronnie) Bennett (1943-2022), her sister Estelle (1941-2009) and their cousin Nedra Talley.   They grew up in New York City's Washington Heights.

"Be My Babywas one of the first 45s in my collection.   It is one of the greatest songs of the 1960s. 

The Ronettes, one of the great "girl groups" of pop!  Their version of "Sleigh ride" is a must at Christmas.

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Wednesday, December 17, 2025

A chat with Leslie Eastman, Legal Insurrection.


Guest:  Leslie Eastman, Legal Insurrection.    We will review the first year of the Trump presidency and some of her recent articles about climate change and other stories.


Chile goes right, Big Apple goes left

Chile goes right, Big Apple goes left: In two weeks, New York City will inaugurate a new socialist mayor. In a few weeks, Chile will inaugurate a new president from the Right. In Seattle, a socialist is now the mayor, but in Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia, and…..

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In two weeks, New York City will inaugurate a new socialist mayor. In a few weeks, Chile will inaugurate a new president from the Right. In Seattle, a socialist is now the mayor, but in Argentina, Ecuador, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Bolivia, and Paraguay, leaders from the Right are governing or starting to govern.

What in the world is going on? Socialism is dead but alive and well in New York City and Seattle. Of course, they don't really call it “socialism” but rather the "affordability" crisis. Did you ever read about a socialist country that made things more affordable? No. They make people miserable and poor. They make things more affordable by rationing everything or rent controls that turn pretty buildings into slums. Have you a recent picture of Havana? I mean that part of Havana that the tourists spending dollars don't get to see. Yes, the part where Cubans live and the hospitals are falling apart. My family used to live in that pretty part of Cuba that now looks recently bombed for days.

Chile's victory was massive, as NPR pointed out:

Kast's victory follows years of left-of-center rule in Chile. It also reflects a broader regional trend in Latin America in which security and migration have become decisive electoral issues.

In elections this year Bolivia ousted socialists who had ruled for nearly two decades. Argentina's La Libertad Avanza won legislative elections, boosting President Javier Milei's influence in Congress, and Ecuador re-elected center-right Daniel Noboa.

Far-right libertarian President Javier Milei of neighboring Argentina welcomed Kast's win, calling his "friend's" victory proof that Latin America is casting off the "oppressive shackles of 21st-century socialism."

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tweeted his congratulations, saying Washington looks forward to "partnering with his administration to strengthen regional security."

 By the way, Secretary Marco Rubio is a big winner here too. He is convinced Latin American leaders that the U.S. has their backs in the battle against narcos and that doing business with the U.S. is a better bet than China.

As we celebrate Chile and other examples of the good guys winning, we also look with shock and horror at some of our cities. Who told them that socialism works or that you make things affordable by telling people what they want to hear? Well, they will learn the hard way and maybe follow the example of Chile and others in rejecting this garbage.

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We remember Pope Francis (1936-2025)




We remember Pope Francis who was born on this day in 1936 in Argentina and died in 2025.

A couple of years ago, I wrote an article following the "Person of the Year" recognition.

I loved Pope Francis' "down to earth" approach.  It was very refreshing.  However, he did go down "the climate change" hole too often and lost me in the process.


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