NATIONAL WEATHERPERSON DAY UPDATES
Up, Up and Away!
-That Chinese balloon that blew or dropped altitude (they often float 60-80,000 feet high – higher than airliners and certainly too far for anyone to shoot them down from the ground) into American air space may have been shot down on Saturday, but it has not stopped Republicans from using it to attempt to declare President Biden a national security failure. Congresspeople are all over the Sunday talk shows trying to spin the story as the White House allowing one of America’s most powerful enemies a wide back door to violate our FREEDOM, and waiting and doing nothing only made things worse – not like their past leader Ex-President Trump who apparently would have personally hopped on a crossbow and taken the thing down with his bare wee tiny hands. Allegedly.
-The realities are …
-Military experts noted that the Pentagon knew of that balloon and decided that, first, it was too dangerous to shoot down over populated areas, so it followed the jet streams until it passed over SC and the Atlantic Ocean to shoot it down – and, given the debris field was over seven miles long, not to mention not knowing whether it could have been seeded with pathogens or other germ or chemical munitions - that looks like a good call.
-Additionally, the White House let the balloon float so that it could observe it for intelligence purposes – and successfully jammed all the electronics located in the balloon (reportedly about three school buses worth in terms of weight and size) so China could not get signals – but American devices could analyze it as it floated on its merry path.
-In short, by watching it the US managed to take what likely may have been a Chinese attempt to spy on American positions and, taking advantage of the situation, may very well have turned it into an American intelligence boon on China.
-As to the macho posing going on by all manners of Trump officials and UltraMAGAts, the claim on a “Truth” Social post by Trump claiming he had NEVER had China send a balloon to the US under his watch because China had too much respect for Trump (whether that respect came from the Chinese patents given to his daughter Ivanka, the refusal to press China on answers regarding the origins of the COVID virus, the sale of American grains and meats that Trump green lit AFTER the COVID outbreak, or the China Bank account Trump reportedly held during his Presidency and allegedly still does is unknown) has been contradicted by several reports that at least two and possibly three Chinese spy balloons DID go over the US when Trump was President – and Trump did not shoot them down or publicly report them to anyone. When given that information on the Sunday talk shows the Trump defenders stammered and pivoted to how bad Biden was.
-Another person who did not get Trump’s note that China never sent balloons over the US under the Trump years is apparently Trump’s son, Donald, Jr.. Don took time from his uber-nasally social media rants (can’t imagine the problem, Donnie – maybe some COKE will help?) to contradict Daddy and report that yes there were Chinese balloons in the US under Daddy Trump but Daddy Trump did not shoot them down because of reasons – reasons that Donnie would happily reveal if you paid a premium for his podcast and an ‘exclusive’ reveal (because that’s how American defense policy is handled – by pay-per-listen).
-Sniffle.
-THIS JUST IN: A former staff member for “Rep.” “George Santos” (“R”, “NY”) has filed a lawsuit claiming “Santos” sexually harassed him while at work. The incident reportedly happened within the last two weeks, and adds to the pile of controversy and suspected criminal wrongdoing “Santos” has allegedly engaged in. He remains in Congress with Rep. Kevin McCarthy (SINO-R, CA) continuing to allow him to serve, in large part likely because that seat would be in play should “Santos” resign or be forced to step down and thus would make the UltraMAGA House majority even narrower than it already is.
-On this date in 146 BCE, Roman forces defeated Carthage forces to end over a century of conflict known as the Punic Wars. On this date in 1919, the United Artists studio was formed in Hollywood. On this date in 1994, Byron de la Beckwith was convicted of murdering civil rights leader Medger Evers in 1963. And on this date in 2020, Senate Republicans ignored the prediction by Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) that “if you let him get away with it, he will do it again” – and acquitted Donald Trump for his actions attempting to extort Ukrainian President Zelenskyy by connecting Ukrainian military aid with “dirt” on Joe Biden and/or Hunter Biden. (Slava Ukraini!) (Trump did commit a second impeachable offense and was again acquitted by the same Senate, many of whom are NOW worried Trump will not go away.) (Huh.)
-Happy Birthday to John Jeffries (who took the first balloon flight over the English Channel!), Adlai Stevenson, John Carradine, William S. Burroughs, Red Buttons, Bernard Kalb, Hal Blaine, Hank Aaron, Alex Harvey, Barrett Strong, Stephen J. Cannell, Roger Staubach, Michael Mann, Atari and Pong founder Nolan Bushnell, Sarah Weddington, Charlotte Rampling, Darrell Waltrip, Barbara Hershey, Christopher Guest, Errol Morris, Nigel Tufnel, Elizabeth Swados, Jennifer Granholm, Tim Meadows, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Duff McKagan, Laura Linney, Roberto Alomar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Trayvon Martin.
-Rest in Peace/Rest in Power to Sir Thomas Carlyle, Thelma Ritter, Joe Raposo, Joseph Mankiewicz, Doug McClure, Franklin Cover, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, Kirk Douglas, Christopher Plummer, and Leon Spinks.
-Feed the Worms: woman abusing singer Bobby Brown entered Earth on this date.