Someone left a note saying "place three strings and a treat next to the front door if you ever want to see your cat again." Who would do such a thing?

Finland To Allow Import and Storage of Nuclear Weapons in Its Territory Bordering Russia
March 5, 2026

□ [“Middle East Conflict Shakes Global Economy: Oil and Gas Surge Amid Supply Fears"]
□ [“Operation Epic Fury:  Trump's Play to Starve the Dragon?"]

Well poke my eyeballs and call me 'Curly,' it looks like we've got a real plan underway!  [Note:  eye pokes are limited to one per customer]  Because of what we've got going on with Iran, shipping is way down in the Straits of Hormuz, including about half the oil being shipped to China.  They need 11 million barrels of oil each day so cutting that in half is a big deal.  And this would reduce pollution so liberals are surely in favor of it and...  Where was I?

We've hit Venezuela, now Iran, that limits where China can get oil from.  Iran has intentionally attacked other Muslim countries for some strange reason so they're not inclined to help Iran's ally right now.  I'm sure Russia is capable of producing enough oil to satisfy China but I'm pretty sure they can't just flip a switch and have it ready to go.  Are there any other options?  Solar power?  Wind power?

The estimates is that with current rate of consumption, their strategic reserves would be empty in about three months.  And by an amazing coincidence, in a little under three months, Trump will have to get Congressional permission to keep this conflict going, under the War Powers Act.

Are you sh*ting me?  China isn't remotely defeated but it's suddenly facing a large economic downturn if it can't get fuel.  It can't get fuel because we've taken down two of its main BRICS allies in two months.  It's limited even more because of Trump's tariffs.  These nations can't use their terrorist allies against us because ICE has been arresting them and it can't finance others because DOGE has found out where the funding comes from.

I keep complaining that Trump hasn't showed us any real plan or achievements to show for it.  I'll continue complaining but there you are, this is the resistance to the 'new world order' that he's built up in the last fourteen months.  Now we'll have to see how Xi and Putin respond.  Russia's got its own problems and I suspect Putin is happier being a regional power, he had to live through the Cold War after all.  But China is very big and difficult, for all the ability and influence Xi had to get himself in this position, we'll find if he has what it takes to keep it.  This also explains why Congress is doing nothing, they can't get involved without helping the enemy.  I've been astounded since I learned this earlier today, just... Wow.

Black Texan Who Beat Jasmine Crockett in Dem Primary Calls Charlie Kirk ‘Nasty,’ ‘Racist,’ ‘Hate-Filled’
March 5, 2026

□ [“9-0 Supreme Court Gives Trump a Massive Win on Immigration - Opinion Authored by Justice Jackson"]

Will the Supremes ever become predictable?  I'm just going to keep assuming they'll continue disappointing us at the most crucial moment but this does count as a win.  Immigration judges have priority to determine the facts and can't be overruled by the appeals courts the way the left has been doing.  Appeals courts can point to where the facts are wrong but are limited to what the immigrant courts have decided.

Not sure what but this has something to do with the distinction between the three branches of government.  The executive branch handles some courts, including immigration.  The judicial branch handles others and Congress passes the laws to determine which cases go to which branch courts.  This does seem to be reinforcing the actual rules and not just pushing an agenda.

Since most people don't follow the judiciary, we won't notice or understand if there are any changes.  That's good and bad but in this case, it appears mostly good.  I'm guessing the Trump administration is trying to aim cases at higher courts that require this simplicity, what the laws says, who decides, the basic requirements of a court that everyone can go along with.  That's necessary if you expect society to survive.  So the Supremes unanimously spoke the basic truth, that way they don't have to look for real jobs.

State Department Employee Stabs Four Women, Kills His Own Dog During Virginia Road Rage
March 5, 2026

□ [“Trump Fires Noem as DHS Chief, Announces Replacement"]

The guy's main public reputation was saying "you're fired!" so we knew that it was going to happen often in this term too.  But to be honest, I was hoping it wouldn't.  I wanted to believe he found people competent and committed to the mission for the full four years.  I haven't really followed this so I don't know why she was fired.  Reportedly it's something about a $200 million ad campaign, I'm not going to bother checking if that's really what this was about or just an excuse.  Or maybe a distraction from whatever the real reason is.

Noem isn't leaving, she's just being moved over to head a different group no one has ever heard of.  That could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it.  It's also a negative thing about Trump that the people he kicks out aren't capable of staying relevant in their own right.  It's definitely a trait that runs across the right and the left, their big names rarely choose any subordinates that make people go 'wow' and want to follow them to see what they'll do next.

So now there will be more hassles getting the replacement through Congress.  He's a member of Congress already so that'll be one less vote for Republicans.  I don't get why it's never an option to find somebody else.  Trump came in from the private sector and he's doing well, why find more of that?  It's just another problem to deal with and is very tiresome, especially for something that matters like Homeland Security.

Or maybe she actually did support leftism and had just done a good job of hiding it.  We still have to face that among RINOs and the 'deep state.'  I'm not sure that's a problem that can ever be solved, it's just natural when the government is so fricking huge.  Even Trump can't cut it down enough, all he can do is set the example and hope others follow it.  And they probably won't.

Troubled Singer Britney Spears Arrested, Taken to Hospital in Southern California
March 5, 2026

□ [“Iranian Drone Targets Azerbaijan Airport –  Caucasus Nation Vows To Retaliate"]

I'm guessing the Trump administration had prepared for this but I don't recall hearing anyone else consider the possibility that Iran would just lash out at their neighbors like this.  It makes sense, at least to an extent, that they need to show they still have power but at the very least you'd think they'd aim at US bases in these nations.  They've hit one or two of those but it's mostly been property and citizens of those nations, no effect on the US at all.  That's not a smart way to handle a war.

Reportedly the US and Israel have basically taken out the Iranian military.  Iran doesn't seem to be getting much help, other than leftists mourning the Ayatollah on the internet.  Well, some are holding memorials in public too but they get interrupted by Iranians who are happy about it.  The left is going to have to get to a point where they question why they're opposing Iranians about Iran.  Might still take a while but they really need to start working through this.

Might take years to figure out how he did it but somehow Trump managed to get rid of Iran's useful allies while increasing their reliance on useless ones.  And every other nation has to wonder what might happen to them if they screw up.  As I write this, there's news that Cuba is very desperate.  They totally depended on Venezuela which has suddenly stopped being so useful.  Their rulers probably want to keep away from the same fate hitting them.  Trump even says this wasn't that important to him but there's a lot of people to whom a free Cuba matters.

Biden Autopen Investigation is Ongoing and NOT Closed
March 5, 2026

Panicked Texts of Former Louisiana Mayor Allegedly Caught Having Sex with 16 Year Old at Pool Party Revealed in Court Docs
March 4, 2026

Virginia Democrats Want to Triple Their Own Pay – Abigail Spanberger Ran on Affordability
March 2, 2026

Retired Air Force General Who Led U.S. Military Research Lab That Develops Directed Energy Technology Goes Missing in New Mexico
March 2, 2026