TRUMP INDICTMENT: AS BAD AS WE THOUGHT

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 

CURRENT EVENTS / TRUMP / INDICTMENT

Big day on Tuesday, April 4, 2023.  Former President Donald J. Trump was indicted for fraudulent business records.   Except there was no fraud.  The bizarre thing, is the indictment is proof that there was no fraud.  Trump's lawyer at the time these fraudulent business practices are said to have occurred, sent him multiple invoices to cover legal expenses.  So Trump's accountant cut multiple checks to pay the invoices.  This is known as paying "legal fees".  There is no rule or law, anywhere on planet earth, that states that a business must include a detailed account of what the legal services were for in detail.   So how is it fraud for a lawyer to submit an invoice, and an accountant then pays the invoice?  If this is 'fraud" then every single business on the planet will need to be brought up on charges.  

This case is not just weak, it's literally non-existent.  Stating that the perfectly normal payment of legal invoices is a crime is absolutely ludicrous.   Which is probably why NO LAWS WERE LISTED IN THE INDICTMENT that Trump allegedly violated!   You can't even make this stuff up!  

Here is what John Hinderaker at the Powerline blog had to say:

You can read Alvin Bragg’s indictment of Donald Trump and a supporting statement of facts here. The indictment is what we expected. It all has to do with paying $130,000 to Stormy Daniels for a non-disclosure agreement, which was legal. The payment was made by “Lawyer A,” Michael Cohen. Trump reimbursed Cohen using Trump’s own money, which was legal. The “34 counts” arise out of the fact that by agreement, Cohen got reimbursed by sending monthly invoices to Trump or his revocable trust. So for each monthly bill from Cohen, we get three counts of falsifying documents: one for the invoice, one for the ledger entry, and one for the check stub. Pathetic.

The indictment alleges that all of this was done “with intent to defraud and intent to commit another crime and aid and conceal the commission thereof,” but it never says what that other crime was. The second crime is mandatory because without it, falsifying a business record under New York law is a misdemeanor on which the statute of limitation has run. Presumably the second crime is alleged to be a campaign finance violation. But the payment to Daniels did not violate the campaign finance laws.

So Alvin Bragg is trying to say, without saying it, that the payments were in violation of campaign finance laws, but Trump's never been charged for that, and for good reason, there's no case for it.  So what we basically have are a series of perfectly normal legal billings being paid, but it's a crime because the DA hates Trump.  Not gonna happen.

This is truly a very sad day in American history.  According to the polling data I've seen, an over-whelming number of Americans are seeing this for what it is: a political witch hunt.  

But here's the thing, there will be no repercussions for any of this nonsense.  It won't hurt the Democrats in the least.   So why not do it?  There's literally nothing for them to lose.    

Rope Tornado Caught on Video Moving Through Rural IA

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 

WEATHER / TORNADOS

If there were ever a beauty contest for tornados, this one would win first place with ease.

Do you remember the tornado from the movie "The Wizard of Oz"?  Did you ever wonder why no one ever seems to share video of tornados that look like that?   Well, wonder no more, as a storm chaser in Iowa caught a "rope tornado" that looks exactly like the tornado in The Wizard of Oz movie!   It's absolutely stunning.  

This footage was taken on Tuesday, April 4, 2023 during yet another massive tornado outbreak, which is the the third one we've had this spring.  

But it's not global warming or climate change that is causing all this activity, every single one of these outbreaks has been caused by a massive cold front coming in from the west.   As a matter of fact, the western United States is having one of the coldest winters ever recorded.   The snow and cold have been at levels never seen before in American history.    

President Trump will ‘lead America back to God,’ according to 1983 prophecy

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 

CHRISTIANITY / PROPHECY

This is a very interesting video!  A very pious Catholic American living in Italy makes a very simple, one sentence prophecy: he thought that God was going to use Donald Trump to bring America back to God!   And he said this back in the early 1980's, long before anyone thought Donald Trump would run for president.   

Given the amazing circumstances going on in America right now, I post this video for your consideration. 

What if we told you that there was someone who prophesied in the early 1980s that Donald Trump would bring America back to God? 

Tom Zimmer was a World War II veteran who moved to Loreto, Italy to live a life of prayer and sacrifice. In 1983, he told Dr. Claude Curran that 'right now, in the United States, there’s a man who has the hand of God on him...and God is going to use him in the future...his name is Donald Trump.'

PSALM 49

Wednesday, April 5, 2023 

CHRISTIANITY / BIBLE / PSALMS

Who amongst us isn't upset when we see evil and power hungry people growing increasingly rich and powerful?   Who amongst wonder why God would reward people with riches and "honors" for doing all those things we are not suppose to do?  

It can be very frustrating trying to make sense of it all, as it seems that God's enemies get richer and stronger, while the friends of God grow weaker and poorer.   Why would God do that?

Well, maybe the way things appear aren't quite what they seem.   Psalm 49 was written with just that theme in mind. 


Psalm 49

For the choir director: A psalm of the descendants of Korah.

Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the world!

High and low,
rich and poor—listen!
For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with insight.
I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with inspiration from a harp.

Why should I fear when trouble comes,
when enemies surround me?
They trust in their wealth
and boast of great riches.

Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death
by paying a ransom to God.
Redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
to live forever
and never see the grave.

Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and senseless,
leaving all their wealth behind.
The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.

They may name their estates after themselves,
but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like animals.
This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as being wise. 

Interlude

Like sheep, they are led to the grave,
where death will be their shepherd.
In the morning the godly will rule over them.

Their bodies will rot in the grave,
far from their grand estates.
But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the power of the grave. 

Interlude

So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
and their homes become ever more splendid.
For when they die, they take nothing with them.
Their wealth will not follow them into the grave.

In this life they consider themselves fortunate
and are applauded for their success.
But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light of day.

People who boast of their wealth don’t understand;
they will die, just like animals.

-- Psalm 49, New Living Translation

Do this and Life will fall into place - Purpose /w Fr Josiah Trenham

Tuesday, April 4, 2023 

CHRISTIANITY / PURPOSE

This is an absolutely outstanding conversation between two orthodox Christians: Paul Robson interviews Fr Josiah Trenham.   They discuss what is the true purpose of man, and how to achieve it.  

What makes this conversation so interesting is how Fr Josiah speaks with such incredible bluntness about Christianity and living a life of faith.  It is incredibly rare to find a man of this level of wisdom!   

I don't want to say very much about this conversation in my description, because it's such a joy to listen to.   So listen to it!   I give this video my highest recommendation.   You will be greatly blessed listening to it.  

TRACKPLAN: The IMPROVED Unhinged and Horizontal

Monday, April 3, 2023

MODEL RAILROADING / N SCALE / TRACKPLANS

Back in the early days of N-scale model railroading, the Atlas Model Railroad Company came out with a book of track plans for their new line of N-scale track and trains.   One of those track plans was called "The Unhinged and Horizontal", so-called because the base board for this track plan was a hollow-core door!  A typical 4 x 8 sheet of plywood from the lumber yard was often chose to setup one's very first model railroad in HO scale.  But for the smaller N scale trains, the preferred base board for starting a small layout was a hollow-core door, usually measuring 30" x 80".

I did an internet search for this track plan, and found an improved version created by a guy named Mike.  He has an entire page on his website dedicated to N-scale track plans of all shapes and sizes.   And yes, this layout, much like the original, is designed to fit on a hollow-core door.   

If I were to buy all the Atlas track I would need to create this layout, along with additional electrical components to wire it for operation, it would easily set me back $800 USD.  Even small model railroads can be incredibly expensive.  And that price does not include any trains, buildings, scenery or even the door from the lumber yard.   

I just happen to have a hollow core door in my possession that I'm just using as a utility table, setup on a couple of saw horses.   I also happen to have a small collection of N scale trains!   So I was thinking about building this layout, to give my trains a place to run.

Here's a link to Mike's N-scale layout designs:  Cke1st's Trackplans Page

NEW BOOK: Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Equipment, 1883-2004

Monday, April 3, 2023 

BOOKS / RAILROADS / DULUTH, MISSABE & IRON RANGE

Just got this book last week from Perry's Hobbies in Morgan, Minnesota.   For a book about ore cars, it's one of the most beautiful books I've ever owned.  The paper quality and the binding are first rate.   

I bought it for my continued research into the railroads of northern Minnesota.  Northern Minnesota is the home of the "iron range", one of the richest iron ore deposits in America.   Iron ore is a very heavy ore, so to move the ore to the steel mills that need it, several railroads were built to serve the mines in the area.  

Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range Equipment, 1883-2004
by Daniel P. Holbrook
published by Signature Press
ISBN: 978-1-930013-41-4

Sadly, this book is no longer in print, and Signature Press is out of business.