Tuesday, August 18, 2026

Trump Is Hurting Republicans' Chances For Winning Big In Midterms

 Let me start this off by saying this: While I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican, and am registered as an independent, I hold no grudges against President Trump. In fact, I voted for him all three times. I support most of what he has done. That support only changed from me virtually supporting everything he's done (or at least not criticizing it or finding fault with it), to it now being that I have seen a big mistake that I think he has been making. I think that he is handling the situation in Iran rather poorly and is also making a mistake in how he portrays how the war is going. 
 
Let me start on what I think is a big mistake in his portrayal of the events and the ongoing situation in our war with Iran. For months now, the president has been saying things like: The Iranian navy has been wiped out completely. Yet, time and time again, we are told how the Iranians have laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz and have go fast boats that could attack our naval fleet. So,tell us - which is it - is their navy completely wiped out or not. It most certainly seems that it has not been wiped out because we keep hearing president Trump tell us over and over again of new confrontations with Iranian naval forces, be it big ships or small boats, they evidently still have naval capabilities.
 
Then we have been told time and time again that we have total air control. This again, to say it mildly, seems to be an untruth. If we had total air control there would be no missiles or drones being sent through the air, toward U.S. military bases that are located within the borders of our allies in the Middle East and there would be no ships being destroyed or damaged, in the Strait of Hormuz and elsewhere, by airborne Iranian weaponry.
 
We have also been told by President Trump, time and time again, that we have an abundance of ordinance and that we have not depleted them by any significant amount. Those particular things being missiles or bombs. Yet, there have been reports from other sources saying just the opposite. Add to that the fact that we keep stopping the bombardment of military targets in Iran, only to start up again after a while; that giving the possible appearance as if we are trying to conserve ordinance to some extent. I am not saying we have  used to many, more likely I think we have not used enough; but what I think voters in the U.S. may see it as is what I just mentioned above and thus maybe they will come to the conclusion that President Trump has lowered out ability to defend our nation by over using our ordinance o Iran or to the opposite conclusion that he has not used enough. y
 
Either of those conclusions about have used too much or too little ordinance will have folks on both sides of that issue finding fault with him and thus could negatively have poor effect for republicans in November. Folks are also going to find fault with President Trump  escalating the war with Iran in the first place and note I said escalating the war because even though not to the current extent, we have been at war with Iran since November 4, 1979 when Iran committed an act of war against the USA. Of course, there are those among us, myself included, who think it was about time for us to attack Iran and to destroy their ability to create or otherwise obtain nuclear weapons. All the dealing inn the world does not seem like it will help in that regard, as evidenced by previous failed attempts; yet, President Trump keeps trying to make a deal with them. That does not sit well with those of us who think military force is probably the only thing that will end Iran's tyrannical government's plans to obtain nukes and then to use them as they have promised again and again. Now besides being a question of whether or not President trump was right to attack Iran militarily or if it would have been better for him just to try to make a deal with them, that dilemma also speaks to our usage or ordinance or maybe I should say to our stop and go use of our ordinance. Does he keep trying to make a deal with Iran (even though they have broken every other deal ever made, by the U.S., with them since 1979) instead of constantly bombing or otherwise attacking them because our stock of ordinance is low? It certainly seems like a possibility and that will be enough to also sway voters away from Republicans.
 
I could go one with other examples from the iran war but if you have been following it at all you know what I am talking about. It all has me wondering if that is helping or hurting chances for Republicans gaining seats in November, while I hope not, I think quite possibly it is hurting their chances.
 
All the best,
Glenn B 
 
 

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Are You Staying Up To Watch For The Collision...

 ...of the spacecraft into the moon? I saw an Instagram post saying a spacecraft or a big part of one is going to collide with the surface of the moon t 0244 hours on August 5 (which is now today). Since one often cannot depend upon any claims made on Instagram, I did some checking to confirm that.
 
I just checked online and found an article from Forbes saying this is supposed to happen at 06:35 UTC, which here in Arkansas translates to 0135 hours. Quite the difference from 0244, that even if 0244 was supposed to be EDT, which would have made it 0144 in CDT. A few minutes could mean maybe missing it as it happens; although, given what may be seen from earth, that result may be visible for hours if not days or longer.
 
If you are looking up to see it, the actual crash, of the SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage rocket (as per Forbes), will not be visible even with powerful telescopes. What it is guessed may be seen is the resultant dust cloud that collision may kick up; I suspect that with the much lower pull of gravity on our moon than on earth, the dust cloud may remain over the impact area for quite some extended time. Right now, as I type, it is 1247 hours; so, there are only 48 minutes for me to wait, give or take whatever their estimate may be off by. I plan to be looking up at the moon (which is a half moon tonight) at least 10 minutes early and will look for some time afterward if I do not see it by 0135 CDT.
 
As for what I plan to use to see it; well, I do not have a telescope but I do have a 16X50 pair of binoculars. I also have a 10x50 pair but have not found where the monster in my closet, or maybe the goblins, gnomes, dust bunnies or elves hid those. (Of course, it could be that I simply forgot where I put them.) Anyway, the 16 power pair is ready and waiting. The only bad thing about them is the slightest movement makes the view go sort of helter-skelter all over the place. While they are stronger than the 10 power pair, the weaker ones allow a much steadier view.
 
If you are watching, enjoy the show if there is indeed one to enjoy. The rocket is supposed to hit the sunny side of the moon but since it is only a half moon tonight I guess it has to hit the lit up part to be able to see the result. 
 
Addendum: I just checked another site, Earth Sky, and they had a very informative photo for where it is believed the rocket will smash into the moon. It reportedly will be on the lit up side of the half moon (good news) and will be on the outer edge of the viewable moon at somewhere (about halfway) between the numbers 10 and 11 on an analog clock (we old timers understand that, you youngsters need to figure it out if you do not know). Good luck if you are watching the skies/moon tonight.
 
All the best,
Glenn B