Last weekend, we were in an UBER in a major city. Our driver struck up a conversation. We learned that he had recently come back from visiting family in Iran. He had planned on an eight week trip that turned into just over ten months, due to the war. It was very interesting to hear his first a hand of accounts of events we had heard about in the news. For example, in terms of the the tens of thousands of Iranian citizens being killed, he added that soldier/terrorists had been imported from other surrounding countries to intimidate and kill people in the country to instill fear. He added that he went to a hardware store to get some items to do some work around his parents house. The owner of the hardware store, a family friend with a son his age, acted odd when he asked about his friend, the man’s son. He was so bothered that he went back to the store to inquire if everything was ok. He was told that his son had been shot during the protests and that while he was in the hospital, terrorists came in to the hospital, while he was there with his son and started shooting in the hospital. The man escaped from the hospital with his adult son, carrying him to his car and then hiding him in the basement. As he explained to our cab driver what happened, he asked, if he knew a doctor who he could get, to come to his home, to treat his injured son. He left and then the cab driver drove to the home of a doctor friend of his in the evening, explained the situation and the doctor asked, “How well do you know them? This is very risky for me.” The cab driver said that they were his family friends. The doctor drove his own car to the home and treated the injured man in the basement. The man then paid the doctor. We talked more about the country, the history, prior to the departure of the Shah and since, hearing more horrifying stories. He told us that with approximately ninety percent of the population in favor of overthrowing the regime, in a country with as big of a population as Iran, one million still in favor, or in power, is a large number to convince or overtake. In the end, the cab driver said to us, “It’s all about the money. It’s ALWAYS about the money”…
The conversation with the Iranian Uber driver was very interesting…Iran is a country with such a great amount of resources and a population of people who mostly what the rest of us want, the ability to live in peace and provide for their families….Yes, it’s all about the money.
Scott Bessent. The current Secretary of Treasury is proving to be an employee of the American people who is well worth his keep. His resume’ is impressive and extensive, including a stint with the Soros Group, heading up the London Office. In 2015 he left Soros to establish the Key Square Group, a Hedge Fund. Bessent’s knowledge has made the groups he works for and then himself, tens and hundreds of millions. He so out prepares, that he can very nicely, with his razor sharp mind, make the lesser prepared person across the table look foolish. Back during the Congressional hearings prior to his approval when questioning implied that he would have no clue to the impact on tariffs on the most basic of goods, like a car seat, by congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, who must have not done her homework to learn that Bessent is the father of two children, along with his partner and yes, he would know about car seats and the importance of the necessity of them in a family’s life. The congresswoman from Massachusetts looked unprepared for not having known that information and that is not the only time Bessent has respectfully put an opponent politely, but firmly in their place for now doing their preparation. (As a parent, I would think that his kids as teenagers would be highly challenged to pull of any crazy prank. Their Dad would more than outsmart them on many fronts, with that mind).
This week, Bessent warned Iranian leaders that the Trump administration has identified their hidden assents overseas, and that the U.S. is moving to freeze their accounts and luxury properties. This is but one of many financial tactics that he has devised to protect the actions and interests of America. In my opinion, he would be an excellent statesman in future administrations or even a first rate candidate for President…
Presley Gerber’s death is another tragedy of a family due to a drug overdose. Period. His family is experienced what thousands of Americans have faced. Like many, they did all they could do to try to get their son the help he needed, from all accounts, seeking treatment and help. Podcaster and legal analyst, Megyn Kelly, unleashed on his famous parents calling them out and blaming them for allowing him to enter in to the modeling industry as a teenager. When I head this, I couldn’t help but think, “His Mom was a famous model herself, why wouldn’t she allow her son to, if he was interested, if she had the connections. It’s not like he was living on the streets to find a job, most likely the jobs offers came to them. If Presley had followed in his Dad’s footsteps as a businessman or restauranteur, would Kelly have unleashed on Randy Gerber and blamed him? It is very easy to criticize someone when you don’t know their journey. As a parent of three teenagers, Ms. Kelly should have learned by now that ‘You never say never, nor assume blame to parent as you could find yourself on the same journey at some point.” I don’t wish that for her or anyone else, I just wish that in this situation for the Gerbers or any parent facing the loss of a child in any circumstance, whether it be an overdone, car accident, cancer, suicide or any other reason, all a family needs and deserves is love, prayers, compassion and if they wish, privacy. Some family want the outpouring from their loved ones and friends as comfort, and some wish to deal with it privately. Each family deserves the space to make that decision for themself.
Sydney Sweeney’s ad for Novig is causing a stir. Interesting. Newsflash; good looking people, both men and women, have been paid money to promote all kinds of services and products for decades. Sweeney used her ‘goods’ to pump new life into the American Eagle brand last year and she caused a ‘stir’ with her ‘good jeans’ ad. I saw an interesting commentary comparing the backlash towards Sweeney to the support of the woman who killed her three children in Massachusetts. I see nothing wrong with a beautiful young woman using her assets to make money and have fun, but I see lots wrong with making a hero out of a woman who murdered her children…
White House media ban…Hum. On this, if a news organization is not going to report the news and facts accurately, they should be called out, warned and if the agency does not start reporting facts, than they should loose their privilege for access, would be my thought. I spoke with a young tech developer several years on this subject. His suggestion was that the media should be graded for their reporting. If they report false stories or fake news, they should be penalized in points within a rating system. These ratings could be published and or allow them access to events, based on their credibility. The losers in all of this is the American people/the consumer. People make their decisions to vote and support companies and purchase goods based on the information they are given. If they are given wrong information, it affects their decisions and lives…
On the most recent podcaster, living in American, born to Turkish immigrant Muslim parents, said to have spent most of his childhood in Istanbul and Ankara Turkey who loves to bash America and is currently supporting the democratic candidate for United States senate seat in Michigan, who is now comparing himself to Rush Limbaugh. Republicans, don’t fall for this. Don’t make a story of it, don’t report his name. In other words, don’t give this person airtime (I love Judge Judy Sheindlin’s comments on these recent ‘America Bashers’, “Go somewhere else.” My thought, “Go Make Turkey better, or Palestine. If you are that indignant about America, go make a place where you are happy and leave us all alone. We like it here). You are playing right into his plan. When he makes this comparison or makes his outlandish comments, he is looking for clicks and eyeballs, attention and ……….drum roll please…..it’s all about the money. The Iranian Uber driver last weekend was right. It is all about the money. Just ask that candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan whose wife, a psychiatrist does not take Medicare, yet, he is all about socialized medicine…Scott Bessent announcing the freezing of assets of Iranian leaders will get their attention and behavior could change, because, it’s about the money…Megyn Kelly’s outlandish remarks garnered her clicks and eyeballs, resulting in more viewers resulting in more money for her advertisers, same with the Sydney Sweeney ads, it’s about the money. Call it all what it is. The press suppressing news, like the Hunter Biden laptop, to push Joe Biden over the top to win the election, so that the money train of American tax dollars can fun democratic causes and keep a political party in power so that they can keep funding fraud/paid voters and themselves in office…It’s all about the money…Not sure who that’s a great day for.
