An open letter to Kamala

Hi Kamala

You have to win the coming election in 2024 or we are finished, not only in America but the effects on the rest of the world will be disastrous.  However I believe that you will win with a good majority in both houses.  This letter is predicated on you winning.  

 

I have heard you say that you will support Israel against her enemies and I hope this help is full and unconditional.  All sorts of people and groups are calling for a cease fire and they are either ignorant or willfully against Israel.  I'd like to present a few facts for your consideration.

 

Israel has never initiated a war or terrorist acts against any other nation or group.  She has only retaliated when attacked.

 

The Moslem nations and organizations have, again and again initiated war and terrorist acts against Israel, against each other and even against their own citizens. 

 

But here is the crux of the matter.  Any chance of a lasting peace, in the Middle east  depends on Israel weakening or destroying the terrorists and this includes the Theocrats of Iran who are holding their own people in thrall.  There are two reasons for this.

Firstly, the people of most of the surrounding Moslem countries are being oppressed by these monsters.  They deserve a better form of government and it just may be possible, if the Terrorists are weakened sufficiently, the people can rise up against them and create a better form of government and hence a better life for themselves.

Do you realize that a few decades ago, before she was taken over by religious extremists, Lebanon was called the Paris of the Middle East.  My mother in law was a stewardess with British Airways and she tells us of what a wonderful place it was.

In addition, again, a few decades ago under the Shaw, the Jews and the Persians were great friends.  Once again this was before the Theocrats took over Iran.  

The second reason that lasting peace in the Middle East depends on the destruction of the Terrorists is that all the countries that were about to sign the Abraham Accords are watching.  If they see that Israel has the will and the staying power to deal a decisive blow to the terrorist organizations (which are more of a danger to these Moslem countries than to Israel) they will sign up.  If Israel is forced to sign a cease fire, allowing the Terrorists to rise again, they will not sign up.

Some years ago, I didn't think that it would be possible for Israel to have anything like a normal relationship with any Arab country but look at Egypt and Jordan.  It is possible for Israel and Arab nations to get along.

Kamala, the worst thing you could do is to use the considerable influence of the USA to make Israel sign up to a cease fire before they finish the job.  It will only lead to more and more conflict in the future.  As it is, there is finally a reasonable chance of peace in the Middle East for the two reasons I mentioned above.  However if you don't win the coming election, all bets are off.  I really can't understand the half of your population that would vote for a criminal, sexual predator con man instead of yourself.  You have carried out a great campaign and deserve to be the next president of the USA

Written on the  9th of October.

The call for an end of the war and for a two state solution

 If you even listen to the news occasionally, you may well have heard of the Two State Solution. Since the Israelis already have a state and the Palestinians don't, just the phrase 'two state solution' implies that somehow the Israelis have been blocking the Palestinians from getting a sovereign state.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  The first time Palestinian Arabs were offered a state was in 1948 when the UN declared the land that was owned by Jews as a state and the most recent was in 2005 when Israel unilaterally pulled out of Gaza and left it to the administration of the Arabs that remained there.  The only time it worked was in 2005 and it was forced on the Palestinians.

It was most disappointing that  in Sept. 2024 that so many nations at the UN called for the cessation of the war in the Middle East.

 

It seems like a great move on the face of it.  After all, who wants a war to continue.  That is until you realize the true nature of the conflict.  All that is necessary to stop the war is for Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis to stop firing rockets at, and carrying on terrorist acts against Israel, return the civilian hostages that they kidnapped, and the war will be over in that hour.  In contrast if Israel stopped her military action against the terrorists, they would continue to carry on just as they have been doing for years, firing rockets at the civilian population of Israel and carrying out various terrorist acts.  The phrase 'from the river to the sea' should be enough  to cause  anyone to realize the truth.  The river is the Jordan, the sea, the Mediterranean.  It is a call for the genocide of the people of Israel.  

 

 

Incidentally, if the Moslems ever succeed in conquering Israel, the Arab state they create would rapidly slide into the same sort of kleptocratic theocracy that is found in all the surrounding states. Women and all minorities in the new state would be persecuted and would loose all their human rights that we, in the west, take as our god given right.

Of most importance, the two state solution has been tried and failed.  Israel did it unilaterally in 2005 when she pulled out of Gaza, lock, stock and barrel and left the Arabs to manage their own affairs.  If the Arabs had used the immense amount of wealth they were given to develop, instead of arming Gaza, it would now be the Beirut of the Middle East (Before Iran and her terrorist proxies took it over, Beirut was known as the Paris, and the pearl, of the Middle East) 

Israel is accused of apartheid, most recently by Ramaposa of South Africa.  Whatever you think about Israel, it certainly does not practice apartheid.  Jews of all persuasions, Christians, Bedouins and, yes, Moslem Arabs all have the same rights in Israel and something over a third of the population of Israel are Arabs.  And all are represented in the parliament (Knesset) in proportion to their population.  For heaven sake, a Moslem judge recently sent a corrupt Jewish member of the government to jail for his crimes.  By contrast, in Arab countries, all minorities, even including fellow Arabs of a different sect are heavily discriminated against.  There are no Jews in Arab countries.  All have been expelled.  Every Arab state has conducted 'Ethnic cleansing'  (and a bit of attempted genocide)

 

Israel has also been accused of genocide by some equally ignorant folks.  When you look at the increase of the Arab population of Israel from its inception in 1948 to the present??? show me where there is genocide.  Quite to the contrary.  Other countries in the Middle East have tried to commit genocide against the Armenians (Turks 1915-1916), the Kurds (Turks 1930 and Iraq 1988), the Yazides (Iraq 2014) and so forth. I could go on but you get the picture.

 

The nations of the world should stop pussy footing around the subject and say it the way it is. Call for the terrorist organizations to cease fire, for Iran to stop financing them and to return the Israeli civilians back home.

  

Incidentally, if you think the ambitions of the religious fanatics who lead the Arab states ends with Israel, think again.  You only have to look at the UK with the Moslems they  have so easily let in.  The immigrants are calling for the establishment of Sharia law which would be the end of all the freedoms the common people have won in the UK over the centuries, with blood sweat and tears.  If the UK doesn't smarten up, she is going to be a very different place in a few years and it won't be pretty.  Other European countries are getting so fed up with their Arab immigrants that they are talking about sending them back to where they came from.

 

Sorting out the American System of government

 With the recent developments (Kamala the Dem's choce), it is virtually guaranteed that the Dems will win the election in Nov 2024 with a good solid majority in all three branches of government. 

The Democrats will then have at worse, 2 years to repair the American way of governance, possibly 4 years but at the very best 8 years.  With the oft demonstrated record of the American people to vote in a way which is diametrically against their own best interests, they should only count on 2 years.  If the Dems don't, sort out the American government during this window of opportunity  the forces of evil, authoritarianism and gross, ugly venality(I don't think I exaggerate) will rise up again and America will take a nose dive into anarchy.  Worse still, would-be-dictators in the rest of the free world will take heart and try it on for size themselves.  The world could sink into a dark age like we haven't experienced for a long time.

 

Note that in July and August, (election is in November) Trump was preaching to the faithful that they should get out and vote this time and they will never have to vote again. Then he came up with an even more traitorous comment.  He said don't bother voting.  I have all the votes I need.  To top it all off, on the Rachel Maddow show it was reveled that in some 70 counties, mainly in swing states, MAGA Republicans have been appointed to be the main polling officers and that they will not certify the election results, no matter who wins.  Some of them were already involved in the recent federal voting debacle.

 

It is most important that the government establish the following changes in  their system, in whatever way makes it hardest to reverse. (written into the constitution??)

 

Biden, in his swan song, said we have to perfect our union.  Just saving it would be a good start.

Following is a check list of what needs doing in America.  In no particular order:

1. Polling stations.

There should be massively more polling stations.  Use schools and public meeting halls.  They are everywhere.  No one should have to wait more than 10 minutes to vote and no one should have to travel more then 10 minutes to a polling station.  Best of all if you can walk to your local polling station.  All  polling stations must have CTV cameras.  Some must be focused on the official who checks the ID of each voter and some outside where people are lining up.  The recordings from these cameras must be forwarded, well labeled, to Washington so if there are any complaints of being hassled during voting, the appropriate record can be checked to substantiate or deny the allegations.  Any interference in the voting system must be met with jail time and public shaming.

2.  Voter registration

A much simpler and effective system of voting registration must be put in place.  There must be a clear criteria of what is needed to register and this must be followed.  Attempts to interfere with the system must be met with jail time. Voter registration locations must be monitored by CTV cameras and if unlawful obstruction are being observed being put in the way of American citizens - jail time.

3. Voting denial

When someone comes to vote, the polling officer often subjects a voter who is believed to be about to vote for the other candidate than the polling officer would prefer, to delay after delay.    They are subjected to endless  questions while letting through people who they think will vote their way.  All polling stations should be covered by CTV cameras and the flash drives from these cameras delivered with the ballots to the central voting station.  Again jail time for obstructionism.

 

4 Time and conditions in line

This is as egregious as the rest of the American voting system.  People have to wait in long lines.  To add insult to injury some states have put in a ruling that no one can bring food or drink to those waiting in line.  What an absolute joke.  Do you have democracy or not. What a mickey mouse system. And there must be portable toilets in any location where toilets are not available.

5. Delegate system

The delegate system is so un-democratic that it boggles the mind that a country that calls itself not just democratic but a beacon of democracy to the world has not already scrapped it.  Real democracy is one-man one-vote and if you want to claim the title of a democracy, the vote of someone in one part of the country should have exactly the same weight as anyone else in the country.  Republicans are of course all for this totally undemocratic system.  It is the only way they win elections.  They haven't won the popular vote in ages.

6. Gerrymandering

This is a hard one to solve.  An objective system that neither party can muck with is needed.  As with all the other changes, it must be put into the strongest form of legislation possible so that it is very hard to break.  It's object should be, in so far as is possible, to give each voter equal influence on the outcome of elections.  It would take people far cleverer than me to work out such a system.  Good luck on this one

7. Money in politics

While sorting out Gerrymandering will be a technical nightmare, sorting out the influence of money in the American political system will be a political nightmare.  Politicians get funding for their election campaigns from donors, rich and not so rich, some politicians are  made rich while in office (certainly not from their salaries) and some politicians are given sweet jobs when they leave office.  Then you have the complete corruption of some of the judges of the Supreme Court by rich billionaires.  Trying to sell to the American public that any financing of a public official must come from the exchequer will demand a superb job of public education.  The public think they are getting some sort of benefit by someone else financing the elections of their politicians but they are loosing in so many ways.

 

8. Vote certification

Clearly there is a need to be able to address any form of corruption in an election.  Else why have an official who certifies the votes in each district. But certification must not be  held hostage by such an official.  Some set procedure must be put in place when the district voting officer doesn't want to certify the results of voting in his district.  It will be pretty complex to work out a fair, fool-proof system.  For instance, the officer could be compelled to fill out a standard form which clearly states his or her reasons for not certifying.  It must be filled out and sent by messenger to the supreme court chief  justice on the day after voting is closed.  The head supreme court judge must convene the same day, all the members of the court.  They must hand down a ruling the same day.  I'm sure it will be more complicated than the above but something must be done so that the results of voting are not delayed. 

 

9.  Proof of citizenship

The Democrats must promote citizens having a proof of citizenship plastic card, the same size as a credit card, with a picture of the person.  They must then pass a federal law that this card is sufficient proof of citizenship to allow the holder to vote in any election.  The card should be renewed, say, every 10 years in order to have an up-to-date photograph.  Responsible parents should make sure that their children have this card and there must be an easy rout to taking an original birth certificate and getting one of these cards.  A good option would be the location where you go to get and renew your driver's license.  They have the facilities to issue plastic drivers lisences and a wee tweak would allow them to issue birth certificate cards. 

I'm sure that people in the know will find other measures that must be taken to make the American system fair.  If it isn't done, at some time in the future, Trumpism under some other would be dictator will arise and there may not arise someone who can save America from going down the googler. 

The criminal Supreme Court

Taking bribes and making laws that reward the bribers is peanuts compared to what the Supreme Court is up to now.  The moves the SC is attempting now will destroy what little democracy still remains in the USA and it ain't much.  America has:

*the delegate system, 

*denial of voting registration, 

*denial of voting even when you are registered, 

*placement of polling stations to make it as difficult as possible for some folks to vote, 

*a lack of polling stations, 

*closing polling stations when there are people who have been waiting all day to vote,

*and a gerrymandering system that would embarrass an 18th century lord in a rotten English borough.

What little democracy remains in America is under threat by the Supreme court.

Anyone who is not part of the Trump cult realizes that to get him elected in November would put an end to the American way of life.  That is what the Supreme court is about to try and the fools don't realize that if successful they become   Trump's bitches.  One false move and he will come after them too. 

 

The decision by the supreme court to examine whether or not a president can be held criminally liable for 'Official acts'  carried out while in office, is equivalent to Trump paying off a porn star. Both are designed to hide information from the American public that could well affect the way they vote and that is the least of it.

 

 The members of the supreme court should be charged with exactly what Trump was charged with when he paid off Stormy to hide the fact that he consorted with a prostitute, and they should also be charged with  anti-democratic, anti-constitutional and anti-American activity.

The wording of the question that they are prepared to examine, the timing of when they are going to start deliberations, the verdict they will deliver and, most importantly, when they will deliver the verdict are all criminal activities.

The Question they are prepared to examine is whether or not a president can be held criminally liable for 'official acts' carried out while in office. It is a trite question and just kicks the can down the road. Of course a president can not be held criminally liable for 'official acts'. The question then becomes what are official
acts. Is falsifying business records, not paying his taxes, paying off a porn star, threatening witnesses, fraud, giving government secrets to a foreign country, fomenting insurrection and so forth - are they official acts. Of course not, so they are not affected by the question.

And it gets far worse. I will make a prediction. The Supreme court already knows exactly what they will find and when they will announce their verdict. That is why they phrased the question as they did. 

They will release their findings a short time before the coming election in November and they will, of course, find that a president can not be held criminally liable for "Official acts". They will phrase their finding in all sorts of confusing legalese gobbledygook.   But Trump supporters will crow from the roof tops "Trump Innocent" "Trump Exonerated" when the SC finding says nothing of the kind.  This will affect the way many people vote and especially amongst the large, politically ignorant portion of the American public that might not vote for a convicted felon.

The Supreme court is corrupt far beyond anything exposed to date. Destroying the little democracy that still remains in America is far more serious than them accepting bribes from rich donors and making laws to enrich them.

Besides being fiscally corrupt, the four Republican members of the Supreme Court are anti-democratic, anti-constitution and anti-American and should be treated as such.

Skylights

 Skylights really annoy me.  Not the having of them but the way they are integrated into a house.  It's an engineering abortion.  We are living in a house in which I built the sky lights. We are downsizing to a house that is being built for us.  And we have 4 sky lights, bought a great expense with silly engineering.

The bought sky lights stick up above the corrugated iron cladding so any rain that runs down the roof above the sky light wants to flow into the roof cavity.  To avoid this you need some sophisticated flashing and lots of sealant.  There is a far simpler and vastly cheaper option.

The thickness from the cladding of a roof to the ceiling is typically about 6 inche-sometimes more.  This is the width of the perlons (the horizontal boards which are laid on edge across the rafters).  There are lots of other configurations but generally there is lots of space between the ceiling and the cladding.  So what do we do.  

First build what is essentially a picture frame with dimensions to take a glass sandwich plus 5mm or so in both directions. This is built into the roof at the level of the ceiling.

The glass sandwich you can get made up by any glazier.  It consists of a lower sheet made of that safety glass which itself is a sandwich of plastic between two sheets of glass.  If you ever have some sort of a disaster, this glass will ensure that no shards fall and hurt someone.  

The upper layer I would recommend be some sort of diffusing glass.  Basically the sort of thing you would have in a bathroom window.  You don't want a sharp edged beam of light with deep shadows around it but rather light that is dispersed over the whole room. The two sheets of glass are separated by an aluminum  strip of around 5mm thickness.  If you really want to get sophisticated, you can get the hollow between the layers of glass, filled with Argon.

If you decide to seal this glass into the frame, make sure to use a thick layer of rubber or silicon sealer so the glass can expand and  contract as it heats and cools without cracking the glass.

So how about the rest of the sky light.  Under a corrugated iron roof, you usually put a layer of tar paper or similar membrane to take any condensation drips from the iron, down toward the eves.  At the location where you have the sky light, you use a layer of transparent polycarbonate instead.  Then we only have to clad the roof.  From the ridge down to the sky light (hang tough, I'll start from the eves).  From the eves up to the bottom of the sky light is regular corrugated iron.  This is overlapped by a sheet of corrugate transparent poly-carbonate over the glass, up to the top of the sky light and beyond a bit.  From the top of the sky light to the ridge is another piece of corrugated iron.  

No way is this going to leak, it is cheap and simplicity itself to construct.