International Jazz Day -- Wedneday, April 30, 2025 -- View Live

The 2025 annual International Jazz Day All-Star Concert is being held in Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE on April 30th. "Led by iconic pianist Herbie Hancock and hosted by Academy Award-winning actor Jeremy Irons, this concert will bring together an extraordinary lineup of renowned jazz, blues, classical, and hip-hop artists from around the world." Refer to the YouTube link below for the artists. There's also a link with a reminder so you may watch the concert live. International Jazz Day YouTube 2025 videos may be viewed HERE. The global celebration of International Jazz Day culminates in Abu Dhabi, a UNESCO creative city of music. UNESCO, United States Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in those areas.

L U C K Y T H R E E B R I N G J O Y !

 

3 Bald Eaglets emerged from their eggshells beginning March 1st!

(photo courtesy of Friends of Big Bear Bald Eagles)

Please refer to my previous post for a recap of this Big Bear Bald Eagle family I've followed on this blog for several years.  

I find following these lives a welcome respite during these current unsettling times.

READ  Biologist Sandy's storied account HERE.

VIEW live eagle activity at the nest 24/7 HERE.

A snowy cold weather storm is expected in a few days mid-week with one to two feet of snow predicted. Keeping these tiny eaglets warm and fed will challenge parents, Jackie and Shadow, who have been doing a good job.  The eaglets are being fed up to 8 times a day bites of fish and what appears to be a bird. 

I wonder if the last hatched eaglet will be strong enough to get its share of food with the several days older now stronger siblings given their natural competitive natures?   

Eaglets rapidly grow larger so will they all fit and be able to stay warm under either of their protective parents if more cold stormy weather occurs?  

Feathers will begin to replace the eaglets fluff.  The eaglets will begin to exercise in the nest for flying.   

Fledging (their first flight) usually occurs in 10 to 14 weeks from hatching which will be May for these eaglets.

EXCITEMENT . . . . . . FOR THE BIRDS !

Update January 29, 2025  --- This day after Jackie laid egg #3 she and Shadow were spotted briefly off the nest on a nearby tree branch  having a quick mating session.  Will there be another egg -- 4?

 

Update January 28, 2025 ---  Jackie laid a 3rd egg !

 

The American Bald Eagle has finally been named the United States national bird.  Southern California has a pair of magnificent fierce-looking bald eagles nesting in the Big Bear Mountain area east of where I live.  The mountains are even further east from those devastating fires that have been in our current news.

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."  That's what Jackie and Shadow have been doing the past two years -- trying to repeat successfully hatching their eggs and raising their eaglets. 

 Jackie laid two eggs that successfully hatched though only one owlet survived the first year I began virtually visiting their nest.  I shared significant events and videos you may view HERE on this March 2019 report.  Subsequent accounts on the parents and eaglets are accessible in the Archives beginning in April 2019.

More recently Jackie laid two eggs one year that didn't hatch, then three eggs the following year that also failed to hatch, all for unknown reasons.  The birds had been observed mating so the eggs were presumed to be fertilized and viable.  Speculation was adverse severely cold weather conditions might have been the cause despite both parents efforts to keep them warm at needed incubation temperatures.

Last November 2024 Jackie and Shadow returned to refurbish their nest.  

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 Jackie laid her first egg. 

Today, January 25, as I was writing this, Jackie laid a second egg.

Video courtesy of F0BBV on YouTube --Nature Lover Birdlife Odyssey

Friends of Big Bear Valley (FOBBV)website provides 24/7  live action camera views of  Jackie's and Shadow's activities at the nest along with entertaining and written information.  What a spectacular view these bald eagles have  of the surrounding forest and lake from which Shadow brings fresh fish to Jackie.   He shares with her the parenting incubation duties.  

Fiona, the flying squirrel continues her periodic unwelcome visits.  Ravens sometimes become very annoying.   Other unpredictable situations, visitors can disrupt normal life -- this is nature in real time that could never be so closely observed from the ground they are all so high in a giant size tree.  

Will Jackie lay any more eggs?   Some bald eagles have raised three or even four eaglets.

Incubation has begun to keep the eggs safely warm in sometimes bitter weather conditions.   The normal incubation time is 35 to 41 days until pip watch.

Pip Watch is when the eagles will begin to listen for the sound inside of the eaglet attempting to break open the egg shell.    Jackie, Shadow and all of us will be eagerly, but patiently waiting for the emergence of those soft fluffy little eaglets.

Is this third year of unproductive hatching the charm for one or more new American Bald Eagles to be introduced into the world?   

Big Bear Valley is where these bald eagles nest but was never in danger during these Southern California Santa Ana fueled wind fires of catastrophic destruction we've had in case you are wondering.

Last year, in September 2024 there was a major forest fire in the San Bernardino Mountains that did threaten the Big Bear City lake area.   Officials reassured those concerned in news reports that the bald eagles habitat was safe as the fire was being contained.  You may click on this CBS News report on that Line fire that was determined to have been arson caused with an arrest made if you are interested.

USA SIGNIFICANT EVENTS: MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2025. --- Update Added Later

USA flags fly at half-staff to honour Former US President Jimmy Carter at Capitol Hill                                    ANI News

      Former President Carter died December 29, 2024.

      "The flag should fly at half-staff for 30 days at all federal buildings, grounds, and naval vessels throughout  the United States and in territories and possessions after the death of the president or a former president." 

        Protocol summary per Google from this government publication link. 

           *                                                           *                                                        *

The Swearing In Ceremony of Donald J. Trump Jr as the 47th President of the United States.  He was previously the 45th President of the U.S.

Flags To Be Raised for Trump's Inauguration, Despite Half-Staff Order for Carter's Death.    Article may be read on this NPR link.

            *                                                           *                                                      *

Martin Luther King Jr Day -- Annual Honour -- ABC News

 *                                              *                                              *

Update of DJT's inauguration as 47th USA President ..... 1/20/25 Afternoon

Did Trump Put His Hand On The Bible When He Took  The Oath of Office?

What does that mean or does it matter?

CBS News Video at this link:  https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-bible-inauguration/

HAPPY NEW YEAR -- 2025 ! -- MUSIC ..... FIREWORKS !

 HAPPY NEW YEAR -- 2025!

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

     Rod Stewart, Ella Fitzgerald, Singers

      Chris Botti, trumpet; David Foster, piano

Happy New Year 2025 -- Countdown, Music & Fireworks!

WISHING YOU ....

     PEACE

         HAPPINESS

               PROSPERITY

                   GOOD HEALTH

MERRY CHRISTMAS ..... HAPPY HANUKKAH !

 Celebrations of Christmas and Hanukkah occur on the same day this year.

 May all be merry and happy!

White Christmas sung by Mel Torme

     from his album "Christmas Songs"

The Christmas Song sung by Manhattan Transfer

Hanukkah Oh Hanukkah

   with lyrics in English and Yiddish

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

    Sung by Samara Joy

A once-in-a-generation talent at age 25 Grammy jazz winner; 60 Minutes featured artist.

GOVERNING ... DIFFERENCES RESPECTED IN 2025?

Our United States are challenged to be governed in the best interests of ALL of our citizens ... appreciating ... respecting ...

... our cultural, racial, gender, sexual, religious, political, other differences, 

... the many average persons with considerably less finances than the most wealthy, 

... every person. 

2024 Election Result Facts

Donald J. Trump received less than 50% of the popular vote, slightly more than he won in 2016, but not a majority and certainly not a mandate for him to  overturn our government, or violate our constitution.  He did win the electoral college majority of the votes in both of his Presidential elections. -- 2016, 2024.   

Kamala Harris, current Vice President, the opposing candidate conceded.

The current President, Joe Biden,  pledged a smooth transition of powers.   There seems to  have been a bit of a slow process start for the incoming administration to initiate nominees security checks for their Senate consideration of appointment to the significantly highest U.S. government positions.  This Politico link reports "Some Trump Cabinet picks may have trouble getting clearances.  Trump can grant them anyway ... even those whose FBI background checks don't pass muster."

President Trump's and Vice President J. D. Vance's election will officially be certified by December 13, 2024 with the 47th President's swearing in ceremony January 20, 2025.   

Previous Election Remembered

U. S. citizens will never forget what occurred January 6, 2021, when Trump lost the 2020 election, then the Capitol assault in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the certification.      Lying about the legitimacy of that 46th Presidential vote, has been alleged to have instigated supporters' violence with instigators deserving of accountability.   Hundreds of rioters on that day have had their cases adjudicated and almost 500 are reported to have been incarcerated.  ABC News link reports "Trump promises pardon for Jan 6 rioters on his first day...also told "Meet the Press the Jan. 6 committee members should be jailed."

"Supreme Court Grants Trump Broad Immunity for Official Acts, Placing Presidents Above the Law" as reported by this link:  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

Special Prosecutor, Jack Smith's legal case against Trump  "...dismissed "without prejudice", meaning charges could be refiled after Trump finishes his second term as president.  In his request to drop the election case, Smith wrote: "This outcome is not based on the merits or strength of the case against the defendant." Trump had pleaded not guilty in both cases." as this BBC link reports.

This Reuters link reports Jack Smith intends to step down from office before Trump becomes President according to the New York Times.

Voting results in 2024 for the Legislative Branch of government have given the President-elect's political party, the Republicans, a majority in the Senate and the House of Representatives. 

Seems voters denied our democratic republic's promise and freedoms with this 2024 election.   They possibly failed to  fully appreciate President Biden bringing calm and sanity to more of everyday life.   Perhaps with the steps to control and reduce inflation they didn't note this country's overall economic gains, considered best in the world for that unusual time that avoided a U.S. recession or even depression. 

The 46th Presidency of Joseph Biden's and Vice President Kamala Harris' four years leadership shepherded U.S. recovery from the unique circumstances of a global pandemic initially dismissed and minimized by the previous 45th President Trump until he acted much later, but that delay may have lead to the death of multitudes of U.S. citizens some have said.  

Another honest election in 2028 with viable candidates could have a positive effect toward more strongly supporting our democratic republic constitutional government which more informed voters by then can begin to reinforce in the 2022 mid-term election.   

What are some actions I and others can continue to take in the time ahead to best protect and ensure rights and freedoms for ALL of our citizens ...

.... support only those candidates who would preserve our rights and freedoms, swear allegiance to our constitution above any leader, defend our democracy to sustain our republic, and act only to do so,

.... support any of the coming 47th administration's actions that truly primarily benefit ordinary citizens as the wealthy are doing fine, 

.... always seek verifiable facts and truth from the source(s) of our news,

... use critical thinking to select only those in the Fourth Estate's honest press dedicated to verifiable truth and facts to believe, not that from social media, or conspiracy theories often riddled with propaganda including foreign government distortions and lies as is known to be occurring in our national elections, 

... carefully fact check this administration's words as past behavior indicates a great proclivity for stating inaccurate information, even about the obvious that is heard as well as seen by individuals' own eyes,

... trust what my eyes see, verify, not what others may describe to the contrary, 

... continue to believe words matter in reflecting the values, morals and beliefs of a person only if their actions reveal they live them; beware of hypocrites,

... practice civility, tolerance, respect, and love -- not hate and vindictiveness, especially in an autocratic leader's words and actions directed toward those who have different views,

... to be patient in order to survive what may well be chaos deliberately created by the new leader as occurred in the previous 45th administration, 

... keep the peace,

... stay positive in thought and spirit,

... focus on family, friends, and taking good care of our health, 

... seek humor in life to keep our sanity if these coming years are like 2016-2020.

I'm sure you have thoughts and suggestions of your own better than mine you could add.   

NIGHTMARE in November 2024 . . . . . .

I awoke the other morning with memories of a frightening nightmare filling my thoughts.  A familiar man's voice was uttering crude racist and belittling misogynistic words constantly ricocheting in my ears.  In my nightmare, my eyes swept my surroundings filled with the blurred faces of people whose hands pressed against their ears in a fruitless attempt to block the blaring sound and noise as I was trying to do.

Nearby I could see a slightly larger crowd including children, laughing, waving their arms encouraging this obnoxious man to keep shouting his obscenities.  "You love me, don't you!", he said to them.  Their unified voices responded, "Oh, yes!" 

"See, I can do and say anything I want", he said to his nearby cohorts who gave him smug smiles of approval they knew his ego expected, demanded.

I returned to the reality of the day -- our 2024 U.S. Presidential election results with the 45th ex-President to become the 47th President has had my mind reeling with questions about this nightmarish outcome.

We were just finishing a four-year respite with a welcomed degree of calm and sanity after the overwhelming daily chaos and noise from the 45th U.S. President.  That President has been thought by many to have given coded language's "dog whistles" to some fascist-like groups which seem to have interpreted his words as sympathetic to them.   Some of his own other words and actions have led many to see certain of his own ideas and behavior among those seduced by such a fascist ideology.  

During the years following the end of 45's 2016 term of office he successfully mustered enough voter support to receive a winning, over 50% of the popular vote for the first time, in the recent 2024 election. as well as winning the Electoral College votes.

Almost 50% of other voters, including me, were bewildered to appreciate his supporting voters intent when they embraced the apparent fascism our recently elected 47th U.S.President seemed to be promising.  They elected a man who many believe has demonstrated his racism, intolerance, and misogynism along with other undesirable moral, ethical and business practices reportedly throughout most of his life.

Did they not listen to his words or note his actions when he previously was President and when he campaigns?

Did his supporters not recognize the constitutional importance of maintaining the separation of church and state our constitution demands which he seems not to protect?

Did they not respect the right of women to control decisions about the health of their own bodies which he seems not to do?

Did they not believe he would act as he said he would which could undermine or weaken some of our constitution? 

Did they not believe he would obliterate a balanced rule of law and justice despite accusations of his own violations for which he is now not likely to be held accountable if warranted, as a consequence of action by his earlier SCOTUS appointments?

Did they not believe he would be intolerant of anyone whose thinking was different from his own as some allege he has demonstrated in the past?

Do his supporters actually believe in and trust a person who makes up facts, denies and distorts truth, prevaricates incessantly based on documentation of his words?

Did they not believe he would revert to instigating violence to achieve his end as many believe he did culminating in what some consider an insurrection on January 6, 2021?

Did he really mean there would be no more elections after his second 4 years if voters elected him, and why would that be true since our constitution specifies there will be every four years -- or is this just one more of his lies?  

Did voters not consider the meaning when he has reportedly demonstrated he expects everybody to have a primary allegiance to him over all else and is believed by many to have previously responded unfavorably to those who won't make such a commitment since everyone's oath, including him, is to the constitution -- not to a person or a political party?

Did they not know what it would mean in human terms when he said he would be a dictator the first day of his presidency?

Did they not understand what he is saying about women's right's when he said he would protect women whether they liked it or not?

Did they not recognize any fascist views he is expressing?

Did they not realize the dangers a fascist leader poses to everybody's freedoms, even lives, including their own?

Despite the lessons of history with fascist leaders as most recently occurred with another country's  invasion of Ukraine, or before that, WWII fought to preserve many country's independence, freedoms, including our own, save lives for which many sons, fathers, brothers, sisters, mothers, daughters died, also freeing those captive, still living, who had not been tolerated -- do they not know what fascism is? 

Definition:                                                                                                                                           "Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultranationalist political ideology and movement, characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition", ... as defined in Wikipedia.

I am left to consider the state of my beloved U.S.A. with this election painfully revealing there are far more of my fellow citizens in whom I am so disappointed, saddened, but alarmed, than I thought lived in our proud country which holds high ideals for the individual citizen.

A thought-provoking lead-in to a recent Guardian opinion article resonates with me now.  I believe this is a great country already, but the problem lies with the people, so I have slightly altered the wording:   

"Our mistake was to believe we lived in a" ...  country with more 'better people' ... "than we do".

IS FREE PRESS STIFLING BEGINNING ?

Is the Fourth Estate -- a press independent of government dictates -- a necessary vital check on truth and honesty in our form of government we expect our Presidential candidates to observe? 

Why aren't the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times Newspapers endorsing a Presidential candidate in this critical election year with the very state of our nation's democratic republic, constitution at stake?

Why would the practice of recommending candidates this election year suddenly be discontinued?

Do the billionaire owners of these two newspapers not respect editorial management's decision freedom? 

Are the billionaires aligning themselves defacto with one of the candidates?

Are we already seeing the beginning of the stifling of the free press? 

Isn't elimination of the press one of the goals of countries with dictators, autocratic leaders, despots who determine what constitutes news "facts" citizens receive?

Aren't these "facts" put forth as truth often actually lies from such leaders?  

Have we already been primed by one former President and candidate to accept lies as truth?  

Would we want such a leader to be the President of our country?  

Honor a Man Denying Truth or Honor Our Democratic Republic .....

 

Vice  Presidential candidates Gov.Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance revealed the core issue American voters need to consider I observed after viewing their refreshingly civil debate.

Unlike former Vice President Pence who refused to certify the 2020 election based on Trump citing the election was stollen which was untrue, Vance declined to say Trump lost the 2020 election.   

"Representative Ted Lieu, an impeachment manager in the second impeachment case against Mr. Trump, said that JD Vance’s comments on the transfer of power after 2020 election were disqualifying."  Read the Guardian article by clicking the link.   

What could happen after our 2024 election if Trump loses again and decides to repeat what lead to the January 6th debacle ..... insurrection? 

American voters have a 2024 election choice : "Who's gonna honor that democracy and who's gonna honor Donald Trump?" questioned Vice Presidential candidate Walz.