Catching Up: A Look Back at November

I like to keep my Journal notes to personal events and inconsequential thoughts that, for whatever reason, stayed intact in my memory banks till the end of the month, on the presumption that if they lasted that long, they might be worth your attention.

However, when I sat down to write this piece, there was one thing on my mind that made it difficult to think about anything else. So, I’m going to start with that.

Not the election. I had and still have plenty of thoughts on that. But by now, you’ve had a chance to get your fill of such thoughts from your favorite news channels and political gurus, so I’ll hold off on putting in my two cents.

What I can’t stop thinking about is something that baffles me because it should be worrying everyone. Yet, it’s been almost entirely absent from the media. Nor have I heard a single word about it from my friends and family members.

The few that are discussing it are bloggers speaking from well outside the mainstream. And even in that territory, those who are speaking with what I believe should be the proper state of alarm are being largely ignored or dismissed as conspiracy theorists.

What am I talking about?

WWIII, obviously!

How the Hell Did We Get into This Mess? 

I don’t see how it’s possible to ignore the dramatic and dangerous escalation of the Ukraine/Russia war in recent weeks. Nor can I understand why no one seems to think that we are at an inflection point where a global war could be just weeks away, and that the war could easily include nuclear weapons.

To give you a sense of how I see it, I’ve constructed the following timeline (abbreviated from various sources) of what I believe are the significant points of escalation.

Please take a look and tell me if you think I’ve missed something:

1991: Ukraine Becomes Independent 
Shortly after the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine voted for independence. The Ukrainian people overwhelmingly supported becoming a sovereign state. Ukraine became the second-largest country in Europe by land mass, with a sizable population of ethnic Russians.

1994: The Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances Is Signed
The memorandum was an agreement between Russia, Ukraine, the US, and the UK in which Ukraine agreed to transfer all its nuclear weapons from the Cold War to Russia in return for the signatories’ agreement to honor Ukraine’s sovereignty.

2008: Russia Fights Ukrainian NATO Membership 
A NATO summit considered extending a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Ukraine. Putin objected to the idea – to NATO leaders publicly and to George W. Bush privately. NATO did not offer Ukraine a MAP.

2013/2014: Euromaidan Protests Prompt Sudden Change in Government 
After promising to work toward a relationship with the European Union, President Yanukovych began to orient Ukraine toward Russia. Widespread protests erupted, centering on Maidan Square in Kyiv. At least 130 people, primarily civilians, were killed. Yanukovych fled to Russia and the new leadership committed to orienting Ukraine towards the European Union.

2014: Russia Seizes Crimea, Creating International Outrage 
Russia seized Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula with a predominantly ethnic Russian population. The annexation was condemned by the United Nations and the European Union.

2019: Volodymyr Zelenskyy Elected President of Ukraine 
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a former comedian, won the presidency of Ukraine in a landslide. His party also won a majority of seats in Parliament. His campaign promises included ending the war with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine and rooting corruption out of the Ukrainian government.

2021: Putin Demands Security Guarantees 
Zelenskyy cracked down on pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs, including Viktor Medvedchuk, a close friend of Putin. Putin drastically increased the number of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border and demanded that Ukraine never be admitted to NATO. The Biden administration rejected Putin’s demand.

January 2022: Russia Recognizes Breakaway Ukrainian Regions as Sovereign 
Putin recognized the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk, which broke away from Ukraine in 2015, as independent and sent Russian troops there to “keep the peace.”

February 2022: Russia Invades Ukraine 
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, beginning with the eastern Ukrainian territory of Donbas. Zelenskyy declared martial law in Ukraine and broke off diplomatic ties with Russia.

September 2022: Ukraine Forces Russian Retreat 
After months of Russian encroachment, Ukrainian forces pushed the Russian military back, reclaiming over 1,000 square miles. In response, Russia attacked Ukrainian infrastructure, leaving many without power and water. And Putin outlined a plan to mobilize an additional 300,000 troops to reclaim the lost territory.

October 2022: Russia Annexes Four Ukrainian Regions 
Following questionable popular referendums in Ukraine, Putin annexed four regions of Ukraine – Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia. In response, the US and its allies sanctioned more than 1,000 Russian people and companies, on top of the significant financial penalties already imposed on the nation since the invasion.

October 2022: Crimean Bridge Explosion 
Russia’s bridge to Crimea – a peninsula in Ukraine that Russia had occupied since 2014 – was partially disabled following the explosion. Russia retaliated by launching missile and drone strikes across Ukraine, including civilian areas.

December 2022: Zelenskyy Visits the White House 
The Biden administration announced $2 billion in additional military assistance to Ukraine, including the Patriot missile system (which can bring down cruise missiles, short-range ballistic missiles, and aircraft) to improve Ukraine’s air defense against Russia. Weeks later, Zelenskyy visited Biden in the White House and addressed a joint session of Congress.

January 2023: Germany and US Gift Tanks to Ukraine 
The US and Germany committed to sending advanced battle tanks to help Ukraine in its defense against Russian forces.

February 2023: Biden Visits Kyiv 
Over Presidents’ Day weekend in the US, Biden flew to Poland and then took a train to Ukraine’s capital city as a show of support. In joint remarks with the Ukrainian president at Mariinsky Palace, Biden announced $500 million in additional military assistance.

February 2024: Additional US Aid for Ukraine Is Uncertain 
A Biden administration bill for more aid to Ukraine stalled in Congress after Republicans aligned with former US President Donald Trump to oppose further military assistance to Ukraine.

April 2024: House Approves New Aid for Ukraine 
The House marginally passed a foreign aid package that included more funding to aid Ukraine.

August 2024: Ukraine Launches Offensive in Russia 
Ukrainian forces launched a surprising incursion into Russia’s Kursk region near the border, the largest foreign attack on Russia since World War II, killing Russian soldiers and civilians, taking control of some Russian territory, and seizing thousands of drones and heavy weaponry.

October 2024: North Korea Joins Russia’s War Effort 
Officials from the US, Ukraine, and South Korea reported that North Korea sent 10,000 of its military personnel into Kursk to assist Russia.

Last Month: 
* President Trump was elected and repeated his promise of bringing a swift end to the conflict when he takes office in January.

* Zelenskyy congratulated Trump on his victory and the Russian ambassador to the UN said that Russia is open to negotiations to end the war if peace talks are initiated by Trump.

* Days later, Biden gave permission to Zelenskyy to start using American-supplied ATCAMS missiles capable of carrying different types of weapons, including cluster bombs. (These missiles are not only made in the US, but also require US personnel to launch them.)

* The Kremlin warned that the decision will add fuel to the fire and countered by sending an ICBM capable of carrying a nuclear warhead into Ukraine.

* Donald Trump Jr. tweeted that “the military industrial complex seems to want to make sure they get World War III going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives.”

* NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer said, and later denied, that NATO leadership was contemplating preemptive strikes on Russian territory.

* Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov responded, saying that Bauer’s comments represented an imminent threat to Russia.

* France’s Le Monde reported that NATO was discussing sending Western troops and private defense companies to Ukraine.

* The NYT reported that the Biden administration had discussed the possibility of arming Ukraine with nuclear weapons.

* Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev stated that Moscow “will consider any threat of nuclear arms being supplied to Ukraine by the US as preparation for a direct war with Russia.”

* The next day, he said that under article 19 of Russia’s new Fundamentals of State Policy in the Field of Nuclear Deterrence, such actions would justify Russia’s defending itself with nuclear weapons.

* Russian state media sources began publishing specs for the Oreshnik missile, claiming it flies at Mach 10+ and can reach 3,400+ miles in distance, which means all of Europe is within its reach, as well as many overseas US missile bases. For example: the US airbase in Kuwait (2,100 km, 11 minutes), the US airbase in Alaska (2,400 km, 12 minutes), Minuteman III missile silos in Montana (4,700 km, 23 minutes).

In this video, Jeffrey Sachs explains how the US and NATO provoked the war in Ukraine.

I don’t know how you see this, but to me it seems like the most serious military situation the US has been in since the Cuban Missile Crisis. And yet, like I said up top, nobody seems to be worried about it. What am I missing?

And now back to the mundanities of my quotidian life…

The Brilliantly Promoted Flop 

Like more than a million others, I spent the first half of last month looking forward to the Netflix special in which influencer and amateur boxer Jake Paul was going to stand in the ring with Mike Tyson.

Prior to the Nov. 15 event, Netflix put up a pre-fight “documentary” series (produced by Netflix and Jake Paul’s PR company) that provided clips of the two men working out – training, sparring, hitting the heavy bag – and speaking confidently about their expectations of winning.

In the training clips, Jake Paul looks like an amateur, whereas Tyson looks like the old ferocious and deadly Iron Mike.

After watching two episodes of the series, I had convinced myself that Tyson had a good chance of knocking Paul out. “All he needs to do is to step inside Paul’s range,” I thought, “like he always did when he fought taller opponents, and then unleash his powerful punches.”

And when the fight began, that looked to be Tyson’s game plan.

But there was a problem – one that could not have been figured out by watching the series. And that was Tyson’s legs. He didn’t have them.

As a result, Tyson was never able to get and stay close enough to Paul to deliver those lightning-quick and bone-crushing punches he’d been delivering so ferociously in training.

In the first round, he never got close enough to Paul to do his thing. By the end of the second round, it was apparent he wasn’t going to.

The bottom line was a highly effective but also highly misleading marketing campaign that resulted in a hugely disappointing boxing match.

I felt like a sucker for being persuaded that it would be a great match and for wasting my time watching it. At the same time, I could not stop myself from admiring Paul’s marketing. It was brilliant and the numbers it produced were insane:

* AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX, which “hosted” the fight, has a capacity of 80,000 people.

* VIP packages with ringside seats ranged from $5,000 to $25,000.

* 120 million viewers watched the Netflix live stream.

* Tyson took home around $20 million.

* Jake Paul took home around $40 million.

Thanksgiving in Nicaragua 

K and I spent the last two weeks of November with my sister and our three boys and their families at our home in Rancho Santana, Nicaragua.

As is the tradition at the resort, Thanksgiving Day began with a “Turkey Trot” at 7:00 a.m., which only the grandchildren participated in this year. That was followed, as always, by Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on TV, which we watched at the bar in the main clubhouse. After that, we watched the 2024 National Dog Show, and at 5:00 p.m. enjoyed a turkey dinner at Finca y Mar, the resort’s main restaurant.

I’m happy to say that a rising number of travelers are discovering this Central American country’s year-round surfing, quaint villages, and new hotels. Read all about it in this National Geographic article.

Update on My Weight-Loss Experiment with Semaglutide 

As I’m writing this, I’ve lost 25 pounds from my starting weight of 224, and, at 199, I am within three pounds of the target I set for myself three months ago. I’m back to fitting easily into the clothes I had to put aside two years ago because I couldn’t wear them without looking like a wrapped sausage.

The weight loss – in terms of the rate of loss – was virtually identical to what it was the last time I got my weight below 200. There were, however, two big differences. On the positive side, it was much easier this time because I didn’t have to restrain myself from the desire to eat. I simply didn’t have the desire. On the negative side, I feel like a greater percentage of the weight I lost was muscle weight, and my strength and stamina are less than they were after the first drop.

I’m hoping to obviate those disappointments by hard training and eating more protein. I’ll let you know if I do that.

I’m hardly alone in the success I’ve had. The use of semaglutide has increased exponentially in the past year. It was the top-selling drug in the US in 2023, with net sales of $13.8 billion. And that is only the beginning. A recent Harvard study published in JAMA Cardiology concluded that approximately 137 million adults, half the of the US population, could be eligible for the once weekly GLP-1 RA drugs. Click here.

‘Tis the Season… 

The Best Christmas Movie of All Time – Scientifically Speaking 

Earlier this month, Far Out Magazine published a study that judged 20 Christmastime classics by four criteria: Christmas References, Critical Acclaim, Financial Performance, and Festive Buzz.

Having racked up over a million mentions in social media, more than 5 million Google searches, and almost half a billion dollars in ticket sales, one totally silly and superficial movie stood out as the indisputable winner. Click here.

The 10 Worst Christmas Movies of All Time 

Ever since the movie industry began, filmmakers have been giving in to the temptation of making a popular Christmas movie. Some have succeeded but many have failed. Far Out Magazine took a look at more than 100 of the weakest ones and selected 10 that they say are “about as unforgivable as it gets.” Click here.

News and Views 

Just the Facts: The Hunter Biden Pardon 

At least three times since Hunter Biden was arrested for federal gun charges, President Biden told reporters that if Hunter were convicted, he would not pardon him. He said so once in response to a question put to him by ABC News anchor David Muir, again after Hunter was convicted, and again at the G-7 Summit in Italy.

In October, Trump said that Biden would probably pardon him. And on Dec. 1, as I was putting this issue to bed, Biden did just that.

As recently as Nov. 7, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden’s position had not changed. “We’ve been asked that question multiple times. Our answer stands, which is ‘no,’” she said.

Then on Sunday night, Biden did exactly what Trump predicted he would do and pardoned Hunter.

Here are impressions from Politico, the Wall Street Journal, Axios, and Fox News.

If the pardon were of Hunter’s convictions of the federal gun charges, this wouldn’t be an issue.

But the pardon was much broader than that, dating back from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024. The reason for that is simple: Biden wanted to protect not just his son, but himself from being charged with crimes for running an influence peddling scam that brought the Biden family — through Hunter Biden — tens of millions of dollars from Russia, Ukraine and China while Biden was vice president to Barack Obama.

Ben Shapiro, who understands this story better than anyone I’ve read so far, explains all this very concisely here.

Argentina Posts First Financial Surplus in Decades 

After bringing inflation down from 25.5% in Dec. 2023 to just 2.7% 11 months later, Argentina’s new Prime Minister, Javier Milei, announced that the country had accumulated a budget surplus of AR$523.4 billion (about $500 million in US dollars). “It’s all part of the whacky libertarian’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to deficit spending,” Joel Bowman writes in Notes from the End of the World, “which, to the ill-concealed shock of squirming Keynesians the world over, appears to be working. Click here.

Malcolm X Lawsuit: Revenge of the Daughters 

Malcolm X’s three daughters filed a $100 million federal lawsuit on Nov. 15 against the CIA, FBI, and the New York Police Department, alleging these agencies were complicit in the 1965 assassination of the civil rights leader. Malcolm X rose to prominence as a lead figure in the Nation of Islam. He was shot to death almost one year after a bitter high-profile split with them. Click here.

Trudeau’s $9 Million Bet on Edible Crickets 

Just two years after the Trudeau government put up nearly $9 million to help build the world’s largest edible cricket factory, the facility is dramatically cutting staff and production in what they say is an extended retooling. Aspire Food Group, which cut the ribbon last year on a 150,000-square-foot factory, has laid off two-thirds of its workforce and significantly cut back shifts, saying they need to make “some improvements to their manufacturing system.” Click here.

Let’s Hear It for the Taliban! 

The Taliban in Iraq had a good November. First, they pushed an amendment to their marriage laws that would make it legal for nine-year-old girls to get married. Then, in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of humanity, they were invited by the UN to attend its climate conference, COP29. And finally, Columbia University undergraduates gathered on a school lawn on Veterans Day to honor the memory of their favorite war veteran, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Click here and here and here.

Yesterday’s News: The Pogrom in Amsterdam” 

No, it wasn’t – as the NYT and the AP wanted you to believe – a fight between football fans.

It was a pogrom. And a predictable one. I’m writing this the day after it occurred. By the time this issue is published, I’m confident that for the mainstream media in the US, Australia, Canada, and Western Europe, it will be a 24-hour story and forgotten.

But to Jews that live in Amsterdam, it’s another chapter of an ongoing and escalating antisemitic assault on the Jewish community there by gang members populated by the 700,000 Islamic North Africans that the Netherlands welcomed into their country from 1997 to 2020.  Click here.

The Right-Wing Conspiracy Theory That Wasn’t 

Remember the violent protests that took place in England in July and August after a man stabbed to death three young girls attending a dance workshop in the seaside town of Southport?

According to social media posts at the time, the killer was a Muslim immigrant. But that was fake news, the government and the BBC reported, racist propaganda promoted by “far right thugs” who wanted to blame and target Muslims “because of the color of their skin.”

Several months later, it’s been revealed that those social media posts were true.

UK police now say that Axel Radakubana, the man now accused of the mass murder, was indeed a Muslim migrant. Radakubana, 17 at the time, was arrested at the scene of the stabbings. Shortly after the arrest, police searched his house and found an al-Qaeda training manual titled Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants and quantities of ricin, a deadly biological toxin. Click here.