A Docked Russian Super Yacht

Reuters News Service is reporting the US government is spending more than $7,000,000 a year to maintain a Russian super yacht, the Amadea, that was seized by authorities in May 2022 when it made port in Fiji in 2022. The yacht was subsequently moved and is now and has been docked in San Diego ever since.


The super yacht was seized pursuant to a US warrant alleging it was owned by Suleiman Kerimov, a Russian multi-billionaire sanctioned by the US Treasury Department in response to Russian activities in Syria and Ukraine.

The big problem is that ownership of the yacht is under debate. Eduard Knudainatov, another very rich Russian, claims ownership. He is not under sanction by the US and, therefore, the US is claimed to have seized the yacht illegally. The issue is in US federal court.

The federal prosecutors told the court that the average monthly maintenance bill for the yacht sitting in dock has been $600,000 per month. Reportedly, this has been for both the yacht and crew expenses. Prosecutors claim the maintenance payments have been essential to preserving the Amadea’s value.

The feds want to auction the yacht and have asked the court to permit that. If the court determines Kerimov owns the yacht, that may be possible. If Knudainatov owns it, then auctioning becomes not possible.

If sold, it is said proceeds would be sent to Ukraine!

This whole story shows again the incredible stupidity of the Biden administration. US taxpayers have been paying $7,000,000 a year to maintain a yacht since 2022 docked in San Diego. There is no talk of reimbursing the US taxpayers even if the yacht is auctioned off…. And that is even in question.

If the court determines the ownership is really by Eduard Knudainatov, there is nothing but total loss to the US taxpayer. The yacht is released to return to Russia.

Yet another Biden boondoggle.

Justice Arthur Engoron’s Criminal Behavior

Today, Justice Arthur Engoron, in collaboration with New York Attorney General Letitia James, issued a $355 million judgment against Donald Trump and banned him from business in New York state for three years. In addition Donald Trump Jr and Erik Trump were banned from doing business in New York State for two years and fined $4 million each. There are only two words that properly describe the action of this judge: BULL SHIT.

The Trumps will immediately appeal this action. Engoron should be removed from the bench and disbarred. He announced the Trumps to be guilty of fraud before the trial even began. And James vowed to get Trump when she was running for office and before being elected. She, too, should be removed from office, charged with gross prosecutorial misconduct, and disbarred.

This injustice may have to reach the United States Supreme Court before being righted. It likely will not be in any New York state court including the state Supreme Court.

This was a trial with no victim and no crime… and no jury. The judge played GOD. All of this incredible mis-carriage of justice paints a clear picture of the state of the justice system in New York state. Totally corrupt. And totally run by Democrats.

Engoron and others are trying their best to bleed Donald Trump of resources in his run for President of the United States. Both Engoron and James are roaring Democrats. Honestly, I do not know how anyone can be a Democrat given the corruption in the Biden administration, the Democrat fraud that was committed in the 2020 election, and the corruption in virtually all courts controlled by Democrats.

The USA is in one hell of a mess all at the feet of Democrats with the help of a cadre of RINO Republicans. Is the Constitutional Republic going to survive. You make the guess.

Note I have said nothing about the hoards in illegal immigration and the disastrous foreign policy decisions and actions of ole Joe and his fellow travelers.

Voter Registration

Let’s see, the Tribune-Star (Terre Haute, IN) editorial writer in the column published in the Kokomo Tribune on the 8th thinks that for folks having never registered to vote before, it would be a burden or too complicated to ask they present some photo identification and some address-verifying mail to establish Indiana residency in order to register to vote. Well now, this sure sounds pretty complicated to me only if one concludes prospective voters are stupid or deceptive. The writer claims this requirement would apply most to young people and naturalized citizens who more than likely would vote Democrat.

The other way to get through this extremely complicated maze of registering to vote is to provide a copy of a driver’s license and the last four digits of their social security number along with their registration application. This too sounds really ominous and very difficult to do, especially if you are young and/or naturalized.

The truth is that nothing in the above is complicated or burdensome. Anyone with half a brain can figure it out.

The writer then goes on to say, “Indiana’s elections are secure, as are elections in every other state. Election fraud is rare.” Frankly, the writer must live under a rock. Even in very red Indiana, there is election fraud.

I am grateful the Indiana General Assembly is taking steps to assure voting in Indiana is fair and accurate. I would be happier if Indiana would return to paper ballots, one day voting at one’s home precinct, rare and justified absentee ballots, and hand signature ballot registration books (the only way to match signatures). I do think that one way to promote more eligible people to vote would be to declare a state holiday for a voting day. No work obligation for that one day.

What the General Assembly has done does make elections more secure. They just need to do more.

Peoples Osprey

Times change and new opportunities emerge. Substack is new to me, but it sure seems to be a path for me to be able to write what I want when I want. In eons past, I was able to write articles and columns for the Kokomo (IN) Tribune at will. You see, I was part of the family that owned that newspaper. I was either in top management or the CEO/Publisher of this then a 34,000 daily newspaper having about 185 employees and over 300 newspaper carriers. All employees were considered family. Together, we were designated the top newspaper in the USA for penetration (subscribers) of its market for 9 of 10 years running; and second the one odd year. On top of that, we were leaders in new technology in the industry. Times have changed since then…. and not for the good. Many communities now are news deserts without a local newspaper.

I do write a blog and have for many years: kentblacklidge.com. I will continue to post on it, but I have become rather erratic in posting. I know why. I no longer have and have not had the decision authority for decades about what goes into the Kokomo Tribune. Since my family sold the KT, this newspaper has passed through two group owners. It is now owned by a group (CNHI) that editorially is way too far left politically for me. The Managing Editor has published columns I have written from time to time, but I have given up that route. It felt constrained. In recent times, when the KT prints a column with which I disagree strongly, I typically will email the columnist directly. Again, constraint given no one else reads/knows my thoughts and writing directly has resulted in fewer blog posts. Not a good reason, but true.

On a national and state level, I write representatives directly. I intend to continue this but at the same time will post any letters to Substack and my blog. I have things to say even if no one else gives a damn about my opinions.

My interests are wide. I have indicated in Substack I would be particularly interested in politics, government, science, and the environment. These interests are not limited to local issues. They would include local, state, and national matters. And what credentials do I have to write about these areas: four degrees from Purdue University which are a BS Industrial Management, MS Conservation, MS Aquatic toxicology, and a Ph.D. in genetics. Those plus over 20 years in newspaper journalism.

In my opinion, honest and open communications between people is the glue that holds communities and countries together. The major media, print and electronic, in the USA have failed. They largely have become propaganda tools of the political left. It is up to us, individuals, to restore the integrity of news offered to the public. We must. I intend to do my part. The Peoples Osprey on Substack is open.

Kent Blacklidge Ph.D.
(kentblacklidge.com and peoplesosprey.substack.com)

Stay Healthy!

I have held on to this one for a long time. Ole Joe is telling us to stay healthy. In helping us to do so, he hired a new health secretary……. a man who believes he is a woman. He was Richard Lavine who was married and had two children (wait ’til you see them). He decided to become a woman with a new name: Rachael Lavine. In the process, old Joe fired a very qualified black secretary. Here you go…….

Lavine has a family. Thought you should see them as well……….

Does this make you a bit sick to your stomach??? Rachael is supposed to be telling us how to be healthy. He/She is obese as are his children. Don’t know about the dog in his/her arm. Give me a damn break. This is yet one more of ole Joe Biden’s marvelous decisions.

Joe and about all of the top of his administration really should be in jail. They are both crooked and incompetent or trying to make this country communist. They are taking the country down the tube. I am not sure the USA will survive until January 2025. That is in question. I just pray the military stays strong, reasonably independent, and ready to defend from foreign incursions. We already have millions and millions of military age males illegally in the country. What is the hell do you think they are doing. Working? Yep.

Humans

“It took most of human history for our  population to reach 1 billion—and just over 200 years to reach 8 billion. But growth has begun slowing, as women have fewer babies on average. When will our global population peak? And how can we minimize our impact on Earth’s resources, even as we approach 10 billion?” American Museum of Natural History

Now demographers are predicting human population on planet Earth will peak at about 10 billion. That is when birth rates and death rates are predicted to equalize. The big question is whether planet Earth can survive at this level of human beings. In his book, 10 Billion, Dr. Stephen Emmott, who is the head of Computational Research at MicroSoft Research, does not think so.

Emmott summarizes his conclusions on the last two pages of his book. “The biggest and most important experiment on Earth is the one we’re all conducting, right now, on Earth itself. Only an idiot would deny that there is a limit to how many people our Earth can support. The question is, is it seven billion (our current population [which is now 8 billion]) ten billion, or twenty-eight billion? I think we have already gone past it (at 7 billion). Well past it.”

“We could change the situation we are now in. Probably not by technologizing our way out of it, but by radically changing our behavior. But there is no sign that his is happening or about to happen. I think it’s going to be business as usual for us. As a scientist, what to I think about our current situation? Science is essentially organized skepticism. I spend my life trying to prove my work wrong or look for alternative explanations for my results. I hope I’m wrong. But the science points to my not being wrong. “

“As I said at the beginning, we can rightly call the situation we’re in an unprecedented emergency. We urgently need to do — and I mean actually do — something radical to avert a global catastrophe. But I don’t think we will. I think we’re fucked.”

The two most populated countries on Earth are China and India. Chinese population is estimated at a little over 1.4 billion. India’s population is also at a little over 1.4 billion. In comparison, USA population is about 332 million. The continent of Africa population is a little over 1.2 billion and growing. All ten countries with the highest birth rates are African with those in the Middle East being not far behind along with some in South America. And take a look at living conditions in most of those countries. Many at poverty levels.

What happens then? Population number pressure in one area results in pressure to migrate to areas of lower population and higher standards of living. We are seeing this worldwide which is causing major disruptions to countries and cultures. Look at Europe and the USA now. It is happening. The hordes are moving. And unless there is back pressure, it will continue.

Until we face head on the fact that Earth cannot support an ever increasing human population — or even the current population level — the planet is headed for biological collapse. The wisest decision is to find ways to gradually decrease human numbers and consumption levels and natural resource use over time, but no one appears to really take this seriously. Unfortunately, Dr. Stephen Emmott may be right…… “Fucked”.

Declaration

“…..Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”

I am wondering if we are coming close to a time again talked about in the Declaration of Independence? Our federal government is failing us. Many courts are corrupt and are political tools of the Democrats/Socialists/Communists. The residents of Washington DC vote something like 90% Democrat. They are the entrenched bureaucrats — the deep state — that have interest in larger and larger government to protect their own jobs. The Congress is mixed with many patriots, but just as many or more that want to feather their own nests and are corrupt. This includes about all Democrats and many RINOs including Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell. And I often have wondered how millionaires are made on Congressional salaries. And now we have a President who blatantly is corrupt along with his extended family. They are in fact openly criminals, but nothing has been or likely will be done about holding any to account under Department of Justice leadership. Even the move to impeach the President seems anemic.

The other elephant in the room issue threatening to sink the county is that of the illegal alien invasion of the United States. It is now up to an estimated 12-15 million illegal aliens now inside the country. Even major cities like New York and Chicago, who were openly “sanctuary cities”, are crying for more federal money and help. I say, too damned bad. You made your beds, now lay in them. In the end, if we are to survive as a country, there must be mass deportation of illegal aliens back to their countries of origin. No questions. No sympathy. Illegal border crossing = out.

Our country is failing. If patriots do not act soon, it may be too late. I have my doubts about waiting for the 2024 election. I think we are on the verge of a need to “alter or abolish” what we see before us now every day. I don’t like to think about armed action by citizens of the United States of America, but it may come to that. Hope that it does not have to.

American Flag

Victoria

In Indiana Congressional District 5, we have one tough woman, Victoria Spartz. Spartz in an immigrant to the United States in 2000 from Ukraine. She is a full US citizen, a business woman, and a very strong conservative in the Republican Caucus. We are extremely lucky to have her as our Representative. She is currently with the few who are trying to change the House of Representatives back to a routine that would require voting on separate funding bills rather than on one big bill to fund the entire US government. That is the way it used to be…. it put people on the record and allowed for close examination of what is being funded. Kevin McCarthy, the Speaker of the House has turned traitor and liar. He must go. Spartz is with those who believe new Congressional leadership is required. She is one of the few strong now.

Unstoppable!

Pres. Trump mugshot

He is coming for all traitors of the United States of America Constitution. This includes ole Joe Biden and his fellow travelers, the corrupt judges and DAs in courts, the top of the alphabet agencies of government, the RINOs, and many more. The political bloodbath will begin on inauguration day 2025.

The people have had enough.