Author: Gianni Franco

If you are reading this you may ask yourself, “Does Gianni Franco think about things like this on a daily basis?” The answer is yes, since my mind rarely rests.

Finally you can put this stupid question that you hear all the time to rest by following the simple process of logic. The answer is simple because the chicken came first. The egg is an inherent byproduct of the reproductive cycle of the chicken due to evolution. The egg cannot reproduce on its own without the chicken to produce it.

Analogy – Did the baby come first or the human? The human of course. The baby is the inherent function of the reproductive cycle of the human due to evolution. Without the reproductive cycle of the human, the baby cannot be formed and eventually be born. As such, the egg of the chicken cannot come to exist without the chicken.

The eggshell is the byproduct of reproduction and excessive calcium in the chicken. The baby chicken/yolk encapsulates itself with the eggshell as does the placenta in the human.

Please do not use the argument that the egg mysteriously appeared to form a chicken because that does follow the process of logic. Some of you may use that theory and you have a right to believe it to be true, but it is not. Thank you for reading and hope that you can appreciate that I have cleared up the chicken and egg question in one page. If you would like additional information on human birth or eggs please feel free to use Google. – Gianni Franco

|A Mother’s Dying Breath| |Micro Fiction| by Gianni Franco

It was a cold September day in Upstate NY. The leaves on the trees had already begun to surrender their jovial green to autumn’s overbearing orange. The large living room window overlooking the lush green lawn remained closed due to the cold bustling wind.

The living room in the one story home was decorated with white tile floors that blended into white walls. It no longer felt like a home, more like a hospital. The incessant smell of vinyl, latex, and urine lingered throughout. The only two sounds in the room came from the oscillating fan and the ventilator; the latter clicked every thirty seconds followed by a steady hum refilling the canister; the former had a constant buzzing that alternated left and right clearing the smell from the living room that always returned.

Anne lay motionless in a morphine trance on the cold gray vinyl mattress that sat atop the portable hospital bedframe. The bulky contraption resembled a large crib with the bed rails raised. A crib that once prevented her from leaving her bed as a child had grown much larger but had the same effect. Anne’s appearance was much different now as a frail senior but just as helpless as when she once a child.

Death was imminent and no medical miracles could be performed. Only one short month ago the scenario was much different. Anne was walking, talking, and able to feed herself adequately. The visiting nurse, whose bright blue name tag read Raquel, came during the week to offer her assistance and check Anne’s vitals. Twice a week Raquel would say the numbers out loud without emotion and then scribble them onto her notepad.

“120 over 80 – Check. Temperature – 98 – Check. Pulse – 65 – Check. Glucose – 80 – Check. All looks good.”

“That’s good to hear. Thank you Raquel. How long before things change or do you think she will get better?” I hesitantly asked.

“That is difficult to say. Everyone is different. She could be good today but tomorrow could be a completely different scenario. Typically health will decrease gradually like a downward slope rather than all at once. To be honest with you, I don’t think she will ever be ok. You have to be ready for the change. One thing that’s certain is you can never predict the change.”

“Thank you for the advice and information. I’ll monitor her health as best as I can. I really wish I was a nurse. If I was a nurse I could predict the change and help her.”

“There’s nothing you can do. She’s on her own now. I’ve seen all types of sick people and they are all different. I can assure you that when things start to change with Anne you will know.”

Raquel paused for a moment and looked out the large window. Her fixed trance led me to believe she was in deep thought. I hoped that her next words for me would be positive but they were not.

“I have some bad news for you. I will no longer be coming to check Anne’s vitals. Home hospice has been cancelled and will no longer pay for services. The services are now to be rendered by the caretaker in the home and that is you.”

“Why? I don’t understand. I need you here to help me,” I pleaded.

“Unfortunately, Anne’s vitals no longer need to be documented. Anne has reached the point of no return. You will be fine. Just make her comfortable and keep her hospital bed facing the window for sunlight. Stay strong and don’t be afraid to give her more morphine. You can adjust the amount higher as the need arises.”

I started shaking my head and sarcastically shouted, “Is that your last piece of advice for me? Morphine and stay strong?”

Raquel looked at me with no emotion and said only one word before she left. “Yes.”

I slammed the door shut and sat back down next to Anne with my hands cupped over my face. I could not be upset with Raquel. She was just a nurse doing her job, which she had done for hundreds of deaths before Anne. I was weak and bestowed upon myself a false sense of friendship with the nurse. I envied her strength and knew she could help me but that was not her job. Raquel was my only outlet to the outside world beyond these white walls because I had no friends.

I looked at Anne’s glossy eyes and asked, “Why did you do this to me? Why did you do this now?” I hoped for a response that obviously never arrived as I hung my head low and closed my eyes.

Each day that passed was harder than the previous one. The downward slope of health that the nurse suggested had begun in full force. An urban myth said that if you add more morphine to a patient they will suffer less and die quicker, so I dabbed heavy amounts into her mouth. That myth was later debunked by the family physician.

I ran back and forth from the bathroom to the living room to grab cold compresses for her forehead. That action turned out to be another pathetic attempt by me to comfort her. I created a myth that cold water would bring her back but in reality she could no longer feel. That became evident as I held her ice cold hand for a brief moment.

Anne’s ability to breathe drastically changed for the worse as well. Each completed breath had a one minute interval. I tried to move her in hopes of bringing up her breathing rate and as I lifted her torso I heard and felt multiple ribs crack in my hand. At that very moment her breathing turned into a gurgling suffocation that echoed loudly within the room for the next twelve hours. Anne’s last breath arrived and departed as I held her cold lifeless hand at 2:30 pm that day.

Gianni Franco

|Our Last Conversation| |Micro Fiction| |The Story of Two Lovers|

It was mid-July and an unbearably humid evening. The Gulf of Mexico too warm for a refreshing swim. The waves barely touched the talcum powder beach as dusk arrived and low tide began to set. We sat beside each other silently staring into the dark black horizon. Every few minutes we would point at shooting stars and blinking red beacons.

The silence broken by the loud snap of two cans of beer opening.

“Baby, I’m so glad we were able to make it to the beach tonight,” Chrissy said smiling.

“Yeah, me too. It’s relaxing and this beer tastes great,” I said with a hint of sarcasm.

“Well, don’t be negative baby. The beer is not that bad and it’s cold.”

“Yeah. I guess you’re right. It’s going down like water,” I replied with a smile.

“Try and take it easy tonight and please don’t get drunk again,” Chrissy pleaded.

“Stop Chrissy! Just stop! Don’t tell me what to do!”

I became more and more irritated as I finished my sixth beer within an hour. I was getting drunk and nothing was going to stop me. I reached deep into my cargo shorts and pulled out a flask filled with whiskey. The drinking was the only way I could cope with my depression, which had become deep in the last few days.

“Ahh. That hit the spot! I needed some of the strong stuff,” I said as I drank half the flask in one gulp.

“Why did you do that baby? You have to take it easy John. I’m worried about you.”

“I’m fine and I can do what I want. Stop telling me what to do! Stop!” I demanded.

“Your words are starting to slur John. You know I care about you. I miss our old times when we were happy together and you didn’t drink as much. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

“If something happens to me then don’t worry. I really don’t care. I am over all of this. All this life. All this crap. I don’t fucking care anymore! Fuck it all!”

“Don’t say that baby. Let me give you a hug John.” Chrissy said as she moved closer.

“I don’t want your hug. You have cheated and lied to me too many times. I am done!” I yelled as I drank my ninth beer.

“I’ve made mistakes but I didn’t mean to hurt you. You have done worse to me,” Chrissy said in retaliation.

“What do you mean I have done worse? Nothing can compare to you cheating on me” I said as I grabbed the flask and another beer.

“John! You are an asshole and a drunk. How do you not remember what you did to me? You ruined my life.”

“I did nothing to you Chrissy.”

“I can’t deal with you anymore John. I can’t deal with all the pain anymore.”

“You have no pain Chrissy. I do,” I said as swigged from flask.

“You are drunk and as always you never remember anything.”

“Fuck you Chrissy!”

“No fuck you John. You raped me and I cannot deal with you or this life any longer.”

“What? I did not rape you.”

“Yes you did. It’s time for me to leave John. I need peace. I need to be alone. I needed to be loved. Goodbye.”

Chrissy got up from her seated position and began to slowly walk towards the Gulf. She passed the first sandbar and then continued past the second.

I repeatedly call to her, “Come back Chrissy! Where are you going? Come back. Don’t do this Chrissy.”

She continued to walk. Each step she took submerged another portion of her body. Her calves, then her thighs, then her chest, and then nothing.

“Chrissy! Chrissy! I love you Chrissy!” I continued to call out as I sprinted into the water.

I reached the location where I saw her last but could not find her. I called out her name relentlessly and received no response. I looked up and all I could see was darkness for miles. There was no horizon, the water infinite, and no Chrissy. I turned and walked back to the beach, sat in the sand, and continued to stare at the abyss until sunrise. I hoped she would come up from the water when the sunlight shined but she did not.  This would be our last conversation and her final day became my first day of sobriety.

Saudi Arabia. Trump ran on the platform about banning Muslims and making America great again. Although I do not agree with the ban, Trump is actually making Muslims great again and not America. No single payer healthcare for the American people or tax reform but Saudi Arabia gets a weapons deal.

Oh look the Trump supporters have been duped again but none of the alt-right news stations report it as such nor do his Facebook supporters mention it. You are all delusional just as you were when you voted for him. He played on your every conspiracy theory and you fell for it. You never voted for a Conservative or a Republican. You voted for a landlord that got a TV show called The Apprentice. Trump is the furthest thing from Ronald Reagan and insulted Reagan by stealing a line that Reagan frequently used, ‘Make America Great Again.’

During the Memorial Day weekend when Veterans were being honored Trump signed a $350 billion deal with Saudi Arabia. The same Saudi Arabia that partially sponsored and funded the 9/11 attacks. Of that $350 billion, $110 billion is immediately available to Saudi Arabia as a weapons deal. If you thought this President couldn’t make any more mistakes he trumps himself. Let’s sell more weapons to the Muslims and then they can use those weapons against the US.

I am certain that when the shipment is delivered to Saudi Arabia a good percentage of those weapons will be delivered to the hands of the terrorists. If Saudi Arabia helped fund 9/11 I am also certain they currently fund ISIS, Al-Qaeda, and other Islamic terrorist factions. Don’t send a comedic reality television star to do a President’s job. Why didn’t America just vote for Kim Kardashian?

Germany. You would think it couldn’t get any worse but it did. Trump arrived in Germany and told them that they need to pay more to NATO in order to have NATO’s protection. He also stated that the German cars will need to be taxed more as an import to the United States. If Germany decides not to pay the tax then all imports should be halted. In great linguistic fashion of a six year old Trump called Germany, ‘bad, very bad’. What’s more ironic is he told the Germans no deal but most of his votes came from the alt-right which includes the KKK and Nazi Reform Party based on old German ideals.

Trump destroyed the alliance that Germany and Europe once had with the United States making Trump and America an international disgrace. It will be interesting to see if Germany aligns itself with Russia in the coming years, with the rest of Europe to follow. Trump is making America great again just like it was in the 1950s, Bel-Air and war. The only exception is the egomaniacal inexperienced narcissist has a Twitter account that he doesn’t know how to use professionally.

Climate Change. Trump did not stop there and then arrived in Sicily and told the G7 that he does not want to participate in the Paris Agreement that combats climate change even though 194 other countries participate. A fact is that the United States is 2^nd to China for carbon emissions and now has pulled out of an agreement to make the global environment cleaner. These types of actions are typical pompous and idiotic moves that we have been consistently shown by Trump from day one.

Pope. Prior to the G7 he met with the Pope and none of the communication between the two was released other than, ‘he is something’ and ‘I will not forget what you said.’ There were no top secret meetings with the Pope and the best they could come up were the two prior statements. The two statements are much shorter than his typical 140 character rants on Twitter.

Trump. What is wrong with the President? The answer is everything. His future failure in the President’s chair will forever change politics and no independent will ever be considered again. One person can ruin it for the rest and in the process take everything else down with him.

http://www.giannifranco.com 

1. Suicide is portrayed as a simple way out of stressful situations
2. The writers of the show excuse Hannah, the main character, from any fault to committing suicide as long as the blame upon others is vaguely justified
3. Mr Porter, the school counselor, is portrayed as being at fault even though he offered Hannah ample opportunities to press charges for rape
4. Hannah is portrayed as being weak so she does not have to address any of the issues she is confronted with during her daily activities outside or inside of school
5. Justin who comes from the abusive and drug addict family does not commit suicide but Hannah from the good family does take her life
6. Hannah when approached in an honest manner by Zach to date; she shrugs him off aggressively for no reason and that action is justified
7. Hannah is exploited by Tyler during the lesbian scene but Hannah never owns up to experiencing the lesbian experience. Again it is Courtney’s fault for not continuing the make out session or the relationship. Hannah does not get her way so she is hurt. There are plenty of LBGTQ people in high school that do not commit suicide.
8. Tyler may or may not shoot up the school at some point in the series. He is an aggressor but will be justified for his actions because of how his aggressions were rebuked by his fellow students.
9. The parents forgive and hug Hannah from losing the rent money but Hannah still feels overwhelmed because she was forgiven and has a loving family.
10. Hannah dialogues all 13 tapes before her suicide even though in a typical scenario that would be a therapeutic mental exercise. An individual would have had her or his burdens relieved after spending thirteen hours documenting every single situation in their lives. Journals are typically suggested by psychologists for people that are suffering from any mental issue. She went beyond a journal and actually recorded 13 hours of why she was hurt and could have resolved the issues with herself or a psychologist verbally.
11. The school is being sued for the suicide of a student when in fact the school has nothing to do with an individual’s choice. Suicide is the most decisive and personal decision any human being can make in their life. They know the results of their actions at the point of decision. They know there is no turning back and the outcome will be fatal. The writers lay blame again on something or someone else to justify Hannah’s suicide.
12. Hannah is voted as having the best ass in school but instead of taking that as a compliment she turns any positives into a negative.
13. Tony, the gay Spanish male, is the support for all of the students and has no inclination to commit suicide. He has a life that is harder than Hannah or any other student. He is a gay brown skinned teenager in a school of mostly whites with a dominant father. The other families including Hannah have supportive loving families. The only other exception is Justin who lives in a broken home with a drug addict mom and abusive drunk boyfriend. Neither Tony nor Justin have any inclination to commit suicide. giannifranco.com

Conclusion:

Each generation has their issues with teen suicide. When I was growing up suicide was trending as well. So much so that the movie Heathers was at the theaters and everyone wanted to watch it. The movie was about how cool suicide was and the goal was for each student to outdo the other to get more attention after their death.

I understand there are problems in any high school. I went to high school and it was not a fun time for me either. Yes, I was bullied. Yes, I was made fun of on numerous occasions. Yes, there was abuse. I will not elaborate on the abuse in this article. Yes, my home life was horrible. I didn’t even have real friends. Based on my life the writer would have had me commit suicide as an easy way out because everything around me was so bad. I obviously did not commit suicide and my life was worse than all of them except for the Justin and Tony.

Suicide is obviously a serious scenario for anyone that is directly affected by that action. The memories and devastation suicide causes to family and friends can last a long time, sometimes even a lifetime. 13 Reasons Why downplays the effects on family and friends and makes suicide acceptable as long as there is someone to blame. If that was the case then everyone should commit suicide whether in high school or adulthood. We all have problems and we all must deal with them but when you come from a great family with a great support structure there is no need to write a story that plays on the faults of others to justify suicide as an easy escape from life and its problems.

Furthermore, society blames those that commit suicide as being flawed and mentally ill or unstable. That humiliation is unfair to the individual that has passed away. Perhaps the person that committed suicide had more strength than most to escape this life that we all must endure every day. Perhaps that person was more intelligent than all of us because he or she knew the remainder of their life was not worth living. They made a conscientious decision to the end their lives whereas most of us are too afraid to even think about or just abuse drugs and alcohol as a method to a slow suicide. What is wrong is that we selfishly forgive them and selfishly blame them for leaving us. If they were actually our loved ones we would accept their choice and not be mad at them or blame them for their choice. People who commit suicide should be respected for doing something that most of us cannot accomplish. Sometimes the grass might be greener on the other side and everyone should not assume that everything in this world is as good as it seems. www.giannifranco.com

President Trump went from Making America Great Again to making America sad again. I had high hopes for him to succeed since he was the elected President. Note to self; never bet on an underdog. He has held office for over 100 days and the future looks bleak at best. I have been told by people that they voted for Trump because the other option, Hillary Clinton, was much worse. I thought about their logic for a couple days arguing the pros and cons with myself and the reasoning does not make sense. The most simplistic way to explain this logic is in this example:

I needed to get my car serviced. I did my research for the most experienced mechanic in the area and then took my car to their shop to get serviced. That is the most logical thought process that most or all people take when in need of a mechanic. Another option could be to ask friends and relatives for a good mechanic. You certainly do not take your car repairs to the local pizzeria and hope they can fix it. They make pizza not fix cars. You can substitute the term mechanic with anything; use doctor, lawyer, dentist, chef, construction, accountant, etc…

Let’s correlate this thought process with the Presidential election:

America needed a qualified President to run the nation domestically and globally. America decided to pick a comedic reality television star with absolutely zero experience in politics, government or military. He never even held a local council position. Trump probably didn’t even take any political science courses while acquiring his education. Let’s see if there could have been a friend recommendation for Trump. The answer is emphatically, No. Trump had such a lack of experience in politics that no one in his political party supported him throughout the Presidential race.

Let’s recap:

Americans will hire a qualified mechanic to work on their cars but did not hire a qualified candidate to run their country. The current President is a loose cannon that uses simplified words such as great and good to get his points across to the public. Does he think he is speaking to a public whose average age is six years old so he condescends with small words? Yes.

He has threatened the former FBI Director, James Comey, with a release of taped recordings. This is the same Comey who refused to mix politics with the FBI. Seems the new rule by Trump is that if you don’t mix politics with the FBI then you are fired just like a dictatorship. Trump leaks classified information to Russia during a meet and greet instead of in a professional manner behind closed doors with his security advisors and then fires Comey the next day. What a grand coincidence. Ironically, no one should know about classified information but yet everyone knows.

He attempts to convey all his messages in 140 word tweets, which is absolutely ridiculous. Any of us who tweet regularly know that scenario just does not work. He has attempted to put a halt to daily briefings in true Nazi form. I suppose some of his supporters, including David Duke from that sect of American society, will applaud him.

The new health care act will fail resulting in unaffordable rates for people over the age of 50 and those with pre-existing conditions. Young people will certainly not take the insurance and if they do buy the insurance their lower rates will not be subsidize the older people on individual plans. Taxes will be only reduced for the rich, while everyone else pays more to subsidize the millionaires. The CEO of Aetna stated single payer should be discussed nationally as was Medicare in 1965. Single payer is the only solution since all other attempts have failed. http://www.giannifranco.com

The Future:

Sean Spicer will quit the daily briefings because he no longer can take the pressure from the haphazard Administration. You can only sidestep lies for so long before you can no longer respond. That scenario probably intertwines to Trump’s threat to stop the daily briefings. Trump’s angle is that it is better to have a dictator-type administration and not communicate with the public rather than to inform them with side stepping lies that build upon other lies. A saying we were all told as children, “Don’t tell white lies because they will catch up with you.”

Trump may quit the Presidency or have his one or two closest friends in politics set him up to withdraw amicably. Note he has no other friends in politics. Trump may get into legal trouble and that will negatively impact his Presidency forcing his removal. His shotgun approach to international issues may ruin his presidency as well. If he initiates a nuclear world war or additional bombings of countries where we do not belong his domestic political retribution will be severe.

He will fail as Julius Cesar failed in his last year in office. Do not get this confused; I am not comparing President Trump to Julius Cesar. Cesar is an example of a leader beloved by all who was politically destroyed and assassinated by his closest allies. Trump will probably not literally be removed fatally like Cesar but he may be politically assassinated by his allies within government. You can sense this scenario currently occurring because Trump has no experience and relies on his staff to give him advice. When given the wrong advice he will spiral into certain failure. This is not a conspiracy theory since those theories do not exist. It is a logical thought process that can occur by his enemies within government, as did with Julius Cesar.

Conclusion:

America, you signed up for this, and now must reap its false rewards. Next time you decide to vote; look for a candidate with experience if you don’t like the opponent. Do not just vote for a candidate because it is your only option. It is your right not to vote. There were other options and you did not have to pick the comedic reality star who grew up as a child with a $200 million bank account. Most Americans grow up with .001% of that number which is $2000. At best, if Trump wanted to be involved in politics he should have just acquired a talk show on Sirius XM.  www.giannifranco.com

This interview with President Donald Trump took place on Friday February 17^th 2017; exactly 30 days after Inauguration Day, at the Mar-a-Lago Resort in Palm Beach, FL. I was flown into Fort Lauderdale, FL by way of private jet that was supplied by the Trump family. After landing, a Presidential limousine picked me up and brought me to a helicopter that took me to the Mar-a-Lago estate. I was escorted to the front door of the mansion and instructed to immediately begin the interview at 3 am. Below is a portion of the interview that took place with Donald Trump the President for approximately fifteen minutes; rewritten word for word from a voice recorded session. I may or may not publish the additional portions of the interview.

Craig Anfinno: Thank you for meeting me Mr Trump. I mean President Trump. My name is Craig Anfinno. How does it feel to be President of the United States?

Trump the President: Well, Mr Anfinno, It feels good, very good. I’m king of the world right now so it feels great. I’ll be honest with you. I wasn’t expecting this surprise but it is good. It’s great. I’m number one. I like that feeling.

Craig Anfinno: Please call me Craig, Mr President. Do you have many friends in Washington? The only reason I ask is because no one supported you to your road to the Presidency.

Trump the President: It’s a fair question Craig. I really don’t give an F about friends. I don’t give a crap. I’m President and if they don’t follow me then they will be in trouble and so will the rest of the country. I’m the guy. I’m the man in power.

Craig Anfinno: Do you think the lack of friends in Washington will stop your or this party’s progress?

Trump the President: No I don’t think so. I’m the guy. They have to respect that now. Will it stop progress? Maybe, but what do I care; I’m still rich and will be rich when this is all over. If Washington screws up then oh well. No different than before, right?

Craig Anfinno: I suppose Mr President but it will be your legacy on the line if you are or are not a success. If you fail then you will be viewed as a failure forever.

Trump the President: Really? I didn’t think about that outcome. We businessmen don’t think 20 or 30 years out. We only think a few months or couple years out. Have you read Let’s Make a Deal; I mean The Art of the Deal?

Craig Anfinno: Yes I have read it. It was ok.

Trump the President: Did you know it was number one? That book is exactly how I will run government.

Craig Anfinno: Did you know if you can’t make a deal then the government shuts down and then you affect 300 million people. It’s not about real estate or negotiations because the government doesn’t work that way.

Trump the President: Really? That is so weird. So weird. It should be quick with the deal making like building a golf course or a building. You know what I mean?

Craig Anfinno: I do but that’s not how government works. You will soon learn how it works. It may get ugly without political friends because you have to please so many people. It is completely opposite of the process that you are used to when dealing with a building inspector. Are you ready for that situation?

Trump the President: I am because I am the President. You can’t say no to me. By the way, I want to thank you for this interview.

Craig Anfinno: You are welcome. Let’s move on because they can say no to you. You are not a dictator. We have three branches of government and checks and balances. If you can; please elaborate on your resume for President?

Trump the President: Well, I ran on the ballot, traveled the country, and made speeches.

Craig Anfinno: I mean your prior resume. An example is a senator, governor, mayor, councilman etc.

Trump the President: Oh, I got ya. I negotiated contracts for new and old buildings. I obtained loans from banks. I also did comedic drama for The Apprentice on NBC. You remember that show Craig? I used to fire people and I was funny and the drama was the firing part. That was a good gig. Easy. Very easy.

Craig Anfinno: Yes I do remember. Was there any other political experience? I am just trying to be fair here because you didn’t mention any other experience.

Trump the President: Yes. I did go to dinners and I was on the Howard Stern show as well as other shows. I wasn’t political but I did comedy and shook hands with people. Isn’t that how politicians actually work at their jobs?

Craig Anfinno: No Sir. There is no comedy in Washington and it is not fun. You can fire people and that could have other serious effects because they are not on a TV show. They are actually working within the government to create laws and get them passed that affects 300 million people.

Trump the President: Hmm. That is very interesting Craig. I promise I will figure it out or someone in my Party will figure it out.

Craig Anfinno: Can you rely on your party members since you have no government experience?

Trump the President: I suppose I can. I can fire them and keep hiring people that agree with me.

Craig Anfinno: Sir that is not how it works. What you just described is a dictatorship. In the USA you can’t fire everyone. There is a voting process. Remember the checks and balances thing I mentioned before in our conversation? Plus if you don’t hire the right people or make the right decisions you affect 300 million lives plus possible global repercussions. Did you know that Sir?

Trump the President: Global? Why are you talking about global?

Craig Anfinno: The USA is part of the global community and is a leader globally. Any actions you take in America affects the other 8 billion people in the world. Did you not know that?

Trump the President: I did know that. I’m just saying it will be great and I will fix everything.

Craig Anfinno: Moving on Sir. How will you handle North Korea?

Trump the President: Easy question. Thank you Craig. I will nuke them and everyone else around there just like Truman did back in the day.

Craig Anfinno: Mr President are you sure about that answer? You can’t just nuke countries because there are severe repercussions, especially innocent lives and nuclear fallout. Are you sure?

Trump the President: Yes I’m sure. I make the final decision but I have a great team that will figure it out.

Craig Anfinno: What if no one on your team likes you? Do you remember Julius Cesar? He was killed by his close confidents.

Trump the President: Yes I will nuke them, bomb them, and remove them from the map. I am President of the World. It will be fine. My team you ask? I am not concerned with them or Julius Cesar. Cesar controlled Rome; I control the World. It’s all about winning at all costs like The Art of the Deal or Charlie Sheen.

Craig Anfinno: Ok. Let’s move on. How do you feel about the Middle East and Syria? What will you do with them?

Trump the President: I will nuke them, bomb them, and remove them from the map. If you screw with America then you will pay the price of the toll.

Craig Anfinno: Sir, there are no tolls. There are innocent lives. Killing people like Truman did in the past does not make for a successful future. We are a global economy and having global allies is important. Do you understand that ideal?

Trump the President: I do but nuking and bombing will fix everything. We will just destroy everything and then start over again like 1960. That was the time when America was great. I’m better than Regan, better than Truman, and better than Kennedy. It will all work out.

Craig Anfinno: What if it does not work out?

Trump the President: Well, I guess I don’t care. I have so much money that me and all my fellow rich people will survive any war hiccups, nuclear or not.

Craig Anfinno: Ok. So you have no friends in politics, no experience, and no knowledge of government. How do you see yourself after four years in office?

Trump the President: You know, I am just going to go with the flow. I’m not being fake. I can’t predict that far in advance nor do I want to. Could be bad; could be good; could be even. If people get out of line then I will take care of them with force or without force. Again, I am President. I have protection, bunkers, planes, helicopters, and money. I’ll be fine with a hiccup. The Captain of the ship is the only one left after everyone else falls off. I will make sure I will be the only one left except my ship won’t sink. I’ll have a separate ship.

Craig Anfinno: Wow. Ok. Thank you for the interview and thank you for your time. I am going to go now and I wish you and your team the best.

Trump the President: Why are you going so soon?

Craig Anfinno: Our time is up and you have explained enough of your priorities. I feel it is best that we do not continue any longer and I thank you for your time. Have a good morning Mr President.

Trump the President: Bye bye. It will be great. Great again. Bye bye. Very good.

Needless to say, I was completely disappointed in the interview and I left slightly worried and scared. Perhaps I would have felt more at ease if he had some prior political experience nationally and globally. Only time will tell and I do not believe it will be positive.

 

 

Disclaimer: Thank you for reading. Please re-read only the boldfaced italicized & underlined words sequentially to explain the article.

Seems Trump was a good idea for America a few months ago but his true colors may have just shown through to appease other members of the government. His lack of experience in government has now become evident and his actions show complete disregard for the global ramifications.

Yes I understand and am not emotionless. I have seen the pics of babies dying on the news. I certainly hope that the President didn’t base his decision on bombing Syria based on news pictures.

Let’s begin with the premise of Syrian situation. A country 6000 miles away may or may not have bombed their citizens intentionally with toxic gas. America then decides to bomb Syria in an aggressive act of retaliation while breaking International Law. In general, the Law states that you cannot intentionally bomb a country unless your country is threatened. America retaliated against a country (Syria) for a country (Syria). As you can see that statement makes no sense, thus the bombing of Syria is a declaration of war. America has just proven to ISIL that they are the bully on the block willing to bomb Middle Eastern countries at their leisure. America’s actions will cause more people to join ISIL that will increase the acts of terrorism globally.

The global implications now puts the West vs the East. The United States and NATO vs Russia, Syria, Iran, North Korea and China. This scenario can lead to WWIII, where deaths can tally well into the millions, all because President Trump decided to meddle into the business of Syria. I recall a statement that was taught to me when I was a child and even repeated to me as an adult. When someone tries to pry into your situation you explain to them, “To mind their own business and not worry about yours.”

That being said, Americans watch the pictures of the babies dying on the news and jump to an emotional conclusion that Syria should be bombed. Let’s not forget the Americans drawing these conclusions live in nice homes with money in their pocket, food on their table, and a 60 inch plasma tv on their wall. It seems really easy to make the justification about bombing a country when it is not your country.

Syria should not have been bombed. Total death toll from the chemical attack is 72 per ABC. 72 people is a very small percentage of the 440,000 that have died in the civil war in Syria. Thousands have died in other countries as well but America does not bomb those countries. There have been terrorist attacks across the globe but America doesn’t send military to Britain, Sweden, or France. Mind your own business America and concentrate on your country instead of starting a world war.

America doesn’t seem to send military to Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles when children are shot and killed due to street shootings. President Trump will bomb Syria, 6000 miles away for 72 deaths, but will do nothing about our own children’s deaths.

How does that make any sense? It does not.

Ask yourself if bombing Syria was really worth it. It was not.

What was there to gain from bombing Syria, other than upsetting the global community? There is nothing to gain.

Do you even know any Syrians personally? Doubtful.

Syria is not our problem, just as Russia, Italy, France, or any other country is not our problem. America is our problem so fix America and don’t meddle in any other country’s business. Trump should not be defended for his actions.

The Kim Dynasty has been in place in North Korea for over a hundred years and its power and reputation has slowly deteriorated, changing dramatically in the last fifty years. Originally a socialist regime that has now turned into a dictatorship, as typically happens with all socialist societies.

The Supreme Leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) is Kim Jong-Un. His father was Kim Jong-IL. Kim Jong-Un inherited the empire in December 2011 at the young age of 27, and now is 33 in 2017. To put the age into perspective, his father Kim Jong-IL did not gain power of North Korea until he was 52, in 1994. Kim Jong-IL was not the best father figure for his son Kim Jong-Un. While growing up Kim Jong-Un experienced his father’s severe treatment of the North Korean people, including famines, political uprisings, government repression, and assassinations. Perhaps Kim Jong-Un can’t be directly to blame since his family upbringing and environment instilled the prior mentioned ideals upon him.

During the Korean War (1950 – 1953) North Korea had the support of China, the Eastern Bloc, and the Soviet Union. Money, arms, and military were supplied to North Korea for the war and for the reconstruction after the war. A few months after the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in 1961 the Sino-North Korean Mutual Aid and Cooperation Friendship Treaty (July 1961) was signed by the Soviet Union, China, and North Korea. This treaty supported economic advancement as well as direct military support to any opposition.

The Soviet portion of the treaty has expired since the Soviet Union was disbanded in the 1990s but is still in effect on consultative basis. China’s portion of the treaty is still in place and expires in 2021. This means if there is any military action against North Korea; China must help defend North Korea from anyone including the United States. If they choose not to honor the treaty, then it will be a different story. I do believe that China will have to honor the treaty because if they do not they will lose face. Losing face on a governmental level will send a shockwave throughout the Chinese population potentially causing a civil uprising.

That being said, China has not turned a blind eye to North Korea’s current nuclear development and testing. China has enacted severe economic sanctions. They have closed the main foreign exchange bank, restricted all coal imports, and stopped investments into some of North Korea’s processing plants.

North Korea’s future looks dire to say the least. The best case scenario is that Kim Jong-Un will be able to work with all the world leaders leading to peace. I doubt that will be possible considering his past. The worst case scenario, which will probably become reality, is that an all-out war ensues between North Korea and the rest of the world. I use the term, world, loosely. I mean it signify support from the world but only involving the United States, Japan, and South Korea in the actual conflict. The latter scenario will cause a large loss of civilian life, probably not seen since Vietnam, which was about 600,000 lives. I do believe the loss of life will eclipse a million, especially if nuclear and chemical weapons are used. Kim Jong-Un has specifically stated that he is not afraid to go into a nuclear war with the United States or any other country.

To the West of North Korea is the Syrian issue. On April 7, 2017 Syria was bombed by the United States, albeit for good reason it violated International Law. Russia has adamantly stated that the attack should not have happened and will defend Syria against any further military action by the United States.

Russia’s argument may be valid if Bashar al-Assad is proven to not have purposefully launched a chemical attack against his people. There is speculation that al-Assad bombed an ISIL depot to stop further advancement of the terror group and that he had no knowledge of the hidden chemical weapons at the depot. If the prior statement is true, then the United States will be viewed as the violent aggressor. The same type of violent aggressor that invaded Iraq and the non-existent weapons of mass destruction were found.

In summary, China will need to defend North Korea militarily and Russia will defend Syria in the same manner. The two largest superpowers of the East have now been poised against the West. The Eastern Powers are now much wealthier and heavily armed than they have been in decades and do pose a legitimate threat. They all have full scale nuclear and chemical capabilities given to them by the United States and Europe. The possibility of a world war occurring has just increased to 70%. The United States and Europe (NATO) vs China, Russia, Iran, Syria, and North Korea. Chess can be a dangerous game.

President Trump issued an Executive Order on February 6^th to prevent the IRS from rejecting any tax returns that do not have line 61, on the 1040 form, checked. Prior to February 6^th, if you did not check line 61 then you were not able to file your Federal tax return.

What is line 61 on your 1040? Line 61 is labeled as Health Care: Individual Responsibility. You are telling the IRS if you had health insurance coverage in the prior year, either through your employer or through the Federal Exchange. You will receive a form from the insurer or your employer showing you had coverage. That form is called a 1095.

What are the penalties if you did have health insurance?

The fee is calculated 2 different ways – as a percentage of your household income, and per person. You will pay whichever is higher.

1. Percentage of income. It is 5% of taxable household income. Maximum Penalty: Total yearly premium for the national average price of a Bronze plan sold through the Marketplace
2. Per person. $695 per adult and $347.50 per child under 18. Maximum: $2,085

The Affordable Care Act was not repealed so the penalties still apply. The Executive Order does not waive the penalty in any manner. The President’s Executive Order only allows you to file the return and the IRS to process the return, without checking line 61 of the 1040 form. The IRS can and probably will contact you for proof of insurance in the near future. If you did not have insurance then the IRS will penalize you and collect the funds. If you do not send them the money, then they will take it from your future Federal Tax Return. The media has typically only reported that you do not have to check line 61 and has not reported about the tax consequences. Be very cautious and speak with your tax preparer.

Additional information can be found here:

https://taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/estimator/isrp/

https://www.healthcare.gov/fees/fee-for-not-being-covered/