Bits & Pieces 013026

Seismic Activity: Lots of activity. Worldwide activity. What does it mean? It must mean something. Well, it does. Seismic activity comes and goes in batches at times. Large areas affected. The earth continues to grow and change as it always has, always will. The critical issue is location and a centering focus of activity that may give warning of a major quake in one specific site. Anywhere in California would be critical because it means other plate shifts are working toward pressure relief. Where will it appear? Will it be especially disruptive and damaging? Or will it be just another temblor that raises our consciousness and fear? Time will tell. All seismic activity needs to be monitored and pondered. It reminds us to be realistic about the earth’s surface stability. What we build upon it will last only as long as the early allows it.

President’s Health: Up one day, down another. He’s aging and will slip and slide along the health scale according to his own health condition and history. He is liable for stroke, heart attack and any other conditions based on what he and his doctors know. They are not talking, so assumption is on us and not at all accurate. Let it be. But monitor it. Prepare for the loss of ability that is inevitable for all of us, each of us.

My political stance is such that this matters only in the speed of his removal from office. Let the natural progression of health do its job. If other means to remove him from office exist, implement them appropriately. Those who have the authority to remove him, do your jobs. We The People demand it of you.

Bill of Rights:  We have a lot of rights. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution as amendments, the first 10 amendments. The first is freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. Religion, of course, was the reason English immigrants first came to the New World. Freedom of speech and press are often taken together and allow us to speak our minds to all others. Assembling to do the same is another freedom. And of course, we all have the right to petition our government authorities when we disagree with them and seek a better disposition of decisions.

The second amendment is the right to bear arms to protect ourselves and property. The third amendment protects us from quartering soldiers in private homes without consent. We must be asked to provide our consent to house soldiers in our homes. Otherwise, they aren’t. The fourth amendment protects us from unreasonable searches and seizures, require warrants for probable cause.

The fifth amendment requires due process in criminal cases and protects us from self-incrimination. A fair trial is guaranteed to us in the sixth amendment. The seventh amendment gives us the right to a jury trial in civil cases.

The eighth amendment prohibits excessive bail, fines and cruel and unusual punishment. The ninth amendment asserts the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution does not deny or disparage others retained by the people. And the tenth amendment affirms that powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states or to the people themselves.

The power of the people trumps all other powers. They trump Trump. Now, let’s make that happen while we protect all of our freedoms intelligently and intentionally.

January 30, 2026

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