12/31/2022

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            Are you enjoying some sunshine & relaxation? I’m sure you are aware that your detractors have tweeted critiques of your trip. I liked Mike Huckabee’s idea of “filling Air Force One with a bunch of people from Buffalo, NY, (to take) them down to the U.S. Virgin Islands for some time in the sun.”

            I had a blast last night at the Capitol One Center (C1C). The place chanted “light the beam,” when Kings’ player Kevin Huerter hit a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds left & Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen missed his jumper as the buzzer sounded. Upon exiting the stadium we saw a purple laser shining through the clouds to show Sacto the team had been victorious. I am now a King’s fan.

            Today’s NYT features a piece about the UN’s 30x30 plan to protect nearly 1/3 of the planet’s land & oceans by 2030. Robert Semple, Jr. (RSJ) opines that you are on board but need to do more. Please do “nudge Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to get the BLM to climb aboard the conservation bandwagon.” Can you tell me more about the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act? RSJ’s assertion that the “one alpha culprit in biodiversity loss … is the clearing of forests & wetlands for farms to feed an exploding world population…” brings me back to the equation I shared yesterday.

Limited population growth + Less consumption + Preservation of nature = Livable planet

Please do what you can to popularize this idea.

            ABC reports that the junta in Burma is sponsoring some New Year’s celebrations. This could be a cynical ploy to make it look like things are back to normal there. Even worse, it could be that the military stages a provocation, such as a bombing or shooting, for which it would blame urban guerrillas of the PDF. It is disturbing that citizens can’t just celebrate 2023 without having to wonder if their own army will attack them. Please maintain your vigilance in monitoring the situation there.

            BYBS,