Started From the Bottom Now We’re Here

Koch Deng dunks in South Sudan’s 82-61 victory over DR Congo (photo from FIBA Basketball World Cup Twitter).

FSM, Palau, and RMI have now all signed MoUs with the USA

The USA’s closest allies are its COFA allies. The USA and COFA nations made great strides these past two months to stay together.

The World Mourns the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II was the second longest reigning monarch (70 years) after King Louis XVI of France (72 years), and as such, Queen Elizabeth II oversaw an era of deep technological and societal shifts. For one, she is often regarded as the first British Monarch to openly grant self-determination to her colonies. Under her rule,

UCLA and USC Big Ten Moves are a Sad Day for the Pacific and Unnecessary – From a UCLA fan

Leading the Pac, dominating the West, and working with our colleagues have made our identities as Bruins and Trojans, and it has been a true honor to represent the PCC/Pac-10/Pac-12. However, now, we have chosen to abandon our leadership and optimism, plus our tradition, families, neighbors, and longtime friends for a better contract at least in terms of money in the short term. But, regardless of how it turns out, it has created a stain on both of our legacies and especially on our historical tradition! We practice everyday to be the best in the West from the time we are young, and this challenge has excelled us to create the internet, to create the technology to reach the Moon, to win Olympic and World titles. Our athletes successes and our universities becoming some of the most sought after brands are directly because of the competitors we have faced for over 100 years! This competitive greatness created the legend of John Wooden, the grit and determination of The Boys in the Boat, the speed of Marcus Allen, and the ingenuity of Phil Knight. We owed it our region and to our competitors who made us who we are to respect their competitiveness by leading the Pac-12 and the Pacific into better times. Yet, just a few years of poor performances in our sports and in our management has led to our regional demise. I think the Big Ten will provide a lot of opportunity for both UCLA and USC, but loyalty, tradition, and honor, as well as leadership was an opportunity we passed up, a much greater set of opportunities because they cannot be bought. UCLA and USC moving to the Big Ten is severely disappointing and sad for the unity and family we shared as a Pac-12 Community. The Pacific looks to Los Angeles and we have abandoned it for the Midwest. We owed it to the region that made us who we were to stick with it to the end. We did not show leadership, we should an ability to follow the temptation of money at the cost of over 100 years of tradition. That is not what our academic institutions teach. There was no loyalty and a lack of respect for our competitors that got us to the position where we are now.

The USA Should Use the 2024 T20 World Cup to Grow Closer to the Caribbean

Central America increasingly is being placed into the PR China sphere, and other areas across South America and the Caribbean are. Recently, El Salvador just announced a new stadium to be built with PR China investment. And Nicaragua just switched allegiance to the CCP’s China in 2021. Now, the concerns are in the Caribbean as

Solomon Islands Deal with PR China

The Solomon Islands have officially signed a security pact with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) that will see the PRC have the ability to have military bases in the Solomon Islands, as well as send in military and security forces personnel if requested. This is disastrous for the Commonwealth Realm and for Western Interests,

NATO Please Start Protecting Gotland and Åland, Covertly!

These two islands need covert protection as well as their civilians to be armed. These are two very important island archipelagos in the Baltic Sea and they desperately need protection from the Russians who are planning to go there. I have stated this since 25 February! The Russians have not started their invasions yet, and

Pope Francis, Please Listen to your Most Faithful on the Sovereign Knights of Malta

It was 20 September 1870 when the Papal States fell to the Kingdom of Italy in Rome, cementing the end to territorial rule of the Pope until 1929. Since that moment, that very event has been met with sourness from many Catholics who continue to seek more land under the Church to defend against the onslaught

Proponents of a Stronger European Union should Explore an EU National Cricket Team!

The European Union (EU) is a confederation of independent sovereign states that for a long time has been edging ever closer to a federation like the United States of America. This is especially true post 2009 Lisbon Treaty! While EU Federalism is not something I personally am necessarily for, it is something that many of

Louisiana should accept the Haitian Refugees

Louisiana, like most of the area around the Mississippi River, used to be a part of the Kingdom of France. Louisiana was a part of the Louisiana Territory of France, as an administrative district under New France, from 1682-1769 and from 1801-1803, although a few of these years are debated. Bourbon Spain ruled this territory

President Biden and Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, are proving to be tough on the People’s Republic of China now

One of the many big worries about President Biden having been elected is how he would handle the People’s Republic of China (PRC). While under the President Obama Administration, the USA saw the PRC overtake the USA on many economic statistics, and saw the PRC take over a lot of the South China Sea, thus