All signs show that the War with Iran is escalating.  If we were to invade Kharg Island, that would be a very serious worsening, but there appears to be another front opening up regarding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait . This is that other choke point ( 20 miles wide ) through which 7% of all oil passes, that connects the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea, leading to the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea. About 1240 miles southwest of the Strait of Hormuz. Control divided among Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa.  Yemen dominates with 43 million people, Eritrea 3.7 million and Djibouti 1.2 million.  However, this strait is so important that the U.S., China, France and other countries maintain heavy naval and military presence in Djibouti. Keep in  mind that the 12-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) holds 80% of the world's proven crude oil reserves. Bab means gate , while Mandeb means grief .  ...

Ah, the War with Iran: For the ninth night in a row, the USA bombed Iran. Iran continues to essentially close the Strait of Hormuz, plus, Houthi allies again have indicated that they might block Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the other main oil route .  Combine, 27% of world petroleum passes through these straits. I asked Google AI:  Will the U.S. invade Kharg Island? As of July 2026, there is no official date or definitive plan announced for a U.S. invasion of Kharg Island . President Donald Trump has publicly floated the idea of seizing the island—which handles about 90 percent of Iran's crude oil exports—but military planners and officials are still weighing the logistical risks and strategic fallout of such an operation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ] Current Status: Trump has hosted Situation Room meetings to discuss potential ground troop deployments and the possible seizure of energy infrastructure. While no timeline has been set, Trump stated in mid-June that the U.S. will be taking the isl...

A beautiful day in Honolulu, and life is wonderful.  My view as I compose this posting. If you have been with me recently, I'm into a series called MY LIFE, now in Part 3, my retirement years.  Coincidentally, I'm in the middle of Pearl's Ashes, ceremonies I performed at the Taj Mahal ( to be 3G ), Machu Picchu and other global sites. Why this specific topic today is that I was looking at these now blooming African Blood Lilies , and thought back to this day, July 19, which also happened to fall on Sunday...Pearl's final day. She was perfectly healthy until around mid-June of 2019, when she appeared somewhat exhausted.  Her doctor recommended that she go to Kuakini Hospital to get a small series of tests.  For some reason, they gave her an anti-biotic injection, and that led to her body overreacting.  So she was told to stay overnight for observation. This led to her in a few days being sent into intensive care, and placed on sedation, using propofol.  I re...

Before getting into streaming, one editorial on the horror of war.  I asked Google AI, how many have died from the Russia vs Ukraine War, and the USA/Israel vs Iran War? Combined Russian and Ukrainian casualties in the war have topped 2 million , with estimates of up to 500,000 Russian troops and up to 150,000 Ukrainian troops killed . Additionally, the UN has verified over 16,000 civilian deaths in Ukraine, though the actual toll is likely much higher. 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 The ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, which escalated in late February 2026, has resulted in a staggering human toll, with nearly 5,000 casualties reported across more than a dozen countries . While the vast majority of fatalities have occurred in Iran and Lebanon, the digital landscape has also faced its own crisis. Google AI Overviews have come under intense scrutiny for supercharging misinformation and hoaxes regarding the war's devastation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ] Any death is awful, and two...