Cash cow, slaughtered

/

The Churches That Oppose Trump on Immigration are Raking in Millions to Bring In Migrants

Robert Spencer:

When Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde lectured President Trump and Vice President Vance about immigration during her sermon at the National Prayer Service on the day after they were inaugurated, leftists hailed Budde for standing on principle and giving the Bad Orange Man a good scolding. As it turns out, however, Budde may have motivations that were a bit more tangible than principle: her Church’s Episcopal Migration Ministry (EMM) rakes in millions from a number of taxpayer-funded entities for bringing the migrants. And the Episcopal Church is by no means alone in this: other Churches that have recently taken principled stance against Trump’s immigration policies are in on the gravy train as well. 

The New York Post reported Friday that Budde’s “sermon to President Trump during an inaugural prayer service, coupled with her church’s advocacy for humanitarian immigration programs, reveals a striking hypocrisy — one that could be seen as self-serving and even a conflict of interest.” This is because in 2023, EMM “earned $53 million from various taxpayer-funded government programs to resettle 3,600 individuals.” If Trump stops the migrant influx and ends the funding for such programs, the Episcopal Church could suddenly be facing a significant shortfall of cash. 

….

The Episcopal Church isn’t alone in this hypocrisy. The Post notes that “the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) dwarfs EMM. Forbes reported that USCCB affiliate Catholic Charities USA, which has its hand in all aspects of immigration and seems to get money from every government agency except NASA, received $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars in 2021. That’s 68 times more than EMM got that year.”

Back in April 2021, Business Insider reported that “the US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services is one of nine nonprofit organizations that partner with the US government to meet the needs of refugees who arrive in the country. Those seeking protection from war and repression deserve compassion and assistance, it teaches, citing the ‘mercy of Christ, who himself was a [sic] immigrant and child of refugees.’”

That compassion comes at a price. OSV News reported Friday that “audited financial statements by an outside firm show that the USCCB received about $122.6 million in 2022 and about $129.6 million in 2023 in funding from government agencies for refugee-related services. But the same statements show that the USCCB spent more on those services than the government gave them, meaning the conference did not profit from the grants, according to the conference’s auditors. In 2023, for example, the conference spent $134.2 million for such services.”

And so when the USCCB condemned Trump’s executive orders on immigration, did it have a pecuniary interest in doing so? Vice President Vance, who is a Roman Catholic, thinks so, saying: “I think that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops needs to actually look in the mirror a little bit and recognize that when they receive over $100 million to help resettle illegal immigrants, are they worried about humanitarian concerns? Or are they actually worried about their bottom line? We’re going to enforce immigration law. We’re going to protect the American people.”

Grok Cookbook

/

alabama road kill: It’s what’s for dinner

So, I was thinking about what to cook for dinner tonight, and saw that I have a couple of thawed chicken filets in the refrigerator that have to be used soon, plus a container of sour cream, some mushrooms, and new botte of tarragon. I went to X.Grok and asked it come up with a recipe using those ingredients and, presto! Three seconds, max, and I had a complete recipe, including an ingredients list, cooking instructions and nutritional information.

I’ll make the dish tonight, but I was intrigued at how well it worked; what about, says I, slightly more exotic ingredients, like a freshly killed opossum? Not a problem:

Roadkill Possum

Prompt: “Give me a recipe for roadkill possum with turnips and collard greens”

Answer: Here's a straightforward recipe for roadkill possum with turnips and collard greens:

Ingredients:

  • Roadkill Possum (ensure it's fresh and roadkill is legal in your area)

  • Salt and Pepper to taste

  • Turnips (4-5 medium, peeled and diced)

  • Collard Greens (1 large bunch, washed and chopped)

  • Onion (1, chopped)

  • Garlic (2 cloves, minced)

  • Chicken or Vegetable Broth (2 cups)

  • Vinegar (1 tablespoon, apple cider preferred)

  • Bacon (3 slices, optional for flavor)

  • Butter or Oil for cooking

Instructions:

  1. Preparation of Possum:

    • If you've found roadkill, first ensure it's safe to eat (no signs of disease, fresh, not bloated). Clean the possum thoroughly.

    • Remove the hide, gut it, and wash inside and out. Pat dry with paper towels.

    • Season the possum inside and out with salt and pepper.

  2. Cooking the Possum:

    • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

    • In a large roasting pan, place the possum.

    • If using bacon, lay the strips over the possum for added flavor.

    • Cover the roasting pan and cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender.

  3. Turnips:

    • While the possum is cooking, in a skillet, heat some butter or oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sauté until translucent.

    • Add the diced turnips, salt, and pepper. Cook until they start to soften.

  4. Collard Greens:

    • In another pot, bring the broth to a simmer. Add the collard greens, a pinch of salt, and the vinegar.

    • Cover and let the greens cook down until tender, about 30-45 minutes.

  5. Combining:

    • Once the possum is tender, remove it from the oven.

    • Combine the cooked turnips with the collard greens in the pot. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

  6. Serving:

    • Serve the possum on a platter, with the turnip and collard green mixture on the side or around the possum.


Notes:

  • Safety First: Ensure you know how to handle wild game safely. Roadkill can be risky; always prioritize food safety.

  • Flavor: The possum might have a strong flavor, and cooking with aromatic vegetables and bacon can help balance it.

Enjoy your meal, but always remember to consider the ethical and legal implications of consuming roadkill in your area.

Fascinating. Tomorrow, cat on a hot tin plate.

If you don't ask, the answer is always no. Of course, sometimes even when you do ask, the answer is still no

/

7 Close Road asked for $12 million in March 2024 and closed today at $7.2 million.

7 Close Road, $7,200,000

Creamer Hill Road, 88 acres and a (very large) house, pictures of which have been taken down from the web*, also closed today: $39.5 million asked, $19.5 million got.

NYC buyer.

*But the video’s still up:

It may not be the ugliest building in Greenwich, but it's certainly the ugliest residential one. Now, 19 years after starting, and two years after being reported pending, it has sold.

/

exterior front — no kidding

229 Stanwich Road, a “house” cleverly disguised to look like an industrial meat packing facility or a school for the criminally insane, was originally put up for sale in July 2006 and priced at $6.985 million ($10,833,000 in current dollars). To no one’s astonishment except, perhaps, its owners, it failed to find a buyer, and it lingered on the market until January 2023, when a client of Brother Gideon’s committed to buying it (or was committed there — Gideon’s vague on the point). There has been a two-year hiatus between the initial execution of the purchase contract and the actual sale, possibly due to sanity hearings, but the deal finally closed yesterday for $4.995 million ($3,221,000, 2006 dollars).

Gosh.

attached guard house

Which is exactly what Trump wanted them to do

/

mission accomplished

There’s been a lot of discussion about madman Trump threatening to buy Greenland, or as the press claimed invade it and take it for the United States, but the reason he gave for his interest was less well reported: Greenland is almost entirely undefended, yet Denmark has done little to nothing in response to Russia’s and even China’s growing presence in the area. In fact, Denmark has been sheltering under the US security umbrella for years, as even some of its own citizens have noticed:

Avoiding the NATO Burden: “Denmark has made the skill of cheating the US into an art” Writes Danish Editor; “Denmark Deserves No Respect from America.”

“In relation to NATO, Denmark has for decades opposed American interests by pursuing a peddling strategy that is about securing security policy guarantees from the United States while at the same time avoiding having to carry its share of the burden in NATO. Denmark has made the skill of cheating the US into an art. In January 2025, Denmark’s real contribution to NATO is approximately 1.7 percent of GDP excluding donations to Ukraine, directly contrary to the agreement of 2 percent of GDP. The SVM government claims that Denmark spends 2.4 percent of its GDP on defense and security, but the Danish attempt to cheat NATO has been condemned and rejected by several NATO countries and the former Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, as the donations to Ukraine do not contribute to Denmark’s or NATO’s defense capabilities.”

Now, Trump’s “threats” have borne fruit:

Denmark to increase military spending in North Atlantic by $2 billion amid row with Trump over Greenland

The government of Denmark says it will increase military spending in the North Atlantic amid U.S. President Donald Trump’s bid to have Greenland sold or ceded to the United States. 

Late Monday, the Danish government announced an agreement of 14.6 billion-kroner – or nearly $2 billion – with parties including the governments of Greenland and the Faroe Islands to "improve capabilities for surveillance and maintaining sovereignty in the region."

The Defense Ministry in Copenhagen said those will include three new Arctic naval vessels, two additional long-range surveillance drones and satellite capacity. 

Frederiksen warned that Europe faces what she called "a more uncertain reality" and said her country would be strengthening its military presence around Greenland.

The trip comes after Trump has repeatedly made various statements calling Greenland vital to U.S. national and economic security interests and expressed interest in purchasing it from Denmark. Trump has even said he wouldn’t rule out using military force to gain control of the island's territory. 

Frederiksen didn't directly mention Trump's threat in comments at a meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, but she said that "we are facing a more uncertain reality, a reality that calls for an even more united Europe and for more cooperation."

She pointed to Russian activities in Ukraine and beyond and said that "it is up to Europe to define the future of our continent, and I think we have to take more responsibility for our own security."

And this:

EU MILITARY CHIEF SAYS IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO PUT EUROPEAN TROOPS IN GREENLAND, WELT REPORTS

The top European Union military official, Robert Brieger, said it would make sense to station troops from EU countries in Greenland, according to an interview with Germany's Welt am Sonntag published on Saturday, as U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in acquiring the Danish territory.

"In my view, it would make perfect sense not only to station U.S. forces in Greenland, as has been the case to date, but also to consider stationing EU soldiers there in the future," the chairman of the European Union Military Committee said.

Ultimately, such a step would require a political decision, the Austrian-born general said. The military committee is the highest military office of the European Council, but it serves as a consultative body since the bloc has no dedicated army.

U.S.-led NATO is the main military alliance for the EU.

"However, with increasing ice melt as a result of climate change, this also creates a certain potential for tension with Russia and possibly China," he said.

Trump has expressed an interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, part of the United States. He has not ruled out using military or economic power to persuade Denmark to hand it over.

Greenland's strategic location along the shortest route from Europe to North America, vital for the U.S. ballistic missile warning system, has made it a priority for Trump.