Preface by Jack. The Sleeping Goddess carved by the ancient megalithic people of Malta close to six thousand years ago has an entrancingly soothing beauty, symbolic of Malta itself.  Richard Bangs has been a dear friend of mine for over 40 years. In addition to being the world’s foremost river explorer, he is a gifted composer of poetic prose.  Richard will be co-leading with Rebel and me our Magic of Malta exploration this coming November. This is possibly the most beautiful description of Malta ever written.

There are places that murmur with the ghosts of time. There are places that sing with the laughter of the present. And then, there is Malta—a sun-dappled jewel adrift in the Mediterranean, a stage where the drama of civilization has played out for over 7,000 years.

Malta doesn’t simply invite you; it summons you. It’s a clarion call to the curious, the seekers, the wanderers who wish to touch the pulse of history and the poetry of place.

Malta is not merely a speck on the map. It is a living palimpsest, a manuscript written and rewritten by the hands of empires and dreamers.

Malta is the island that seduced myth itself. Homer, that old spinner of tales, cast Odysseus upon these shores, held captive by the enchantress Calypso for seven languid years. And who could blame him for lingering? Malta is more than a waypoint; it is a spell, a place that holds you fast.

On Sunday (7/13), we relived that horrific yet awesome moment one year ago, when God’s Millimeter Miracle saved our President’s life, then captured by the most iconic photo of our day, he stood defiantly to challenge us all to Fight! Fight! Fight! to save and preserve our country.

We must rise to that challenge.

Politics and governing are generally not complicated. It is often shaded to appear complicated or confusing by those looking to push their own agendas, cash in, or both.

The politics and governing of today are filled with irrefutable certainties. 24 hours in a day; about 15 months to the most crucial midterm election of our lifetimes; a majority of the mainstream media – national, local, and even international – working with their allies in the Democrat Party, academia, science, medicine, and entertainment to continually smear and destroy the most transformative President in U.S. history along with his MAGA movement.

A large percentage of the Deep State still imbedded in the federal government and our three-letter agencies seeking to sabotage the agenda of the President; a small percentage in the federal government and our three-letter agencies desperately trying to help the President save our nation from within while protecting it from our enemies; and a finite – and precious -- amount of energy left to accomplish the task.

We all know how much real-world experience holds significance.  Occasionally, it can mean everything.

Across the political left, from orthodox Democrats to Antifa in the streets, the opposition to President Trump has lost its collective mind.

A selection of examples:

* The House minority leader and now-self-styled tough guy, New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, poses with a baseball bat to show how dangerous he is in opposing Trump’s budget bill.

* Jeffries harangued Congress for eight hours; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker went on for 25 — both to no effect.

* Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) hit the rally trail in private jets to rail about oligarchs, omitting that the ultra-rich are not only mostly leftists but also the funders of the Democratic Party.

* Democrats in Congress make bizarre videos, featuring profanity like f*** or s***. On other occasions, they scream and interrupt Congress.

Hooray! President Donald Trump’s decision to send “billions of dollars” worth of weapons to Ukraine via NATO could prove a game-changer in Kyiv’s 40-month-old war against Russian aggression.

POTUS  on Monday (7/14) also announced 100% “secondary tariffs” targeting Moscow if it fails to agree to a cease-fire within 50 days.

It’s a terrific combination.

Russia’s been stepping up its attacks civilian areas, while the sanctions could break Russia’s economy.

In addition to defensive systems,  Ukraine will also get offensive weapons, including long-range missiles that can reach far into Russia territory, Axios reports. The Russian public, and Putin himself, will feel the consequences.

Best of all, NATO countries will be paying the bill — with proceeds going to US manufacturers for weapons they produce. Sweet.

US President Donald Trump’s very public volte face in his attitude towards Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is aimed at forcing the Kremlin to end the war in Ukraine.

Another consequence, though, of the package of measures Trump announced this week is that it could end the toxic alliance of despotic regimes that has formed with the specific goal of targeting the West.

Trump’s mounting frustration with Putin’s refusal to take Washington’s ceasefire plan seriously has led the American leader to authorize a new arms package for Ukraine – including Patriot air defense systems. He is also threatening to impose punitive tariffs on any country that continues to do business with Putin’s repressive regime if no agreement to end the war is reached within 50 days.

And it is the latter measure, with talk in Washington of tariffs ranging from 100-500 per cent, that will send alarm bells ringing in Beijing, Pyongyang and Tehran about the wisdom of maintaining ties with Putin.