Today, America recognizes one of its favorite foods. Pizza.

It is National Pizza Day.

Buy a piece and enjoy!

Yesterday bed day for me. Rose early. Did my blog. Back to bed for the rest of the day. Body and spirit required it. Needed. The previous week’s physical and dental problems and doctor visits had knocked me on my ass.

I feel rejuvenated this morning.

Ian Welsh is a Canadian blogger I read. He publishes about 3 times a week. I do not always agree with him. However his thoughts are interesting and challenging.

His most recent blog appeared February 7th. Titled: Abused People Usually Make Bad Decision. A blog I am in agreement with.

Quite lengthy. I have decided to pick and chose paragraphs and paraphrase best I can.

The blog deals with the rise of the political strongman. Authoritarian figures. People like Trump. Trump and similar type world authoritarian figures have a refined playbook for acquiring and consolidating power.

Austerity is involved. Think about it. Government functions weakened by tax cuts and privatizations given to the rich.

In the U.S., the media is being eviscerated by constant degrading badgering. Journalists being laid off. Necessary oversight by the media diminishing.

A trend as to fault. Not limited to a few bad apples and one bad President. It is instead something deep in the roots in the hegemonic power of the age. The United States.

The trend will continue as long as the American people are sheep. As long as the needs of the many are subordinate to the needs of a few. As long as large groups of the many are impoverished, they will remain demagogue bait willing to support authoritarians.

Most American people are quietly scared. Uncomfortable. Their leaders despise them and care not if they hurt them. Their leaders rarely think of them. They think only of themselves, their friends, and getting reelected the next time around.

Whenever Americans find someone they think is strong and on their side, they flock to that person. Wrong to do so. However, abused people make bad decisions.

Like Donald Trump.

Duval Street is going to have a promenade. A great idea! Should have been tried years ago.

A test/trial is involved. From February 15 to April 27, Duval blocks 500-700 will be closed to traffic. The three blocks in effect becoming a walking mall. The promenade will be permitted 2 nights a week. Friday and saturday from 5 pm to midnight.

Restaurants and shops will be permitted to set up tables and shops on the sidewalk and street. Within 17 feet of their storefronts. A middle lane must be left for emergency vehicles.

The purpose of the promenade experiment is to encourage foot traffic.

A brilliant idea!

It works effectively in Milan, Italy. I have visited Milan several times. On the most expensive high end street, dining and sales take place on the street if so desired. Loved it! Something different and exciting.

The Pebble Beach Golf tournament is this week. From February 7-10. Today the third day of the tournament.

A series of courses comprise Pebble Beach. The historic Pebble Beach course itself, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, and one other I cannot recall.

This year the U.S. Open is being played as part of the Pebble Beach event.

The courses are beautiful. Especially Pebble Beach itself.

Some 30 years ago, I went on a golf trip to California to play Pebble Beach. A WOW! to play the course.

Absolutely beautiful! Sits on Monterrey Peninsula. Half the holes on a thousand foot cliff running straight down into the Pacific.

There is the famous 17 mile drive. Along the cliffs as they extend beyond Pebble Beach. Thrilling! Daring!

The courses difficult. Especially Pebble Beach itself. There were 8 of us. Except for me, all normally shot in the 80’s. All except one shot over 100.

I was the worst golfer. Have always been. Normally shoot 135. On the days we played Pebble Beach, I shot around 150.

Hole 7 sticks in my recollection. A par 3. Only 100 feet long. Tee sits on top of a wind blown hill. The green 100 foot dramatically downward to a green sitting in the ocean surrounded by sand traps, rocks, and then ocean.

My “friends” insisted I shoot first. They wanted to watch my ball in the wind. I never made the wind. Instead of hitting the ball up, I shanked it. The ball shot straight down, hit the rocks, ran into a sand trap, and then onto the green.

I had failed the group. They were quietly moaning.

After the others hit, mine was the only ball on the green. Two I think in sand traps. The rest in the ocean.

With a smile on my face, I thought…..Screw them!

Green fees were high. If we stayed at the resort which we had, $275 per day. Plus caddy. We wanted professional caddies and not carts. Another $50 without tip.

Today, $525 dollars to play. Caddie fee without tip around $100.

Pebble Beach was the hardest course I ever played. One hole, not the 7th, impossible to play. At least for me.

I enjoy watching the tournament each year. I can recall every hole as the pros move along.

Almost forgot. My Clint Eastwood moment.

We were playing atop the cliff and I hit my ball into someone’s yard on the edge of the cliff. The house was relatively small. The only home around as far as the eyes could see in either direction.

The yard was surrounded by a short fence.

Looked and saw no one in the house. Stepped over the fence and retrieved my ball. As I was so doing, a ranger came by to tell me I was in Clint Eastwood’s yard.

He was not home at the time. Never the less, I was excited.

I watched Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker before the House Judiciary Committee yesterday. An asshole! Fortunately, he is being replaced next week. I trust his replacement will merit being the Attorney General of the United States.

Whitaker was a joke. Not bright.

Each Representative had 5 minutes to question. Including Chairman Jerrold Nadler.

Nadler had run over the 5 minutes. Perhaps Whitaker did not like his question. In any event, Whitaker said to Nadler, in less than a polite tone, “Your 5 minutes is up.”

I came across an interesting article in Economic Collapse. Mind Blowing Facts About America. It listed 35 separate facts. I selected 10 to share with you.

1. In more than half the States, the highest paid public employee is a football coach.

2. One third of all American teenagers have not read a book in a year.

3. The suicide rate in the U.S. has risen 33 percent since 1999.

4. Women have earned 57 percent of all bachelor degrees in the U.S. 18 years in a row.

5. The U.S. does not have a single airport considered to be in the top 25 in the world.

6. More than 100 churches in the U.S. are dying each week.

7. More than 27 million acres of farmland in the U.S. is owned by foreigners.

8. One quarter of the world’s prison population is in the U.S.

9. 56,000 bridges in the U.S. are structurally deficient. Vehicles cross these bridges 125 million times a day.

10. One third of all millennials are living with their parents.

My day will be quiet. I will watch parts of the Pebble Beach tournament. I am meeting Mary at the Chart Room at 6. I am her guest at dinner afterwards.

Enjoy your day!