Don’t know the how, why or what caused this young guy from Utica, New York, to meet so many prominent persons and develop relationships with them. But happen it did!

I forgot Tony Bennett. Only recalled him when I came across his name on the internet yesterday. For shame. My shame.

We first met some 40 years ago. I was handling a number of heavy environmental legal cases in New York City. Spent considerable time in the City. I was always looking for another new good place to eat. Someone advised a hotel restaurant on the east side. I cannot for the life of me recall the name of the hotel. Not a well known popular one. Though as I subsequently learned, the hotel had a “heavy” clientele.

I went to dinner one night. Alone. No seats available in the dining room. The bar was a long one that was totally empty. So I sat at the bar to have dinner. Again, all alone.

After a short while, a heavyset gentleman came in and sat at the bar. Actually joined me. All other bar seats empty, he sits right next to me. My immediate reaction was the guy was gay.

He starts talking to me. Well spoken. Well dressed. A blazer, kaki slacks and a white unbuttoned shirt at the collar. Interesting hair do. Older than me by about 10 years. 

He looked familiar. Very familiar. Then it dawns on me. He’s Tony Bennett. Gay he is not. He lives in the hotel when in New York. Hates to eat alone. Saw me sitting alone at the bar and decided to join me. Note again with all seats available, he sits in the one immediately next to me.

Funny.

Anyhow, we spent about four hours together. Talked about everything. Enjoyed each other’s company immensely.

We decided that because we were “loners” and found each other enjoyable, we should get together again. We figured out a date when we both would be available and agreed to go for it. We continued this relationship for several years. Our meetings took place every 3 months or so.

A class act. A solid individual. A for real Italian-American. We blended!

He had a traveling act. I recall once when he appeared in Utica. Of course, I went. Took my wife and father. I knew my Dad would get a big bang out of hearing him sing in person.

I wanted to visit with him if he had the time. I left a message with his office. Utica was my home town. The theater manager a friend. Gave him a note to give Tony and tell him I would like to see him after the show. All worked out as I had hoped. We went back stage after the show. My manager friend took us to Tony’s dressing room. He was alone inside waiting for us.

Introductions, hugs and kisses. My Dad was going crazy. This was big time for him.

After about ten minutes, I made our excuses, noted he was a busy man and we would be leaving. Oh no, he said. We are going to have dinner together!

I took him to a small Italian restaurant that was one of my Utica favorites. Everyone went crazy when we walked in. Fortunately, I knew most of the people. Introduced Tony to everyone…..table by table.

We had a great evening!

Some Tony Bennett background I learned along the way.

Tony was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto.

Bob Hope gave him the name Tony Bennett.

Tony was Calabrian. His father actually was. His dad used to sing opera in Italy.

Tony’s fame “erupted” because of an event which occurred in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Whoever he was with, came across a sheet of music under some shirts in a drawer. The song, not known at the time, was “I Left My Heart in San Francisco.” 

San Francisco was Tony’s next stop. It was 1962. His friend encouraged him to sing the song. Tony did and history speaks for itself. A major hit! Made him!

Tony was involved in Civil Rights. His friend Harry Belafonte got him into it.

Tony was also a painter at heart.  Landscapes and portraits his forte. He would sneak off to paint them. He painted under the name “Antonio  Benedetto.”

Frank Sinatra was impressed with Tony’s singing ability. He said, “For my money, Tony Benedetto is the best singer in the business.”

Personally, Tony was special also. He was recognized as a person of “incredible warmth.”

He died at the age of 96. God bless him!

Enjoy your day!

I shall be away all next week. A vacation of sorts. Will not be writing the blog for the week. Ergo, I am writing about Thanksgiving today. Enjoy!

One of America’s most beloved holidays dates back to 1621. Actually 1620 when a group of Protestants who had left England because of religious persecution landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

The water trip was difficult.

The year 1621 was a bit easier. A banner harvest Some time between September and November, the settlers celebrated with a feast that lasted 3 days. They enjoyed Indian food and that which they raised themselves and animals they killed.

Don’t know if the term “Thanksgiving” was used at the time. However the three days were a celebration of thanksgiving.

For several years following, it was not peaceful. The Indians and settlers fought battles.

More Indians than Pilgrims attended the first 1621 Thanksgiving event. The initial 100 colonists had been cut in half by the first harsh winter. Seventy eight percent of the women also died. Left on the first Thanksgiving were 22 men, 4 married women, and 25 plus children and teenagers. The men and children cooked the first meal for their own and guests like Indian King Massasoit and his 90 men.

The first Thanksgiving, at Plymouth landing, was a “one time” affair. It would not be till 1863 for a next formal one when President Abraham Lincoln declared the day a national holiday.

As Lincoln intended and as most of us today celebrate, Thanksgiving is a day when we celebrate our blessings.

In order to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, some had to “push” the idea. One was a woman named Sarah Josepha Hale. She lobbied Congress for years to make Thanksgiving a national holiday. She gets the “big credit.”

Quite possibly, Thanksgiving might never have been celebrated in November at all. Actually the first Thanksgiving in 1621 occurred in October. It was Lincoln who gave us the November holiday when he assigned it to the last Thursday in November. Possibly to coincide with the date the Pilgrims first landed the Mayflower in New England.

Some Thanksgiving features.

The first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924 featured animals from the Central Park Zoo.

Thanksgiving leftovers led to the first ever TV dinner. The year 1953. The company the food corporation Swansons.

Swansons estimated there would be left over turkey meat equating 260 tons. Using 5,000 aluminum trays, they created the first TV dinner. Sold for 98 cents each. In the first year 10 million sold. They had to get more aluminum trays. The birth of the frozen meat industry!

Benjamin Franklin was very pro-turkey.  So much so, he thought it should be designated the national bird. He was disappointed when the bald eagle was selected.

There was no turkey at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 in Plymouth. Instead, everyone feasted on lobster, seal and swans.

Pumpkin pie has been baked for a long, long time. However, it is not America’s favorite pie. Apple is. Pumpkin is number 2.

The “pardoning” of a turkey has been an annual White House tradition. But no one is quite sure who started it.

Thanksgiving Day football games began in the 1870s. Yale played Princeton in the first game.

Female turkeys don’t gobble. Only male turkeys gobble. Females purr and cackle.

Moving on.

President Abraham  Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address this day in 1863.

Wrong! Disgraceful! Trump defends Saudi Crown Prince over Khashoggi killing. Trump insults the American people by so doing. He fails to be a good American President by defending Mohammed bin Salman. 

Klimt portrait sells for $236.4 million. A record for modern art.

Researchers have identified the names of five million victims murdered in the Holocaust. The study has been undergoing since the 1950s.

I close with Pope Leo XIV. Leo is a Cinephile who loves “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “The Sound of Music.”

Enjoy your day! 

Life under British occupation during the American Revolution brought hunger, plunder and violence. The British treated the Colonists poorly. The Colonial choice was simple. Flee their homes and hide or stay and endure the uneasy reality of military occupation.

Initially, British officers were polite and their soldiers civil.

The initial calm soon gave way to hardship and resentment. As the heavy hand of British martial law began to touch nearly every aspect of daily life resulting in food privation, business disruption and the constant threat of theft, destruction and bodily harm.

Cities were overcrowded and closely watched. Loyalist refugees harassed. Protection and employment difficult to find. The competition with the British for jobs unreasonable.

A constant threat of violence existed.

Military check points and street personal systems limited free movement. Family and work partners were cut off. In families and businesses where political loyalties diverged, distrust and hostility grew.

Plundering and violence also grew. Plundering by soldiers and local opportunists. Families began hiding money and valuables in cupboards, shoes and buried in their yards. The British seized everything they could. Like utility wagons and household goods. Kumbaya had not lasted long. 

For the British, the tune was simple: Plunder, plunder, plunder.

Patriot homes were seized and burned by the British merely for fun. Women and girls suffered sexual violence. The British government tried to alleviate the problem by shipping in thousands of English prostitutes.

As the occupation dragged on, British soldiers became weary of tents and barracks They commandeered the homes of local Loyalists.

Many British officers paid well however for the use of the house. Generally 20 shillings per week. Some shared food. Others only meager scraps from the dinner table.

For whatever reason, we never have heard how badly the British treated Americans in those days.

The U.S. not the only nation to cease penny production. Canada did earlier. Three years later, Canada went a step further and removed them from circulation. Removed were 6 billion pennies.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese isn’t actually from Philadelphia. Made in Chester, New York, since the 1870s. A marketing ploy. “Philadelphia” was known for good cheese and excellent food. William Lawrence, who started Philadelphia Cream Cheese, created the name and marketed it out of Chester, New York.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Nearly two-thirds of young Americans are thinking about getting out of here. You know you are having a bad relationship when you think a lot about leaving.”

Another Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “A record number of Hispanics voted for Trump in 2024. Now they know better.”

Trump’s approval rating. Remember when he said, “I’m the king of the world.” Just before his ship sank!

Trump’s newest “strange.” A 50 year mortgage. Yes, a 50 year mortgage! Another proof Donald has lost it!

Modern day insanity. I remember it well. The day November 18, 1978. Peoples Temple founder Jim Jones led his followers in a mass murder-suicide at their commune in Guyana, South America. Many of Jones’ followers willingly ingested a poison-laced punch while others were forced to do so.

The first state to recognize same sex marriage was Massachusetts in 2003 in a court ruling.

Last but not least a significant Walt Disney event. The first cartoon with synchronized sound. “Steamboat Willie.” Also starred in his first cartoon Mickey Mouse. The year 1928. A significant presentation. The cartoon and Mickey. Wow!

Enjoy your day! 

Trump has fought the release of the Epstein files till very recently. Changed his mind. Release them his cry!!!

In typical fashion, he changed his mind. As he does with most things. He is now for the House releasing the files.

There must have been a value to Trump changing his mind, even if only a small one. Typical of how he functions however. Move from one side to another. Whichever is most convenient and advantageous. Whatever works best for him.

Trump decided to expand nuclear testing. China decided thereafter it must do also. Makes sense. Each side must protect itself, cover its ass. We are back into a Cold War scenario.

What is going to happen in Venezuela? I now suspect a typical Trump ploy. A lot f boasting and buffoonery. Threats of war. However, I now doubt there will be a war. Trump will sit and talk with Maduro. They will arrive at a resolution. One which was not needed in the first place or now. A false one Trump created a need for.

Let’s cut the abortion shit. Leave the issue alone. Merely another Trump/GOP erroneous scenario.

The Democrats are going to attack housing affordability under Trump next. He screwed housing costs up also.

Donald, hurry up and reduce food costs. You may not realize it, but you made them go up. You said this week you were going to reduce them. Move fast. Ordinary people are hurting big time because of them.

GOP plans to reduce Obamacare have failed. What next?

Like the song Onward Christian Soldier, Trump is Ever Onward. Word is he is now considering striking in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific. If so, the man is nuts.

Why is a foot 12 inches? Because it is based on the length of a human foot.

The scenario dates back to Ancient Rome. The average foot was 11.64 inches. Rounded off to 12 inches. Became the size 12 inch foot.

Number of bones in the human foot? Twenty six.

The Elizabethan Age began this day in 1558.

The Suez Canal opened this day in 1869.

Local writer Rick Boettger wrote an interesting article in this morning’s KONK Life titled “U.S. Healthcare Sucks.” I recommend its reading.

Coffee, beef and banana prices have gone up!

 Much? Very much!

Trump announced plans to make these items more affordable. He should. He caused them to go up in the first instance!

Beef has gone up $5 plus a pound. Ground roast coffee $6-8 a pound. Bananas 7-8 cents a pound. Bananas especially piss me off. I eat 1-2 a day.

We are a right handed dominant world. Most people are right handed. Why?

Right handed persons make up 85-90 percent of the world’s population.

Begins with the unborn. In the fetus. From the 15th week forward, the fetus moves the right arm and sucks the right hand thumb more than the left.

Heredity an influence also. Humans have strongly favored their right hand for use for at least half a million years.

I close with some holiday grocery observations.

I was at Publix yesterday doing my weekly, not holiday, shopping. Three items were available big time for purchase Laid out in several different parts of the store. Turkeys, stuffing and pumpkin pies. All over the place!

Enjoy your day!

Two famous historical lovers. Cleopatra and Mark Anthony. Their heated romance ended in suicides.

For ten years, the two partied. Big time! In strange ways!

Sex without question. Hot lovers. Craved each other deeply.

The relationship involved more than sex. The two were boozers. Might even be described as alcoholics. They formed a drinking society. Called it Inimitable Livers. Convened nightly for debauchery. Historians are not sure if the debauchery was in service to the Greek god Dionysus or just for fun.

Initially the drunken fun primarily involved feasting, lusting and playing dice. Then came games and pranks. For example, Cleopatra and Anthony would dress themselves in servants’ clothing and take to the streets of Alexandria. Sometimes their “fun games” succeeded. Other times people figured out who they were and made fun of them.

At some point, because of a battle Anthony lost to Octavius, Inimitable Livers was dissolved and replaced with the Society of Partners in Death. Merely a name change. Its members partied as wildly as the previous one.

Cleopatra reigned for 21 years. Her Mark Anthony relationship again was 10 years.

The two never married. However, they had three children. Two boys and a girl. The first born were twins. One male, one female.

As boozers Cleopatra and Anthony had their own special mugs. Each mug held 4.2 ounces.

The relationship was born in love and mutual political gain.

Mark Anthony screwed up.  On one of his business/political trips to Rome, he married Octavia. Octavian’s sister. Then he abandoned her to return to Egypt and Cleopatra.

Anthony and Octavian subsequently met in battle. The Battle of Actium in 31 B.C. Octavian defeated Anthony and the Egyptian forces Anthony was relying on. Suicides by Anthony and Cleopatra followed. Anthony stabbed himself. Soon after, Cleopatra died from the bite of an asp.

We move centuries ahead to Washington, D.C. and the Trump/GOP plan to replace Obamacare. Is failing dramatically! Reason: The premiums were too cheap. Coverage minimal. Purchasers stuck with huge medical bills to pay. Typical Trump error again. Query: Did any of the premium dollars end up in a Trump or a family business?

The Battle of Waterloo. Guess what? It did not take place in Waterloo. Not one ounce of anyone’s blood shed there on that fateful day in 1815.

The fighting took place three miles to the south between the villages of Braine’l Allead and Plancenoit.

Napoleon and his French forces referred to the place of their defeat as the Battle of Mont Saint-Jean after the Brainel’Alleud hill that had seen the day’s fiercest clashes. The Prussians favored the Battle of La Belle Alliance for the nearby farm house where the victors met to celebrate their triumph. The ultimate namesake however turned out to be the picturesque town where the Duke of Wellington had spent the night before and from where he had sent out the report of his crowning achievement the following day.

The art world is a strange place. Much art has been stolen over the centuries. One famous artist who was a procurer of stolen art was Pablo Picasso. Yes, he did!

The Mona Lisa had been stolen. The police thought Picasso was the thief. They searched his home and studio. Discovered other stolen pieces for which Picasso had to make amends, but no Mona Lisa.

Two years later it was discovered the Italian Vincenzo Peruggia was the thief.

On this day in 1959, “The Sound of Music” premiered on Broadway.

W. C. Handy: “Life is like a trumpet. If you don’t put anything into it, you don’t get anything out.”

Last but not least, an interesting tidbit indicating where even today a buck can be made. I found a comment that in the U.S., 30,000 laundromats serve 50 percent of apartment dwellers without washers.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Most of the time, our esteemed President acts without thinking. Then in due course he has to revert his poor judgment and reverse the order.

The most recent involves tariffs and food.

Trump signed an Executive Order yesterday removing certain tariffs from beef, coffee and other agricultural products. Included also are tea, tropical fruits, tropical juices, cocoa, spices and tomatoes.

He tariffed most or all of these items about two months ago. Said he was going to make us money. Success was not his. The price of groceries has been shooting through the roof. So now Donald wants to look good. His executive order yesterday reduced the tariffs that he had imposed some two months ago a certain extent. Claimed he wanted to help the American people. He said he was aware how food prices had elevated. He assumed no responsibility, however.

A two face. He speaks out of both sides of his mouth. He creates the problem and then takes credit for eliminating it.

Racing idiom: Dark Horse. Defined as a usually little-known contender (such as a racing horse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing.

Elvis Presley made his movie debut on this day in 1956 in “Love Me Tender.”

When you reach my age of 90, it is inevitable that you will have met many famous people. Most purely accidental.

It was 1953. I was a freshman at Manhattan College New York City. A friday night. Me and some of my dorm friends were going to the movies. Manhattan College was located at 242nd Street and Broadway. The movie 232nd Street and Broadway. In between on one side of the street between the two were well kept apartment houses. On the other, Van Cortlandt Park. Over Broadway, an elevated subway train.

As we were walking down Broadway, a car pulled up and parked. A Black gentleman got out. We all knew who he was. Instantaneously. Nat King Cole.

We helloed him. He helloed back. Stopped and chatted with us. We told him about Manhattan. He told us about his mother who lived in the building we were standing in front of and that he was on his way to visit her. A gentleman, a great personality.

In those days, many entertainers performed on 52nd Street. Several blocks of night clubs. Cole was one who so performed.

I went to watch him a few times. I could not afford it. I took a chance however. Played the poor college kid, which was true. The first time I entered, the maître de stopped me. Told me the charge. I explained I did not have any money. I was prepared to stand and buy one drink. He asked if I knew Cole. I said yes based on the one meeting already described.

He took me back stage and asked Cole if he knew me. Cole said, “Manhattan College!”

I had it made.

I visited several times. Bought my one drink and stood in the back. He always sang Falling Leaves or Autumn Leaves whatever the name was.

It was a cheap top shelf evening for me. A 45 minute subway ride each way and the cost of the drink. Can’t recall how expensive back then. But dirt cheap compared to today.

The stock market engages millions of persons. The first stock market debuted this day in 1867 in New York City.

The stock market has come a long way in that long time.

Key West’s narrowest beach is Dog Beach. For dogs and humans. More dogs than humans. Not for me. By the end of every day, the dog poop is too much.

Dog Beach is located next to one of Key West’s finest restaurants. Louie’s Backyard. Nothing I am involved with, though I wish I was.

The beach is only 20 feet wide. Exceptionally beautiful.

I recommend dinner at Louie’s Backyard overlooking the ocean or Dog’s Beach for a special evening.

Tomorrow’s blog already forming in my ind. It will involve Cleopatra and Mark Antony. You think you know every thing about them. You do not. I only recently discovered.

Till then, enjoy your day!

All good things come to an end. Curtains for the penny. Goodbye penny.

The U.S. has stopped making pennies. The penny had a 230 year life.

The last penny was struck at the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia yesterday. 

It is already being missed. There was a slowdown in making pennies even before yesterday.

It was Trump’s idea to end the penny. He was upset because they cost more than 2 cents to make. Actual figure not certain. Between 3.7 cents and 4 cents plus.

We will now need more nickels. Stores already using nickels in place of pennies. A nickel shortage will result.  More nickels will have to be made. Nichols cost 13.8 cents to make. An example of another Trump faux pas. He thinks he was saving money by killing the penny. Actually will cost more because of the increased cost of the nickel.

Actress and comedian Whoopi Goldberg was born this day in 1935.

A major Supreme Court decision was handed down this day in 1956: The Supreme Court ruled Alabama bus segregation was illegal.

Understand why there was a shutdown. Trump used the shutdown as an excuse to cut Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP and anything else he could.

Trump said: “There’s nothing about death. There’s death because they’re going to lose Social Security, they’re going to lose Medicare, all of those things are going to be gone because the whole country would be bankrupt and you’re not going to have any kind of medical insurance.”

I thought a President was President of all the people and concerned for their well being. Not Donald. His concern the rich. Screw those of lesser financial status…..the middle class, lower class and poor!

Bottomline again. Screw the poor. Let them die. Take care of and only be concerned for the rich. “Our President!”

Rome gave us much. Not everything well known. Everyone recognizes Rome  gave us a sanitation system and road networks. History fails to let us know that Rome also was responsible for five other significant items.

The bound book! Yes, books not bound as we know them till the Romans came up with the idea.

Precision medical instruments. Many still used today in operating rooms and doctors’ offices.

Roof covered shopping malls. The first!

The Gregorian Calendar. As insufficient as it still is.

Heated floors. Warmed the house.

Enjoy your day!

Trump’s incoherent foreign policy defies explanation. He has made friends foes and worked at making foes friends. He has blown 70 years of hard work by the U.S. in establishing friendships.

An example of how Trump’s tariffs are affecting a favorite American consumer product: Macaroni/pasta. An American super market favorite.

Italy’s biggest pasta exporters claim pasta duties total 107 percent. Such makes doing business with the U.S. too costly. As a result, Italy is prepared to pull its macaroni business out of the U.S. in January. The macaroni tariffs are among the largest faced by any product targeted by the Trump administration.

The tariff conflict affects the entire pasta industry…..from spaghetti Bolognese to mac and cheese. It has resulted in a major diplomatic dispute between Washington and Rome.

Query: Is Trump anti-Italian or is the macaroni/pasta tariff sheer stupidity?

The eight Democratic Senators who voted with Republicans to lift the shutdown did wrong. The medical cost correction Democrats were looking for did not occur. The eight Democrats gave in getting nothing in return. Typical no balls by Democrats in these type fights. Democrats must learn how to fight to the bitter end.

Yes, people have to eat. All forms of assistance were popping up in the U.S. The food problem would have had significant assistance in another week. One way or another, we take care of our own.

War is war! Eight Democrats capitulated. Not the way to fight!

An air traveler who was stuck in Chicago said it correctly re reference to the eight Democrats going over: “What was the point if you were just going to give in anyway?”

On November 11, 1864, under orders of General William Sherman, Union soldiers began with what lead to the Union destruction of Atlanta. A major Union victory. It was the beginning of Sherman’s March to the Sea.

Octopuses have three hearts, blue blood, and can change color to blend with water surroundings.

Lemon juice softens meat because its acid breaks down muscle fibers.

A fact, though a strange one. Eating too many carrots can tan your skin orange.

Garlic was used as a medicine in ancient Egypt.

Bananas are actually berries, strawberries are not.

Honey never ages or expires. It has been found in ancient tombs still safe to eat.

In 1945, 15,000 U.S. Mustangs flew from Iwo Jima to attack Tokyo.

Is it cold in Florida! Especially South Florida. An artic blast hit yesterday. Sixty degrees in Key West. Forty degrees in Cape Coral. A record low cold blast. I am wandering around my apartment in a sweat shirt. All air conditioning turned off. Weather will begin changing back to normal later today. Into the 70s.

ICE does good! Written with tongue in cheek. ICE actually has to go! Not representative of America. Latest ICE mishap involved pepper spraying a one year old girl and her Dad near Chicago.

South Dakota and Washington rank high for clean electric energy. Rhode Island and Delaware for power grid reliability. 

If one or two can do it, why not all?

Gettysburg engaged 165,620 soldiers. Soldiers from both sides. Sixty four Medals of Honor were awarded Union soldiers.

Gettysburg was not the largest Civil War battle. The Battle of Fredericksburg in 1862 was. One hundred eighty thousand soldiers involved.  Killed 51,112 in the 3 day battle. 

Trump claims it’s “illegal” for Late Night Hosts to mock him. Indicates Trump wants to eliminate all criticism.

Yesterday was November 11. November 11 is Veterans Day. 

At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, the Great War/World War I was ended.

Early in World War II, Congress recognized the need for more military. Congress lowered the draft age to 18 and raised the upper limit to age 37.

Dr. Mary Edwards was the first and is still the only woman to receive the Medal of Honor. She was a Union surgeon during the Civil War, captured and held prisoner by the Confederates. 

Her Medal of Honor was revoked in 1917 during a review that affected many recipients. Edwards refused to return the Medal and wore it every day the rest of her life. In 1977, President Jimmy Carter restored the Medal of Honor in her name.

And so it was.

Enjoy your day!

Thomas Jefferson was one of the largest slaveholders during his time. On the other hand, he penned the words “All men are created equal.” How is the inconsistency explained?

Medicaid cuts bills.

Who is responsible for continuing the Shutdown?  Senate Republicans rejected the Democrat’s latest offer to end the Shutdown.

As Thanksgiving approaches, airline impacts will worsen.

Trump wants his “notoriety” everywhere. Now on a two headed coin. Trump featured on both sides. Should not be done. Trump has undercut our founding principles. He is not deserving of being featured on one or two sides of a coin.

Russia may field its smallest Olympic team in the 2026 Winter Olympics. Only 3 months away. The war in Ukraine does not help re the  number of athletes it has at the moment. 

U.S. needs the EPA. Trump does not believe so. I was an environmental attorney. Big time! I experienced first hand the need for and value of the EPA. Trump is blind to its value and need.

James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA, is dead at 97.

When one thinks of Trump, one must think cruelty, bigotry, and rage. The way he is, the way he conducts himself. As a result, screws up the U.S. and world in general.

Trump’s vision of a Margo-a-Lago on the Potomac an American island. He wants his hand print left everywhere.

Smallpox and the Revolutionary War. A major problem. Washington knew how to deal with it. He had suffered the illness for one month in his youth.

A grim outbreak occurred in Boston in 1775. Spread. Washington made the bold decision to order mass inoculations for the Continental Army. The procedure involved making a small incision in the arm and inserting a dose of the virus. It paid off. Reduced death numbers and kept Washington’s Army in fighting shape.

There is only one sovereign nation named for a real woman. St. Lucia, the Caribbean island.

On this day in 1965, the Great Northeast Blackout occurred. A transmission line in Ontario, Canada, blew at 5:16 pm. The blackout extended into New York and several other States also. I was at the YMCA in Utica at the time. Just completed my workout and shower. Was standing bare ass drying off when everything went black. In and out of the building. Already dark outside. Three million people were without power involving the U.S. and Canada.

It took a while for me to find my clothes and dress. In the dark, of course. The drive home was not easy. Street lights and traffic lights not working.

When I got home, wife and 4 kids sitting in the dark. I made a fire in the fireplace. There we stayed, picked at some food and played.

“Steamboat Willie” was the first film to feature Mickey Mouse.

Chess a yesteryear born game. Long ago. Traces its roots to a game called “Chaturanga” in the sixth century.

Syracuse lost again yesterday. A lousy season. Record now 3-7. Lost to Miami yesterday 38-10. Difficult for a die hard fan like me to handle.

Enjoy your Sunday!

What is going on? Technicalities are permitting 42 million people from being fed. Not the way government should be run. The people will permit/suffer such wrong for a short time. Then feeding themselves and their children will move to the forefront. American families will realize Trump is eating as are members of the Supreme Court and their families.

The Supreme Court has temporarily allowed Trump to curtail food stamp funding. Forty two million will not receive funding today to buy food. To put food on their tables. To feed themselves and their families. Trump will eat. His administration will eat. Supreme Court Justice Jackson will eat. The entire Supreme Court and their families will eat. The needy 42 million will not. The message clear: Screw the people!

Understand clearly that Supreme Court Associate Justice Jackson has permitted a technicality to prevent food funding for the 42 million.

Trump has consistently used technicalities to curtail and delay Supreme Court action. Should not be permitted where food on the table is the issue. Definitely wrong. Feeding people is more important than technicalities.

The present Supreme Court sucks.  It has consistently bent over to empower Trump.  Does the Court fear Donald?  It would not surprise me.

If feeding 42 million is constantly thwarted, people will revolt. Yes, there will be a civil war. Again, feeding the citizens is more important than technicalities.

Those of you who will eat three meals today enjoy. Those who will not be able to purchase sufficient food, suffer. It appears that is the way our government wants it. What will be will be. What will happen will.