Donald Trump’s address to the Nation last night added nothing new. It was as they have been. Repetitious.

He opened with his alleged successes and victories. Moved quickly to elections and his usual rendition of the 2020 election.

He lacked his usual loudness.

His address was short. He generally read.

A waste of my time listening. A waste of America’s time.

Trump is preparing his usual election lies, misrepresentations and bullshit for the coming mid-terms. Last nights words will be heard again and again between now and November.

The way it has been. The way it will be.

Sicko at it again! Hegseth wants to test the testosterone levels of all troops over 30. Including women. He believes the government “has a sacred duty to maintain….. advantages.” He wants a “High-T Department of War.”

Trump will address the Nation at 9 tonight. The thrust of his talk will involve elections and again the 2020 election. He never gives up! Trump also advised he has a “very big announcement” to make. Can’t wait to hear the surprise!

U.S. support for Israel is waning. Could be this is the time toi cease all financial aid. Israel’s interests and our ownhave been separating. Distancing. Iran the example.

George Washington was inaugurated in 1789. His first inauguration.! The U.S.’ first Presidential inauguration!

What was the formality involved? Actually none till a few days before scheduled. A first and no one really paid any attention to formalities and the like.

Only five days before was it decided to hold the inauguration in New York City. It took place at the Federal Hall on Wall Street. 

Five hundred escorts, persons from all positions, preceded Washington in the march to Federal Hall. Washington immediately behind them. 

Washington was sworn in in the Senate Chamber of the Federal Hall. On the second floor balcony of the Senate.

Washington’ address following was short. James Madison helped him with he wording of the final draft of his speech.

Washington spoke with humility. He revealed his feelings of inadequacy to handle the job. He also requested no pay for his services to be rendered. His words overall were described as “touching.”

The swearing in was followed by a religious service at St. Paul’s Chapel. Later that evening, fireworks exploded all over New York City in celebration of Washington having been sworn in.

Wendy’s is cutting back. Plans to close 360 locations by year end.

Forget not that ICE killed two people in one week recently. One in Texas and the other in Maine.

Yesterday July 15th was National Hot Dog Day. Hot dogs are All-American favorites. They stretch back thousands of years before even ancient Rome. From their beginnings as  sausages to Nathan’s Famous on Coney Island.

Nero’s cook Gaius enjoyed making them. He referred to them as “wienerwarts.” The hot dogs popularity grew especially in Germnay. Went well with a beer! 

It is generally agreed that German immigrants to New York were the first to push wieners in the U.S. The time the 1860s.

I made hot dogs. Over a period of four years in a large meat packing house in Utica while working my way through college and law school. One of my many jobs.

Since I worked as a fill in at erratic times in the meat packing house, one of my duties on occasion was making hot dogs. The experience left me with a huge distaste for hot dogs.

Every left over scrap of meat went into the composition of a hot dog. There were several bathtubs set aside where the leftovers were dumped. Everything. Tails, eyes, etc. At some point all thoroughly mixed together and eventually ended up in a casing to be sold.

Turned me off from hot dogs for the rest of my life.

Saw the dermatologist yesterday. Two cancer growths on my left arm. One removed yesterday. The other next week.

It was merely a hard tiny knob under my flesh. It ended up receiving a two inch cut and burning. A bad one!

Changed my Denny’s meal yesterday. Instead of eggs, enjoyed an order of pancakes. Excellent! I now have two Denny choices to select from.

I will be watching Trump tonight. I am a political freak. I may totally disagree with the man. However, I will enjoy listening to him and criticizing him in tomorrow’s blog.

Enjoy your day!

Where and why Trump comes out with many of his plans confuses me. His most recent involves birth control. Trump apparently is anti-birth control. Even to the extent of destroying $10 million in contraceptives already paid for. Trump will be promoting natural birth control methods such as period tracking.

I do not understand. Where did this anti-birth control thing come from? Whose idea to begin with?

Trump finally paid up! E. Jean Carroll has received the $5.6 million awarded her in her civil sexual assault and defamation case against Trump. Trump was able to delay paying her for more than 3 years. He finally ran out of appeals or any other legal gymnastic to avoid making the payment.

Trump has withdrawn his plan to impose a 20 percent sanction on those using the Strait of Hormuz. With one exception. It will still apply to Iranian vessels. Makes sense. The U.S. is at war with Iran.

There are those in the U.S. concerned with our Navy. They feel it requires a rebuilding. The Iranian War has stripped it of certain necessaries. It should be attended to immediately. In the war atmosphere existing everywhere and with Trump threatening wars, we must be prepared. Right or wrong.

Why does Trump continue the Iran War? Is he Netanyahu’s bitch? Tough language, but it fits. Recall Netanyahu conned Trump to join him in the war against Iran.

Trump is planning a prime time address Thursday evening. He will be attacking the U.S. election structure. He will return to the 2020 elections. His thrust will involve elections in general and voting machines.

Trust him not! We must save ourselves and our country from his erroneous rants. All Trump cares about is doing whatever is necessary to insure his continuation in office. President forever! King forever!

Trump has not had problems invading countries with one exception. Iran. A tough society. He misread Iran’s toughness and don’t screw with me attitude. 

Enough of the Donald for today. Moving on to other matters.

A T. Rex fossil recently sold for $50.1 million. Per a Sotheby’s auction. The price allowed the T. Rex to take the title of the most valuable on the commercial fossil market. 

I wrote about this a few days ago. GreenWise Organic Frozen Blueberries sold by Publix which caused certain diseases.  A South Florida couple became infected. They had purchased the product at a Publix.  Ate the blueberries and became infected with E. coli. The wife the sicker of the two.

Both developed bloody diarrhea, severe abdominal pain , stomach cramps, dehydration, and fever. The wife was hospitalized at Jupiter Medical Center for 10 days. Then referred to a nursing facility where she has been for 3 weeks.

This is wild! People are smoking more! A rebirth. Don’t all the throat and lung cancer cases scare the shit out of them?

Hegseth is blocking female promotions in the military.

Remember Chesley Sullenberger? He was the “Minute on the Hudson” pilot who saved a plane load of passengers. He is reported to be coming down with Alzheimer’s.

I have always thought that Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg Address on the train while riding to Gettysburg. Further that he wrote it on a paper bag with a pencil. 

Not true.

Gettysburg was fought in July 1863. The Gettysburg Address was delivered on November 19. Lincoln prepared several drafts. Five still remain.

Another Presidential falsehood involves George Washington.  The one about his cutting down his father’s cherry tree and not lying about it: “I cannot tell a lie…..I did it with my hatchet.”

We learned truthfulness and the cherry tree story early in grammar school. 

The story was “invented” in 1800 by Mason Locke Weems shortly after Washington’s death. Weems sole concern was to create a fable, which turned out to be the cherry tree story, to celebrate Washington’s honesty. Instead it became one of Presidential history’s longest and most believable lies. 

That the guilty were burned at the stake during the Salem Witch Hunt trials a falsehood. None were burned at the stake. Nineteen of the 20 involved were hung. One was stoned to death for refusing to plead.

The story’s roots are found in Europe where witch trials were also held. Europeans burned their guilty at the stake.

A biggie! Cleopatra was not an Egyptian. She was actually Greek. She learned the Egyptian language however and made significant efforts to adopt Egyptian culture.

I have a late morning visit with a dermatologist. I have two cancer growths on my left arm. One comes off today and the other next Wednesday. These growths have become commonplace in my old age. Recall the one on my left ankle last year that took seven months to remove and heal. And the small dot that became a rather large extraction on my forehead.

Such is life.

I never made it to The Grand yesterday. Got tired in early afternoon and decided to remain in bed. Slept right through what would have been Happy Hour.

Enjoy your day!

Trump does it again! Brings a stupid baseless lawsuit that a federal judge throws out.

Trump brought a lawsuit against the IRS for a $1.8 billion payout fund. The judge said the suit was filed for an “improper purpose.” U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Williams also referred Trump’s attorneys for potential disciplinary proceedings.

To place this case in proper perspective, Trump was suing himself to get to get out of the IRS problem. Crazy! No way could it be legal!

Will Trump ever learn?

Another Trump will he ever learn.

Trump announced he will impose a 20 percent fee on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz despite official assertions that such fees would violate international law.

I ask again. Will Trump ever learn?

Lindsey Graham’s sister Darline Graham was picked by South Carolina Governor Mc Master, a Republican, to serve her brother’s term into January. 

“The happiest boy in the hospital.” Senator Mitch McConnell. He has been in the hospital and rehabilitation for one month. A recent photo shows him sitting up and smiling. Why did it take all this time for the public to be made aware he was recovering, etc. Why the silence? Why no news till now? 

We still have not been told what was wrong with him.

An ICE officer shot and killed a 26 year old Columbian national in Maine. Maine is investigating.

Contrary to a federal decision, Trump’s appointed Kennedy Center leaders are “rushing” corrective work to the facility. They are being told, “We’ll deal with the lawsuit later.”

Enough of federal faux pas, mishaps and wrongdoings.

King Charles’ cancer not curable. He will die because of it. Soon.

He is presently bed ridden because of cardiac arrest and must remain there. His situation has been described as an “emergency one.”

Prince William will soon be required to step in. 

A sad situation for the English Nation and Charles’ immediate family. Harry is present. The King’s sister Anne also. 

The West Palm Beach Airport has been renamed after Trump. Not a popular move.

The crew neck triangle on sweatshirts and hoodies are for absorbing sweat. Not decoration.

Paper towel rolls and toilet paper. My father was Production Manager in a Utica plant that produced both. The Doeskin Company. He considered the position a major responsibility. Especially the toilet paper.

AI did a detailed study to determine the worst President in the last 100 years. The winner with little competition was Donald Trump. The result did not require a detailed study.

Theodore Roosevelt wrote 30 books.

The Trojan horse is rarely mentioned in the Odyssey. Barely mentioned by Homer in his epic poem. Its mention was limited to “a bag of bones,” “hidden in the horse,” and “the great horse of wood.”

The Trojan horse is mentioned to a great degree in Latin in Virgil’s “Aeneid.” In Latin in Aeneid the famous line: “Timeo Dansas et dona fererentes.” Translated into English: “I fear the Greeks even when bearing gifts.”

“Streaking” became popular in the U.S. in the early 1970s. Nudity was in vogue! Even at an Academy Awards ceremony.

Oh well, crazy is crazy! Streaking ended in the 1970s in the same decade where it began. Short lived, but funny!

Invasive lizards are moving into Central Florida. A bit different than those that have settled in the Keys. Long in many instances. Up to six feet. Differently colored.

They may be here to stay. They have been seen in Orlando, Disney’s Magic Kingdom and the University of Central Florida.

Their source…..Hitching rides on international ships and through exotic pet trading.

The hashtag “Black Lives Matter” first appeared in Facebook on July 13, 2013.

On July 13, 1960 John Fitzgerald Kennedy received the Democratic nomination for President.

Word is the Reflective Pool will be drained again.

Needed groceries yesterday. Stopped at Publix. Purchased little. Walked out with little. Still spent more than previously when I bought one or two more items.

How do families do it?

Trump not really concerned. Forgets. His responsibility are the people of the U.S. Few have the kind of money to survive easily today.

Tonight, The Grand. Hopefully I am well enough later today to go.

Steve and Cindy will not be there. It was Cindy’s birthday yesterday. Their children rented a house in the Orlando area and are all spending the week together to celebrate her birthday.

The heat continues to be a killer.

Enjoy your day!

Years were spent to achieve a reduction in smokers in the U.S. Trump has thwarted the process. Slowed it down, turned it around.

The Centers for Disease Control and Protection has been shut down for more than a year. Noteworthy is that tobacco companies last year gave millions to political organizations supporting Trump. Proving again money talks. Big time!

Tons of interesting things to share with you this morning.

Senator Mitch McConnell is out of the hospital. Now in a rehabilitation facility. The claim is he had a fall and then contacted pneumonia. Obviously McConnell is not yet well enough to return to the Senate.

Senator Graham died of “aortic dissection.” A problem that is deadly, sudden and difficult to treat. “Like a knife in the back,” one expert said. It is a rip in the aorta, the main artery carrying blood from the heart to the rest of the body. An unquestionable emergency! Fifty percent make it to a hospital and only half of them survive.

One reason college graduates are without jobs is there has been a mismatch between the skills they learned in college and an employer’s needs. An example being there are many jobs available in the medical field, yet an insufficiency of educated persons for them.

Interesting. The Mafia ran an entire American city, Providence, Rhode Island, for more than 30 years. Their power ran to Las Vegas as well as the Rhode Island state government.

The U.S. and China race for biotech superiority continues. China may be moving ahead. The U.S. falling behind under Trump.

With the U.S. and Iran fighting again, the cost of oil is rising. Gasoline pumps may soon reflect the trend.

Word is Putin has turned Japan into a den of spies.

Other nations in the world are cutting ties with the U.S. It is already causing us to suffer financially. It will get worse. Thank you, Donald Trump!

Barry Goldwater: “Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice; moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.” Words contained in Goldwater’s 1964 Convention speech. Strong words. I was watching Goldwater on TV with my father. We had to rerun his words several times to grasp what we assumed was the intent of his words.

Humans, especially Americans, are becoming “touch starved.” Researchers claim our health can suffer when we don’t experience enough physical contact. I buy it! I feel it! I do not get enough physical contact at my age.

Modern cemeteries bury the coffin a mere six feet down. Not six feet actually. As a practical matter, a mere three feet when you consider the size of the coffin and a concrete vault.  Rather shallow!

Desserts my grandmother made. My father’s mother was born in Italy. Her cooking talents were the best! She could make a tough piece of round steak taste like filet mignon. Her deserts were top shelf. They are long gone today.

Like junket. Something between pudding and a giggly gelatin. Unfortunately disappeared from Italian tables in the 1970s.

Then there was potato candy. Potatoes and pounded sugar. A flexible dough the result. Unfortunately, no more.

Names of people, places and things change with time. For example, the Rocky Mountains were once called the Stoney Mountains. The Rockefeller name was once spelled with an n: Rockenfeller.

What U.S. city suffered the largest snow blizzard ever? Saratoga, N.Y., in 1888. Nearly five feet of snow over a period of three days. Wow!

The New York City subway opened in 1904.

Booze up the young! Until 1956, French children attending school were served wine  with their lunch.

“Senator” comes from the Latin word “senex. “Strictly interpreted means “old man.”

The first Black U.S. Senator was Hiram Rhodes Revels of Mississippi. He was elected in 1870. The U.S. has had 14 Black Senators in its history.

Winston Churchill was hit by a car in New York City in 1931. Churchill’s fault. He was looking the wrong way. He was hospitalized and regardless of fault collected $2,500. He took the money and went to the Bahamas to recover in style.

Interesting blog today.

The heat in Key West still a killer.

Enjoy your day!

South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham died last night. He was 71. His death “brief and sudden.” He served four terms in the U.S. Senate. He was in the process of running for his fifth term. Prior to being a Senator, he was a member of the House of Representatives for several terms.

He also served in the U.S. Air Force. A member of JAG.

He was a strong supporter of President Trump.

A Republican, Graham’s political philosophy a simple one. His goal always to sit next to the seat of power. Whoever was the Republican President. I would describe him as a “black hearted Republican.” Not meant in an insulting fashion. He was a Republican!

May he rest in peace.

This Mitch McConnell thing is frightening. He has been in the hospital just 2 days short of one month. And the public does not know why!

My cynical nature is at work. Are the Republicans keeping his condition secret for political reasons. Should the Senator die, his Democratic governor would be able to appoint a Democrat to McConnell’s Senate seat. It would affect the balance of power in the Senate. Especially with Senator Graham’s death last night.

Pope Leo XIV a tough guy! A good man! The Catholic Church, especially the Papacy, are in turmoil. Has been for many years. Even before Leo. Cardinals like U.S. Senators want to exercise power beyond what they should. Leo will not stand for it. He is Pope and he calls the shots!

Mae West: “I’ve been rich, I’ve been poor. Rich is better.”

A disgrace. Only half of Americans have a retirement account in their current jobs.

The U.S. and Iran are keeping at the warfare. Shooting at each other on a constant basis again.

Iran insists on controlling the Strait of Hormuz. Why not? It’s their property.

The mighty U.S.is no longer respected by the rest of the world. Trump blew the U.S.’ stature.

I worry about today’s college graduate. Most cannot find jobs. And if they are fortunate to do so, the first year is referred to as an “internship” and they are not paid. My grandson Robert is still looking. Interviewing across the country. In his free time, he is working at a rum parlor in Key West.

He did not go to college to remain n Key West. His goal is to move on.

The roaring ’20s in the U.S. was a period of economic prosperity and social change. The Second Industrial Revolution had made the U.S. a global economic powerhouse. Many Americans were living in cities, many had electricity, the economy was booming.

U.S. forces have spent the past two days attacking Iran. The attacks the most recent of the war. In the two days, the U.S. hit more than 170 targets.

Job finding a difficult task in the U.S. these days. Especially for the young. A third of young adults, especially recent college grads, still live with their parents.

On this day in 1804, Aaron Burr killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Burr was Vice President at the time. Political antagonists. Hamilton had been vehemently opposed to Burr’s election. Hamilton savagely attacked him. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel. An “affair of honor” from Burr’s perspective.

One rendition of the duel is that Hamilton intentionally shot upward wasting his shot. Burr did not waste his. Shot Hamilton, the bullet entering near his spine. Hamilton died the next day.

Burr was not the best of Americans as history has proven. The U.S. lost a good man in Hamilton.

Enjoy your Sunday!

I have been sick a few days Ergo, no blog. Tiredness. Big time. Sorry. Thrilled to be back.

I liked our White House the way it was. All of Trump’s machinations not required. As with most things, he has screwed the White house up.

His most recent “must” are the “door dings” on the tall White House columns.

I never heard of a door ding before. Research indicated it is like a ding on a car. A very small intrusion. Not enough to be called a dent. No bigger than a “pinky fingernail.”

Trump claims they were recently spotted. By the Secret Service who brought them to his attention and recommended they be corrected.

I only came across the purported Secret Service involvement one time in my research.

Repair has already begun. The pillars have been draped. Who is doing the work? How much will it cost?

Other renovation work includes the ballroom. When will it be completed? Anyone working on it presently? My recollection was it was going to be free. Paid for my third parties. Then it may have been said Trump might be paying. Now it appears to be tax dollars.

The Reflective Pool. A disaster! You know all there is to know from media releases. A sad joke.

The Rose Garden. Paved over? Fixed over? I am not sure.

Additionally the Cabinet Room,  South Lawn, and Oval Office. Plus the now suggested fencing around White House grounds.

I read in a few places this morning for the first time that Donald and Melania would like to make over the White House to appear as close as possible to Mar-a-Lago. Their actual home they admire so much.

Qatar’s gift. Now made over by Trump to be Air Force One. Trump used Qatari’s gift to fly to Turkey for the NATO Meeting. He did not use it to leave.

Two reasons. One I buy, the other bullshit.

Turkey and Iran are next door to each other. Directly adjacent. They have a land border 332 miles long.

Trump flew on the Qatari plane to Tehran for the NAATO meeting. He flew the old Air Force One home.

Trump’s reason in the Qatari Air Force One being flown to England was to give U.S. military in England the opportunity to view the new Air Force One. The other reason and the one I believe is the old Air Force One was used to protect Trump. Apparently the Qatari plane was not yet completely renovated. It had no way of warding off bombs, missiles or drones. Made Trump susceptible to being killed.

Khomeini’s funeral procession was taking place in Iran while Trump was leaving. The morning of the day Trump was to leave, he had declared the ceasefire ended and described Trump’s leaders as “scum.” Large signs along the funeral procession path read “KILL TRUMP.” Never forget Iran’s retaliatory sensibilities.

For protection purposes the old Air Force One was called into play and the new one sent to England. 

On July 10, 1821 the American flag was raised for the first time in St. Augustine and the Spanish flag lowered ending Spanish rule in Florida.

These things don’t happen. Like a passenger being sucked out of a plane window during flight.

A Ryanair subsidiary Malta Air was flying from Greece to Germany. A passenger seated next to the widow was sucked outside when the window blew out. The man out the plane with his feet still inside. His wife was holding on to his feet trying to pull him in. Passengers helped and he was pulled back in.

His only body damages were friction marks.

Lucky man!

Crazy weather will continue.

Meteorologists warn most of the lower U.S. States will swelter under an unusually large, strong and long lasting heat dome that will “spike” temperatures in a “significant and dangerous” way. The heat will start this weekend and last one week. Abnormally hot weather!

I find it hard to believe it could be worse! The past month or so is the hottest I have experienced in Key West in my 30 years here.

Nurse Paige was with me yesterday. She worked me. I begin my exercising and short walking today.

Enjoy your day!

An E. coli outbreak has hit Florida and Georgia. Linked by the FDA and CDC to a Publix sold brand of frozen blueberries which also spread to six other states. Twelve persons infected in Florida and Georgia. Eleven in Florida and one in Georgia. Involved were GreenWise Frozen Organic Blueberries. 

Children under 5 and adults over 65 have the greatest vulnerability. 

Publix has recalled the 10 ounce bags from their Florida stores and those in 8 other states.

The problem appears to have involved frozen GreenWise blueberries sold in stores before July 3, 2026.

The Miami Herald and Orlando Sentinel carried articles relating to the problem.

Present life expectancy in years is 77.5.

In 1971 the 28th Amendment was adopted which lowered the voting age to 18.

Electric powered cars have been with us for a long time. In 1900 they accounted for one third of all vehicles on the road.

The very first electric car was designed in the 1830s. Batteries were the problem. Took till 1881 to acquire effective ones.

The cost of an electric car in 1912 was $1,750. Today over $53,000. Contrast it with Ford’s Model T in 1912 which only cost $650.

The U.S. Coast Guard performs 45 search and rescue missions daily.

There are presently six American flags planted on the moon.

An “official military flag” has 13 symbolic folds.

Fifty six delegates signed the Declaration of Independence.

There are three species of elephant. The African Savanna, the African Forest, and the Asian.

A part of the modern automobile which took a long time to come into permanent use. The seat belt. The first patent for one was obtained in 1885.

A wonder! The size of a kangaroo at birth is 2.5 centimeters. The size of a grape.

African elephants have long term pregnancies. The gestation period of an African elephant is 22 months. The longest pregnancy among land mammals.

Mosquitos have six legs.

Hard to believe. The miles of blood vessels in the brain total 400.

A Florida mother in the Orlando area has sued a “group house” after her son lost 2 fingers to flesh eating bacteria. I’m shocked the bacteria is in the states!

Skin tight pants and shorts worn by woman is mandatory attire in the Olympics. The reason is such reduces air resistance which obviously is helpful in winning.

Trump asserts himself whenever he can. No, when he wants. The most recent his call to the head of FIFA re the banning of a player. 

Trump gets his nose in everything. In a sense he is Pinocchio. His nose in everything gets considerably bigger.

The man is a disgrace!

American beer is not popular in Germany. Especially Budweiser.

Non alcoholic beers are very popular in the U.S. And good! The better ones have flavor, aroma and the mouthful taste of real beer. Magical!

A recent study determined O’Doul’s Premium Golden is the best non alcoholic lager. 

Interestingly and reflecting on non alcoholic popularity, there are 200 brands in the U.S and 473 worldwide.

One of our greatest problems is our quest for unity. Not that we spend that much time seeking it. We have to find the unity factor. Perhaps when Trump is no longer in power, it will return.

The real subtle issue at the present Turkey NATO Meeting is whether Europe can lead. The U.S. is no longer a dependable leader. Trump screwed everything up in that regard! 

Alcatraz was once the most infamous prison in the U.S. One surprise is that it only remained open 29 years. Why did it close? Money. It cost too much to operate. Today, it is part of the National Park Service and receives 1.5 million visitors a year.

The largest serving inmate at Alcatraz was imprisoned 26 years.

The Statue of Liberty is 305 feet tall. I visited two times. Once as a child with my father. Then as a father when I took my four children. A great family experience to visit. The recollection remains a life time.

The Statue receives an average of 3.7 million visitors a year. 

Thomas Edison was an “early genius.” He received his first patent at age 22.

The longest serving English monarch was Elizabeth II. She served 25,782 days.

The first multilevel parking garage was built in 1918.

Estimates exist for everything! Like the largest number of people to have ever lived. The number 117 billion.

Americans spent approximately $36 billion on each recent Mother’s Day.

Allied troops who landed in Normandy numbered 156,115. They were opposed by 50,000 German troops. Eisenhower knew what he was doing!

I never made it to The Grand yesterday. Started feeling poorly in early afternoon. Sadly, that’s the way it goes.

Enjoy your day!

My 91st birthday yesterday one of the finest I have ever experienced. Amazing because of what I did.

My morning was spent with Corey working on the computer printout of some of the paintings I am offering for sale. Then an egg lunch at Denny’s Hideaway. Followed by a quick trip through Publix. The cupboard was bare again.

Just about 1 pm when I arrived home. My great day began then!

It was a slew of birthday cards and a ton of telephone calls till mid evening. I heard from people I have not had any communication with in years. Absolutely terrific! Great conversations, great memories. The cards had long handwritten messages. Thank you one and all! Love you all!

I had planned on dinner alone probably at Antonia’s. At my age, I am alone. Most my age are. Contemporaries long gone. Dead or moved away. Dinner alone did not appeal to me, but I thought it better than nothing.

One of my callers had my dinner delivered. A huge Italian meatball sub from Mr. Z’s. I never left the house once it was received. Delicious! My thanks to Fran Dixon who telephone ordered it for me from Buffalo.

A strange birthday. However, I could not have asked for more. A perfect one!

Seaweed time. The Atlantic beaches stink. Smathers, Higgs and Casa Marina beaches suffering therefrom.

What did Victorian ladies carry in their purses? They carried back then: Items of importance to them such as calling cards, money, writing materials – a small pencil and slips of paper, handkerchief, aromatics – smelling salts – female fainting was common back then, gloves, and a needle and thread for sewing.

A lot to carry in a relatively small pouch.

Cinderella was first found in the ancient tale  “Thodopis”, recorded around the 1st century BCE/CE. Later resurfaced in the 9th century in the story of “Yeh-Shen.” However as we know it today in all its detail was rewritten in the 17th century by the Italian Giambattista Basile. He contributed the wicked stepsisters and dazzling palace.

Remember Braveheart. A terrific movie starring Mel Gibson. Gibson wrote and rewrote most of it.

Turns out the movie was a total falsehood. Not one “fact” therein was correct. Facts were manufactured by Gibson to make the film work as an exciting one. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and I am sure most of you did also.

Trump a cheapo! Since he in effect took over Venezuela, the U.S. has taken out $8 billion in oil money. So far Trump has only allowed $300 million in quake aid.

The NATO meeting to be held in Turkey later this week should prove interesting. Trump is going. Confident I am sure that the heads of all other nations will suck up to him because he considers himself a “power person.” His ass to be kissed. 

I am curious to see what happens.

On this day in 1456, the Catholic Church corrected a wrong. It formally acquitted Joan of Arc, 25 years after burning her at the stake. The Church would have acted better had it not burned her at the stake in the first instance.

Trump recently said, “Nobody is laughing at us anymore.” Who is he kidding? He bullshits himself. The whole world laughs at us because of him.

Trump’s Fourth of July was a disaster! No question about it. He deserved it!

Bill Clinton: “What Trump said at Mount Rushmore should worry every American.”

Crowds chanted “Death to America!” as Khamenei’s casket wound through the streets of Tehran. Friends? I doubt they ever will be. 

I am still concerned about Iran retaliation. “Get even” is part of their beliefs. Trump should be continuously concerned.

Trump is trying to screw up the Smithsonian as he has everything else. 

I visited the various Smithsonian museums on more than  one occasion. I found nothing anti-American about them. Trump’s concern is that they probably do not meet up to his name and standards. As they should not.

While more people are being diagnosed with cancer today compared with fifty years ago, the good news is that fewer people are dying from it.

Walmart has announced price cuts. One example beef. Down 15 percent. Trump tried to take credit for the Walmart cuts. Shortly after Walmart’s announcement, How the man lies!

Humphrey Bogart: “Things are never so bad they can’t be made worse.”

A typical Buddhist metta saying. A “metta” is a “loving kindness meditation: “May I be happy, may I be well. May I be kind towards my suffering. May I cultivate more kindness within my heart. May I cultivate more peace within my heart.”

Tropic Cinema may not die. Talks are ongoing with the Performing Arts Center of Key West to explore ways for the Tropic Cinema to remain open. Great!

American Jews used to be gun shy. No more. The rise of anti-Semitism around the world concerns them. A self-defense non profit is offering gun training classes to the Jewish community in 56 chapters across 23 states.

Today being Tuesday, later today it is The Grand for Happy Hour. I will be there. 

Last week I left before the Happy Hour had concluded. The bar stool was hurting my back. I should not have.

One of the telephone calls I received last night was from Don and Chris Teich. Old friends. Go way back in Key West. I recall attending their fabulous wedding many years ago.

I have not heard from them in years. Thought they had given up on Key West. Whatever, they were here last Tuesday and went to The Grand looking for me. I had left. They plan on returning for the whole month of November. We will be together again. What a time we will have!

Enjoy your day!

Today is my birthday. Ninety one years old!

Interesting. Wild in a sense.

My body feels it. My mind not. My mind is as sharp today as it was years ago. I suspect the blog has kept me mentally alert.

My day will be as all others in recent years. Quiet. I may buy myself a special dinner this evening. Depends how I feel.

A portion of yesterday was spent with Corey and Robert. They were helping with the assemblage of the art work I acquired over the years. Both extremely helpful.

I am concerned about the pending heat wave that is supposed to hit Wednesday. A bad one on an already bad one!

How does Trump see his place in history? Comparable to historical greats. The most powerful men who ever existed. Including the bad guys. I suspect persons such as Attila the Hun, Caesar, Genghis Khan, Napoleon, Joseph Stalin, Adolph Hitler and Mao Tse Tung.

Power the key. As Trump recently said, power alone is not enough. Such a person must be willing to use it. Trump believes he is such a person as he is convinced he is willing to use power and has.

Ben Harrison’s latest musical wonder is around the corner.: Clouds Over the Sunshine Inn. July 14-18 at the Fringe Theater. Go! The worst thing that will happen is you will have a good time!

Interesting. In 2025, independent sellers on Amazon employed over 2 million people in the U.S. in the support of their businesses.

The Battle of Gettysburg ended on July 3, 1863. It was the most decisive battle of the Civil War.

George Washington took Command of the Continental Army on July 3, 1775. From there ultimately to first President of the United States. A long and dramatic career.

The Keys Publix Proposal adds 130,000 square feet to what presently exists. A City Commission is presently studying the Proposal. Area will be added for anchor tenants. However the plan does not contain any portion for residential housing. The Proposal in my opinion should not be approved unless it has some residential housing. Key West is desperate for housing.

Carmen Rodriguez has returned! She is singing at various locales about town. Visit one and sit down to an evening of pure joy listening to her sing. She is one of the best! 

George Washington, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin were considered the most humorous of the Founding Fathers.

Venezuela had been warned its public housing towers might crumble in a quake. They did. Big time!

Enjoy your day! My day!