Trump missuses the Justice Department. Uses it as his personal law firm. Most recently the lawsuits brought by E. Jean Carroll. His appeals of her awards for $5 million and $83.3 million. Both arising out of her accusations that Trump sexually assaulted the now 82 year old woman in a Bergdorf-Goodman dressing room in the mid 1990s.

The cases will ultimately be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court.

One of Trump’s arguments is he is shielded from liability under the Westfall Act, a federal law that provides government employees immunity from personal liability for acts performed within the scope of their employment.

Sex in a department store dressing room? Ridiculous! Trump abuses U.S. laws when and where ever he believes it benefits him. Trump wasn’t even a government employee in the 1990s when the sexual attack occurred. 

The Iran War. After shooting by both sides while a ceasefire was supposedly in place, the U.S. and Iran have tentatively agreed to a 60 day memorandum of understanding to extend their current ceasefire and enable for negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program to continue.

I do not know if the preceding solely represents Trump’s position or those of both nations. Trump has consistently jumped all over the place on ceasefire issues.

The New York Times reports that Trump’s pendulum on the war has been driven by Trump’s mood and moment rather than by strategy. Sort of a “bombs, bargains and bluster” approach.

On this day in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the peak of Mount Everest. The first to accomplish the feat. The peak 29,035 feet above sea level, the highest point on Earth. The peak the cruising altitude of a jet airliner, oxygen levels very low, temperatures extremely cold, and the weather overall unpredictable and dangerous.

A major feat!

In 1921, George Leigh Malloy attempted to climb Everest. He failed to make it. Later he was asked by a reporter why he wanted to climb Everest. He responded, “Because it is there.”

Estee Lauder: “Risk taking is the cornerstone of empires.”

Should homeowners get earthquake insurance? The usual home owners policy does not cover earthquakes. Earthquakes are common in 42 states. Cost extra to obtain. If you have a concern, check with your agent for his advice.

Young Americans earn varying amounts depending on the state where employed. The best paying state for the young is Massachusetts. The poorest Mississippi.

Archeologists discovered 2,300 years old Chinese beer in a large bronze bottle sealed inside a tomb near the Great Wall of China. They sampled the beer. It tasted like vinegar. Understandable.

A woman was ticketed by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy for holding a phone in her right hand while driving. One problem, however. She had no right hand. The charge was ultimately dismissed. Query? Why did the Deputy give her the ticket in the first place?

Aesop: “The grateful heart will always find opportunities to show its gratitude.”

April reflected another month of increased inflation. Inflation shot up to 3.8 percent, the highest level since May 2023.

Trump wants his face everywhere. The worst President ever!

The most recent place for his picture is the $250 bill being prepared for our Nation’s birthday. Congress must approve. Hope they fail to do so.

A quiet day for me yesterday. A haircut with Lori. Always good company. Lunch at Denny’s Hideaway. A brief walk along the upper part of Duval. Some research when I returned home. Then a long nap before dinner.

Key West is dead. The season is over. Traffic light. Parking places available.

Enjoy your day!

I love art! Took lessons, painted, recognized my failures, became a collector instead.

For many years, my environmental legal work took me to New York City. The free moments that I had were spent in museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was my all time favorite. I would get totally absorbed viewing certain collections.

Likewise on my trips to Rome, Athens and London where every free moment found me in a museum.

At 90 and residing in Key West, I no longer travel. Unfortunately. So I do not get to view the great art palaces again in the major cities of the world. Memories remain, however. So all is not lost.

Raphael is one of the great artists! He lived a mere 37 years. Nevertheless, painted a huge number of works. He was born in 1483 and died in 1520. During his painting years, he was well received. He is frequently mentioned along with Leonardo da Vinci as one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance.

His artistic efforts are presently being shown in a special exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Big time! One hundred seventy one pieces! It is Raphael at his finest. Historically referred to as The Prince of Painters.  

The Metropolitan exhibit is titled “Raphael: Sublime Poetry.” Such is the quality of his work.

Many of his pieces adorn a special area in Rome’s Vatican Palace.

Sad I will miss the Metropolitan exhibit.

Moving on.

Donald Jr. got married. The formal ceremony took place in the Bahamas. The whole family did not attend. Donald Sr. said he had to remain in Washington to protect the U.S. Nor did Melania or Barron attend. 

Tom Hanks has done a 20 series program re World War II. It is titled “World War II with Tom Hanks” and began showing this past Monday on the History Channel.

The cleaning ladies were here Tuesday. I returned home as they were leaving. I quickly discovered my air conditioning was not working. A disaster!!! Could not get in touch with the ladies or their employer. None spoke English.

Wow was me!

Fortunately, Corey saved my butt. He came by about 5 hours later after he completed his work. A man of talent! Took him less than 2 minutes to figure out a plug was disconnected. Thank God! Saved me from a night of disaster!

The theologian Arthur Sprinkle has spoken out re the participation of women in the ministry. Church leadership claims the Bible does not recognize female leadership of any kind.

Sprinkle came upon many Biblical portions spelling out female leadership. Like Deborah who judged Israel, Phoebe who Paul commended as a deacon, and Priscilla who instructed the learned Apollos in the ways of God more accurately.

Trump’s “candidates” in the Republican primaries appear to have mostly if not all won. All it took was Trump’s charm and mega dollars from Trump’s billionaire supporters.

On this day in 1897, “Dracula” went on sale in London.

A major British naval victory. The British navy sank the unsinkable German battleship Bismarck.

Key West weather is August-September weather. Hot as hell! The only way to describe it. Two days ago, the internet posted a statement that Key West heat that day was “dangerous.” Every day lately seems dangerous.

The Trump administration plans to send U.S. persons afflicted with Ebola to Kenya. Doesn’t sound legal to me.

Trump wants to create more banks. Crypto companies and automakers are among those that have applied for banking charters.

Banks suck. Not the friend of the people. Only the rich.

A recent New York Times article references Judy Blume’s novel “Are You There God? It’s me, Margaret.”

Pat Bondi has been diagnosed with throat cancer after being fired as Attorney General. She has undergone surgery.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ben Harrison the other day. He authored “Undying Love,” the true story of von Cosel and Elena. Von Cosel an x-ray technician who loved his patient Elena who died. He recovered her body and slept with it in his bed for seven years. A true Key West story. Harrison’s book a spectacular rendering!

I am heading for another surgery. This time my throat. I have an esophageal obstruction. Which means I choke when I swallow. I have had the problem for 15 years. It has gotten worse. I now choke on occasion when swallowing pills. Even a small baby aspirin. No fun! My health requires me to take 16 pills a day.

Lori time today. A haircut.

Enjoy your day!

Today is Memorial Day. A federal holiday in the United States for mourning U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is observed on the last Monday in May.

A time to visit cemeteries and memorials to mourn military personnel who died in the line of duty.

Interestingly, the last Monday of May is also considered the unofficial beginning of Summer.

The first national observance of what would become Memorial Day occurred on May 30, 1868 to honor Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. The day at the time was designated Decoration Day. The holiday spread state to state, By 1890, every state had adopted the holiday.

Congress in 1968 designated the last Monday in May THE day to celebrate Memorial Day.

Visiting military cemeteries a major event. The cemeteries immediately impact a person. So was it with me.

My first visit to a military cemetery was totally by accident. I was on a one month vacation in Italy with my family. My parents, wife and four children. I had rented a villa on the Mediterranean 40 miles outside Rome. We would travel to other Italian areas using the villa as our home base.

One morning I woke before everyone else. I took a ride alone. We were in the Anzio area where Allied troops had landed during World War II. I saw a cemetery. Many neat and tidy white crosses in perfect rows on well cut grass.

I stopped. A small sign indicated it was the British cemetery for those who died during the Battle of Anzio.

I walked among the graves. Read the inscriptions on the crosses. Most had names and ages. Most were young. Very young. Early 20s and younger. Then there were crosses that bore no names. Only read: Known to God alone.

That is when it hit me. I began crying. The tears rolled out in volume.

I visited Arlington many times. Same physical set up as the British cemetery in Anzio. My reaction on some occasions the same as what happened in Anzio. Tears, though not as many.

Try to visit Arlington or some other military cemetery. You do not have to know anyone buried where ever you visit. It is the recognition of what they did and the lives they gave up for us.

Would you believe that as I write about the Anzio and Arlington cemeteries my eyes have filled with tears.

World War I was the war to end all wars. It did not quite make it. World War II and the other wars that have followed make the point. I doubt wars will ever totally disappear. Not part of man’s nature. A reason to fight is always found, even when not correctly/honestly based. The military cemeteries will get larger. New ones will have to be developed. It is man’s way and the world’s way to fight on…..even where the reasons therefore may be senseless.

Enjoy your day!

Happy Anniversary Lisa and Corey! Twenty three years married!

What a wedding it was!

Lori had married first. At the Casa Marina. A black tie event. Cost me $100,000. It was worth every penny. Lisa made it clear however that she and Corey did not want me to spend that kind of money. They were adamant. I fought them not!

We ended deciding on a Key West beach event. The Southernmost Beach Bar at the end of Duval Street. The bar/restaurant and the humongous beach surrounding it.

I was busy with a major environmental case in New York at the time and left the details to my wife. I became in effect sort of a guest at the wedding also.

My wife Mary Lourdes did a terrific job! A great event! Some 150-200 people. A ton from Key West. Many from Utica and I can’t recall from where else.

Lisa was beautiful. Nervous, but it seems most brides are. The ceremony and partying could not have been better. Great food. The booze flowed like water. Everyone dancing on the sand. Most barefoot. 

I was happy till I got all the bills for the event later that day and the next day. Totaled $105,000. I could not understand. This was to be a cheapie wedding compared to Lori’s.

I found out why so much. My wife was lucky we did not divorce back then.

She was not happy with the beach lights and the bathrooms. She had all new beach lights put in. The beach was huge! She also had the bathrooms totally redone. Such is why the bill was a shocker! An unexpected backbreaker!

Lisa swore me to secrecy: Don’t tell Corey! I did not, I doubt she ever has. He learns it today for the first time.

I love Corey! He has been so helpful to me through my illnesses. There is none better. Twenty three years is long enough to be in the dark, however. I now find it amusing. I hope Corey does also.

I must admit I had a wonderful time. Drank and danced all night!

Congratulations again my beloved Lisa and Corey. And the grandchildren you have given me!

Americans are drinking less alcohol. U.S. consumption dropped 5 percent in 2025. Wine and beer leading the decline. 

Why the decline? Economists blame tighter budges and less face to face socializing, at the same time that younger Americans are choosing not to drink.

Thomas Jefferson had a “flame” that he could not marry. Her name Marie Cosway. She was already married to another. Jefferson a widower at the time they met.

A sexual relationship? Historians suspect so, but not certain.

Jefferson acted like a giddy school boy. He was truly enamored. He is described as a lovesick man with an intellect and a heart aching for a woman that was not to be his.

There are dozens of phrases attributed to Shakespeare. A few: Nether rhyme nor reason, In my heart of hearts, We have seen better days, Too much of a good thing, I have not slept a wink, The clothes make the man, He hath eaten me out of house and home, A dish fit for the Gods, It’s Greek to me, What’s done is done, All that glitters is not gold, The world is my oyster, and more.

Trump functions like he is all powerful. He no longer is so in the U.S. and definitely not so among the nations of the world.

Trump sucked up to China and Xi. Trump will end up fucking Taiwan. Other nations are concerned also about the developing relationship. The combination of the U.S. and China may be too much for them to handle.

Israel and the U.S. are not as tight as they were when the two joined together to attack Iran. Netanyahu and Trump each seem to be going their own way.

Autism clinics are squeezing Medicaid, especially among preschoolers. State budgets are being strained. 

The world famous Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in Bethel, New York, was held in 1969. Key West’s Larry Smith and Christine Cordone were there.

New York City’s Brooklyn Bridge opened to the public in 1883.

Exposing fetuses to certain flavors in the womb could lead to children being less picky eaters.

Humans are more generally similar to cats than dogs. Cat chromosomes are organized more similarly to human ones, thereby making cats a better model for studying human diseases.

Humans dream about two hours each night.

Global life expectancy has more than doubled since the 1850s.

What Congresspersons earn. A maximum of $174,000 annually. Leadership roles are more lucrative. They are entitled to a federal pension after five years, with benefits tied to length of service and positions.

Things we learned in early grammar school. Like how Samuel Morse demonstrated the telegraph with the message: “What hath God wrought?”

There is a “hidden disease” destroying Christian families from within: Overwork. I agree. Think about it.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Sadie Hawkins first comes to mind as girls asking boys to dance. The normal way being boys asking girls to dance.

Sadie Hawkins was not a real person. She was a comic strip creation dreamed up by cartoonist Al Capp in the late 1930s for his wildly popular Li’l Abner.

Sadie Hawkins was the “homeliest girl in all the hills.” Her father thought she would never marry. She was 35 and not yet asked. He invented Sadie Hawkins Day. Sadie chased all the bachelors in Dogpatch. Whoever she caught had to marry her.

Sadie’s father ran a new Sadie Hawkins Day Race every year till 1952 when she caught Li’l Abner. 

Sadie Hawkins Day has become a major social event. Every year. Big time! Fun time!

Trump announced he will send 5,000 more troops to Poland. Why? Recent Trump Administration moves indicated a reduction of U.S. troops in Europe. 

Trump’s move surprised even the Pentagon.

It may reflect Trump’s being upset with European nations not supporting the Iran War. Not “stepping up” when needed. Some believe it is to help the Ukraine.

Who knows? Confusing!

Donald Trump Jr. is getting married this weekend in the Bahamas. Married first in a private home service yesterday in West Palm Beach. His father the President has announced he will not be attending the wedding…..either event. He is tired and too busy. The U.S. he claims comes first. Specifically, Trump claims his failure to attend is because of “circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America.”

Strange. Sounds like typical Trump bullshit.

Jr. is upset Dad is not attending.

Las Vegas is in desperate need of tourists. A new gimmick to attract tourists: Free gasoline for out of state tourists.

Teens are losing critical sleep. Reason: Phone use after midnight.

Trump tried to silence late night hosts. His attempts a failure. The hosts are mocking him even worse.

Civil Rights is taking a beating under Trump. The greatest decimation of Black political power in over a century has taken place.

Montreal strippers call for a strike day during Canadian Grand Prix weekend. The ladies say it is “the most lucrative period of the year.”

Six subjects no longer taught in U.S. high schools: Latin, shorthand, shop, home economics, food pyramid, and food wheel.

I took the first two. Three years of Latin. Glad I did. Helped me tremendously with English subjects and words. Shorthand only one year. To assist me in taking class notes when I attended college.

Trumps graduation speech to the Coast Guard a joke. Terrible! He even mentioned being President in 2032.

Economic confidence is plunging.

The Washington, D.C. July Fourth show will have a record breaking 860,000 fireworks.

Americans dial 911 in an emergency situation. The number began use in the 1960s. Why 911? The United Kingdom had been using 999 since 1937. Appeared to be a good idea. We went for 911. A success!

Enjoy your day!

The Catholic Church is more than “sexual theology.” There are numerous “social justices” that require attention also. Pope Leo XIV in a explicit writing due Monday will explain the expanded theme. More than sins of the flesh to be considered. A ton of Biblical teachings. Leo is going to open the door to their consideration.

Go for it, Leo!

The States with the highest earnings are Washington, Massachusetts and California. The States with the lowest are Mississippi, West Virginia and Arkansas.

Check usage is down 83 percent over 25 years. In 2,000, 68 million checks were processed daily. Today, 12 million.

Dances change with time. Popularity fluctuates. In the 1800s, the popular dances were different than those of today. It was the world of European waltzes, Bohemian polkas, and African-American dances.

Heroin was sold legally in the U.S. in the early 1900s. Primarily as a treatment for morphine addiction. Sears sold heroin in its catalogue at the time for just $1.50 which bought 2 vials of heroin, a syringe, 2 needles, and a handy carrying case.

Ebola responders claim aid cuts by western nations left them ill-equipped for outbreaks. There is no Ebola vaccine for the present outbreak and there will not be one soon. Blame lies specifically with Trump and certain other leaders.

A powerful El Nino is forming. If history is any indication, it could hit hard.

Marisa Mayer: “I always did something I felt a little unready to do…..That’s when you push yourself and when you grow.”

Capital punishment continues to be up front in the news. 

Tennessee had to call off an execution after the staff could not find the prisoner’s vein. The prisoner is Tom Carruthers who was convicted for three 1994 murders. 

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee issued a reprieve delaying any further execution attempts for one year.

Vice News was in Tehran yesterday and is today. The reason why being the incorrectness of news concerning the Iran War. America is being told one thing about the War. Iranians another. Both incorrect. Vice on the scene to determine the truth.

If milk is white, why is butter yellow? The answer has to do with what cows eat. Specifically, the carotene provides the yellow pigmentation in butter. Grass contains a high level of the carotene. Grain much less. Ergo, cows who eat grass make yellow butter. Cows that eat grain produce a butter much whiter.

Elephants are famous for their intelligence. It has now been determined that elephants may be more sophisticated than previously thought. They are able to address one another by name. Their grunting calls are in effect names for each other.

The only country named after a tree is Brazil. The Brazilwood tree.

There are those who believe Republicans are going from dumb to dumber.

More and more Senate Republicans are breaking with Trump over the Iran War. A Senate vote ending the War was canceled because of the increased opposition.

I never made it to Dr. Norris yesterday afternoon. Got very tired a couple of hours before. Too tired to make the trip. I canceled. Tired one of the problems I was going to discuss with him. Next week hopefully.

Enjoy your day!

2026 college graduates are facing a bleak job market. A bad situation. It has to be demoralizing for the graduates. They must continue looking, however. It’s a never give up situation.

Robert graduated earlier this month. He began looking a year ago and has diligently done so. A 3.5 graduate with all sort of sport announcing and writing gigs. Yet no permanent job offer. Amazing!

My advice to him has been continue your education if he does not have a job. We discussed law school. He had been thinking about it. He does not want to practice law. However, he recognizes the many educated lawyers working today in the sport fields he would like to be a part of.

Gasoline prices! All 50 states plus D.C. have average gasoline prices above $4 a gallon.

The Iran war is wrecking Trump’s economy. He got himself in a pickle and at the same time the people of the U.S.

Now Trump is considering an invasion of Cuba. He has been talking about it forever. Taking action suddenly.

The action two fold. He had Raul Castro indicted. For two murders that occurred some 30 years ago involving two planes off Cuba’s costal waters. Trump also has moved the aircraft carrier Nimitz into Caribbean waters. Shades of Iran!

Mozart: “Be silent if you choose, but when it is necessary, speak – and speak in such a way that people will remember it.”

A new Ebola outbreak in central Africa has killed 136 people. It has made officials around the world take precautions to prevent the disease from reaching their countries.

“Pretty Woman 2” will be made. Thirty years after the original Pretty Woman. Prada 2’s success might have encouraged its making. Julia Roberts and Richard Gere will star again.

The American Red Cross was founded this day in 1881.

On this day in 1927, Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo non stop transatlantic flight. Five years later in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo non stop transatlantic flight.

Popcorn can pop as high as three feet. That is if not popped in a bag. The first modern microwave popcorn bag was patented by General Mills in 1981.

Ancient Greece was composed in excess of 1,000 city states.

Speaking of Greece, if you have never visited you are cheating yourself. I found it to be the very best place to visit. Years ago, I would spend two months at a time there. Heaven on Earth!

Dreaming. Studies reveal people have 4-6 dreams a night.

The first city with a population of one million was Ancient Rome. More than 2,000 years ago in 133 BCE. Today the city with the largest population is Jakarta, Indonesia. Till recently, it was Tokyo, Japan.

Not all Presidents of the U.S. could be described as “intelligentsia.” At least eight encountered adversity in the halls of academia. Included in the eight were Ulysses S. Grant, Herbert Hoover, Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan. Amazing!

College degrees providing graduates with high incomes today are engineering and architecture, business and economics, and security and protective degrees. Those providing the least returns are liberal arts, recreation and fitness, and social sciences.

The breakdown bothers me. I was a liberal arts student. A history major. Taught me how to think. The favored majors today do not initiate thinking as liberal arts did and does.

A Dr. Norris visit this afternoon. I need it. Several aches and pains I want to discuss with him.

Enjoy your day!

Specialized lunacy continues to prevail in the White House.

IRS audits are in place and legal to catch tax cheats.

A new move is underway to prevent the IRS from auditing Donald Trump and his family. The move would require the IRS to drop present tax audits of Trump and family, if any. The Justice Department will be prohibited from ongoing inquiries into their taxes, a move which would protect them from financial liability.

Stated simply, the government would be “FOREVER BARRED and PRECLUDED from prosecuting or pursuing tax claims” against Trump, his family members and businesses.

Tax experts claim the possibility exists that the provision is illegal. I don’t see it as a possibility. It appears to me to be blatantly illegal. Provides favoritism to one specified group of persons. Clearly audacious. 

Who does Trump think he is?

Enjoy your day!

An important issue. Executions by firing squad. They are gaining in popularity. Several states have legalized the method. The Justice Department is encouraging federal prison officials to consider the method.

Capital punishment remains legal in 27 states. The problem with them is twofold. Botched executions and the adverse affect on executioners themselves.

Capital punishment has been declining for several decades. Just over 50 percent of Americans support it. Down from 80 percent in 1994.

A Texas legislator said in a 1977 hearing: “We’ve gone from stoning to crucifixion, to quartering, to burning people at the stake, to hanging.” He followed up with….Now, we return to execution by shooting.

Electrocutions are gruesome. Prison officials place masks on prisoners to spare witnesses from having to see their eyes pop out.

Wouldn’t it be simpler to simply eliminate executions entirely and rely solely on life in prison or for an extended time instead?

I doubt there will ever be a blanket solution to the problem.

Enjoy your day!

The cry of thousands at the prayer festival at the National Mall yesterday: “We welcome Jesus!”

Trump inspired religious fanaticism!

Not healthy.

A false basis to the event. It was claimed the purpose of the event was to note the U.S. was a Christian nation where there was no separation of church and state. 

Trump, Hegseth, Johnson, Rubio and others outright lying to Americans concerning the founding of the United States. Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin and most others recognized the evils that religion foisted on governments. They went out of their way to establish a government with a clear separation of church and state.

The Trump administration getting heavy about attacking Cuba. They make it sound like such an attack may be imminent. What especially concerns me is that some news reports suggest any attack on Cuba could adversely affect Key West.

Two nuclear explosions affecting plants in the Middle East occurred the past few days. The explosions inadvertent, not intentionally caused.

Trump does not grasp the economic strain of his war with Iran on the American people.

Trump’s flirting texts suggest his marriage to Melania may be falling apart. Her failure to accompany her husband to China a possible reflection of the same. Trump’s son Eric made the China trip with his father, his wife Lara accompanied him.

Antisemitism is resurging in U.S. politics. Especially hate speech for Jewish politicians. Blame it on Netanyahu and Trump. The Iran War they conceived is at the basis of it.

Key West gasoline has dropped as much as 40 cents a gallon the past 3 days. Nevertheless, oil prices are rising. Does not make sense to me.

Health care is a major affordability issue. Trump, pharma and insurance lobbies are working to blame hospitals for the high costs.

Trump threatens Iran with the “clock is ticking.” He should beware what he may do next. What goes around, comes around. Iran’s supposed nuclear capability has not yet actually been exposed.

Aaron Rai won the PGA by 3 strokes.

Rory McIlroy withdrew from the third round of the PGA due to lower back spasms.

As much money as professional golfers earn, only one qualifies as a billionaire. Tiger Woods. Not merely because of his tournament wins. His massive off-course endorsement deals, a vast number of business deals, and course designs contribute significantly.

Sarah Jessica Parker has three children, all with her husband Matthew Broderick.

On this day in 1980, Mount St. Helena erupted. A volcanic peak in southwest Washington. Fifty seven people were killed.

Abraham Lincoln was nominated for President at the Republican Convention this day in 1860.

Enjoy your day!