There are thousands of Greek isles. Some inhabited, some not. Each to some degree a different flavor.

Santorini one of the most popular. I know Santorini well from experience. Spent several trips there. In a few days, Dr. Norris, wife Kathryn and there two youngest daughters Katey and Kiki will visit. A trip none will ever forget.

Santorini was born of a massive earthquake hundreds of years ago. At first one large island centered with a massive volcano. Following the earthquake, several islands. One containing the volcano, the remaining individual islands. One of those islands Santorini.

The name Santorini derived from “Saint Irene.”

It has the distinction today of being one of the most expensive to visit. Well worth it because of its uniqueness. 

Santorini is famous for its “cave dwellings.” The side of Santorini facing the volcano island is a one thousand foot and higher cliff. Hotels have been built along side the cliff. Actually holes into the cliff. Fantastic accommodations.

Two cities on Santorini. Oia and Fira.. Oia the most glamorous and expensive. Of course, is was there I stayed. The other less expensive and more best described as beachy. Tourists running here and there in bathing suits all day. Accommodations lesser in quality and cost than Santorini.

I did not select Oia. I was vacationing on Santorini each time with my friend Anna from Navara who I frequently traveled with in those days.

Our hotel was half way up or down the cliff facing the volcano. Access was from the top down. A wide large step edifice to reach the cave rooms. Not bad walking down. Tiring going up.

The cave rooms a hole in the cliff to begin. Each hole entering into a magnificent man made accommodation. Small kitchen, living room area, magnificent bedroom and a spectacular bathroom. Air conditioning provided. I never used once in all my trips. The hole in the cliff provided all the coolness required.

Each accommodation had a balcony at its entrance. I would prop up with my feet on the railing and view the ocean and volcano before me.

A pool somewhere in the midst of all this. The edge facing the ocean was situated on the actual edge of the cliff at that point. A strange feeling to rest along that edge. It was like you were standing at the entrance to air. One more step and a gigantic fall into the ocean.

The restaurants provided the best of foods. All open air, of course. Those on the cliff the most expensive. A short block inland and the restaurants were cheaper, the food of the same quality as those on the cliff. “Lamb” the most popular dish at each. One problem. Never lamb. Goat meat. The island was loaded with wild goats. When cooked, you never knew the difference from lamb.

The goats were of significant size. Took several days for a restaurant to sell. Each day after cooking, the flavor diminished a bit. The idea was to only order “lamb” if it had been cooked for the first time that day.

Sunset on Santorini like standing in the Sistine Chapel. Tight and necks stretched. Everyone ended up on the western part of Oia for sunset.

There was a relatively large Russian church on Santorini. I visited it often. It was cool!!!!! Also, beautiful. Everything gold. Trump must have visited one time to get the idea for all the gold he is placing in Washington. He forgets he is not God, however.

The people came in droves. Very religious. Kneeled and prayed. I was impressed.

I cannot recall the name of our hotel nor its two elderly owners. We became friends. Especially the wife and I. They spoke English. Everyone spoke English on Santorini. A benefit!

The elderly wife took very good care of me. She picked up my dirty clothes each day and washed and ironed them. An accommodation no one else was receiving in the hotel. She also provided fresh fruit and baked goods. I would walk into our cave dwelling and there they would be sitting on the kitchen table.

Santorini loaded with beaches. Two especially large. Perhaps 500 umbrellas, each covering two chaise lounges. Firmly fixed.

The restaurant at each provide unusually good food! A waiter came by. Took your order at the chase lounge and then had it delivered directly to you there for consumption.

One unusual trait. Most people went bare ass. Lying on the lounges and in the water. I wonder how Kate and Kiki will handle this. Their parents’ headache to figure out.

I do not recommend renting a car. The roads are narrow and full of turns and twists. Better to take a bus or cab.

Outside of Oia and Fira is ancient Greece. Small white buildings with blue roofs, doors and window shutters. Every building/home the same in appearance. A Greek tradition on every island. The color combination goes back to 1938. A massive cholera and bacteria infection hit the islands. It was discovered  white limestone walls with the blue accompaniments rejected the bacteria. So was born the white and blue edifices.

I finally got out of the house yesterday. Did Happy Hour at The Grand. Great company. Some new, some old.

Jean and Joe Thornton appeared as I was leaving. Jean has been here for several weeks alone. Joe had arrived a half hour earlier by plane.

Just my luck…..A car problem. My key was locked. Would not turnover. My car slept on Duval last night. All kinds of calls to police, etc. Don’t tow me. Jean knows the Chief of Police. She called me when I was home to tell me she had spoken with him and sent him a photo of my car. He agreed to leave it be overnight.

My landlord Cindy drove me home. She was very accommodating. She and Ellen had spent the afternoon boating before meeting up at The Grand.

I will need George to come fix my car. I only have his garage’s number so will not be able to reach him till 9.

I hope it is a quick fix. I do not want to be without a car again.

Fran and Tom are still in Barcelona. Visited Sagrada Familia yesterday. Jean telephoned me last night to tell me about her Police Chief call and also to advise she and Joe had been to Barcelona and visited Sagrada Familia. Her comment re the Church: “The most beautiful place I have been.” She told me about Anton Gandi, the architect who designed and began working on the Church internally in the 1800s. She was taken with the Basilica.

She said the first time she walked in, a group of nuns were singing Ave Maria. Moving!

So much for today. Let’s hope my car is a quick fix. 

Tomorrow Mykonos.

Enjoy your day!

My last blog was about Rome. One of the great civilizations to this day. 

Soon to be visiting Rome and then Greece are my concierge Dr. John Norris and his wife Kathryn, together with their two youngest children Katie and Kiki. A great family trip. 

I share my recollections of Greece’s capital city Athens today.

Appears more than one set of friends are traveling. Buffalo’s Fran and Tom Dixon. Their plane from JFK will land today in Barcelona, Spain, the beginning of a several day cruise.

Lets visit Athens first. A stop the Norris family will make.

Any visit to Greece begins with Athens. The capital and largest city of Greece.

Let me begin with the Greek people. Whether Athens itself or one of the thousands of Greek isles, Greeks are ultra friendly. A contrast from Italians.

Athens is the leading city of ancient Greece. The birthplace of Western Civilization. A city like no other. I visited many Greek islands in addition to Athens. Greece my favorite place!

A step back in time. Reflected in places to visit in Athens. I mention only a few. So many. A walker’s paradise. Sore feet at the end of each day. However, well worth it!

Again I will mention only a few. Your feet will discover many.

Athens is filled with ancient wonders and incredible food at every corner. The City filled to the brim with history.

An Athens trip begins with Acropolis and the Parthenon. A day time and night time favorite.

Acropolis is a huge rocky hill in the center of Athens. Referred to as “high city.” On the top of Acropolis sits ancient Greece itself. The Parthenon. Structures constructed in the Fifth Century BCE. Dedicated to the Goddess Athena. Athena the Virgin.

Parthenon is mystical, monumental, impulsive, and unquestionably reflective of the Greece of yesteryear. The key, main thrust, of any Athenian visit.

From one’s first step, there is no question you are walking in history. Extremely ancient history. Buildings and temples galore. Some remain in disrepair. Others in the repair process. The remaining repaired.

A major negative to visiting Acropolis and the Parthenon. The walk up the hill a killer! I foolishly walked. Could have rented a cab or took a bus. I wanted t do it in what I considered the right way. Like an ancient Greek. I was lucky I did not join any of them before reaching the top.

I was fortunate to have survived. I had to stop and rest five times. This was some 18-20 years ago.

Worth the trip! 

Half way up the hill is a museum dedicated to the Parthenon. Many Parthenon artifacts on display. For another day however, if you wish to survive.

Plaka my second favorite place. Partially surrounds Acropolis. One side top shelf restaurants. The other ordinary restaurants, bands, dancing and everything pure unadulterated Greek. My favorite place. I spent my evenings in Plaka the cheap side. Inexpensive food. Everything casual. Dancing out of sight! I learned to dance Greek style. With women and men separately.

The best part of it all is that Parthenon sits between the expensive and cheap Plaka. Lit by bright lights at night. Sitting and looking up at such glory a special treat. 

Walking through Plaka by day had its special treats also. Greeks aways digging. Digging to discover and uncover the Greece of thousands of years ago. Room by room, wall by wall. All beneath the ground level from which you will be watching.

Greeks are a vocal people. Always protesting. Generally surrounding the capital building. A wide expanse of concrete. I used to walk by day on occasion among them. Totally unaware of what they were screaming about. Enjoying the activity, however.

I recommend a visit to Hadrian’s Museum. Only visible from the outside. A structure as old as the Parthenon, though constructed on a street in Athens and not up the rocky hill.

There is so much more to Athens. My advice is you walk and discover. Sit when tired. Enjoy the Greek food while  doing so.

Tomorrow some of the Greek isles. Mykonos, Santorini and Amorgos. Each different from Athens.

I assume the Dixons have landed in Barcelona by this time. They will be sailing on the Viking cruise ship the Sea.

They told me they were most anxious to visit the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I have never been to Spain. What I write re Barcelona is what the Dixons shared with me and I have researched.

The Sagrada Familia is a world renown Catholic Basilica in Barcelona. It is crowned by a nearly completed central statue of Jesus Christ. Already Sagrada is acknowledged as the tallest Church in the world.

So much for today.

Enjoy your day my friends!

Rome. Traditional magnificence! You can spend days searching its streets and neighborhoods and never see it all. Your feet will tire. Worth the discomfort.

Begin with the Vatican. Actually the Vatican, Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. I tie them all together. The Basilica will blow your mind. The Sistine Chapel even more. Plan on spending a whole day. Even so you will not see it all.

My best advice is you get a guide. They stand in droves at the entrance to Saint Peter’s. They are well worth it. You will see more and understand more if you have a guide.

Your neck will tire as you view the Sistine Chapel. The Ceiling is the best. 

Vatican art work throughout is typical Rome. The best of the best. Thousands of pieces.

The Spanish Steps. Seek them out and sit. You will enjoy the rest.

The Steps are located at the head of the Via dei Condotti, Rome’s most luxurious and expensive street. Ladies go crazy! Female clothing the finest in the world!

Visit the Piazza Novona. Enjoy lunch or dinner. The finest!

The car and guide continue to be a necessity. Otherwise you will collapse from the tiredness that will affect you.

Visit the Colosseum. Ancient as ancient is. See where the gladiators fought. Gladiators lived on a vegetarian diet.

The catacombs a must. If it is hot, the catacombs will cool you. They are underground.

The Trevi Fountain. Beauty! Crowded! Worth the trip. Move as close as you can to its edge. 

Ancient Rome. The Roman Forum and Pantheon. Again I stress get a car and guide. Enjoy the several days you will be in Rome. Don’t knock yourself out the first day which you will if you opt to visit different places by foot.

Churches. Tons of Churches. All sizes. Fantastic art work hanging inside. Also if a day is especially warm, the Churches are always cool.

Roman people. I have always found Italian people, including Romans, to be cool also. They are rarely sociable. Not warm and friendly till they get to know you. Which is not easy.

Rome closes down from 1 to 3 or later daily. Called “pausa pranzo.” Everything closes. Businesses, stores, etc. People go home for lunch and a rest. The major meal of the day is lunch. Eating in the evening is something light. Generally at a table in the street if the weather is warm. Air conditioning not readily available.

If you are in Rome on a Sunday, try to see the Pope. Touch his hand if possible. To get the correct location to see him up close and hopefully touch, you need to know someone important to arrange the location for you. Hopefully you will be able to arrange such.

Enjoy Rome!

Today is Sunday and I assume you are still in the U.S. Ergo, enjoy your Sunday here!

Trump’s name must be removed from the Kennedy Center. So ruled U.S. District Court Judge Christopher R. Cooper in a 94 page decision. The Judge also halted the closing of Kennedy Center.

I find the decision not only just, but also humorous. Serves Trump right. It is wrong the way he goes around changing things willy-nilly.

The decision simple: “The Board overstepped its statutory bounds by unilaterally renaming the Kennedy Center after President Trump. Congress gave the Kennedy Center the name, and only Congress can change it.”

 Pat Bondi a continuing disgrace. She appeared for a Congressional interview. She refused to have her testimony recorded, refused to be sworn, and refused to have her testimony released to the American public.

The thrust of her interview involved the Epstein files and her handling of them while she was Attorney General.

Her manner in approaching and handling the interview was an obstruction of justice. Did not provide for accountability. She did it her way when she had no right to so conduct herself.

Her testimony, if it can be so described, was to the effect that whatever was done was the fault/responsibility of Ted Blanche. She had turned everything re the Epstein files over to him. Even worse, she was represented by an attorney from the Department of Justice.

I am confused. Trump fired Bondi. Yet her manner of “testifying” appeared to protect him. When will this bullshit stop and the truth come out? The American people have a right to know.

A federal judge is presently probing whether the deal creating Trump’s $1.8 billion fund constitutes fraud. The case will be argued in June.

Trump’s plan to ship U.S. Ebola patients to Africa struck a wall. A Kenyan court blocked the plan. Makes sense. The Kenyan court said the U.S. should keep its Ebola sick in the U.S. and not dump them on a foreign jurisdiction. In effect, Trump and the U.S. should take care of their own sick.

Will Donald ever learn he is not the “boss” of the world?

Putin continues to be buried in the Ukraine. He started the war, as Trump began the Iran one, and several years later Putin still can’t find a way out.

Trump is on a prosecution rampage. He prosecutes everyone who opposed him over the years. A law is required that would prohibit such actions.

America has a young male problem. Requires handling.

Twelve percent of the U.S. population served in World War II.

World War II was fought on every continent except Antarctica 

I continue to worry about Taiwan. Trump will in due course sell Taiwan out. Trump prefers becoming buddies with China.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s push to suppress anti-depressants is disrupting psychiatric medicine.

The gunman shot recently near the White House claimed he had become Jesus. Catching!

On this day in 1431, Joan of Arc was burned at the stake for heresey.

A nurse visit yesterday. Butt sores again.

Enjoy your day!

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!