Trump says the Kennedy Center could be torn down if his plans are blocked.

The man is crazy!

Trump claims “he is the affordability President.” That’s rich!

Rumors floating about to the effect Iran plans to kill Barron Trump.

Trump’s bullying has backfired. The more he bullies, the worse things get for him. His plans self-reject.

Trump wants to rename Lake Ontario to Lake America. My advice: Leave the U.S. alone! Your changes suck! Generally a failure! The U.S. was ok before you became President. Did not require all the changes you have heaped upon it.

The White House lawn took a beating because of the activities Trump thrust upon it. Fix it up would have required a simple reseeding and watering. Instead Trump wants to reshape the lawn. More money, more time, more opportunity for screw ups similar to those that have occurred at the Reflective Pool.

Trump is disliked by most world leaders. At home and abroad, Trump is being met with defiance. Deservedly so.

Moving on.

Dolly Parton has died at age 80. A most beloved person.

Two measle deaths reported in Pennsylvania. The last time Pennsylvania experienced one was 35 years ago. Neither of the two dead had been vaccinated. Thank you Trump and Kennedy.

For several days, news releases have suggested we stop eating lettuce. With or without cyclosporasia outbreaks. 

Forgetfulness. Being mentally foggy. My forgetfulness has ceased dramatically. From several times a day to twice a week. I mentioned it to Dr, Norris. He explained the last head bump I received was a major one. A major brain concussion occurred. The concussion has healed. My brain now working normally. Very normal for a 91 year old person.

Interesting. Very much so. The country with the most federally mandated paid vacations days is Iran with 53. Compared to the U.S. which has only 10.

The world’s biggest waves can be found off the coast of the Portuguese resort town of Nazare. They average 100 feet.

Starbucks has returned its Pumpkin Spice Latte.

The 19th Amendment which granted women the right to vote took effect in 1920.

The first televised Major League Baseball game took place in 1939.

Hegseth’s purge of top generals has left the U.S. Army rudderless.

Hegseth has to go! And his boss, Donald Trump!

I finally got out last night. Made it to The Grand for Happy Hour. Enjoyed a good time with Cindy and Steve.

Still not sleeping properly. Only three hours last night.

Nurse Paige due at 9 this morning.

Enjoy your day!

Trump is the “Tariff Terror.” So he perceives himself.

No nation wants or enjoys being hit with Trump’s tariffs. Especially the 50 percent ones. Many are standing up to Trump. Many turning to do business with China. Trump strengthens China while diminishing the U.S. How can he be so blind?

Trump refers to his most recent tariff attack on other nations as “economic asphyxiation.” He fails to see how his economic actions will hurt the U.S. in the final analysis.

U.S. Supreme Court decisions sneak in pro-Trump ones more than occasionally. Enough that I believe the time is arriving to expand the Court’s composition to include more Democrats. The first step is for Democrats to win the mid-terms.

The Court’s latest faux pas is to have supported Trump’s limitations on mail-in balloting. Trump continuously lies when he says mail-in voting allows cheating big time. 

I have had it! Get me a new Supreme Court!

Mark Twain is one of America’s greatest writers. No question about it.

One of his most popular and well regarded works is “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” It has also become controversial for some in our modern era. Why? Twain used the word “nigger” 219 times. 

For the time frame set in the book, “nigger” was the language of the day and befitted its presence in Twain’s work.

Today, the term is controversial. Creates all kinds of problems. I am thinking of writing a blog solely committed to Huckleberry Finn and the problem.

Americans are smoking marijuana more and cigarettes less.

A reader I have been, a reader I am. Periodicals, novels and the law. Poetry some. Not that much. However I am compelled to write of one poem today. A well regarded one. Ezra Pound’s “In A Station Of The Metro.” Published in April 1913. Short. Extremely so. Only two lines. Nevertheless regarded as one of the shortest great poems in English.

The poem reads: “The appreciation of the faces in the crowd; Petals on a wet black bough.”

The poem captures a fleeting moment in a Paris subway station by juxtaposing the pale sad faces of a crowd with delicate flower petals changing to a darkened wet branch.

The poem reflects how brief and fragile human life is. Just as delicate petals appear for a short time before falling, the strangers in the subway pass by quickly and vanish.

New York City Mayor Mamdani and his wife Rama Duwji took a few days off to vacation. Coxsackie, New York. In Greene County some 140 miles north of New York City. A small indescript town. They enjoyed restaurants. On one occasion, stopped in a grocery store and purchased two roasted chickens and vegetables.

Key West Womenfest returns September 2 to September 6. This year’s theme “Lost Women in the Arts.”

His name Matthew Webb. His distinction: He was the first person to swim the English Channel. Did so on this day in 1875.

The top three party schools in the U.S.: Tulane, Alabama and Florida State.

Syracuse ranked #16. Not bad. 

Unfortunately, I attended Law School at Syracuse 1957-1960. Law students did not have time to party. 

My college was Manhattan in New York City 1953-1957. Conservative. Run by Christian Brothers. We had to be in our rooms by 7 p.m. Lights out at 11. Friday and Saturday could stay out till 11.

The world’s rarest blood type is “Golden Blood.” Fewer than 50 persons are known to have it. The blood is not gold colored. Its technical name is “Rh null.”

Emergency need obviously a problem.

The breakfast of Ancient Romans consisted of bread, cheese, olives and wine. 

Dr. Norris telephoned yesterday. I already knew I had no blood clot. Other tests taken also. Every thing ok. Especially good for a 91 year old person.

I was thrilled to hear his report.

Still no car. Assured I will get it today. Hopefully!!!

Robert drove me to the laundry to pickup my shirts. Then to Tammy for  much needed manicure.

Later today The Grand’s Happy Hour. Hope I make it!

Enjoy your day!

I operate my computer via icons. The way Sloan Kelley set me up some 30 years ago. Makes it easy to find my way around.

The blog icon has worked perfectly for me all these years till one day last week. It disappeared! Actually, I must have inadvertently deleted it. I could not find it. No icon, no way could I do the blog. I am inept in many ways.

Needed Corey. He is a computer genius. I could not get him for three days. When he arrived yesterday, it took him all of 15 seconds to correct the problem. Love the man!

In addition to the blog disappearance, I had a two day blood clot problem to deal with. My right ankle and foot swelled. Followed by my left.

Saw Dr. Norris. He was concerned that my right ankle/foot had swollen prior to the left. It was always the left that had swollen first in the past. Indicated the possibility of a blood clot. To the hospital immediately!

Took two days to come to a determination. There was no blood clot. God bless America! I worry about everything at 91. Norris was worried about the right foot having swollen first.

Still without my car. It was cabs back and forth to the hospital. Twenty five dollars each way. Too expensive!

So much for the personal complaining.

Let me complain about Trump a bit.

Fifty percent tariffs back and forth between the U.S. and Canada. Best friends forever, till Trump screwed things up.

I admire and respect Canada. I have many friends there. Some thirty years ago, I visited often. I cannot blame Canada for taking the position “Don’t defecate on us!”

Too bad we must wait till 2028 for a “new President.”

Is Natalie Harp still in the White House? Disgraceful Natalie and Donald do not even hide what appears to be a relationship.

George F. Will described Trump as a “frivolous, oblivious President.”

Moving on to other matters.

A Washington Post Editorial yesterday commented on the existence of a decline in world hunger. The Editorial described it as the “fruit of growth.”

The heat world wide is dangerous. Affects everyone. The Washington Post ran an article about a woman who was “lost and confused in 100 degree heat.” Fortunately, a teen came by to help her.

There was a time when “manufactured homes” were moved to / erected in trailer parks. Money determines their location now. They are being erected in suburbia.

The California death penalty is being attacked in a new and novel way. Discrimination. The claim is a disproportionate number of those sentenced to death are persons of color, have mental illness, and/or experience financial struggles.

Thousands in Indiana are still waiting for power more than one week after a storm.

E. coli and salmonella outbreak is now being blamed on alfalfa sprouts, so says the CDC.

Bolivia has experienced its first same sex marriage.

Very few people have ridden in an Amphicar. An Amphicar is a mass produced civilian amphibious vehicle. A car that can be driven on water. Lyndon Johnson had one. He used to surprise unsuspecting guests at his Texas home by driving it into a lake without warning. 

In the 1960s, 3,878 Amphicars were produced.

Lyndon Johnson came close to never getting in line for the Presidency. He won his second Democratic primary in Texas by a mere 87 votes.

Certain Presidents were great readers. George Washington was known to enjoy Don Quixote. Thomas Jefferson was an avid reader of the classics. Abraham Lincoln read the King James Bible, Shakespeare and the poet Robert Burns. Harry Truman read everything. Dwight Eisenhower enjoyed Mark Twain and Western novels involving cowboys and cattle. John Kennedy had a diversified background and read everything. Ronald Reagan was a Tom Clancy fan.

Modern St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated with huge amounts of beer and alcohol. Was not always so. Booze big time entered the picture in the 20th century.

Ireland barred alcohol the longest. Till the 1970s. Pubs were closed on March 17th till then. The reason being St. Patrick’s Day was a religious one and booze and buffoonery were not permitted.

On August 23, 1989, Pete Rose received a lifetime ban from baseball as punishment for betting on baseball.

Scientists have discovered a possible reason why some people live beyond 100. Research found some persons have a rare cell linked to fighting damaged and potentially cancerous cells.

Hope I get my car today.

Enjoy your day!

Trump and his people lie. In just about every area and every thing.

One example is non-citizen voting.

The Department of Homeland Security made a big claim about non-citizen voting in Nevada. Claimed 16,000 non-citizens voted. Told to prove it. Turns out it can’t. The count came up with 185 names.

Trump continues his anti-Smithsonian crusade. Why does he consistently act to destroy that which is good and replace it with Trump created bad?

Trump continues to meddle in U.S. democracy. Especially elections. He and his party will cause problems following the midterms and in 2028 should the Republicans lose the Presidency.

An Opinion Piece by the New York Times Editorial Board 8/15/2026: “Republicans Are Trying To Hide Their Health Care Cuts.” 

Simply stated, Republicans have been constantly chopping away at the Affordable Care Act. The Act that provided millions affordable health insurance. Trump and his cohorts have been working to demolish the achievement. Millions are losing health insurance coverage in one fashion or another.

Republicans are lying when they say they are making health care more affordable. The opposite is true. Trump and his Republicans are hell bent on ruining the Affordable Care Act.

Trump threatens to impose economic pain on countries that help Iran. He did not specify which countries, however.

He bullshits. Talks with bravado. I believe he will attempt it. He needs help in the War. He is hoping to bring some countries to their knees to force assistance.

Trump is “ballroom crazy.” He wants to build a ballroom on his golf course in Ireland. The Irish thrilled with the idea. However they have attached one condition. The golf course is contaminated/loaded with a certain type snail. Trump will have to guarantee their removal. Such has created a problem. The ballroom plan is stalled.

Grave robbing big time in Florida’s Orange, Seminole and Hillsborough Counties. Arrests being made. The thieves are not robbing bodies. They are stealing family heirlooms buried with the bodies.

Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state this day in 1959.

Some shoes are now being made out of flowers. One problem, however. They wilt within hours.

Americans had difficulty staying cool without air conditioning. Air conditioning began to be available in the early 1900s, not as good as it is today however. People would sleep on rooftops to receive night time breezes to cool down evenings.

Ah, the jobs we early get! Pope Francis was a bouncer at a night club before becoming a religious.

Alexander the Great was tutored by Aristotle.

Eleanor Roosevelt wrote a newspaper column for 27 years. From 1935 to 1962. Called “My Day.”

George Washington lost more battles than he won. He is emboldened by the phrase “losing the battle but winning the war.” 

Jeet Heer in The Nation: Re Trump’s attitude about what is happening on the USS Abraham Lincoln: “Trump’s loose grip on reality could sink the Navy’s ships.”

Ronald Reagan was the first U.S. President to have been divorced. His first wife was the movie star Jane Wyman. Reagan was a movie star before becoming a politician. He starred in 53 films.

The first race of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway took place August 19, 1909.

The Beatles kicked off their first U.S. tour at San Francisco’s Cow Palace in 1964.

A recent national poll indicates a Democratic sweep in the midterms of Congress and a “strong perhaps” victory in the Senate.

If asked what the deadliest ship disaster of all time was, most would say the Titanic. They would be wrong. The worst was the ocean liner Wilhelm Gustloff. It was torpedoed in 1945 with a loss of roughly 9,000. The 1987 sinking of the Spanish ship Duna resulted in 4,386. The Titanic suffered a loss of approximately 1,500.

The two Japanese cities destroyed by U.S. atomic bombs were Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Hiroshima lost 60,000-80-000 lives immediately. Nagasaki 40,000. Thousands more died in the months and years following the explosions as a result of atomic injuries incurred.

Ernest Hemingway: “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

My visit with Dr. Norris yesterday. Extensive. He covered everything.

My left ankle has been swelling the past couple weeks. He fears a possible blood clot. Previously, only my left ankle swelled. I went to the hospital to be tested. Too long a wait. I am returning early this morning.

Still no car. Cabs were heavy expensive yesterday.

I am going to the hospital as soon as the sun rises. Do not want to wait outside in the dark.

Enjoy your day!

Shakespeare wrote his name multiple different ways. Not unusual during his time. Everyone wrote their names several different ways. It was the “way.”

No surviving document written by Shakespeare shows him using the now standard spelling  “SHAKESPEARE.”

Several different Shakespeares survive his life: “William Shakes, William Shakspe, and William Shakespre.” Again the way people wrote their names. Several different ways. Merely the custom.

A number of significant more modern writers do not believe he wrote all that is attributed to him: Henry James, Sigmund Freud, Helen Keller and Charles Chaplin. Another is Mark Twain . He was a very serious Shakespeare doubter. In his 1909 essay “Is Shakespeare Dead?” he questioned how someone whose life we know so little about could have written of life with knowledge of law, politics, language, and the wider world.

Caesar salad was not named after Julius Caesar. It was named for an Italian-American restauranteur named Caesar Cardini who served the salad in 1920 in Tijuana, Mexico. In 1938, Cardini moved to Los Angeles and opened a shop to sell his beloved man made salad dressing.

A WOW! The average strength in pounds of the human bite is 162 pounds per square inch. 

Hard to believe. Such is what scientists say, however.

Blackbeard was one of the world’s most notorious pirates. His  actual pirating career lasted only two years, however. He was killed after having been a pirate for only that short time. His legacy as a pirate however has lasted hundreds of more years than his actual pirating career.

Foot tickling is popular. Works. People laugh uncontrollably. There are 8,000 nerve endings in the human foot.

A federal appellate court has ordered the Trump administration to halt construction on the White House Ballroom by Friday. Will they? Trump will probably attempt an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.

The National Symphony Orchestra has announced scheduling will be outside the Kennedy Center for the time being.

Repair work continues on the Reflecting Pool. Will it be done correctly this time? Will the repairs work?

The Washington Post. The real reason why many Americans are cutting ties between parents and siblings is the insistence by one over the other that it is correct in various matters. Uncompromisingly so. Estrangement is becoming common.

Sick! Love one another has gone out the window!

Sam Kaufman won election to be Mayor of Key West. I do not know him, have never met him. His track record excellent. I believe he will make an excellent Mayor. 

Trump is married to Melania. Yet it appears he is having an open affair with Natalie Harp. He took her off Air Force One with him when he left Tehran. No matter how you cut it, a President does not have an open affair as Trump and Natalie are.

Tasteless!

Our military are exhausted. Whether on land or by sea. Trump and Hegseth lack the knowledge to properly care for them. On the other hand, maybe neither care.

The U.S. could be facing a national blackout. Our power relays are aging. Some already aged. A blackout could last years. Is anyone paying attention?

A federal judge is allowing limited testing to Trump’s plan to paint the Eisenhower Building white. It now has a gray granite exterior. Note, only a small area to be tested.

Another fuck up in the making. The Judge smart to first permit a small area to be tested.

Pink lemonade invented by a circus clown who wore pink tights.

Pink lemonade does not necessarily have to be made pink. Have coloring of some sort added. There are pink lemons that produce pink juice.

Pigs don’t sweat. An interesting tidbit of information.

Porky Pig debuted in the animated short “I Haven’t Got A Hit” in 1935.

An eggplant is 95 percent water.

China is a major producer of eggplant. For real! China produced 39,318,525 tons of eggplants in 2022.

Ninety percent of an iceberg is located below the surface.

The average American eats 27 pounds of bananas each year. I do not believe it. My reason simple. Most if not all people eat bananas and bananas are heavy.

Disneyland Resort entertained its one billionth guest this year.

The number of applicants for MIT’s Class of 2029 numbered 29,281. 

There are an estimated 62 million cats in the United States.

Eighty two thousand trees are cut every year to make pencils.

I never made it to The Grand yesterday. Began feeling poor around 1 and became increasingly sick by 4.

Nurse Deborah due at 11 for a regular visit.

Still without a car.

Enjoy your day!

Bruce is a dog. Bruce through his attorney filed an emergency appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court. Bruce is/was a 120 pound 3 year old Anatolian Shepherd. A lower court had found he was vicious  and ordered him euthanized. Bruce had bitten 3 people, attacked a child, and kicked over a man pushing a wheel chair.

His appeal to the Supreme Court: SAVE BRUCE!

Unfortunately, the request to the Supreme Court was too late. He was euthanized last Wednesday before the Justices had an opportunity to act.

Was Bruce’s appeal proper for Supreme Court consideration? I believe so. Especially when compared to the hundreds of Trump’s foolish court proceedings.

It is not just the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln that is having problems. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Benfold lost power for 4 days in the South China Sea. It also has run out of drinkable water, working toilets, and air conditioning. 

Why is this happening? What is going on? Never heard of things in such numbers going on under Presidents prior to Trump.

Ah, the story of Issac Newton and the apple. Learned for the first time in early grammar school. Newton was sitting under an apple tree when a falling apple hit him on the head. A scientific discovery resulted. Gravity!

Newton did not reveal his “finding” at the time it occurred. He waited till his late life. 

The story has another version. The apple did not hit Newton on the head. He merely saw it fall. His immediate concern was why it had not fallen right or left instead of straight down. Whatever, gravity still the name of the game!

Paper money was first established by the fledging U.S. in 1775. In 1791, the U.S. was desperate for a stable form of money. Alexander Hamilton was Secretary of the Treasury at the time. He initiated a new type money. Metal based, not paper yet. Coins made of copper, silver, and gold in every value.

The first $1 paper note did not have George Washington’s image on it. The image was that of Samuel Chase, Treasury Secretary at the time. It was not till 1869 (yes, that late) that Washington’s face appeared and remains to present day. 

Martha Washington made it on the $1 bill for a short period of time . In 1886 the Silver Certificate was issued. It bore Martha’s image for a short period of time. Martha is the only woman to have appeared on American money.

Ebola cases continue rising in the Congo. Number of confirmed cases reported so far 4,945.

Protect our borders!

Robert Redford: “Not taking a risk is a risk. That’s how I see it.”

Overseas traveling for U.S. citizens has hit big time! Americans want to travel, experience lots about different countries. Fifty six million traveled to Europe in 2025. Up 5.7 million from the year before. Up 32.7 million from 10 years before. 

In the U.S. we say “Once upon a time.” Other countries say the same thing using different words. Things like “Long, big ages, Once in the old days when tigers smoked cigars, and Beyond even night.” Again, same thought but different words.

More and more Americans are cutting family ties. Families, parents and children, are distancing themselves. 

It happens. I know. I have 4 children. All 60 years plus in age. We have not talked in 20 or more years, with one minor exception. Lisa and I have only recently begun exchanging a few words again. 

Sad! But that is the way life has evolved!

Leaders who start wars they should not have must be the saddest of persons. I refer to Putin and Ukraine, Trump and Iran. Both think they are big guys. They are, but not all the time as the two wars reflect.

The Supreme Court again rejected Trump’s bid to overturn E. Jean Carroll’s $5 million verdict against Trump.

Pay up Donald and get it over with! You played and now must pay!

I support Medicare for all. The U.S. is the only high income nation that does not have free health care.

The White House lawn is a mess. Huge brown areas all over the place. The result of parties Trump threw for July 4th. Why didn’t he do the necessary afterwards to fix things up. In Utica, I lived on 3 acres. I threw 2-3 100 to 200 person parties a year. My lawn got killed. You would never know it because the day after I had my ground keepers out doing the necessary to repair and renovate. Nary ever a brown spot.

Trump is opposed to voting by mail. Yet he votes by mail from Florida. Two faced!

A pleasant afternoon yesterday. Ally and Robert visited for more than an hour. Ally came to say good bye. She returns to college today. A 12 hour drive. She does not return till Christmas break The trip is too far to drive for a 4 day Thanksgiving holiday.

This was only the second time I saw Ally over the Summer. She waited tables at Alonzo’s almost every night. Made a ton of money. Worked hard for it.

She is now 20 years old. Her final college year ahead. She has matured. Looks like an adult. A woman. Absolutely beautiful! Gets good grades. Her cumulative index is 3.4.

The three of us had a ball! Dearly love them both!

I am still without a car. I was assured I will get it back “fixed” today. Hope so!

Tonight, The Grand. Hope I make it!

Enjoy your day!

In China, the number 8 is considered lucky. Extremely so. In Mandarin Chinese the number is consistent with “wealth” and “prosperity.”

So important to China is the number 8 that the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics began at precisely 8:08:08 p.m. on 8/8/08.

Trump has ordered a reduction of military exercises with South Korea. South Korea for many many years a close ally of the U.S.

Two reasons for Trump’s conduct. One, South Korea has failed to help the U.S. in the Iran War. Second, Trump says he has a “very good relationship” with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. Which is like Trump saying he had a very good relationship with Hitler, Tojo and Stalin.

Live and learn. Sheep do not have upper teeth. Their upper plate is thick and tough flesh. Such helps sheep in their eating process.

Pineapples were once used as display items by the wealthy. Not used for eating purposes. In the 1700s, a pineapple cost $30,000 in today’s money. Today a “cheapie” to buy and consume. 

President Clinton admitted to an improper relationship with Monica Lewinsky this day in 1998.

Democrat John Ossoff is running for reelection to the U.S. Senate from Georgia. He is hitting Trump magnificently with every bad out of hand thing Trump has done.

I watched an old movie on TV yesterday. A criminal one. “The Miami Story.” Released in 1954. 

Portions of the movie took place at the Sans Souci Hotel in Miami. That is where my then wife and I spent our honeymoon. Even more interesting, if still married today would have been our 69th anniversary. No way, however. We have been divorced since 2008.

Hurricane Lala is a hurricane no more. It dropped below a “1.” However rain and wind continues to beat the hell out of Hawaii.

Wine bottles are designed with a “punt” in the bottom of the bottle. An indentation. 

Some bottles other than wine bottles also are designed with a punt.

Why the punt? Has to do with glassblowing. It began way before the Industrial Revolution. Glassblowing was producing bottles with rough indentations. Made it difficult for the bottles to stand without falling. So glassblowers began punting deeper. Made the indentation higher. Such remains with us today primarily with wine bottles.

The brain and belly are in “constant connection.”  Each helps digestion, work together to effect digestion. In a sense they talk to each other.

Clothing accessories were a struggle in the Renaissance era. One such item were the shoes wealthy women wore. High platform shoes called “choppiness.” Some reached nearly 20 inches high. Only the wealthy could afford them.

Two reasons. The cost of the material to make the shoe. The other that the woman wearing them required assistance from an employee to keep her up and balanced.

Hegseth said “all options” are on the table for the military. God help us! He will screw things up even more. 

Turns out the moon has caves. NASA wants to know what is inside them. NASA is studying how to shoot drones into them.

A stolen Picasso etching stolen from a gallery in 2018 was found in a vacant apartment in Milwaukee.

Cruise ships process 50 gallons of water per person per day.

My car. Hope I get it back today. Impossible to live without a car. Especially in Key West. Especially when my walking ability remains limited to one or two short blocks at a time.

Enjoy your day!

We need a new President! Trump keeps doing things of a questionable nature. Then most screw up. Now he wants to redesign a new fleet of aircraft carriers to more resemble those from World War II. Such a change would cost billions.

Why does he want to go backwards? Some 90 years. I don’t understand!

It also makes me question his easy going attitude about the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. Is he being lackadaisical about the problems so he can ease into selling the American people about the need of a new type carrier. Recall every time he is going to fix something, he first spells out how bad the item is to justify his renovating it.

The 20th century was marked by American brands – McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Microsoft and Starbucks – going global. Now in the 21st century, the race to go global involves marijuana. American weed is going global. And, Europe is not ready for it.

There is a moral message to the new “Odyssey.” Odyssey and his men were not fighting the barbarians; they were the barbarians. 

People are now comparing the moral values of Odyssey to present day American values which are crumbling. America is presently betraying its fundamental values. We are becoming that which we abhor.

Being 91 years of age is a constant factor in my life. Mentally and physically. We have to live with it, however.

I came across some funny quotes about getting older. I share a few with you.

     “You can’t help getting older, but you don’t have to get old.”

     “It’s probably agreeable that long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.”

     “The older you get, the better you get. Unless you’re a banana.”

     “I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon. Then it’s time for my nap.”

     My favorite. The one I find most true: “I’m at an age when my back goes out more than I do.”

There was a time when forks were considered the Devil’s handiwork. Venetians in 1004 thought so.

Way back when, salt was considered currency. In days of the Romans, soldiers were paid in salt. Salt was used as a currency in the Middle Ages. The Maya of South and Central America used salt as a money substitute 2,500 years ago.

In Medieval times, beds had “value.” They were even bequeath in Wills.

Even today it is common for people in Jamaica to get “floured” on their birthdays. Friends douse each other with flour to say “Happy Birthday!”

Ketchup was sold as a medicine in 1800s America.

Wild giant pandas handstand while relieving themselves. The purpose is to spread their scent as far as possible for female pandas to smell. It is the male way to attract the female for sex.

Eating too many carrots can turn a person orange. It’s the beta carotene in the carrot. It converts to vitamin A in the small intestine which is unable to process all of it thereby turning a person orange.

I have never seen this occur.

“German Chocolate Cake” was invented in Texas.

Hurricane Lala is lashing out heavily as it approaches Hawaii.

Caucasian Catholic priests are rare in rural Italy. African pastors are filling the void.

A Manhattan synagogue attack Friday night has rattled Jewish New Yorkers. A  man screamed obscenities and struck a congregant. Recently, there was another attack where a Jewish man was stabbed as he was leaving synagogue service after prayers.

New York City police records reflect 205 hate crimes this year against Jewish people. If you think about it, inspirational blame rests on Trump, Netanyahu and the Iran War.

I am still without a car. Corey and Lisa took me grocery shopping yesterday. I was in great need of food! The refrigerator was empty.

Being Sunday, my car will not be returned fixed today. It will be bed and TV movie time all day.

Enjoy your day!

One of Key West’s premier hotels the Pier House has been sold. For the humongous sum of $190 million. The Pier House is ocean front and consists of 142 rooms. The sales price amounts to $1.33 million per room key. Two buyers involved: Six South and Riller Capital.

Conditions on the carrier USS Abraham Lincoln deteriorating. To the extent that one or more sailors have jumped overboard in suicide attempts.

The Lincoln has been at sea for 9 months. Too long. The ship is not being attended to, water in short supply, water available contaminated and detrimental to health, deck safety concerns, moldy showers, broken toilets, laundry spotty, stretches of no hot water, and insufficient food at meal time.

Conditions on the vessel are the responsibility of Hegseth and his appointor Trump. The adverse Lincoln conditions more bad happenings arising during the Iran War.

Trump’s position regarding the Lincoln’s problems. He dismisses the dire conditions. He says the conditions have lasted “not nearly long enough.”

Donald, you live under the conditions. A moldy shower, toilets not working properly, no hot water occasionally, insufficient food, etc. See how you like it!

Another Hegseth screw up. Most likely intentional. Candy Whitehurst, nickname Jellie, of Pensacola, Florida, is a small clothing operator. Her primary efforts include making new uniforms for the Blue Angels every year. She has been making them for 40 years.

Jellie is Black.

Jellie claims she was intentionally backsided last month when the contract to make the uniforms was awarded to a new and larger company.

Remember, Hegseth has been on fewer military contracts and fewer promotions to Blacks in recent months. Query: How can such bigotry be tolerated?

Jellie’s company is called The Sewing Machine. The new company Aquila International.

Money shouts big here. Recall Hegseth has recently been criticized by Congress for the money he spends for military. 

Jellie charges $127,000 per year. Amounts to $850-$1,300 depending on what has to be done. All her suits are custom made and hand tailored. Covers 95 uniforms.

Aquila’s cost for a 5 year contact is $1.69 million. Amounts to $338,000 per year. Covers 40 uniforms.

Hegseth not being cost effective!

Iran’s Foreign Minister Aragchi warns Trump not correct re Strait of Hormuz. He states the U.S. is not in “total control.” He asks why Trump lies to the American people?

The American people ask also.

Where is the $900 million coming to pay for the White House Ballroom renovation?  Trump initially said his financial supporters were paying. A freebe for the American people. Then it was suggested Trump himself was. Now it sort of looks like tax dollars may be the source.

I am running into more and more people who are “grocery complaining.” Me too! Every week a bit more till the bit more has become excessive.

A federal court has supported the decision that Trump’s name come off Kennedy Center. Nevertheless, the Kennedy Board is now thinking or has already begun placing Trump’s name on the cover covering the work being done on the outside.

A migrant boat carrying 10 people landed at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Tuesday morning about 9. Most of the migrants were Cubans.

Key West’s schools opened Wednesday. Happy faces abounded!

I remember my first day in Kindergarten. Brandagee School in Utica, N.Y. I didn’t cry. Some did. I was happy to begin school.

I did have one problem. My English. It was ok, not good. My Italian was better. Perfect. My grandmother spent much time raising me. She spoke only Italian, no English.

Luigi Mangione admitted to stalking United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson in 2024. His sentencing awaits.

Europe is experiencing “scorching heat.” Especially in the northwest portion. In one week alone in June, 16,000 deaths were recorded because of the heat.

Rome is experiencing a big time drought. The remains of an “ancient bridge” have emerged in Rome’s Tiber River. The Tiber River is near St. Peter’s Basilica.

Weeks of virtually no rain has caused the Tiber River to plunge.

The bridge is known as Nero’s Bridge. It once connected Rome’s city center to the Tiber’s right bank. With basically no rain, the water went down making it appear that parts of Nero’s Bridge came up.

The bridge was built by Caligula, Nero’s uncle, in 39 A.D.

Car broke again. The same problem. Key won’t turn when I try to turn the car on. Repair person first cleaned the area. No success. Then got a new part from Germany. Car worked well for 2 days. Then key stopped turning. Ergo, I am without wheels again.

I am in desperate need of food. I was going grocery shopping yesterday. When the key would not turn over, I could not go grocery shopping. Corey taking me later this morning. What a good guy!

I also had to cancel my manicure appointment.

Enjoy your day!

The University of Michigan is changing its grading system next year. The University is doing it over a concern for the mental health of students. Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts will change from “letter grades” to “pass/no credit” for freshmen beginning in 2027.

Wrong! A bad move! Competition the way in life. Grades measure a student’s ability more specifically than a pass/no pass rating system. College should be difficult. Life is. Colleges should push students to determine their ultimate capabilities. Not to make the college experience easy for them. Life isn’t. For those fortunate to attend, college is one of the preparations for life.

On August 14, 1935 President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. Millions of Americans owe him so much as a result.

Robin Hood is as real a person as Santa Claus.

Salt and pepper are the most popular table dressings in the Western world. Everyday essentials.

Orville Wright flew for the first time on December 17, 1903. His flight was captured on camera.

In 1908, a photo was taken and widely shared of the “breaker boys.” Male children usually 8-12 years old who worked in coal mines. The photo helped build public support for legislation barring child labor.

Ancient Romans were the first people to use wedding rings in a way reasonably similar to today’s custom. Some disagree and claim it goes back to ancient Egypt and Greece.

Today pets consist generally of dogs and cats. In older days, other “animals” were kept as pets. In ancient Rome, eels. In ancient Denmark, moose. In France, lobster.

Napoleon’s first wife Josephine did not keep a lobster. She kept an orangutan. She called her Rose. Rose was dressed in white cotton chemise. Rose slept in bed with Josephine and Napoleon the same as dogs do with their owners today.

Audrey Hepburn had a pet deer. The two worked together in the movie Green Mansions. The deer’s name Pippin.

Pippin became Hepburn’s pet forever. Hepburn fed him from a baby bottle, shared her bed with Pippin, took him shopping and to parties.

Something most people do not know. Concentrated orange juice was invented in Florida. 

Major League Baseball went on strike on August 12, 1994. The strike lasted 232 days. The World Series had to be cancelled.

CBS News reports Rubio and Bessent took Air Force One from Turkey. They did not fly with Trump. Apparently Trump did not select them to join him. Trump selected his Press Secretary who is also purported to be his girl friend, Hegseth and two non entities. Not surprising.

People can’t pay their bills and Trump is dumping $900 billion into White House construction. Trump’s values are misapplied.

Why did Pirro convene a special grand jury in Washington, D.C.? Is she playing politics with Trump and protecting herself from Trump by holding the specter of the grand jury out there? As the chief federal attorney for D.C., she would have the power to indict him.

Gasoline prices are remaining steadily above $4 a gallon. Late in the year for them to be so high and remain there.

This year’s El Nino is huge and already changing the world. It is already causing dry spells and crop failures on three continents.

Miami’s sky line is getting super tall. High rise construction continues. By 2030, Miami will have four new buildings taller than 1,000 feet.

Busy day for personal things. A haircut with Lori at noon and a manicure with Tammy at 1. Both of the have been taking care of these personal matters for me for more than 25 years. Love them both! Followed by lunch at Denny’s. With no car available for almost a month, I have not been to Denny’s for a while. They have a $5.99 breakfast special that can’t be beat!

I am trying to sell my quality paintings. Must be sold in New York City to receive true value. It is going to take time. Working with Helaine Fendelman & Associates in New York. A lot of work involved at my end and theirs.

Enjoy your day!