Six Nobel Prizes will be announced soon. Peace one of them. Two hundred eighty candidates have been nominated. Two hundred eight human, seventy two organizations.

Trump one of those nominated again. By leaders of Israel, Pakistan and Cambodia. It only takes one person to nominate. 

No way Trump will win. Ever! Trump lacks the talents and qualities to ever be so recognized.

Trump has nominated many federal judges while they are still in their 30s. Too young! A federal district court judge is the most powerful persons in the world. More so than even the President. A few more years experience as a lawyer required before getting the job. Trump has nominated them young so they will spend many more years as  judges. Guarantees these persons who Trump believes may think like him to sit longer on the bench.

Who owns the moon? An interesting question. There is a treaty. Not worth much. The major powers did not sign it. It is the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Although more than 100 nations signed on, the U.S., Soviet Union and China did not. Ergo, the question of ownership is up in the air for all intent and purposes.

I have mixed emotions about the Cornell sex case. The facts are not clear yet. I will have an opinion when all the facts are clear.

Recall I represented Cornell in their liability cases many years ago. If it was today, I would be knee deep in the case already. 

The people of the United States are suffering economically. Gas, groceries, etc. Iran is also. Perhaps more so. Bombs are falling on them in addition.

No rain yesterday (Sunday). Fortunately! Key West needed a break from the rain. It has already rained this morning. Around 5. Heavy for a short while.

WNBA playoffs continued yesterday. Unfortunately the Indiana Fever has already been eliminated. Caitlan Clark out of the tournament. Indiana lost in a 3 game series against Las Vegas 2-1.

Many believe the best hot foot spa is a bucket of warm water.

The restaurant industry is broken. It is in a state of crisis. The industry claims it is difficult to be profitable. Many are at a severe risk of closing.

Another chaos situation that can be placed at Trump’s doorstep.

There is a measles epidemic in the U.S. Regardless of what Trump and Kennedy Jr. say. The fewer vaccines the problem. Trump and Kennedy forgot the old saying “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

This year alone through September 11, there were 3,294 confirmed measles cases in the U.S. The numbers don’t lie.

Twenty five percent of Americans have no faith in the vaccine.

George H.W. Bush did not and does not like broccoli. He forbad its service on Air Force One. Bush said, “I am President of the United States, and I’m not going to eat any more broccoli.”

George Washington’s second inaugural address was less than 2 minutes long. Only 135 words. Today the average length of an inaugural address is 2,350 words.

John Quincy Adams had a daily routine that involved early morning nude swims in the Potomac River. He continued the habit into his late 70s.

The Volkswagen Beetle was the first automobile model in history to sell 20 million cars. Its success attributed to Volkswagen’s advertising agency Doyle Dave Bernbech. They came up with “Think Small” in the 1950s and sold tons of Beetles which successfully beat out the U.S.’s “muscle cars.”

Christa Pike “may never recover” from the botched legal injections her lawyer says.

AI claims it can resurrect the dead. I don’t believe it.

The National Guard is appearing outside D.C. schools. Causes tensions to increase. It has occurred two times already.

The Pentagon says it intends to keep the National Guard in D.C. through January 2029.

The National Guard being utilized are being brought from Louisiana.

I do not understand the present need.

A couple of days ago, our area of Key West had a massive total power failure. It lasted about 30 minutes. Since then my microwave does not work. Steve and Cindy’s stove not working either. Corey could not fix my microwave. A new micro and stove obviously needed. 

Enjoy your day!

The Tropic Cinema has reopened. It reopened on October 1.

Hooray!

McDonald’s opened its first facility in San Bernadino, California, in 1940. It was a small drive thru. Today McDonald’s is worth more than $200 billion and has over 40,000 locations in more than 100 countries.

Benjamin Franklin: “Remember that money is of a prolific generating nature. Money can beget money. and its offspring can beget more, and so on.”

The U.S. jobs projected to shrink the fastest over the next 10 years include typists and word processors. Both will drop an estimated 36 percent.

Trump is expected to name a Director of National Intelligence. A new White House czar. Trump is expected to name Jay Clayton.

Two undefeated college football teams met yesterday. Alabama v. Mississippi State. Alabama crucified Mississippi State 56-23.

France is in a fiscal and political crisis. Over 400 French schools closed Friday because of violent school protests.

An Arkansas Naval reservist has made history. He has been digging for 13 years at the Crater of Diamonds State Park. He discovered a 6.03 carat  stone worth over $1 million. His name Jack Pearadin. He is the Mel Fisher of Arkansas.

Syracuse finally won its second game of the season. Defeated Connecticut in overtime 42-41. Took my breath away!

Munich’s Oktoberfest ends today. Beer the beverage of choice at the event. Beer is one of the world’s oldest human produced beverages. The first beer produced was some 13,000 years ago at what is now Israel.

Prohibition killed the beer business. Pabst Brewing Company switched from brewing beer to making cheese.

Janis Joplin: “You can destroy your now by worrying about tomorrow.”

Rembrandt died this day in 1669.

Rock ‘n Roll became popular in the 1950s. Fearing the corruption of its youth, Santa Cruz, California, banned rock ‘n roll in 1956.

Cemeteries once had multiple purposes. They were used for picnics and public events also.

Apples a big phone seller! In 2024 and 2025, phone sales accounted for more than half of Apples total revenue.

Gas stations make more money from convenience items than from selling gas.

There are roughly 145,000 gas stations in the U.S.

There is one State where you cannot pour your own gas. It’s New Jersey.

Florida voters are already casting ballots by mail for the midterms. Approximately 100,000 have been cast so far.

Russia beat the U.S. into space. On this day in 1957, Russia shot Sputnik into space. It was the world’s first artificial satellite.

The Brooklyn Dodgers won their first World Series in 1955.

Trump announced he is going to provide a one time $90 payment to 20 million Americans on Medicare. I assume Trump believes $90 will sway votes to the Republicans in the midterm elections. What a fool is he!

The $5,000 payment definitely would have. Ninety dollars is peanuts in today’s economy.

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Roberts was vacationing on a Maine island. Some neighbors expressed their feelings about him. Boated by his residence with negative signs. Like “Shame on the Robert’s Court.”

The American people are not stupid.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Alito says he considers each year whether to retire. He should make up his mind AND NOW! Retire! He has  not seen things clearly for years. He is a die hard Republican too far to the right!

Is “naked” that sexy? Women’s clothes worn on the body have become significantly fewer in recent years. I enjoy viewing a somewhat naked lady. No question, a turn on. However, I believe things have gone too far. “Too little” perhaps the better way to describe it.

Enjoy your Sunday!

“Rain rain go away. Come again another day. Little Louis wants to play.”

A child’s rhyme for children. However applies even to adults when the rain keeps pouring for days at a time. As it has been for the last five days. Intersections flooded. Waist deep. Sand bags blocking restaurants like Sloppy Joe’s. I have seen people swimming in some intersections. I would not be surprised to see people in canoes at some Duval intersections beginning tomorrow.

That’s Key West when it rains and rains and rains for several consecutive days.

The U.S. added only 29,000 jobs in September. Less than expected. Unemployment is edging up. The number does not reflect robust economic growth.

Just a reminder how the Iran War began. It was morning and the U.S. bombed a school in Iran. Turned into a massacre. The Shenjareth Tayyebeh School. One hundred fifty six persons killed. One hundred twenty were children, twenty six teachers.

The school became a grave.

The U.N. claims the bombing was a war crime.

It was definitely Trump’s baby.

On this day in 1950, the “Peanuts” comic strip was born. It appeared in only 7 newspapers. Eventually would run in more than 2,600.

In addition to the 3 carriers Trump has ordered to the Middle East, he also ordered 10,000 additional troops. Sounds like a real war in the works.

Trump lies when he speaks of the Kennedy Center. The reason he wants to tear it down is not because the building is “in terrible shape” as he claims. The reason is because the Supreme Court, as well as most Americans, do not want his name on the building.

Thank you Caitlan Clark! You rejuvenated women’s professional basketball. The WNBA posted the best regular season since 2000 in the first year of its new media deal. It averaged 771,000 viewers per game nights. Fifty one evenings topped one million viewers.

In 1940, the average worker in the U.S. earned $1,368 per year. Roughly $25 per week. Sounds poor. Was not. A dollar stretched farther in those days. For example, $1 bought 3 dozen eggs. Also bought 4 pounds of bacon and 10 loaves of bread. 

A dollar buys nothing these days unfortunately. Even before the Iran War.

We have a population problem in the U.S. and worldwide. People are having less children. Primarily because of economic problems. Young people experiencing major problems. Colleges and universities suffering as a result. Some may have to close.

The decline in population is expected to continue to 2041. Why 2041, I do not understand. However that is the projection.

My solution to the problem is simple. People should have more sex resulting in more pregnancies. Otherwise the problems associated with a declining population will increase and get worse.

Florida’s dengue outbreak is now the largest in the continental U.S. in decades. So far 250 cases of mosquito-borne dengue fever have been tallied.

“Bonnie and Clyde” was one of the best movies of the 1960s and one of the best movies ever. Nevertheless the New York Times Chief Movie Critic Crowther knocked the hell out of the film on 3 separate occasions. The Times and Newsweek also panned it. 

The negatives obviously did not hurt.

In 1960, “Science” was one of the world’s leading science publications. Well respected. The publication predicted that on November 13, 2026 “doomsday” would occur. The world would end. The cause overpopulation. People would squeeze themselves to death. Self annihilation.

Interesting, especially in view of what I wrote earlier that the world is experiencing a population problem.

Ergo, worry not.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Trump changes his tune on China. Though he says China stole the 2020 election, he proves once again that consistency is not his strongest suit.”

Adolph Hitler was anti-press also. Extremely so.

Thomas Jefferson: “Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.”

Key West Airport is booming! From January 1 to August 1, 1.1 million passengers. An increase of 8 percent from the same time period the previous year.

Worked out again yesterday. I am committed to being cane free and walking straight in 2-3 months. Hope I do it!

I have not heard rain yet this morning. Hope it has ended. A couple more days of rain and even my Beatle Volkswagen will have floated away.

Enjoy your day!

October is Italian American Heritage Month. There will be many cultural celebrations in the U.S.

My mother was born in Italy. My father in the U.S. whose parents were born in Italy. I am proud to be an Italian-American.

The best hot dog in Florida is purported to be Mel’s Hot Dogs in Tampa. Proprietor former Chicagoan Mel Lone. Mel’s stand took off immediately. A hit many years ago! Mel became known as the Wizard of Wieners. His stand became a store/restaurant. Mel sold his hot dog business in 2023 to three persons. They continue to operate Mel’s Hot Dogs with the same success Mel did.

The credit card was introduced in 1950. The first card was Diner’s Club. Discrimination accompanied it. Women could not get one till 1974.

Trump planning on locating three aircraft carriers in the Middle East. Trump supporting his Iranian War effort. Remember Trump’s claims when he ran for President the last time: No wars and no war with Iran. The man speaks with a forked tongue.

The Reflective Pool case against ex-Olympian Daniel Hearn has been dismissed with “prejudice.” Which means the U.S. cannot prosecute him again.

A possible enemy tomorrow. Especially in the Middle East where no one nation can truly be trusted. I refer to our today friend Saudi Arabia. The Saudis want America’s nuclear trust. They want our help in developing nuclear weapons. We should not do it. I repeat, a friend today can easily be an enemy tomorrow.

Trump and his cohorts continue to blame higher prices on Biden era inflation. What bullshit! The higher prices are clearly the result of Trump’s ill fated and determined Iranian War.

Christa Pike still alive, but in critical condition. If she survives, her sentence should be changed to life in prison. Executions should be barred throughout the U.S.

Florida’s Governor DeSantis holds the record for death warrants this year. He has signed nineteen so far. No other Governor even close.

It’s 5 a.m. I slept poorly again last night. Up working on my blog at the moment. Raining, no pouring. Big time already. This is day 4 or 5 of heavy rain. If it keeps up, Key West will float away!

There is one benefit to the rain. My car is parked on the street. The rain keeps it sparkling clean.

Thurgood Marshall: “Each of you, as an individual, must pick your own goals, Listen to others, but do not become a blind follower.”

Mahatma Gandhi was born this day in 1869.

Rock Hudson died from AIDS related complications this day in 1988. 

Cary Grant is responsible for the chocolate on a pillow on a hotel bed. He had a secret affair at the St. Louis Mayfair Hotel in the 1950s. Left a chocolate on the pillow. The hotel manager noted the romantic gesture and copied it, thereby starting a tradition.

The internet ran a string of the “Biggest News Headline of the Year You Were Born.” I was born in 1935. The headline: “Senate Passes Security Bill.” The Security Bill referred to the Social Security Act. One of the best things Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his Democratic Congress did for the American people. You all understand. So many persons are surviving today because of Social Security.

How things change. Being a “nerd” is a hit today. Especially with adults.

Key West’s weather today: Scattered thunderstorms. Nothing changing yet. I think this is day 5 of an extra big rain. I mentioned earlier, raining heavy already this morning. Out of control rain!

Fausto’s has been a local Key West landmark for generations. It will celebrate its 100th Anniversary October 8-10. In store specials will be provided at each store. Party time!

Kimmel has a new name for Trump: Bunker Boy. The nickname spread rapidly globally. Trump is furious with the new name attributed to him.

Haircut yesterday with Lori. Snuck it in between two major thunderstorms.

Lori will be moving in a few months. She has purchased a store in the strip mall across the street from the Bank of America on Flagler. Good for her!

I have a physical with Nurse Paige at 9. Then she heads to the airport. She and a girl friend are flying to Ireland for a week of sightseeing.

Paige is always flying somewhere. I envy her. I flew the world for business and pleasure for years. Yet I have not been on a plane since 2008. Big Pine has been my furthest destination since 2008, except for my trips to Miami hospitals for major surgeries.

Enjoy your day!

Stupid is me!

I had a full day yesterday. So I was out before 8 in the morning grocery shopping. As luck would have it, it was pouring when I was ready to drive home. I waited like forever for the rain to stop. It did not. So I said screw it and went to my car with the groceries and got soaking wet.

Still pouring when I got home. Sat in the car for a while waiting for it to stop. Didn’t. Got soaking wet again. I was especially concerned with the frozen foods and ice cream.

Everything so far I would not describe as stupid. What follows was. I turned on the car lights driving home because of the rain. I forgot to turn them off after I got home. In my hurry to get into the house, I did not think abut the car lights.

Around noon the thought occurred that I had forgotten to turn the car lights off. I said no way to myself. I am not that stupid!

I was. Steve called me around 8 in the evening that my car lights were on. I went out. They were. But the battery was next to dead and would not turn over.

Finally got Corey and he and Robert came over around 9. Corey had jump cables. He got the battery to turn over. I then drove the car up and down U.S. 1 a couple of times to charge the battery further.

Stupid I had been! 

Almost every day for the past two months, the media reported Hegseth had screwed up again and was going to be fired. He still has not. Stupid likes stupid. Trump likes Hegseth.

Hegseth in a new fiery speech called for a new military base. One focused on religion and next generation weapons. He is as sick as his boss Donald.

There was a botched execution in Tennessee. A woman failed her execution. Her name Christa Pike. She received two shots of whatever was supposed to kill her. She would not die. Ended up sleeping and snoring. 

She had bad veins. She had asked to be shot by a firing squad because of the problem. What she did think might occur, did occur. She is presently hospitalized. The State is not sure what to do with her. Might try to execute her again today.

Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer is outstanding from my perspective. I am a retired trial attorney. I know what I am talking about. The woman admitted killing her 3 children. She was not found guilty. The trial resulted in an 11-1 hung jury.

It is questionable whether she will be retried.

In the meantime her attorney Kevin Reddington says the proof at the trial failed to prove she had committed a crime. He has asked the court to throw out the case against her. The man has talent!

Forget not that even though she admitted her guilt, the attorney representing her had a responsibility to do the best for her. To make the State prove they had a “legal case” against her. Every person charged is entitled to a lawyer and a fair trial. The attorney defending has the responsibility to see that such is received under the law. As I told people many times while I was practicing, a clergy man does not turn away a person who is too much a sinner, a doctor similarly does not turn away someone too sick. A lawyer’s responsibility is similar.

Pennsylvania announced its fifth measle death. The State’s total cases to date number 943.

Alaska has a Fat Bear Week. Just concluded. “Backpack” won. He received over 100,000 votes.

The world’s best employers have been announced. The top two in order: Microsoft and Delta Airlines.

Julie Andrews was born this day in 1935.

Walt Disney World opened this day in 1971.

The Post Office processes 3,684 pieces of mail per second.

Sears opened its first store in 1925. Sears operated 3,500 stores at its peak.

A big rain day again. It has already been pouring for about an hour.

I hope it stops at some point. I have a haircut appointment with Lori at noon. I’ll remember to turn my car lights off this time if it still is.

Enjoy your day!

I live and learn. Even at 91. 

I have been having difficulty sleeping. Monday night not one minute. The night before slept only 3 hours. 

I was complaining at the bar at The Grand last night about my sleeping problem. Cindy and Matt heard me and I heard from both at the same time “It’s the moon!” A statement I had never heard before. 

Did some research when I got home. Learned that the claim that people tend to sleep less and take longer to fall asleep in the days leading up to a full moon appears to be widely accepted. 

I shall pay attention to see if the moon is the problem causing my inability to sleep. I don’t think so because I go so many nights unable to sleep. 

The Reader’s Digest does the “Nicest Places in America.” The year 2026 is the tenth year it has done so. This year’s top spot is Liverpool, New York, a Syracuse suburb. Interesting!

When I was in law school at Syracuse University, I worked as a milk man early mornings before going to classes. I worked for Marble Farm Dairies. One place I delivered milk to homes in Liverpool. It was 67 years ago. I was 24 years old at the time. Liverpool was a nice small community back then also.

Yesterday was a bad day for bonds and stocks. Sales of each fell dramatically. Reflected one thing for sure. American consumer confidence plummeted!

The best smelling city in America this year is Boston.

Ted Williams served two times in the military. World War II and the Korean War. He returned to baseball after each. . He was a combat pilot.  Served as an instructor in World War II. Actually as a combat pilot during the Korean War where he flew 40 missions. He flew as  wingman to John Glenn during the Korean War.

His war participations caused him to miss 5 baseball seasons. 

An excellent baseball player. An excellent pilot.

A cataract refers to a medical condition in which the lens of the eyes become progressively opaque, resulting in blurred vision. A lesser known definition refers to a large waterfall. A sudden rush of water, a downpour.

Another word having dual meanings is rhubarb. Its primary definition refers to the thick leaf stalks on a cultivated plant of the stock family, which are reddish green and eaten as a fruit after cooking. Its lesser known definition refers to a heated dispute.

John D. Rockefeller was the world’s first billionaire. He became so in 1916. He said: “The secret to success is to do the common things uncommonly well.”

The first American woman to climb Mount Everest was Stacy Allison. She completed the climb this day in 1988.

An 11 year old girl is a child chess prodigy. Her name Balhana Sivananden. She has earned the title of “Grandmaster.”

The nor’easter proved strange in Surf City, New Jersey on Saturday. A shark was spotted swimming in one of its streets. A biggie.

A “Sound of Music” opened where it all started on September 20th sixty years ago in Salzburg, Austria. Julie Andrews sang atop the hills and the world fell in love with “The Sound of Music.” A museum under that name has now opened in Salzburg.

Interesting. Sea otters hold hands while sleeping. Not as a sign of affection. They do so for two reasons. It helps them from losing track of each other and it deters potential predators.

The Trump administration is back talking about reducing fuel efficiency standards in automobiles. They claim it will reduce the price of a new car $1,300. I believe it not. Another lie. However even if it does, the impact is slight. The cost of new cars so high that the impact would be minimal.

Gas prices pushing $5 in Key West. Not there yet. I am confident it will make and exceed $5 at some point.

Alaska is already $5. And more. One gallon costs $26 in the remote of road villages where the gasoline has to be flown in.

Gene Autry was born this day in 1907 in Texas. As a young boy, I went to the movies every Saturday afternoon. All us kids did. It cost all of 2 or 3 cents. 

There were two cowboy heroes at the time. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Every young person attached to one of those as their hero. Mine was Gene Autry!

The Chinese are requiring 9th graders to read “Jane Eyre.” They believe it shows independence and equality between women and men.

Yesterday The Grand for Happy Hour. Enjoyed it. However was sleepy sleepy. Recall no sleep the night before.

It rained heavy several times yesterday. Many intersections are flooded big time.

I slept 5 hours last night. I’ll take it! Better than nothing.

Enjoy your day!

An example of friendship between China and the U.S. occurred yesterday. Two giant pandas arrived in Atlanta. Gifts from China. They are on loan for ten years and will spend the ten years at Zoo Atlanta. 

Their names are Ping Ping and Fu Shuang. They flew to Atlanta on a Fed Ex 777 dubbed the “Panda Express.” 

Xi called the loan an example of “friendship between the Chinese and Americans.”

The nor’easter struck New York, Long Island, Boston , and other parts of the northeast. Bad, but not as bad as anticipated.

It even reached Central New York State and my home town of Utica. A glancing blow. Heavy showers and a dense fog.

A major fashion week ends today in Milan, Italy. Known as the Milano Fashion Week. It is held semi-annually. Part of the Top Four International Fashion Shows world wide. The other three are New York, London and Paris. 

I have visited Milan many times. One of my favorite places. Liked it even more than Rome. People and places top shelf.

It is probably the people that make it so special. Regardless of sex, all dressed to the T. Never saw so many persons dressed so well. Elegantly, whether day or night.

Spectacular places also. Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. A huge painting da Vinici did on a concrete wall in the cellar of what is now a Church above. In another area a large Cathedral, the Duomo di Milano. Not as sharp as Rome’s St. Peter’s. Nevertheless, magnificent! Then the buildings surrounding Milan’s key square. One from which Mussolini announced war on the United States. Clothing stores to blow you out. Restaurants the best.

I cannot speak to the hotels. I was fortunate to visit Milan each time with my friend Anna. She had a home in a Milan suburb where we stayed.

Mickey Mantle hit 536 home runs. He was a “switch hitter.”

We write English from left to right. Most languages are written thusly. Italian included.

Leonardo da Vinci was Italian. Yet he wrote from right to left.

Writing from right to left is known as “mirror writing.” Some believe da Vinci wrote right to left to make it more difficult for people to read his notes and steal his ideas.

The internet listed the five greatest years to be alive. The place and time when exciting things were happening. Athens, Greece one of the top five places. The year 432 BCE. The year one when Athens was at the height of its cultural and political power. The Parthenon was completed, Propylaea was under construction, the City was teeming with wealth and ambition. Sophocles and Euripides were producing tragedies. Socrates was engaging in debate. Athens had a thriving comic theater. 

The citizens of Athens were an active people. The men only, however. Women were second class citizens. It was a golden age for male citizens. 

Some things are hard to believe. Like McDonald’s is the world’s largest toy distributor. It has to do with Happy Meal. McDonald’s provides toys with Happy Meals. The toys total 15 billion worldwide each year. More than Hasbro and Mattel.

Miles Davis: “Don’t play what’s there, play what’s not there.”

Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.

Ted William is the last Major Baseball League player to end the batting season over .400. The year 1941. 

Maine is the State with the largest elderly population.

Trump is doing well. He was booed at the Tennessee/Texas football game. Texas a Republican state.

Thomas Jefferson was selected to be the author of the Declaration of Independence because of his reputation as a writer.

Samuel Morse invented the telegraph. He exhibited it on May 24, 1844. His first message was a Biblical one: “What had God wrought.”

One of the hydrogen bomb inventors was Edward Teller. He was obsessed with the development of the bomb of all bombs. On October 31, 1952 a secret test of the hydrogen bomb was underway in the Marshall Islands. Teller waited its results on a seismograph in a basement at the University of California. When noting how well the test had resulted, he announced the arrival of the most powerful weapon created by human hands by sending out the message: “It’s a boy.”

Homer is credited with being the legendary author of the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey.” Was Homer a real person? Questionable. The truth is we will never know.

A bird was trained to be a Cold War spy. The raven. The raven was trained to drop bugging devices on window sills.

A bad night sleep wise. I woke at 1 and could not get back to sleep. Today will be like digging ditches.

Enjoy your day!

The Library of Congress is the oldest federal cultural institution in the U.S. It was founded in 1800. Today it is the world’s largest library. It maintains 175 million items, with thousands more added every day.

The Library has roughly 400,000 visitors a year. It is managed by 3,172 permanent staff members.

Only one President had a child born in the White House. Grover Cleveland’s wife Frances gave birth to their daughter Esther in the Blue Room in 1886. 

The Eiffel Tower has been repainted twenty times in its 136 years of existence. It takes 66 tons of paint to coat the Tower.

Queen Elizabeth I never married. Yet she rarely slept alone in her 44 years of reign. Rarely did people sleep alone during her time whether married or not. The addition of company provided her company to talk with at the end of the day. And probably have sex with also. Something she was famous for.

A modern refrigerator is normally 40 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Mother Teresa, aka Saint Teresa, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979. She died in 1997. Had Donald Trump been a Christian Brother or other religious, he too might have won the Nobel Peace Prize. Ho, ho!

Christopher Columbus may have been a bit off mentally. Or perhaps his vision was not the best. He claimed on January 9, 1493 to have seen three mermaids near what is now the northern coast of the Dominican Republic. Not the first time for such a vision. He also claimed to have earlier seen mermaids off the coast of West Africa.

On this day in 1960, Kennedy and Nixon squared off in what was the first televised Presidential debate.

MAGA is dying. Soon to be totally gone. One of the reasons is that MAGAs are also suffering under Trump’s economy and way of life.

Trump continues to believe he can act like a king.

Curse words were slow to appear in entertainment media. Especially the movies. Talking movies made it an issue. “Gone With the Wind’s” Clark Gabel’s “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” was a major fight before the words could be uttered in the movie.

The first World’s Fair, known as the Great Exhibition, took place in London in 1851.

One of the bullets in President McKinley could not be located. McKinley was hospitalized in a Buffalo hospital after being shot.

The 1901 Pan-American Exposition was being held in Buffalo at the same time. Thomas Edison’s new x-ray machine was on exhibit. It could have located the bullet. However McKinley’s doctors believed McKinley lacked the strength for the x-ray exploration. They rejected the procedure. McKinley died. He probably would not have had Edison’s x-ray invention been utilized.

The dishwasher was invented by Josephine Cochrane in 1883. She was an affluent woman who grew tired of washing her fine china. She got a patent in 1886. Her invention could wash and dry up to 240 dishes in two minutes. In short course, restaurants and hotels purchased her invention big time.

Frankenstein was published when its author Shelly was only 20 years old. Shelly said “she had a dream.” The dream gave birth to Frankenstein.

The nor’easter hit yesterday. Bad! Torrential rain, flooding, and strong winds. More expected today.

Trump cut $1 billion in federal spending Friday. He could do so on his own using the “pocket recession” process which allowed him to side step Congressional approval. 

Trump denies the severity of economic problems. Yet he used such as an excuse to cut the $1 billion. 

Pope Leo XIV visited Paris. The first Papal visit in 18 years. Seven hundred thousand persons appeared to hear him say Mass. Trump could not even draw a crowd that large!

Bank of America is doing well! The Bank announced it will hire 1,000 additional apprentices over the next two years as it invests $150 million in work force development programs.

Why are tires black? Tires are made from rubber. Rubber is white. Turned out the color white lacked durability. So tire manufacturers played around with color. Determined “carbon black” did the job. Such is why tires are black.

Zsa Zsa Gabor was a Hollywood socialite.  Hot headed. Thought her shit stunk not. She slapped a police officer during a traffic stop. At one point in her trial, she was displeased with the way they were describing her. She upped and stormed out of the court. The judge was not a happy camper with her attitude. After being found guilty, he sentenced her to 72 hours in jail and a $13,000 fine.

Enjoy your Sunday! 

Things have gotten even stranger in the Donald/Melania relationship.

First, they they have been split for a long time this year. Donald living in the White House, Melania in New York. Donald openly sporting girl friend Natalie. Now suddenly Melania back on scene.

When Donald spoke at the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, Melanie was in the audience. Donald acknowledged his wife several times in fond and rewarding terms. The camera on Melania showed her beaming.

Melania appeared a few days later at the State Dinner for Xi and his wife at the White House. Beaming again!

Formal attire to be worn of course. Xi in Chinese black formal. His wife in a bright red gown. Both reflecting Chinese formal. Donald in a black normal appearing U.S. tuxedo. Melania with Donald. surprising in itself. More surprising, Melania was wearing long pants, not a gown. Long pants a female first for a State Dinner.

What’s going on? My sense is Melania is doing her thing as and when she wants. If Trump wants her cooperation and/or appearance, she will do Such as SHE sees fit. Appearing Donald may not be able to control Melania. She is wearing the pants in the family.

Re Xi’s visit overall, I doubt anything was accomplished. The visit merely provided Trump with an opportunity to show off.

It was only two months ago that Trump was speaking in negative terms about Xi and China. He claimed China was guilty of “sinister election meddling” in the 2020 election which Trump lost. Now they are “buddies.” At least from Trump’s perspective. 

China is a rising power. The U.S. is purported even yet to be the world power. China wants the #1 spot. However Xi appears smarter than Trump when it comes to how the position is sought. Such a relationship can lead to war. So Xi admonished recently for the second time in four months. Xi urged that China and the U.S. avoid the so called “Thucydides Trop” – the historical theory that tensions between a rising power and an established one can lead to war.

An apt comment on the internet re Trump’s reaction to Xi’s visit: “Trump drools before dictators, communist or fascist. He needs a bib.”

Ranchers are accusing ICE of disrupting beef supply activities thereby shooting beef prices higher. ICE actions are causing significant delay in the shipment of thousands of cattle to processing plants.

The Reflective Pool not corrected yet. A new contractor on the scene. Trump fired the previous one.  The contractor says vandals not the cause. Whatever. When oh when will the pool be corrected? And at what exorbitant cost?

A powerful nor’easter hitting New York, Long Island and Boston. Going to be bad!

The Amish community in Pennsylvania a large one. Does not vaccinate. It is presently being devastated with a large scale measles epidemic.

Eight sailors on the USS Carrier Lincoln attempted suicide.

One of my favorite Athens’ spots is Plaka. A neighborhood area. I visit it everyday when in Athens. A large explosion occurred this week. Gas suspected. Eight persons missing. Six thought to be Americans.

The 100 best TV shows of the 21st century released. Important not those listed so much as the one not listed. “The Sopranos.”

The U.S. has been pulling itself out of parts of the U.N. under Trump. The U.S. is also $5 billion behind in what it legitimately owes the U.N. in dues. Makes me laugh. Recall how upset Trump was when other countries were behind in their NATO payments. Now many of those same countries are waiting for Trump’s U.S. to pay up to the U.N. Most of the $5 billion debt began when Trump took office.

The U.S. owes more than any other nation. Something to be proud of?????

Xi did not stop at the U.N. on his U.S. visit. Reflects how unimportant the U.N. has become.

India is the third largest nation in the world. Its Prime Minister Modi did not appear either.

Lisbon is considered the happiest city in the world to visit.

Nurse visited Thursday. Paige will continue working with me walking ultimately to a straight back. We’re getting there! I suspect another 2-3 months.

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday morning was doctor visit time. Accordingly I did not write the blog. Today I begin with Trump’s Tuesday U.N. Address.

Typical Trump. A disgrace!

He began with spelling out what a man of peace he was. Followed it up with he would “annihilate” Iran if it failed to make peace with the U.S.

Says it all!

His standing in the General Assembly in front of the green marble background reminded me of the day I stood there. My work took me occasionally to the United Nations. After a meeting one day, I took a walk into the General Assembly. It was empty. Quiet. Only me and the gigantic room. I walked up and stood in front of the green marble wall and let my eyes scan the large room. I stood where Trump and all others have stood this week.

A moving experience. It was some 30 years ago. The U.N. was a powerhouse back then. It has lost much of that power today.

Federal Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore CNN, MS NOW and Politico to access.” Judge Kelly wrote their power had been revoked without due process and was unconstitutional.

 The amusing thing involved is that Trump appointed Judge Kelly to the federal bench in 2017.

Following my doctoring yesterday, I took a drive around Key West. Amazing! I have never seen Key West so quiet. Dead actually. Smathers Beach had only 2 cars parked. And the people were not lying on the beach. They were walking the dock. Duval Street was embarrassingly quiet. A few people walking here and there. The huge parking lot across from Harpoon Harry’s had a mere 23 cars parked. So few, I had to count them.

It’s the money. Yes, this is Key West’s slow time. Never this slow, however. Trump has made everyone, except for his billionaire friends, broke. Very broke. No one has extra money to spend.

F. Scott Fitzgerald was born this day in 1896.

Apparently “peace treaties” began being required many years ago. The first was discovered in Turkey. It was signed in 1269 B.C. Known as the Treaty of Kadesls.

A study has been conducted re Math. How countries ranked in their Math ability. China was #1. The U.S. disappointingly #27.

On this day in 1789, the Supreme Court was established. George Washington signed a law creating the Supreme Court.

“60 Minutes” continues to be popular. Its first episode aired this day in 1968.

Florida fishing persons can catch red snapper in Atlantic Florida state and federal waters from October 9 to October 22. The limit is one fish per person per day. No minimum size.

The State with the longest coast line is Alaska.

The Guinness Book of  World Records was first published in 1955.

Irving Berlin wrote the song “Blue Skies” in 1926.

Thirty one percent of American people prefer the color blue more than any other.

Humans spend two hours a night dreaming.

Thirty two live twins are born every 1,000 births.

The heaviest baby born weighed 22 pounds.

African elephants have the longest gestation period. Thirty two months. Wowie!

An eagle can see 2.2 miles.

A whale’s tongue is heavy. Estimated at 5,400 pounds.

Chocolate syrup was once marketed as a health tonic. Cacao was first used to treat indigestion, fatigue, and some dental problems.

The letter “e” is contained in 11 percent of the words in the Oxford Dictionary.

Original Jello flavors were orange, lemon, strawberry, and raspberry.

There is a new group out there. Called “gooners.” A multitude of people! 

A gooner is someone who lives with excessive and prolonged masturbation. Also interested in pornography. Males and females included. Recently enjoyed a Las Vegas Convention. Participants claim it is cheaper than dating and generally less aggravating.

Dolly Parton won the first of her 11 Grammys in 1979.

A cow can drink 100 liters of water a day.

How long have “people” existed? Humans. Experts say 6,000 years.

India has surpassed China as the world’s most populous country.

Delegates to the U.S. Constitutional Convention numbered 55.  For some reason, only 39 signed it on September 17, 1787.

For all intents and purposes, the document had been completed three days earlier on September 14. The 55 decided to celebrate. They dined at the Philadelphia City Tavern. 

George Washington chaired the event.

The delegates got loaded.

They consumed 54 bottles of Madeira wine, 60 bottles of claret wine, 8 bottles of whiskey, 8 bottles of cider, 22 bottles of porter, 12 bottles of beer, and punch which may have contained alcohol.

I have a nurse visit at 11. An important one.

Enjoy your day!