Elijah Hogan is a New Orleans high school student who has lived in a homeless shelter since the Fall of 2022. He lived without family in the homeless shelter.

Elijah graduated recently as Valedictorian with a 3.96 GPA.

When he went homeless 2 years ago, he almost dropped out of school. However decided against it.

He has received a full tuition scholarship to Xavier University of Louisiana where he plans to study graphic design and art.

He has created a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of housing, food and other basic needs. Make a small contribution if you can. Elijah is a winner and should be helped.

Jill Biden and certain family members have been in court for the first two day’s of Hunter’s trial.

Jill sits in the front row in a show of support for Hunter as her son. He is actually her step son. She raised him, however. At one point during a pause in the jury selection monday, she walked over to Hunter, gave him a long hug, then stroked his cheek. His wife Melissa Cohen Biden and his step sister Ashley are also with him.

Respected columnist Maureen Dowd wrote an “exciting” deep piece in yesterday’s New York Times: “The Verdict Is In on the Supreme Court.”

Re the Court, she wrote: “I don’t need a black robe to hand down a judgment on the Supreme Court. It’s corrupt, rotten and hurting America.”

No pussy footing around by Dowd.

She followed the statement with another a few paragraphs later: The Court “is in the hands of a cabal of religious and far-right zealots, including a couple of ethical scofflaws with MGA wives.”

Go Maureen, go!

A 74 year old woman was in hospice in Lincoln, Nebraska. She “died” monday and was sent to a funeral parlor. The funeral director noticed she was breathing. He had her transferred to a hospital immediately. She died tuesday at the hospital.

It happens. 

My first book was The World Upside Down. I recall writing in the book about two such incidents over the years. I’m sure there were more.

Caitlin Clark is getting beat on. Physically and orally. Terrible!

LeBron James had a similar experience when he began. He issued a statement protective of Caitlin. The statement destroys those against her in a few words: “If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark, you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER.”

Doesn’t seem to be any question about it.

Evidence of crazy weather exists in Texas. Hail! Hail the size of cantaloupes. Some larger than 6 inches in diameter. A photo was run of one in a man’s hand. It was the size of a large grapefruit.

D-Day tomorrow. June 6th!

Almost did not occur on that date. Weather was horrible. Rain consistently. The invasion had already been delayed a couple of days. Could not delay beyond the 6th till a month later. Word came down there would be a 3 hour break in the weather on the 6th. Still not much time. Eisenhower had a heavy decision to make. He said, “We go!”

More about D-Day tomorrow.

Enjoy your day!

Congressional Republicans continue to waste time and money re COVID issues. Yesterday a Republican led Congressional Committee examined Anthony Fauci. They claim he orchestrated a coverup of COVID’s origins.

How stupid! Waste of time and money! Fauci helped save our asses. COVID was horrible, would have been far worse without his protecting us against Trump’s craziness and then moving forward under Biden.

Fauci has been retired since 2022.

Republicans also being critical of the 6 foot rule claiming “no science to support that!” Of course not. It’s called common sense.

If someone is ill or might be ill, you don’t want them standing near you or next to you or breathing on you.

Republicans have other issues at this time. Valid issues. Including health issues to pursue. Like remedying abortion problems. They fail to do so. Their agenda a “get even” one. The American people deserve better.

The origin of two famous comments. “Hit the hay” and “full of beans.”

In the 1800’s, mattresses were filled with hay. Ergo, the term.

The source of full of beans was born in horse racing in the 1800’s. Horses were fed beans before a race to make them gassy in the belief they would run faster.

There are fewer bugs on auto windshields these days. Why? A study concluded there are more cars on the roads and most have bigger windshields. Bugs have not increased. Ergo no reason to be concerned some ecological tragedy is occurring.

Janis Paige, comedic singing star of stage and screen, died yesterday at the age of 101. She starred on Broadway in Pajama Game, danced with Fred Astaire in Silk Stockings, and played a flirtish waitress who tempted Archie Bunker to stray from his marriage vows in All in the Family.

Two significant days in American history: June 4, 1940 and June 4, 1942.

On June 4, 1940, England was successful in removing 338,000 Allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. A major result following a terrible defeat. 

Winston Churchill inspiringly declared following their removal: “We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills, we shall never surrender.”

On June 4, 1942, the war in the Pacific turned for the U.S. The Battle of Midway began resulting in a decisive American victory against Japan and marked the turning point in the war in the Pacific.

Enjoy your day!

Donald Trump, liar of liars, the Pinocchio of politics, claims he never called for Hillary Clinton to be locked up. He denies ever calling for her to be jailed.

The “lock her up” issue came up during an interview yesterday on “Fox and Friends Weekend.”

Trump talking “stupid” in another vein yesterday. He said he will “accept” home confinement or jail time. “He would accept.” Who does he think he is? Whatever the sentence, he’s stuck with it unless an appellate court overturns it for some reason.

Trump followed up his asinine statement with another re if he were jailed: “I think it will be tough for the public to take…..there’s a breaking point.”

Some would protest. However as Trump’s battle has waged since 2020, his popularity has diminished a bit at a time. By the time he might be heading for jail, his following will not be anywhere as significant as it once was.

Many believe it is time to reign in the Supreme Court. Certain members are exceedingly out of line. Alito and Thomas to be specific.

The time is here. Now. What remains is the courage to proceed. Top legal theorists are suggesting ways. It is time to pay attention and move forward.

The Supreme Court is out of hand. No longer functions as was intended. People are losing faith in the institution as it has with the other two branches of government.

Alito and Thomas have actually done the U.S. people a favor. They have crystalized the issue of propriety and control as far as the Court is concerned. By the two attempting to be omnipotent, they have weakened the Court. They are cracks in the dyke.

Rupert Murdoch was married saturday. Murdoch the media mogul. Helped make his fortune with FOX and the Wall Street Journal. At 93, married for the fifth time.

He is estimated to be worth $10 billion. His new wife is Elena Zhukova, a 67 year old molecular biologist.

The rise of anti-Semitism is overwhelming.

Jesus was a Jew. Many anti-Semites are Christians. Something neither discussed nor considered. Jesus was born, lived and died a Jew.

Why is such ignored?

Faye Dunaway, a Hollywood great. She won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in Bonnie and Clyde.

Back in my sailing days, her eastern U.S. home was located in Stamford, Connecticut. A lovely property near the Stamford Yacht Club.

I had put into the Yacht Club on two occasions while sailing off the north shore of Long Island. We would walk a bit each day. We would pass Dunaway’s home each time. Admired it!

The Yacht Club also provided the opportunity to meet Edward R. Murrow. I remained alone on the boat one afternoon while my friends were out and about. Our sail boat was slipped next to an even larger power boat. The gentleman on it was alone also. We began chatting. He invited me to come on board. We enjoyed a drink together. It was Edward R. Murrow.

An experience!

I sailed the north shore of Long Island several years in a row.  The Stamford Club was the finest yacht club we put into during those trips.

The reason I write about Faye Dunaway and the Stamford Yacht Club an inadvertent one. I came across a detailed article on the internet re Dunaway which kicked in my memory of her home and the Stamford Yacht Club.

An interesting question appeared on the internet yesterday: “Before we work on artificial intelligence, why don’t we do something about natural stupidity?”

A major killer in Medieval Times was dehydration from diarrhea.

For some reason, Da Vinci’s The Last Supper is on my mind this morning. It depicts the moment at the Last Supper when Jesus revealed that one of his disciples would betray him. The face of each disciple reflects their personal reaction to the revelation.

I have mentioned this great work several times over the years. I was fortunate to have viewed it. So moving. A rare experience. Thought provoking in many ways.

The painting is a mural. A mural is a large painting applied directly to a wall, a permanent surface. It becomes an integral part of the wall. The Last Super takes up a huge portion of a wall within the Santa Maria Delle Grazie Convent in Milan.

Its dimensions overwhelming. The Last Supper is 180 inches by 350 inches. It covers the end wall of the dining hall at the monastery portion of the Santa Maria delle Grazie. Its size better grasped when the inches are translated into feet. The work is 15 feet by 29.2 feet.

Imposing!

It took Da Vinci three years to complete.

Enjoy your day!

Pride Month is a time dedicated to the celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride. It is generally celebrated during the entre month of June.

The concept of Pride Month had its beginnings with the Stonewall riots in late June 1969. The riots lasted several days. They began on June 28 at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City.

Pride marches began the following June.

The number of LGBT groups increased over the years. No longer a time of conflict, but one of pride and support. The support is not total, however. There remain religious and cultural  groups opposed to Pride Month on ideological grounds.

Key West celebrates Pride Month, the entire month of June, with PRIDE. 

Hurricane season began yesterday. Many experts believe it could be the worst in recorded history.

Two causation factors. One has been abnormally warm Atlantic Ocean waters. The other potentially strong winds formed by an emerging La Nina weather front. The two if combined, as expected they will, could create the worst of storms.

Donald Trump is a creature of New York City. Once considered his playground. No more. It has become his battleground. One where he keeps losing. His ego was tainted first. Then his bottom line. Now perhaps, his freedom.

Need to cut salt intake? Japan has the answer. A “battery operated spoon” which enhances the salty taste of low-sodium food without the need for extra salt.

It is called the “Electric Salt Spoon.”

USA Today’s 2024 Best Beach in Florida winner is Delray Beach. Spans two miles.

Congratulations! With all the beaches in Florida, it’s a big deal to be designated #1!

Trump’s attorney in the New York City hush money case, the trial which was  just lost, is Todd Blanche. A respected attorney. You can’t win them all, especially if Donald Trump is your client.

Be that as it may, Blanche is also Trump’s lead attorney in the Florida documents case. In a televised appearance Thursday evening, Blanche said, “We are going to start fighting every day in Florida.”

Hurray for his bravado!

I have to smile. Especially as an attorney. Trump has the judge in the documents case, Judge Cannon, in his pocket. Her conduct so far reflects it. She does not appear to be competent. In addition, she seems to bend over backwards to rule in Trump’s favor on pre-trial issues.

Chinese Checkers is not a Chinese game. Not born in China. Chinese Checkers was invented in Germany.

It has been a somewhat popular game in the U.S. since the late 1920’s.

Babe Ruth is considered the greatest baseball player ever. His career lasted 22 seasons. He participated in 10 World Series. Hit 714 home runs.

The beginning of greatness. On this day in 1835, P.T. Barnum and his circus began their first tour of the U.S.

I attended Manhattan College in New York City from 1953-1957. An excellent choice. It gave me the opportunity to explore New York City itself. To see and discover things I might not have.

52nd Street was a string of night clubs. Beyond anything I could afford. However, I made friends with one who ran one of the clubs. Such provided me with free access on occasion. My interest was to see certain top performers.

One was Ray Charles. I recall the evening vividly. I stood immediately to one side of Charles as he played the piano and sang. With a group of other standees. I stood in the first row about 5 feet from him.

Charles was blind from the age of 7. Glaucoma the supposed cause. His disability, if it was to be described as such, did not affect his talent.

He was one of the greats!

Enjoy your Sunday!

At 11 am yesterday, Trump spoke at a pre-arranged press conference at Trump Tower. The press was present. They never got to ask a question. Trump spoke ad infinitum. In his usual manner. Rambled on and on.

He left me with two impressions. One having to do with his appearance. The other his truthfulness.

His appearance was pathetic. Even I felt sorry for him. He looked tired and beat up. It’s still a long way to the election. Taking his age into account, his significant overweight, and the way he eats, he could be heading for a heart attack before the election. I know from experience what is involved. He should consider his health and his life.

Truthfulness. What truthfulness? He lies. If he were Pinocchio, his nose would have been touching the ground. His talk replete with misstatements. He expelled a gusher of falsehoods re the trial.

Maybe he does not know how to speak truth. It may not be part of his being. It’s impossible for him to speak the truth about anything.

In spite of  his poor appearance and lies, Trump claims he had a big night money wise following the verdict.

He claims he took in $38.4 million. Hard to believe. Assuming he is telling the truth, the American people have lost their way. If he is elected, most will regret their poor judgment in voting for him within the first year. His path of ruin and destruction will be obvious. Adolph will have accomplished major steps in killing the U.S.A.

Trump’s supporters were calling for “riots and revolution.” Websites were flooded. 

His comments re Judge Merchan give me concern for the Judge’s safety. Serious concern.

Marian Robinson, mother of first lady Michelle Obama, died at 86. She lived in the White House and “worked” as grandmother to her granddaughters Sasha and Malia. She did it to assist Michelle in performing her duties as the President’s wife.

Marian raised a great daughter and helped in raising two great granddaughters.

May she rest in peace.

“King Alito’s” arrogance has reached frightening new levels. Beyond the flags. It is reflecting itself in his decisions.

Democrat Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is no more a Democrat.  He announced yesterday he is leaving the party and will now be an Independent.

He claims U.S. politics are broken. Makes me laugh. He helped break them. He was a thorn in the side of whoever was President. He was responsible for some major significant deals failing because he did not provide his Democrat President with his vote.

He played God too many times. 

Manchin advised several months ago he would not be running for reelection to the Senate again. Rumor has it he may run for Governor.

Manchin and his family have grown rich over coal and pharmaceuticals. A typical today Washington politician. Got rich on the job!

A Papua, New Guinea update.

The massive landslide occurred on May 24 and buried villages and people. Estimated dead 2,000. Earth and debris 2 stories high. People still digging with spades, sticks and their hands. Only 6 bodies found so far. Officials say they do not expect finding many survivors.

Plymouth, Massachusetts a first in many respects. On this day in 1838, the first ever earthquake in the U.S. hit at Plymouth.

How many lives have been saved? The Heimlich maneuver for rescuing choking victims was published in the Journal of Emergency Medicine for the first time this day in 1974.

Busy yesterday running around. Date & Thyme, drug store, Publix and bank. Enough for me these days.

I parked my car where I normally do two nights ago. On the street under a tree. Yesterday when I went to begin my jaunts, it was covered in some sort of defecation. My car had been shit on. Tons of it. On the roof on the driver’s side, the front window and right fender. Tried to clean it. No way. Solid as rock. The car requires an expensive cleaning.

Darling Joan, contact me. I am concerned not having heard from you and unable to contact you.

Enjoy your day!