The U.S. has started the Ryder Cup behind. A bad first day. At the end of Day 1, Europe leads 5 1/2 t0 2 1/2.

Hope still springs eternal. Seventy percent of the tournament remains to be played.

U.N. walks out on Netanyahu’s speech as Israel intensifies assault on Gaga City.

Toto the dog in the Wizard of Oz appeared in a different Oz film many years earlier than the one we are familiar with. As a result, she was a “pro.” Paid a higher salary than most human cast members. There were roughly 600.

Toto was Dorothy’s loyal companion in the Wizard.

Toto was paid $125 per week. The Munchkins only $50 per week. $125 per week equal to $3,885 in today’s money.

Trump was compared to Hitler in a scorching speech to U.N. members. The President of Columbia called for the U.N.to launch a criminal investigation into his U.S. counterpart.

World leaders upset with Trump. Properly so. He as gotten far out of hand.

Some around Trump “tasteless.” Presidential aid Stephen Miller’s wife Katie appeared on a TV talk show this week. She described her husband as being a “sexual matador” while bragging about him.

War Secretary Hegseth  requires a new pledge for reporters at the Pentagon. They can only report news he approves.

An interesting comment recently in The New York Times: “If only we’d fight as hard to save our democracy” as we do other matters.

The three most satisfying airports for passenger satisfaction in the U.S. are Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan County Airport, and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Trump flouts the ranks. What happened to checks and balances?

It is claimed Russia is helping China to attack Taiwan. 

How tough things are financially in war torn Gaza. Even renting a spot to pitch a tent can cost too much.

The Christian Right of today are more about vengeance than kindness.

Washington is four days from running out of money to fund the government. What will happen?

Trump has a tendency to capitulate when facing confrontation. I suspect he may re the clash and work out a deal with the Democrats.

It is coward time for Trump.

Trump claims he ended seven wars. “Unendable” ones. No way, Jose!

He claims he has been averaging a war a month. Again no way!

I give him credit for being a good liar. He and Pinocchio go hand in hand.

There is a 61 mile conveyor belt in the Sahara Desert. For what purpose: To make phosphate. Seventy percent of all the phosphate on the planet is in Morocco.

Production of the Ford Model T began this day in 1908.

Babe Didrikson Zaharias: “Practice which some regard as a chore, should be approached as just about the most pleasant recreation devised.”

Enjoy your day!

Comey’s indictment a “Rubicon-crossing moment. The Justice Department we have long known dead.” It has become an arm of the government to punish the President’s enemies, regardless of the law. A tragedy for today with lasting implications, even if the case is dismissed.

On this day in 1960, Kennedy and Nixon squared off in the first televised debate. From a viewing perspective, Kennedy was the winner. Nixon’s profuse sweating defeated him.

Orally and only listening, Nixon was the best. TV was new to politics, however. It was all in the seeing rather than listening.

China is the adult in the room now where climate is concerned. Focused and surging ahead while the West is distracted.

Trump announced pharmaceutical products may face tariff rate increases up to 100 percent, updated furniture 30 percent, and heavy trucks 25 percent starting October 1.

Disaster further impacts Gaza City.  Gaza City hospitals are closing and fleeing as Israeli forces advance.

Obama accuses Trump of “truth violence” re public health. He made the comment while in London two days after Trump made his public health announcement seeking to tie Tylenol to autism.

China wants a “super embassy” in London – sparking anger and spying fears.

I find the following surprising. In its numbers. The first time I have seen them so excessive. It was reported in several places yesterday in one report that 820,000 face dire hunger in D.C. Another report claimed more than one million people in Washington are food insecure. The numbers suggest roughly 1 in 10 children across the region are not getting enough food.

A shocking report yesterday. Hard to believe. One of the Nation’s outstanding college football coaches resigned. Clemson’s Debo Swinney resigned because Clemson’s season so far is 1-3. His decision. He was not pushed out.

He specific the Syracuse decision contributed to his resigning. He further claimed he refused to be embarrassed by this year’s record thus far. He claimed this year’s team was “absolute garbage.” Intimating the problem not his fault. He forgets you can’t win them all!

I find Swinney’s words disappointing. I have heard many times over the years that a person cannot be a good winner till he has been a good loser. It took Swinney a long time to reach the point.

Trump’s youth support has faded. Reason: They expect more from an “adult” leader. Like behaving like an adult.

One thing Americans fear most is war. Threat today more than just a possibility.

Syracuse my Syracuse! Looked like Syracuse was off to a great season. Still may be, though doubt surrounds the team’s expectations now.

Our great quarterback Steve Angeli suffered a fractured Achilles tendon. He is out for the season.

Replaced by sophomore substitute Ricky Collins.

Syracuse plays Duke tomorrow. Was expected to win. No more. Duke now a 5 1/1 point favorite.

I do not buy a Syracuse defeat till I see it. Syracuse will require a running game as well as the passing game Angeli provided.

We will find out beginning at noon tomorrow when the teams kick off at noon. The game is being played at the Syracuse Dome.

Enjoy your day!

Wrong to try to indict former FBI Director James Comey for alleged lies which occurred in 2016. Represents Trump trying to get even for something 10 years later, assuming the words were not true.

Trump played the big man. Criticized the U.N. in person for a broken escalator and teleprompter issues. The U.N. suggested Trump’s term was to blame.

Trump’s comments examples of his pettiness.

The Park Service removed the Statue of Trump and Epstein from the National Mall.

Time counts. Weeks especially. It has been 21 weeks since Trump gave Putin 2 weeks to end the war.

Can Democrats make the Republicans own the shutdown? Democrats are not fighting the fight. Republicans keep beating them. Reason simple. Republicans fight dirty. Democrats want to appear like the good guys. They may be, but still should knock the hell out of them. Democrats must appear to be part of the fight. They do not.

Per the Constitution, Congress has the sole power to declare war. The first was declared in 1788. Since that time, Congress has declared war only 11 times. Yet we fight wars without invoking the power of the Constitution and Congress. Supposedly legal as done. However, does not feel proper.

The last time the U.S. declared war “by the book” was World War II in 1942. Appreciate how many times we would “technically” have been at war if done correctly.

On this day in 1894, President Grover Cleveland issued a Presidential Proclamation pardoning followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) who had previously enjoyed polygamous marriages or habitation agreements considered unlawful by the U.S. government.

An “intensive culture of fear” is destroying the EPA from within by Trump. A shame! I should know better than most. M legal specialty was environmental law.

Robert De Niro is building a $250 million hotel on Barbuda, once a favorite island retreat of Princess Diana. A new ultra-luxurious hotel: The Beach Club Barbuda.

Barbuda is an island 30 miles north of Antigua.

De Niro describes the island as “very calm…very pleasant. Not many people around. Th donkeys come to you.”

Time for a Greek visit. I miss Greece.

Key West sunsets are the best! Come down and try one!

A spectacular dinner last night. Lasagna at Brady’s Irish Pub. Carolla bartending. A perfect evening.

I will be back at Brady’s saturday for the Syracuse/Duke game. Syracuse expected win. In spite of our star quarterback Dave Angeli having fractured his Achilles tendon. Carolla will be back also

A busy morning already today. A portion of my annual physical with Dr. Norris. Breakfast at Goldman’s. Then a haircut and beard trim.

Slept poorly again last night. Will the spend the rest of the day napping and watching TV. I’m tired.

Enjoy your day!

Speaking before the United Nations yesterday, Donald Trump told its members they were “going to hell.” 

His statement was not complete. He failed to join the U.S. in the group he was condemning. The U.S. is going down the tubes worse that most other member countries. Why? Because Trump is an incompetent inept leader. He has done much to damage the U.S. during his time in office. In addition of course to the many other nations he has hurt.

Trump was of the opinion among other things that other nations were too concerned with migration and climate change. He called global warming a “con job.”

Global warming not the con job. Trump is.

The escalating attack on vaccines shocks public health leaders.

The Statue of Liberty is 305 feet tall.

Kurt Vonnegut: “A purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.”

On this day in 1806, Lewis and Clark returned to St. Louis. Their return marked with huge excitement. The trip from St. Louis to the Pacific and back a feat. Its purpose to explore the territory compromising the Louisiana Purchase.

Speaking on September 23, 1944, FDR described his dog Fala by name in a speech. He actually was attacking certain Republicans who earlier had made fun of his beloved Fala.

Have you ever noticed? Most cartoon characters only have four fingers. Goes back even before Disney. Concerned money. It was cheaper to draw four rather than five fingers.

Trump now changes his position on the Ukraine.  He is mad at Russia. Ergo now claims Ukraine can defeat Russia with NATO support.

Whacky on the move again! Referred to as “RaqaretTok.” The term of significant interest the past 48 hours. In effect claimed the world would end yesterday or today.

Blown again!

Statue of Trump and Epstein holding hands on the National Mall. The work is the latest installation by an anonymous group of artists who love doing this to Trump.

A meeting scheduled between Democratic leaders and Trump to discuss funding which ends September 30 was cancelled yesterday by Trump. Appears he does not want to talk. Would rather see the government stop working and try to blame it on the Democrats.

Trump knows how to piss the rest of the world off. Blames everyone else for everything. Now it is India. One of its billlionaires purchasing $30 billion of Russian oil. Makes it obvious not everyone loves Trump as he believes they do.

A Harvard Dean was paid $150,000 to testify as an expert against Tylenol in the Tylenol lawsuits.

Women outnumber men in the newest astronaut class 6-4.

The U.S. News & World Report announced today the Three Best National Universities in the U.S.: Princeton, MIT and Harvard.

Author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born this day in 1896. 

Seventy six percent of Americans say Trump does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.

I agree. Actually, one hundred percent from my way of thinking.

Key West’s business community mourns the death of Attorney Cora Higgins.

On this day in 1932, the Post Office opened for business in the new Federal Building in Key West on the corner of Simonton and Caroline Streets.

The legendary jazz performer Theodore “Fats” Novarro Jr. was born this day in 1923 in Key West. I watched him play several times in New Orleans.

Tonight Carola and Brady’s Irish Pub.

Enjoy your day!

For years, my drink of choice was Beefeater on the Rocks. Rarely missed a day.

Time catches up with a person, however. Alcohol consumption is one. Years ago, I had to change to something else. For health and pleasure reasons.

I searched. Tried this and that. Discovered a smoothie. Kept experimenting. As with different gins, there are different smoothies. Finally hit on my new drink of choice. A smoothie prepared at and by Date and Thyme on Fleming Street.

An almost everyday inebriation for me.

Date and Thyme prepares several kinds. My smoothie of choice became Date and Thyme’s Happy Monkey Smoothie. Consists of peanut butter, banana, coconut milk and vegan chocolate protein. Six times a week at Date & Thyme. It would be seven. However, they are not open on Sundays. Not a problem. I have learned how to make my own at home. Purchase the necessary ingredients. Early on, a new sufficiently large blender. I add two ice cubes also to the smoothies I prepare at home.

Smoothies give me a bang, also. Different from alcohol, of course. Yet tastes good and leaves me feeling good.

Try a Date and Thyme Smoothie. Guaranteed you will enjoy.

Key West’s recent weather has been two-fold. Heavy rain and humidity. One worse than the other. Yesterday the temperature was 87 degrees. Felt like 107!

Sad. Very sad. Syracuse quarterback Dave Angeli is reportedly out for the rest of the season. A fractured Achilles tendon. Caught his left foot under his right early in the third quarter of the Clemson game Saturday.

Trump is lucky. American business leaders do not stand up against him. Why? They fear him. It is all about self-preservation. Their own!

The government’s working definition of “hate speech” now seems to include anything and everything that offends Donald Trump personally – including late night comedy.

North Korea’s Kim Jung-un agreeable to talking with Trump. Says he has “good memories” of Trump and saw no reason not to meet with him again – as long as the U.S. stops insisting on dismantling his country’s nuclear arsenal.

Jimmy Kimmel will return to ABC this evening. His suspension ended. He should not have been suspended in the first place. Trump continues to exert his influence to have people banned and fired. Retaliatory on his part. Not a democratic way to run a government.

There is what is known as the “Devil’s Bible.” Its manuscript a source of fascination for a few. Also known as the “Codex Gigia.”

The book is nearly 3 feet tall, 9 inches thick and weighs 165 pounds. Contains what appears to be a large picture of Satan.

The book goes back before 1648. It is the largest surviving illuminated manuscript of the Middle Ages.

It is now believed that worms do not eat the human body after death. Rather parasites residing in the living body eat the body from the inside out following death.

“Dr.” Donald Trump and his top health officials told pregnant women yesterday not to take acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, as it may cause pregnant women to get autism.

Trump, Kennedy and other national Republicans, who “think” they are medics and medically knowledgeable, are now anti-Tylenol for women who get pregnant.

Spirit Airlines to furlough 1,000 flight attendants before the end of the year as part of its second bankruptcy.

Was the Melania Trump recently in England with Donald not really Melania? Clothes and hair different. Also appeared her back was pushed out with padding. 

Was she or wasn’t she?

Maryland’s federal job base the worst in the Nation since Trump took office.

From electricity to rent, monthly bills are tying the inflation schedule.

Tit for tat. As Russia pummels Ukraine’s energy, Kyiv hits back at the oil refineries.

Trump is out to destroy the U.N. He is stripping the U.N. of funding as the global body faces a cash crunch.

The Ryder Cup this weekend. Great golf! I have been fortunate in the past to have attended two.

Syracuse ranked 4th in the ACC. How will Dave Angeli’s injury affect Syracuse?

Is Florida now the gun state? A recent court decision opens the door for gun carry.

Florida removed rainbows from Key West streets. However, residents replaced them with a spectrum of smiles and a riot of color during an informal Second Last March on September 15.

The removal was “inappropriate.” State said it was required for “safety purposes.” Bullshit! The Governor and State Legislature said they were unaware why such a fuss. They were not opposed to the crosswalks remaining.

The Grand today from 4-6 with Steve and Cindy for Happy Hour. Looking forward to it. Fun time!

Enjoy your day!

The U.K., Canada and Australia have abandoned the U.S. position re the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They became sick and tired of waiting for the U.S. to do the correct thing. They have spoken out in support of Palestine and left the U.S. to work out its own position and solution.

Charlie Kirk’s Memorial Service yesterday. He was portrayed as a Biblical character with all respect attendant thereto. Two hundred thousand attended the Memorial Service.

Something may stink in Denmark. The New York Times this morning reported that Border Guard Tom Honan was caught on tape accepting a bag filled with $50,000 in cash from an undercover FBI agent in September 2024. It was further reported Trump officials have shut down the bribery probe.

Americans hurting financially at the moment. Big time. Many can’t buy homes, get jobs or move in the present economy.

There is a growing belief that theatrics, not vital legislation, now dominates action in Congress.

Low income Americans are slashing spending. A wrong sign for the economy.

California has banned federal agents from using masks to hide their faces.

U.S. support for the U.N. under Trump is diminishing. His attitude is weakening the U.N.

President Abraham Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation this day in 1862.

One of television’s great shows “Friends” debuted on NBC this day in 1994.

Until the 1970s, many schools required pregnant teachers to leave the classroom by midterm. In 1974, the Supreme Court ruled such policies were unconstitutional, establishing that women could choose to keep working while pregnant.

A study by the Programme for International Student Assessment ruled the U.S. lagged behind other developed countries in math and science. Its results revealed U.S. pupils placed in the lower half of developed nations.

Why?

On this day in 1968, formal ceremonies were held consecrating the ground in Key West on United Street where the B’nai Zion Synagogue was operating.

Monroe County working to transfer ownership of Higgs Beach property to Key West.

Key West has been lucky thus far this season re hurricanes. Lets hope the luck continues.

Rain on Key West streets has been another story. The rain in recent weeks almost daily has flooded intersections and streets. More than normal.

Enjoy your day! 

One of the greats has died. Movie actor Robert Redford at age 89.

None better existed during his lifetime.

He left his mark on the world in many ways.

House Republicans threaten to “cancel” anyone who disparages Charlie Kirk. No way to govern!

Trump Administration orders National Parks to remove information about slavery. Not right. Slavery is part of our history. What was is. The issue and story should be left alone.

The Trump Administration continues to trash massive holding centers nationwide. Fort Bliss one, called worst ever by some. Sixty violations in 50 days inside ICE’s giant tent facility at Fort Bliss.

For shame. Trump does it again. He proudly discloses the U.S. targeted a third alleged Venezuelan drug boat.

How the world has changed. The United States and Britain were once the pillars of world order. No more.

Ritz-Carlton Cruise Line has come up with a cruise costing $1,000 a night. Worth it? Any cruise worth that much?

The hurricane season has ben mellow so far. May change soon, however. At the moment, 50 percent below average.

Experts say the Bermuda-Azores High to blame. 

Baseball star Roberto Clemente died in 1972. 

His baseball prowess began during his childhood in Puerto Rico. Continued in professional baseball into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

On this day in 1787, the new Constitution of the United States was signed by 39 delegates in Philadelphia. On June 21 of the following year, it became the official framework of the U.S. when New Hampshire became the ninth of the thirteen states necessary to ratify the document.

Today is celebrated as Constitution Day to commemorate the signing.

Are we safer in the U.S. and Europe today? Europe the answer. Europe far safer, far less stressful, and far more affordable.

Europe comes out ahead in most tissues. Such as gun violence, mass shootings, street crime, healthcare access, political and social stability, and general feelings of safety.

The greatness of America has been significantly diminished. Trump bears a great part of the responsibility for this.

Donald Trump is soon to visit England. No particular reason for the visit, except for Trump to expand his “kingly abilities.” The course Royal Etiquette 101. What mistakes will he make during the visit?

A typical Trump screw up. He recently claimed “300 million people died last year” in the U.S from illicit drugs. Since the U.S. population is around 342 million, if Trump were correct it means means most of the U.S. population should be dead now.

Luxury steak houses are experiencing closings. Ruth Chris and Morton’s are closing some longtime locations. An economic warning involved?

Climate change has taken its toll in Europe this summer. There have been thousands of extra deaths from the severe heat.

New York Times Opinion Columnist Thomas Friedman says ” Trump decided to rebrand the Defense Department as the Department of War to more accurately reflect how tough he is, I suggest we rebrand the White House as the Waffle House” to more accuratelyreflect the insistent waffling when it comes to changing something to deter Putin’s onslaught of Ukraine.

Friedman also added: “Putin keeps spitting in Trump’s eye and Trump keeps telling the world that it’s raining.”

As a result of Kirk’s killing, Obama says the Nation is in a “political crisis.”

Trump is shutting down the war on cancer. Amerca’s research system, which has helped save millions of lives, is underthreat in one of its most protective moments.

A big deal!On this day in 1993, “a defectig Cuban Air Force pilot” landed his MIG-21 fighter plane at the Naval Air Station. The plane was detected on radar about 4 minutes before it landed.

Last night was Happy Hour at The Grand. Enjoyed Steve, chris and ellen. Oly stayed one hour. Devoured a mealof fresh salmon. Then home. I was tired.

Slept poorly again last night. Only 2 hours. Eight to ten pm. Have been awake since.Tonight hope Brady’s Irish Pub for lasagna. And Carola, of course.

Enjoy your day! 

Syracuse on a roll! Syracuse upset Clemson yesterday 34-21. An upset. Clemson was a 17 point favorite.

Syracuse record now 3-1′

Syracuse’s star quarterback Dave Angeli hurt one of his legs about 6 minutes into the game. He was taped and booted. Continued playing till early in the second half when he had to come out. Expected he will miss a few weeks of play time. How it affects the team’s playing remains to be seen. He has been an outstanding quarterback. One of the best passers this collegiate season.

Next Saturday Syracuse plays Duke at noon at the JMA Wireless Dome.

I have not written a blog for about a week. Did not feel well. Forced myself to watch yesterday’s game at Brady’s Irish Pub. The way Syracuse played made me feel better.

People talk, the media reports. Americans are hurting economically. Every thing costs too much. How families get adequately fed, I do not know.

Trump continues trying to censor voices. Wrong!

Trump also continues expanding improper political actions. He has now demanded his Attorney General Pat Bondi prosecute his political foes. Improper government. Wrong. 

Trump has directed the Justice Department to act swiftly. He said: “They impeached me twice, and indicted me (5 times!), OVER NOTHING.

JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!!”

The newest group of long-term unemployed? The college educated.

We are a screwed up Nation. Could at some point end up a second class society. Trump will be the blame.

Are we losing a country? Our country. Rights and protections are drifting away. The scene must change. Trump and authoritarianism must fade away. Unfortunately it will take another Presidential election which is not till 2028. Can America’s growing unrest recede between now and then? Can we recoup to the America we knew?

RFK, Jr.’s Vaccine Panel voted to limit COVID shots. How can we live safely in a country where the government works against its people by withdrawing vaccines it took years to assemble?

Our country has become a “stranger” to its people.

Birthday cake stretches back 4,000 years to Mesopotamia. A good habit. A happy one.

Yellow fever raged in Key West in 1862. Continue raging on and off. On this day in 1901, 49 persons died of yellow fever at the Key West Hospital. The illness ran freely for an extended period of time.

On this day in 1901, St. Mary Star of the Sea Catholic Church on Duval Street was destroyed by fire. Lack of water hindered fire fighting events. The city’s fire water main system was undergoing repairs and water was lacking.

Too many sickos in the U.S. today. A perfect example in addition to killings and other crimes are the three suspects arrested for stealing and destroying a sizeable silver statue of Abraham Lincoln by Mount Rushmore sculptor Gutzon Borglum. The statue was stolen from the Houmas House Estate and Gardens in Louisiana.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Gary Gabaldon was a World War II Marine. Hispanic origin. He is believed to have captured more enemy soldiers single handily than any other individual in U.S. history. He is known as the “Pied Piper of Saipan.” 

Gabaldon was only 5 feet 4 inches and just out of high school. He single handily convinced some 800 enemy combatants to emerge from hiding and give themselves up.

Gabaldon’s feat occurred July 8, 1944.

He was 18. Spoke to the Japanese soldiers in Japanese. He had learned the language while living with a Japanese family in California.

Saipan was a bloody battle. Killed 5,000 Americans and 23,000 Japanese.

Trump has brought the war on terrorism to the Caribbean. He had U.S. military blow up another Venezuelan boat without Congressional authorization. Trump claims the boat was carrying drugs.

Origin of the Teddy Bear? Inspired by and named after Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the U.S.

Based on a trip by Roosevelt in November 1902 on a hunting venture with Mississippi Governor Andrew Longino. A bear was captured and tied to a tree. The intent by those who tied the bear was for Roosevelt to shoot it. He refused. Although an avid hunter, Roosevelt found it unsportsmanlike to harm a defenseless animal.

The “Teddy Bear” was born as a result.

Britain is experiencing a shoplifting epidemic.

An interesting percentage factor. Only 6 percent of mass murders are female caused. The 6 percent arose out of 1,715 mass killings worldwide between 1900 and 2019.

Joseph McNeil was a member of the “Greensboro Four.” One of four Black freshmen who held a famous sit-in at a Greensboro, North Carolina, Woolworth’s in 1960. It inspired peaceful protests across the country.

McNeil recently died at age 83.

Republicans improperly blaming Democrats for the Kirk tragedy. Even Trump. He is turning/working the Kirk case into a power grab.

Lesbians do not have it that easy when it comes to sex. One woman wrote on the internet that “being a lesbian is hard” because when I hit on women they just think I’m being friendly. I could be as forward as ‘your ass is amazing. Sit on my face.’ And she’s be like ‘Thanks girl! It’s the jeans! Seventy percent off at American Eagle if you’re interested.'”

“Parasocial relationships” are here to stay. 

What is a “parasocial relationship?” A one-sided, non-reciprocal emotional connection a person forms with a media figure, such as a celebrity, influencer, or even a fictional character. An illusion of intimacy. It arises from repeated exposure to the media figure through various platforms like television or social media, leading the person to feel they “know” the individual personally.

West Park is a Broward County city. Its Commissioners want a $30,000 pay raise. Residents are outraged.

The Syracuse University football team has been Conference Champions 5 times. National Champions in 1959.

“Walk on White” kicks off tonight from 6-9. It will continue every third thursday through May 21st.

Should be magnificent! Usually is!

Play time today begins with Happy Hour at The Grand at 4. I will try to follow it up with Walk on White.

Enjoy your day!

No question. I am a senior. Ninety years old. Choking a problem. A daily one. Three to four times a day.

I have suffered for more than 15 years with the problem. Surgery was softly suggested only once. When it began. The doctor didn’t push it and I have never been a favorite of any kind of surgery. So I let it pass. Now, no one wants to do surgery on me. Unless I am actually dying, as with my recent heart and abdominal bleed problems. Otherwise, I am not considered a candidate for surgery.

So let me run through what I know and have learned about choking. Not nice.

Thousands of seniors die from choking every year. Of these, over 50 percent occur in people aged 74 and older. Hopefully, you and I will not be next. In the U.S. alone, over 5,000 people die each year from choking. For seniors, the risk is high due to weakened reflexes, dry mouth, dentures, dysphagia, or simply living alone. I suffer from all, except dysphagia which I do not know about because I’ve never been made aware it was a problem for me.

According to the National Safety Council, choking is the fourth leading cause of unintentional death in older adults. And when it happens, you only have 4 to 6 minutes to act before brain damage begins. Consider ambulance assistance. Not good for the problem. Average ambulance response time is 7 to 14 minutes.

Every second counts.

Permit me to point out in a bit more detail the problems and risks due to “age related factors.”

Swallowing difficulties: Change in muscle tone and coordination can make swallowing more challenging. I have a throat growth that contributes to a smaller passage space.

Medication effects: Many common medications can cause dry mouth or affect swallowing reflexes. I take 16 prescription pills a day.

Dental issues: Missing teeth or poorly fitting dentures can lead to inadequate chewing. I wear dentures.

Reduced reaction time: Slower reflexes can delay recognition of choking incidents.

Living alone: Many seniors live independently, making “self-rescue capabilities crucial.” What is most concerning is that traditional rescue methods often fail when some need them most. I have been divorced 18 years and additionally lived alone 5-6 years before the divorce. Ergo, living alone is a problem for me.

The Heimlich Maneuver is useless for seniors. I have found it that way for me. Never has worked. 

Help is obviously required…..if available or nearby. Again a problem with emergency responders is they may not arrive immediately. So if you’re older and choke, you are on your own.

Let me share the “choking timeline” with you again. Zero to four minutes, brain damage begins. Four to six minutes, the risk of death occurs. Eight to eleven minutes, the brain actually dies.

Again, every second counts.

Two foods I rarely eat.

Meats. I have not enjoyed a steak or lamb chop in years. Not even a hamburger. No matter how much I chew, guaranteed to choke.

Bread. Would you believe! Lodges in throat easily, no matter how effective the chewing is first.

There are instruments available to help. Someone recently gave me one as a gift. I have yet to use it. Bulky. Difficult to carry. However, I believe I must learn and use it.

To those who choke, especially the elderly, I hope this bit of information has been helpful.

I repeat in conclusion that when choking occurs, it is “absolutely” necessary to dislodge that which is stuck immediately. Forthwith. Right away. Discomfort big time. Failure however to succeed in the dislodging can otherwise lead to death.

Moving on.

Pope Leo says he cannot broker a peace deal for Ukraine. His position is while a Pope can be advocating for peace, it would be less “realistic” for them to serve as mediators.

Ukraine claims Russia is using a growing and more frequent number of drones in its assault on them.

Putin playing games. “Testing” everyone. For the second time in a week, one or more Russian drones have entered a NATO member’s airspace. Last week NATO scrambled fighter jets to shoot down Russian drones in Polish airspace.

Putin is playing with “war.” One Russia cannot win if NATO reacts as it should.

The game Putin is playing is dangerous.

I did not watch the Emmys last night, except for the initial preceding hour where guests and participants were interviewed. The reason therefore is I do not watch TV stories and shows. At all. My TV time is limited to the news, old movies and preparatory information for my blog.

I recognized not one “star” during the preliminary interviews. Reflects my TV story/show watching time.

I have returned to Date and Thyme on Fleming Street. For a daily smoothie. They have a chocolate one that not only tastes good, but makes me feel good as I finish it. Unfortunately Date and Thyme is closed from sunday through wednesday this week for renovations. Can’t wait for it to reopen.

Their staff is equally as good as the products they serve. Mostly women. Sweet and charming. Remember you by name. Always a smile.

Thoughtful also. Wrote me several times while I was hospitalized.

Enjoy your day!