Happy New Year!

My best wishes to everyone for health, wealth and happiness in the New Year.

I am glad 2024 came to an end. Healthwise, it was a disaster for me. Never experienced anything like it before. The heart attack in January. Followed by 5 1/2 weeks at Mount Sinai Hospital in Miami and three heart surgeries.

The new heart valve surgery a wonder. No question, saved my life and changed my life energy wise. Stopped certain blood leaks. Now blood going where it is supposed to when it is supposed to.

I was beginning to feel terrific when my back problem struck. Like the heart attack, something new. Three lower lumbar discs moved out and were impinging on a nerve. Oh, the pain! 

Significant correction achieved with neurophysiotherapy. However not yet perfect. Problem goes away and then returns. Returning too often  yet. Is limiting my activities. Hopefully will resolve itself soon.

Yesterday afternoon an example of my back controlling my life. The game plan was to go to Brady’s to watch Syracuse play Wake Forest. Steve was going to join me. A two hour game mid afternoon. It was not to be. The back kicked in around noon and I had to cancel. No way was I going to be able to sit for two hours to watch the game. 

My day and evening spent in bed.

I watched the New Year come in on TV. What I would have done anyhow. New York, Atlanta, and Key West. Key West involved Bourbon Street Pub and Sloppy Joe’s. All exciting. Thought Bourbon Street and Christopher Peterson coming down in the red shoe the best of the evening. The crowd fantastic.

I “watched” the Syracuse game on TV. Only the scores as the game progressed. Cannot get Syracuse sports on TV in Key West.

Syracuse lost again. Wake Forest beat Syracuse 81-71.

It appears to have been a Wake Forest game all the way. The game began with Wake Forest taking an immediate 17-2 lead. The handwriting was on the wall.

The season is going to be a disaster.

Syracuse next plays Florida State saturday at 6 pm. I hope I will be able to watch the game at Brady’s.

In spite of Trump’s lies, the stock market gained 24 percent in 2024 under Biden. Except for grocery and gasoline prices, the economy did well. Biden brought it back from the disaster he found at the beginning of his term. Unfortunately, his success did not reach the two items most people rely on in evaluating a President’s economic success. Grocery and fuel costs. Can’t win them all.

Let’s see how Trump does.

Mar-a-Lago has become the Center of the Universe. It is beginning to be so described.

I watched one additional item around midnight. Mar-a-Lago. One terrific party Trump threw. Befitting the man at this point in his career.

Some Waymo self-driving cars are a problem in San Francisco. Not all of them are stopping for people in cross walks.

Ninety percent of Puerto Rico was without power yesterday. It is anticipated the problem will not be totally corrected till tomorrow.

The cause a failure of an underground power line.

Why did the Confederates wear gray in the Civil War? They had an abundance of gray material. It was on hand and so the clothing was easy to produce.

Sounds like why Picasso painted in blue a lot. Simple. He was able to purchase a lot of blue paint cheaply. He had it, so used it.

I close with the U.S. Supreme Court.

Chief Justice Roberts annual year end Report on the State of the Judiciary was issued yesterday. The Report was strong on threats to judges. Critical of the violence, intimidation and defiance aimed at judges.

The Report a poor one. It failed in any way to address the Court’s recent rulings or ethical problems. If anything, ethics warranted comment. Huge comment. 

Ergo, Robert’s Report inadequate. Grossly so. The people are concerned and upset. The Court’s rulings tied with ethical violations have placed Courts to their lowest ebb probably ever. Thomas’ $30 million in gifts, etc, Alito’s misdeeds and even Robert’s problems with his wife require addressing and correction. A significant branch of our government is eroding. Rotting at its base. It cannot go on forever.

Enjoy your day!