Ulysses S. Grant was the only President arrested while in office. 

In 1872 he was stopped for speeding while driving a horse driven carriage in Washington, D.C. The police officer admonished him and let him go. The very next day, Grant was speeding again and stopped by the same police officer. The officer this time arrested Grant and brought him to the police station. He was booked for speeding. Put up $20 bail. He never appeared in court for trial the next day. He forfeited bail instead.

Grant never learned. He must have thought that as President he could do what he wanted. Sound familiar? 

Grant was actually arrested three times for speeding while President.

Trump was never arrested while sitting as President.. He was arrested and booked several times after his first term in office had concluded. The arrests were based on criminal indictments. His arrests were for falsifying business records, federal charges involving classified documents, and state election interference charges.

The U.S. Senate race in Alaska has two Dan Sullivans running against each other. Trump’s Department of Justice has already filed suit challenging the election result if the GOP Dan Sullivan loses in a close race.

Alaska is normally a conservative state. They are not happy campers this year, however.  A family making $155,000 is struggling to meet traditional expenses. In one of the furthest north communities, gasoline for example is $9 a gallon. 

Kaylub Giamanco is the father who ran into a school in Bend, Oregon, and killed the shooter. He is bothered by the fact that he did not save more children.

Some doctors are screwing around with billing. They are charging patients ten times more by claiming to be hospitals. The fees are called “facility fees,” thereby making the patient care eligible to be billed at the higher rate. So they say.

Elon Musk is ready to fight Republican mid-term losses. Doesn’t the richest man in the world have anything better to do? People dislike him and the part Trump permits him to play in government.

Latin America’s MAGA wave is within Trump’s political and military reach.

The Washington Post has a column listing the five things that are scary concerning money at the moment. From my perspective, there is only one. The lack of it!

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s funding is spiking after the federal raid on her home. Shows the negative affect Trump and his henchmen are having on the mid-terms.

A good looking male ass is not going to get Trump’s people any additional votes.

Rising health costs are pushing people to forego medicine and doctor visits.

This is Fantasy Fest time in Key West. Big time, fun time!

Thousands showed up to participate in the Annual  Zombie Bike Ride. Tonight the biggie. The Parade. Fantastic! Out of sight! Exhausting also.

I participated in several. The last cured me from ever being on a float again. We were throwing beads to the shouting throngs of people along the route. Everyone wanted beads. They were ravenous for them. My float threw 23,000 strands of beds. Tiring!!! Instead of remaining after the Parade to play, I went home. I was shot and swore never to do it again.

The first barrel ride down Niagara Falls took place this day in 1901. It has been done several times since. A dangerous crazy thing to do! The first to do it and successfully so was a 63 year old female school teacher. She survived!

The George Washington Bridge was dedicated this day in 1931. Many times I have driven over it.

The United Nations was born this day in 1945.

Publix is considered Florida’s best supermarket.

A strange announcement. It was announced yesterday that Melania Trump had brokered a localized cease fire in the Ukrainian War. Why Melania? She and Trump are purportedly not living together and have not been for a considerable time. Recently she is popping up everywhere. An internet news show yesterday suggested she gets paid for her appearances. Russia has made no comment re the alleged cease fire. Only the U.S. Is it for real?

Trump has cancelled some of the toughest tariffs levied on Canada less than 2 weeks before the mid-terms. I suspect to gain votes in the States doing business with Canada. Two little too late, Donald! You should not have imposed the tariffs to begin with.

Why do people click glasses after a toast and before drinking? Two reasons suggested. There is a spillage between the glasses when the two meet. Each glass gets some of the liquid from the other. Prevents poisoning. The other much simpler. To frighten away evil spirits.

Early amusement parks were built near graveyards. Graveyards were located at the edge of communities and there was ample space next to them for amusement parks.

Dr. Oppenheimer took me off the sleep pill Thursday. It was not helping me to sleep and may have contributed to my eye problems. Immediate success sleeping. I got 6 hours sleep that night. I was thrilled!

The thrill lasted but one night. Last night I only slept 2 hours.

My eyes are not tiring as easily. Easier to the blog now. Still a ways to go however.

Try to see the Parade tonight. An experience. I cannot. Can’t park nearby nor walk with a cane in the massive crowd that will be there.

Enjoy your day!

Two things before I begin.

As you are aware, sleeping has been a problem with me. I saw Dr.Oppenheimer again yesterday. He examined my eyes even further. Subjected me to an eye test that I have never had in the 50 years I have been wearing glasses. He concluded the medicine I am taking to sleep was screwing up my eyes and to cease taking it immediately.

I did and guess what happened last night? I slept six hours. Does not make sense, I know. The medicine was not helping me to sleep in addition to screwing up my eyes. Note I have not slept six hours in ages.

Now my eyes have to adjust.

Today’s blog will be about the small things in life. Neither Trump nor politics today. We get enough of both without my contributing everyday also.

To the small but interesting and/or important things in life.

Pure stupidity! A Scottish museum pulled its Egyptian mummies from display because there is no record that the ancient Egyptians agreed to be shown. Some call the action “woke nonsense.”

What would happen if all museums in the U.S. displaying mummies did the same? Much of ancient history is not recorded. Only recalled through the years.

A rare hailstorm in Phoenix smashed car windows and covered everything in general. The hail ice balls were the size of golf balls.

A retired house painter in England on selling a Pokémon card collection he had kept in his attic for 15 years for $2.1 million: “I know people always talk about finding treasure in the attic, but in my case that is literally true.”

Four days of the week are named after Norse gods: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

There have been 60 U.S. Presidential elections. Twenty three Presidents served one full term or less.

Aristotle wrote a treatise on animals. Titled “History of Animals.” It consisted of nine books.

Comic books were very popular in the 1940s. For example in 1944 when I was 9 years old, 95 percent of boys 6-11 read comic books.

There are seven denominations of U.S. paper currency: $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100.

The first Labor Day was celebrated in 1882.

Thirty percent of countries drive on the left side of the road.

Russia was the first to fly in space. The pilot was Yuri Gagarin. He orbited the earth one time. He never made it to the Moon on that first trip nor was his trip intended to reach the Moon.

Benjamin Franklin’s only surviving home is located in England.

Four U.S. Vice Presidents have been elected President: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Martin Van Buren, and George H. W. Bush.

The Presidential line of succession, to wit, the Vice President ascending to the Presidency if the President died or resigned, did not become law till 1967. The 25th Amendment at that time provided ascending to the Presidency as a matter of course rather than policy.

In World War II, Germany built a secret weather station that was not discovered till 1977.

Social Security data: Workers paid into Social Security $183 million in 2023, the rate of the payroll deduction funding Social Security is 12.4 percent, 67 million people collected Social Security in 2024, the Social Security Administration employs 59,000.

The Washington Monument is 555 feet tall, took 40 years to complete from dedication to completion, and consists of 36,000 marble and granite blocks.

The year Eggo Waffles slogan “Leggo My Eggo” debuted was 1972.

Each President’s face on Mount Rushmore is 60 feet in height. Four hundred fifty thousand tons of rock were removed to create Mount Rushmore, mostly by dynamite.

Concrete used big time. Thirty million metric tons used worldwide each year.

Edinburgh Castle is located in Scotland. It was built on an extinct volcano.

Manholes are located everywhere. Twenty million in the U.S. alone.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Politicians like Vivek Ramaswamy and J.D. Vance are intent in dragging America through the mud.”

The Ebola crisis in Africa is the largest geographically widespread Ebola outbreak in history. Dangerous!

Johnny Carson: “Adults ask questions as a child does. When you stop wondering, you might as well put your rocker on the front porch and call it a day.”

Van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night” was painted by him in 1889 as he watched the sky before sunrise from his room at the asylum in Saint-Remy in southern France.

Enough for today. More than I have written in ages. The six hour sleep helped. My eyes still screwed up, however.

Enjoy your day!

Trump is frequently seen wearing an overcoat. A long single breasted black coat. Even when the weather is warm. Even when others are not so attired.

I suspected and wrongly so that he wore the coat to cover what might be considered a large derriere. Sometimes I suspected he was wearing a rectangular box of sorts under his pants for a bowel problem. Again, turns out I was wrong.

Trump wears the coat to project power. Described also as dominance. Trump began favoring the coat in the 1980s. His intent to look larger than life.

Some describe wearing the coat as a “bully cut.”

The coat today also masks his posture and body shape. I concede he looks better with the coat on than without.

The coat fits his personality. He is a power freak.

Alberta chose to remain in Canada in a recent vote. Seventy five percent of those voting indicated remaining. Alberta is an oil rich province.

Unending tragedy. The Kennedy family continues to suffer.

Robert F. Kennedy, President Kennedy’s brother, Attorney General, candidate for the Democratic Presidential nomination many years ago, and assassinated during that campaign, the grandfather of 42 year old Maeve Kennedy Townsend McKean and great grandfather of her 8 year old son Gideon were drowned in a presumed boating accident. I am not certain the bodies were found. Officials issued a “presumed dead” notice.

LeBron James began his 24th NBA season scoring 14 points for the Philadelphia 76ers in their 106-100 victory over the New York Knicks.

Alfred Nobel was born this day in 1833. An Alfred Noble quote of long ago fits the Trump scenario  today. Alfred Nobel: “Self-respect without the respect of others is like a jewel that will not stand the daylight.”

The U.S. Constitution was launched this day in 1797.

Interesting! Istanbul, Turkey, is located in both Europe and Asia.

The most popular names of 2026 are Olivia for girls and Noah for boys.

America’s heating bill crisis is one reason for Trump’s low approval rating.

The Guggenheim Museum in New York City opened this day in 1959. I was excited. Got to view it the first month it was open. Crazy construction. Several floor high. Not connected with stairs. Rather constructed with an up/down wide circular flat walk. Art work on one wall opposite of which was a handrail if such was required.

Are you an arthritic knee sufferer? Scientists believe they may have the key to treating the problem: Regrow the knee. It has been discovered arthritic knees will regrow.

The two most accurate war movies were Saving Private Ryan and From Here To Eternity.

Horrible! Not the way to become “nearer my God to Thee.” The Rev. Patrick Alfredo Molinari, a Catholic priest, was addressing his congregation in Ecuador. He had just uttered the words “Let us pray to the Lord” when a cross behind him detached from the wall upon him. He died upon impact.

Another bad day at Black Rock for me. In the past 3 nights I have received a total of 10 hours sleep. Note the word “total.” The man is not sleeping. Even with taking a pill that is supposed to make me sleep.

My eyes. I thought they were getting better. Not so. Look forward to seeing the eye doctor tomorrow.

I had to push myself to write as much as I have this morning. Thank you for hanging in with me.

Nurse Deb visits me at 11 today. For my back and walking. Both getting better. Glad something is!

Enjoy your day!

Fantasy Fest has arrived. Began with Goombay over the weekend. Will run as Fantasy Fest this week through Sunday.

Fun time for all! Duval will be chuck full of people. Clothing minimal for many. Bodies painted.

Fantasy Fest not for me this year, however. My infirmed body will keep me away. I can walk all of a half block. Generally looking down. My head not yet completely rising. People will get pissed at me for bumping into them.

I had intended to do Happy Hour at the Grand tonight. No way because of the reasons set forth. I will not be able to park close to the Grand as I normally do.

Whatever, I will survive. I have already done at least 25 Fantasy Fests over the years. Assuming I will be around next year to do more.

My left eye only half better. Sleep escaping me. Only slept 3-4 hours each of the past two nights.

Putin already sucking up to Trump for the good Trump recently did Russia. Trump yesterday proposed a Trump-Xi-Putin meeting in China next month. Donald is not in the class of the other two. They will eat him up alive. And Trump will not even realize it is happening to him.

Trump is walking way from Ukraine big time and swiftly. Why not, he is buddies now big time with Putin. Trump is delaying transfer of Patriot missiles to Iran.

Trump’s politics stink! In Kansas, a pastor is running as a Democrat. Trump says the pastor is a “mock Jesus.”

U.S. weather has been especially erratic this year. We need all the information available to help prepare for coming storms. “We” apparently does not include Trump. The Trump administration scaled back the Geostationary Extended weather satellite program. Cut back 2 satellites and  3 scientific instruments thereby reducing lifestyle costs from$19.6 billion to $13 billion. Such will hurt us!

Trump an El Sicko! He says New Mexico should “immediately” change its name to “New America.”

Iran believes it can bring down an American President. I disagree. If anyone brings Trump down, it will be Trump himself. The worst President in the history of the U.S.

Enough of the Donald for today.

This year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was held two days ago. A major success! The reason, it represented a return to sex!

Described as “subtle.” Looked like more than subtle to me. The Fantasy Bra was back. The last time it was featured was 2018. Sexy attire adorned the rest of the show. 

Pepsi laying off and closing plants. Knoxville, Tennessee, site of a Pepsi plant. Knoxville not a big town. Pepsi Knoxville’s biggest employer. Pepsi laid off 112 employees yesterday. A major hit!

France is in trouble. Its people, especially the young, are in a revolt of sorts. Riots galore. Looting constant. The government has imposed curfews.

Mickey Mantle was born this day in 1931.

Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi was killed this day in 2011.

In 2025, 9 of 10 people used the internet daily.

John Hancock was 17 years old when he graduated from Harvard University. 

My left eye gone. Very blurry. I overdid it this morning. Have to go. Sorry.

Enjoy your day!

A too frequent question in the U.S. arises again? Will random shootings/killings ever stop?

The answer from my perspective a simple one. No. Not ever. The Constitution was misread years ago and too many people today rely on it to preserve their claimed right to bear arms. Those who bear arms will continue to “fight for their right” forever. I believe the only thing that might cause them to change their minds is if one of their own gets shot and killed. A hard way to learn!

Born, Oregon the most recent unfathomable shooting. A former 16 year old student broke into a school and began shooting. He killed three young children and one teacher before he was slain by a 36 year old carpenter who was driving by the school and saw the shooter enter the school. The driver a local with two children in the school. He had a license to carry, grabbed his gun and got into the school. A gunfight ensued. The local shot the assailant multiple times and killed him. 

The hero’s name Kuylab Giamanco. However he is refusing to speak about the incident. People who know him say he is having diffiulty handling the situation.

There is another hero. A young teacher who threw her phone at the assailant, then tackled him and fought with him on the ground. She is 25  year old Meghan Lambert.

My attitude re being anti-gun as reflected earlier does come up a loser in this instance. The carpenter hero obviously prevented more from being shot. He would not have been able to do so if he had not legally been permitted to carry a gun.

I am not ready to get into the alleged Cornell sex scandal yet. As I indicated in an earlier blog, the revealed facts are insufficient. When all are available, I will love providing my legal perspective. I handled many college and business rape cases over the years.

The Plaza Hotel plans to close for a couple of years for major renovations.

Moby Dick was first published this day in 1861.

Pope Leo XIV made an Address one day following his release from the hospital. He said, “This experience has made me feel a special closeness to all those who are bearing illness and infirmity.” Reflect on the goodness of the man and that he is God’s representative on Earth.

Respectfully, Katie Zacharia is the asshole of assholes. She spent seven years to acquire the basis to become a lawyer. Four years of college and three of law school. She had one step remaining to become a lawyer. Pass the bar exam. Acknowledged to be a difficult task. However a must to finally hold yourself out as an attorney.

Some States are harder than others. I took the New York Bar. A real pain. My recollection is that those who took it with me did relatively good also. Some 40 percent of us passed. I recall in one of the years prior to taking it, only 12 percent passed.

She knew the difficulty involved when she decided to attend law school.

By not continuing to take it till she passed, she effectively wasted seven years of education.

Her talent as a public speaker sucked. I watched her on TV. She read whatever she had to share and answered only three questions. Lrft much to be desired.

Trump did a poor job in selecting her to be Press Secretary. She did a lousy job in her short time as Press Secretary.

The U.S. purchased Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million in 1867. The U.S. took possession of Alaska this day in 1867. Purchase day and possession day were separate.

Elon Musk is the biggest political donor in the 2025-26 U.S. election cycle.

Thomas Edison died this day in 1931.

Our stomachs emit a gurgling sound on occasion. The gurgle has a technical term: Borborygmi. As difficult to say as the gurgle itself.

Wrong, wrong, wrong! Trump’s election fraud task force going after the people who prosecuted him. Not the way the law is supposed to work. Trump is making a mockery out of the courts and the judicial system.

Eyes did better today. However this is the the furthest I can go.

Hang in there. I will be all better in due course. I hope!

Met a new person yesterday. Carrie. Fred Klein brought us together. She is helping me with a few things. A wonderful person!

Enjoy your day!

Yesterday was a good day.

A haircut with Lori. She reminded me I was one of her first hair cuts when she came to Key Wes in the early 1980s and was working at the Casa Marina. We have become friends. A pleasant lunch at Denny’s. Followed by grocery shopping at Publix. First time in ages I considered the bill light. Probably because many of my purchases were 2 for 1. Corey visited for a while last night. Fixed a few things for me.

Even the night was good. Slept 7 hours! The new pill must be working. My eye problems are also (hopefully) connected to the pill. Dr. Oppenheimer thought the eyes would correct themselves in two weeks. Yesterday was one week.

I have a busy day ahead. Good also! The more I walk, the quicker my recovery in that regard.

Today’s blog a smattering of small but revealing things. The blog title – A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That – appropriate.

Local news to begin. Schooner’s Wharf and Don’s Place have sold. Big dollars for both involved.

An “execution” is not a public show. Hopefully we have not reverted to days of old. Trump announced the Fort Hood firing squad execution would not be public in any fashion. First decent thing Trump has done in ages. Turns out Hegseth was the one pushing the public execution.

Trump no help in all his running around claiming to be helping Republican candidates. He is actually showing off, seeking publicity for the Donald. He has to be aware Republicans are going down the tubes in the mid-terms.

Katie Zacharia has confirmed she did not pass the bar exam. She only took it once. Her excuse was she was going to be working in China and would not need it.

Passing the bar exam is everything to finally being able to refer to yourself as an attorney. To practice and earn a salary or fee based on your professional status.

Reminds me of a story.

I passed the bar the first time. Not because I was a genius. Rather because I was married and had a wife and three children at the time to support. I studied my ass off for the exam. Took a six week prep course in Brooklyn to prepare. I could barely make it financially. Most of my meals were a hot dog purchased at a booth in a nearby subway station.

How important passing the bar exam was is best reflected by my reaction when I was notified I had passed. I cried like a baby.

Two of my children went to law school to study to become lawyers. Seven years of education even to qualify to take the bar exam.

Both failed the first two times and finally passed the third. 

My son and I were in a Utica jewelry store after he had failed twice. Ran into an Appellate Judge. Though some 15 years older than me, we were friends. I had opposed him as a lawyer before he became a judge. Then appeared before him when he was a State Trial Justice and when he had been elevated to the State Appellate Division.

Somehow in the course of our conversation that day, it came out my son had failed the bar exam twice and was studying to take it a third time. The Judge laughed. “I failed the first two times and did not pass till my third try. Look what happened to me! I became a big time Judge!” He told my on not to worry and that no one will remember once you have the license.

Katie was an ass not to keep trying to pass. It would have happened. Seven years of money and time wasted not to have completed the task of becoming a lawyer by passing the bar exam.

Now she will undergo the scrutiny she should have when she applied for/considered working for the President. Her ass will be in a bag if she lied along the way.

Japan has a bear attack problem. Japan has turned to AI, 4-legged robots, and pepper spraying drones to control the situation.

The Reflecting Pool. Purportedly repaired for the final time. Now reported it is leaking. Good job, Donald! Most things you touch screw up!

Is Congress the place to learn a profession? Former Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz has been accused in a civil lawsuit by two women of sex trafficking.

The median banking account balance in the U.S. is $8,000.

Buzz Aldrin took Holy Communion while on the Moon. The U.S. government told him it had to be kept a secret at the time. It was. Why I do not understand.

My eyes are gone! It has been difficult to get this far. This blog is the longest I have written in a little more than a week. 

May I do better tomorrow.

Enjoy your day!

My eyes not better yet. I will go as far as I can today.

Trump needs a war he can win easily. It’s Cuba! 

Trump has been threatening. A sure win. Quick. Marco Rubio supports such a war. He is the child of Cuban parents.

The thing I find a natural following such a successful war is Trump’s children opening a casino in Havana. A natural. Close to the U.S. Needed in view of Las Vegas’ recent failures. Would also give Trump an opportunity to spread his name. Such a casino could be called the “Trump Havana Casino.”

Trump has a new Press Secretary. Her name Katie Zacharia. Her first appearance yesterday. She was terrible! Afterwards she was standing outside and questioned by some reporters. She has been represented as a lawyer/attorney. I am not sure which. She makes a distinction between the two. Katie said no State. Then mentioned China. Not actually admitted to the Chinese Bar Association either. Used her legal education to assist in whatever her job was.

Trump embarrassed. Properly so. Katie had not been properly vetted. Query: Was Katie appointed to the position because she was an attractive blond? Which she is. If so, not the way appointments should be made. 

I doubt she will retain the position of Press Secretary long.

Trump made another bad appointment. In September 2025, he appointed Kimberly Guilfoyle as Ambassador to Greece. She lasted 13 months. She recently resigned on October 13 of this year when certain misconduct allegations came to light. She had asked a political donor for $100,00 so she could pay her personal bills. 

An attractive woman. Still had to go. Another poor vetting by the Trump team? Was she appointed because as with Kate Zacharia she was attractive?

My nurse Paige is still in Ireland. Nurse Debbie worked with me yesterday. Both nurses terrific. Not the nurse specifically which caused the success I experienced yesterday. I walked the best I have in almost 4 years. I was so excited! It seemed I just moved to another level. I hope I walk as good today. Not yet the best. However, significantly better.

My eyes are going. I will continue a bit further, however.

Grand Central Station in New York City has the most railroad platforms in the world. Forty four. Daily visitors to Grand Central average 750,000.

Where would Trump go if he had to flee the U.S.? A survey was taken. Russia the most popular answer.

Paul Allen: “In my experience, each failure contains the seeds of your next success – if you are willing to learn from it.”

“I Love Lucy” aired for the first time this day in 1951.

Wow! There is a food healthier as a leftover. Pasta! It has something to do with the cooling process and then reheating it.

I have a haircut with Lori at noon.

Time to stop. The eyes win out.

Enjoy your day!

I hope my eyes are better today and I can write more. I do not know how far I can go till I get into things.

Pope Leo XIV  had a cancerous nodule removed from one of his lungs yesterday. Supposedly everything went well. The Lord was with him.

The Reflective Pool liner failed in 85 places after its first flawed renovation. Lets hope everything goes well this time.

The Treasury Department imposed $1.2 billion in penalties against Bank of America for violating anti-money laundering and sanctioning  laws.

Dwight D. Eisenhower: “A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both.”

I have had mixed emotions about New York City’s Mayor Mamdani. I finally made up my mind. I do not like him.

It all has to do with New York City’s Columbus Day Parade. He did not march in it. I suspect because he may be anti-Italian. I have a problem with such people as I am an Italian-American. My Mother was born in Italy, my Father’s parents also.

Mamdani gave notice well before the Parade he would not march in it. Yet, since having become Mayor he has marched in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. He also has marched in a number of other parades such as the West India, Ecuadorian, L.G.B.T.Q,, Ticker-Tape, and others. I have also discovered that while participating in an Assembly Parade in 2020, he gave the finger to a Christopher Columbus statue as he passed it.

On this day in 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. He was known for many years as the fastest man alive!

The Cuban Missile Crisis began this day in 1962.

Elon Musk is purportedly the richest man in the world. He has been the richest donor politically in the U.S. in 2025-26. He has donated $366 million to conservative candidates, groups, and causes.

Not proper from my perspective, though legal. Chief Justice Roberts and the Supreme Court made money giving for political purposes legal. Cash became as good as the human vote. The problem as I see it is the human vote is one whereas a money vote can be in the millions as in Musk’s case. The Supreme Court decision at some point must be reversed. The  Supreme Court erred in this situation.

Visited Tammy for a manicure yesterday. Tammy is having surgery next Thursday in a Miami hospital. She is having done to her eyes whatever has to be done so she no longer will have to wear eye glasses. 

My phone just rang. It was Paige my walking nurse. She called me from Ireland where she is having a wonderful time! A great woman to have telephoned me from Ireland! Love her dearly!

I have reached the end of the line for today. Eyes can’t take it. I am not discouraged. Dr. Oppenheimer said it would take two weeks to correct if he had diagnosed it correctly. He was not sure. Tomorrow is only one week.

Enjoy your day!

My eyes will determine the length of today’s blog. Getting better, but not normal yet.

It appears Trump may have failed to pay attention to a Federal District Court Order. Whoever, whatever, appears to have been a flagrant disregard of the Federal Order. The Judge of the Federal District Court case is Ana Reyes. She appears pissed.

The Order prohibited any trees to be cut down at the Washington, D.C. Potomac Golf Links. Trump wants to turn the golf course into one of his classy special ones. I am not sure who owns the golf course at the moment – Trump, the Federal Government or some other public entity. However the Department of Justice appears to be defending Trump and the Government in the matter.

The Order required Judge Reyes to be notified before any trees were cut and the details involved. At around 4:50 Friday afternoon her office was notified trees were to be cut. The cutting began Saturday morning and by late Sunday 430-500 big trees had been cut. At least 100 more remain to be cut.

Judge Reyes was in Istanbul when the notice was served on her office Friday afternoon. She immediately rounded everyone involved and in what has been described as very disturbed called for a telephone conference Monday. She ordered everyone involved in the decision making to appear today in her Court in Washington to testify.

It is assumed she will have returned at that time.

If chicanery is involved, heads will roll. As I have advised many times in the past, the most powerful Judge is a Federal District Court Judge in our judicial system. More powerful than even Supreme Court Justice,

We live and learn! When an elephant dies, its body marks the landscape for a decade.

The annual salary of a cast opera singer is $70,000 a year. They must obviously love what they do to work so hard so cheaply.

There are six muscles in the human eye.

Present college football rankings: Georgia #1, Notre Dame # 2, Mississippi # 3.

Pope Leo will undergo surgery this week for what has been described as a small nodule in one of his lungs. Recovery will take one week. He has the best person on his side. Stay with him Lord!

Raining big time this morning.

My eyes are not as good as I thought this morning. Must stop.

Enjoy your day!

My eyes seem better today. Lets see how much I can write. I will not push it.

Happy Columbus Day!

Christopher Columbus left Spain financed by the Spanish hierarchy with three ships. The Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria. Columbus’ intent was to discover the New World. He did in 1492. Landed on an island in the Bahamas. The trip had taken ten weeks.

He returned to Spain in fame. He made a return trip one year later.

This is what most, if not all of us, learned in grammar school.

There is more to the story, however. The “more” I learned this morning for the first time while researching for this blog.

He left Spain for the first trip with three vessels. He returned to Spain with only two. The Sant Maria hit a sand bar and her sailing days were over. Columbus had the boat stripped. He used the wood to build La Navidaly. A fort of sorts. When he left to return to Spain, 39 men remain to live at the fort. Columbus assured them he would return.

He did.

When Columbus returned one year later, the fort had been burned and every man was dead.

The Santa Maria’s demise, the fort, and the story of the 39 men never taught me in any class. I had to be 91 to learn it.

Who burned the fort and killed the men, I could not determine.

Columbus Day was established to honor Italian-Americans of which I am proudly one. My Mother was born in Italy, my Father of parents who immigrated to the U.S.

I learned early in life that most Americans discriminated against Italians. I experienced the discrimination in Catholic grammar and high schools. In college and big time in law school. I may have written a blog re the law school discrimination at some point. I cannot recall specifically at the moment.

My early years in practice introduced me to discrimination big time. In my almost 50 years of practice, the problem was eliminated. I became one of the foremost practitioners in my community. And I am proud to say the “good clints” became mine in my later years. Two major respected law firms were put out of business because their business opted to turn to me for legal help. I did a better job professionally, in a shorter period of time and my fees turned out to be less than theirs. I was not undercharging, they had been overcharging.

Having said all that, Italian-Americans got their holiday in the form of Christopher Columbus. Even today in some communities, anti-Italian discrimination exists. Some States have eliminated Columbus Day by renaming it Indigenous Day or something similar.

I have written a 100 plus more words than the last time I wrote. My eyes better, but the left one giving out at the moment. Time to stop. I have more to share, but it will have to wait to another time.

Good to be back.

Enjoy your day!