local news

Good news to report … yes, really!

As a general rule I am not inclined to use this blog to bemoan personal matters or bitch out loud about small things that annoy me.

Yes, I know I have shared with you my journey through my grief over losing my bride, Kathy Anne, to cancer. That was important for me to share as I know it resonated with others who have made similar treks through the darkness.

Today I have some good news to share. So, here goes.

I had piled on a lot of extra weight in recent months. I struggled for the longest time to get rid of it. To no avail. That’s changed. I’ve lost almost 15 pounds. I have much more to lose. I’m doing it through a severe lifestyle change.

I’ve long known about the theory “calories in, calories out.” I have reduced my caloric intake. I am no longer eating pastry. I am down to two slices of bread daily. I am consuming my share of veggies and protein in the form of grilled meat. It’s working!

The other thing that I’ve been struggling with has been the aches and pains associated mainly with old age. You know already that I am long in the tooth. I turn 77 in December and I figure that seven years into my 70s means I am officially pushing 80. The main pain source has been my left knee, which I learned recently has a torn meniscus tendon. I wrecked my knee when I took a tumble while exiting my truck. I landed squarely on the pavement in my garage with my knee taking the brunt of it.

My primary care physician referred me to an orthopedist. I went to the doc’s office. He took pictures of my knee and then gave me a shot in the knee to curb the pain. The relief was instantaneous! I know it’s not permanent, but I will deal with its return when it becomes necessary.

One more worrisome ailment also is being targeted. Sleep deprivation. I haven’t slept well for many years. It has caught up with me. But I’ve decided to go to bed the same time each night. I take some deep-breatbing exercises to relax me. That, too, is beginning to help.

I do not intend to keep you posted on my progress. Just know that I have zero intention of returning to the old way of living that caused me so much grief in the first place.

local news

Why not probe turnover at City Hall?

Carolyn David-Graves might, indeed, be onto something worthwhile in calling for an investigation into the embarrassing turnover at the top of the city’s municipal chain of command.

David-Graves serves on the Princeton City Council and she made the call for a probe at a recent council meeting. As a spectator to what has been going on at City Hall, I was left with one question to which I cannot find answer: Who is going to conduct such a probe, one that is thorough and gets to the truth behind the turnover?

I now shall review what we know.

City Manager Mike Mashburn resigned at the beginning of the year after spending less than two years on the job. Then the interim manager walked off the job suddenly. The fire chief resigned at about the same time. Then the city let its legal counsel go, citing a need to change law firms to represent the city’s interests. The public works director quit. Before he decided to quit, the city manager had fired several key personnel.

David-Graves must believe there is reason to investigate. Given that I am just a taxpaying resident who doesn’t know more than enough to make me dangerous, I am inclined to think she might have reason to seek some answers.

Back to the question: Who would conduct such a probe? The city attorney’s office couldn’t possibly do it. The office likely wouldn’t dare expose any wrongdoing among council members, if there’s any wrongdoing to expose. Princeton doesn’t appear to have an extensive legal community that has built enough distance between a legal team and the city. What about the Texas attorney general’s office? That’s a thought, yes? The current AG is running for another office, so he would be distracted, but he does have a staff of legal eagles capable of handling it.

The single issue that any investigative team would need to identify would be a common denominator. All those resignations must be related somehow to someone or a set of concerns that one could identify.

David-Graves reeled off the list of resignations, which also include three chief financial officers, two deputy city managers and the assistant city manager. “That’s a lot of turnover,” she said. Yeah, no kiddin’. The city might do well to look deeply into what’s wrong at City Hall.

national news

Still waiting for that ‘atta boy!’ moment

I believe I once wrote on my blog that I would welcome the opportunity to offer praise to Donald Trump when the moment presented itself.

It might have been during his first term as POTUS. I’m still waiting for that moment.

Believe me when I say this, even though many of you might doubt my sincerity, but I truly want Trump to succeed at something, anything that advances the nation’s cause. However, the longer it goes without such an occurrence, the more difficult it becomes.

We’re now fairly deep into this individual’s second term in the White House. He promised it would be worse for many Americans than his first go-round. He vowed to be take revenge against those who have wronged him, that he would be the nation’s “retribution.” You remember that? Sure you do. Because he has delivered on that pledge. The way I figure it, that is about the only promise he made that he’s kept. The rest of ’em? Fuhgetaboutit!

Dude promised to end wars. He said he would end the Ukraine war on the first day of his second term. He said prices would come down immediately. He vowed to cure all our nation’s ills by executive fiat. During his first inaugural, he said the “the American carnage” on our streets ends “right here, right now.”

The guy is zero for whatever on his agenda.

Meanwhile, critics like me are waiting to offer him praise. Dang it, but it’s getting harder each week that goes by.

I’m a patient old man. However, everything has its limits.

national news

Miller takes the cake

I once rated FBI Director Kash Patel as the worst pick among Donald Trump’s inner circle of advisers … but I’ve changed my mind.

The new “leader” that category happens to be an individual who wasn’t confirmed by the Senate, but he sure has Trump’s ear. He is senior White House adviser Steven Miller. And the more I hear from this moron, the more likely he seems to be cementing his place among the infamous cabal of folks who are advising the POTUS.

Miller is reportedly working policies that demonize immigrants. Not just those who are here without documentation. But all of them. Every single person who is born in another country, but who comes to the United States voluntarily to build a life for themselves and those whom they love.

I take such policy bastardization seriously. I am the grandson of immigrants. All four of my grandparents settled in the United States not knowing a word of English. My maternal grandfather might be the lone exception, as he had been a merchant sailor and traveled the world. I am going to suppose he picked up a bit of English on his worldwide voyage. The rest of them? Not a word.

They didn’t make a fortune once they got settled in. My grandmothers didn’t work outside the home. They had their hands full keeping the families in order. Mom’s father ended up running a bakery in Portland, Ore. Dad’s father ran a shoeshine stand also in Portland. But they paid their taxes. They played by the rules and between both sets of grandparents, they produced 10 children, all of whom contributed greatly to this nation.

So, for dipshits like Steven Miller to want to shut the door on future immigrants who want to settle in this land is to deny this great country the opportunity to expand on its greatness. Every president prior to the Numbnuts in Chief has recognized the value of the diversity that immigration brings to the United States of America. He is being fed a line of BS from Stephen Miller who insists wrongly that immigrants are to be shunned and not welcomed.

national news

Happy birthday, America!

Today we wish our country a happy birthday. 250 of them have come and gone since the wise men who founded the nation gathered to sign the Declaration of Independence from the English Crown.

The declaration in fact was a long list of grievances the Colonies had against the Crown. Thus, the nation was formed by an act of dissent from the edicts of another nation that governed us. And yet … we now hear from the current American government that dissent is an act of treason, that it’s not right to disagree with the pronouncements from the nation’s capital. Such a belief is totally counter to what the founders believed. Indeed, they produced a government with a tenet that declares that dissent is the most democratic and patriotic thing we can do as Americans.

The folks in DC have it wrong. The founders 250 years ago had it right when they declared that we were “endowed by our Creator” with rights that could not be abridged and trifled with. They included the rights to “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Well, I am one American patriot has lived a good life, I am liberated to the max and I am still pursuing happiness.

But I continue that pursuit against the current of rhetoric that comes from D.C. It comes from our current president, a man I happen to detest even though I accept with no sense of pleasure that he was elected duly in the latest presidential election.

I don’t want to make this brief salute to our nation about our current troubles. They’re going to work themselves out in fairly short order when vote for the next Congress in two years after that when we vote for president and yet another Congress.

The founders got it right when they built a governmental framework around a Constitution that was built to withstand the challenges if faces. They didn’t get it right. Indeed, the founders knew that perfection was impossible, as they wrote they were seeking a “more perfect Union.” We’ll continue that struggle through all the troubles we encounter.

They ended up with a pretty damn good piece of work. Happy birthday, America.

national news

How should I react to the Reflecting Pool?

You might know that I will be traveling to Washington, D.C., for an overnight stay as part of an Honor Flight celebration that pays tribute to veterans for their service.

The trip is set for Sept. 11; we’ll return to North Texas the evening of the following day.

Part of the trip will be to tour the various memorials and monuments along the DC Mall that, as you might have heard, features the Reflecting Pool that Donald Trump sought to turn American Flag Blue to honor the nation’s 250th birthday. It didn’t work out.

The pool turned green because of algae — or so I understand.

The question I am facing is how do I react when I lay my eyes on the Reflecting Pool. Do I do nothing? Do I make a loud, agonizing groan of disgust? Do I fake being thrilled to see it?

I am likely to offer a four-letter word or two to whomever is nearby when I utter it. I find the whole thing to be just one more hideous example of Trump’s unfitness to hold the office he will occupy for another two years. He didn’t need to spend taxpayer money to gussy up the pool. It was a no-bid deal went to a friend of his. And the idiot blew it!

I damn sure am not going to let the sight of that monstrosity ruin what I believe should be a wonderful experience for myself and the other veterans with whom I will travel to the nation’s capital.

The Honor Flight intends to shower us with love and respect. I intend fully to accept all of it with humility and pride.

Donald Trump

Will he get this one right?

Sometime before the weekend expires, Americans likely can expect to hear from Donald J. Trump, who will speak ostensibly about the holiday we are celebrating.

Yep. We’re going to blast firecrackers, fire up the grill, salute the flag and cheer the nation’s 250th birthday. It’s a big deal, one that usually requires a red, white and blue statement from the president of the United States.

Oh, but wait! The POTUS this year is a numbskull who’s engulfed in scandal, caught up battles lost long ago, and who is presiding angrily over a nation that is growing increasingly disgusted with the man we elected to lead us.

Furthermore, we have seen what this individual can do to moments such as this. Do you recall how he defamed Christians’ most holy day over Easter with a tirade against his political enemies. He has done the same thing with Christmas, not to mention secular holidays such as Memorial Day, Labor Day, Patriots Day. You name it, Trump has cheapened it with shallow political rhetoric.

I hope against hope that he could rise to the occasion this time. After all, it’s the 250th year since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. That is a huge deal, man.

I am going to hope he doesn’t mess it up. That’s all I can do is hope. I don’t expect anything different from a president who hardly gives these matters a moment’s thought.,

legal news

Time to return the ‘favor’?

You and I know that politicians keep telling us how they hate dealing with hypothetical situations, how they detest questions dealing with circumstances that might not ever occur.

Well, here’s a hypotthetical matter that very well could play out. Bear with me for a moment.

The midterm election this fall could result in a dramatic shift in congressional power, with Democrats reclaiming the majority in the House of Reps … and also the Senate. Let’s suppose the Senate shifts from Republican to Democratic control. Donald Trump is likely to become apoplectic, but this isn’t really about him.

What happens if one of the three liberal seats on the U.S. Supreme Court becomes vacant? A justice might have to resign, or he or she might well … be unable to serve. The Senate then becomes Ground Zero in the battle to fill the seat.

Flash back to 2016. Conservative Justice Antonin Scalia died while vacationing in Texas. President Obama then was able to nominate someone to replace the brilliant jurist Scalia. He chose Merrick Garland, chief justice of the DC Appellate Court.

Not so fast, said then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. We’ve got an election coming up in November and we need tolet the voters decide who becomes president before moving on this nomination, McConnell said. Obama was furious. So were Democratic senators. Everyone praised Garland as an outstanding candidate for the high court. McConnell played his hand brilliantly.

Donald Trump won the 2016 election. He took his oath and then nominated the first of three justices he would get to pick during his first term in office.

It well might be possible for the next Senate majority leader, presuming it’s a Democrat, to pull the same stunt that McConnell used. One liberal justice, Sonia Sotomayor, has hinted openly she might have to step down because of health matters. Do you think a new Senate majority leader is going to roll over and let Trump tilt the court even farther to the right? Hah! I don’t believe that will ever happen.

Elections have consequences, yes? We’re watching in real time how those consequences can play out with a Supreme Court that already has overturned landmark rulings. Thus, it becomes vital to understand how vital it is to select the right Senate candidates when it comes time to speak out.

political news

Wanting a return to good wishes

I have been watching a video that went viral years ago, and it’s still making the rounds.

It shows President George W. Bush welcoming his successor, President-elect Barack Obama to the Oval Office. Joining them were three former presidents: George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter. The men are standing tall and straight and President Bush is addressing the cameras gathered.

He turns to the president-elect and tells him that despite their political differences, all these men have the same thing in common. They want the new president to succeed. Bush offered Obama those good wishes on behalf of all the men gathered.

And every time I watch the video, I cannot help but think — or believe — that we’ll likely won’t see that kind of presidential fellowship for the foreseeable future. I try like the dickens to imagine Donald Trump taking part in such an event one day near the end of his time in office. My mind’s eye just cannot capture that moment.

I wish for all my might to see that kind of gathering to return. When President Biden won the 2020 election, we saw an angry mob storm the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. You know what happened. Donald Trump never conceded that he lost. He still carries that complaint with him, alleging that the 2020 election was stolen.

So, what might we expect to occur if a Democrat happens to win the 2028 election? Will the incumbent fling open the White House doors to all his predecessors and stage the kind of rapprochement we saw in 2009? Do not hold your breath.

I cannot predict, either, what might occur if a Republican wins the 2028 election. I suppose it might depend on which end of the GOP the winner might emerge. I still enjoy seeing video evidence of how it used to be in this country, where a peaceful transition of power allowed grown politicians to put their anger aside and wish the very best to the new person who will take the reins.

military news

Recalling a national mistake

President Barack Obama occasionally would hang a medal around the neck of a warrior who fought in a long-ago-battle. And if that warrior served in Vietnam during the war that ravaged that nation, he would remind Americans of the mistake many of them made when those warriors came home.

The nation has grown up since those days. Now we honor the men and women who fight our battles. We tell them we love them and we’re proud of their service. During the Vietnam War era, it wasn’t that way … at all! The individuals who came home were treated with varying degrees of hostility or — in my case — with profound disinterest. Therein lies the mistake we made. Gladly, we have rebuilt our national conscience and are welcoming home our warriors with ceremonies, with viral videos of their reunification with loved ones.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Americans had to taste the bitter pill of defeat. We didn’t lose fights on the battlefield. We lost the war at home. We ran out of patience. The Vietnamese proved the fallacy of walking onto another man’s turf and expecting to score an easy, quick victory over a people that had fought for decades for their homeland. They were battle-hardened. They knew about suffering in ways we only could imagine.

The result was the young Americans who went to war because their government ordered them, or who volunteered for the service, were treated disgracefully. They took the blame for policy decisions they merely were following. The public that blamed them had no clue about the wrong they were perpetrating.

That’s all changed. The Persian Gulf War of 1990-91 brought that shame to a screeching halt with parades honoring the personnel who took care of business on the battlefield. Who led the cheers? The Vietnam War veterans! In communities all across the nation, Vietnam vets took up the organizing baton and staged parades to honor their battlefield descendants.

That’s how a nation grows up.

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