And it’s bigger than anyone thought.
Sunday, November 01, 2026
November 1967 and The Bee Gees's "Massachusetts"
We continue our series of posts about the wonderful music of 1967.
Today, we remember "Massachusetts", one of The Bee Gees' greatest songs.
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1512: The Sistine Chapel
On this day in 1512, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, one of Italian artist Michelangelo’s finest works, was exhibited to the public for the first time.
We remember the story in a great book by Irving Stone and a wonderful movie with Charlton Heston as Michelangelo.
We remember the story in a great book by Irving Stone and a wonderful movie with Charlton Heston as Michelangelo.
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1800: President & Mrs Adams moved into the new president's home
We remember John & Abigail Adams as a great couple of the early days of US history. John was a key player in The Declaration of Independence, served as the first Vice President under President Washington and then was elected directly in 1796.
John and Abigail wrote each other great letters. Historians regard them as a wonderful window into the tumultuous times, from independence to the creation of the new nation.
On this day in 1800, President & Mrs. Adams moved into what we would eventually call The White House. It was called The President's House and then The White House.
President Adams lost the 1800 election so they moved back to Massachusetts shortly after. It was President Jefferson who got to live in the new home.
John and Abigail wrote each other great letters. Historians regard them as a wonderful window into the tumultuous times, from independence to the creation of the new nation.
On this day in 1800, President & Mrs. Adams moved into what we would eventually call The White House. It was called The President's House and then The White House.
President Adams lost the 1800 election so they moved back to Massachusetts shortly after. It was President Jefferson who got to live in the new home.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos. If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Time to go 'Nagasaki' in Iran
A massive attack against Iran may be the tipping point that makes that uprising inevitable.
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Before you think I want President Trump to drop nuclear bombs, let me explain. I mean "Nagasaki" in terms of breaking the back of the Japanese regime. Nagasaki sent the message that the end was here, and they better cooperate or suffer more consequences.
That's where we are in Iran today. I'm happy to hear that President Trump is getting options to finish the job. This is from the Wall Street Journal:
The top U.S. commander in the Middle East briefed President Trump on Thursday on military options for Iran, a rare in-person visit to the White House as the U.S. weighs resuming major combat operations, according to U.S. officials and other people with direct knowledge of the meeting...
Trump officials have told Arab Gulf states to be prepared for a short, intense campaign after the midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal has reported. Vance has also engaged one of Iran’s most powerful hard-liners in an effort to revive peace negotiators, the Journal reported.
“We may do another little Epic Fury,” Trump said at a rally last week, referring to the heavy U.S. and Israeli bombing campaign in the spring. “Or they’ll agree.”...
Cooper rarely briefs Trump in person, so the meeting could signal that the U.S. is moving closer to significant military operations.
Moving to significant military operations? Hope so. By the way, the plan must be very good because Senator Chris Murphy came out of a briefing and said it was a bad idea.
For months, I've felt that President Trump was strangling the Iranian regime with economic sanctions and hoping for an internal uprising. I think that he has concluded that the uprising will occur once the Iranian people sense that the moment to go out in the streets has arrived. A massive attack against Iran may be the tipping point that makes that uprising inevitable.
Well, let's hope so because this war has to end with a victory for the good guys, including the good people of Iran.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.
We remember Michael Collins (1930-2021)
We remember Michael Collins who was born on this day in 1930 and died April 2021. He was a part of the Apollo 11 mission along with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.
We remember Dave McNally (1942-2002)
Dave McNally was one of my favorite Orioles. He was born on this day in 1942 and passed away in 2002.
McNally broke with Baltimore in 1962 and won 184 games. Along the way, Dave pitched in 4 World Series, 2 LCS and won 87 games over 1968-71.
Just a great lefty who kept you in every game.
Just a great lefty who kept you in every game.
McNally won game 4 of the 1966 World Series with a 1-0 shutout of the LA Dodgers. He hit a grand slam in game 4 of the 1970 World Series against Cincinnati.
He was 7-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 9 post seasons series with Baltimore.
He was 7-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 9 post seasons series with Baltimore.
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Our 2016 Halloween chat with Leslie Eastman
CLICK THE LINK BELOW TO LISTEN:
Guest: Leslie Eastman joins us for our annual Halloween show......we will the website that Leslie has been the Project Manager for, which Girl Scout Emma Kahn created as part of her Gold Star Project: Black Cats Need Love! The purpose of the site is to encourage people to adopt black cats from animal shelters.............and a few stories about the 2016 election.......
Happy Halloween, and don't forget to vote
(My new American Thinker post)
Halloween was totally new when our family came to the U.S. The idea of kids wearing masks and asking for candy was totally new to us. I mean totally new. I don't remember watching a Disney cartoon about it, and we learned a lot about the U.S. in Cuba watching Disney cartoons.
So we went out on our first Halloween and could not help laughing whenever my mom said "trick or treat." She couldn't get the pronunciation down and said "tree ka tree." The three of us couldn't stop laughing at my mother's accent until she got mad and said that if we didn't like her accent, then we could eat breakfast somewhere else. We did not laugh anymore after that because we really didn't have another place to go for breakfast. I should add that the McDonald's across the park did not serve breakfast in 1964.
My kids have grown up, pursuing their careers, interests, and other things. Therefore, Halloween just doesn't mean as much as it used to. I still enjoy seeing the little kids in their costumes, but it's different. My grandkids are cute wearing their costumes, but they're still too young to get into the Halloween spirit. I'll wait a couple of years to take them trick-or-treating.
A few years ago, I had Dr. Ileana Johnson, author and native of Romania, on my podcast. We spoke about her book Echoes of Communism, her story about growing up in communist Romania. We found a lot in common about leaving communist countries and settling in the U.S. She is also a wonderful economist who has a lot to say about socialism and what's going on in our colleges.
Dr. Johnson wrote about Dracula and the castle during a recent trip to Romania:
Bram Stoker chose Transylvania, the western province of Romania, as the location of his 1897 gothic novel "Dracula" because of the dark, foreboding feel of the area even when it was bathed in sunshine. The myth of Dracula was so attached to Vlad Tepes and Bran Castle that the locals, when asked about it, shrugged their shoulders with amused looks, and went about their business.
The real Vlad Tepes, the inspiration source for Count Dracula, was known for his strong resistance and valiant battles against the advancement and occupation of the Ottoman Empire. "Voievode" Vlad was a real hero and founding father to the local population.
Vlad III, Prince of Wallachia (1431–1476), was named posthumously "Vlad the Impaler," for his habit of impaling his enemies and those condemned for capital punishment. Tepes was his Romanian moniker for "Impaler." He ruled mainly from 1456–1462, the incipient period of the Ottoman conquest of the Balkans. Of the house of Draculesti, Vlad III, son of Vlad II Dracul, was born in Sighisoara, Transylavania and died in Bucharest, Wallachia.
Dracula is Romanian for "the son of the Devil." Historians argue over the meaning of the Latin "draco" (dragon). Vlad was of the order of the dragon bestowed on his father to defend Christianity. However, the Romanian word for dragon is "balaur." "Dracul" is identified in modern parlance as the "devil." The Ambras Castle portrait of Vlad III, c. 1560, is reputedly a copy of an original made during his lifetime.
I catch this article every year and and enjoy it a lot. Who knew that Dracula and a castle could be so interesting? Well, it is, and I hope you read her full article about Dracula before the kids come to your door.
And then play "The Monster Mash" to make Halloween complete.
Happy Halloween, and don't forget to vote.
PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.
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