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Heather Cox Richardson Hits a Home Run

Excerpts from Heather Cox Richardson Today: The front page of yesterday’s New York Times featured some of the 440,000 Americans from Arizona alone who have lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits since the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the deepest cuts to SNAP in its history, expanded work rules, and shifted costs to the states even as cuts to federal grant programs have forced Arizona to lay off a third of its caseworkers.

Those Arizona residents include Dee McDonald, a 65-year-old cancer survivor who weighs 69 pounds and skips meals to feed her three teenaged grandsons.

In the Denver Post today, Executive Director of the Association of National Park Rangers Bill Wade wrote that during his years as the son of a park ranger, and then as a park ranger himself, “I learned that these extraordinary parks belong to every American and that the people entrusted to care for them carry a sacred responsibility to protect our country’s breathtaking natural resources and key elements of our nation’s history.”

“But never—not once in decades—have I witnessed such systematic degradation, disrespect and dismantling of the National Park Service as I see today under the thumb of the President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum,” Wade continued. Budgets go up and down and policies change as administrations turn over, but “what is happening now is an assault on the people, the mission and the values that have made the National Park Service one of America’s most valued institutions.”

The Trump administration has slashed staff, starved the service of funds, and imposed a political narrative on historical interpretation. “Recovery from these losses is likely to take years, if not decades,” Wade wrote.

While administration officials are slashing government programs that protect ordinary Americans, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine appeared on Capitol Hill today before the Senate Appropriations Committee to explain why the Pentagon is urgently in need of an injection of $67 billion to tide it over until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. The Pentagon has sunk billions into the war in Iran. Hegseth told senators the war had cost $37.5 billion, but independent analysts estimate the true number is significantly higher.

Two congressional aides told Noah Robertson, Riley Beggin, and Jarrell Dillard of the Washington Post that both the Navy and the Air Force will run out of money provided for ongoing military operations in 2026 at the end of this month. The Pentagon is already moving money around to bridge the gap, diverting money budgeted for equipment and maintenance and limiting or canceling military exercises and training.

Yesterday Rose L. Thayer of Stars and Stripes reported on one such diversion: The Army is reducing the legal resources available to soldiers being evaluated for disability “as review boards determine whether they are fit to serve or should receive medical retirement benefits.” In the past, the Office of Soldiers’ Counsel has provided those services, but dramatic cuts have left personnel available only for an initial evaluation, rather than throughout the three-stage process. After the initial evaluation, soldiers must either represent themselves or hire private attorneys.

At today’s hearing, Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) grilled Hegseth. “Mr. Secretary, early in the conflict, day three, you said one of those core objectives was to, quote, destroy the missile threat, and as you restated it on day five to, quote, obliterate Iran’s missiles and drones. Those were clearly and repeatedly stated core objectives of the campaign, which four months ago you declared had been completed victoriously with every single objective achieved. Were those objectives achieved four months ago?”

Hegseth answered: “No one ever stated that every single missile was gone. Ultimately, combat ineffective means they’re not able to dig them out of their UGFs [underground facilities] and shoot at us.”

Ossoff: “Had the missile threat been defeated four months ago?”

Hegseth continued over Ossoff: “It doesn’t mean they don’t have underground facilities where they put missiles in them and hold onto them because they’re the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism. So we never expected they would stop having capabilities to shoot. The question is, at scale, against an opponent like the United States of America, which went toe to toe with them in Iran, couldn’t….”

Ossoff continued: “You stated on March 8th, day nine of the war, on 60 Minutes, you assured the American people of Iranian surrender. Does that remain your prediction?”

Hegseth: “Ultimately, Iran will never have a nuclear weapon to threaten the United States of America. That has been the objective, and it remains so.”

Ossoff: “So, just to review, you will not answer whether your statement made on the fourteenth day of the war that Iran’s military had been, quote, destroyed and made combat ineffective was a truthful statement to the American people, as you sit here and ask for tens of billions more for the conflict.”

The second Trump administration is forcing the American people to define how they think the United States government should spend their tax dollars.

Quick Thoughts:

The departure of Warde Manuel as Michigan’s athletic director at the end of the year was overdue. The national championships and B1G championships were great, but they could not offset the ongoing scandals that plagued Manuel’s time as AD. If the scandals were limited to just one sport he might have survived. For me, he needed to be fired when he did not fire Juwan Howard when Howard slapped a Wisconsin assistant coach following a game in Wisconsin. U of M’s policy is clear on physical abuse and Manual did not follow the policy.

The World Cup was a great success. By all accounts the USA as well as Canada and Mexico were great host. Nearly everything I read about the USA as hosts was extremely positive. It is a credit to the people of this country. Hopefully, the fans will spread the word that the USA remains a great country.

I understand the emotions that go along with competitive athletics. Losing is tough especially after a grueling competition like the World Cup. However, it is not an excuse for the behavior of a few of the Argentina soccer players immediately following the championship game against Spain. Those Argentina players get my Onion of the Day

The Iran war continues. The U.S. continues to punch and Iran counter punches. No matter how much Trump threatens Iran, Iran does not give in. It appears we are close to a stalemate, and the thing Trump campaigned against is becoming a reality. The U.S. is getting into another “Forever War”. Will we ever learn? I highly recommend that Trump rewatch the Foreman/Ali fight from the 70’s when the power of Foreman could not outlast the defense and patience of Ali.

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River Rouge High School Class of 1969 75^th Birthday Party

I attended the River Rouge High School Class of 1969 75^th Birthday party on Saturday July 18 at Crystal Gardens in Southgate. Thirty classmates, friends and family members attended the event. The event was the brainchild of fellow classmate Diana Minor Wilkerson who decided we were getting too old to wait for our 60^th reunion in 2029. She was right. We had classmates come from all over the country to attend. Although I stay in touch with some of my classmates on a weekly basis, it was great to catch up with other classmates who were close friends in high school. I hope to reestablish those relationships.

For me, this class was special. Despite the racial tension that existed at the time throughout the country, our class never let it get in the way of how we interacted with each other. We won the Class B state championship in boys’ basketball; we were undefeated and top-ranked in football, we had all state football players and all-state basketball players, as well as the Willie Heston award winner as the best scholar-athlete in SE Michigan. We had a very large national honor society membership with many classmates having outstanding professional careers. Most of all we had good people.

I had the privilege of working with nine other classmates to plan the event. We started 15 months ago with everyone doing their part. The way we worked together on the event and the way the event took place was reminiscent of how we worked together in 1969. I was fortunate that Diana asked me to be on the planning committee. It was time well spent. The event gets my Orchid of the Day.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “I learned that these extraordinary parks belong to every American and that the people entrusted to care for them carry a sacred responsibility to protect our country’s breathtaking natural resources and key elements of our nation’s history.,,“But never—not once in decades—have I witnessed such systematic degradation, disrespect and dismantling of the National Park Service as I see today under the thumb of the President Donald Trump and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum,” Executive Director of the Association of National Park Rangers Bill Wade

Orchid of the Day: The River Rouge Class of 1969 75^th Birthday Party at Crystal Gardens in Southgate, Michigan. Thirty classmates, their friends and family had a great night of reminiscing, good food, great music, and fun. It was an honor to be the MC for the event.

Onion of the Day: The few players on the Argentina soccer team for their unsportsmanlike behavior following their loss to Spain in the World Cup championship game.

Question of the Day: Will we ever learn about conducting war on foreign lands?

Lyrics of the Day: Hemingway, Eichmann, Stranger in a Strange Land
Dylan, Berlin, Bay of Pigs invasion
Lawrence of Arabia, British Beatlemania
Ole Miss, John Glenn, Liston beats Patterson
Pope Paul, Malcolm X, British politician sex
JFK, blown away, what else do I have to say?

Lyrics of the Day for July 15, 2026. Love the One You’re With by Stephen Stills

Video of the Day: Try not to laugh too hard. Think about the gold medal hockey game in February vs the World Cup

Soccer vs Hockey

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Oh Canada

It is hard to describe what it is like in Petoskey today. Ash from the Canadian wildfires hit northern Michigan extremely hard today. We are under an extreme air quality alert. Pollutants are in the unhealthy range for northern Michigan with hourly concentration forecasted to reach hazardous.

It is eerie. The smoke is so thick, it looks like we are at the peak of a total eclipse of the sun. Visibility is limited and it smells like yesterday’s campfire. If you are outside, breathing is challenging and your eyes start stinging. Staying inside is a wise choice.

My car was parked in the driveway for 30 minutes and was quickly covered in ash from the Canadian fires.

This is our fourth summer dealing with Canada’s smoke. Today was the worst day it has been during those four years. Tomorrow and Friday will be more of the same.

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FUBAR

It was less than a month ago that Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, called a similar plan by the Iranians illegal. “No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” he said.

On Monday Trump posted on Truth Social. “We are reinstating the THE IRANIAN BLOCKADE, so named because it is only stopping Iran’s ships or customers from entering or leaving. The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” he added. “The process and formation will begin immediately

Tuesday evening Trump said he had decided to scrap the toll “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership”, and touted “massive” investments, just five hours before the toll was due to come into effect. He said the US would continue to blockade the Iranian port

As I said last week, I can only read 3 minutes about Iran before I give up because of frustration over wondering “what the heck are we doing? Why are we doing it? What is our end game? Nothing Trump does or says as it relates to Iran makes any sense to me. It is contradiction after contradiction after contradiction.

Trump started this war without involving our allies and now he expects the allies to reimburse the U.S. for protecting the Strait of Hormuz which prior to February 28, 2026, was a free passage for the entire world.

In June of 2025 Trump declared that he destroyed and buried Iran’s nuclear capabilities. In early March 2026 he declared that Iran’s military has been completely destroyed and they have no Navy.

Earlier this week, Trump told radio host Hugh Hewitt that the U.S. was going to hit Iran “very hard” Monday and Tuesday, “and there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.” Speaking shortly before Monday’s attacks began, Trump further announced that the U.S. would strike Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified, underground nuclear site yet to be targeted since the war began Feb. 28.

Yet here we are on July 15, still fighting a war against a foe that according to Trump has been destroyed. Here we are on July 15, announcing a strike on Iran’s nuclear site, which we were told last June was destroyed.

This passage from Dan Rather says it best. If Donald Trump was the head of a Fortune 500 company, he would have long been relieved of his duties — for a list of reasons as long as your arm — but most notably, he would be fired as the country’s CEO for his vacillating and chaotic handling of the war with Iran.

Americans know and cannot be distracted from this hard truth: It is a sad and dangerous state of affairs that our country is being dragged behind a demagogue who seems clueless about how to get us out of a war he created. And on Monday, he made it worse by stating the United States was taking control of the Strait of Hormuz — again — and would begin charging a fee to guarantee safe passage of cargo ships. FUBAR.

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Not since the Nixon presidency has freedom of the press been under attack like it is under the Trump administration.

From Mary Geddry on Saturday. The New York Times, relying on anonymous sources, reported that the Secret Service urged the change (from the new Air Force One donated Qatar to the older model) because the new plane lacked some of the older aircraft’s advanced security features, including antimissile capabilities. Trump denied that security concerns had anything to do with the switch and said the stop in England was arranged so American service members could admire the new jet. This explanation asks us to believe that the president dispatched two enormous aircraft across Europe because the troops deserved a surprise airplane viewing, which is the sort of logistical extravagance usually associated with a divorced father arriving at a birthday party with a pony.

Asked whether he knew of any credible Iranian threats against Air Force One, Trump replied, “I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list.”

So, there was no security concern, except for the constant security concern from the country with which the United States had just resumed exchanging strikes. One might imagine that the proper response to inaccurate reporting would be to present evidence showing that the aircraft was fully equipped, that the Secret Service had raised no objection and that the detour had unfolded precisely as the White House claimed. This would be persuasive, orderly and insufficiently terrifying.

Instead, FBI Director Kash Patel and other Justice Department officials reportedly met at the White House on Friday. Soon afterward, federal agents began appearing at reporters’ homes.

David McCraw, a lawyer for the Times, said the sight of federal agents arriving on journalists’ doorsteps “should shock the conscience of any American” who believes in constitutional press freedom. The Justice Department responded that reporters are not the targets. The targets, it said, are people who leak classified information. This is meant to comfort us.

The reporters are not being targeted. They are merely being ordered into a grand jury proceeding because of information obtained while reporting, after agents visited their homes, in an investigation designed to identify their confidential sources. In the same sense, the mousetrap has no quarrel with the mouse. It is simply conducting a cheese-related inquiry.

Subpoenas directed at journalists have historically been treated as a last resort because forcing reporters to expose their sources doesn’t merely affect one article. It warns every future whistleblower, civil servant and official with a conscience that speaking to the press may bring federal investigators to the reporter’s door and, shortly afterward, to theirs. According to the Associated Press, earlier subpoenas aimed at reporters from The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal were ultimately withdrawn, but the attempts are becoming more frequent. Attorney General Pam Bondi also rescinded a Biden-era policy that had restricted prosecutors from seizing journalists’ records during leak investigations.

…The purpose isn’t always to erase the record after it has been written. Sometimes it is enough to make everyone afraid to write it.

A journalist wondering whether a source is worth a grand jury fight may become more cautious. A government employee who sees agents appearing at reporters’ homes may decide that silence is safer. An election official facing federal threats may spend more time protecting herself from the Justice Department and less time preparing her county for November. And an independent commissioner may understand that independence is now considered a defect in need of removal.

Democracy depends on a great many people whose names most citizens will never know. Clerks, technicians, local officials, inspectors, and reporters that call people who aren’t supposed to speak and ask them what happened in rooms the public wasn’t allowed to enter. Their work is frequently tedious, procedural and annoying to those in power, which is precisely why it matters.

The people keeping the record are not infallible. Journalists make mistakes, agencies become complacent, election offices require oversight, and every institution capable of checking power must itself be checked. What it mustn’t be is obedient.

A government confident in its conduct doesn’t need every commission “totally aligned” with the president. It doesn’t need agents on reporters’ doorsteps because someone wrote an embarrassing story about the king’s donated airplane. It doesn’t need sensitive voter data from every state while threatening the officials entrusted with protecting it.

It presents the evidence, submits to the process and accepts that public power comes with public scrutiny. This administration appears to prefer a cleaner arrangement, one in which the president makes the call, chooses the officials, defines election security, identifies the acceptable version of events and dispatches the Justice Department when someone produces an unauthorized footnote.

The government has not yet seized the scoreboard. It has merely begun dismissing the referees, questioning the statisticians and knocking on the doors of anyone who wrote down the score. We should probably keep copies.

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No regard for human life.

Yesterday the director of homeland security announced the suspension of using traffic stops as means to arrest and detain illegal immigrants after two deaths occurred in the last week when traffic stops went bad and ICE agents shot and killed two people who were not the target of their search.

Early this morning President Trump insisted ICE keep making them. Trump insisted that “we must be strong, tough, and smart, and we CANNOT give up one of I.C.E.’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP! Once we do, we are playing right into the criminal’s hands.” He added that the partial rein-in “won’t happen on my watch”.

Trump’s late night post rebuked his own homeland security department, which had just spent a day trying to contain the fallout from back-to-back killings.

Trump continues to prove that he has no regard for the life of any human who does not provide immediate value to him. Even when his own team members say, enough is enough and what we are doing is not working and we must stop.

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He is now officially guilty of sexual assault

President Trump can no longer claim he is innocent of sexual assault. His appeals have been exhausted and yesterday E. Jean Carroll was paid $5.9 million as settlement in her defamation case surrounding her sexual assault by President Trump. Any further claiming of being innocent is no longer valid. The people and the courts have spoken.

Donald Trump is guilty of sexual assault.

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Even legends are not safe

The Red Wings and Steve Yzerman parted ways today. Yzerman spent his entire Hall of Fame career as a Red Wing winning three Stanley Cups as the longest serving captain in Red Wing history. After a outstanding stint as the President and GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Yzerman was brought in seven years ago by owner Chris Illitch to turn the franchise around after missing the playoff the three previous years. Yzerman asked for patience as he tried to rebuild the Red Wings. Patience ran out today as the Red Wings playoff drought has reached ten years. Yzerman’s fate was inevitable after current captain and Olympic star Dylan Larkin demanded to be traded two months ago.

Yzerman has proven that even legends are not safe when it comes to leading a professional sports organization.

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Quote of the Day: “It is weird.” Leah, every time she looked outside today and saw the smoke in the air.

Orchid of the Day: Argentina and Spain for making it to the World Cup finals with their wins over England and France, respectively.

Onion of the Day: Pete Hegseth says soldiers over age 30 to be screened for testosterone deficiency as the secretary unveils plan that will work to ensure service members have the ‘right testosterone levels.

Question of the Day: How does Pete Hegseth keep his job?

Lyrics of the Day: Don’t be angry - don’t be sad
Don’t sit crying over good times you’ve had
There’s a girl right next to you
And she’s just waiting for something to do

Well there’s a rose in a fisted glove
And the eagle flies with the dove
And if you can’t be with the one you love honey

Lyrics of the Day for July 8, 2026. Every Rose has a Thorn by Poison

Video of the Day: Sam Neill’s Iconic Movie Moments RIP Your Jurassic Park Will Always Be My Favorite❤️😔#SamNeill#Ju

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There is no place for politicians in sport

As a sports official for over 50 years, I have learned there is no place for politicians, parents, administrators, and athletic directors to get involved in decisions made by the officials during a game, no matter how egregious they think an official’s decision was. Officials are as much a part of the game as the players. We make mistakes just as players and coaches make mistakes. It is part of the game. Sometimes the mistake goes unnoticed, sometimes it may have affected the outcome, sometimes it is in a playoff game and it allows one team to advance and another team to be eliminated. It happens in every game.

With that said, in all my years of officiating, I never had a call overruled or overturned by anyone other than my partner officials (and that was only if I agreed) once the next play took place. Never following a game.

As a reminder, I take you back to June 2, 2010, the day of the Detroit Tigers; Armando Galarraga’s famous “28-out perfect game” took place at Comerica Park in Detroit, Michigan

In that game, Galarraga, pitching for the Detroit Tigers, retired the first 26 batters he faced against the Cleveland Indians. The bid for a perfect game was ruined one out short when first-base umpire Jim Joyce incorrectly ruled that Indians batter Jason Donald reached first base safely on a ground ball. The Tigers went on to win 3–0. Galarraga retired the next batter to complete his shutout.

Immediately after the game, umpire Jim Joyce admitted his mistake on the call after watching a video replay of the call. Even with Joyce’s admission, and even in today’s game, video replay would have reversed Joyce’s call. Galarraga has not received credit for a perfect game or a no hitter by the MLB, despite intense lobbying by fans, sportscasters, and baseball officials.

As former Tiger pitcher Milt Wilcox said the day after Galarraga’s gem, “A perfect game means everyone has to be perfect, including the umpires.”

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There is no place in sports for what Trump did with FIFA.

Trump’s involvement in FIFA’s decision making reminded me of the 1972 Olympic men’s basketball gold medal game. During regulation play Team USA defeated the Soviet Union by one point, but the Soviet Union was awarded the victory after play was repeatedly extended. The final three seconds of the game were played three times under questionable rule interpretations, leading to an ultimate victory by the Soviet team. The result of the game is disputed to this day, with widespread allegations of political corruption.

I remember feeling cheated because of the corruption involved in contributing to the USA’s first ever loss in men’s Olympic basketball.

That is why there is no place for what Trump did with FIFA and the World Cup.

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He loves them. He hates them. We have no idea what he thinks or what his strategy is for the Iran war.

Last month, Trump had nothing but nice things to say about the Iranian leaders. “We’re dealing with people that I think are very rational people. And they were nice to deal with.” He described them as “strong people, smart people,” who were not “radicalized.” They were just loyal Iranians, “and they’re, you know, looking to help their country.”

This morning, Trump was asked whether the memorandum of understanding with Iran, the document that was supposed to provide the foundation for negotiations, was dead. Trump hesitated a bit and said: “That’s a very interesting question. To me, I think it’s over. I don’t wanna deal with them anymore. They’re scum, you know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people. And they’re vicious, violent people.”

I have gotten to the point, that I can only read about Iran for three minutes before I lose interest. I have learned that what I read at 8AM will change by noon. In the meantime, the MOU is up in the air, and the Strait of Hormuz is closed for shipping. FUBAR.

Quick Thoughts

· The Detroit Tigers’ 21-year-old rookie Kevin McGonigle is having one of the best rookie seasons I can recall. Last night, McGonigle set an MLB rookie record for reaching base multiple times in a game on 53 occasions prior to the All-Star Game, breaking Aaron Judges record from 2017. McGonigle ranks fourth among MLB position players in WAR, he’s seventh in on-base percentage (.395), and he is one of only nine qualified hitters in the majors this season with more walks than strikeouts. He is laying off of pitches out of the strike zone 79.3% of the time, which is the best in the MLB. McGonigle gets my Orchid of the Day

· Because of the overturning of the official’s call by FIFA allowing USA striker Folarin Balogun to play against Belgium, the USMNT was put in a no-win situation. If they won the game, they would be accused of cheating by the rest of the soccer world. The controversy caused by FIFA was a major distraction and the USMNT played like it. They played their worst game of the tournament. Belgium on the other hand, played like a team on a mission. They played their best game of the tournament and dominated from start to finish.

· After multiple bad experiences with the local Ford dealer in Petoskey, I took my 2017 Taurus SHO to Bill’s Standard Auto Repair for a second opinion about what needed to be done. Bill’s called me later in the day, explained what was wrong and what needed to be fixed and when. They indicated there was no need for an immediate fix and the cost estimate was $2,500 less than the Ford dealer. As result, I scheduled my repairs for early November when they can have the car for two days and it won’t interfere with my golf game. When I went to pay for today’s service, they said the evaluation was free of charge. I know where I will be getting my cars serviced from now on.

· Fourth of July in Petoskey is a great experience that lasts for multiple days. We were able to spend it with Katy, Brad, Alaina, Nolan and Kaylen from July 1 until the end of the Petoskey parade Saturday night. We loved every minute of their time here. It was non-stop activities including golfing, eating, swimming, fireworks, parades, golf ball hunting and multiple trips to Kilwins. On Monday morning, I overheard a woman in Meijer say to a friend that Fourth of July in Petoskey is more exhausting than Christmas. Leah and I agree.

Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

Quote of the Day: “There is nothing patriotic about demanding a country admire itself so loudly it can’t hear its own past.” Shanley Hurt writing for Mary Geddry’s blog about the censorship going on at the Smithsonian by the Trump administration

Orchid of the Day: Detroit Tiger Kevin McGonigle

Onion of the Day: FIFA and Trump. What they did was an embarrassment for FIFA and the World Cup.

Question of the Day: Since June 1, the Tigers have the best record in the MLB, will they be able to continue at this pace and make the MLB playoffs.

Lyrics of the Day: Was it somethin’ I said or something I did?
Did my words not come out right?
Though I tried not to hurt you
Though I tried
But I guess that’s why they say every rose has its thorn
Just like every night has its dawn
Just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song

Lyrics of the Day for July 1, 2026. We got Tonight by Bob Seger

Video of the Day: One of the best catches I have ever seen. Riley Greene going all out.

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200 vs. 250

On July 4, 1976 I was optimistic about the future of the U.S.A. Leah and I had just bought our first home in April and were looking forward to celebrating the nation’s bi-centennial. The country was in a festive mood. Our Democracy had just survived a tumultuous period from 1962 to 1976 which included four assassinations, the Cuban Missile Crisis, race riots in our cities, anti-war protests at our universities, Watergate, the Vietnam War, an oil embargo, and the resignation of President Nixon and Vice-President Agnew.

Despite these major challenges, we put a man on the moon, we eliminated polio, we passed the Civil Rights Bill of 1965, we built a middle class around our great manufacturing skills, and we became the foremost economic engine in the world. Most of all, our Democracy survived the most crooked president in history.

We survived because we were a country that put country ahead of personal ambitions. We survived because we had a Congress that was willing to work together for the betterment of the country. A congress that was willing to stand up to a crooked president. Democrats and Republicans certainly disagreed, but members of Congress socialized together, negotiated legislation, and often found bipartisan compromises. Political opponents were rarely viewed as enemies. In 1976, Americans generally viewed themselves first as Americans, even while disagreeing over important issues.

It culminated in a presidential election in November between two of the most ethical and honest presidents in our history, Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Our Democracy was stronger than ever in 1976.

On Saturday July 4, 2026, our country celebrates its 250^th birthday. In the last, 50 years, the U.S. accomplishments cannot be denied. Health care advances have been exceptional. Technological innovations, including the internet, smartphone and personal computer have changed our lives and how we interact, obtain information, communicate, conduct personal business, teach, and learn. Self-driving cars and robots are no longer fantasies, they are a way of life in the U.S. in 2026. The United States remains the world’s largest economy. More Americans than ever pursue higher education, start businesses, and connect globally. Our military remains the strongest in the world, and our democratic institutions—while under stress—continue to function. However, our democracy is not nearly as strong.

Our democracy is being challenged as never before in my lifetime. The challenge before us is not whether America is still a great nation. It is whether we can recover the habits that made our democracy work so well in 1976.

As we celebrate America’s 250th birthday, perhaps the lesson from our Bicentennial fifty years ago is this: democracy depends not only on elections but on trust, civility, and a willingness to see fellow citizens as neighbors rather than enemies. Democracy requires citizens and politicians who are willing to listen, to question their own assumptions, to respect opposing points of view, to accept that compromise is not a weakness but a strength, to accept that doing what is right for the country is more important than personal gain.

That is a tradition worth reclaiming.

Happy Birthday, America.

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Quick Thoughts

Orchid of the Day: U.S Men’s National Team for advancing to the round of 16 with their 2-0 win tonight over Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Today is July 1st, which in the baseball world is annually celebrated as Bobby Bonilla Day, when the retired New York Mets star is paid $1.2 million by his former team. The 63-year-old Bonilla, who retired from MLB in 2001, collects a check for $1,193,248.20 from the Mets every July 1 from 2011 through 2035, when he’ll be 72 years old. That’s because Bonilla and the Mets agreed to a deferred contract buyout in 2000 to pay the remainder of his $5.9 million contract. The buyout agreement included annual payments of about $1.2 million for 25 years beginning July 1, 2011, through July 1, 2035. The Mets agreed to the deferred payments because team ownership – comprised of Fred Wilpon, his son Jeff, and his brother-in-law Saul Katz – was invested with famed Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, who promised double-digit returns that never materialized.

From the NY Times. At a recent meeting of the University of Michigan board of regents, Domenico Grasso, Michigan’s president, addressed the departure of men’s basketball coach Dusty May, whose decision to coach the Dallas Mavericks blindsided U of M fans. At Michigan and elsewhere, losing one of college basketball’s brightest minds was viewed as another canary in the increasingly toxic coal mine of college sports. “Coach May told me that among his reasons for leaving were uncertainties and pressures involving the transfer portal and NIL support for student-athletes,” Grasso said. “He and I agreed that the future of college sports is headed in the wrong direction.”

The Detroit Tigers starting pitching ERA of 3.76 is the fifth best in the MLB, but the Tigers have the 24^th best record. What does that say about their hitting?

Fox News claimed in a never-ending story that Hunter Biden profited to the tune of $20 million in foreign transactions using his father’s name. That pales in comparison to the $2 Billion that President Trump and his family made in 2025 according to the 927-page financial disclosure recently released by President Trump. Where is the outrage from FOX News?

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “Many people think it is feeling sad, but depression is so much more than that. It is physical, it is emotional and until you experience it yourself, it is difficult to fully understand how powerful this illness can be.” Thomas Kean, a House Republican from New Jersey, returned to Capitol Hill after disappearing from the public eye for months with almost no explanation. He revealed in a speech on the House floor that he had been hospitalized for depression.

Orchid of the Day: USMNT for their 2-0 World Cup victory today

Onion of the Day: Immigration and Custom Enforcement. A nun was released from immigration custody after she was arrested walking to Mass in her habit in South Texas. Sister Leticia Ugboaja was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday when she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

So much for only detaining and arresting criminals.

Question of the Day: Do soccer players take acting lessons?

Lyrics of the Day: Deep in my soul, I’ve been so lonely
All of my hopes fading away
I’ve longed for love, like everyone else does
I know I’ll keep searching, even after today

So there it is, girl
I’ve said it all now
And here we are, babe
What do you say?

Lyrics of the Day for June 24, 2026. I Don’t Want to Miss a Think by Aerosmith

Video of the Day: Love at 1,454 ft: Climbing duo arrested after Empire State Building proposal

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The New Iran–U.S. MOU vs. the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal

Since the announcement of the U.S./Iran Memorandum of Understanding, which was signed last week by both parties, I have done research and had many conversations with people, including a career army officer who worked with Colin Powell and has many contacts in the Pentagon. Nothing I have read or heard has convinced me the U.S. is better off today than we were February 27, 2026, the day before the start of the current conflict. I am also convinced that the current negotiations will be hard pressed to be a better deal than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) of 2015, in which the U.S., China, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany and the European Union were all in on curtailing Iran’s nuclear capability

President Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, saying “The fact is this was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made. It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will….The agreement was so poorly negotiated that even if Iran fully complies, the regime can still be on the verge of a nuclear breakout in just a short period of time.” This is my Quote of the Day.

Since the U.S. withdraw from the agreement in 2018, Iran has gone all in on increasing its military might and enhancing it nuclear capability. In June of 2025, President Trump said the U.S. had buried Iran’s uranium under piles of rubble as a result of the combined U.S./Israel attack. On February 28, 2026, President Trump again attacked Iran seeking to destroy their nuclear capability. Iran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz and the world economy suffered. Which leads to our current situation.

With the help of Chat GPT, I have created the following chart comparing the new MOU and the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal. That comparison is useful, but we must accept that it is temporary and current negotiations will lead to changes in any final agreement. Thus, it is important to recognize one key difference: the new agreement is an interim de-escalation framework, while the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, known as the JCPOA, was a detailed multilateral nuclear agreement.

Point-by-Point Comparison

Parties involved

MOU: Primarily the United States and Iran, with mediation by countries such as Pakistan and Qatar.

JCPOA: Iran, the United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, France, Germany, and the European Union.

Purpose

MOU: To stop current hostilities, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, reduce regional tensions, and create a 60-day window for broader negotiations.

JCPOA: To limit Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.

Scope

MOU: Broader regional security: ceasefire, sanctions, shipping through Hormuz, frozen assets, and future nuclear talks.

JCPOA: Narrower but much more detailed: uranium enrichment, centrifuges, inspections, plutonium, and sanctions relief.

Duration

MOU: Interim framework, reportedly built around a 60-day negotiating period.

JCPOA: Long-term agreement with phased restrictions lasting 10 to 15 years, depending on the provision.

Nuclear restrictions

MOU: Iran reportedly reaffirms it will not seek nuclear weapons, but many technical details are left for future talks.

JCPOA: Iran accepted specific limits: enrichment capped at 3.67%, uranium stockpile capped at 300 kg, and centrifuge numbers sharply reduced.

Inspections

MOU: Iran has reportedly agreed to allow IAEA inspectors to return, but the full scope remains uncertain.

JCPOA: Detailed IAEA monitoring and verification system was central to the agreement.

Sanctions relief

MOU: Immediate or temporary relief appears focused on oil sales, frozen assets, and related transactions.

JCPOA: Broad nuclear-related sanctions relief from the U.S., EU, and UN, tied to Iranian compliance.

Military issues

MOU: Central to the MOU, including ceasefire terms, Lebanon, Hormuz, and non-use of force.

JCPOA: Not primarily a ceasefire or military agreement.

Legal strength

MOU: Appears to be a political memorandum and interim framework.

JCPOA: Endorsed by UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Enforcement

MOU: Still unclear. Much depends on follow-up negotiations.

JCPOA: Included a “snapback” mechanism to restore UN sanctions if Iran violated the deal.

My View

The new MOU is not really a replacement for the 2015 nuclear deal. It is a pause: stop the shooting, reopen the waterway, ease oil pressure, and get both sides back to the table.

The 2015 agreement was imperfect, but it was much more detailed, international, and enforceable. If the new MOU prevents war and leads to a serious final agreement, it will be an important agreement.

I hope the next agreement is as least as good as the 2015 JCPOA is as it relates to Iran’s nuclear abilities. I hope the next agreement can provide stability in the region, including the controlling of the hostilities between Iran backed organizations and Israel. However, I am not optimistic they will be accomplished.

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No place for women

I grew up in a family where church was an integral part of our weekly activities. Because my parents were so active in the church’s activities, I saw the good and bad of church activities. As a parent I made sure Katy and Chris were also raised in an environment that included church. Since they moved on to become adults, I have found my faith has gotten stronger, but I have grown to become disgusted with organized religion. I no longer need church to reinforce my faith in God. My faith is where it should be, in my heart and hopefully in my actions.

The following article which appeared in the NY Times, reinforces by disgust with organized religion. Throughout my life I have been surrounded by strong women, who are second to no one, including every man they encounter throughout their daily lives. Yet, we have the Catholic Church, the Southern Baptist Convention, and a whole bunch of other organized “churches” who think women are subservient to men. It irritates the hell out of me when read an article such as the following.

Per the NY Times. The Southern Baptist Convention moved on Wednesday to strengthen its prohibition on women as church leaders and preachers, voting decisively to add language to its constitution clarifying that its churches do not “affirm, appoint or endorse” women as pastors.

“This will allow the Southern Baptist Convention to move forward in unity and truth,” R. Albert Mohler Jr., who proposed the change, said from the floor of the group’s annual convention on Wednesday morning.

The motion passed easily, with 75 percent of some 8,000 votes. It must pass again next year, again with a two-thirds majority, in order to enter the denomination’s constitution.

“We can hardly turn to the right or the left without finding confusion about gender,” Colin Smothers, a pastor from Kansas, said from the floor before the vote.

“What better way to express our countercultural commitment to the goodness of God’s word than to affirm God’s creation order related to the office of pastor?” added Mr. Smothers, who is the executive director of an organization that advocates distinct roles for men and women.

Colin Smothers gets my Onion of the Day

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Quick Thoughts

The reflecting pool in Washington D.C. is metaphor of the Trump presidency. Blame prior Democratic presidents for the terrible condition of the reflecting pool. Tell everyone that you are going to make it more beautiful than ever. Hire inexperienced supporters with a no-bid contract to restore its beauty. Prematurely announce how great it looks. Have everything go wrong. Blame everyone else for the problem, including unverified left/woke vandals that only you know about. Announce that you are going to need more money to fix the problem that didn’t exist before you got involved.

The hiring of the University of Michigan’s men’s head basketball coach, Dusty May, by the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA is a sign of the times. If players can change schools every year in college sports, we would be fools to think current university coaches won’t do the same.

The Michigan men’s basketball team was represented very well in the NBA draft last night as Morez Johnson, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Aday Mara were drafted in the first round. Johnson was the 9^th pick, Lendeborg the 11th, and Mara the 12th. Is it any wonder Michigan won the national championship?

The American League is so bad this year, the Tigers going into tonight’s game, are 34-45 yet they are only 7 games behind the first place White Sox in the Central Division and only 5 games behind for the last wild card position. With over 80 games left in the season, anything can happen.

The US Senate approved a war powers resolution preventing Donald Trump from continuing hostilities against Iran, delivering the president a significant but symbolic rebuke over a conflict that has proven unpopular with the American public. It was passed by the House last month. Whether Trump complies is another story. Regardless, the Senate gets my Orchid of the Day.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “The fact is this was a horrible, one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made. It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will….The agreement was so poorly negotiated that even if Iran fully complies, the regime can still be on the verge of a nuclear breakout in just a short period of time.” President Trump in 2018 about the JCPOA.

Orchid of the Day: The U.S. Senate. See above

Onion of the Day: Colin Smothers. See above.

Question of the Day: Do you think the final outcome of the current negotiations with Iran, will make us safer than we were after the signing of the 2015 JCPOA?

Lyrics of the Day: ‘Cause even when I dream of you (even when I dream)
The sweetest dream would never do
I’d still miss you, baby

Lyrics of the Day for June 17, 2026. Try by Pink

Video of the Day: Jimmy Kimmel on the MOU

https://www.facebook.com/reel/984039717771750

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Insanity

Per the Associated Press, Rick Jackson’s campaign spent more than $100 million, largely out of his own pocket, to defeat Trump-endorsed Burt Jones in the Republican runoff for Georgia governor on Tuesday.

The leads to my Question of the Day: Why would someone spend $100 million to be elected governor of any state?

This question can be applied to most national offices or governorships. It is a question that has baffled me for many years. My heart wants to believe the motive is altruistic. My brain says otherwise. Experience shows that most people leave public office at the national level much wealthier than when they started and much wealthier than their salary would suggest.

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A perfect example

From Bridge Michigan. The wife of former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield has pleaded guilty to embezzling from a political nonprofit, more than two years after both were charged as part of a wide-ranging corruption probe.

Stephanie Chatfield had faced two counts of embezzling and conspiring to embezzle up to $20,000 from a nonprofit, each of which was punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

Under an agreement revealed Tuesday, Stephanie Chatfield will face no jail time. Instead, she’ll get probation after pleading guilty to embezzling between $200 and $1,000 from the nonprofit.

Lee Chatfield still faces 13 felony counts, including allegedly “conducting a criminal enterprise,” which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He has pleaded not guilty.

While leading the state House in 2019 and 2020, Lee Chatfield raised millions of dollars.

At a preliminary examination in 2025, a forensic accountant testified that the Chatfields had used the nonprofit Peninsula Fund to pay off $152,000 in personal credit card debts.

Of that, nearly $21,700 was for allegedly improper expenses, including tickets to Universal Studios in Florida, a $1,353 dinner at Ocean Prime in Naples, Florida, nearly $1,000 in dry cleaning and more than $650 from the Vineyard Vines clothing company.

Authorities began investigating Lee Chatfield more than three years ago when his sister-in-law, Rebekah Chatfield, accused him of sexually assaulting and manipulating her for more than a decade, beginning in the early 2010s when she was a teenage student at the Christian school where he taught.

She first shared her account publicly with Bridge Michigan. Nessel, the state’s attorney general, previously said the probe failed to yield conclusive evidence of sexual assault, and Lee Chatfield characterized it as a consensual affair.

The investigation also shed light on the opaque world of nonprofit account fundraising in Michigan politics, where many elected officials have so-called “dark money” accounts which have little oversight of their fundraising and spending.

The case against Lee Chatfield and others is a long time coming and is more complicated than “conducting a criminal enterprise”. Two of Chatfield’s associates have taken plea deals in exchange for their testimony against Lee Chatfield.

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Izzo is upset and he should be

Per the Detroit News, Tom Izzo is ashamed. Disgusted. Hurt, he said. And it has nothing to do with a performance on the basketball court. Instead, it’s the state of Michigan State leadership.

Izzo sounded off on the loss of Athletic Director J Batt to Kentucky and the impending departure of President Kevin Guskiewicz to Clemson University in a Monday morning interview with reporters. He called the departures “self-inflicted,” and he can’t stand what is happening to the university he’s given 31 years as a head basketball coach.

“I’ve had it. This is self-inflicted,” Izzo said. “We just lost the best president that may have ever been here, maybe. One of the best. And there are other dominoes that get affected when things go wrong like that.

“I’m very upset about it. And I’m sick of it. And I’ll go into why when I decide to say something in the near future, how’s that?”

Izzo said he’s keeping his full comments withheld as the situation unfolds, but he did give marching orders to Michigan State alumni who are watching the scene unfold. He may only be a stakeholder, but he wants to see alumni in action.

“If there’s ever a time that we need to rally together, it’s now. And that’s all 600,000,” Izzo said. “... I’m gonna ask the alums to stand up, because what happened with our president is ridiculous. And he said it, we know the reasons, and I’m ashamed and disgusted. Hurt. But we’ll see what the Spartan Nation feels. Spartan Nation better stand up. All 600,000 of them.”

MSU Board of Regents get my Onion of the Day. Izzo gets my Orchid of the Day for speaking up. More to come on this story.

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MHSAA has a Private School Problem

As a high school sports official, the recently released information by the MHSAA showing that private schools tend to dominate the major boys’ and girls’ sports is not surprising. Here are key facts released by the MHSAA for boys’ and girls’ soccer, girls’ volleyball, boys’ football, boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ baseball, and girls’ softball.

• · 68.1%-the winning percentage of private schools against public schools in the eight sports

• · 11.9%-the percentage of private schools versus public schools

• · 47.0%-the percent of state championships won by private schools.

This issue is not unique to Michigan. Most public schools are restricted by location as to who can attend their schools, while private schools have no such restrictions. This allows private schools to recruit students, an advantage not available to most public schools. Private schools can also offer scholarships to students which can be used to reduce the cost of the private schools’ tuition. This problem will only get worse as NIL money is expanded to MHSAA student athletes.

MHSAA is working to develop a solution that will make it a level playing field for public and private schools. More to come on this.

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Quick Thoughts

• · Detainees from Florida’s notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail have been relocated to other facilities, according to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The detention facility in the remote Everglades attracted headlines for the brutal treatment of detainees after opening last year. It is about time.

• · Per Heather Cox Richardoson, Sarah Blaskey and Jonathan O’Connell of the Washington Post reported today that even as Trump was assuring the American public that private donors would pay for his ballroom, the White House had already approved tens of millions of taxpayer money for the contractor building the addition. With access to project summaries, the journalists were able to show that “internal cost estimates have been significantly higher than administration officials have acknowledged in public comments or court filings. They also show that the work was projected to rely heavily on taxpayer dollars from the moment it was announced.”

• · More from Heather. In Chicago, a case against six protesters for interfering with a federal agent and conspiring to interfere with a federal agent at a detention facility protest fell apart in May when the judge discovered that prosecutors had talked to individual grand jurors outside the courtroom and removed those jurors who refused to indict, as well as apparently overstating the strength of the evidence against the defendants. Then the prosecutors tried to hide evidence of their misconduct by redacting the transcripts from the grand jury. As Julie Bosman of the New York Times reported, U.S. District Judge April Perry dismissed the case against the “Broadview Six,” saying: “I have read hundreds—if not thousands—of grand jury transcripts involving prosecutors who are the most junior of prosecutors to several U.S. attorneys who appeared before the grand jury. I have never seen the types of prosecutorial behavior before a grand jury that I saw in those transcripts.” This is my Quote of the Day

• · I continue to be amazed how the Trump administration continues to state that we have a peace deal with Iran. The Trump administration is selling a 60-day memorandum of understanding as a permanent peace deal, which couldn’t be further from the truth. The amazing part is that the memorandum of understanding allegedly only states that the Iran and the U.S. will begin negotiations on a potential nuclear agreement. This is amazing because in June of 2025 we were told by President Trump, Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been annihilated. Recently, President Trump said that Iran’s nuclear reserves were worth less than $500,000. What are we to believe? He provides one contradiction after another. Truth is an afterthought.

• ·

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My Blog

Summer is here. It stays light until 10PM in Petoskey at this time of year and I have a hard time getting motivated to write my blog when the sun is still shining at 8:30PM. Thus, I will be limiting my blog to Wednesdays until Labor Day. After Labor Day, I will be back on my Monday and Wednesday schedule.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: U.S. District Judge April Perry dismissed the case against the “Broadview Six,” saying: “I have read hundreds—if not thousands—of grand jury transcripts involving prosecutors who are the most junior of prosecutors to several U.S. attorneys who appeared before the grand jury. I have never seen the types of prosecutorial behavior before a grand jury that I saw in those transcripts.”

Orchid of the Day: Tom Izzo, for speaking up about the dysfunction with the MSU Board of Regents

Onion of the Day: MSU Board of Regents. The dysfunction has been going on for decades.

Question of the Day: Why would someone spend $100 million to be elected governor of any state?

Lyrics of the Day: Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame
Where there is a flame, someone’s bound to get burned
But just because it burns doesn’t mean you’re gonna die
You’ve gotta get up and try, try, try

Lyrics of the Day for June 15, 2026. When Doves Cry by Prince

Image of the Day: Leah asked me to put this in my blog. I have learned to do what Leah asks me to do.

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Your phone is not who you are.

When I was waiting in the front lobby at University of Michigan Hospital on the day of Katy’s and Kacy’s transplant surgery in mid-May, I had the chance to observe hundreds of people coming and going through the hospital’s front door. With a piano playing in the background, it is a great place to sit, relax and observe. It is also a great place to help patients and their guests get to where they need to go. Patients don’t want to be there, and the size of the place can be overwhelming. The looks on their faces are silently screaming for assistance.

One of the things that jumped out at me was that a large portion of the employees who were coming and going by the front entrance never stopped to ask a patient if they could help them. These employees never noticed the look on the patients’ faces because the employees had their faces buried in their phones. Whatever was happening on their phone was more important than helping a patient. It made me sad.

Other than sharing my observation with two former hospital employees, Sue and Judy, I have kept the observation to myself. However, yesterday, I read an article by Mitch Albom, which hits home about the same point. The following are excerpts from Albom’s article titled A commencement address for today’s high school grads.

Congratulations, graduates:

Thank you for asking me to speak at your high school commencement. You all look great — and so young! It’s a sign of age when teenagers look younger than they are, while you yourself look older than you imagine. But age also allows me to share the following thoughts, which I hope one day you will remember as worthwhile.

My own high school graduation was exactly five decades ago this week. I still remember that day, which is good, because we took pictures with an Instamatic camera, and I have no idea where those few photos are now. There was no video. No iPhones or Androids. It wasn’t streamed or uploaded. You were there or you missed it.

Which is where I want to begin. Being present. Eyes forward. Neck straight. If there is a first piece of good advice for the Class of 2026, it is this:

Put the phone away.

Live life. Don’t pose it. Experience things. Don’t scroll them. Life is not a screen, but it surely has become one. If it’s not recorded today, it seemingly doesn’t count. If you can’t share it, it’s diminished.

Apple developed the first front-facing camera iPhone in 2010. Most of you were 2 years old. Which means you are the first Selfie Generation.

Maybe you like that.

But I believe something was lost when we stopped needing people to take our pictures and started doing it ourselves. It heralded the age of making us the center of everything, and the way we presented to the world being more important than how we truly looked or felt inside.

What matters now is how you are perceived, how many friends and likes you have, how many clicks and reposts you earn.

This isn’t healthy. Yours is not the first generation to worry about image. Just the first to make it a religion.

Walk away. Put the phone down. Try an hour a day without being online. Then two. Then four. Witness how an unplugged world changes light.

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Don’t buy what he is selling.

Prior to 2018, the United States was part of The JCPOA, which imposed restrictions on Iran’s civilian nuclear enrichment program in exchange for sanctions relief, was signed on July 14, 2015. It was agreed to by Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- as well as Germany and the European Union.

The JCPOA was designed to ensure that Iran’s nuclear program would be exclusively peaceful and provided for the lifting of nuclear-related sanctions in order to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. In 2018, President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement. It wasn’t long after that Iran started plans to develop a nuclear weapon.

Prior to February 28, 2026, the Strait of Hormuz was open waters to all world traffic, gas was around $3 a gallon throughout the U.S., inflation was under 4% and heading downward, our military had $25 billion more than they have now, our munitions were well stocked. and our military was feared and respected.

On June 15, 2026, President Trump wants us to praise his negotiating skills because he has allegedly negotiated a memorandum of understanding that puts the U.S. in worse standing with Iran than existed prior to February 28, 2026, with little or no possibility of getting the U.S. close to the safety the JCPOA offered the U.S. and the world prior to Trump tearing up the JCPOA in 2018.

The great dealmaker he is not. The facts speak for themselves. Don’t buy what he is selling.

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Quick Thoughts

The New York Knicks NBA playoff run was impressive. During the playoffs, they went 16-3, including 15-1 in their last 16 games. The Knicks are a team that has been forged like steel with championship caliber players. Led by the three Villanova alum, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mykal Bridges, the Knicks know how to win, even when they are down by 29 points.

With the Knicks winning the NBA championship, the Piston can take great pride in how they played the Knicks during the regular season. The Pistons were 3-0 against the Knicks with an average margin of victory of 28 points, which is not a typo. The Pistons have a lot to build on following their 60-win season.

In case you were wondering, I did not buy any of Space X stock last week during their initial public offering. I didn’t even think about it.

In case you were wondering, I did not watch the UFC fights on the lawn of the White House. The thought never crossed my mind.

In case you didn’t know, golf can be diabolical. Today, in a pro-am at Crooked Tree, I struck the ball extremely well as I hit lots of fairways and greens, unfortunately, I putted like I had stone hands. I had no touch and no feel. It was pathetic at best.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “Sometimes you have to lose control, to get control.” Crooked Tree Head Pro, Corey May talking about the golf swing. To me, it applies to more than the golf swing.

Orchid of the Day: The New York Knicks. An impressive playoff run.

Onion of the Day: The driver who fled the scene after hitting Katy’s car from behind while driving west on I-94 as Katy was taking Alaina and a friend to a softball game. No one was hurt, which we are so thankful for, especially considering Katy’s recent surgery. Katy now has to deal with the hassles of getting her car fixed.

Question of the Day: What kind of person leaves the scene of an accident in which they were at fault? How do they look themselves in the mirror?

Lyrics of the Day:

Maybe I’s just too demanding. Maybe I just like my father, too bold

Maybe, your just like my mother. She’s never satisfied

Why do we scream at each other?

This is what it sounds like, when …..

Lyrics of the Day for June 10, 2026. Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane

Video of the Day: Beyoncé - “Proud Mary” (Tina Turner Tribute) | 2005 Kennedy Center Honors

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It’s close. The end is near. Iran wants a deal. It is going to happen soon.

If your head is spinning and you are not sure what is going on with the War in Iran, you are not alone.

I have lived through the Vietnam War, the first attack on Iraq, the invasion of Iraq, the Afghanistan War. I have never experienced anything like what we are experiencing now. It is not only Trump who is stringing us along, but also key members of his administration. Within hours contradictory comments can be coming from Trump, Vance, Hegseth, or Rubio. I feel like they are playing us for fools, who will accept whatever they throw at us.

Per a recent analysis by CNN’s Aaron Blake, President Donald Trump has announced that an end to the U.S. war on Iran was around the corner 38 times since he launched the war at the end of February,

Trump first announced that a deal was pending on March 23, when he claimed that “major points of agreement” — indeed, “almost all points of agreement” — had been reached between all parties involved. Since then, it has been BS piled on BS piled on BS.

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Quick Thoughts

College sports are out of control, and I don’t know who to point the finger toward. This week it got UGLY. A Texas judge granted Brendan Sorsby a temporary injunction allowing the quarterback to play for Texas Tech after Sorsby was declared ineligible after violating NCAA rules and placing more than $90,000 worth of bets on sports including more than 40 wagers on the Indiana Hoosiers while he was a member of the Indiana football team. Texas Tech is standing by their player who currently is enrolled in treatment for his gambling addiction. Athletic directors throughout the country are asking their coaches to not schedule any competition with Texas Tech in any sport if Texas Tech plays Sorsby. Texas Tech is Sorsby third school in his college career. There is an Onion of the Day in there somewhere.

Eastern Michigan University baseball hired Mike Ott as their head coach on June 2. On June 9, Ott resigned from EMU to return to Division III Kalamazoo College where he was coach for 14 years prior to taking the EMU job. The official word is that Ott resigned from EMU for personal reasons. The unofficial word is that Ott’s personal coaching beliefs do not align with the current landscape of Division 1 athletics.

There is something wrong with our laws when a president can tear down a portion of The Peoples’ House (The White House) without any oversight or approval from Congress and then claim in court that it is too late to do anything about it. Sorry judge, “My Bad.”

The New York Knicks thought they had everything under control. They had won 13 games in succession and were looking to take a 3-0 lead over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the Spurs had other ideas. Elation turned to concern for Knicks fans in three hours on Monday. If the Spurs win tonight, panic will set in for Knicks fans and Spike Lee will be jumping further onto the court than he did on Monday.

I received the following response to my blog on Monday from a close friend who also grew up in River Rouge in the 60s and 70s. Here is his response.

The worst 5 Detroit suburbs to grow up in? Well in my opinion, it’s really all about perspective. Granted you have a fair amount of statistical data, to point to these cities. Things have really spiraled downward in the last 40 years. Shit happens, as we all know. I too would like to go back, to when I was a kid growing up in #1. Well in spite of all the challenges, my perspective is, it was a good place to grow up in. Everybody knew one another, where you lived and a whole lot more. There were athletes throughout the city, competition was tough, and respect was indeed earned. Tom mentions we were blessed with “street smarts”, this my friends is priceless. In addition to having “smarts”, we learned how to deal with, a diverse population within the city. This helped develop some very successful individuals…. Many have moved on from the city, which has added to the decline, but back in the day, it was a great place to grow up.

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Quote of the Day: This from Mary Geddry. Trump’s America wants to host the world, police the world, bomb parts of the world, sell tickets to the world, deny visas to the world, and hand itself prizes for peace while the missiles are still warm. It wants cheaper gas while blockading Hormuz, lower inflation while escalating an energy war, lower interest rates while prices accelerate, trustworthy data while punishing the people who produce it, and a global sporting festival with a velvet rope at the border.So that is where we leave the morning: with missiles flying, prices rising, tickets soaring, borders tightening, and Trump forever standing at the imaginary threshold of a peace deal that keeps not arriving.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: See above from Mary Geddry

Orchid of the Day: Tiger catcher Dillon Dingler, who had four hits last night including two homeruns. It was Dingler’s second four hit game and multiple homerun game in the first 9 days of June.

Onion of the Day: College Sports: It is heading in the wrong direction. See the above story.

Question of the Day: How close will the U.S. and Iran be to a deal by tomorrow?

Lyrics of the Day: Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like his
Yeah, but in your head, baby I’m afraid you don’t know where it is.

Tears are running down They’re all running down your breast
And your friends, baby They treat you like a guest

Lyrics of the Day for June 8, 2026. Somebody to Love by Jefferson Airplane

Video of the Day: Tigers Dillion Dingler 2 Home Runs vs. Twins 6/9/26 #mlb #shorts #tigers #twins

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The $1.776 Billion Weaponization Fund

As I said last week, it would be foolish to think that President Trump is going to roll over and play dead on his weaponization fund.

Last week Trump did not disavow the fund, even though Todd Blanche said it was dead.

“I love it,” Mr. Trump said of the fund. “I think it’s so important.” “The weaponization fund, as far as I’m concerned, was a beautiful thing.” This is my Quote of the Day.

He continues to insist the January 6 mob that stormed the Capitol have been screwed by the government, even though 150 police officers were injured, and five people lost their lives.

Per Trump, “These are great people that were destroyed, their families have been destroyed. They went there with love.”

Trump will use the fund to reward his most loyal followers, with plenty of dollars left over for him to tap into for himself, all at the taxpayers’ expense.

The criminal enterprise is alive and well at the White House.

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Quick Thoughts

• · My daughter Katy and niece Kacy continue to recover nicely from their transplant surgeries. They both are pushing the envelope on their recovery activities, much to the chagrin of me and Leah.

• · I attended my grandson Lex’s graduation ceremony for Ann Arbor Pioneer High School. It was an beautiful ceremony. The President of Student Council gave the commencement address and she was impressive. She bragged about how active the class of 2026 was in Pioneer extra-curricular activities. To prove her point, she asked the students to stand when she called out an activity that they participated in and to remain standing until she was done calling out activities. She mentioned, athletics, band, theater, robotics, choir, etc. When she finished, at least 95% of the students were standing. The President of Student Council was an impressive young lady.

• · A special surprise occurred for one of our best friends, David and Cheryl Clifton. Their grandson, Isaiah Clifton, was given the Martin Luther King, Jr. Award for his contributions and actions during his four years at Pioneer. Isaiah had no idea he was getting the award. It was a special moment for the Clifton family. Isaiah gets my Orchid of the Day

• · David Clifton and I ran the Saturday Morning Basketball Clinic in Ypsilanti for 20 years. Our families have a special relationship with each other. We have attended many family events together such as Sunday when we attended Isaiah’s graduation party. David, who is black, loves to introduce me to his friends and relatives as his kids’ Uncle Tom, much to the embarrassment of our wives. Sunday was no exception. The looks on his relatives’ and friends’ faces are priceless. If only everyone could get along with each other the way our two families do.

• · Last week, I was forwarded a text message which identified the worst Detroit suburbs to live in 2026. In reverse order they were 5. Ecorse, 4. Inkster, 3. Highland Park, 2. Pontiac, and number one, my hometown, River Rouge. As I look at this list, I think back at my time growing up in River Rouge in the 50s and 60s and my guess, it would have been the same list back then however, in slightly different order. These five cities, despite the poverty and high crime, have produced many wonderful people who have been highly successful in all walks of life. Many of us from the River Rouge High School Class of 1969, will be attending a 75^th birthday party in July, celebrating 2026 as the year we all turn 75. We had a class that was undefeated in football and was state champions in basketball. We had the Willie Heston Award Winner as the outstanding scholar athlete in the state. An incredible number of us went on to have highly successful professional or technical careers. Most importantly, we had good and caring people who I look forward to spending a memorable night with talking about growing up in River Rouge. I have said this many times, growing up in River Rouge and attending River Rouge High School was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. Kids growing up in River Rouge developed “street smarts” which helped them immensely in their adult lives.

• · As Jake Roger’s said in August 2024, “Don’t let the Tigers get hot!”. May was miserable for the Tigers, the worst month in history, but June is starting off great. The Tigers have dug a deep hole that they will need to climb out from, but there is plenty of time to do so. With over 95 games left they are not out of it. If they can keep winning series, they will back in the division and wild-card race in no time.

• · The Wall Street Journal had an article this weekend that turned my stomach. It told the story of elite high school athletes who early enrolled in the college they will be attending to play sports. By foregoing their last semester of high school and enrolling early in college, the athletes are able to collect whatever NIL money the university agreed to pay the incoming freshman, which is some cases is more than $1 million per year. These student athletes, with wads of money, are returning to their high schools to attend their senior proms. In the WSJ article, they identified athletes who are spending upwards of $80,000 to attend their senior prom, by buying Rolex watches, designer clothes, personal concierges and renting luxury automobiles including Bentleys. I stopped reading the article, when I read about the parents who thought what their kids were doing was great. There is an Onion of the Day in there somewhere. I am not sure if it goes to the universities, the students, the parents, or all three.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “The weaponization fund, as far as I’m concerned, was a beautiful thing.” President Trump

Orchid of the Day: Isaiah Clifton for being awarded the Martin Luter King, Jr. Award as a senior at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School

Onion of the Day: See above about spending $80,000 on a senior prom.

Question of the Day: What is your bet on when gasoline will get back to pre-February 28, 2026, levels? One month, three months, six months, one year, never?

Lyrics of the Day: Your eyes, I say your eyes may look like his
Yeah, but in your head, baby I’m afraid you don’t know where it is.

Tears are running down They’re all running down your breast
And your friends, baby They treat you like a guest

Lyrics of the Day for June 1, 2026. American Pie, by Don McLean

Video of the Day: https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=RaHnbNRUuP0

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My Amazing Daughter and Niece

On the morning of Wednesday May 20, U of M surgeons from the Transplant Program successfully transferred a kidney from my daughter Katy Krieg to my niece Kacy Biggs.

The surgery was without complications. Katy was home by Thursday May 21 and Kacy by Friday May 22. Both are recovering well at this point. Both are biting at the bit to get over the recovery and get back to living.

The joke of the week was Katy’s surgeon referring to her kidney as the Maserati of kidneys.

It was a wonderful experience for Leah and me as we took over most of Katy’s duties, which primarily consisted of me picking up kids from school, attending softball and baseball games, and family night at school. Leah was instrumental in keeping up with the wash, keeping Katy company, making sure Katy followed doctors’ orders and also attending baseball games and family night.

We were blessed by the organization of a “food train” by Katy’s friend, Lesley Lopez. Friends and neighbors delivered meals every evening as well as breakfast on Saturday. It was a gamechanger for Leah and me.

My sister Nancy is coming in from Columbia, Maryland to help Katy and check in on Kacy. I wished Nancy luck making sure the patients are following doctors’ orders.

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He is making Nixon look like Mother Teresa

I was absolutely incensed when the lawyers for Trump announced the formation of the 1776 Anti-Weaponization Fund, which was to be used to reward those that Trump and five chosen cronies agreed had been wrongly prosecuted or wronged by the Biden administration. This included the possibility that those convicted of crimes committed on January 6, 2021, would be compensated.

To get a portion of the $1.776 billion fund all they had to do was to submit a request to the five cronies and voila they would be paid. There was no oversight by Congress or anyone outside of Trump and the five cronies. Trump could hand out $1 million dollar rewards for hundreds of his followers for their loyalty. The way the fund was set up, Trump could allocate one million to his 1,500 of his most loyal followers and still have $276 million for himself. No questions asked.

The real kicker came the next day when the Interim Attorney General and Treasury Department concocted a settlement agreement against Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, in which Trump, his family, and the Trump family businesses are immune from IRS audits past, present and future. This agreement is worth hundreds of millions of dollars to Trump and his family because it means Trump and his family can claim any deduction they want, to reduce their annual taxes to zero or less. It also eliminates the audit that was put on hold once Trump was re-elected, in which $100 million was being questioned by the IRS. It is an unbelievable agreement, in which the taxpayers are paying the price.

Trump’s take on the agreement is that he is giving up $10 billion to help those who were wronged by the Biden administration. Trump believes the taxpayers should be thankful for the sacrifice he is making because he is saving taxpayers money.

The audacity of Trump has finally riled some Republicans to the point they are demanding Trump withdrawal the 1776 Anti-Weaponization Fund or they will withhold funding approval for Trump’s favored agenda items.

The fund has also been put on hold by a federal judge. However, we know that Trump will appeal the judge’s ruling until he can take it to SCOTUS where they will likely fall in line with Trump’s desire.

As of today, Trump is considering withdrawing the fund. However, this must be taken with our eyes wide open. Trump is notorious for using a slight of hand to make it look like he is doing everyone a favor, when in fact he does something else to make sure he comes out ahead. Who knows what it will be, but it will be something.

Trump is running a criminal enterprise out of the White House. As the creation of the Anti-Weaponization Fund and the IRS Settlement indicates, Trump is surrounded by lawyers who will do whatever it takes to make Trump richer and keep the gravy train working for those who are loyal to Trump. Honesty and integrity, have no place in Trump’s inner circle. Don Corleone would be jealous.

I can comfortably say that Trump’s second administration is much worse than the Nixon administration. I can comfortably say that in the nearly 17 months since the start of his second term, Trump and his family have accumulated more wealth than all previous presidents combined.

How people can turn a blind eye to Trump’s criminal behavior is beyond me.

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War in Iran

We are now entering week nine in a war that was supposed to be over in four weeks. Unfortunately, there is no end in sight.

Trump supporters continue to support him, using the excuse that we need to make sure that Iran doesn’t have a nuclear weapon.

I just want to shake them and remind them, that the U.S., Iran and the major world powers had a nuclear agreement in place which Trump withdrew from in 2018 because he thought it was a terrible deal that he would have never agreed to sign. The following is a summary of the agreement.

The Iran nuclear deal, officially called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), was signed in July 2015 between Iran, the United States, and five other world powers (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Germany) along with the European Union. Under the agreement, Iran agreed to limit uranium enrichment, reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium, and allow extensive inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in exchange for relief from international economic sanctions The deal aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons for 10 to 25 years while allowing it to pursue civilian nuclear energy.

It may not have been perfect, but I felt much safer under the JCPOA than I do now.

The next time a Trumper tells you they support Trump’s war in Iran because we need to make sure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, please remind them about the JCPOA that Trump withdrew from in his first term.

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EMU Women’s Golf Team

In the last few years donors at Eastern Michigan University have invested ten million dollars to improve the facilities for the EMU men’s and women’s golf teams. They have also invested millions in NIL to enhance recruitment.

It paid off recently as the EMU Women’s Golf Team made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I Championship. The EMU women surprised everyone by qualifying as one of the eight teams to advance to the match play portion of the event. In the quarterfinal round, the EMU women continued to impress as they knocked off the highly ranked Texas Longhorn women before losing in the semi-final round.

No EMU golf team had ever advanced to the NCAA Division I tournament prior to this year’s women’s team. They get an Orchid of the Day

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

**********************************************************************************************************

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Quote of the Day: “It is the Maserati of kidneys.” The transplant physician described Katy’s kidney to Leah and me following Katy’s and Kacy’s successful transplant surgery.

Orchid of the Day: The entire transplant team at Michigan Medicine. Thank you.

Second Orchid of the Day: Lesley Lopez for organizing the “food train” for Katy and her family while Katy recovers.

Third Orchid of the Day: The EMU Women’s golf team advancing to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I tournament.

Onion of the Day: I normally do not give out an onion on days I give out multiple orchids, but I am making an exception and giving one to the Detroit Tigers. Their record of 6-22 in May is one of the worst monthly records in the history of the MLB

Question of the Day: Why did it take so long for Republicans to finally push back on Trump’s criminal enterprise that he is running out of the White House?

Lyrics of the Day: Helter skelter in a summer swelter
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter
Eight miles high and falling fast
It landed foul on the grass
The players tried for a forward pass
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast

Lyrics of the Day for May 13, 2026. Imagine by John Lennon

Video of the Day: Pink - Me and Bobby McGee There is a lot of Janis in PInk

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War in Iran

On February 19, 2026, nine days before Trump attacked Iran, a subscriber of this blog asked my thoughts on attacking Iran. Here is my response to the question.

“As far as Iran goes. As long as Iran stays within their boundaries I would leave them be and sanction the shit out of them. Iran is a lose-lose situation for us. Have we not learned from Iraq and Afghanistan?”

I normally don’t include articles that are as long as the following article by Robert Kagan, neoconservative member of the Brookings Institution, and opinion writer for The Atlantic. I am making an exception because it summarizes my fears about the War in Iran. It is worth your time to read. It is eye-opening, alarming, and not surprising.

It’s hard to think of a time when the United States suffered a total defeat in a conflict, a setback so decisive that the strategic loss could be neither repaired nor ignored. The calamitous losses suffered at Pearl Harbor, the Philippines, and throughout the Western Pacific in the first months of World War II were eventually reversed. The defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan were costly but did not do lasting damage to America’s overall position in the world, because they were far from the main theaters of global competition. The initial failure in Iraq was mitigated by a shift in strategy that ultimately left Iraq relatively stable and unthreatening to its neighbors and kept the United States dominant in the region.

Defeat in the present confrontation with Iran will be of an entirely different character. It can neither be repaired nor ignored. There will be no return to the status quo ante, no ultimate American triumph that will undo or overcome the harm done. The Strait of Hormuz will not be “open,” as it once was. With control of the strait, Iran emerges as the key player in the region and one of the key players in the world. The roles of China and Russia, as Iran’s allies, are strengthened; the role of the United States, substantially diminished. ….the conflict has revealed an America that is unreliable and incapable of finishing what it started. That is going to set off a chain reaction around the world as friends and foes adjust to America’s failure.

…The United States and Israel pounded Iran with devastating effectiveness for 37 days, killing much of the country’s leadership and destroying the bulk of its military, yet couldn’t collapse the regime or exact even the smallest concession from it. Now the Trump administration hopes that blockading Iran’s ports will accomplish what massive force could not. It’s possible, of course, but a regime that could not be brought to its knees by five weeks of unrelenting military attack is unlikely to buckle in response to economic pressure alone. Nor does it fear the anger of its populace. As the Iran scholar Suzanne Maloney noted recently, “A regime that slaughtered its own citizens to silence protests in January is fully prepared to impose economic hardships on them now.”

…Trump halted attacks on Iran not because he was bored but because Iran was striking the region’s vital oil and gas facilities. The turning point came on March 18, when Israel bombed Iran’s South Pars gas field and Iran retaliated by attacking Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world’s largest natural-gas-export plant, causing damage to production capacity that will take years to repair. Trump responded by declaring a moratorium on further strikes against Iran’s energy facilities and then declaring a cease-fire, despite Iran’s not having made a single concession.

…. Even if Trump were to carry out his threat to destroy Iran’s “civilization” through more bombing, Iran would still be able to launch many missiles and drones before its regime went down—assuming it did go down. Just a few successful strikes could cripple the region’s oil and gas infrastructure for years if not decades, throwing the world, and the United States, into a prolonged economic crisis. Even if Trump wanted to bomb Iran as part of an exit strategy, he can’t do that without risking this catastrophe.

If this isn’t checkmate, it’s close.

In recent days, Trump has reportedly asked the U.S. intelligence community to assess the consequences of simply declaring victory and walking away…..It could fall tomorrow, or six months from now, or not at all. Trump doesn’t have that much time to wait, as oil climbs toward $150 or even $200 a barrel, inflation rises, and global food and other commodity shortages kick in. He needs a faster resolution.

…Those who glibly call on Trump to “finish the job” rarely acknowledge the costs. Unless the U.S. is prepared to engage in a full-scale ground and naval war to remove the current Iranian regime, and then to occupy Iran until a new government can take hold; unless it is prepared to risk the loss of warships convoying tankers through a contested strait; unless it is prepared to accept the devastating long-term damage to the region’s productive capacities likely to result from Iranian retaliation—walking away now could seem like the least bad option. As a political matter, Trump may well feel he has a better chance of riding out defeat than of surviving a much larger, longer, and more expensive war that could still end in failure.

Defeat for the United States, therefore, is not only possible but likely. Here is what defeat looks like.

Iran remains in control of the Strait of Hormuz. The common assumption that, one way or another, the strait will reopen when the crisis ends is unfounded. Iran has no interest in returning to the status quo ante. …For one thing, how reliable is any deal with Trump?... The Iranians cannot be sure that Trump won’t decide to attack again within a few months of striking a deal. They also know that the Israelis may attack again…

…the regime in Tehran currently stands to emerge from the crisis much stronger than it was before the war, having not only retained its potential nuclear capacity but also gained control of an even more effective weapon: the ability to hold the global energy market hostage. When the Iranians talk of “reopening” the strait, they still mean to keep the strait under their control. Iran will be able not only to demand tolls for passage, but to limit transit to those nations with which it has good relations.

The power to close or control the flow of ships through the strait is greater and more immediate than the theoretical power of Iran’s nuclear program. This leverage will allow the leaders in Tehran to force nations to lift sanctions and normalize relations or face penalties….In a world where Iran wields influence over the energy supply of so many nations, Israel could face enormous international pressure not to provoke Tehran in Lebanon, Gaza, or anywhere else.

The new status quo in the strait will also occasion a substantial shift in relative power and influence both regionally and globally. In the region, the United States will have proved itself a paper tiger, forcing the Gulf and other Arab states to accommodate Iran. As the Iran scholars Reuel Gerecht and Ray Takeyh wrote recently, “The Gulf Arab economies were built under the umbrella of American hegemony. Take that away—and the freedom of navigation that goes with it—and the Gulf states will ineluctably go begging to Tehran.”

They will not be the only ones. All nations that depend on energy from the Gulf will have to work out their own arrangements with Iran. What choice will they have?. China presumably has some influence over Tehran, but even China cannot force open the strait by itself.

The American defeat in the Gulf will have broader global ramifications as well. The whole world can see that just a few weeks of war with a second-rank power have reduced American weapons stocks to perilously low levels, with no quick remedy in sight. ….at the very least America’s allies in East Asia and Europe must wonder about American staying power in the event of future conflicts.

The global adjustment to a post-American world is accelerating. America’s once-dominant position in the Gulf is just the first of many casualties.

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This makes me chuckle

SCOTUS has handed President Trump an unprecedented number of favorable rulings since he was able to appoint three conservative justices in his first term. The favorable rulings are too many to count, yet Trump is still not happy. And when he is not happy, he turns on those who are making him unhappy, no matter their prior support of Trump.

Heather Cox Richardson summarizes Trump’s recent rants against SCOTUS. Trump complained twice that in its decision declaring his “Liberation Day” tariffs of April 2025 unconstitutional, the Supreme Court had not included a sentence saying, “Any money paid to the United States of America does not have to be paid back.” That sentence, he insisted, “would have saved America 159 billion Dollars!” He complained about his Supreme Court appointees Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett and suggested he should “PACK THE COURT! I’m working so hard to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, and then people that I appointed have shown so little respect to our Country, and its people. What is the reason for this? They have to do the right thing, but it’s really OK for them to be loyal to the person that appointed them to ‘almost’ the highest position in the land, that is, a Justice of the United States Supreme Court.”

He warned them to vote his way on the question of birthright citizenship because “A negative ruling on Birthright Citizenship, on top of the recent Supreme Court Tariff catastrophe, is not Economically sustainable for the United States of America!”

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My amazing daughter

Katy is a wife, a mother of three beautiful children, a friend to many, and an Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Social Security Administration. She has completed three half-Iron Man Triathlons; she was a member of the NCAA Division II National Championship softball team. She gives, gives, and gives. She gets things done. She is impossible to keep up with.

Next week she is giving the gift of life. Katy is donating one of her kidneys to her cousin and my niece Kacy, who is need of a kidney transplant because of a chronic deteriorating kidney disease. The fact that Katy is a match to Kacy is nothing short of a miracle, since we adopted Katy when she was six weeks old.

Leah and I will be staying in Brighton starting on Tuesday until the end of May, helping Katy with her recovery and helping Brad with “ubering” our grandchildren, Alaina, Nolan and Kaylen to school and all their activities. It is the least we can do.

Please keep Katy and Kacy in your prayers.

This will be my last blog until Monday June 1.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

***********************************************************************************************************

Quote of the Day: “As far as Iran goes. As long as Iran stays within their boundaries I would leave them be and sanction the shit out of them. Iran is a lose-lose situation for us. Have we not learned from Iraq and Afghanistan?” Yours truly.

Orchid of the Day: My daughter Katy Krieg.

Onion of the Day: President Trump for turning on SCOTUS, even though they have done more to enhance Trump’s power and protect him from criminal prosecution than any other part of the government.

Question of the Day: Is Robert Kagan’s assessment of the War in Iran correct?

Lyrics of the Day:

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Lyrics of the Day for May 11, 2026. We Gotta Get Out of This Place by Eric Burden

Video of the Day: One of my favorite music videos.

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It’s now Trump’s problem, and it is only getting worse.

I remember the exact moment of the beginning of the Tea Party in 2009, when CNBC’s Rick Santelli went into his now famous rant about the excessive government spending and intervention following the 2008 financial crisis and the passage of the federal stimulus bill. During a live broadcast from the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Santelli criticized the government’s mortgage bailout plan and suggested a “Chicago Tea Party” to protest the government’s fiscal irresponsibility. The movement quickly went viral within hours.

When Santelli went into his rant the national debt was $11 trillion.

Per an article by Evan Gorelick of the NY Times, it’s over $31 trillion, bigger than our entire economy. Here’s what that means: If the federal government were to demand, for an entire year, that all workers hand over 100 percent of their wages, that all landlords hand over 100 percent of their rents, that all investors hand over 100 percent of their capital returns and that all corporations hand over 100 percent of their profits, then at the end of that nightmarish year, the government would still be in debt.

That’s not healthy. The United States hasn’t held this much debt since World War II. And it’s still growing, fast.

Note: Excludes debt the federal government owes itself. Sources: Congressional Budget Office; Treasury Dept. Karl Russell/The New York Times

Yet, today, neither voters nor politicians seem worried. Both parties keep cutting taxes, even as aging Americans receive more money from Medicare and Social Security. Lawmakers keep spending more on the military. And the Treasury must make debt interest payments so huge that they exceed the annual cost of Medicare.

The tax cuts from the “Big Beautiful Bill” and the war in Iran are only making it worse. I am not Rick Santelli, but I know we are heading toward a fiscal cliff. When we arrive, we are not going to like the outcome.

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Where is all this concern about election fraud coming from?

Prior to 2020, the few times I heard about election fraud, it was usually about Chicago where it was said to “vote early and often”. Even in the presidential election of 2000 when Bush carried Florida by only 500 votes, when there were “hanging chads”, and it took a Supreme Court decision to settle the election more than 30 days after the vote, voter fraud was not an issue.

According to the Heritage Foundation, there have been 1,620 convictions of election fraud in the U.S. since 1982, an average of 68 cases per year. The likelihood of any of these cases affecting the outcome of an election is on beyond miniscule.

In 2020, Trump supporters lost 62/63 lawsuits against voter fraud, and the one they won didn’t change the outcome of the election in that district.

Yet today, Republicans, following the President’s lead, are questioning the quality of elections, even in states and districts where Republicans are in control. Rather than facing reality, Republicans running for re-election are afraid of doing anything outside the Trump’s way of thinking, even if they know it is not the truth.

I should not be surprised, considering everyone in Trump’s current administration, had to agree that Trump won the 2020 election before they would be considered for a position in the Trump administration.

The Republican Party is no longer a party of conservatives who can think on their own. The current Republican party is made up of followers who are being told how to think and how to vote. They will follow Trump, no matter the consequences to the country, no matter how many voters they disenfranchise, and no matter the facts. It reminds me of the Pied Piper leading the rats to their death.

It was Trump’s Pied Piper act that led to January 6. The same Republicans who were appalled by January 6, are now passing laws to solve a problem that only exists in Trump’s mind.

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Do you feel reassured that Trump has everything under control?

Per Mary Geddry, Iran is negotiating like it survived the war. Netanyahu is pushing to keep the war open until Iran’s uranium is physically removed. Hormuz remains the global choke point. Oil is back around crisis levels. Gas and diesel are hammering American households. Food inflation may be next. The Fed cannot cut rates because Trump’s war is feeding inflation. Defense-stock ethics questions are hovering over the Pentagon. China is preparing for economic war. Taiwan is preparing for actual war. And the president of the United States is posting like the comments section became commander in chief.

Somewhere in all of this, Americans are supposed to feel reassured that the man who cannot manage his own late-night posting habits is managing a nuclear standoff, a global oil shock, a superpower summit, and the fate of Taiwan.

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The gutting of the Voting Rights Act

For most Americans the recent ruling by SCOTUS which gutted the Voting Right Act doesn’t mean much to them. To me it is a gut punch which takes the country back 60 years to the pre-MLK days. Back to the days when blacks in the South had the constitutional right to vote, but local laws prevented them from voting.

If you only watch one thing regarding the recent supreme court decision gutting the Voting Rights Act, please watch the following video. It is my Video of the Day. Thank you to my sister-in-law Jan for bringing this to my attention.

Sherrilyn Ifill - What Happened to the Voting Rights Act? | The Daily Show

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The Pistons

On Saturday, the Pistons had a chance to take a 3-0 lead in their series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pistons were up by one point with three minutes to go. Unfortunately, the Pistons were outplayed and out executed by the Cavalier in those last three minutes, so now the Piston’s lead the series 2-1 going into tonight’s game in Cleveland.

I look for the Pistons to bounce back in game four and use the last three minutes of Saturday’s game as a learning experience to take a 3-1 series lead and continue their march to the Eastern Conference finals.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day “To recap: Iran is saying stop the war first. Trump is saying hand over the “nuclear dust.” Netanyahu is saying go in and take it. The oil market is saying please, for the love of Brent crude, somebody put an adult in the room.” Mary Geddry in her blog this morning

Orchid of the Day: Gage Workman, who was put on the Tiger’s 40-man roster prior to last night’s game. In his first at bat as a Tiger, Workman hit a two-run pinch hit homerun to propel the Tiger’s to a 6-3 win over the Royals last night.

Onion of the Day: The injury bug. With the addition of Kerry Carpenter, seventeen of the Tigers’ forty-man roster that started the season have spent time on the injured list, and the season is only 6 weeks old.

Question of the Day: Do you feel reassured that Trump has everything under control?

Lyrics of the Day:

In this dirty old part of the city
Where the sun refused to shine
People tell me there ain’t no use in tryin’
Now my girl, you’re so young and pretty
And one thing I know is true
You’ll be dead before your time is due, I know

Lyrics of the Day for May 3, 2026. War by Edwin Starr

Video of the Day: See above

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Pump Shock

On Sunday, as Leah and I were driving home from a weekend in Brighton, I stopped to fill my Taurus SHO with gas. My SHO takes mid-grade so I am used to paying higher prices. However, I was shocked when the pump registered more than $80. I have had the SHO since 2017 and I have never paid more than $55 to fill my tank.

The sad part is that I know it is only going to get worse before it gets better according to a recent article in The Atlantic. Here are excerpts from the article.

The global economic damage from the first two months of the war has been stark. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been reduced by about 90 percent, from some 120 to 150 daily transits to a handful, according to a new dashboard by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. This week, Brent crude reached its highest level in four years, at $126 a barrel. The gas-station billboards that line so many American roads reflect the increase: The average price of a gallon of gas hit $4.18. Trump met with American energy executives at the White House Tuesday to warn them that the blockade may persist for weeks or more. Prices of other goods, such as pharmaceuticals, have also spiked. The World Bank forecasts a 16 percent rise in food-commodity prices this year, driven by increased transport costs and the supply squeeze on the fertilizer industry, which relies on exports from the Gulf. The International Energy Agency has said that the world is on the brink of “the biggest energy security threat in history.”

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I cannot believe I missed this.

I cannot believe this slipped by me. It becomes especially important as President Trump’s budget for 2027 recommends significant increases in the Department of Defense spending as it needs to replenish its arsenal after the war with Iran.

From Military.com: After eight failed audits, pressure remains high for the Department of Defense to demonstrate concrete progress, not just long-term promises.

The Department of Defense has failed its department-wide financial audit for the eighth consecutive year, underscoring long-standing challenges in tracking how the nation’s largest federal budget is managed.

Auditors examine whether systems accurately track spending, assets, liabilities, and inventory. That includes everything from payroll and contracts to facilities, vehicles, aircraft, ships, and spare parts. The process also evaluates whether internal controls are strong enough to prevent errors and ensure reliable reporting. Repeated audits have identified weaknesses such as inconsistent documentation, incomplete records, and gaps in inventory tracking

The failure does not indicate fraud or missing funds. Instead, it means auditors could not verify the accuracy of the Pentagon’s financial statements with enough confidence to issue a clean opinion. Still, after eight years of unsuccessful audits, the results continue to raise questions about accountability and oversight.

In February 2026 U.S. Representative Mark Pocan, Democrat (WI-02), co-founder and co-chair of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, and U.S. Representative Andy Biggs, Republican (AZ-05) introduced the Audit the Pentagon Act, which aims to increase transparency and accountability in the defense budget. See my Quote of the Day

I will be following this closely in the future. The Department of Defense gets my Onion of the Day

Thank you Nancy for bringing this to my attention.

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Fiscal Management is an Oxymoron

Inch by inch, step by step, we get closer to the financial cliff. It’s coming and it will not be pretty. Let’s not let the War in Iran or the Epstein files distract us from paying attention to the blocking and tackling of managing taxpayer money.

From the Wall Street Journal. Over the past several decades, leaders and lawmakers from both parties have aggressively added to the deficit by spending much more money than they have brought in through taxes. The annual gulf—called the deficit—just adds more and more red ink to the blob, I mean, debt. The deficit in 2026 is projected to be $1.9 trillion.

The government can only sustain this by borrowing more money. And it has to pay interest to borrow money. This has now become astronomical on its own, with interest payments projected to breach $1 trillion this year. Roughly $1 out of every $7 spent by the government this year is going toward interest on the debt.

Neither party has a political incentive to do much about it. So, the debt snowballs.

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The Pistons

After coming from behind by winning the last three games against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs, the Pistons took game one last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers primarily because of the play of the guys coming off the bench, especially Daniss Jenkins.

It is ironic to hear Duncan Robinson call the journey of Daniss Jenkins, unique considering how unique Duncan Robinson’s journey to the NBA was. Robinson is one of only a handful players in NBA history who started their college career as Division III players and had successful careers in the NBA. Here is what Robinson had to say about Jenkins following the game yesterday per the Detroit Free Press.

“His path is unique and takes a special level of will and character,” Robinson said. “The talent is there, but what stands out is his unshakable confidence. He’s been overlooked his whole career and uses that as motivation. It’s fun watching him play with that energy on both ends. Having another ball handler out there makes a big difference for Cade. We see the work he puts in every day, so it’s great to see him have this moment. He deserves it.”

“That’s been our identity all year, just getting energy from basically one through 11, 12, however many we play,” Robinson said. “I’m happy for (Jenkins), he’s been building for it all year. His journey is unique, and it takes somebody with a special will and character to have that story. He has unshakeable confidence for someone who’s been overlooked his whole career, and he just wears it as a chip.”

See my Video of the Day

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The Tigers

The Tigers are hurting. In the last two days the Tigers have put two time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal on the Injured List (arm surgery) and starting second baseman Glayber Torres (oblique strain) This combined with 10 others on the IL, including starting pitchers Justin Verlander, Casey Mize, Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe and Reese Olson, starting centerfielder, Austin Meadows, starting shortstop Javy Baez, and key relievers Will Vest and Beau Briske will make 2026 a very challenging year.

Fortunately, the Tigers are in the weakest division in the American League, so they just need to hang close until the above players recover.

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Dick Sarns

When I served as Interim Executive Director at Packard Health, I had the privilege of working with Dick Sarns as part of the Development Committee. Dick and his family have been supporters of Packard Health for many years. He and his family were instrumental in the revival of Packard Health because of their generosity, which in addition to direct financial support, included a donation of a multi-million-dollar facility which allowed Packard to initiate a major capital campaign.

Dick Sarns is one of the most fascinating people I have ever met. His contributions to health care are unnoticed by most people. However, anyone who has had open-heart surgery or phyical therapy has probably used one of the many pieces of medical equipment he developed through his companies, Sans, Inc. and Nu Step, Inc.

The last three times I required PT, the providers had multiple Nu Step machines in their facility.

Dick Sarns passed away on Sunday, April 19, 2026, at age 98.
Born June 20, 1927, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, Dick served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was stationed in Japan after the war. Returning home, he took classes at Lawrence Tech and the University of Michigan while working at Argus Camera Company, Buhr, and Strand Engineering. When he designed and built a house for his family on Hewett Drive, he included a workshop that became the first headquarters of Sarns, Incorporated.

Founded in 1960, Sarns, Inc., designed and produced medical devices to assist rapid advances in surgical knowledge. Dick’s first inventions were a sternal saw for heart surgery and the Dingman mouth gag that is still used today in cleft palate surgery. The company made its mark with the heart-lung machine used in open-heart surgery. Sarns heart-lung machines, built in a factory on Jackson Road, ultimately served more than a million heart patients worldwide. A Sarns machine was used in the world’s first heart transplant and in the first artificial heart transplant. When Dick and Norma sold Sarns, Inc., to 3M in 1981, they ensured that all 200 employees kept their jobs and profit-sharing plans.

Dick and Norma’s next company was NuStep, Inc., founded with their son Steve, to design and build a “total body recumbent stepper,” an exercise machine for people of all abilities. The Sarns family constructed manufacturing and office buildings on Venture Drive for 100 employees, and sold NuStep products to health facilities, gyms, and private homes around the world. Dick led NuStep, Inc., as president and CEO until he was 90 and sold the company in 2017. He continued going to the family office, working with his sons, until his last days.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “For years, the Pentagon has failed audit after audit while Congress continues to write blank checks. That’s unacceptable every taxpayer dollar—especially when we’re spending more than $1 trillion on our defense annually, and we’re facing a $38 trillion national debt. The Audit the Pentagon Act imposes tangible consequences for bureaucratic failure. A strong national defense demands both readiness and fiscal responsibility. The era of endless excuses must end.” Representative Andy Biggs, AZ Republican

Orchid of the Day: The Detroit Pistons. Four in a row. Let’s make it five on Wednesday.

Onion of the Day: The Department of Defense. See above story.

Question of the Day: Why haven’t the major media companies made a big deal about the Department of Defense failing its audits? This should have been big time public news after the second failed audit.

Lyrics of the Day:

Listen to me. Ooh war, I despise ‘Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
War means tears, to thousands of mother’s eyes When their sons go off to fight and lose their lives
I said, war (h’uh) Good God, y’all! (What is it good for?)

Lyrics of the Day for April 29, 2026. Free Bird by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Video of the Day: #4 CAVALIERS at #1 PISTONS | FULL GAME 1 HIGHLIGHTS | May 5, 2026

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It is great to be white

It has always been great to be white in this country. Today’s Supreme Court ruling makes it even better. I feel bad for my good friends David, Cheryl, Ernie, Danny, Sharon, Steve, Vic, Vicki, Charles, Trevor, JJ, Larry, and my many classmates at River Rouge High School who have gone to do great things.

Unlike my black and brown friends:

• · I cannot get pulled over by ICE because of my accent or the color of my skin (SCOTUS said it is OK to use accents and color of skin as a reason for ICE to detain and question someone)

• · I don’t have to worry about my race not being represented in congress proportionately to the racial make-up of the country. I know I will be better represented than my black and brown friends.

• · I don’t have to worry about my grandkids being prevented from attending college because of where they live, their names, or the underfunded school district they received their high school education.

Today’s ruling makes it easy to disguise racism under the pretext of political motives.

The Civil Rights Act of 1965 corrected many of the discriminatory and racist acts of the first 190 years in this country. Today’s rulings along with prior rulings of the Kavanagh led Supreme Court have set us back to the ways of pre-Martin Luther King and the Civil Rights Act of 1965.

Today’s ruling makes it better to be white. I do not feel better today because of it.

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King Charles’ speech before Congress

King Charles made his speech to Congress yesterday. I loved Mary Geddry’s summary

The speech built toward its close with increasing clarity. The alliance, he warned, cannot simply coast on past achievements; it has to be renewed, actively, intentionally. Then came the line, the one that will probably outlive the rest of the speech:

“America’s words carry weight and meaning… The actions of this great nation matter even more.”

To me, that sounded like a challenge, because while Charles was speaking and Congress was applauding, and while the chamber performed unity, the rest of the country was doing something very different.

Within hours, the Justice Department secured a new indictment against former FBI director James Comey. The basis? A social media post showing seashells arranged to read “86 47,” which the administration has chosen to interpret as a threat against the president. Yes! Seashells.

At the same time, the FCC, under a Trump-appointed chair, moved to accelerate the review of ABC’s broadcast licenses, forcing multiple local stations into early renewal proceedings years ahead of schedule. The trigger? A Jimmy Kimmel joke about Melania Trump. Not because the joke violated any law or posed a public safety risk, but because it was offensive to the president.

Even critics inside the system aren’t mincing words. They’re calling it unprecedented, a political stunt, a message to every broadcaster in America: fall in line, or we can make your life a living hell.

In one room, a monarch, whose very institution exists because of centuries of negotiated limits on power, stood before Congress and spoke about restraint, partnership, and the rule of law. He invoked Magna Carta, NATO, democratic accountability, and the idea that no one governs alone.

Outside that room, the machinery of the American state was busy demonstrating what happens when those ideas are treated as optional.

That’s the tension Charles was trying to navigate. The tension the British government sent him to manage. It was diplomacy by proxy. Trump may dismiss elected leaders, insult allies, and bulldoze norms, but he likes the monarchy. So, Britain sent the one figure he might actually listen to.

Charles did what he could. He praised, flattered, joked, and invoked shared history and shared sacrifice. He also warned to ignore the pull toward isolation, to honor alliances, defend Ukraine, and respect the rule of law. Protect the systems that make democracy function.

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So much for no more “forever wars”

Per the WSJ: President Trump has instructed aides to prepare for an extended blockade of Iran, U.S. officials said, targeting the regime’s coffers in a high-risk bid to compel a nuclear capitulation Tehran has long refused.

In recent meetings, including a Monday discussion in the Situation Room, Trump opted to continue squeezing Iran’s economy and oil exports by preventing shipping to and from its ports. He assessed that his other options—resume bombing or walk away from the conflict—carried more risk than maintaining the blockade, officials said.

Yet continuing the blockade also prolongs a conflict that has driven up gas prices, hurt Trump’s poll numbers and further darkened Republicans’ prospects in the midterm elections. It has also caused the lowest number of transits through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began.

Since ending the major bombing campaign in an April 7 cease-fire, Trump has repeatedly walked back from escalating the conflict, opening space for diplomacy after earlier threatening to destroy the entirety of Iranian civilization. But he still wants to tighten the grip on the regime until it caves to his key demand: dismantling all of Iran’s nuclear work. On Monday, Trump told aides that Iran’s three-step offer to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and save nuclear talks for the final phase proved Tehran wasn’t negotiating in good faith, The Wall Street Journal reported.

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This Is More Than a Media Takeover

From Lincoln Square: The scale of the consolidation we are seeing is staggering. The $111 billion merger between Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery has officially created an information super-monopoly. This isn’t just about movies or streaming; it’s about who controls the “truth” for hundreds of millions of people.

Under the leadership of David Ellison—backed by the massive tech fortune of his father, Larry Ellison—this new empire now commands a unified front that includes CNN, CBS News, HBO, and Paramount+. The intent behind this takeover is no longer a secret discussed in hushed tones; it is being cheered on by those in power.

Just recently, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signaled exactly what the current administration expects from this consolidation, stating on the record that “the sooner David Ellison takes over [CNN], the better.” Hegseth’s comments came during a press conference where he scolded the media about their truthful coverage of his horribly planned war.

We have already seen the first moves in this playbook: David Ellison’s acquisition of centrist digital outlets and the installation of ideologically driven editors at CBS News have already led to a quiet exodus of veteran journalists who refuse to see their reporting compromised.

If the Secretary of Defense—a key figure in the administration’s military actions—openly roots for a billionaire ally to take over a major news network, how can we expect that network to ever investigate military corruption or government overreach?

They aren’t looking for “balance.” They are looking for the total capture of the platforms that once held power to account. They want to turn every major outlet into a carbon copy of the propaganda machines they have already perfected. If we do not act now to provide an alternative, the truth will simply cease to exist in the public square.

We’ve seen the damage done by Fox News. Imagine them controlling most, if not all of the mainstream media.

Thank you to my good friend George for sharing this with me.

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$5.25 per gallon: Thank You President Trump.

On Sunday I paid 5.25 per gallon for mid-grade to fill my gas tank. It is the most I have ever paid for gasoline

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

********************************************************************************************************

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Quote of the Day: “A moral indictment that reflects a continued retreat from the promise of equal justice.” Martin Luther King III, the son of the slain civil rights leader, on today’s supreme court ruling.

Orchid of the Day: King Charles. He brings a sense of calm.

Second Orchid of the Day: The Buffalo Sabres’ fans. See my Video of the Day.

Onion of the Day: SCOTUS-They make it great to be white.

Question of the Day: Did King Charles’ speech change your opinion of the king?

Lyrics of the Day: Bye-bye, baby, it’s been a sweet love, yeah, yeah
Though this feeling I can’t change
But, please, don’t take it so badly, ‘Cause Lord knows I’m to blame

But if I stay here with you, girl Things just couldn’t be the same

Lyrics of the Day for April 27, 2026. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson

Video of the Day: The Buffalo Sabres’ fans chipping in when needed as they show respect for Canada. Thank you Dan.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17ZW84P9r4/

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Executive Director Dr. Ray Rion’s letter on Packard Health

I have dedicated nearly 50 years to making sure the uninsured and underserved have access to healthcare. In the last fifteen years, Packard Health in Washtenaw County has been a major focus of my time and energy. I have served as the Interim Executive Director, Board member, Treasurer of the Board, and a member of the Finance Committee.

In the last fifteen years, Packard went from a health clinic on the verge of closing to a Federal Qualified Health Center that in 2025 provided 48,775 primary care visits, 10,961 behavioral health visits, 6,667 substance use disorder visits, filled 45,429 prescriptions at its inhouse pharmacy, distributed $2,450 in gas cards to its patients, provided $1,020 bus tokens to its patients, provided 403 rides to its patients and served 5,044 individuals at its food pantries. It did this while providing high quality patient care and while receiving a 91% patient satisfaction score.

Packard health is making a difference in the Washtenaw County community by providing high quality patient care. It is not just for the underserved and uninsured, it is for all patients. Many of its patients include former high-level administrators at U of M and St. Joes who love the quality of care as well as the timely access to primary care that the major health centers struggle to provide.

Unlike most primary care centers, it also provides in-house mental health services by employed mental health providers. Recently, it created its own in-house pharmacy, where patients can have their prescriptions filled on site.

Like all primary care providers, Packard is facing major problems moving forward as the nation’s political will to provide health care for the underserved and uninsured has lessened. The passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” last year is only going to make it worse.

I want to share a letter that Dr. Ray Rion, Executive Director, has written to the Packard community. It is titled “Standing Firm for Our Community”

Dear Friends and Partners of Packard Health,

As I reflect on the past year, I am proud of what our team has accomplished, and clear-eyed about the challenges ahead. The healthcare landscape in our region is shifting in ways that will profoundly affect the people we serve, and I want to share both the obstacles we face and the steps we are taking to meet them.

We are currently facing the most serious degradation to healthcare access in our community since before the Affordable Care Act.

The ACA transformed coverage-Michigan’s uninsured rate fell from 13% before ACA to 5%. Unfortunately, the policy changes now underway have drastically reversed that progress.

The scale of reversal is sobering. In the last three years, over 500,000 Michiganders have lost Medicaid coverage, with 100,000 losing coverage in the last 12 months. Cuts to Marketplace subsidies are projected to leave 200,000 Michigan residents without ACA coverage in 2026, and proposed Medicaid work requirements could leave another 240,000 without coverage in 2027. For our county (Washtenaw), that means an estimated 15,000 of our neighbors will potentially become uninsured within the coming months. These are not abstractions-they are real people who depend on access to care to live healthy stable lives.

Packard will not stand on the sidelines.

We have proactively adjusted our budget to anticipate the impact of insurance cuts. We are actively pursuing additional grant funding and individual donations to sustain and expand our care for uninsured patients. And we are expanding access to patient service representatives who can help community members navigate Medicaid redeterminations-because bureaucratic barriers and administrative inconvenience should never stand between a patient and coverage.

We are also investing in the future. We expanded our addiction treatment services with the OPEN Warmline, launched a community-based program addressing the specific mental health needs of young Black men and boys, added psychiatric services for pediatric and adolescent patients, and we have recently started a new program to bring primary care directly to homebound patients.

The challenges ahead are real, but Packard Health has never shied away from hard times. We have stood firm for our community before, and we will do so again, because serving those who need us most is not just our mission - It is who we are.

Thank you for your continued trust and support-it is because of partners like you that we can face these challenges with confidence and compassion.

With gratitude,

Raymond Rion, MD.

Executive Director.

For more information on Packard Health please visit, www.packardhealth.org

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Breaking the 2-hour barrier in the London Marathon.

For elite marathon runners, breaking the 2-hour barrier for 26.2 miles was a goal similar to the four-minute mile prior to Roger Bannister breaking it on May 6, 1954. Many came close but no one could break it.

Yesterday, the two-hour barrier was obliterated by two runners as Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the London Marathon in 1 hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, bettering the previous men’s world record by an astonishing 65 seconds. He beat Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, who was running his first marathon and finished in 1:59.41.

To run a marathon in that time means Sawe was running at an average speed of 13.15 MPH. He averaged 4 minutes and 33 seconds per mile, 2 minutes and 16 seconds per half mile, and 1 minute and 8 seconds per quarter mile.

And I think averaging 13.1 MPH on my bike for 10 miles is pushing it.

Sawe and Kejeicha get my Orchid of the Day.

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Freedom of information is under duress, and it is only going to get worse

In the coming weeks, I plan on expressing my concerns about where this country (and the world) is heading as it relates to information, how it is being controlled, and how we are being manipulated.

The recent merger of Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery and Peter Thiel’s $400 billion surveillance empire scare the hell out of me.

Big Brother is watching every move we make through our phones, computers, GPS in our cars, our in-home devices, our credit card spending, etc., etc.

Examples are hitting us right in the face if we are paying attention. Yesterday, I texted a person that I just added to my contacts on my phone. Within an hour, the person popped up on my Facebook feed as someone I should friend. Prior to yesterday, this person never showed on any of my Facebook feeds.

On Friday, I got into my car to go to dinner at the Side Door and the GPS in our car gave us directions to the side door without us doing anything.

More to come in future blogs.

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Pistons

The Pistons are in a near must win situation in their game tonight against the Orlando Magic who have a 2-1 lead over the Pistons in the best of seven series. If the Pistons lose tonight, they will have to win the remaining three games, otherwise their season is toast.

The Pistons, starting with their all-pro point guard Cade Cunningham, were careless with the ball on Saturday. Cade had 9 of the team’s 24 turnovers which led to 24 Orlando points.

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Spencer Torkelson

Last week at this time, the Tiger fan base was calling for the benching of Tiger first baseman Spencer Torkelson because he has been in a horrendous slump since the beginning of the season. The fans may have been impatient with Tork, but his manager and his teammates were not. They saw how hard Tork was working before and after games. They saw the little things that were starting to show progress (like hitting toward the opposite field) They knew it was only a matter of time.

On Wednesday Tork hit his first home run of the season. On Thursday he hit his second, which was a walk-off game winner. On Friday, he hit his third. On Saturday, he hit his fourth. On Sunday he hit his fifth.

His five home runs in five successive games tie a franchise record. Hopefully, he can break the record on Tuesday. Tork gets my Second Orchid of the Day

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “Because bureaucratic barriers and administrative inconvenience should never stand between a patient and coverage.” Dr. Ray Rion, See above story.

Orchid of the Day: Sabastian Sawe and Yomif Kejelcha for obliteration the 2-hour barrier in the London Marathon. See above article.

Second Orchid of the Day: Spencer Torkelson for a homerun in five successive games tying the Detroit Tiger record. See above article.

Onion of the Day: Cole Tomas Allen, 31, of Torrance, Calif., came to the nation’s capital with the intention of carrying out a political assassination. He brought a pump-action shotgun, a .38-caliber handgun and three knives, officials said. Normally, I do not give an onion on the days I give two orchids but today is an exception.

Question of the Day: What goes on in the mind of someone like Cole Tomal Allen?

Lyrics of the Day: People always told me, “Be careful of what you do
And don’t go around breaking young girls’ hearts” (hee-hee)
And mother always told me, “Be careful of who you love
And be careful of what you do (oh-oh)
‘Cause the lie becomes the truth” (oh-oh), hey-ey

Lyrics of the Day for April 22, 2026. Mr. Tanner by Harry Chapin

Video of the Day: Very entertaining with great music.

Michael | Official Trailer

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Earth Day:

Today is Earth Day.

I would never consider myself an environmentalist, but I have always believed humankind has a responsibility to take care of our planet. I am appalled at littering and the damage it has done. Air pollution creates serious breathing problems for me, and I am a lifelong asthmatic. The abuse of our planet has had a lasting impact on my health.

I grew up in River Rouge in the 50s and 60s when Rouge was one of the most polluted areas in the country. Snow turned orange after three days. Cars had to be washed weekly, or they would become metallic long before metallic was a thing. The Rouge River had an oil film over the top of it. The Detroit River wasn’t much better, and scientists were predicting that Lake Erie would become a lifeless lake if changes were not made.

Image of the Rouge River on fire in 1969 just months after the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught on fire.

Sixty years later things have improved tremendously in River Rouge and southeast Michigan because of a concerted effort by public and private entities.

The one thing I was skeptical about was climate change, especially as it relates to carbon dioxide. I never understood how something that we as humans exhale could be so dangerous.

It took lots of reading and a change in my paradigm to accept that climate change is a real thing. I have become convinced in the last 15 months when I have lived through three 100-year storms and one 50-year storm. (8 inches of snow on the Gulf of Mexico, the ice-storm in Northern Michigan, the 36 inches of snow in 36 hours and finally, the recent flooding throughout Northen Michigan) Not included, are the fires in Canada which created some serious breathing issues for me the last two summers.

On this Earth Day, we all should take stock in how we are taking care of our planet. It should be part of your everyday life. It should be a consideration when choosing candidates for public office.

The meaning of Earth Day should be something we practice daily. We should encourage others. We don’t have to be extremists, but we can do the simple things that matter. Here are some simple things to do.

· Don’t litter

· Recycle

· Dispose of batteries and household chemicals and appliances properly

· Use battery operated outdoor appliances when possible

· Minimize the use of pesticides and weed killer that cause damage to the environment.

· When going to public areas, leave the area cleaner than when you arrived.

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Not Earth Day: Mining approved for Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

From the blog Public Domain, by Roque Planas: The U.S. Senate voted 50-49 on Thursday April 16 to roll back a mining ban on land adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness located on Federal land in Minnesota, a move that will primarily benefit a foreign mining corporation.

It is an unprecedented use of the Congressional Review Act — a little-known law that allows Congress to rescind regulatory rules — and slashes protections for an iconic Midwestern wilderness area prized for its canoeing, camping and fishing. Twin Metals Minnesota, a subsidiary of Chilean mining conglomerate Antofagasta Plc, has for years angled to establish a copper-nickel mine on national forest land near the wilderness area. Among other things, the company has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to hire influential Trump-aligned lobbyists in D.C. to push its agenda.

In a speech on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) warned that the GOP move “would have far-reaching consequences not just for the beautiful Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, but public lands across our country.” An emotional Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) called it “a dark day” for the Senate and a “boondoggle.”

The House of Representatives passed the measure back in January. It now heads to the White House for Trump’s signature.

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April in the D

April is always an exciting sports time in the Detroit area. This year is no exception. With the Michigan’s men’s basketball team winning the national championship, the Tigers in the hunt for the Central Division crown, the Pistons in the playoffs, and the Lions preparing for the NFL draft, someone like me must prioritize my sports watching.

Baseball and basketball have always been my two favorite sports, so on a night like tonight when the Pistons and Tigers are playing at the same time, I am in sports heaven.

As a result, this is a shorter than normal blog, because I need to get to the task at hand, which is grabbing the remote and working it to the max.

Hopefully, the Pistons can make a nice long playoff run, and the Tigers can stay in the hunt for the Central Division crown. See my Quote of the Day

Is it too much to ask for a repeat of 1989 when Michigan won the national championship and the Pistons won the NBA championship?

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “We’ve got to get our get back. We got to take care of home and protect our home, we have to get this one before we head into their home next. There is no pressure because we have prepared for this. We know our opponent. We have to go out there and do our job. Be the team we are capable of being and handle business.” Detroit Piston backup center Isaiah Stewart.

Orchid of the Day: Earth Day

Onion of the Day: Me, my proof-reading skills were on vacation on Monday

Question of the Day: Can the Pistons rebound tonight against the Orlando Magic and even up their best of seven series 1-1?

Lyrics of the Day: But music was his life, it was not his livelihood,
and it made him feel so happy and it made him feel so good.
And he sang from his heart and he sang from his soul.
He did not know how well he sang; It just made him whole.

Lyrics of the Day for April 20, 2026. Steet Fighting Man by the Rolling Stones

Video of the Day: Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin

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I write reflective, opinionated essays on leadership, politics, sports, and life—grounded in experience rather than ideology. If this perspective resonates with you, you can subscribe here for free.

For a person who wrote a book titled Trump: The Art of the Deal, I am not impressed with the way the negotiations are going with Iran. The information coming from Trump and Iran are lightyears apart. Take the weekend as an example.

First, we hear from Iran that the Strait of Hormuz is open for traffic. Immediately, thereafter, Trump in a post confirms the Strait is open.

Less than hour later, Trump says the Strait is open, but the U.S. is maintaining its barricade of ships. Shortly thereafter Iran announces the Strait is not open because Trump is not lifting his barricade.

On Sunday Pakistan announces it is working with the U.S. and Iran to begin peace talks on Monday. Trump says that we are close to peace and he is sending V.P. Vance to be chief negotiator along with Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. In the meantime, Iran says it has no plans to attend the peace talks. Also on Sunday, the U.S. Navy stops an Iran oil tanker/barrage and shoots a hole in in motor room and then takes over the ship.

Trump may feel like he is creating leverage, but I don’t see it. As I learned as a parent, you cannot negotiate with a two-year-old because they have nothing to lose and they know it. At this point in the process, Iran is acting like they have nothing to lose, because they know that Trump does not want to get into a contracted war that requires troops on the ground.

Trump is already facing problems at home in his own party because of the $2 billion per day he is spending on the war and because the war is now in the seventh week with no end in sight. He promised it would be over in six weeks.

I have been part of a few negotiations in my life, none better than raising two two-year-olds. I have never seen anything like the current negotiations in my lifetime. I am convinced Henry Kissinger is rolling over in his grave.

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$2 Billion per day can go a long way

Per The Guardian: The $2bn (£1.5bn) a week that Donald Trump was spending on his reckless war in Iran could have funded saving more than 87 million lives, the head of the UN’s humanitarian agency, Tom Fletcher, said on Monday.

He also warned the normalization of violent language, such as threatening to bomb Iran back to the stone ages, was very dangerous since it encourages every “wannabe autocrat” to use similar threats and tactics, including the destruction of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Speaking at Chatham House in London, Fletcher, a former UK diplomat and adviser on foreign policy to successive prime ministers said: “For every day of this conflict, $2bn is being spent. My entire target for a hyper-prioritized plan to save 87 million lives is $23bn. We could have funded that in less than a fortnight of this reckless war. Now, of course, we cannot.”

Fletcher’s budget is about $10bn short of his target of $23bn.

He added: “The idea suddenly that it is OK to say, ‘We are going to blow stuff up, we are going to bomb you back to the stone ages, destroy your civilization’ – normalizing that kind of language is really dangerous.

“It gives more freedom to all the other wannabe autocrats round the world to use that sort of language and those sort of tactics, targeting civilian infrastructure and civilians in a way that completely breaches international law.”

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Michigan Democrats must have missed this.

On Sunday, April 19, the Michigan Democrats endorsed Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit as their nominee for the Michigan’s attorney general in the November election. They must not have read the following article that appeared in the Detroit News on Friday April 17 in which Savit admitted to charging Washtenaw County up to $4,000 for travel expenses that had nothing to do with Washtenaw County business but were related to his campaign for AG.

It would seem to me that honesty and integrity should be the most important characteristic of a candidate for AG. But then again, I may be naïve, when you consider the characteristics of the current AG of Michigan and the previous U.S. AG.

Per the Detroit News: Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit said Friday he’ll repay the county government for spending on his fuel for travel across the state after The Detroit News revealed that some of the government expenditures had directly supported his campaign for attorney general.

Twelve hours after The News Investigation was published online, tying $838 in gas purchases to campaign events outside Washtenaw County, Savit’s campaign released a statement that said the candidate “will be voluntarily reimbursing the county in the amount of any gas purchases he has made since he launched his campaign.”

“As a public servant, Eli has always strived to hold himself to a higher standard than simply what is allowed,” his campaign’s statement said. “And Eli will always strive to maintain the public trust.

“When, upon reflection, he believes a course-correction is necessary to avoid unnecessary questions or concerns, he will do so.”

Savit’s statement didn’t specify the tally of how much he would repay, but it said he would reimburse the county “in the amount of any gas purchases” he made since launching his campaign on May 13, 2025.

That would equal about $4,644, according to an analysis of county records by The News.

The above is not a surprise to me. I have been hearing roomers about Savit and the Washtenaw County Sheriff since their first days on the job. The current Sheriff had her ability to hire staff taken away from her by the County Board of Commissioners). She was accused of not properly filing expense statements, which has also been reported extensively in the media.

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The Stock Market

Anyone trying to make sense of the stock market last week must be pulling their hair out. In spite of the turmoil over Iran and the price of Oil, the S&P reached a record high on Friday as it closed over 7,000.

People trying to predict the market haven’t a chance in today’s environment.

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The Pistons

In their first playoff game against the Orlando Magic (8 seed), the Pistons (1 seed) took it on the chin in the first few minutes as they were down quickly 18-5, and for the remainder of the game they took body blows all game long and could never take the lead. The Magic led for the entire game except for a moment when it was tied in the third quarter. The final score was 112-101 as the Magic took the first game of a seven-game series.

It was not a surprise as the Magic was playing their third playoff game in five days, while the Pistons had not played since last Sunday and that was in a meaningless final game of the regular season. The Magic looked razor sharp, and the Pistons were as rusty and as uncoordinated as the Tin Man. The Magic were bigger, stronger, and faster on Sunday.

The next game on Wednesday is a must win for the Pistons as they try to stop an eleven-game home losing streak in the playoffs. The Pistons last home playoff win was in 2008.

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The ABS system in major league baseball is working as planned

The ESPN website tracks the ABS challenge system on a daily basis. It ranks success rates by position (pitcher, batter, and catcher) and by umpire (overturned vs challenge). Here are some interesting statistics.

Batters

• · Pete Alonzo of Baltimore has won 6 of 6 challenges

• · Kevin McGonigle the 21 year-old rookie from Detroit has won 5-7 challenges

Catchers:

• · Mitch Garver of Seatle has won 6 of 6 challenges

• · Dillion Dingler of Detroit has won 11 of 13 challenges including the first pitch of the game on Sunday.

Teams:

• · The Kansas City Royals rank first, winning 65.9% of their challenges

• · The Tigers rank seventh, winning 61.4% of their challenges

Umpires:

• · Erich Bacchus has been challenged 9 times on 920 pitches called for a 1.0% challenge rate. Of the 9 pitches challenged has 1 call overturned for an 11.1% overturn rate

• · Andy Fletcher has been challenged 21 times on 1208 pitches called for a 1.7% challenge rate) Of the 21 challenges he has 18 calls overturned for an 85.7% overturn rate.

Pitchers are smart enough to let their catchers do the challenge. The data on pitchers is not statistically valid other than there are not very many pitcher challenges.

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Question of the Day:

One more time. Do you feel our country and our citizens are safer now than we were prior to the start of the war with Iran? I don’t.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “The idea suddenly that it is OK to say, ‘We are going to blow stuff up, we are going to bomb you back to the stone ages, destroy your civilization’ – normalizing that kind of language is really dangerous” Tom Fletcher, a former UK diplomat and adviser on foreign policy to successive prime ministers said:

Orchid of the Day: The MLB ABS. It works well and provides great information on the quality of the umpires at the MLB level. With challenge rates well under 2% it shows that the umpires are very good.

Onion of the Day: Michigan Democrats for nominating Eli Savit for Michigan’s attorney general. The integrity of an AG candidate should never be called into question. Savit has proved his integrity is questionable. See above story.

Question of the Day: One more time. Do you feel our country and our citizens are safer now than we were prior to the start of the war with Iran?

Lyrics of the Day: Everywhere I hear the sound of marchin’, chargin’ feet, boy. ‘Cause summer’s here, and the time is right For fighting in the street, boy

Well now, what can a poor boy do? ‘Cept to sing for a rock-n-roll band
‘Cause in sleepy London town There’s just no place for a street fighting man No

Lyrics of the Day for April 15 2026. Up Where we Belong by Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes from an Officer and a Gentleman.

Video of the Day: Yes: I Have Seen All Good People

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I write reflective, opinionated essays on leadership, politics, sports, and life—grounded in experience rather than ideology. If this perspective resonates with you, you can subscribe here for free.

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It’s Tax Day

This should make you feel good about paying your taxes today.

Per the Guardian: The world’s top 100 oil and gas companies banked more than $30m every hour in unearned profit in the first month of the US-Israeli war in Iran, according to exclusive analysis for the Guardian. Saudi Aramco, Gazprom and ExxonMobil are among the biggest beneficiaries of the bonanza, meaning key opponents of climate action continue to prosper.

The conflict pushed the price of oil to an average of $100 (£74) a barrel in March, leading to estimated windfall war profits for the month of $23bn for the companies. Oil and gas supplies will take months to return to pre-war levels and the companies will make $234bn by the end of the year if the oil price continues to average $100. The analysis uses data from leading intelligence provider Rystad Energy, analyzed by Global Witness.

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It’s also Jackie Robinson Day

Today the MLB honors Jackie Robinson who broke the color barrier this day in 1947. Today, every player wears number 42 in honor of Robinson, whose number has now been retired by the MLB so no one will where the number in the future. Here are excerpts from ESPN.

When Robinson walked out on that field for the first time with the Dodgers on April 15, 1947, he was called everything other than what my late mother would say -- a child of God. When he came to the plate, they knocked him down continuously. Sometimes opposing pitchers would get fined if they didn’t knock him down. When he would slide into second base, he would oftentimes come up wet, from where the opposition had spit on him; when opponents came into second base, they’d do so spikes high, trying to cut him. They did everything imaginable to break Jackie, but Jackie would not break.

Rickey picked the right guy, because failure was not an option -- on either side of the situation. How much longer would it have been for another Black man to get the opportunity to play in the major leagues? It could’ve been five, 10, 15, 20 years or more for that to happen again. If that had happened, think about the stars we would’ve missed -- Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Ernie Banks, Monte Irvin, Bob Gibson, Roberto Clemente. Can you imagine our sport without those great stars?

Jackie wasn’t playing only for Jackie. He was carrying the weight of 21 million Black folks when he walked across those lines, and if he failed -- in a game that is predicated on failure -- then an entire race of people would’ve failed. We were counting on him, and he couldn’t fail. I tell people all the time that the level of euphoria in the Black community was like when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Robinson was our Neil Armstrong.

See my Video of the Day

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Flooding in Northern Michigan

I am getting a lot of inquiries from friends about the flooding in Northern Michigan. Leah and I are not directly affected, but the City of Petoskey on Tuesday morning was gridlock with some of the main roads heading in and out of town affected by the flooding. Getting from one side of town to the other was an adventure.

Our condo complex is nearly 300 feet above the shore of Little Traverse Bay, is 200 feet above U.S. 31, and we are not near any rivers or streams, so we are dry compared to many others.

Once again, it seems like we were hit by the perfect storm. The ground is still frozen, 36 inches of snow is melting, and a major thunderstorm dumps heavy rain in a short period of time. The water only has one way to go, which is downhill. It is a quick reminder of how the rivers and creeks were formed a long time ago.

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Tax Day-Paying their way

Undocumented immigrants are major contributors to the economy and to the U.S. government revenue. This is contrary to what the current White House administration is saying. See the article below in the NY Times today.

Today, many undocumented immigrants are debating whether to file their taxes.

That may — or may not — come as a surprise to you. To some, undocumented immigrants are scofflaws, people who come here and leech off the system. “Many, many illegal aliens do not pay taxes,” Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, told Politico last year.

Except most do pay taxes, according to researchers. The Internal Revenue Service lets anyone file, whether they have a Social Security number or not. Undocumented workers in the United States pay roughly $20 billion in income taxes each year.

As today’s tax-day loomed, many of those immigrants worried. Under the Trump administration, the I.R.S. shared some of their addresses with immigration officials — something it had never done before. They fear that federal agents might scoop them up, should they send in their tax forms.

“I don’t know if we can trust this government not to come after us,” one woman told The Times. She and her husband, also undocumented, have paid federal taxes every year for more than a decade. He described their thinking to my colleague Miriam Jordan, who covers immigration: “If one day there’s immigration reform and the chance to legalize our status, we can show that we file our taxes, are not a burden — that we do the right thing,” he said.

The Treasury will collect a lot less money if undocumented workers skip filing season this year. Many have taxes withheld in their paychecks.

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Two Paths

The following are excerpts from an article by Elliot Kirschner that was posted on Saturday. It is worth the time.

At first glance, the two biggest stories of the past week, the mission of the Artemis spacecraft and the war in Iran, seem to have little in common beyond the fact that both were launched by the United States government.

One is a stirring success. The other a metastasizing failure.

One inspires the world with awe and wonder. The other leaves it reeling from death and chaos.

One celebrates the human instinct to push beyond horizons in search of knowledge and insight. The other feeds a darker impulse for violence and destruction.

…But we can learn a great deal from contrast and comparison. That is why these two events should be viewed in tandem. Because in doing so, we can see both the rot of this regime and the capacity of this nation to produce something far beyond what these destructive fools could ever imagine.

In the dissonance between lunar exploration and an insane war of choice, we can see what truly makes America great, and the petty vindictiveness that drives those currently misleading the nation.

We can see why expertise is essential. Why you must plan and prepare for the unknown. Why you must approach challenges with humility. Why you should seek out collaboration. And why you must be willing to learn from your mistakes.

In short, one path is the path of progress, uplift, and hope. It is built on strategic thinking, iteration, and science, the striving to reach for precarious possibilities through ingenuity, grit, and perseverance. The other path is one of folly,…unchecked biases, bad assumptions, inconsistencies… that characterize so much of this….regime’s approach to governance...and the way it inflicts its stupidity on the world.

Let us be very clear: the leaders of this regime do not have the temperament,…or creativity to achieve great things such as space exploration. they feed off the strength of what those who came before them built, using traits they do not possess….They gamble away the professionalism of our military on a conflict they brashly believed would be easy, and that is now leaving us profoundly weakened.

Watching the Artemis II astronauts splash down in the Pacific Ocean after their trip to the moon gave those of us who were not around, or too young for the Apollo missions, our own album of mental images, images that in many ways mirrored that bygone era. The capsule descending beneath its parachutes. Bobbing in the ocean with its flotation devices. Navy helicopters circling, retrieving the astronauts. The unmistakable sense of a remarkable accomplishment.

It was a turning back of the clock to another difficult era in our nation’s history, another time of war and division, when we needed to remember what greatness could be and the power of unity and our common humanity.

The fact that we hadn’t gone back (to the moon) in 50 years, and that when we did we returned in a way so similar to that distant time… it also reveals an invariable spirit, one that drives us forward and cannot be quenched.

Life is about the unknowable. It is about challenges and unanticipated consequences. It encompasses our own frailties.

The intervening decades of space exploration brought remarkable achievements, the Hubble Telescope, the International Space Station, the courage of the astronauts who flew aboard the Space Shuttle. But they also brought tragedy, and lessons in our own hubris and blindness.

In 1986, in the wake of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, just 73 seconds into flight, which killed seven astronauts, the Reagan administration launched a commission to investigate. One of its members was the legendary physicist Richard Feynman, who identified a fatal flaw in the design of the shuttle’s booster O-rings. Just as importantly, he exposed a systemic failure within NASA’s culture to recognize the danger and operate safely.

In the final line of his conclusion to the report, Feynman wrote words that became famous and speak directly to our time: “For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.” This is my Quote of the Day

Reality must take precedence. We cannot turn our decision-making over to public relations or propaganda. Nature cannot be fooled, because we cannot hide from the truth forever. These are the principles that can guide us to greatness, and we ignore them at our peril.

…Feynman’s lessons are not only about the negative. He reminds us that technology can be successful, that humans have the capacity not only to create, but to learn from nature and experience, to improve, to tinker, and to build something better and more robust. Evidence of this is found throughout history, just as evidence of human hubris is everywhere as well.

The enduring strength of a democracy is that we have the power to choose. And in this past week, we have seen clearly where choosing well and choosing poorly can lead.

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Question of the Day

I have been contemplating this question for a few weeks. Do you feel our country and our citizens are safer now than we were prior to the start of the war with Iran? I don’t.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

Quote of the Day: “For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled.” legendary physicist Richard Feynman

Orchid of the Day: Detroit Tiger Javy Baez. In tonight’s game against the Royals, Javy had the greatest slide I have ever seen as he scored the first run of tonight’s game. I wish I had a video of the slide to share with you.

Onion of the Day: We the consumers who are paying higher prices for gasoline because of a unnecessary war started by Trump, while the Oil companies benefit with inflated profits.

Question of the Day: Do you feel our country and our citizens are safer now than we were prior to the start of the war with Iran?

Lyrics of the Day: Who knows what tomorrow brings? In a world, few hearts survive. All I know is the way I feel when it’s real, I keep it alive

The road is long There are mountains in our way, but we climb a step every day

Love lifts us up where we belong Where the eagles cry, on a mountain high
Far from the world below Up where the clear winds blow

Lyrics of the Day for April 13, 2026. Rocket Man by Elton John

Video of the Day: Examining Jackie stealing home

I write reflective, opinionated essays on leadership, politics, sports, and life—grounded in experience rather than ideology. If this perspective resonates with you, you can subscribe here for free.

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Artemus II

Watching the re-entry and the landing of Artemus II on Friday brought me so much joy, hope, and excitement. Seeing the three main parachutes employed after re-entry was a beautiful sight that brought back memories of 50 years ago.

As Anderson Cooper said on CNN, it was a brand-new experience for him and two generations of Americans. Cooper was asking questions of the astronauts on his show that showed his inexperience with splashdowns and recoveries. He was asking questions that I had 50 years ago. It added to the excitement of the night. I didn’t want the TV coverage to end. Just like 50 years ago, it made me proud to be an American.

My granddaughter Kaylen said it best. “Papa, I loved it when the three parachutes opened up. That was so cool.”

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Hope Comes from Hungary

Victor Oban’s defeat in Hungary gives me hope. I am not alone. From Mary Geddry today.

… even after sixteen years of packing institutions, bending the rules, and tilting the field, Victor Orbán still got beat. The AP quotes Steven Levitsky observing that oppositions can win despite a tilted playing field, and Ian Bassin adds the crucial takeaway for Americans: even a guy who rigs the system can be defeated when people unite and turn out against him. That is a warning flare aimed directly at every would-be American autocrat currently doodling executive fantasies…

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What he said on the campaign trail doesn’t matter.

While campaigning in 2024, Trump consistently said that he would make sure the U.S. did not get involved in foreign wars and he knew nothing about Project 2025.

Unfortunately, neither was ever going to be true. Project 2025 clearly laid out a strategy for dealing with Iran and the Middle East, however, most people who voted didn’t bother to do their homework. They made the mistake of believing Trump. Here is a summary of Project 2025 on its Mid-East strategy.

Project 2025 does not lay out a single, detailed “Middle East war plan.” Instead, it embeds the region within a broader America-First national security framework. When you isolate what it implies for the Middle East, a fairly consistent posture emerges:

1) Strong alignment with Israel

· The plan emphasizes unambiguous U.S. support for Israel—military, diplomatic, and strategic.

· It signals less tolerance for internal U.S. policy divisions over Israel.

· 👉 Practical implication:
The U.S. would likely back Israel more directly in regional conflicts, though not necessarily with large U.S. troop deployments.

2) Hardline stance on Iran

· Iran is treated as a primary regional adversary.

The document supports:

· Re-imposing or tightening economic sanctions

· Blocking Iran’s nuclear development

· Countering Iran’s regional proxies (Hezbollah, militias, etc.)

👉 Practical implication:
Higher risk of confrontation with Iran, but primarily through:

sanctions

· Covert/indirect actions

· Regional partners
—not necessarily full-scale war unless U.S. interests are directly hit.

3) Energy and economic priorities

· The Middle East is viewed partly through an energy security lens.

· However, with increased U.S. domestic energy production, the region is less central than it once was.

👉 Practical implication:
The U.S. may be more selective about involvement unless:

· Oil markets are threatened

· Or global economic stability is at risk

4) Counterterrorism remains—but more targeted

· The U.S. would continue operations against terrorist groups, but:

with narrower objectives

· fewer large-scale deployments

· 👉 Practical implication:
Think precision strikes and intelligence operations, not occupation.

Bottom line on the Middle East

Project 2025’s approach can be summarized as:

✅ Strong support for Israel

✅ Aggressive containment of Iran

✅ Continued counterterrorism

❌ No appetite for large, long-term wars

❌ Little interest in nation-building

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Just when you think he cannot stoop any lower, he does.

From Heather Cox Richardson: Trump responded to Orbán’s defeat with a long screed attacking Pope Leo XIV, who has spoken out against the religious justification for wars, a statement widely interpreted as commentary on the Trump administration’s claim that the war in Iran is a holy war. “God does not bless any conflict,” the Pope posted on Friday. “Anyone who is a disciple of Christ, the Prince of Peace, is never on the side of those who once wielded the sword and today drop bombs.”

Trump tonight posted on social media, in part: “I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do, setting Record Low Numbers in Crime, and creating the Greatest Stock Market in History.” Trump suggested the Pope was elevated to the papacy only “because he was an American, and they thought that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump. If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.” He wrote “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician.”

Today is Orthodox Easter, and about 45 minutes after attacking the Pope, Trump posted an image of himself in the place of Jesus, apparently healing a sick man in a bed, surrounded by a soldier, a nurse, a woman praying, and an older man. Behind him are the Statue of Liberty, the Lincoln Memorial, and a giant American flag, while in the sky are two eagles, three fighter jets, soldiers, and what seems to be a monster.

Amid popular revulsion at what people are calling heresy and blasphemy, former U.S. representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote: “It’s more than blasphemy. It’s an Antichrist spirit.”

A minute after posting the image of himself as Jesus, Trump posted an image of a Trump tower on the moon.

Trump has taken down the image, but I have it as my Image of the Day. See below.

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Tell it like it is Boss

Jess Craven of Chop Wood, Carry Water today called out rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen’s opening last night at his concert in Los Angeles:

“Good evening, Los Angeles,” he said. “Welcome to the Land of Hope and Dreams tour. We begin tonight with a prayer for our men and women in service overseas. We pray for their safe return.

“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times. We are here in celebration and defense of our American ideals, democracy, our Constitution, and our sacred American promise. The America I love, the America that I’ve written about for 50 years, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty around the world, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, racist, reckless, and treasonous administration,” he said.

“Tonight we ask all of you to join with us in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unrivaled corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division, and peace over war.” This is my Quote of the Day

Just one more reason why I have been a Bruce Springsteen fan for 50 years.

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A parable

Years ago, I was told a story that reminds me of the current situation with the conflict of Iran and the closing of the Straits of Hormuz. The story centered around the importance of leaders understanding that no one person is more important than the rest of the team. I have been thinking about this parable a lot in the last week.

Here is the parable.

The human body parts were having a fight about who was the most important.

The brain said he was the most important because he made all the decisions.

The heart said she was the most important because she provided blood to all the organs and muscles they needed to function.

The lungs said they were the most important because they brought the oxygen that every organ needs to function.

The muscles said they were the most important because they provided the strength for the body to stand and move around.

In the meantime, the anus said nothing but started laughing. The anus decided to stop functioning. Within days the muscles, lungs, heart and brain started to get sick. Within a week, the body started to shut down. The muscles, lungs, heart, and brain begged the anus to start functioning again. They promised they would never make fun of the anus again. They promised to recognize the importance of the anus to the entire body. They promised to never think that any of them were better than the rest.

The anus agreed, and he opened up. Within days the body was fully recovered.

I can’t help but think of the Straits of Hormuz as the anus, and the world is struggling because it is shut down.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

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Quote of the Day: “Tonight we ask all of you to join with us in choosing hope over fear, democracy over authoritarianism, the rule of law over lawlessness, ethics over unrivaled corruption, resistance over complacency, truth over lies, unity over division, and peace over war.” Bruce Springsteen, while opening up a concert last week on his Hopes and Dreams tour.

Orchid of the Day: Artemus II

Second Orchid of the Day: The Detroit Pistons in two seasons went from a 14-win season in 2024, including the longest losing streak in NBA history, to a 60-win season in 2026. An amazing turnaround in such a short time.

Onion of the Day: No onions on days I give two Orchids

Question of the Day: The administration has spent 40 days complaining that the Straits of Hormuz were closed by Iran, and now Trump threatens to put a blockade on the Straits and not allow any ships to pass. What sense does this make? Can someone explain it to me.

Lyrics of the Day:She packed my bags last night pre-flight Zero hour 9:00 a.m.
And I’m gonna be high As a kite by then

I miss the Earth so much I miss my wife It’s lonely out in space On such a timeless flight

And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time ‘Til touchdown brings me ‘round again to find I’m not the man they think I am at home Oh, no, no, no

Lyrics of the Day for April 8, 2026. Sweet Child O’ Mine, Guns and Roses

Video of the Day:

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I write reflective, opinionated essays on leadership, politics, sports, and life—grounded in experience rather than ideology. If this perspective resonates with you, you can subscribe here for free.

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National Champion

With their 69-63 victory over Connecticut on Monday, the Wolverines cemented their place as the best team in U of M’s history. The 1989 team was great, with two first round draft picks, but it did not have the depth and versatility of this team. Here is why they are the best Michigan team ever.

• · The nation’s top defense, which really showed in Monday’s win.

• · Top six in effective field-goal efficiency on offense and defense

• · The nation’s top five offense.

• · The nation’s top four in 2-point shooting percentage on offense and defense

• · The nation’s top three in blocks.

• · The nation’s top thirty in 3-point percentage, which was their one perceived weakness.

• · The first Final Four team that featured eight players averaging at least 18 minutes and seven points per game.

• · Each one of the eight players led the team in scoring in at least one game this season.

• · Nimari Burnett, who scored a season-high 31 points against Penn State in February, ranked seventh in scoring among team members.

• · The most wins (36) in a single season for a M basketball team.

• · The first team in B1G history with 19 regular season league wins in a single B1G season.

• · The first team in B1G history with 10 regular season road wins in a single B1G season.

• · They went 37 of 40 at the free-throw line in their two Final Four games.

• · They held each of the last four teams they played in the tournament to each team’s lowest shooting percentage of the season. They proved that defense wins championships.

The Wolverines get my Orchid of the Day

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Honesty on National Television

When CBS reporter Tracy Wolfson asked Michigan’s All-American Yaxel Lendeborg how he felt heading to the locker room, the Michigan star did not hold back. ‘I feel awful. I feel super weak right now,’ he stated bluntly. ‘I can’t make anything, oh man. I am trying to push through because you know, it is a championship game and all that…I am missing plays I don’t usually miss. I’ve had many opportunities to take advantage of defending, haven’t been able to do it. I’ve got to go out there and give it my best. I played really soft in this first half. I’ll be way better second half.’

This is coming from a person who was not expected to play and ended up playing 36 minutes, scoring 13 points, playing point-forward when point guard Elliot Cadeau was sitting because of foul trouble, and leading the full court press on defense which held Connecticut to its lowest shooting percentage of the season.

It is my Quote of the Day

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Like the resurrection? I don’t think so.

I was elated to hear that both pilots who were shot down on Friday were rescued by Sunday. I love the fact that our military will not leave anyone behind.

What happened on Friday and Sunday with the rescues was heroic, as many armed service members put their lives on the line to save fellow service members who were injured and behind enemy lines. These are actions that earn the Congressional Medal of Honor, or Distinguished Service Crosses, etc.

However, I would never once think any such rescue compares to the Resurrection, which is the basis for Christianity.

Per the NY Times, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday likened the rescue on Easter Sunday of a missing American airman shot down over Iran to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In his account of the rescue operation, Mr. Hegseth drew parallels between the airman’s ordeal and the account of Christ’s death and Resurrection given in the Bible.

The F-15E fighter jet, he noted, was “shot down on a Friday — Good Friday.” That is the day Jesus was crucified.

After the airman bailed out over Iran, he hid, Mr. Hegseth said, “in a cave, a crevice, all of Saturday,” reminiscent of the tomb cut into a rock in which Jesus was buried.

Then, he said, the airman was rescued on the day Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus — “flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday.”

“A pilot reborn, all home and accounted for, a nation rejoicing,” the defense secretary said. “God is good.”

Mr. Hegseth also said that after the plane was shot down, the airman, the F-15E’s weapons systems officer, made contact with his American rescuers with a religious message: “God is good.” “In that moment of isolation and danger,” he said, “his faith and fighting spirit shone through.”

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Budgeting for going after dissent

From Mary Geddry on Tuesday: Ken Klippenstein published deeply alarming reporting on what looks like the Trump administration’s latest attempt to turn the federal government into a political pre-crime machine.

Buried in the FY 2027 FBI budget request is a newly created FBI-led “NSPM-7 Joint Mission Center,” established under Trump’s September 2025 National Security Presidential Memorandum 7 and staffed by personnel from 10 federal agencies. Its job, according to the budget language, is to integrate intelligence, operational support, and financial analysis to “proactively identify” domestic terror networks and help prosecute them…the ideological markers associated with this so-called threat include “anti-Americanism,” “anti-capitalism,” “anti-Christianity,” support for overthrowing the U.S. government, “extremism on migration, race, and gender,” and hostility toward “traditional American views” on family, religion, and morality.

…The real danger here is that the administration is not confining its focus to actual criminal conduct. It is smearing dissent, cultural disagreement, and ideological opposition with the language of terrorism, which creates a ready-made excuse for surveillance, infiltration, financial scrutiny, watch-listing, and intimidation. The budget language also fixates on social media, smaller websites, and encrypted chat apps as pathways to radicalization, because apparently using the internet while not being a MAGA crank is now something the FBI would like to put on a flowchart.

Klippenstein places this in a broader pattern under FBI Director Kash Patel, including a dramatic increase in domestic terrorism investigations…. He also notes that administration figures have already shown a habit of hyping shaky or outright bogus domestic terror narratives, only to quietly backpedal later after the damage is done. Which is why this budget language is so sinister: it suggests that mindset is no longer just rhetorical froth from the usual authoritarian loudmouths but is being formalized into the federal bureaucracy itself. This does not mean dissent has literally been outlawed on paper. It does mean anti-capitalist, anti-racist, pro-migrant, feminist, anti-authoritarian, or simply non-MAGA views can be folded into a framework designed to treat belief as suspicion and suspicion as justification for state scrutiny… I might fall into one or more of these categories.

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If he starts attacking civil infrastructure, what’s the difference between Trump and Putin.

Also from Mary Geddry: Once Trump starts threatening the same kind of attacks on civilian infrastructure that the West has denounced as barbaric in Ukraine, he stops looking like a democratic leader using rough language and starts looking like yet another strongman who views civilian suffering as leverage. It is a moral indictment.

Trump posted (on Tuesday) one of the most deranged and openly authoritarian statements of the conflict so far: “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will. However, now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” It was the language of apocalypse delivered like reality TV promotion: mass death as spectacle, regime change as a punchline, and the destruction of an entire society treated as a possible prelude to something “revolutionarily wonderful.” This is a man fantasizing about annihilation while pretending to bless the people who would suffer under it.

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My head is spinning

Since last night when President Trump announced a two-week cease fire in the bombing of Iran, my head is spinning. No one seems to know the status of the alleged two-week cease fire. Different answers come from all directions. None of the major players are singing from the same song sheet.

Fortunately, we have not yet wiped out the Iran civilization. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

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Contact your Congressperson

Contact your congressman by following these easy steps This can be done in a few easy steps.

Step 1: find your congressman by clicking on this link, Find Your Representative | house.gov

Step 2: Put your zip code in the proper space.

Step 3: Click the button “find your representative””

Step 4: In the new page that comes up you will see a picture of your congressman. Click on your congressman’s name under the picture.

Step 5: In the new page that comes up, Click on Contact Me at the top of the page and then click on Email me.

Step 6: Fill out the information as required.

*************************************************************************************************************

Quote of the Day: See above from Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg

Orchid of the Day: One more time. The University of Michigan’s men’s basketball team for a season like no other. Congratulations on your national championship.

Onion of the Day: The cease fire. It doesn’t seem to be holding.

Question of the Day: Will the cease fire hold?

Lyrics of the Day:

She’s got eyes of the bluest skies
As if they thought of rain
I’d hate to look into those eyes
And see an ounce of pain

Her hair reminds me of a warm, safe place
Where as a child I’d hide
And pray for the thunder and the rain
To quietly pass me by

Hint: It starts with one of the greatest guitar riffs of all-time

Lyrics of the Day for April 6, 2026. Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd

Video of the Day:

One Shining Moment | 2026 March Madness

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I write reflective, opinionated essays on leadership, politics, sports, and life—grounded in experience rather than ideology. If this perspective resonates with you, you can subscribe here for free.