Hi Ellie
Yesterday, I watched Bernie Sanders on Meet the Press. I can't remember when I've paid this much attention to politics. I can see why people would support Sanders - a nice Jewish guy, my age, originally from Brooklyn with a realistic approach. Too bad he can't fix things as nobody can beat the system. Tomorrow is the first Democratic President Debate with Hillary in the lead. President Obama's legacy, and how much a Democratic successor should embrace it, will hover over the debate - "Chose your words carefully, people". Whether Vice President Biden will join Hillary, Sanders and three others on the podium is still unknown. Personally, I don't think he should run ... also too old and tired. I don't plan to watch the debate - just catch the highlights on the morning news Wednesday.
One of the commentators on Meet the Press said something that connected for me. "The world will be a different place in November 2016." This is so true. Of course they discussed the issues faced today with suggested solutions .. most notably selecting the Speaker of the House - a job no one wants for obvious reasons. You can't blame Paul Ryan if he turns down the job. We are all realizing that some issues can't be fixed and it's just too exhausting to try. It's like trying to save a bad relationship ... let it go ... even if a better option does not present itself.
Mourners gathered in Ankara again today to vent their anger at the Turkish state, which they held responsible for the carnage that killed nearly 100 people, mostly Kurds, at a peace rally over the weekend. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Turkey's prime minister said today that the authorities were close to identifying one of the suicide bombers.
An Iranian revolutionary court has handed down a verdict in the case of the detained Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, a judiciary official said on Sunday, according to the semiofficial Tabnak website. The official, Mohseni-Ejei, said a final verdict had been rendered, but he did not provide any further details.
Did you watch the Met-Dodger game Saturday? Not cool. For a second it looked like pro football. Major League Baseball will hear as soon as today the appeal of Chase Utley of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who was suspended after breaking the leg of the Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada in a hard slide into third base. The appeal gives Utley the right to play until it is resolved. Joe Torre, Major League Baseball's chief operations officer, declared the slide illegal and sidelined Utley for two games in the Mets-Dodgers playoff series, which resumes today.
There was Chris on his way to making one of the greatest discoveries of all time. There were many obstacles along the way ... yet something guided him on. Did Columbus have help from aliens? So it appears. The "wax candle" that went up and down in the water Columbus wrote in his journal: There exists the possibility of never leaving this legendary sea. My compass acts strangely. This sea seems to have the ability to draw things in from all over the Atlantic like a catch-basin.
Alone in his cabin, after the alien encounter, Columbus removed something covered in tapestry.
After careful unwrapping it he said, "Siri ... Directions to the New World." And that's how he found it!
Goodbye, Columbus Day? Everything is changing. Most banks are open. Many schools are also open depending where you live. Last week, Portland, Oregon and Albuquerque became the latest cities to ditch Columbus Day. A year ago, Seattle and Minneapolis did the same. Berkeley, Calif., got rid of it back in 1992. Some states - like Alaska, Hawaii and South Dakota - never made it an official holiday, even though Franklin D. Roosevelt gave today's celebration federal status in 1937. The backlash against celebrating Christopher Columbus's landing in the Caribbean in 1492 (he didn't actually reach, let alone discover, mainland America) has been years in the making. Native Americans in particular decry honoring a man they say brought genocide, slavery, epidemics and colonizing Europeans to an already-populated 'New World'. Many localities are replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, Native Americans' Day or something similar. Since the day also commemorates Columbus's Italian heritage, some want to make it Italian-American Day. The Columbus Day Parade here in the city has had issues in past years. Outside the U.S., many Spanish-speaking countries already use the day to celebrate Hispanic cultures, indigenous peoples or, in the case of Venezuela, resistance to the European invasion.
My grandsons Matthew and Noah are cutting school today while out in California for Sasha's Bat Mitzvah yesterday. (There will probably more pics to add to the file later.) San Diego Synchronicities ... Along the way they noticed an event that was giving away puppies. Then they realized it was sponsored by Range Rover - Ryan owns a dealership in CT. Long story short ... they adopted a female puppy who immediately bonded with Matthew. They named her Cali for California. She was born on Matthew's birthday - July 29th. They all fly home today to be joined by their other dog Sami and the love of friends and family.
The First Thanksgiving - Painting by Jean Louis Gerome Ferris
Thanksgiving in Canada
Celebrated on the second Monday in October
New Moon 19° Libra
The Agenda: Destroying Ancient Ruins
