The “renaming” binge goes on. President Trump signed an order this past week that makes the former Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the Great Lakes between the Canadian province of Ontario and the US’s New York state into “Lake America”. It flows into the St. Lawrence River, which may well become the “Grand River of America” by the time you read this. This move hasn’t been quite as spectacularly splashy as his renaming of the Gulf of Mexico into the Gulf of America, which, as we all know, didn’t exactly send mapmakers scurrying back to the drawing board. But, with a stroke of the pen, and a bit of vengeful rhetoric, the president has managed to divert attention from a host of more pressing national problems, along with centuries of tradition.
Continue reading “The New “Geography””Month: August 2026
No, I’m Not Running
My faithful readers will know by now that I have decided not to throw my hat in the ring for any state or national elective office. It’s not that I’m not quite as sharp as I used to be, truth be told, my memory and recall are slowing down a bit. I know this because we watch “Jeopardy” every night, and often, I’ll think to myself, “I knew that.” But I wouldn’t be able to buzz in fast enough. And, once again in full disclosure, I’m lacking the stamina of Mitch McConnell or Chuck Grassley. So, this year, I’m passing. If some untoward write-in campaign forces me to emerge from retirement, well then, perhaps I’ll bow to the people.
Continue reading “No, I’m Not Running”More Health Alerts
Foods are again at the center of our health concerns. Sometimes, it’s airborne microbes, then something passes into the water systems. In case you haven’t been following it, now lettuce is the culprit. I know, right? Lettuce is the universal symbol of flavor nothingness. Just below celery on the taste tables. Apparently, the toxic lettuce is coming in from Mexico, where it was irrigated by, well, I don’t want to think about it. The virus spreading across the country faster than wildfires is called “Cyclospora”, causing . . . . well, I won’t go into that either. But any condition that uses the term, “explosive”, with our declining mobility, doesn’t bode well. So, just as we’d settled into a bright and healthy summer routine of salads, they’re gone. Back to fresh vegetables bought locally. Yes, it’s safer. Several restaurant chains are experiencing difficulties with Jalapeno peppers too, but, as we seldom eat those, avoidance isn’t a problem.
Continue reading “More Health Alerts”
I'm Thinking...No! 