And Seasons Change Again

​Yes, Friends. It is the last full summer weekend of 2026, thankfully finally, FINALLY with temps in the 80s. 

All summer long, since May, we had a steady diet of mid to high 90s, followed by a late afternoon or evening thunderstorm. But the humidity was unbearable.

But our saving grace was two-fold: air conditioning and no tropical storms of any kind. Truly a blessing.

This Tuesday, at 8:04 PM, we will cross over to Autumn, with the equinox. Wednesday will bring our first full day of Fall. 

By the looks of all the stores, we are well into Hallothanksmas 2026, with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas and Hanukkah decorations on full display. 

Just a note, Halloween is Saturday, October 31, Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, Hanukkah arrives the evening of December 4, and Christmas is a four day weekend, beginning on Thursday, Christmas Eve.

And there are about 102 days until 2027.

So much to do, and so little time to do it all. Yet, every year, we manage to get it all done, right?

It is time to begin revving up your engines and start getting into the spirit of the holiday of Hallothanksmas. Or soon enough, it may just pass you by.

Time to Deck the Halls, ring the Jingle Bells, and get ready for everyone’s favorite time of the year.

 

Another Promise Broken

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There are now only nine games left in the Mets’ schedule. And the end cannot come fast enough.

Since returning from Miami, where they won three straight, they managed one win since then. The embarrassing showing against the return of their superstar, Pete Alonso, in a Baltimore Orioles uniform, was pitiful, at best.

Especially when Alonso performed his magic by tying the game in the ninth with his 300th career homer. How fitting!

And then, he received a curtain call from the Mets faithful, rubbing $#!+ in the face of David Stearns for brilliantly letting him walk last off-season.

So. The best they can do (but won’t) is win seventy eight games. With a payroll north of $350MM. And another disappointing year since the Wipons sold the team to Uncle Steve. 

Now, we get to lament the old Brooklyn Dodgers end of season cry of “Wait til next year!”

Let’s Go Mets!

You Still Light Up Our Lives

​It has been three years since our beloved Sister, Kathy, died unexpectedly. She was a soft-hearted, kind woman. But as with all Sicilian women, she was a rock who was more solid than we believed.

She also had an Irish side in her which  would defend against anyone who would attack her loved ones.

Some, including my brother Tim, considered her like Switzerland, a person who would remain neutral at any cost. But I saw her differently; she would walk away from conflict rather than dive into a fight without considering all possible outcomes.

She gave us as a family, new and different perspectives to become better people than we were. She always offered sage advice, even if we didn’t ask. But she was not insulted when we would choose a different path.

She was smart that way, and didn’t become a person who would rub our noses in our failures because we may have chosen our own way. Instead, she would give comfort and tell us it would be better next time.

She was loved by many friends who miss her still today. She was always the first in to the pool or say yes to a party, as she loved fun, as much as, or more than anyone. She truly loved life.

So, on this day, which always will be a sad day for us all, instead, we will smile and remember all the joy she gave each of us, as she would light up our lives with her radiant smile.

Continue to Rest In Peace, Dear Sister.

Why I Believe in Rubio/Hunt

​Last night, I posted the following on my FACEBOOK page:

I have been thinking for a while about 2028. I like the sound of Marco Rubio and Wesley Hunt as our next President and Vice President. Any thoughts?

Let me explain my reasoning to you.

Many people have called for a Vance-Rubio ticket for 2028. On the surface, it would be a good choice. But Vance does not have the seasoning as much as Rubio, although he is the current Vice President. 

Marco Rubio was active in Florida politics before running for the Senate in 2010 and winning. He was recognized almost immediately as a strong leader when he arrived in 2011, and over the years, he has proven himself to be one of the smartest Members to serve in the Senate.

He ran, unsuccessfully, in 2015/2016 for President, but Donald Trump led all competitors even before he announced. Ultimately, he was subsequently nominated for Secretary of State and won all Senators’ affirmative votes as even they recognized his outstanding abilities to grasp the details needed to be the nation’s top diplomat.

And he has performed admirably to represent US interests on the world stage.

Wesley Hunt has proven himself to be a formidable leader in the House, given his years of military service, rising to the rank of Captain before being honorably discharged in 2012. He graduated in 2004 from the US Military Academy before his deployment to Iraq as an Apache helicopter pilot. He also did two tours in Saudi Arabia as a diplomatic liaison.

Both men came from humble beginnings and learned from the school of hard knocks. Both men are deeply religious and have strong,  conservative family values.

They each possess love of country, a keen sense of loyalty to the Constitution and have put America and Americans first.

They are the next generation of leaders, Rubio from Gen X and Hunt a millennial. They are both from a minority group but believe in the importance of ALL Americans’ rights without prejudice.

As Americans, we have claimed we had issues with race in the past, but we have evolved beyond the bigotry of a bygone era. As MLK had dreamed, it is not the color of our skin, or hereditary of background, by which a man should be judged, but rather, by the content of one’s character which should matter more.

Both these men have strong moral character and deserve our vote to be the next President and Vice President of the United States. Let’s make it a reality.

The 25th Anniversary Commemoration of 9/11

​

Yesterday, at the 9/11 Commemoration at the Pentagon, President Trump paid homage to the victims in a solemn ceremony of remembrance. But he was not the person who made an impact. 

Instead, Former Secretary of State and Bush 43 NSA Advisor, Condoleeza Rice offered an apology to the nation and to the families of the victims for not recognizing the dangers in time to prevent the attacks. 

She shared she will always carry “deep personal remorse” for the pain to the families and to the trauma endured by the nation by the failure of so many by not understanding the intelligence data available at the time.

It was certainly one, powerful Mea Culpa.

In addition, the services in Shanksville was solemnly observed by PA Governor Josh Shapiro and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, along with members of the National Parks Department, and Senators John Fetterman and Dave McCormick.

They all recognized that the crew and passengers who sacrificed their lives certainly prevented even greater harm that day to the nation.

In New York, however, it was a huge photo op for all four living ex-Presidents Clinton, Bush, Obama, Biden and their wives. In addition, a who’s who of political notables were in attendance, including Former Governors Pataki and Cuomo, along with former Mayors Giuliani, Bloomberg, DeBlasio and Adams.

They were joined by Vice President  Vance, Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani.

It was certainly a solemn event with the reading of the almost 3,000 names of the victims by their family members. But it did not take place without controversy.

Terry Strada: While reading the names of victims, she diverged from the script to call out the US government and the former Presidents for protecting Saudi Arabia over the past 25 years.

The Message: She urged President Donald Trump to tell the Saudis to "stop lying" and to hold the kingdom accountable regarding its alleged ties to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Leaders Present: Vice President JD Vance  and those former Presidents attended the New York City event. Strada directed her remarks toward the administration officials present, telling Vice President Vance to carry her message back to President Trump.

And of course, the biggest clown show during the event was Mayor Mamdani, who was seen taking pictures of several politicos, including President Bush. He was also seen yucking it up with his DSA fellow member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It was truly a disgraceful mockery of a solemn occasion.

Quite a difference between the solemnity of the Pentagon and Shanksville ceremonies, and the irreverant manner Mamdani and AOC treated the New York ceremony.

Sadly, it showed that too many people forgot what the day means.

The Solemnity of an Anniversary, Twenty-Five Years Later

​

Many of us who were alive and aware of the events which took place twenty-five years ago today can remember where they were when they heard the news. Much like when JFK and RFK were assassinated.

It is just one of those defining moments in US history. Like Pearl Harbor and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

On that day, 2,977 souls were lost. And those deaths have affected us ever since.

Breakdown by Location

World Trade Center: 2,753 deaths (including civilians and hundreds of first responders).
The Pentagon: 184 deaths (including passengers and crew on American Airlines Flight 77, as well as Pentagon personnel and civilians).
Shanksville, Pennsylvania (Flight 93): 40 deaths (not including the four hijackers, after passengers bravely fought back).

It seems we all knew someone who died. My cousin Tom and my sister-in-law’s daughter Monique were lost that day. Sadly, my sister-in-law was watching in horror through her hospital work window as the towers began their collapse.

We had all finally watched the events unfold during that day, and the days which followed. It took days and weeks to finally come to terms with that tragedy. But in the years since then, the families who lost loved ones are still haunted by those events.

Subsequently, thousands of people who lived and worked in the area, or who worked on the pile of debris looking for remains of victims in the following months, were affected with all sorts of carcinogens which affected their health. But no amount of money will ever cover the true cost to their health and/or their lives.

And the cost to our freedoms and liberties is immeasurable to that which we enjoyed prior to 9/11. Our country is not the same.

We can lay blame on what caused this tragedy, whether on poor construction to the building, the government’s neglect to intelligence leading up to the event, or to a specific ideology. All may have had a role but were not the cause.

We need to acknowledge that it were those individuals with the dark hearts and souls, filled with unmitigated hate, which caused this. We need to realize this on our own or we, too, will be enveloped and consumed by that same hate.

We need to remember this day as a sacred day, as we do with Pearl Harbor or the day JFK was murdered in front of us. And we need to remember that the 2,977 souls we lost that day, and the thousands since, did not die with hate in their hearts.

It will forever be a solemn day in American History. And will hopefully continue to be revered in the decades to come.

May they all forever Rest In Peace. Amen.

We Promised We Would Never Forget

​

Sadly, we are on the eve of the solemn 25th Anniversary where we commemorate the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the crash in Shanksville, PA.

Whether you accept the government account that it was done by Islamic terrorists, or by other alleged vile acts by some other criminal element, it still hurts today as much as it did on September 11. 2001.

What matters more is that many Americans have forgotten that tragedy and also, apparently, deleted it from their memory what happened on 9/11/2012 in Benghazi, and the lies Obama, Clinton and the entire Obama Administration spun regarding a fake video about Muslim extremism.

On that day, Ambassador Chris Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty were killed, as Clinton and Obama tried to cover up an alleged bad weapons deal with Iran’s allies.

This deceit, along with so many other government coverups like the JFK, RFK and MLK assassinations, have raised concerns that many Americans have with the government’s official 9/11 Commission Report. Many people believe that other nefarious actors and acts may have contributed to the destruction of the WTC and the Pentagon, along with the planes.

A total of 2,977 people died on that day and countless more since then, from cancer and other diseases caused by the pollution caused by the crash of the buildings.

Now, our largest city, New York City, has apparently forgotten what happened twenty-five years ago. New York has elected a Socialist, pro-Islamist Mayor. If he had been a true moderate-thinking, secular Muslim, the angst the surviving families feel on this day would not be as difficult.

But Mayor Mamdani has caused a heightened concern with his divisive and anti-Semitic rhetoric. In addition, his ideals and those of his administration, are pro-Islamist and virtually Communist. 

Mamdani is making a point to attend the commemoration over the objections of the families of the victims. The LSM and its Socialist sycophants are silent on the issue 

Now, it seems that the residents of New York City who support those who oppose the victims’ families have completely forgotten that promise to Never Forget what happened that day. And the City is worse off for it. 

For shame.

An Important Date We Seem to Gloss Over

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September 8 is an important date in the Abrahamic religions. It is the birthdate of Maryam in Islam, Miriam in Judaism and the Blessed Mother Mary in Christianity.

Each religion reveres her more than any other woman, paying homage to her in their specific creeds.

Mary in Christianity

Mother of God: Christians (particularly Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglicans) revere Mary as the Theotokos (Bearer or Mother of God) because she gave birth to Jesus, whom Christians believe is the incarnate Son of God. 
The New Eve: Christian tradition views her total obedience to God as the counterweight to Eve's disobedience, making her a vital figure in human redemption.
Intercessor and Model: She is seen as sinless, perfectly faithful, and a spiritual mother to believers who can pray for them as an intercessor in heaven. 

Mary in Islam

Highest Status Among Women: In the Quran, Mary (Maryam) is named in an entire chapter (Surah 19)—the only woman explicitly named in the Quran. She is chosen by God and purified above all women of the world.
The Virgin Birth: Islam firmly upholds the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus (Isa), celebrating Mary's chastity, strength, and complete submission to God's command. 
A Righteous Role Model: Muslims revere her not because she is the "Mother of God" (a concept rejected in Islamic theology), but because of her supreme personal piety, righteousness, and devotion.

The Jewish Perspective

Historical Context: In traditional Judaism, Mary is simply the historical Jewish mother of Jesus of Nazareth. However, she is recognized for her devotion to chastity, her piety and her purity. She is treated as a role model, leading us to salvation.

Christians, especially Catholics, Orthodox and Anglicans, recognize her with Feast Days  of her Immaculate Conception on December 8 and her Death and Assumption into Heaven on August 15.

And today, we honor her birth. Hail Mary, full of Grace.

T’is the Season of Hallothanksmas

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Pumpkins. Pumpkin Spice Coffee. Pumpkin Cookies. Pumpkin Spice Cake. Oh, and those little failures called Gourds

They began showing up in Walmart, Aldi, Publix and even in your favorite coffee shops during the third week in August. And so did the Big Bags of Halloween Candy. Just in case you needed a head start.

Apparently, there must be a belief we are unable to realize that the same events occur every year at the same time. Or, that we don’t know how to read a calendar.That seems to be the prevailing opinion of the marketing geniuses who want to control our habits.

As if we are Pavlov’s dogs. Ring the bell and salivate. Put out pumpkins, get people to buy all the stuff we need for Halloween. Conditioning.

But it doesn’t stop there.

Just in case we forgot, the same geniuses start decorating by the end of September to remind us about the Big Holiday Season of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah and Christmas. And soon , we will hear songs to remind us the Deck the Halls and Santa Claus Is Coming to Town. Again.

Hence, the three and one half month of Hallothanksmas..

In fact, some Big Box Stores have already begun decorating for the December Spectacular. Hey, the NFL  doesn’t even start the regular season until Thursday. And we will have almost two months until the baseball season has finished.

So. It is time cool your jets, folks. It is bad enough that life seems to pass us by so quickly as it is. There is no need to put it all into overdrive.

Enjoy your pumpkin spice lattes and start stringing up your lights.

Labor Day 2026… and New Festivities to Come

​Once again, Labor Day weekend is upon us. Last week, we arrived at Meteorological Autumn and we are now at the unofficial end of summer for 2026. Soon enough, we will finally see the official start of Fall.

Monday is actually Labor Day, which was sparked in the 19th century as a means to honor our labor unions and workers across the country.

For context: Prior to the inception of the holiday, labor unions were advocating for "very specific improvements in their working conditions," according to CNN. Most workers in America were indulging in physically or mentally taxing jobs—and doing so all seven days of the week, with no real limit to the hours per day.

Labor Day honors the common American workers who helped change the way our country views its workforce, allowing for economic freedom and liberty. The unions of the time advanced the need for a forty-hour work week, paid vacation time and sick leave.

The first unofficial Labor Day dates back to September 5, 1882, taking place in New York City. Though it took some time, states slowly but surely began adapting the holiday as their own over the years. By June 28, 1894, Labor Day was an official holiday according to Congress, passing an act that declared the holiday be celebrated on the first Monday in September of each year.

There are a few reasons why we observe Labor Day in September. For one, September 5, 1882 is when over 10,000 workers had a planned unpaid leave from work. These 10,000 individuals organized a march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City. Though, it's important to note that the date for this event wasn't chosen for any specific reason. Peter J. McGuire, the organizer of the parade on that day, stated that the reason for choosing September was only due to the fact that it fell "between the Fourth of July holiday and Thanksgiving," according to Brittanica. In 1884, the Knights of Labor union decided that they would continue on with the September tradition, just changing the date to be "every first Monday" instead of being locked down to September 5.

Over time, Labor Day has also become the unofficial start date for the Hallowthanksmas holiday season. We are already seeing Halloween candy, costumes and Thanksgiving decorations in the stores. And early ads for Christmas are beginning to appear on social media.

So, enjoy the waning days of summer this weekend and Monday. Soon enough, we will be in the throes of autumn and all the festivities that the season brings us.

And have a safe weekend.

Sixty Years and Still Going Strong

“Live Long and Prosper” - Vulcan salutation, spoken frequently by Mr Spock

​On Tuesday, September 8, Star Trek will celebrate SIXTY years since it first exploded across our television screens in living color. NBC had long been in discussions with Lucille Ball, who owned Desilu, Star Trek’s production company, and finally agreed to broadcast the show.

It would survive three seasons and seventy-nine episodes before being cancelled in June, 1969. Ironically, it was six weeks before the lunar landing on July 20.

It lived on in syndication through the seventies, along with novels, cartoons and increasing fan support until the first of fourteen movies, countless different TV sequels and story lines were aired, starting in 1979.

Now, Paramount owns the rights to the franchise and streams it all on its platform. It has been reported that the Star Trek library generated over $2.6 billion in global subscription value across major platforms (including Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount+) from 2020 through late 2024. Not a bad investment of the $17MM purchase Paramount made of Desilu in 1967.

Surviving cast members of the original series from 1966 include William Shatner (Captain Kirk), George Takei (Lt Sulu) and Walter Koenig (Ens Chekov).

Of all the characters who ever existed in the Star Trek Universe, probably Spock and Data were the fan favorites. It doesn’t lessen the popularity of the many other characters who graced the franchise, including Kirk, Bones, Scotty or Picard. Or Crusher, Worf, Uhura, or even Sarek. There are so many characters who made the franchise so successful.

And just think of all the fantasy items which have become variations of our 21st Century reality: The communicator became the smart phone, the tricorder became the tablet, the phaser became the taser, the bridge screen became the flat screen TV, sickbay became open MRI, video screen communication became Face Time and Zoom, Uhura’s ear piece became ear buds, and digital boards ran everything then as now. Could warp drive and time travel be so close to reality, too?

Gene Roddenberry had an idea where the cowboy and western TV shows needed a futuristic change of scenery. Hence, Star Trek was born. Even he could not have imagined what it would become, And so far, its five year mission has lasted sixty years. Where NO ONE on TV has gone before.

Truly one of the most successful, creative profitable franchises ever created for TV. And Beyond. 

It certainly has done as Mr Spock wished.

Disney Begins to Come To Its Senses

​Josh D’Amaro, who is a long-time Disney employee, was named CEO of the Company in March. He has held several positions, including President of Disney Parks, 

Since his ascension to CEO, he has moved the Company away from the Bob Iger-woke Hollywood agenda of DEI and has begun to return Disney to its core roots of family-friendly entertainment.

Changes in Corporate Policy and Filings

Scrubbing DEI Branding: Disney removed or scaled back explicit DEI references, diversity quotas, and programs like "Reimagine Tomorrow" from its recent SEC and financial reports. 
Focus on Business Success: Executive pay metrics have been adjusted to prioritize financial outcomes and business performance over diversity goals.
Leadership Stance: Leadership, including former CEO Bob Iger and current executives under Josh D'Amaro, has emphasized a return to core storytelling and a mission to entertain broad audiences rather than engaging in political or cultural proxy battles.

Content and Operations Adjustments

Park and Communication Adjustments: Reports and viral discussions highlight adjustments to messaging in theme parks, such as the reappearance of traditional greetings like "ladies and gentlemen," though fact-checkers note that broader corporate restructuring and layoffs (such as cutting roughly 1,000 jobs) are primarily aimed at operational streamlining rather than a sweeping cultural purge. 
• Content Moderation: Content advisories on older classic films on Disney+ have been slightly toned down from autoplay warnings to shorter disclaimers.
  

Since Mr D’Amaro was the President of Disney Parks prior his promotion, it had to become apparent to him that the attendance was trending downwards, as people grew frustrated with the Disney focus on DEI and not on families.

Profitability also dropped year over year as people expressed their outrage of the concentration of woke-themed programs and practices. Thus, a turn back toward a reasonable approach toward families without discriminating against other segments of our society.

One thing we can universally agree on is this: Money talks as Bull$#!+ walks. Even Disney recognizes that the almighty prayer is “our father who art in pocket, DOLLAR be your name”. 

A lesson learned for sure.

Summer’s End Is Here

​Today, August 31, is the last day of Meteorological Summer. Thoughout the country, we have witnessed higher than normal temperatures, unbearable heat indexes and higher ambient units of rain.

But, thus far, no US landfall tropical events.

We have made it halfway through the 2026 Hurricane Season and we have had only four named storms: Arthur, which made landfall in Mexico, bringing heavy rain on the Gulf Coast, Bertha, which was a rain event in Louisiana, Cristobal which petered out as soon as it was named and Dolly, which formed just this week in the North Atlantic.

By this time in 2024, for example, we had already had several destructive storms and fifteen storms to date. Last year we had thirteen total storms and none made landfall in the continental US.

Tomorrow is September 1 and the beginning of Meteorological Autumn. The promise it brings is led by steadily cooler temperatures, another football season and knowing that Halloween and Thanksgiving are next. And don’t forget the midterms!

In fact, as you walk through the “big box” stores, you see evidence of both already. Can Christmas and Hanukkah be far behind?

What comes next will be a surprise for everyone.

Remembering Beloved Celebrities

​This has been a sad week and month with so many famous and beloved people passing away. There have been so many others who have passed this year, but these are the latest.

Dolly Parton - 80 was the Queen of Country Music for half a century, song writer, creator of Dollywood, and Philanthropist

Shelley Fabares - 82 was a singer and  actress, made her start as both on the Donna Reed Show, starred in several successful TV series and was a voice-over actor

Tim Curry - 80 was a cult favorite in Rocky Horror Picture Show, starred in many plays both in London and Broadway, as well as on TV and in film, including Home Alone 2

Jaye P Morgan - 93 was a singer, actress, comedian and favorite game show panelist, making her mark on The Gong Show and as a frequent guest on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson

Hayden Panettiere - 36 was a child actor (Remember the Titans), who proved she could sing and act (Music and Lyrics), appeared in the Scream films and TVs Nashville 

Vincent Pastore - 80 was known for his roles as a Mafioso (Sopranos, Gotti and Goodfellas), an accomplished Broadway actor, a podcaster and his own Italian sauce

There is much more that could be said about each of these fan favorites but Page 6 and other entertainment publications will give more on each. Suffice to say, this writer enjoyed watching them over the years and will continue to enjoy their talents.

Surely, many of you will, as well. May they all rest in peace, knowing they gave us some joy in what they did.

Ruling on Mail-in Ballots

​One of the worst ideas left over from the COVID Era, and God knows there were many, was the indiscriminate and corrupt mail-in ballot scheme which was championed by the Democrat Party leadership and twenty-three Democrat-led blue states. It was surely a means to corrupt a system which had worked very well since our country was founded.

On March 31 of this year, President Trump issued an Executive Order which directed the USPS to remit ballots, with bar codes, to citizens who claimed illness, military and out of the country, whether on business or pleasure during the period leading up to the Election. The same Democrat states immediately sued, claiming it would harm the election process by corralling those states to administer elections as deemed under the Constitution. 

The Supreme Court disagreed and ruled 6-3, with liberal Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson, Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor dissenting, giving a major victory for Trump, but appears to leave room for future legal challenges that could delay the president's order. 

In its ruling, the high court overturned a lower court order that blocked the Trump administration from enforcing the March 31 mail-in voting order in response to a lawsuit filed by those twenty-three Democratic-led states.

The Court did not rule on whether Trump’s order was lawful, but determined it was too early for states to sue over it because harms must be “concrete” rather than “conjectural or hypothetical.” 

The majority further noted that federal courts are barred from adjudicating disputes dependent on “contingent future events that may not occur as anticipated, or indeed may not occur at all.”

And immediately after the ruling was issued, the usual howls were heard by the usual corrupt politicians. Each protest seem to be how unfair that the ruling was done by the court. What  they actually were saying, was that their ability to cheat was called into question. It was like watching children stamp their feet in a tantrum because they did not get what they wanted.

Yet, finally, it seems that common sense has prevailed with this ruling. And the Supreme Court has put a halt to the wanton abuse of our election system. For now.

The Democrats will continue to obfuscate and complain that their rights have been violated. And perhaps the Congress will finally grow a pair to pass the SAVE America Act, which over 80% of ALL citizens demand.

This is the first, logical step to finally guarantee a fair, uncorrupted means for future elections.

Another Season To Fly Through

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Now, it is the Jets’ turn to give hope to the loyal fan base. In the two games played in Preseason, the offense scored 33 points while the opposition scored a total of 24 points in the first two games. 

In fact, the Jets won 17-0 last night. And next Friday, it is the Battle for Met Life Stadium, when the Jets play the Giants for the final preseason game before the Jets open against the Titans in Tennessee on September 13.

So, much to hope for, much to watch until the team reveals how good they might be.

Geno Smth, who was the team’s quarterback ten years ago, is leading the offense once again. Hopefully, he has learned a few things during his hiatus in Seattle and elsewhere.

The offense seems to have been improved over last year’s dismal performance, while the defense has been sharpened significantly. Let’s see how it all comes together when it really matters.

Once again, our hope as a loyal Jets fan is to have a winning season, with a berth to the playoffs. Then, since the Jets have been 0-4 in winning AFC title games, one AFL title and one Super Bowl win since 1960, maybe this could be a year to cheer for.

And as a loyal fan, I say J E T S Jets Jets JETS!

Proving Honest Elections Can Be Efficient

​Here is a riddle for you. How long should it take to count election ballots?

Hmmm… that’s a tough one. 

Let’s see. In California, it took weeks to figure out who won the “Jungle Primary”, since  the two Republicans were leading the Democrat and THAT was not acceptable. In Nevada, it took six days. Probably because all the bets had to be covered.

In Illinois, Downstate was done after a day, but the Chicago machine could not get it into gear. You would think Mayor Daley would have perfected his 1960 election scam, but sadly, there is a new crew in town.

Elsewhere, claims of fraud, inefficiency and threats of lawsuits seemed to gum up the works, causing delays and runoffs and other questionable interfering before the voters in many states knew for sure.

And finally, we come to Florida. Way back in 2000, Florida was the laughing stock in the country, with its Chad Voting system. It took about forty-five days, after dozens of recounts and court cases to have the Supreme Court decide who would be the next President.

You know, Bush or Gore?

And now, Florida has the best system in the country. Within fifty minutes after the polls closed, 85% of all votes cast were counted. I was still dismantling the voting precinct, when winners were announced. 

And by 815 (715 in the panhandle due to the time zone difference) 100% of all votes cast were counted, too. Even mail-in ballots from the sick, travelers and military.

And all voters were identified because Florida has the SAVE Act in place. Not bad, yes?

So, with all the voters in Florida, and there are millions, it shows with proper procedures and no cheating permitted, voting can be accomplished with clear efficiency. Can you say the same in YOUR state?