Author: webuiltitblog

I am a retired financial services executive who worked on Wall Street for 42 years. I established this blog to publish commentary on politics and business as I still follow these areas closely. My hobbies include golf, reading, travel and spending time with my grandchildren.

JACKIE ROBINSON

Number 42. Does that have any special meaning for you, or is it just another number? Baseball fans, civil rights advocates, and students of history will recognize it as the uniform number worn by Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers. It should be noted that that uniform number has two other major significances:

1. It is the only number to have been retired by every major league baseball team (in 1997); and
2. as has been customary since 2004, every year on April 15 on what is known as “Jackie Robinson Day,” every player wears that number on his uniform in tribute to Jackie Robinson in recognition of the anniversary of his debut in the major leagues in 1947.  On that historic date Jackie became the first African American to play in the major leagues since the 1880s. Any team not playing a game on April 15 will celebrate on the 16th. In addition, regardless of their team colors all teams’ # 42 jerseys will be in “Dodger Blue” and will feature a commemorative patch.

In order to put this in its proper perspective one must realize the racial situation in 1947. Life was radically different, a reality that few of us who live in the PC era can appreciate.  Much has changed in the intervening 78 years.

For example:

1. Segregation was the law of the land. “Jim Crow” was alive and well.
The “Brown” Supreme Court decision integrating public schools would not come until 1954.
2. Even though many AAs had distinguished themselves during WWII the armed forces would not be integrated until 1948.
3. A disproportionate percentage of MLB players were from the South and espoused all the values, attitudes and experiences of the region regarding AAs.  Most of them had never played ball with an AA.  Many had rarely even associated with one as peers.
4. The prevailing attitude among players, sportswriters, and fans was that AAs were not good enough and did not have the “temperament” to succeed in MLB.

Very few of us lived through that era, and consequently, we cannot imagine the circumstances Jackie had to overcome.

Jack Roosevelt Robinson was born on January 31, 1919 in Cairo, Georgia.  His parents chose his middle name in honor of President Teddy Roosevelt, who had recently died.  He was the youngest of five children.  One of his older brothers, Mack, would later earn some notoriety by winning the silver medal in the 100-meter dash in the 1936 Olympics, (the Games held in Berlin at which Jesse Owens embarrassed Adolph Hitler and the Nazis by winning four gold medals).

Jackie’s parents were sharecroppers and barely scraping by, so in 1920 they moved to Pasadena, California seeking a better life.  In high school and college Jackie excelled in five sports – baseball, basketball, football, track and tennis.  Basically, he was an all-around athlete who excelled in any sport he tried.  At UCLA he became the school’s first athlete to “letter” in four sports (all of the above except tennis).  One of his teammates on the 1939 UCLA football team was the future actor, Woody Strode, who would carve out a respectable career in movies as a “heavy.”  Ironically, statistically, at least, baseball was his worst sport of the four.

In 1941 Jackie left UCLA just shy of graduating to play semi-pro football, but in early 1942 he was drafted and stationed at Fort Riley in Texas.  He applied for admission to OCS. Initially, his application was rejected as few blacks were accepted at the time, but following a personal appeal from Joe Louis, the reigning heavyweight boxing champ, he was accepted.

Jackie’s tenure in the army was marred by one unfortunate incident in which his fiery temperament got him in trouble.  While riding on an Army bus one day the driver told him to move to the back.  Jackie refused.  As a result, he was nearly court-martialed for insubordination and other “trumped up” offenses.  A conviction would have changed the course of his life and, possibly, the country’s as well, but he was acquitted.

In 1945 Jackie signed to play for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues. Unbeknownst to him, Branch Rickey, President of the Brooklyn Dodgers, was looking for a Negro to break the major leagues’ “color barrier,” which had been in place since the 1880s.  He had compiled a list of the best players in the Negro leagues and was evaluating them for suitability.  There were many players better than Jackie, notably Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, but due to age, temperament and other factors, they were all eliminated in favor of Jackie.

Rickey knew the first AA player would have to “turn the other cheek” to a great deal of verbal, physical and emotional abuse.  Otherwise, it might be many more years before the next one got a chance.  When he told Jackie this, Jackie was shocked and replied: “Are you looking for a Negro who is afraid to fight back?” Rickey’s famous reply was that he was seeking a Negro “with guts enough not to fight back.”

To make a long story short, Rickey signed Jackie.  He played for the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers AAA minor league affiliate in the International League, in 1946.  He “tore up” the league, winning the MVP award.  The next year he made his debut in the major leagues.

To me, his debut was one of the most significant events not only in baseball history, but also in the country’s history.  There was tremendous resistance not only from other Dodgers, but from players on other teams as well.

Again, it is very hard for us to appreciate the level of abuse to which Jackie was subjected. Breaking into the major leagues is hard enough, physically. The added mental and emotional pressures Jackie and other AAs had to overcome was mind-boggling. Jackie had to endure a tremendous amount of prejudice and abuse both on and off the field (name calling, spiking, “beanings,” separate lodgings and restaurants on the road, etc.  Eventually, other AAs would join him in the majors. They had to overcome many of the same obstacles.  Some were unable to survive, but many more did.

Luckily, Dodger management was behind Jackie 100%.  When some Dodgers players threatened to quit, strike or demand a trade, the team’s manager, Leo Durocher, a fiery, no-nonsense person himself, nipped the rebellion in the bud.  He declared: “I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a f****** zebra.  I’m the manager of this team, and I say he plays.”  Players on other teams also threatened to strike, but MLB Commissioner “Happy” Chandler quelled that rebellion quickly as well.

Rickey chose well with Jackie.  In baseball parlance, he “knocked it out of the park.”  Attendance soared and not just in Brooklyn but in every other city as well. Black people came in droves to see their hero, Jackie Robinson, play.  In those days, attendance was the primary source of ball clubs’ revenue, so Jackie made money for everyone.

Not only did Jackie “take” all the abuse without incident, he also starred on the field and became an integral part of one of the most storied teams in baseball history, the “Boys of Summer.”  In a ten-year period from 1947-1956 that team dominated the National League. It won six pennants, lost another in a playoff and lost another by one game.

Among Jackie’s many MLB accomplishments:

1. Rookie of the year in 1947 (the first one).
2. National League MVP in 1949.
3. Appeared in six World Series.
4. World champion in 1955.
5. First ballot hall of famer in 1962.
6. Member of the MLB All-Century team.

Jackie was an extremely versatile ballplayer. Although he came up as a second baseman, he also played first, third and the outfield.  Many times, he was among the league leaders in fielding at his position.  He was one of the best “clutch” players I have ever observed.  He could beat you with the bat, the glove or on the bases.  I have never seen a better baserunner or a tougher competitor.  When on base, he would drive the opposing pitcher crazy with his antics.  He was always a threat to steal a base.  I saw him steal home in the 1955 World Series.  When caught in a rundown he often escaped, which, generally, was a rarity.  His aggressive style of play was unique for the 1940s and 1950s.

As an example of his extremely competitive nature, one story will suffice.  In the decisive third game of the 1951 playoff with the NY Giants, when the Giants’ Bobby Thompson hit the pennant-winning homerun (dubbed: “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World”) all the Dodgers left the field immediately with their heads down in defeat.  All except for Jackie.  He watched and made sure that Thompson touched all the bases on his home run trot.  He would not accept defeat until Thompson had completed his circuit.

Jackie retired from baseball after the 1956 season worn down by age and diabetes, but he did not retire from life.  For example, he became very active in the civil rights movement; he became the first black to serve as vp of a major corporation (Chock Full O’Nuts); he went into broadcasting; and he acted in a movie of his own life story.

Conclusion

Ultimately, however, his fierce competitiveness could not overcome ill health.  Jackie died on October 24, 1972 at the relatively young age of 53 from complications of heart disease and diabetes.  I’m sure that all the stress he had to endure on the playing field also contributed to his early demise.

Jackie’s legacy, however, lives on.  There are countless statues, schools, parks and roads named in his honor.  Moreover, every time a black or other minority takes the field in the major leagues, the NFL or the NBA, he owes a debt to the pioneer who made it all possible.

Jackie’s story is recounted in the 2013 movie 42 starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie, Nicole Beharie as Rachel, and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey. I have seen it many times, and I recommend it. One can usually find it on tv at this time of the year.

So, today, while watching your favorite team in action take a moment to appreciate the special achievement of one Jack Roosevelt Robinson.

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DO YOU TRUST TRUMP?

Trump’s tariff policy has caused much controversy. His critics have been claiming it will lead to retaliation, increase inflation, cause the financial markets to “crash,” and lead to a recession. In the short run that appears to be a distinct possibility, but I, for one, am not concerned.

Whereas some countries have rolled back their tariffs and/or signaled they will move some manufacturing facilities to the US, others, notably China, have signaled they would retaliate by raising their tariffs on US exports. I am not perturbed by the possibility of a trade war with China or any other country for that matter. The US is the largest and most lucrative market, and they all need access to it to support their economies. In short, they need us more we need them. Deals will be made. There will be no trade wars.

The prices of some goods, such as foreign-made automobiles, have increased; and the financial markets have declined precipitously. On April 2, the day that Trump’s tariff policy commenced, the Dow was valued at $41,736. As I write this it stands at $37,734, a decrease of $4,000 or 9.5 %. We are about halfway to a bear market, which is defined by Wall Street as a 20% or more decrease from a recent high for a sustained period of time. Moreover, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell has reiterated that the Fed is not inclined to lower benchmark interest rates at this time. Furthermore, JP Morgan announced that it believes there is a 60% chance that the US will enter into a recession.

On the other hand, in fairness, it is inappropriate and misleading to judge Trump’s tariff policy by these short-term results. Even he has acknowledged that his tariff policy would result in “short-term pain but long-term gain.” Also, much of the inflation is a holdover from the Biden Administration’s excessive spending. I’m preaching patience. Give it a chance.

On the plus side (1) according to Freddie Mac mortgage interest rates have declined from 7% in January to 6.64% currently; (2) the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 228,000 jobs were added in, March, which was a stronger result than anticipated; (3) automakers GM and Nissan announced plans to boost production in the US which, according to UAW chairman Rich Le Tourneau will create “225-250 new jobs.”; and (4) Ford and Stellantis announced that they will be offering discounts to boost sales.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has cautioned countries not to overreact. He told reporters “my advice is not to retaliate. If you do there will be [‘further] escalation. If you don’t retaliate this is the high-water mark.”

In my opinion, Trump is right, and America will benefit in the long run, perhaps substantially, for the following reasons:

  1. Our trading partners, both allies and enemies, have been taking advantage of us for decades. Their tariffs on our exports have been substantially higher than ours on theirs. Some tariffs have exceeded 100%. They have been flooding our markets with their cheap goods while we have been inhibited from selling our goods in their markets.
  2. Our manufacturing industries have been hollowed out. Currently, we manufacture virtually nothing; we have to import even the most basic goods, such as steel, aluminum, computer chips, and rare metals. This is an existential threat, because in the event of war or another pandemic or unforeseen disaster we would be vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, quotas or boycotts.
  3. Over the years we have lost tens of thousands of good paying jobs. Our middle class has been impacted especially hard. This policy is yet another instance of Trump’s staunch advocacy for the middle and working classes.
  4. Trump’s goal is to have “reciprocal tariffs” so we can compete on a level playing field.
  5. These tariffs that have been portrayed in the media are not final. They are the basis for further negotiation. The objective is to warn our trading partners that the days of being their “suckers” are over. As we have seen Trump is a master negotiator.
  6. In just one week many countries have negotiated lower tariffs, and many companies have committed to investing money in the US and/or manufacturing their products in the US to avoid tariffs. Fox News has reported that as many as 70 countries are seeking to make agreements to equalize tariffs.
  7. Do not focus on the declines in the financial markets. Remember, investors hate two things most of all – inflation and uncertainty. At the moment we have both. Big investors who engage in short-term trading tend to overreact to conditions, both bad and good. Long-term investors should not panic as some tend to do. I expect that at some point the markets will settle down. If Trump’s policy works, they will come roaring back as they have many times in the past. If you doubt me, you could, as Casey Stengel was fond of saying, “look it up.” Trust in America and trust your history.
  8. Ignore all these demonstrators we all see in the media. These people have been gaslighted by professional agitators. They are ignorant and uninformed. For example, many of them have claimed in interviews that Trump and Musk want to cut social security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits. That is patently false. In fact, the opposite is true. Those programs are teetering on bankruptcy due to rampant waste, fraud and abuse. In point of fact, they want to save them.

According to the BBC various countries such as Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates will be assessed the “base rate” of 10%. The most egregious offenders, such as Taiwan (32%), the European Union (20%), China (54%) (which includes earlier tariffs), Vietnam (46%), Thailand (36%), Japan (24%), Cambodia (49%), and South Africa (30%) will be assessed “customized” tariffs (unless they negotiate). Some of the tariffs these countries impose on the US are egregious. My favorite is the 778% tariff Japan imposes on rice imported from the US, which obviates us from selling any rice there. Other countries, most notably China protect their industries from competition from abroad. They impose such stringent restrictions that it is virtually impossible to sell products there.

Conclusion

In my view, it all boils down to whether or not you have faith in Trump. I say, we elected him to institute reforms to put the country on the right track. The purpose of the tariffs is to reverse the trade imbalance that has existed for decades that has wreaked havoc on our manufacturing, farming, electronics and beef industries, among others. It has left us vulnerable in the event of another war, pandemic, or other catastrophe.

Trump is taking the long view. He has acknowledged there will be short-term pain but long-term gain. Trump has been successful in all his endeavors, such as immigration, dealing with terrorists, and crime. Furthermore, he has a well-deserved reputation as a superb negotiator. He has earned the right to the benefit of the doubt. Let’s give his tariff policy a chance.

. .

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DERANGED DOGE DENIERS

You simply cannot make this up. The Trump Derangement Syndrome seemingly knows no bounds. It has been extant for the better part of seven years, and it has exhibited no signs of dissipating. Rather, the TDS sufferers keep expanding their irrational hatred of all things Trump into new areas. Recently, they have focused their wrath on Elon Musk and all things Musk.

Until recently Musk was one of the Dems’ poster boys. Among other things he had developed the Tesla EV, which promised to significantly alter the auto industry. The “GNDers” had been clamoring for such a vehicle, which they hoped would wean Americans off vehicles that relied on fossil fuels. However, since the November election it has all changed. Now, they view Musk as a “turncoat,” a “traitor,” a fascist, and a Nazi. Why? What has he done? What heinous crime has he committed?

The answer is simple. He became part of the Trump Administration. He is the chief architect of DOGE, which is charged with the responsibility to and authority of identifying and eliminating inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government. For decades most everyone has agreed that spending is out of control and needs to be reduced significantly. Presently, the federal debt is approaching $37 trillion, which is way past crisis levels. Many people believe that that amount represents an existential threat to the viability of the country. Everyone’s been complaining about it, but no one has done anything about it. Until now.

Trump created DOGE and put Musk in charge of it. According to Fortune Magazine DOGE claims to have saved the federal government $115 billion so far by measures such as canceling contracts, terminating leases and encouraging federal agencies to reduce their workforces chiefly by (generous) buyouts.  The oft-stated goal is to eliminate $1 trillion in federal spending by the end of the fiscal year in September. In my opinion, that the goal is well within its reach since it has barely scratched the surface. It should be denoted that DOGE’s critics, such as NPR and other left-leaning critics, have claimed those accomplishments have been inaccurate and exaggerated. However, their past news analyses have been shown to be inaccurate and unreliable, so I choose to rely on DOGE’s figures. Regardless, in the eyes of the left Musk has gone from hero to villain in record time.

Never mind that he is volunteering his time and expertise to help the country. Never mind that he has provided much needed aid to hurricane victims. Never mind that he has created an EV for which the left has been clamoring to “save the planet.” Never mind that he oversaw the return of two astronauts that had been stranded in space for months. He is a Trump ally; therefore, he is tarred with the same brush The left’s venom toward Musk has been focused Tesla, which has become the lightning rod for their ire.

For example, according to multiple news reports just in the last few days:

  1. Dealerships and charging stations have been firebombed.
  2. Protestors have drawn signs equating Musk with being a fascist and a Nazi.
  3. According to Fox News in Idaho a man drove his vehicle into a pro-Tesla demonstration running over a man who was exiting his car that had pro-Trump flags.
  4. ABC News reported that Boston police were hunting a man who had been vandalizing parked Teslas.
  5. Daily Mail.com reported that in AZ an elderly female Tesla driver was dragged from her car and assaulted.
  6. And my favorite, in NYC various protestors were seen hammering toy Teslas into smithereens on the sidewalk like petulant five-year-old children.

If these maniacs’ goal is to harm Musk in some way it is not working. He was and is the richest man in America. Apparently, what they don’t realize or don’t care is that they are actually hurting the working-class people who build the cars, service the cars, sell the cars and buy the cars. Many of the foregoing are Dem voters. Like I said their derangement knows no bounds.

When interviewed on tv it becomes readily apparent that these protestors are woefully ignorant of the facts and don’t care to learn them. Many of them are frustrated losers who have nothing worthwhile in their lives. They need to “get a life” (or maybe a job). Others are paid agitators who move from venue to venue and issue to issue just to protest. Ask yourself why is it always “lefties” who protest and foment violence?

Many of them are under the mistaken belief that DOGE plans to eliminate or significantly reduce programs such as social security, Medicare and Medicaid. I suppose they believe the lies being spouted by the fake news media, but in point of fact the opposite is true. DOGE is actually trying to save those programs, which have been hemorrhaging money and are heading for bankruptcy. Presently, they are rife with the kind of inefficiency, waste, fraud and abuse that I am talking about. For instance, there have been reports of 120-year-old persons receiving SS benefits and people receiving bogus and/or multiple Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements.

Even worse, their insistence on labeling Trump and Musk as “Hitler” and “Nazis” illustrates that they have no conception of who the real Hitler and Nazis were and what they did. This constitutes a blatant ignorance of and disregard for the actual Holocaust victims.

While I am on this rant, I would like to denote that as many of us predicted Trump’s much maligned tariff policy is working. Based upon his threat of implementing “reciprocal tariffs” commencing on April 2 several countries, such as Canada, Mexico, India, Vietnam and the EU countries have announced they have or intend to reduce or eliminate their tariffs on American exports. Moreover, a plethora of large companies have announced they will be relocating their businesses to locations in the US to avoid tariffs. According to Fox News the total relocations will amount to $4 Trillion, that’s trillion with a capital T. That means jobs, lots and lots of jobs.

Conclusion

Where are the moderate Dems? Are there any left? I have posed this question many times before. I believe there are some, but they have chosen to remain silent while the far-left wing of the party destroys its brand. From FDR’s victory in 1932 to the last election the Dems were known as the party of the working man, the poor, the blacks and various ethnic groups. Trump’s victory changed all of that. Now they are perceived as the Party of the coastal elites and the privileged. It’s the Republicans who are favored by those groups of voters. Trump has co-opted the 80% side of all the 80-20 issues. Trump has co-opted a commonsense approach to these issues. The Dems have been forced by their TDS to support the likes of terrorists, criminals, illegal aliens, and men in women’s safe spaces, among others. They are perceived as out of touch with the majority of voters.

The spokespersons for the Party are now “lefties” Bernie Sanders, AOC and Jasmine Crockett. So, I repeat, where are the moderates? In my opinion, they are hiding, particularly those who will be running for re-election in 2026. They have been intimidated by their small but vocal left wing. They are afraid of being “primaried.” Like bears, they are hibernating.

I predict they will resurface prior to the 2026 election and do what Dems always do – espouse Republican values and policies in order to win the election. And then they will renege on their promises and return to hibernation. Voters – do not be gaslighted.

There are three special elections today. One is for the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The winning Party will hold the balance of power in the court. The other two are for two vacant House seats in Florida, both of which were held by Republicans. Special elections often fly under the radar. Most voters don’t pay attention to them, but they are important and bear watching closely.

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APRIL FOOL’S DAY

This is not an April Fools joke. It s a legitimate blog.

As you know, tomorrow is April 1, also known as “April Fool’s Day.”  I like a good joke as much as anyone, but I am not a big fan of pranking people on this date.  Maybe when I was 10 or so, but not now.  But I was curious about the origins of the holiday, and how it is celebrated around the world.

According to Wikipedia AFD is not a official holiday in the US, nor in any other country for that matter, but it is widely recognized and celebrated around the world unofficially.  Different countries have different ways of celebrating it. More on that later.

Some people love to play jokes and perpetrate hoaxes.  So, if you hear that President Trump has resigned to retire and spend his days relaxing quietly at the beach, or that James Dolan has sold the NY Knicks, or that China has “forgiven” the US’s debt, don’t believe it.  Those would most certainly be AFD jokes.

Even the media can be a willing participant.  One of my favorite AFD pranks occurred on April 1, 1985.  The Sports Illustrated cover story that day was about a baseball pitching phenom named Sidd Finch.  At first, the story appeared to have credibility, as it was written by George Plimpton, an author of some renown, and published in SI.  Finch was presented as an unknown rookie pitching prospect in the NY Mets training camp.  (At that time Opening Day was later in April.)  So far, so good.  But, as one read the details of the story, particularly about his 160 MPH fastball, it became apparent that it was an AFD joke.

A few other famous, or infamous, AFD pranks courtesy of CNN, (which many claim is the “fake news” network anyway), and Wikipedia:

1. Swiss spaghetti – On 4/1/57 a British tv show called “Panorama” claimed that the Swiss spaghetti harvest had enjoyed a “bumper year” due to the unusually mild weather and the elimination of the “spaghetti weevil.”  This hoax was ranked the #1 AFD joke of all time by the Museum of Hoaxes.  (Yes, there is such a place.)

2. Toilet paper – On 4/1/73 Johnny Carson joked on the Tonight Show that there was a shortage of toilet paper. Due to the show’s extensive popularity this hoax was credited with creating a real shortage as many listeners believed him and rushed out to “stock up.”

3. In 2015 Cottonelle announced it was developing “left-handed toilet paper.”  “It cleans just like right-handed toilet paper, only it’s made for (lefties),” touted one advertisement.

4. Google Gulp – In 1998 Google announced a drink called the “Google Gulp,” which, it said, would help one to “achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be grateful cerebral cortex,” [and it was] “low in carbs” to boot.

5. Walt(Clyde) Frazier, the illustrious NY Knick Hall of Fame basketball player, retired after the 1979 season. On April 1, 1997 the MSG network ran a story that he was coming out of retirement. It fooled some people for a while, but it was not true.

6. In 1992 National Public Radio’s “Talk of the Nation” program announced Richard Nixon, who in 1974 became the only U.S. president to resign from office, was running for president again, claiming, “I never did anything wrong, and I won’t do it again.” Listeners were horrified—until they realized it was a joke.

All in good fun!

On the flip side there have been actual events that occurred on or around April 1 that were mistakenly taken as AFD jokes, such as:

  1. In 1946 a news report of an earthquake and tsunami in the Aleutian Islands area that ultimately killed 165 persons in Alaska and Hawaii.
  2. In 1984 it was reported that singer Marvin Gaye, Jr. was shot and killed by his father.
  3. In 1995 it was reported that the singer, Selena, was shot and killed by the former president of her fan club.
  4. In 2009 CBS announced that its long-running soap opera, The Guiding Light, was being cancelled.

Initially, each of these was denounced as false AFD pranks even by those who should have been cognizant of the truth.

In 2020 and 2021 during the height of the COVID Pandemic some people were opposed to incorporating the virus into AFD pranks. For example, Google opted not to publish its customary “infamous April Fools jokes. Additionally, in Thailand police warned that posting or sharing any AFD jokes or pranks online could result in a maximum of five years in prison for the perpetrator.

The origin of AFD is murky and controversial. Surprisingly, there are records of continuous AFD celebrations back as far as 536 BC in present day Iran. They celebrate the Persian holiday of Sizdah Bedar, which falls on the 13th day of the Persian New Year, (April 1). In addition, the Romans celebrated festivals called “Hilaria” on March 25 and the “Medieval Feast of Fools” on December 28. In certain Spanish-speaking countries, the latter is still a date on which pranks are played on people. Also, there is a reference to the holiday in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, which was first published in 1387.

According to Wikipedia, a 1908 edition of Harpers Weekly published a reference to AFD in connection with Noah’s Ark. I think the article, itself, was likely an AFD joke, particularly since the story of the Ark and the Flood, itself, strains credulity.

In 1508 a French poet, Eloy d’Amerval, referred to a day called poisson d’avril , or “April’s fish” in one of his poems, which some historians attribute to be the earliest known reference to the holiday in France. Even today, AFD is referred to as “April Fish Day” in France, Belgium and Italy.

During the Middle Ages there was no universally recognized calendar, so many regions celebrated New Years Day on April 1 rather than January 1. Some of those who celebrated it on January 1 would denigrate those who celebrated it on April 1 as “fools.” It is easy to see how that label morphed into “April fools.”

Supposedly, in 1561 Eduard de Dene, a Belgian poet of some renown, published a humorous poem about a nobleman who sent one of his servants on “foolish errands” on April 1.

In 1686 John Aubrey, who Wikipedia describes as an antiquary, writer and philosopher, is credited by Wikipedia with making the earliest reference to the celebratory day in Great Britain. He called it “Fooles holy day.” (For those of you who, like me, are not well-versed in Oxford English the term antiquary is defined as one who collects or studies antiques.)

According to Alex Boese, curator of the Museum of Hoaxes, the Dutch popularized the day in the late 16th century.  By the 1700s it had spread over much of Northern Europe, and eventually to the US.

Nowadays, the holiday is celebrated differently around the world. Some examples are as follows:

1. UK – The April Fool joke is disclosed when the perpetrator shouts “April Fool” at the recipient.  Traditionally, April Fool jokes are to cease at midday.  After that time, anyone trying to prank someone becomes the “April Fool” himself.  These AFD customs are similar in other countries whose traditions were influenced by the UK, such as the US.

2. Scotland – AFD is called “Hunt the Gowk Day.”  “Gowk” is Scotch for a foolish person.

3. Ireland – A common tradition is to give the “prankee” an important letter in an envelope to give to a certain person.  That person would ask the “prankee” to give it to another person, and so on and so on.  Eventually, someone would open the envelope.  The letter inside would say “send the fool further.”

4. Poland – Traditionally, April 1 is a day to play jokes and hoaxes.  The media participates as well.  Serious matters are to be avoided.  For example, supposedly, a treaty signed on April 1, 1683 was later backdated to March 31.

5. France/Italy/Belgium – One common prank is to attach a paper fish to the victim’s back without being detected. (Along these lines, in high school we used to put a “kick me” sign on a victim’s back, although not just on AFD.  Movie buffs may recall that this joke was played on McFly Senior in the movie Back to the Future.)

6. Sweden/Denmark – They celebrate on May 1 in addition to April 1. Many Danish and Swedish news outlets will intentionally publish one false story on April 1.

CONCLUSION

AFD can be fun, especially for kids. Even in the current PC era, a little harmless fun never hurt anyone.  That is especially true today as, in my view, many Americans are becoming increasingly humorless.

I recall some years ago my son “pranked” my grandson, who was six at the time and a huge Mets fan, telling him that David Wright, his favorite Mets player at the time, had been traded to the hated Yankees. To his credit, my grandson, merely shrugged his shoulders and asked “who for?”

I can remember being both the perpetrator and butt of April fool jokes in grade school and middle school. All in good fun.  I predict that some of you will be victimized this year. Be ready, and take it as the good fun in which it is intended.

A fun fact from Wikipedia, April is named after “Aphrodite,” the Greek goddess of love.

Please tell me some of your favorite AFD pranks.

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DEM PARTY SELF-DESTRUCTION

Based on the political news since the November 2024 election I have come to the conclusion that the Dems are heading slowly, but inexorably, toward self-destruction. Figuratively, I feel as if I am watching an out-of-control speeding vehicle careening toward a cliff, and there is nothing I or anyone else can do to stop it. What’s more, the Dem Party professionals and their allies in the media are driving the car. Hyperbole, perhaps, slightly, but after reading this blog, I believe that, unless you are a “Kool-aide drinker,” you will come to the same conclusion.

Consider:

  1. The election was nearly five months ago, long enough for the shock to have worn off. Long enough for the Dems to have regrouped and formulated a strategy to rebound.
  2. And yet, after all this time many if not most of them have still not ascertained why and how they lost. They cannot fathom that they, themselves and their policies, were to blame. Rather than looking internally, they are continuing to blame others.
  3. Most of us know that the first step to resolving a problem is to admit that you have one. This is a hard lesson to learn, but it is a necessary one. Drug addicts learn it; alcohol abusers learn it; why can’t the Dem politicians learn it?
  4. In my opinion it is because they are in complete denial. They live in a figurative bubble and cannot conceive how the vast majority of people live, how they continually have to deal with real life problems, like finding a good-paying job, putting food on the table, and paying the rent or mortgage.
  5. In essence, they believe their own propaganda. We all know the drill. The border is secure; go “Green;” illegals, even criminals, drug dealers and terrorists, have rights even superseding those of citizens; inflation is transitory; and transgenders should be allowed to enter girls’ private spaces and compete with them in sports.

Last November the GOP won an election as decisively as any in a long time. Trump won the presidency in a landslide; he won the popular vote, which is rare for a Republican; he won all seven swing states; he made significant inroads into traditionally Dem voting blocs such as blacks, Hispanics, Jews and young people; and his coattails flipped the Senate and retained the House.

However, the numbers do not tell the entire story. Five months later the Dem Party finds itself in complete disarray. It is firmly in the control of its radical left wing. Its spokespersons are AOC, Bernie Sanders, Hakeem Jeffries, and Jasmine Crockett, all left wing, not a moderate in the bunch. CNN, MSNBC, the NY Times and the Washington Post are spewing their distorted fake news as aggressively as ever.

Meanwhile, the Trump Administration has established itself on the “right side,” the “commonsense side,” of every issue that is important to voters, the so-called “80-20 issues,” such as securing the borders, the rights of citizens over illegal aliens, law and order, energy independence, deporting criminal illegal aliens, eliminating fraud, waste and abuse in government, Israel over Hamas, peace in Ukraine, local control of education, and eliminating transgenders from women’s private spaces and sports. On the other hand, the Dem’s, since they must oppose any Trump policy, have been forced to support the opposing side in all of those issues.

Thus, they have been forced into the ludicrous and untenable position of supporting, or at least tolerating pro-Hamas, anti-Jewish riots and lawlessness on college campuses, blocking the deporting of criminal illegals who have committed the most heinous of crimes, and firebombing Tesla showrooms. The latter is especially inane. It was the Dems who pushed EVs and other “green” policies on the reluctant public for years. Elon Musk was their hero. Now, just because Musk is an ally of Trump’s they are advocating the destruction of his company and returning to gas guzzler cars? Don’t they realize how unhinged that appears? Don’t they care? Furthermore, let’s not overlook the fact that they are endangering innocent people’s lives and damaging thousands of workers’ livelihoods.

Now the radical Dems are attempting to depose Chuck Schumer as Minority Leader in the Senate and replace his with a more left-leaning senator. Regular readers know I am not a Schumer fan. In fact, I despise him politically. I have no respect for him. I consider him to be a political chameleon with no integrity. His support for Israel and Jews, in general, has been tepid at best. He has not spoken out in support of Israel in its war against Hamas nor in opposition of the riots and lawlessness on college campuses against Jewish students. That said, I believe they would be making a mistake if they were to replace him with a more radical senator.

Conclusion

The Dems need to regroup and fast. They need to recognize why and how they lost in 2024 and change their policies. They need to get over their TDS and join the Republicans on the right side of the aforementioned 80-20 issues. They need to control their radical left wing and coalesce behind moderate leaders. Otherwise, there will be more of the same in 2026 and beyond.

On the humorous side, Joe Biden has resurfaced. He has offered to help the Dems with their current predicament. That should be a “hard pass.”

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OPENING DAY

The traditional MLB Opening Day will be on Thursday, March 27. Every team is scheduled to be in action, weather permitting of course. Neither MLB nor I view the annual pre-openers as OD. Although they count in the standings, they are generally considered to be a prelude to the “real” baseball season. Due to travel and time change, following those pre-openers both teams will return to play additional preseason games. Weird.

Fans always look forward to OD as a respite after a long winter of cold, rain, political, economic and social turmoil, and war. We all know that sports are a healthy diversion, especially in difficult times such as now.

This year the Dodgers and the Cubs will play the two-game preopening series in Tokyo. The rosters of the Dodgers and Cubs include five Japanese-born players who are former superstars of the Nippon Professional Baseball league – Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki of the Dodgers and Seiya Suzuki and Shota Imanaga of the Cubs. According to MLB currently there are 11 Japanese-born MLB players out of an all-time total of 81. [Quiz question. Can you name the first player and the year he debuted?]

This is not the first time MLB has scheduled such games in foreign venues. Beginning in 1996 games, both pre-openers and in-season games, have been played in foreign locales such as Sydney, Australia, Mexico City, Mexico, Seoul, South Korea and London, England, among others. Opening in these foreign locales may be inconvenient for the players, but MLB does it to broaden the exposure and appeal of the game. Indeed, MLB rosters are chock full of players from countries in the Caribbean, Central America, South America and Asia. According to MLB in 2024 264 players, 28% of the total, were foreign born in 25 countries. Can you name them? (Just kidding.)

Typically, many early season (and late season) games are played in weather more suitable for football. Why? We know why – M O N E Y. If MLB persists in playing games in March, April and November why doesn’t it mandate domed stadiums in cold weather locales? Probably, too logical for the Lords of Baseball.

For many years, MLB had scheduled the very first game of the season in Cincinnati, usually on the first Monday in April, with a full slate of games the next day. This was in recognition of the fact that the Reds were the first professional baseball team. In fact, the Reds are the only team that has always been scheduled to play its first game at home. There have only been three years when they opened on the road – 1966, when the home opener was rained out and 1990 and 2022 when those seasons were delayed due to lockouts. The team was formed in 1869 as the Red Stockings. It has undergone various name changes and is now known as the “Reds.” Incidentally, for you trivia buffs, they went 65-0 that first year, the only perfect season in baseball history.

The National League was organized in 1876, and the American League in 1901. For many years there were 16 teams – eight teams in each league, all in the northeast, with no team being located west or south of St. Louis. With the advent of air travel in the late 1950s it became feasible to add franchises in other sectors of the country. Presently, there are 30 teams – 15 in each league.

Despite the often-inclement weather, OD holds a special meaning. Mention those words to any sports fan, and, immediately, he or she knows what it means, and to which sport it pertains. Not football, not basketball, not hockey. OD means that another season of Major League Baseball is beginning. Baseball fans look forward to OD every year. Local newspapers step up their coverage of the local team in anticipation. They send the beat writers to Spring Training to report on the local team. Many of them even print a daily countdown of the number of days remaining until OD. In addition, OD occurs in the Spring, a season that symbolizes a new beginning and one which most people anticipate every year.

Most fans will acknowledge that baseball is no longer the most popular sport. In fact, according to TV ratings, betting interest and most fan polls, football has superseded baseball. Perhaps, basketball has as well, particularly among younger fans. However, baseball, which has been played in the US in some form since the 1840s, is part of the social fabric of America.

Most men (and women) remember their first game of “catch” with their father and their first baseball game. For most it is a “rite of passage” as uniquely American as the flag. In fact, I have a more detailed recall of a World Series game I attended with my father in 1956 than I do of ballgames I saw last year.

Every fan is optimistic on OD. Every team starts with the same 0-0 record. None has lost a game yet. Every team still has a chance to make the playoffs (at least in theory), and as we have seen in recent years, once you make the playoffs anything can happen. For example, in 2016 the Chicago Cubs won it all for the first time since 1908. Think about that for a minute. That meant that, at the time, no Cubs fan, and virtually none of their fathers, had even been born the previous time the Cubs had won. In 2017 the Houston Astros won their first WS after having languished near the bottom of the league for many years.

Unlike other sports, very often the team with the best regular season record does not win the World Series or even get there. Even the best baseball teams generally lose about 40% of their games. If those losses come at the wrong time, it’s sayonara.

Eight wild card teams have actually won the World Series, most recently, the Texas Rangers in 2023. Furthermore, in 2002 and 2014 both WS participants were wild cards (the Angels beat the Giants in 2002, and the Giants beat the Royals in 2014). Five teams – the Padres, Mariners, Brewers, Rays, and Rockies – have never won a WS, and the Mariners have never even appeared in one. The WS format has always been the best of seven games, EXCEPT for 1903, which was the first one, and 1919-1921 which were all the best of nine.

Many fans, and even some reporters, place undue emphasis on the opener, forgetting or ignoring the fact that the season consists of 162 games. To many fans, a win OD means the season will be outstanding; a loss means the team “stinks.”

Down through the years, OD has produced some memorable events, such as:

1. In 1907, the NY Giants, forerunner of the San Francisco Giants, forfeited the opener after rowdy fans began throwing snowballs at the players and umpires. There were not enough police on hand to restore order, so the umpires forfeited the game to the visiting Phillies.
2. In 1910 President Howard Taft became the first President to throw out the “first ball.” In 1950 President Truman threw out the “first pitch” twice, as a righty and a lefty. Over the years nearly every president has done so, and the practice has evolved from a perfunctory toss from the stands to a more elaborate ceremonial toss from the mound. I expect that President Trump will follow suit this year. In addition, I predict he will participate in the “wave.”
3. In 1940, Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians, known as “Rapid Robert” because of his high velocity fast ball, threw the only OD day no-hitter in baseball history. As an aside, there were no radar guns in Feller’s Day, so one day some officials attempted to “time” his fastball by having him throw a pitch against a speeding motorcycle. Not very scientific.
4. In 1947 Jackie Robinson debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers on OD becoming the first African American to play in the major leagues since the 19th Century.
5. In 1975 Frank Robinson became the first African American to manage in the Major Leagues. Later, he became the first AA manager to be “fired.”
6. In 1996, John McSherry, an umpire, suffered a fatal heart attack near home plate.
7. Early in the 20th Century teams would, on occasion, open with a doubleheader. Doubleheaders used to be quite common, particularly on Sundays and holidays. Now, they are rare, and when they do occur it is usually the result of adding an extra game to make up for a rain-out. The reason? Money, of course.
8. In 1946 Boston Braves fans attending the game got an unpleasant surprise. It seems that the Braves’ management had had the stands freshly painted, and the paint had not completely dried. Many fans got red paint all over their clothes. The embarrassed management issued a public apology and paid the fans’ cleaning bills.
9. Tom Seaver started the most openers – 16. Walter Johnson pitched the most OD shutouts – seven, including a 1-0 victory in which he pitched 15 innings. No chance of that happening this year. Incidentally, Johnson had 110 career shutouts. Talk about unbreakable records!
10. In 1974 Henry Aaron clouted his 714th homerun tying Babe Ruth’s all-time record for career homers.
11. In 1968 Angels minor leaguer Greg Washburn became the only pitcher to appear in two OD games in the same year. Huh? How did he do that? First, he pitched the opener for the San Jose Bees of the California League and then for the Quad City Angels of the Midwest League. (He won both games 2-0).

12. Some of the individual OD records we may see broken this year are most home runs (3), most hits (5) most RBIs (7) and most strikeouts (15). Maybe, we will see another no-hitter, although the way the game is played today any no-hitter would be a group effort.

CONCLUSION

As I said, weather is often an issue on OD, especially in the northern cities where it is not unusual to have cold, damp, rainy weather in late March/early April that is more suitable for football than baseball. It reminds me of one of the major criticisms of baseball, that the season is too long. As I said, we all know the reason – tv money. The owners like it, because it makes them rich and less dependent on attendance for revenues. The players tolerate it, because it helps fuel their astronomic salaries. As for the fans, well, they will just have to grin and bear it.

Hall of Fame pitcher, Early Wynn sagaciously summed up the essence of OD thusly: “An opener is not like any other game. You have that anxiety to get off to a good start, for yourself and for the team. You know that when you win the first one you can’t lose them all.” Joe DiMaggio, always looked forward to OD. He felt “you think something wonderful is going to happen.” Finally, I am reminded of that renowned philosopher Yogi Berra, who could turn a phrase with the best of them, who is reputed to have said: “A home opener is always exciting, no matter if it’s home or on the road.”

So, which teams will reach the World Series? Which team will win? According to ESPN BET, the defending WS Champion Los Angheles Dodgers are the strong favorites with the Yankees (despite Cole’s injury), the Braves and the Astros in the mix. The Dodgers look absolutely stacked, but we all know that the games are played on the field, not on paper. It’s a long season, and anything can happen. Injuries, bad luck and the short playoff series will be factors.

Of course, I will root for the Dodgers.

I think the TV networks would like to see a Dodgers-Yankees World Series again. I think that would generate the most interest and the highest TV ratings. They used to meet on what seemed like a regular basis back in the 1950s. The Dodgers beat them last year in six games, and I’m sure the Yankees are out for revenge.

What is your favorite OD memory? Please share.

Quiz answer- Masanori Murakami (1964). He only played for two years with pedestrian results.

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ANTISEMITISM ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES

Antisemitism on college campuses is still prevalent. I have discussed this situation in previous blogs but is still problematic. In fact, in my opinion it has metastasized into a full-blown existential crisis. It’s not just the students; it’s the faculty; and most disturbingly, it’s the administrators as well. As we know, many “protesters” are not even students but paid agitators. Even worse many are in the US illegally. They have no love for America, and will eagerly participate in any action to bring it down

In my opinion, the vile and violent demonstrations we see on tv and read about in the news are just the tip of the iceberg. The core of antisemitism has festered unchecked like a cancer in academia for decades, maybe forever.

In previous blogs I have denoted that antisemitism has been omnipresent in society throughout history. Often it has been covert, but in times of crisis like now it has bubbled to the surface like an erupting volcano. This is not just my opinion; it is a historical fact that can be verified easily if one cares to research it.

It has been overt on many college campuses the last few years due to the Israel-Hamas War in the ME, the timidity of the federal government leadership, and its reluctance to take decisive corrective action to penalize those responsible. Much of the mainstream media has been portraying Israel and the Jews as the aggressors and Hamas and the Palestinians as the victims. Of course, the opposite is true.

Most of the protestors have been gaslighted. The news they have been getting has been distorted. Probably, many of them are completely ignorant of the issues and the history of the region and could care less. I dare say, many of them could probably not even find Gaza on a map

The indifferent, if not hostile, attitude of the Biden Administration toward Jews, in general, and Israel, in particular, and its weak response to the violent demonstrations have given “cover” to and emboldened the crazies. They have sensed that they had free rein and would not be punished by either the college administrators or the federal government for their actions, and until now they have been correct.

This has been and will continue to be an ongoing crisis, but some of the recent developments include:

  1. As reported in the NY Post US government officials have stated that some 60 colleges are presently being investigated for alleged religious discrimination. That is a significant number, and it is indicative of a long-running, persistent and widespread problem.
  2. These colleges are failing in their primary mission, which is provide an atmosphere in which ALL students can receive a quality education. That includes, among other things, a free and unfettered exchange of ideas and beliefs.
  3. In my view, many Dems have been and are continuing to avoid criticizing these violent protestors for political reasons. They feel they need the support of the far left in order to win elections. I have long maintained that the worst offender is Senate Majority Leader Chuck (the “Chameleon”) Schumer. He is Jewish and represents NYS, the electorate of which is heavily Jewish. He should be at the forefront of supporting Israel and the Jews, and yet as I have written in previous blogs, in my view he has remained silent and, at times, even hostile to them. To me, that is inexplicable and unconscionable.
  4. Many Dems have been defending Mahmoud Khalil, an unabashed terrorist, who was recently picked up by ICE and slated to be deported. Supposedly, Khalil is a graduate student at Columbia University, but in reality, he is also a known terrorist and is one of the leaders of the current violent protests. Many Dems have made him into a symbol of free speech being denied. His actions are indefensible, yet, for some unfathomable reason many Dems have been rushing to his defense. They have been touting him as a victim. Have they lost their minds!? Perhaps, or maybe it is yet another example of TDS by which Dems feel they must oppose any Trump action regardless of what it is.
  5. Today, the NY Post reported that a second anti-Israel demonstrator at Columbia has been picked up. Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian, is allegedly guilty of overstaying his student visa and other immigration -related violations.
  6. The Dems’ defense of Khalil’s civil rights is especially perplexing since they have failed to support the civil rights of Laken Reilly, Jocelyn Nungaray, and the many other women and children who were raped and murdered by illegal aliens thus depriving them of their civil rights. Their message is that your civil rights depend on which side of the political spectrum you are on.
  7. Similarly, at Trump’s recent speech before a joint session of Congress they refused to acknowledge and honor individuals such as the 13-year-old who had beaten brain cancer, the orphan of a slain law enforcement officer who was accepted into West Point, and various widows of slain police officers. This mixed messaging is reminiscent of a quote by John Feinstein, a sportswriter of some renown. Bobby Knight, a well-known college basketball coach who did not mince words, once called Feinstein a “whore and a pimp.” Feinstein quipped, “I wish he’d make up his mind, so I would know how to dress.” Similarly, the Dems have to decide if they are for or against civil rights.

Conclusion

President Trump has inherited a very dangerous situation. As described above, many, if not most, college campuses are in a racial crisis. Jewish students’ civil rights are being violated on a regular basis, physically, mentally and emotionally. Many Jews have taken to hiding their “Jewishness,” i.e. jewelry such as mezuzahs and Stars of David, for their own safety. Moreover, it is likely that many Jews and non-Jews are eschewing these universities in favor of ones with a more tolerant religious climate.

Non-Jews should not make the mistake of assuming they will be safe. History has shown repeatedly that like the Nazis of 1930s Germany, the communists of Soviet Russia, and other extremist groups Muslim radicals will not be satisfied with just discriminating against the Jews. If left unchecked, they will move on to all other people whom they consider not to be “true believers,” such as Catholics, Protestants and even moderate Muslims.

On many campuses the situation has deteriorated to such an extent on that students who want to go to classes or the library are being precluded from doing so. They or their parents are paying tens of thousands of dollars per year for a quality education, and they are not getting it. I’m surprised more parents have not protested.

To no one’s surprise the Trump Administration has demonstrated the guts to take college administrators to task. Many of them have been dragged before Congressional committees to defend their discriminatory policies; DOJ and ICE personnel have begun to investigate, detain, prosecute and deport the perpetrators; the Administration has commenced to withhold federal funding where appropriate. The cancelation of $400,000 of Columbia’s federal grants and contracts is likely just the beginning. Trump’s actions will affect these colleges not only financially but reputationally as well.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s well deserved and long overdue.

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THIS MONTH IN HISTORY – MARCH

Below please find some of the significant events that have occurred in March.

3/1/1932 – In one of the most notorious kidnappings ever, the 20 month-old son of renowned aviator, Charles Lindbergh, was taken from his home. Tragically, the child was later found dead only a few miles away.

3/1/1961 – President JFK established the Peace Corps, which sent volunteers to developing countries to provide healthcare, education, and other basic human needs.

3/1/1974 – Several senior officials of the Nixon administration were indicted for obstruction related to the infamous Watergate break-in.

3/4/1681 – England’s King Charles, II deeded a huge tract of land in the New World to William Penn in settlement of a debt. Appropriately, the area became known as Pennsylvania.

3/4/1789 – The first meeting of the US Congress occurred in NYC.

3/4/1830 – Former President John Quincy Adams returned to Congress as a member of the House of Representatives, the first, and only, ex-President to do so. [Who was the only ex-President to serve in the US Senate? See answer below?]

3/5/1770 – British soldiers opened fire on a group of demonstrating colonials, killing five, including Crispus Attucks, an African-American, who later became celebrated as being the first American to die in the Revolutionary War.

3/5/1946 – The term, “Iron Curtain,” was first used (in a speech by Winston Churchill) to describe the separation between the free countries of Europe and those that were under the domination of the Soviet Union.
3/6/1836 – The Alamo was overrun by Mexican troops, who slaughtered every last defender, including James Bowie and Davy Crockett. “Remember the Alamo” became the inspirational rallying cry for Texans’ fight for independence from Mexico.

3/10/1862 – The US began distributing paper money in denominations of $5, $10 and $20.

3/10/1880 – The Salvation Army was founded in the US.

3/11/1918 – The “Spanish Flu” first appeared in the US. By the end of 1920 it had been responsible for some 22 million deaths worldwide.

3/12/1609 – The British colonized Bermuda (by accident, as a ship headed for Virginia had been blown off-course).

3/12/1888 – The infamous “Great Blizzard of 1888” wreaked havoc on the northeastern US. In NYC it dropped 40 inches of snow over 36 hours and was responsible for some 400 deaths.

3/12/1912 – Girl Scouts of America founded.

3/12/1938 – In the first of many blatant acts of aggression, Germany invaded, and later annexed, Austria.

3/15/44 B.C. – Julius Caesar was assassinated in the Senate by a group that included his friend, Brutus (“Et tu, Brute?”).

3/16/1968 – American soldiers killed 504 Vietnamese men, women and children in what became known as the “My Lai Massacre.”

3/17 – Celebrated in many countries as St. Patrick’s Day to honor the Patron Saint of Ireland, who is credited with converting the Irish to Catholicism in the 5th century.

3/22/1972 – Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited discrimination on the basis of gender.

3/23/1775 – In a speech before the Virginia House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry intoned his famous words, “give me liberty, or give me death.”

3/24/1934 – President FDR granted independence to the Philippine Islands, which the US had controlled since the Spanish-American War.

3/24/1989 – The oil tanker, Exxon Valdez, ran aground off the coast of Alaska, spewing forth some 11 million gallons of oil over some 45 miles of natural habitat, creating the one of the largest and most devastating ecological disasters in US history.

3/25/1807 – The British Parliament abolished slavery throughout the Commonwealth.

3/25/1911 – A raging fire in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in NYC killed 123 in just minutes. The tragedy shined a spotlight on the working conditions of immigrant women who were laboring in the garment industry for long hours and low pay.

3/26/1979 – Egypt and Israel signed the Camp David Accord peace treaty, brokered by President Jimmy Carter.

3/28/1930 – Constantinople was renamed Istanbul.

3/28/1979 – An accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant created a controversy over the use of nuclear power that still has not been fully resolved.

3/30/1981- President Ronald Reagan is gravely wounded by a would-be assassin. He recovered shortly to resume his duties and later quipped that he “forgot to duck.”

3/30/1909 – The Queensboro Bridge (aka The 59th Street Bridge) opened.

3/31/1968 – President LBJ, who, for many, had come to symbolize the futility and frustration of the Vietnam War, announced he would not run for re-election.

Birthdays – 3/1/1904 – Glenn Miller, bandleader (“Moonlight Serenade”), in Carilinda, IA; 3/2/1793 – Sam Houston, led the fight for Texas independence, Rockbridge County, VA; 3/3/1831 – George Pullman, invented “Pullman Car,” which improved sleeping accommodations on trains, in Brocton, NY; 3/3/1847 – Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, among others, in Edinburgh, Scotland; 3/4/1747 – Casimir Pulaski, Revolutionary War hero, in Poland; 3/4/1888 – Knute Rockne, football coach, in Voss, Norway; 3/6/1875 – Michelangelo, Renaissance painter, in Caprese, Italy; 3/9/1451 – Amerigo Vespucci, explorer and cartographer for whom America is named; 3/9/1454 – Yuri Gagarin, first cosmonaut in space, in Gzhatsk, Russia; 3/14/1879 – Albert Einstein, physicist who developed the theory of relativity; 3/14/1833 – Lucy Hobbs, first female dentist, in NY; 3/15/1767 – Andrew Jackson, 7th President, war hero in War of 1812, in Waxhaw, SC; 3/16/1751 – James Madison, a Founding Father and 4th US President; 3/18/1837 – Grover Cleveland, 22nd and 24th President (first president to serve two terms non-consecutively), in Caldwell, NJ; 3/19/1813 – David Livingstone, explorer and missionary who famously went missing in Africa. When he was finally found by newsman Henry Stanley, the latter supposedly uttered the famous line, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume,” although that might have been an example of Hollywood hyperbole, in Scotland; 3/19/1848 – Wyatt Earp, Wild West lawman and gunfighter, in Monmouth, IL; 3/19/1860 – William Jennings Bryan, known for “Cross of Gold ” speech and for the dubious honor of being only person to lose three presidential races, in Salem, IL; 3/21/1685 – Johann Sebastian Bach, composer, in Germany; 3/24/1685 – Erik Weisz, aka, Harry Houdini, escape artist, in Hungary; 3/26/1911 – Thomas Lanier “Tennessee” Williams, III, playwright (“A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof”), in Columbus, MS; 3/29/1911 – John Tyler, became 10th President upon the death of Willi3/31/1878am Henry Harrison, Charles City County, VA; 3/30/1853 – Vincent Van Gogh, Postimpressionist painter, in Groot Zundert, Holland; 3/31/1731 – Franz Joseph Haydn, composer, considered to be father of the symphony and string quartet, in Austria, 1732; – Jack Johnson, first AA boxing champion, in Galveston, TX, 1878.

Answer to quiz – Andrew Johnson (TN)

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ONE-LINERS

Below please a compendium of funny one-liners to brighten your day courtesy of loyal and longtime reader, Dan. Hope you enjoy them.

Cocaine is legal in Oregon, but straws aren’t.  That must be frustrating. 

Still trying to get my head around the fact that ‘Take Out’ can mean food, dating, or murder. 

Threw out my back sleeping and tweaked my neck sneezing so I’m probably just one strong fart away from complete paralysis.

 Dear paranoid people who check behind their shower curtains for murderers:  If you do find one, what’s your plan?

 The older I get, the more I understand why roosters scream to start their day.

 Being popular on Facebook is like sitting at the “cool table” in the cafeteria of a mental hospital.

 You know you’re over 50 when you have “upstairs ibuprofen” and “downstairs ibuprofen.” 

 How did doctors come to the conclusion that exercise prolongs life, when the rabbit is always jumping but only lives for around two years, and the turtle that doesn’t exercise at all lives over  200 years.  So, rest, chill, eat, drink, and enjoy life! 

 I too was once a male trapped in a female body…but then my mother gave birth.

 If only vegetables smelled as good as bacon. 

 When I lost the fingers on my right hand in a freak accident, I asked the doctor if I would still be able to write with it.  He said, “Possibly, but I wouldn’t count on it.”

 I woke up this morning determined to drink less, eat right, and exercise. But that was four hours ago when I was younger and full of hope. 

Anyone who says their wedding was the best day of their life has clearly never had two candy bars fall down at once from a vending machine. 

 We live in a time where intelligent people are silenced so that stupid people won’t be offended. 

 The biggest joke on mankind is that computers have begun asking humans to prove they aren’t a robot. 

 When a kid says “Daddy, I want mommy” that’s the kid version of “I’d like to speak to your supervisor.”  

 It’s weird being the same age as old people. 

 Just once, I want a username and password prompt to respond “CLOSE ENOUGH.” 

 Last night the internet stopped working so I spent a few hours with my family.  They seem like good people. 

 If Adam and Eve were Cajuns they would have eaten the snake instead of the apple and saved us all a lot of trouble. 

 We celebrated last night with a couple of adult beverages …… Metamucil and Ensure. 

 You know you are getting old when friends with benefits means knowing someone who can drive at night. 

 Weight loss goal: To be able to clip my toenails and breathe at the same time.

 After watching how some people wore their masks, I understand why contraception fails. 

 Some of my friends exercise every day.  Meanwhile I am watching a show I don’t like because the remote fell on the floor. 

 For those of you that don’t want Alexa or Siri listening in on your conversations, they are making a male version; it doesn’t listen to anything. 

 I just got a present labeled, ‘From Mom and Dad,’ and I know darn well that Dad has no idea what’s inside. 

 Someone said, “Nothing rhymes with orange.” I said, “No, it doesn’t.” 

 The pessimist complains about the wind.   The optimist expects it to change.  The realist adjusts his sails. 

 There’s a fine line between a numerator and a denominator. Only a fraction of people will find this funny. 

 Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are. 

 I have many hidden talents. I just wish I could remember where I hid them. 

 My idea of a Super Bowl is a toilet that cleans itself. 

 Exercise helps you with decision-making. It’s true.  I went for a run this morning and decided I’m never going again.

Conclusion

Hope you enjoyed them.

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PRESIDENT TRUMP’S ADDRESS TO CONGRESS

By most accounts, President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress on March 4 was a rousing success. That’s not just my opinion; it’s an opinion shared even by normally anti-Trump sources.

For example, a CBS poll reported that 76% of respondents approved of the speech. The same poll disclosed that 77% are in favor of his program to eliminate government waste, fraud and abuse; 77% support his border/immigration policies; 73% support his efforts to negotiate a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine; and 65% agree with him on tariffs. A CNN poll disclosed that 69% of respondents had a positive reaction to his speech.

Only 20% thought that Congressman Al Greene’s antics were “appropriate.” Political disagreements are fine, even to be expected, but they should be decorous. In general, the Dems’ antics were unprofessional, undignified, and unbefitting members of Congress. Although not unprecedented they were highly unusual and overly extreme. Most viewers were appalled. Even other Dems were loath to defend them. Trump’s reaction was restrained. He denoted that “these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand and certainly will not cheer [for any of my achievements no matter what].”

Most devastating, according to a Quinnipiac poll only 21% of respondents view the Dem Party favorably at this time. More on this later.

In my opinion, in just a little over six weeks in office President Trump has accomplished more than any other president in that short time period, with the possible exception of FDR in his first term. I would argue that he has already accomplished more than President Joe Biden and his various unofficial and unelected surrogates did in four years. Those of us who have been paying attention know what they are, and there is no need to repeat all of them in detail in this blog. There are too many of them anyway. Trump has been a veritable whirling dervish. He has set such a fast pace that before his critics can react to one decision, he will have enacted three more. They literally have been unable to keep up. But I would like to highlight a few of what I consider to be the more significant ones.

So, as David Letterman might say, below please find my “Top Ten:”

  1. He was ready to go full bore on Day 1.
  2. Eighteen of his cabinet nominees have already been approved, and they, too, have hit the ground running.
  3. He has signed in excess of 100 Executive Orders and has promulgated over 400 Executive Actions.
  4. He has virtually closed the southern border. The Dems had insisted it couldn’t be done without new legislation. It turned out all that was needed was a new president and a new border Czar.
  5. He has commenced the rounding up and deporting of illegal alien gang members, criminals, cartel members, spies and psychos.
  6. He has made significant progress toward peace in the Russia-Ukraine War, which has claimed thousands of lives and cost us billions of dollars. The spat between Zelensky and Trump will be resolved. Apparently, Zelensky’s belligerent attitude in their meeting in the White House was the result of bad advice by certain Dems with whom he had met beforehand. Ukraine needs the US’s support in order to survive, and we need access to their copious supply of raw earth minerals.
  7. He has made significant progress in “convincing” Hamas to release many of the hostages from the October 7 attack with more to come.
  8. He has ordered the commencement oil and gas drilling and the reopening of the Keystone Pipeline.
  9. Through DOGE he has commenced an aggressive program to eliminate government fraud, abuse and waste. The program has already saved billions of dollars, and the goal to save one trillion dollars seems to be within reach.
  10. He has encouraged many companies to relocate to the US or else face tariffs on their products, and he has instituted reciprocal tariffs against countries that have been imposing tariffs on us. These tariffs are scheduled to commence on April 2 if deals have not been finalized by then. If they come to pass certain prices will likely increase. Hopefully, they will not be needed

All that said, his most enduring accomplishment has been to maneuver the Dem Party and its allies in the media into supporting the wrong side of all the so-called 80-20 issues that are most important to voters. These people are poster boys for “Trump Derangement Syndrome,” aka TDS. Over the past several years it has become increasingly apparent that this is a real condition. The primary symptom is that they cannot agree with any Trump policy or action no matter what, even if it is obviously beneficial and makes common sense. For instance they could not bring themselves to stand and applaud the capture of the “top terrorist” who had masterminded the bombing of the Kabul Airport during the bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan, or in acknowledgment of the various Gold Star moms, widows and orphans whose loved ones had been slain by illegal aliens and/or criminals, or the young female volleyball player whose head was smashed in by a transgender during a match, or the 13-year-old boy who had survived brain cancer who was made an honorary member of the Secret Service, or the orphaned high school graduate who it was announced had been admitted to West Point, or the captive who was recently released from a Russian prison to whom Trump paid special tribute.

Thus, they are presently being portrayed as:

  1. being against commonsense,
  2. advocating the rights of illegal aliens over those of American citizens,
  3. defending the rights of criminals rather than law abiding citizens,
  4. being antisemitic and misogynistic
  5. opposing eliminating taxes on tips, overtime and social security payments for seniors,
  6. favoring war over peace,
  7. advocating transgender males competing against biological females in sports and entering female spaces, and
  8. perpetuating fraud, waste and abuse in government.

They have become the Party of “no.” They have not articulated any viable alternative policies to Trump’s. They just reject his and call him hateful names. They stand for nothing. They have been forced out of the mainstream onto the far-left fringe on many issues. Undoubtedly that accounts for their low approval rating. Even though voters’ political opinions can and normally have changed radically in a short time, the current climate does not augur well for those Congressmen and women who will be running for office in 2026, many of whom represent districts that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2024.

Conclusion

For the time being Trump has flipped the Dem coalition of working people, middle class, blacks, Hispanics and Jews that was established by FDR in 1932. The Dems are now perceived as the party of elites and out of touch with everyday Americans. Hopefully, that will endure. We’ll see.

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