News of the week

Having reached a certain age, I do read the obits in the NY Times. One dated Aug. 22 was for Norman Carlson, a long time leader of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He served under 11 Attorneys General having been appointed by John N. Mitchell, Nixon's A.G. Subsequently, Mitchell was convicted in the Watergate scandal and was sent to Federal prison where he was under Mr. Carlson's custody. You can't make this stuff up.
- "I know a predator when I see one." - Kamala Harris, Attorney General of California.

-Post G.O.P. convention - The mostly maskless guests were seated cheek by jowl for hours, like the teeming crowd for the big finale of a pandemic reality show: "The Celebrity Appestilence."-James Poniewozik NYT
tjs

How now Dow Jones

Some of you with IRAs may follow the readings of the Dow Jones index of the top 30 stocks based on their share prices. Apple's 4 to 1 recent stock split has shuffled the roster with new arrivals Amgen, Honeywell and Salesforce(?) bumping Exxon Mobil, Pfizer and Raytheon. Exxon Mobil is the successor to Standard Oil of New Jersey the longest serving member since 1928. Its exclusion now should make old John D. Rockefeller roll over in his grave. They say this gent used to hand out dimes to folks during the depression. This brings to mind a saying of the time "Brother, can you spare a dime."
tjs

News of the day

Re COVID 19 - during the Spring, the hardest hit neighborhood in New York City  was CORONA, Queens.
(NYT 8/20/20)

When Steve Bannon was arrested this week he was having morning coffee on the deck of the yacht LADY MAY on Long Island Sound.  Gosh dang it, I hate to have my coffee hour disturbed.Well, LADY MAY but Stevie did.

Heard on the street: If Trump wanted to lock Hillary up he should have hired her.
tjs

Aerial Battle

Dateline - Upper Michigan - The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Their name is abbreviated E.G.L.E..........one of their drones was challenged by a Bald Eagle and the drone lost. The Eagle may have been protecting his turf but some think he may have been offended by the misspelling of his name.
tjs(NYT 8/16/20)

Quotes of the Week

-"She really wanted her last check to bounce" - Warren Buffett describing his sister's wish after giving all her money away.

-"God must have loved the common man, He made so many of them" - etched over the entrance of the Daily News Building on East 42nd St.

-On ZOOM, sweatpants cannot be distinguished from tailored dress pants. - Brooks Bros. bankruptcy message.

-Sumner Redstone, Media giant, died at 97. At his future service he wants them to play "My Way".
tjs

The Dating Game

Back in the mid-fifties - post Korean conflict - I had a friend who was a junior Naval officer on a destroyer who was designated communications officer. Long sessions at sea put a crimp in his date life until he found he could communicate with commercial air carriers overhead and made the acquaintance of several flight attendants. This being an unsecured phone, the conversations were overheard by other officers. When shore leave might coincide with air layovers, he attempted to "make a date". But to protect the women from imposters he had his father in Philadelphia act as a clearing house to confirm his identity as the real Lt. j.g Richard. I commended him for his ingenuity - particularly maintaining "social distancing" from thirty thousand feet.
tjs

Swatting

An aeronautics professor at CalTech has spent fifteen years studying the evasive flight behavior of houseflies. To combat this nuisance he recommends the following:
- Use a long handle swatter.
-Try for minimal distance i.e. creep up on them.
-Try not to be visible.
-Use a clear and non-reflective swatter if you can find one.
But the good professor personally uses a rolled up newspaper!
This mention of houseflies recalls this tongue-twister:
-A flea and a fly in a flue -
-were imprisoned, so what could they do?
-Let us flee said the fly - fly away said the flea -
-So they flew thru a flaw in the flue.
tjs (NYT 8/8/20)

Quotes of the week

-"Mr. Giuliani is not able to estimate the value"... of the legal services he rendered pro bono to the Trump organization. NYT 8/2/20

-"I'm a naughty TORY!" - member of British parliament accused of sexual assault. NYT 8/3/20

-"It is what it is!" - DJT explaining the Pandemic.

-"An eye for an eye leaves everyone blind!" - John Hume Irish peacemaker.

-"Like a knife through hot butter." - Gov. Phil Murphy N.J. describing the movement of storm ISAIAS although he is guilty of mixing his metaphors.
tjs