If Trump Cancels the 2026 Elections--It Just Might Get Us Out of This Mess

Fearing a flip of the House or Senate or both, Trump is not going to let the 2026 elections come to a conclusion. He is going to declare a national emergency, suspend habeas corpus, invoke the Insurrection Act, and order all the ballots in every state seized with the result that no elections can be certified. Given that these are official acts, the Supreme Court will hold Trump immune from prosecution and, knowing they cannot enforce any order, declare what Trump’s done a political act beyond judicial review. Here’s what then happens: Realizing that, on January 3, 2027, the day the new Congress is to be sworn in, there will be no Congress, the Republicans wake up, realize they will be out of a job, and, while they are still in office until January 3, 2027, impeach Trump, and the Senate convicts. The election results will then be tabulated and certified, and the country will have taken its first step to undo the nightmare Trump has wrought.

PS: All House seats are up for re-election, so, on January 7, 2027, if Trump stops the election, all members of the House will be out of a job. There are 36 Senate seats up for re-election, with 22 being held by Republicans and 13 being held by Democrats, so if Trump stops the election, the Senate will be solidly Democrat.

PPS: When it dawns on Trump that cancelling the election would be his demise, he might try to cancel just those elections in Blue districts and Blue states. That won’t fly even with this Supreme Court, the Republicans, or the people. Indeed, you'll be able to hear the people singing.

[EOP] 

Delivery of NYT and WSJ to Your Vacation Rental

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Warsh: Stuck Between Trump and the Bond Market

Warsh's refusal in his post-FMOC meeting presser to give any forward guidance on raising rates to combat inflation (except to joke that the 10Y was doing the work for the Fed) drew a strong reaction from the bond market, as more fully explained in this WSJ piece. Obviously, with Trump still pounding for rate cuts, Warsh is caught between Trump and the bond market. As far as that struggle goes, don't forget what James Carville said: "I used to think that if there was reincarnation, I wanted to come back as the president or the pope or as a .400 baseball hitter. But now I would like to come back as the bond market. You can intimidate everybody." We'll see if Warsh blinks.

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Wordle Convention

Solving a Wordle grid with just green letters and blank spaces and no yellows is called a Sea of Green.

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Championships During Trump's Tenure per The New Yorker

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New Chrome Feature: Sign and Annotate PDFs in Chrome

 

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ChatGPT Talk Mode

There’s a version of using ChatGPT that most people haven’t gotten to yet, one that doesn’t involve staring at a text box and trying to phrase a prompt precisely enough to get a useful response. Voice mode removes that friction entirely. You talk, the AI responds, you follow up and the conversation develops in a way that more closely resembles thinking out loud than filling out a form. Once you’ve used it enough to stop thinking of it as a novelty, the typed-prompt workflow starts to feel like a strange and unnecessarily laborious way to do something that could just be a conversation. This isn’t just a voice-to-text feature. It feels like having a real, fluid conversation. It intelligently waits for you to finish your thought, understands your natural pauses, and doesn’t get thrown off by “ums” or stammers. I can use it while I’m cooking or driving, speaking like a normal human without carefully planning my every word. It’s not just faster than typing — it’s a genuinely more intuitive and useful way to interact with AI. If you’ve been ignoring it, you’re missing out.

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How to Handle Signature-Required USPS Deliveries Without Sitting at Home All Day and a PS re USPS Informed Delivery

If you get notice of an item being delivered that requires a signature, you can stew about having to be home to accept delivery or having to go to the post office after two unsuccessful delivery attempts. But wait, if you enrolled in the USPS "Informed Delivery," you can enroll your electronic signature for "signature required" items that supposedly will enable you to stop stewing. 

PS re Informed Delivery: There are countless reasons to enroll in USPS "Informed Delivery" and no reason not to. By seeing what mail is to be delivered, you will get notice if there is something that was supposed to be delivered (like a jury summons, refund check, past-due notice, etc.), but wasn't, enabling you to take corrective action.

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Waymo Is Back on Phoenix Freeways

As the Arizona Republic reports, Waymo has fixed the software glitch it had and is back on the freeways, making downtown and airport runs Waymo-doable again. One Waymo was heard telling a rider, I'm back baby, I'm back.

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United to Offer Blocked Middle Seat Option

The cost has yet to be revealed, United announced a new premium economy option that blocks out the middle seat, which will first be available aboard its Airbus A321XLR jets. The new Economy Plus seating without a middle seat will be available for sale later in 2026, delighting many travelers who dread getting the middle seat on a flight. One row of each Airbus A321XLR aircraft will have custom-designed, permanently fixed tables between the armrests across the open middle seats, allowing extra space for passengers in the window and aisle seats to stretch out. Tables include two indentations for holding drink cups. The extra elbow room through the blocked middle seat is in addition to three inches of additional legroom already offered on the aircraft’s Economy Plus seats.

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Rumi's Wisdom

Rumi is one of  my favorite 13th Century mystic poets. One of my favorite insights of his goes as follows: "You are not a drop in the ocean, you are the entire ocean in a drop." Makes you think.

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New Yorker Key to a Successful Marriage

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Digital Safety Travel Tips

This cnet article has good advice re staying safe digitally when travelling. Two of the points are particularly compelling: Be careful about using public wi-fi and be careful about using third-party travel booking sites. I never use public wi-fi and I never use third-party travel booking sites, and I'm not kidding and not exaggerating. 

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Hydrogen Peroxide Might No Longer Be the Go-To First-Aid Treatment

As this article reports, for many, hydrogen peroxide used to be the go-to treatment for minor scrapes and cuts, but that has all changed. And while it may not be the best choice for first aid, the clear chemical compound has safe uses in your home that you may not have considered. According to the Cleveland Clinic, hydrogen peroxide is water with an extra oxygen molecule, and that extra boost of oxygen gives it “serious cleaning and germ-killing power.” Not only can it kill bacteria, but it works as a stain remover, too. However, Dr. Pickering Beers says that hydrogen peroxide is no longer recommended for wound care because it irritates the skin and can actually prevent the wound from healing. “It can do more harm than good,” Beers said. Cleaning a wound with just soap and water is best, then apply an antibiotic ointment, the Cleveland Clinic recommends. So, if you're out hiking with a friend, and he pushes you down on a steep part of the trail, and is kind enough to take you to [person's identity cloaked for privacy concerns], don't let them put hydrogen peroxide on your scrapes. But if they do, you still might heal up just fine and quickly.

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Apple Knows Its Customer Base

Apple is again the largest company by market cap, which has topped $5 trillion. It knows what it's doing. It's a marketing mega-force. Apple knows that its customer base is willing to spend several hundred dollars more for a phone than customers for Android phones. With its phone prices rising, Apple is unveiling a leasing/upgrade program where it looks to its customer base that it's a money-saver. There are niches where leasing makes sense even with the imputed interest rate (e.g., EVs where the technology changes fast), it's hard to see where Apple's new offerings are one of them given that the technological advances of smartphones have been trivial over the past several years and look to be so at least in the short-term and medium-term if not the long-term. All I can say is, party on, dudes.

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Tesla Full Service Driving Attracts Seniors

As the Detroit News reports, seniors are drawn to Tesla's Full Service Driving (FSD). Although FSD is not Level 4, so the driver has to pay attention and keep their eyes on the road, FSD will wend itself even through the difficult Washington DC traffic.

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Dealing With an "Undelivered" Amazon Order

Even if you see that your order has been shipped, something might happen (like its being damaged in the warehouse). You then will get an email that says: "Unfortunately, a problem occurred with your shipment and we no longer expect it to be delivered. We’re sorry for the inconvenience. If you have not received your refund within 5 days, please contact us." You need not wait for the refund. If you are willing to have the charge credited back to your gift account, call Amazon (1-206-922-8800) and, when the rep says nothing can be done to speed up the refund, ask for a supervisor and you will have the credit back in a couple of hours at most.

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"The Talk" With Aging Parents

Many families avoid having difficult, but crucial conversations about housing and care. One of the hardest and most important conversations we will have as adult children is “the talk” with parents about aging. Sitting down to discuss giving up the car, moving out of the family home, planning for medical care, and how an estate is going to be handled is uncomfortable at best. Many adult children and older parents simply put it off. That’s a huge mistake. We end up scrambling, often in response to an emergency, to figure out what to do at a time when no one is thinking clearly. This WSJ piece has an excellent overview of what and how to address this difficult topic. 

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Golf's Next Prodigy?

In case you missed the 3M Open like I did, you missed, as the WSJ notes, what might be what saves the PGA. Yeah, we've heard that before, but we've been blessed with Ohtani and other GOATs coming along in other sports, so it might be unlikely that Jackson Koivun fills the bill, but hope springs eternal. He already has broken many of Tiger's records.

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Best Time of Day to Weigh Yourself

You’ll get the most accurate reading from your scale if you weigh yourself first thing in the morning. Do it after using the restroom and before eating breakfast or drinking any water. According to experts, the morning is the best time because you’ve given your body a chance to properly digest what you ate and drank the previous day, leaving your stomach relatively empty.

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Explanatory Note re Zelle Transfer Payments

Payments by Zelle are supposed to be essentially instantaneous. But they can show up as "pending" in your account several days after they have been sent and received. If you ask your bank what the deal is with the "pending," you might get conflicting answers, and even a "we'll look into this" and get back to you. The point is, once you confirm with the recipient that they got the money, don't worry about it.

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Another Blog (Bot-Driven) Milestone

As the number of blog posts near 15,000, the bots have driven up their fascination with this blog, hitting it now over 15,000-30,000 times per day and close to 500,000 times per month, and bringing the total hits to over 2.5M. That could be partly due to my reducing the hit-charge from $2 to $1, but I toying with the idea of raising it to $3 to see what happens.

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How MLB Measures Pitch Speed Has Changed Making the Recorded Speed Faster

Late 1970s–2000s: Handheld guns like JUGS or early Stalker systems clocked the ball closer to or as it crossed home plate.

2008–2016 (PITCHf/x): Used camera systems to measure velocity at a defined point roughly 50 to 55 feet away from the plate.

2017–Present (Statcast): Uses TrackMan radar to record the maximum velocity near the exact release point out of the hand.

Impact on Speed Data: 

         The Air Resistance Gap: A pitch slows down by several miles per hour over the 60 feet 6 inches journey due to drag. 

           Higher Numbers: Measuring at the hand rather than the plate naturally bumps recorded numbers up by roughly 0.5 to 1 mph, creating an optical illusion of a sudden velocity jump across baseball.

Makes you think ...

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Setting Google Maps and Apple Maps to Default to Showing the Fastest Route

As this FastCompany article explains, Google Maps and Apple Maps often default to the most fuel efficient route and not the fastest route. While the environmental benefit is to be applauded, if you under a time constraint to get to where your going as quickly as possible, you want to know the fastest route. The article walks you through the settings to do so.

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Reducing OLED Screen Glare

If  your OLED TV doesn't have an anti-screen glare coating, this BGR article has things to try to eliminate screen glare. For starters, place the TV so that any windows are behind it rather than facing the screen. If your room design makes that impossible, then light-blocking curtains or a thick blind offer another way to eliminate those pesky reflections. Additionally, if you have a bright lamp facing the TV, switch it off, or add a darker shade or one that diffuses the light. You could also simply find a new spot for the light. If you live in a larger place with more rooms, you can both pick the best room for reducing glare and then also apply the in-room tips we just covered.

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Laundry Tips

This Wirecutter piece sets out 10 ways to have your washing machine, particularly if it's a relatively newer one, do a better (cleaning-wise) and more efficient (money-wise and water-use-wise) job at getting clothes cleaner, removing stains, and finishing faster. It explains why "cold" should be the default water temperature and "normal" should not be the default cycle selection.

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Linen Sheets for Summer

This Wirecutter article recommends its 6 best linen sheets for summer that feel like a long lost friend but won't break the bank.

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Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses: Alternative to Eargo

If you like Eargo hearing aids because of their in-ear invisibility or for any other reason, you are facing at least one and possibly two problems. The first problem is that they have gone out of business, so there's no more support or part replacement or anything. The second problem is that the little stem might break off and you, with "help" from your partner, might end up pushing it too far into your ear to get it out, which doesn't impede their working, but is a bit uncomfortable and will require a trip to urgent care to get it removed. Now what to do? Take a shot at Nuance Audio Hearing Glasses. They are not bad looking, they are less expensive than you would think, they are rechargeable and app-controlled, and, best of all, you get a 30-day grace period for a no-reason return and refund. You can get them online or at many optical stores near you. For those of you who live in Phoenix, Garrett Fish at the Macy's LensCrafters at the Biltmore Shopping Plaza is a low-key, patient, highly professional, and easy to deal with eyewear consultant.

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How Not to End a MLB Game

Being known for our fairness, while we bring you great things the Phillies (and other Philadelphia teams and athletes do), we do not hesitate to bring you their inexcusable screwups. Down 2-1 to the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth with runners on second and third, here is a MLB team looking like a T-ball team.

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File Converter

I always searched for a file conversion site whenever I had to convert photos, documents, and other files. Many of these conversion sites request your email to complete the process, and a few are so cluttered with ads that it becomes hard not to click on the wrong thing. Now I get file conversion right in the right-click (context) menu with File Converter. The conversion process runs offline. I select the photo, right-click it, and choose the conversion format. This tool is built on top of FFmpeg for audio and video conversion and is only a 57MB download.

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Twinkle Tray: Controlling External Monitor Brightness

I find it a bit frustrating to adjust the brightness of an external monitor either by using its physical buttons or through the clunky display menus. With one monitor, it's tolerable, but if you have to do this dance on three different monitors, it can be annoying. Twinkle Tray is a tiny tool that fixes this inconvenience. It takes advantage of DDC/CI, which most monitors support. This protocol lets PCs send brightness and contrast commands over the same cable that already carries the video signal. Twinkle Tray gives you a system tray slider for all connected monitors where you can individually or collectively adjust the displays. You can even skip the mouse entirely using its keyboard shortcuts. At idle, it uses less than 30MB of memory.

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QuickLook: Preview Files Without Opening Them

So many times I open a PDF or photo just to be sure I have the right file, then close it. It feels like a tiny waste of time, but it's a process I shouldn't be doing in the first place. QuickLook lets you select a file and get a preview. Now, when I'm sorting photos from my camera dump or when I have to find old invoices from a bunch of PDFs, I rely a lot on this tool. It rarely uses more than 30MB of RAM while idle. Also, it has plugin support, especially for code files, 3D models, and other file types it doesn't cover by default.

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PS re Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness (2026 Series on HBO/MAX)

Everyone is pooh-poohing Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, and in the main they have good point. Most of the skits are bad--even very bad. But, the cost of throwing out the bathwater without seeing what might be in the bathtub is, as the saying goes, throwing out a gem with the bathwater. The Lewis & Clark skit of EP2 (with Jerry Seinfeld) is such a gem as is the Mary Todd Lincoln skit of EP5 (and the OK corral skit that precedes it is not bad either). 

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Conundrum re the Way Airlines Are Evil When It Comes to Ratings/Feedback

Scenario: You have a 6 pm flight from PHX to SAF. It gets delayed first for lack of a co-pilot, then a dust storm, then lightening, and then maintenance, after which, at 9:30 pm, it gets delayed until 7 am the next morning for no explained reason. Upon arrival back at PHX, it is delayed yet again and then de-boarding at SAF is delayed for lack of a ramp. Your return flight leaves and arrives on time and there are no snags.

The Evil Airline: We were not asked for any feedback on the outbound trip. Two days after getting home, we got an email that said this: "We value your opinion and would appreciate you taking a few minutes to tell us about your trip. Your feedback is important in helping us continuously improve so we can make each trip better than the last." I guess what they mean is, "We make the outbound trip as bad as we can so the next trip, likely the inbound trip, will be better than the outbound trip."

Conundrum: What to do? I'm not about to give them kudos for the return flight, but I'm sure everyone shares the outrage of not being given the opportunity to skewer them on the outbound flight.

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Checking re TVs in STRs

If access to channels like ESPN, CNN, NBC, and ABC, etc., as well as access to streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, HBO/MAX, APPLE, Prime), before booking, be specific in asking the host whether or not what you want to watch is available and what it would take to login to get. Also be sure to ask what the TV source is, i.e., whether it's satellite, internet, or cable and, if satellite or internet, be sure to ask what it would take to login. That said, many courteous owners allow renters to login to their account for any free content, and many guests who preceded you might have logged in and forgot to logout. Note, an STR with multiple TVs might have "legacy logins" on one or more TVs, but not on all TVs.

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Getting To and From the Santa Fe Airport Through the Air and On the Ground

Through the Air: If you are going to Santa Fe from Phoenix, there is a daily non-stop flight to the Santa Fe airport. If you are going from a place where you can fly non-stop to ABQ, that likely is your best bet. But, if your routing requires a change of planes, look to see if routing through Dallas might enable you to get a non-stop to Dallas (DFW) and a non-stop from Dallas to the Santa Fe airport.

On the Ground:  If you are picked up or taken to the Santa Fe airport by a friend, they likely will drive through town with many lights and construction zones to deal with. But, if you hire a professional driver, and Certified Airport Transportation (‪(505) 577-1961)‬ is a great service, they will take you entirely on freeway-type roads with no lights or construction to deal with. 

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Things to Shut Off Before Going on Vacation

This Southern Living article suggests the things that one might consider unplugging or shutting off (including water) before heading out on vacation.

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Why Flight Attendants Greet You at the Door

As you board a plane, a flight attendant stands at the aircraft door, smiles, says “welcome,” maybe glances at your boarding pass. It feels like basic hospitality, like the aviation equivalent of a host greeting you at a restaurant. But that brief interaction is doing a lot more than it seems. “The smile and greeting you get at an airplane door is probably one of the most judgmental welcomes you’ll ever receive,” Jay Robert, a senior flight attendant and the founder of A Fly Guy Travels, told me. “We’re judging a lot in those few seconds, and believe it or not, that judgment is part of our job.” It’s not for the sake of judgment, however. The purpose is actually safety. “Greeting passengers at the door is our first line of defense in identifying threats that could be brought onto the aircraft,” Robert explained. “Whether it’s illness, intoxication, or someone carrying prohibited dangerous goods, we’re constantly scanning for anything that could disrupt the flight or pose a safety risk.”

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Lucky (7EP Series on Apple TV)

Based on the first 3 EPs (which are all that have dropped so far), Lucky is terrific. It is well acted by a superlative cast (including Anya Taylor-Joy, Annette Benning, and Timothy Olyphant) with a tightly written story. What's amazing about each scene is you know how it must end (given the focus on the lead), but that doesn't detract from the tension or how cleverly it gets there. This is must-watch, even with the spattering of some violence.

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The Hawk (2026 TV Series on Netflix)

Everyone I know who watched EP1 will tell you The Hawk is bad and they will not continue with the series. It's inane and the characters are unpleasant to watch. The backstory involves golf and golfers will likely hate it even more than non-golfers, who dominated our audience, hated it.

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Newspaper Delivery While on Vacation

All newspapers will credit you for pausing delivery while on vacation. That said, the NYT has the option to donate the credit to a student program (which we recommend as the optimum alternative). The WSJ slides back the monthly billing date. Here's the other option for the NYT and the WSJ: Depending on your destination and location thereat, you can designate to have those papers delivered there instead. Delivery can be a bit spotty, but if they can't "find" you, you should be able to get the credit.

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Cautionary Note re Major Airline "Partnering"

The major airlines, like American, "partner" with small airlines, like Sky West, to serve shorter flights to smaller airports (like Phoenix to Santa Fe). Such flights have many advantages for travelers, but, and this is not a small but, if something goes wrong, such as a delay of a 7 pm flight that turns into delay after delay after delay culminating in a delay to 7 am the next morning, you will be subject to the compensation rules and "benefits" of the junior "partner" and not those of the major carrier. So, by way of example, while you might be offered a seat on the major carrier to fly to Albuquerque, because you are flying a "different" airline, it might cost you. We are not saying it is a mistake to book with the "junior partner." We are just saying to take in stride whatever problems might arise, particularly when flying from sea level to 7,000+ feet.

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Getting Home From Sky Harbor: Ride-Share vs. Cab

[Prefatory Note: This post is based on experience at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. It might or might or might not be applicable to any other particular airport. It also does not apply to getting to Sky Harbor where ride-share or favor from friends is the best alternative]

With Waymo temporarily staying off freeways, the two principal choices for getting home from Sky Harbor are ride-share (Uber and Lyft) and taxis. From what we can tell, the fares are about the same. The advantage of ride-share is you don't have to tip in front of the driver. The advantages of taxis are there is no wait outside which is a big deal during the summer months, and not having to struggle or jostle to figure out which pick-up is for you, or worst of all, watching the ride-share vehicle on the app turn around and go away and then waiting longer for a replacement.

[EOP]

Regime Change (Review by Loyal Reader)

Regime Change by Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan is very, very well written, and extraordinarily well researched/reported. Still, substantially all of the book consists of material that has been reported previously (often by the book's authors). The difference is the detail, i.e., if the reader wants more detail (e.g., backgrounds of individuals, what was said at meetings or elsewhere), then the book is solidly for those folks. After reading about a third, I tired of so much detail, and so, I skimmed the rest so I could move on to whatever is next on my list.

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Vacation

Our staff is going on vacation and, under their union contract, they don't have to work on the blog when on vacation. We expect the blog emails and new posts will resume on July 25. I'm not sure the staff understands how close we are to replacing them with AI.

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PS re Margo's Got Money Troubles

We gave up early on on Margo's Got Money Troubles, but one of our informant's persevered. He now reports that in the penultimate episode "has taken a dark and stupid turn." Now, listen up: If it's too stupid for him, it's likely too stupid for everyone else reading this.

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Reminder re Using GPS

Even if you know the route like the back of your hand, and could get there blind-folded in a driver-assisted car, if it's a time-sensitive appointment like a doctor's appointment, turn on GPS. The reason is NOT to show you the route, but to warn you to take an alternate route because of some problem (crash, road closure, etc.) on your customary route. In short, anyone who does NOT use GPS when prompt arrival time matters is a schmohawk. 

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Knockoff: Browser Extension to Block Fake Brands on Amazon

As this cnet article explains, Knockoff is a new browser extension (for Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers) that will filter out brands that show up on Amazon that you probably don't want to buy from anyway.

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The S & P 500 Isn't As Cheap As It Looks

As this piece by Jonathan Weil explains, "Wall Street pros are predicting stellar S&P 500 earnings growth this year and beyond. But there is a problem with the underlying numbers: They are often deeply distorted. This matters to everyday investors because it directly influences how cheap or expensive the market looks. Specifically it affects the index’s price/earnings, or P/E, ratio, perhaps the most frequently cited valuation metric for stocks. If you pick an “E” that uses actual net income for the past four quarters, the index might seem pricey at about 29 times earnings. More commonly, though, Wall Street analysts steer investors to some form of alternative earnings. Viewed this way, the index may trade for around 22 times earnings using analysts’ 2026 estimates, except the adjustments that analysts make routinely ignore regular, real-world expenses such as stock-based pay or restructuring costs."

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Iran's Not So Long-Term Advantage

Right now, Iran seems to own the box that Trump walked into. As for Trump's latest flail, that he will become the "guardian" of the Strait of Hormuz and charge a 20% toll for safe passage, he just as well might have said, "I alone will open the Strait and Mexico will pay for it." That said, here's Iran's problem: A wave of pipeline projects in the Gulf region could soon allow much more oil to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, Goldman Sachs analysts say. That new capacity could help shield more than 45% of prewar Persian Gulf oil exports from further disruptions by the end of next year and more than 60% by the end of 2028, they say. Their estimate is based on seven projects that are either under construction, are planned or involve restoring and expanding existing infrastructure. They include the U.A.E.’s West-East pipeline, Iraq’s Basra-Haditha pipeline and extensions that could open new routes, as well as the potential restoration of the Kirkuk-Baniyas pipeline linking Iraq to the Mediterranean. 

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FIFA's Cover-Up

FIFA's president, Infantino, issued a statement insisting that “FIFA’s judicial bodies are independent,” creating the unmistakable impression that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee decided the case. As the Times of London reports,  the decision was made by a committee of one, namely--Mohammad al-Kamali of the United Arab Emirates — with no input from any of the other 17 members. While FIFA says that “many” decisions of the Disciplinary Committee have been made by one member, but actually, in important cases, three members are usually involved. Also, the decisions made by one member of the committee are usually made by the deputy chairman, Jorge Palacio of Colombia. Al-Kamali has not been the sole decision-maker based on published findings from more than 100 prior cases decided by the committee. Any surprises here? This is the kind of thing you'd learn if you'd let met take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London.

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House Republicans Channeling Their Inner Trump

While we, along with Christine Brennan and others, have raised concerns about the treatment of Caitlin Clark, the idiocy of some WNBA players, and the apparent obliviousness of the WNBA, we did not ask the government to get involved. Nor did Caitlin Clark or her team. But just as Trump thinks he can score points sticking his nose into sports, as this article reports, a group of 11 House members calling themselves the Republican Study Committee has "put the league on notice: if the violent targeting continues unchecked, the league could face a DOJ and EEOC crackdown for creating a hostile work environment." One can only wonder if they came up with this on their own or they have their own little Steven Miller pulling strings in the background.

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Making Cloudy Shower Glass Doors Look Like New Again

We prefer shower curtains to avoid the problem of glass shower doors that, no matter how diligent the post-shower squeegeeing is, will become cloudy. But for those who have glass shower doors, this Southern Living article explains how, once they become cloudy, to get them looking like new.

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PS re The Bear

We have now watched through EP3 of the new season of The Bear and can say that our informant's positive comments about it deserve to be heeded. Indeed, we have found that each of the new season's EPs are better than the previous EP. Best of all, it's not possible to predict what's going to happen, which brings a level of tension to watching it that adds to making it as good as it is.

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Final Clarifying PS re Team USA and Trump in the World Cup

I stopped watching the World Cup after learning of Trump's "successful" intervention and the repeated commentary to the effect that the ends (the red card was wrong and should not have been given) justify the means (Trump shouldn't have made that "perfect" call) and did not know the USA/Belgian outcome until the next morning and was glad to see the shellacking Belgian gave Team USA. But, so there's no mistake on the matter, here was my bottom line: My heart went out to Team USA for the impossible position Trump put them in. Beating Belgium and any subsequent victory would be tainted, while declining to abide the original red card decision by not playing Balogun or Balogun's choosing not to play would have been vilified unmercifully (and Trump's castigation of their ingratitude would have put their lives in danger).  

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Using Aluminum Foil to Clean Off Water Stains

We hate throwing things away before we have repurposed them to the max. As this Economics Times article explains, many people throw away aluminum foil after cooking, but cleaning experts say (as we do) it can also help remove water stains and restore a faucet's shine.

[EOP]

Margo's Got Money Troubles (8EP Series on Apple TV)

Several months ago, we panned Margo's Got Money Troubles after watching just 2 EPs and bailing. We are aware it has gotten good reviews and we were just informed by a reliable informant who has persevered through 3 EPs that it is "very good." Once again, you can see why would say that our informant was an informant of few words so we thought, once again, we would have nothing else to pass on at this time. In an eruption of analysis, we then got this further review: "[T]he acting is excellent. [T]he cast is star studded. [T]he plot is interesting, but, after 3 episodes, it looks like it could get more predictable." When we get a final word from the informant we will report back here.

[EOP]

Good News for GM EV Owners (I Think)

As this Arizona Republic article explains, GM plans to expand its energy business with several initiatives that include a new phone app feature that allows its customers to access more chargers and pay for energy on a single interface. GM’s new tool allows EV owners to find and use publicly accessible stations from Tesla, Electrify America, or the automaker joint venture Ionna through their myChevrolet, myCadillac and myGMC apps. The interface, called Energy Pass, covers nearly 70% of all accessible fast-charging stations in the United States. According to GM, the app feature allows customers to:  Access participating charging networks; start and end charging sessions conveniently; check live charging status updates from their phones; and see charging history and receipts in one place. But wait, there's more. GM also outlined initiatives to improve the batteries it makes that are intended for energy storage and to help relieve the strain on America’s existing energy grid. GM said it is looking to its active EV customers and the home charging systems it sells as a possible solution to lower electricity costs. GM is releasing a firmware update that gives current GM Energy vehicle-to-home systems full vehicle-to-grid capabilities, allowing EV owners to pull energy from the power grid and give it back along the same route. That way, when demand is higher on the grid, the utility company could buy back energy from participating GM customers, lowering their bills. Customers who already own the equipment receive the upgrade automatically.

[EOP]

People Least Likely to Commit Voter Fraud

If you were living in this country illegally, and didn't want to be caught, what is the chance you would try to vote? Here's a clue: Zero. How in the world voter fraud by undocumented immigrants is a serious issue anywhere, when tautologically and epistemologically it is a non-issue everywhere, tells us something about the mental acuity of those who believe it is an issue. Put another way, any MAGA-ites (or anyone else) who would answer "yes" to the question "Would an undocumented immigrant try to fraudulently register to vote?"-- it would be fair to record their IQ as 0.

[EOP]

Why Survey Results Arguably Are Not Always as They Appear

As this piece by Justin Lahart explains, a growing number of critics, including several economists, have pointed to methodology changes in the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index as bugs in the machine, saying they are skewing results. It's an informative read for anyone, but especially for anyone who pays attention to polls and is interested in learning what they might not know about sampling issues.

[EOP]

The Mind Game Investors Can’t Stop Playing

This piece by Jason Zweig is an insightful look at why buying what’s hot feels right at the time, but too often ends in tears. In short, as he explains, investors keep chasing performance, but they never seem to catch it, which in large part is the result of not understanding the charts of past performance that they are looking at in making their investment decisions.

[EOP]

Why I'm Not Watching the Tour de France and Fear for Other Sports

As Jason Gay explains, Pogacar, the best cyclist in the world, has turned the sport’s highest profile stage race into one of those five-figure wine-and--scenery cycling adventures that are abundant in the French summer. Also, I've had enough with sports corruption to watch anything but the Phillies and the Eagles, and I fear with sports gambling (which has "partnered" with the NFL and MLB) and prediction markets we're going to see rottenness infect them all, if it hasn't already.

[EOP]

The Walking Tree

This DiscoverWildlife article has the deets on what has been called the walking tree.

[EOP]

The Bear (5S Series on Hulu)

We have not seen it yet, but are informed by a reliable informant that the latest season (S5) of The Bear, which has 8EPs is "very good." As you might guess, our informant is a person of few words so we have nothing else to pass on at this time.

[EOP]

Don't Count Cable Out or Cord Cutting In Just Yet

The competition among streaming sources for subscribers and content has intensified and many of them are pushing into live events, especially sports events. The problem they have, again especially with sports, is many fans (such as me) do not want to watch without the DVR ability to pause, replay, and ff through ads. The one streaming service that might not get it yet, but it has the solution, is HBO/MAX, which is available as a stream and as live TV. Do not be surprised to see Netflix and others show their content on cable TV. Just remember, as you might guess, they read this blog--so they now have the idea.

[EOP]

PS re Killing Rodents Before They Attack Your Car

Posts here have described the horror of rodents nesting and destroying cars, especially EVs during cold weather. A loyal reader has relayed the recommendation he got from his garage door consultant for this electronic track from Amazon: Electronic Mouse Trap 2 Pack– Electric Mouse Trap Zapper for Indoor Use, Reusable Rodent Trap, No Touch No See, Effective Mice & Mouse Control : Patio, Lawn & Garden. While it and most others are designated for indoor use, it appears they can be used in outdoor covered areas like open carports as long as they are placed where they won't get wet.

[EOP]

Alternative Investment: Ikea Stuff

As the WSJ reports here and here, if you're looking for a different asset to broaden your portfolio, think Ikea. Once, it was just cheap Swedish furniture. Now, Gen Zers and Millennials are hunting for rare items and turning them into investment pieces.

[EOP]

Paper Bag Sandwich Co (New Phoenix Restaurant)

Nestled in The Frederick (a cool mid-century modern building we call "The Fred") on Missouri East of 12th Street, Paper Bag Sandwich Co has a unique concept: Just sandwiches and not many varieties (the few they have aren't very different from each other), on their own bread. It's hard to see it lasting, but looks well worth trying while it's still in business.

[EOP]

Blue Lights (3S Series on Britbox and Rentable on Prime)

If you thought nothing can compare to Slow Horses, challenge your thinking with a look-see at Blue Lights. We've seen only 2EPs of S1, and will report how it holds up, but it's riveting. It follows rookie police officers working in Belfast, a city in which being a frontline response cop comes with unique pressures and dangers. Their goof-ups, along with the acting, the twists, and the pace match Slow Horses. And it has it all: humor (albeit more in EP 1 than in EP2), suspense, and believability, with a dark overlay.

[EOP]

Tip re Booking an Airline Seat

Finding the best deal for an airline seat has become more complicated, but has created more opportunities as well. Just by way of example, as the WSJ reports, Delta has unveiled a new "Basic Business" tier. The other major airlines are doing the same kind of thing. Here's the point: An airplane seat's price is determined not only by when you buy it, but also by: location in the plane; size of the seat (and whether it's a lie-flat seat); reserved overhead storage space; cost of checking luggage; refundability; switchability; and other factors. Here's the bottom line: If you just go with what the airline says is their cheapest seat on any particular flight, you might have missed a way better seat (even a first class or business class seat) that costs a few dollars more or, and I'm not kidding, turns out to be even cheaper than the cheapest seat (with the worst seat, no carry-on, non-refundable, non-switchable, hefty check-bagged fees) or by upping the cheapest seat by just a tier. It's not hard to look when you're booking your flight.  And, two things you can always do: (i) book a top-flight seat that's refundable and then opt to downgrade as you get closer to departure if there turns out to be a big savings; and (ii) if you've booked a cheapo seat, check to see if it can be upgraded.

[EOP]

Not Everyone Believes Everything Trump Touches Turns Out Badly

The "experiences" we have witnessed where Trump has intervened in the World Cup, the reflecting pool, the Middle-East, and on and on have led ever sane and objective observer to say, "Everything Trump touches turns out badly." Actually though, they don't believe it in one fundamental sense: The stock market. Trump self-avowedly considers the stock market the key measure of his "success," and indubitably enjoys his ability to make it pop up on any day as well as reap him and his cronies riches with his and their insider-trading. Since Trump took office in 2025, the S&P 500 is up about 25% (even with the 20% drop following his first big tariff announcement). The bottom-line is this: Market participants don't believe that everything Trump touches turns to dirt or they believe they can ride the tiger and get out in time before it does or recover from it after it does.

[EOP]

Reducing Your Online Footprint

Everything you do online generates data. This cnet article explains how that info can be used against you, and how you can reduce the risks by shrinking your online footprint.

[EOP]

Electronic Reviews in Sporting Events

Jason Gay's piece takes apart futbol's replay review systems, which we agree with, and takes swipes at other sports as well, notably baseball, which we disagree with, and football, which we agree with. The point is some review systems really work well, eliminating time-consuming grousing, such as tennis. The ball/strike challenge in baseball has turned out to be fun, while it can be argued that more challenges might be allowed or that a pure robo-ump be used given how good and consistent it is. Football still can't figure out how to handle catches and out-of-bounds or ball spotting. Bottom-line: The issue in its many fora makes for interesting discussion and debate. 

[EOP]

Making Stainless Steel Pans Non-Stick Safely

We eschew non-stick pans on health and ecological grounds. While stainless steel is our preferred mode, the problem has been cooking foods like eggs that would end up sticking and making clean-up difficult. Here's the thing: It's not enough to simply add an abundance of oil to a stainless steel pan and heat them simultaneously. To really get a grip on making stainless steel non-stick, especially for something like eggs, you need to heat it up on its own first. When stainless steel is heated, the metal expands. As the pan reaches cooking temperature, the microscopic pores and surface imperfections become smaller and more uniform. This is best achieved not by cranking up the heat until the pan quickly starts smoking, but by doing so gradually and subtly. We recommend heating your stainless steel pan over medium-low heat and letting it sit for about 3 minutes. 

[EOP]

Two Further PSs re Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

 PS 1: There is a flaw that shockingly was missed in the dramatic license fact checking. Fortunately, it's got nothing to do with the plot line or anything else. If you want to see if you can catch it on your own, skip now to PS 1. If it's killing you to find out what it is, here it is: There is an Amazon delivery and the the delivery guy rings the door bell. Amazon doesn't do that. They photo the package at the point of delivery and send an email or text giving notice of the delivery. They do not the ring the door bell, which UPS, FedEx, and sometimes USPS do. Everyone is talking about how I caught this flaw.

PS 2: EP 9 dropped today, which I watched. I now have to wait until July 15 for the final EP. I said this before but it bears repeating: Don't put yourself through what I've by stupidity have put myself through, particularly given how EP 9 ended. I will be watching it the morning of my last day before taking a vacation-break, so there won't be any need to wait for my final verdict on this fabulous original series.

[EOP]

Bitwarden Password Manager

I know I keep nagging about this, but I fear some of you are still reusing passwords — or worse, keeping them in your notes app or in a notebook in a drawer. It's time to change that. And no, you don’t need to pay for a password manager to do it. Bitwarden is an open-source password manager that works across pretty much every platform you can think of. I know, Bitwarden isn’t completely free, but its free tier is enough for most folks because it lets you store unlimited passwords and passkeys. It even offers a password generator, autofill, secured notes, and a personal vault — all without spending a dime. The main reason I prefer Bitwarden over something like Google Password Manager is the ease of use across devices. You get native apps on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux, plus browser extensions for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge, Brave, Opera, and Vivaldi. That means your passwords go where you go, and you’re not forced to use Chrome on every device. Bitwarden’s paid plan is also reasonably priced at $1.65 a month. It offers extras like phishing protection, built-in authenticator, and 5GB of secured storage for your important documents and backup codes. However, for most folks, you can ignore this and use the excellent free version just fine.

[EOP]

Forever Stamp Prices Going Up Again

The U.S. Postal Service on Sunday July 12 will raise the price of a first-class Forever stamp from 78 cents to 82 cents, the latest in a series of increases aimed at stemming the agency's mounting financial losses. It's easy to stock up now without leaving the comfort of your home by buying the current Forever stamp at USPS.com.

[EOP]

Photo Editing With Image Tool Box

Image Toolbox is a free open-source photo editor that’s unlike anything else you’ll find on Android. It doesn’t try to compete with the built-in image editor on your phone or with apps like Snapseed or Picsart. It focuses purely on making those image-related tasks less painful. It does the standard stuff — cropping, resizing, and filters — but also background removal, EXIF editing, format conversion, and AI-powered upscaling. It even lets you stitch photos, add watermarks, create GIFs, and do a whole lot more. What makes Image Toolbox special, though, is batch processing. It lets you edit hundreds of images at once — something you’d normally need a PC for. You can use it to apply the same edits or convert dozens of images at once. Heck, there are even tools like a color picker, a document scanner, OCR, and ZIP creation. Most importantly, for something that offers so much, Image Toolbox doesn’t feel intimidating. The interface is Material You through and through, and highly customizable — themes, layout, text, behaviors, you name it.

[EOP]

File Transfer With Blip

Blip is free for personal use and available on Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux. You simply need to install the app on both devices to get going. It lets you send photos, videos, documents, ZIP files, and even entire folders without messing up the folder structure. The biggest reason to use Blip, though, is speed. My coworker recently used Blip to share 12GB of Sims 4 mods, and the transfer peaked at around 1.5 Gbps. I’d honestly love to see Quick Share match that someday. Another thing I like about Blip is the convenience. When you’re moving files between your own devices, there’s no need to open the app on the receiving device — you just pick the device you want to send to, and it handles the rest. Blip even works when the devices are not on the same network. In that case, it falls back to mobile data or any available connection to send the file over the internet. It’s obviously slower than a local transfer, but it’s still nice to have this option, especially when you’re away from Wi-Fi and need to send something to a device that’s miles away.

[EOP]

Fixing Dropped Calls

This cnet article has several simple, free, safe suggestions to try if your phone keeps dropping calls. One of course is to restart the phone and several are shorter variations of the "first reboot" tact: turn airplane mode on and off; if you have an older phone like I do that has a sim card, take the sim card out, clean it, and put it back in; and reset the network settings.

[EOP]

Obituary re Team USA

I did not watch the thrashing Team USA took at the hands of Belgium, but I was delighted when I woke up the next morning and read what had happened. In a cosmic sense, Team USA was "saved" from having to live with an asterisk (or a Scarlet or Gold T on their shirts) should they have won. That said, I would have preferred two other "results" that I understand would never have happened: (i) that Team USA team said we are not playing Balogun or Balogun said he was going to decline to play; or (ii) Belgium conceded defeat saying we aren't playing given the corruption of the games. I'm going to be sick when Trump invites and Team USA accepts the invite to go to the WH. 

PS: A loyal reader sent in this excellent piece by Robert Reich (entitled How Trump Ruined the World Cup) which puts a fine point on the matter--although I don't understand why he would continue to root for Team USA. What led me to the decision not only to root for Belgium, but to not watch any more games, was my profound disappointment with the commentators. It was torture listening to the Fox commentators whom I'd come to adore and other sports' commentators whom I had respected justifying the clear "rottenness" of the system when the godfather-in-chief made yet another "perfect phone call"--this time to a totally corrupt toad and lackey. That the games are on Fox was the tipping point for my saying no mas.

PPS: I'm sorry I didn't see the Belgian team's goal celebration mocking the Trump dance which they repeated in their locker room accompanied by Trump's YMCA theme song.

[EOP]

Cautionary Note re Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (10 EP Series on Apple TV+)

Do NOT make the mistake I just did: This series is totally engrossing, with twists and turns and terrific acting. Once you start, even with the spots of violence and raunchiness, you will start binging it, as I did. It was a perfect escape from the day the music died in the World Cup. Here's the problem: The last EP does not drop until July 15. I am now sick having to wait for that. Given its complexity and my so-called memory, I might have to start at the beginning again.

[EOP]

Protecting Your Phone Under the Dome of Heat

This cnet article explains the problems summer heat can cause for cellphones. In short, as the article explains, summer temperatures can quickly push your phone past its safe operating range, and then goes on to explain how to keep it cool before any damage starts.

[EOP]

Keeping Kitchens Cool Under the Dome of Heat

This cnet article has some good suggestions to prevent your kitchen from becoming a source of elevating the heat in your house, including: opt for no-cook meals like salads; use the exhaust fan; use an outdoor grill; prepare hot foods during cooler hours and reheat in the air fryer at meal time; and my favorite, use an air fryer which puts out virtually no heat instead of an oven or stove pan which put out a lot of heat.

[EOP]

Final PS re the World Cup Which I'm Not Watching Any More and a PS

PS: There never had been a FIFA Peace Prize until this one.

[EOP

EV Batteries Are Lasting Longer Than Had Been Thought They Would

As the WSJ reports, after five years on the road, the average EV will still be able to drive up to 95% of its original range, according to Recurrent, a data-science company that provides a battery-monitoring tool for EVs— better than many in the auto industry expected. The newest battery-powered EVs have lifespans comparable to internal-combustion-engine vehicles, even when driven more miles, according to Viet Nguyen-Tien, a research officer at the London School of Economics who focuses on EVs. Improvements in car batteries’ chemical contents, battery-management systems and thermal regulation have been the difference in making batteries last longer and cost less, Nguyen-Tien said. Industry analysts say battery- replacement costs are also improving as more EVs are designed for repairability in the long-haul. An out-of-warranty battery replacement can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $16,000, depending on the manufacturer, according to Recurrent. But many EV manufacturers have shifted to allow smaller components of their battery packs to be repaired, which can allow owners to avoid the full costs of a battery replacement, Case said. The article also gives some tips on proper care of EV batteries.

[EOP]

Breakthrough on Autism Diagnosis and Treatment

As discussed on Horizon, there is now a simple home urine test from Autism Diagnostics Lab that can detect in a child as young as 2 the markers for autism and lead to treatment that is shown to be effective. Given that 1 in 30 children born in the US today are found to be autistic, and the test is non-invasive and simple, one can only wonder why this is not one of the 30+ tests screening tests that are performed on all children.

[EOP]

Dementia Directives

As this WSJ article explains, sharing your wishes for medical care and end-of-life decisions should be standard practices for people as they age. But for people with dementia, the usual advance directives—such as a living will and a durable power of attorney for healthcare—may not be detailed enough. That’s why documents called dementia directives are gaining popularity, to help people make decisions about their care if they’ve been diagnosed with dementia or there is a high likelihood they could be in the future. It’s something for everyone to at least think about, given that there’s a 42% risk of Americans developing dementia after age 55, according to a study published in Nature Medicine in January 2025. Note: Dementia directives might not be legally binding.

[EOP]

Cautionary Note re the 4% Retirement Rule

As this Peter Coy piece explains, most retirees are familiar with the 4% rule. It’s the guide many financial pros have extolled for decades for the decumulation phase of retirement—the time when you finally start tapping the money you’ve spent decades (ideally) saving and investing. It’s pretty simple. Maybe too simple. The 4% rule has some blind spots.

[EOP]

ESG Investing

As this Randall Smith piece explains, investors have pulled billions, funds have closed, and proxy voting is down. But proponents say the strategy remains viable, even if it’s pursued more quietly.

[EOP]

Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed (10 EP Series on Apple TV)

Eight of the 10EPs of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed have dropped and the last two will drop by July 15. After watching 3 EPs, I'm not sure what to say. It's billed as a whodunnit murder mystery drama comedy thriller. I haven't laughed yet, but I haven't been bored, and there is no shortage of tension. A warning is in order that some scenes might be found to be shocking or a bit too raunchy especially by older people, and it's easy to get confused as to what's going on because of the many twists and turns at quite a rapid pace. It's the story of a divorced mom who gets caught up in a perilous web of blackmail, murder, and youth soccer, which is not a thing everyone knows what it's like to get caught up in. The acting is very good and the EPs are 40 minutes or shorter, and I certainly am hooked with an insatiable thirst to find out what happens.

[EOP]

Retracting a Really Stupid Gmail and a PS

[Prefatory Note: As to the identity of the sender of the email noted below, so there's no mistake: C'est moi]

Unfortunately, Gmail lacks a true recall button, and this option disappears by default after 5 seconds. To maximize your "Undo Send" window for future mistakes: Open Gmail on your computer and click the Settings gear/See all settings/General tab/Undo Send/set the cancellation period to 30 seconds (which is the longest period allowed)/Save. Your only other alternatives upon sending one of the dumbest emails ever sent are to plead for forgiveness and offer to commit seppuku and hope mercy is shown you by a beneficent person who stands to suffer untold harm by your having sent the email.

PS: English grammarian sticklers insist "it is I" is correct and "it is me" is incorrect." For support, they point to English being rooted in Latin, and "it is I" comes from "Ego sum." But it can be argued that English is drawn as much from French, and so "it is me" is acceptable given the "c'est moi" construction.

[EOP]

PS re the World Cup

As the world now knows, the US team's best striker, Balogun, has been declared available for the USMNT vs. Belgium game. The one-game suspension that (in addition to to the ejection) went along with the red card, which never should have been issued and supposedly was not appealable, has been suspended. This kind of reversal was done only once in the World Cup back in 1962 before there were red cards or the rules applicable to red cards. This decision by FIFA, which is known to be corrupt, is particularly detrimental to Belgium given the delay in handing it down because Belgium now has to redo its game plan preparation with one day notice. Worse, it is going to taint indelibly the games. As it turns out, Trump called the FIFA president and asked that the suspension be "reviewed," announced that he had done so, and "thanked" FIFA for "doing the right thing" and "undoing a great injustice." It won't happen, but I'd like to see the US coach announce that he is not playing Balogun and for Balogun to announce he will not play against Belgium. I don't think a sporting event (not involving a Philadelphia team) has ever enthralled me so much as the World Cup has. I now could care less about the tournament as a whole and would find it fitting if Belgium wins. There is nothing Trump cannot turn to s_ _ t. What's also astounding and sickening to me is not only the commentators' (whom I've really enjoyed to this point) defending FIFA's decision, they do so without mentioning Trump's involvement in bringing this about. If the US wins, Trump will put out a statement that he is to be thanked, and he won't be wrong. And what does that say about us? Whether the US wins or loses tonight (I'm likely not going to watch), the team will be invited to the WH and they will go, and they will thank him, and he will say he just wanted to do the right thing because, "I only wanted FIFA to do the right thing and have justice be done, as I do in everything I do." I do know how corrupt FIFA is and the refereeing drove me nuts (on the red card for Balugon and in many other ways). But the Trump intervention and everyone's apparent willingness to put blinders on because it helps Team USA, I don't want his help and I don't want to see the denialism that I'm seeing. Nothing is pure, I do know that. But there are levels of corruption that I would have thought would have brought condemnation not just from the rest of the world, but from those of us who claim not to benefit (even vicariously) from anything Trump touches. And if it were the Phillies or Eagles I promise, as God is my co-pilot, I would feel the same. 

[EOP]

PS re the World Cup

1. If you missed the Argentina/Cape Verde game, my sympathies go out to you. It's the kind of game, between the kind of opponents, and the kind of players on each team, that make sports in general and futbol in particular so compelling. To highlight how highly Messi is thought of, the Cape Verde players clearly felt it honor to help him up whenever he was on the ground. Like the opposite of Trump where no one of any respectability wants to be caught photographed with him.

2. One thing that makes futbol different from other sports is that, unless the game is put away, the tension is higher throughout the game unlike in other sports where the tension in close games is far more muted and is reserved for the end. Yeah, close games as they near the end of all sports will see a rise in tension that will match futbol. But none can match futbol for tension throughout. The constant tension in futbol is in large part the result of how difficult it is to score and that most games are low scoring. Ice hockey might be the one team sport that comes close, but as difficult as scoring is in ice hockey, there's still more of it than there is in futbol. One-on-one sports such as darts and beer pong and two-person team sports such as curling where the matches are close throughout rival futbol in tension throughout. 

3. Courtesy of a loyal reader: The USMNT's best striker is a birthright citizen but, as our Reps will tell you, and I'm not kidding: As this article reports, South Carolina Representative Ralph Norman argued the fight against birthright citizenship and support for birthright citizens on the U.S. World Cup team were “two separate issues.” “You’re dealing with a sports team, and you’re dealing with policy.” Read the article for further idiotic comments along the same lines by other Reps, including the Speaker.

[EOP]

PS re the Larry David American Show on HBO and MAX

Turns out we were tricked by a childish prank into thinking that someone else (and you know who he is) liked this when it turns out he hadn't even seen it when he claimed to have seen it and didn't like it when he ultimately watched it. Yeah, until now I had thought we all were stuck in junior high school, not realizing that some are stuck in grade school or perhaps even in pre-school. All that said, while the segments in each EP are uneven for sure, some are very good and even some that are not so good have some good moments (particularly if you like Larry David at his rawest). Give up or forgo watching as this hapless chap apparently has at your peril. I'm staying with it. The 4 skits within each half-hour EP are very short.

[EOP]

PS re Phoenix Grocery Stores

The readers' poll re Phoenix groceries did not report on times to go to or avoid any of them. Sprouts and Safeway have excellent self-checkout and any time is fine; Fry's self-checkout can be a horror so stay away on weekends after about 7 am and weekday afternoons, while every weekday from 6 am to 10 am is okay.

[EOP]

Disclosure Day (2026 Movie in Theatres)

A loyal reader sent in this review of Disclosure Day: It has good acting which is not surprising given the headliners (Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor, and Colin Firth), but the whole thing doesn’t hold together which is surprising given that it was co-written and directed by Steven Spielberg. It apparently feels like an endless series of car chases, jumping on speeding trains, and plenty of science fiction, which tells me to skip it even after it reaches home screens.

[EOP]

PS re World Cup

If you think you're the only one watching the World Cup, take a deep breath. If you're not watching the World Cup, get therapeutic help. The TV ratings for the US/BIH round of 32 game had 33.5M viewers (on TV and Telemundo). Not bad you say. Well get this: It beat the NBA finals average, Sunday night NFL game average, and World Series game average. The Monday night US/BEL game is going to blow the lid off. I dare say, if the US were to get to the finals, it would beat the NFL Super Bowl. Actually, if the US were to meet France in the semi-finals, it might beat the NFL Super Bowl.

[EOP]

The Gmail Upgrade Button

The annoying Upgrade button on Gmail has moved from the lower left to the upper right next to the Settings (gear) button. The bad news is there appears no way now to get rid of it. The good news is that you no longer need that extension we told you about that did get rid of the Upgrade button when it was in the lower left.

[EOP]

AZ Republic Readers' View of Phoenix Grocery Stores

This AR article reports readers' ratings of Phoenix groceries on several scores, including the following: Best for low prices: Fry's (we agree); Best for produce: Sprouts (we agree except inventory is sporadic); Best seafood counter: AJ's (we agree); Best overall: Fry's (we agree in that no single grocery is--best to pick and choose at Fry's, Sprout's, and Safeway). TJ's got best customer service (it has no self-checkout) and Whole Foods got no mention.

[EOP]

Sign and Annotate Your PDFs in Chrome (With Latest Chrome Update)

 

[EOP]

How the Iran War Ends: It Doesn't

The Iran War looks to be an endless war that really is an endless war. There is no reason for Iran to come to any agreement along any lines acceptable to the U.S. And there is no way for the U.S. to force Iran to do so. With Iran controlling the Strait and not agreeing to anything on the nuclear front beyond what it did in 2015, Trump cannot declare victory and will not admit defeat. Same with any future president.

[EOP]

Etiquette re Texting While Viewing Sports Events

Unless you know that the person you're texting is watching the same sporting event live as you are, and not on a delayed DVR basis as professional watchers do, do NOT text anything that gives away what you are seeing in real time. It's under the same rule to not tell anyone the result of a sports event (or a movie or book) unless you know as a matter of an ontological certitude that the person you're telling knows what happened and what the ending was.

[EOP]

Five Proposals for a More Perfect Union and a PS

This WSJ piece has five proposals for getting us out of the mess we are in by: tweaking the constitution to getting power back to Congress and not allowing it to abdicate it; imposing term limits for all including the Supreme Court justices (by putting them on senior status); scrapping the Electoral College; undo the backward reading of the first amendment SCOTUS has been engaged in; and ratifying an Equal Rights Amendment.

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Samsung Messages Is Shutting Down This Month

I know only one person (and they're not a reader) who uses Samsung Messages for texting. But there might be others and, if you do, be aware, as this article explains and explains what to do to save your texts, it is shutting down this month. We recommend Textra although Google Messages is fine.

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Put Me Down as an Election Denier

The 2024 elections gave the Republicans control of the House, the Senate, and the Presidency. Don't tell me we don't need "election reform" to "save" America.

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Beta Pool Skimmers

While it has been too cool of late to be swimming in Phoenix unless the pool is heated, if live in the East and have a pool, and hate seeing stuff on the surface, you might consider a Beta Pool Skimmer. Betta Solar-powered Robotic Skimmers capture fine particles and large debris before they sink — delivering quiet, fully autonomous, hands-free pool cleaning every day.

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PS With Apologies re the World Cup

I hit "publish" too soon on the next post which was the subject we wanted to lead with. That post should have included the following:

1. One (and perhaps the only) flaw in the rules is, if the game is tied at the end of regulation, going to 30 minutes of Extra Time (with no Golden Goal) instead of going immediately to the PK shoot-out. These guys have just spent more than a grueling 1.5 hours playing to a draw--often in difficult climate conditions. Injuries become more likely and play tends to deteriorate in Extra Time, which more often than not fails to break the tie. Just go to the shoot-out if the game in regulation ends in a draw. The PK shoot-out is really exciting and much more exciting than watching Extra Time. It's what tennis has learned to do. And baseball in a sense has done this with starting a runner at second.

2. Players can choose not to kick in the PK shoot-out. Some even really good players have so chosen. We can understand that decision. But we have trouble with it since the focus of competition is to see how an athlete performs when it really counts. That is supposedly what they train for and why they want to be out there.

3. In addition to the great play and upsets mentioned in the post below, we should have mentioned the exciting come-backs. 

4. Do not click on either link if you have yet to watch the USA/BIH game: Take Me Home, Country Roads or Take Me Home, Country Roads

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PS re World Cup

If you hear or read that there was a fantastic World Cup game (and unless you're a Colonel Klink you cannot avoid it), or missed a game where a team named France was playing, even if you know how it ended, you should watch it. Before you say this is the nuttiest thing you've heard, tell me you haven't reread a book you liked or rewatched a movie or TV show you liked even though, unlike with a World Cup game, you knew not only the ending, but everything that happened.*                                                      _______________________________

     * Putting aside the upsets, near upsets, and which team won or lost, just the play of the top players (Messi, Mbappe, Kane et al) has been something to behold. It led the announcer after Kane's performance today in England's match against the DR Congo, "Kane just earned his knighthood."

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Native Signature App in Android Phones

Baked inside June’s Google Play system update, a native Signatures app is rolling out to Android devices. The Signatures workflow will pop up whenever an app or document requesting a signature is detected. Inside Signatures, you can store your autograph/signature for placing into documents and apps. Users can also utilize initials, along with plenty of font options and even photos of your signatures via an upload. Within the app you’ll be able to manage all of your signature variations, upload new versions, and delete the ones you no longer utilize. This is part of the June Google Play system update, meaning so long as your Android phone is running that, you should have the app. You won’t need to wait on your specific OEM to ship it.

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PS re Extending Windows 10 Support

This cnet article explains the two ways Windows 10 users can get another year of support (security updates), one of which is free and the other costs $30. If you're happy with you W10 computer, stay with it, but be sure to get the extended support.

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