My Worst Easter

Today is Easter. Usually, it is a holiday which I actually like and look forward to each year, despite not being particularly religious. In the past, it has often meant get-togethers with family and/or friends. It was supposed to be like that this year, as well.

However, I woke up at about a quarter to four this morning, and felt incredibly - and overwhelmingly - nauseous. Before long, I rushed to the bathroom, where a day of throwing up and experiencing diarrhea commenced. 

Also, I felt so nauseous, that I did not dare eat anything all day. For quite a few hours, in fact, I did not even dare to drink anything, because it felt like I could not trust myself to keep anything down. This clearly contributed to my feelings of extreme weakness, and feeling lightheaded and wobbly anytime I got up. It was not a fun day. 

At first, I thought it would pass. That I simply had eaten something bad, and that by the time I had to leave for work, I would feel better. But when I had another bout at 6am, I called work and told them that I'd be at least a few hours late. By about 8:30, I outright had to call out.

Right about the same time, I understood that pretty much everything else needed to be canceled, as well. There would be no attending Easter lunch with friends, and no Easter meal, really, of any kind for me. 

As it turns out, despite feeling guilty - as I always do - whenever I call out from work, it was probably a real blessing. The vomiting continued until just before noon. The diarrhea lasted the entire day, as did those feelings of extreme nausea. Also, the weakness. 

Can't even imagine what it would have been like to go in, even for a few hours. My guess is that it would have been pure misery.

My girlfriend kept urging me to call out, because she felt it was not safe to drive in my condition. In fact, I agreed with her assessment. 

All of this pretty much lasted the entire day. I may not have not vomited since just before noon, but I still feel it remains a real possibility. 

It is about 9:30 in the evening as I write this. This is the first time I felt even strong enough to sit in front of my laptop and go online. Probably, it's going to be a relatively short time, because I am not feeling really up to this, even. 

Truth be told, I cannot remember having felt quite this miserable, physically, from the beginning of the day to the end, since I was a kid. At the very least, a teenager, yet still mostly a kid. It was just one of those days, and I am glad that this day in particular is almost behind me now. After all, it just started off miserably, and kept going like that, as well. 

Not a good day. And just about the worst Easter that I can ever remember having or going through in my entire life.

Finally, I first grew a bit ill over two weeks ago. There were points where I felt that I was really getting better, but inevitably, these were followed by setbacks. Today proved to be the biggest setback yet. So far, I have not been able to shake the frankly miserable feelings that I have, physically. 

Very frustrating.

Sorry if this blog entry is a bummer, but this was fairly big news on my end. 

That said, I hope that everyone reading this enjoyed a much better Easter holiday than I managed to do. 

🥚 A Bit of History on the Significance of Eggs on Easter 🥚

There are some things floating around with seemingly each religious holidays, essentially exposing these major religious holidays as having their roots in what would be considered pagan, and thus borderline evil, holidays that preceded Christianity and even, in some cases, Judaism.

Some of them are probably accurate, although some of them appear to be completely inaccurate. Yet, the misinformation spreads, because that is how the internet works. In this day and age, when we seem to be taken aback with the speed of technological progress on an almost daily basis, this is one of the dangers and misfortunes of the so-called information age: that false information spreads at least as fast as solid information, and sometimes, it seems, faster. And the difference between the two can seem blurred, as more and more people seem to be having difficulty telling them apart.

When I was writing for the Guardian Liberty Voice, I wrote articles exploring the hidden history of some holidays. One of the ones that I felt proudest of was a Thanksgiving article, for which I received some praise from an editor and fellow writer, although the ratings for the article (yes, there were ratings for each article) remained fairly stagnant. Still, it was a source of pride. 

There were other holiday histories which I explored, including Halloween, Boxing Day (the day after Christmas, for those who are not familiar), Canada Day (that one did have high ratings, as I recall), Earth Day, and Christmas.

Christmas obviously was one with a religious history, and it was fascinating to explore that. However, I always wanted to do one on Easter, but never quite got around to it. My period of inactivity grew too long, and for all intents and purposes, I was no longer an active contributing writer for GLV early in 2017. 

Still, I was happy to have been a part of it, to have written those articles and many more (over 100!), and to have done some articles that I at least felt had a bit more substance to them than many of the articles that were getting much higher ratings (and for which the authors were actually getting paid), such as those which focused on the Kardashians, or other fluff "news" stories.

However, the one article that I had been hoping to do was an article exploring the history of Easter, although I never did quite get around to it, which was disappointing. And although I did not do one this year for Easter here on "The Charbor Chronicles," either, I did at least find one link that seemed worth sharing that actually does delve a bit into the history of Easter, and tries to separate some popular internet misconceptions (if not outright deceptions) from the truth.

So, please take a look at this article below from Scientific American, which I believe is a fairly reputable source. It was interesting, and should help shed light on what is accurate, and what is not (such as that Easter was originally taken from Ishtar).

Enjoy!

Beyond Ishtar: The Tradition of Eggs at Easter Don't believe every meme you encounter.  By Krystal D'Costa on March 31, 20137

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/anthropology-in-practice/beyond-ishtar-the-tradition-of-eggs-at-easter/

🐰 🥚 🌼 Happy Easter! 🌼 🥚 🐰

Just wanted to make sure that I wish everyone a Happy Easter Sunday!

I know that this is a time for many people to get together with family for an Easter meal, and good times spent together. This is a sacred time of the year for Christians, as this day is actually more sacred than Christmas is.

Some believe that the festivities and imagery surrounding this holiday - particularly candy Easter bunnies - go against the grain of the spirit of this day.

While that may be true, and there certainly is legitimacy to the notion that it has become overly commercialized, nonetheless, I try to do similar things with my son. That was what Easter often meant when I was growing up. Easter egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, peeps, and other sure signs of Easter. These traditions made me happy as a child, and so I feel it is important to try and make sure that my own son has the chance to enjoy the same thing.

In any case, whatever Easter might mean to you, I wish each and everyone who celebrates it a Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to all! Joyeuses Pâques à tous! Wesołych Świąt dla Ciebie i Twojej rodziny! ¡Felices Pascuas para todos!

The Homelessness Crisis & Our Collective Response To This Issue in the United States

Homelessness has almost always been a major issue in our nation's history, at least since the rise of urbanization. 

Yet, it seems like the problem has grown significantly worse in recent years. The start of this was probably the Great Recession in 2009. At least, that was the first time that I remember seeing anything resembling the tent cities during the days of the Great Depression, that I had always read about in history books. These were visible during my train rides (I commuted on the train, back in those days) in the mornings and afternoons, and it always felt like a shock, or a reality check. Suddenly, things felt a whole lot more real.

Well, the housing crisis seemed to abate. But the issue of homelessness nevertheless kept going, and kept growing. This seemed particularly true in warmer weather cities. My son and I saw something similar to the tent cities when we visited New Orlans a few years back. I also hear that they are an enormous issue in certain cities in the West Coast, particularly San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The video below proved to be very informative and enlightening regarding this issue. It not only goes into the problem, but also into the roots of the issue, and our mistaken attitudes and overall approach to homelessness, which focuses more on trying to make the issue go away, rather than dealing with it head on.

Take a look at the video below if you would like to learn more about it:

America's Homelessness Crisis Is Worse Than Ever

Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell" Celebrates 30 Year Anniversary

On this day in 1994, exactly 30 years ago, Pink Floyd released "The Division Bell."

Unbeknownst to many - certainly myself included - this would wind up being the last album proper that this legendary band would release. Ironically, this was also the first (and obviously last) real new official release from the legendary Floyd that I would really get into. In fact, my father and brother and I went to see them at Yankee Stadium later that summer, a show that still ranks as one of my favorite concerts of all time. The laser lights, the clarity of the music, and the overall atmosphere (as well as the day that we enjoyed just prior as a family) all added to special memories.

In any case, it just seemed like a good idea to acknowledge this date. It was 29 years ago, on this day, that we finally got to experience "The Division Bell," which I feel is an underrated album. It really got my imagination going. "High Hopes" is my very favorite song from that album, and in fact, it seems like I hear and feel different things whenever I listen to it. What I heard back then as a 19-year-old kid, when the album was first released, was very different. Somehow, I hear and feel very different things now that I am older and, as Pink Floyd themselves have pointed out, "closer to death."

In any case, it seemed appropriate to share this particular song for the occasion of marking the release of this album, which I still enjoy, and which still ranks high in my heart among Floyd's releases, even though most fans tend to overlook it. 

This is a picture of the ticket stub for the show at Yankee Stadium when my father, brother, and I went to the Bronx to see Pink Floyd on the tour supporting "The Division Bell." It was a fantastic day, capped off by an unforgettable show. The music sounded incredibly clear, and the laser light show was spectacular. 

Trump’s Latest Scam? Selling $60 Bibles

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

My parents were of two different faiths, and to the extent possible, they tried not to impose either religion on my brother and I. So we grew up mostly a non-religious family, even though we did celebrate Christmas and Easter. Still, this mostly allowed us to regard religion almost from an outside perspective right from the beginning, which was markedly different from most of my classmates growing up.

It seems that the country as a whole has grown less and less religious over time. In fact, I suspect that this trend is continuing right to this day.

Now, if you talk to people on the right, particularly those who identify as Evangelical Christians, this is the result of a "war on Christianity." They literally liken what appears to be a push back against religious presence in our politics as some kind of persecution against them, and they also seem to quickly (and without much in the way of facts) associate some perceived measures of a general decline as the inevitable result of the seeming decline of religiosity in the United States.

Here's the thing: I never hated religion. In fact, I believe that it has done some good in the world. For example, I have known some people who relied on it to get past serious substance abuse issues. There are some religions, and some people who believe in the faith, who have impressed me greatly. Archbishop Desmond Tutu and President Jimmy Carter in particular come to mind, as does Reinhold Niebuhr. I have been impressed numerous times with Pope Francis I, as well. And while Buddhism is often not regarded a religion in the strictest sense, I have always been impressed with the Dalai Lama, and his spirituality.

All of that said, let me now shift gears a bit. As impressed as I have been with some people (like the ones mentioned above) who hold strong faiths and have shown a willingness to express those faiths, I have been equally appalled by the extremists who seem to me to use their religions as a shield to justify their own hatred and/or greed. The most extreme example of this is the Westboro Baptist Church, which makes a point of trying to provoke people, entirely unnecessarily. Sure, they are entitled to their religious beliefs, but it sure feels like they are the poster children for religious extremists who use religion as their righteous shield to promote their hatred and prejudices, which are not actually taught or even really tolerated in the Bible. 

These days, this frankly ugly, hate-promoting version of what passes for Christianity has become so commonplace, that it seems to be what most Americans think of when they think of Christianity. Again, it is anything but inclusive and welcoming, focusing instead on the harsh and extremely judgmental "fire and brimstone" version of Christianity. It also feels extremely contradictory. Many of these faiths are relatively small churches, who believe that they, and they alone, have the one true version of the faith, and that everybody else - whether they identify as Christians or not - are simply wrong, and destined to burn in the eternal fires of damnation. Infamously, former President George W. Bush, who once revealed that he believed that God wanted him to be president, was a member of such a faith. Either you accepted everything that they told you to believe in, or you were condemned to Hell. There are a lot of these small chapter faiths identifying as Christian. And when you think about it, it feels quite harsh to profess that either you accept everything that they believe, or you will be condemned to Hell forever. Frankly, it feels like spiritual blackmail, relying more on fear than on the love and compassion which were the basis of the teachings of Jesus as I understand them. It also feels inconsistent with the whole notion of God being all-loving and forgiving. 

Then they wonder why more and more people are being turned off by religion, and perhaps by Christianity in particular? When they put themselves as the symbol of all that Christianity is supposed to be about, and they grow powerful and influential enough that people indeed begin to identify Christianity with them, is it any wonder that so many people will be turned away? When they try to impose their religion on the entire country, claiming that the United States is unquestionably a Christian country, and try to do away with the separation of Church and State, then whine and complain about what they call a "war on Christianity" anytime that there is any pushback against their designs to take over, do they really feel themselves persecuted? Is it really comparable to the ancient days when Christians would be fed to the lions? Are they really at a loss to understand why so many people see such hypocrisy clearly for what it is, and turn away from it? 

It sure seems like these kinds of Christians want the best of both worlds. They want to maintain the separation of church and state when it comes to being exempt from paying taxes. However, that does not stop them from loudly and proudly being politically active. It is no secret that Trump relied heavily on the Christian Evangelical vote in both 2016 and 2020, and that he will need their support again if he has a chance in 2024. If he were to somehow lose their support, he would have simply no real chance at the White House again. 

Which brings me to another contradictory aspect of what passes for modern Christianity in the United States today. Because there can hardly be imagined an individual who is, frankly, as antithetical to all of the things that Christians are supposed to believe in. Not only does he not embody the message of unconditional love and sharing and humility that Jesus taught, but he also has transgressions which should frankly have appalled even the Christians of the fire and brimstone variety. This man cheated on every wife that he ever had, and he brags about his transgressions. When he first descended from that golden escalator to announce his presidential campaign in 2015, he bragged about how greedy he was. Just in case you need a reminder, these are his words, not mine:

"All my life I've made money. I've made money. I've always been good at making money. I think I have great imagination — but I made money. And all my life I did well. And my father always said, ‘Everything he touches turns to gold.'"

"My whole life I’ve been greedy, greedy, greedy. I’ve grabbed all the money I could get. I’m so greedy. But now I want to be greedy for the United States. I want to grab all that money. I’m going to be greedy for the United States."

Keep in mind that this was his announcement to kick off his presidential campaign, so he was laying the groundwork for what his presidency would stand for. It was Then he told Americans that he wanted to be the same way, but for the country. Mind you, greed is outright listed as one of the Seven Deadly Sins. So is pride, which he clearly showed in mentioning how successful he is, and how great he is at making money, how much of an imagination he has in making it (even if many of his detractors dismissed him as a scam artist), and how his father suggested that Trump had the Midas touch. Let's remember that another quote by Trump was when he boasted about being able to "grab 'em by the pussy." That's boast pride and lust, which is yet another of the Seven Deadly Sins. I could go on, but I will stop there with that particular line of reasoning. The fact of the matter is that King Con Don is more than merely a "flawed" or imperfect man, as many of his most loyal supporters will concede (albeit grudgingly). In fact, when you really look at him and his behavior, he is not merely flawed or not perfect, but he embodies too many of the very evils that the Bible warns about. And he seems to encourage these evils in others. That is why his hate-baiting is such a source of concern to many. That is why so many are appalled and greatly alarmed by his words and actions, from mocking a disabled reporter to expressing xenophobic sentiments to boasting about how he can abuse women because he is such a big star, to dismissing literally dozens of countries as "shithole nations," to just countless other instances where he has shown petty and immoral and even, yes, evil behavior. 

It was no secret, and hardly took some truly piercing insights into the human psyche to recognize that this guy was bad. Nothing could be more obvious. Which makes it all the more puzzling why the Evangelical Christian base of his support first of all came to be, and why they stick with him so doggedly no matter what. Either they take their Christian faith seriously, or they don't. Frankly, their unwavering support of and apparent faith in a man like Donald Trump discredits them. 

Trump may not be a billionaire. That much seems clear enough now, with leaked tax documents, and his lawyers making clear that he does not have enough to post his over $400 million bail. Yet, he is undeniably rich, and had access to a lot of funds throughout his lifetime. Indeed, he enjoyed a life of opulence and excess (which is another thing that I never quite got about his base of support, largely from rural folks who usually were more suspicious of city slicker types, but that's something for another day). But let us be clear: Trump sure relied on a whole lot of scams in order to maintain his riches. He himself boasts of it. This is a man who declared bankruptcy multiple times, and who was sued for scams many, many times. There were business ventures which sure seemed like scams to anyone with an ounce of objectivity, from Trump University to Trump Steaks to Trump Airlines to Trump Magazine to Trump Vodka. More recently, there were those ridiculous (and ugly) Trump sneakers. 

Now, King Con Don is trying to promote yet another thing which, frankly, smacks of a scam. This time, he is seemingly targeting his most faithful supporters, literally and figuratively. He is selling $60 Bibles, which are being called "God Bless the USA Bibles." Trump himself is promoting them, even though they do not bear his name (mercifully, we have been spared "Trump Bibles," at least for the moment). He is telling his prospective audience that “we must make America pray again.”

All of this just in time for him to pay the amounts which he owes to the courts, on top of his other debts! Also, just in time for the presidential campaign. King Con Don is trying to rally his most loyal supporters to give more and more money, by any means necessary. He has made no secret of his desire for revenge if given a second term, and has even claimed that he would indeed be a dictator. 

Remember, this was the man who once, as president, had a peaceful and lawful protest near the White House grounds cleared by tear gas. Then, he went out by a church and posed with a Bible in hand so that he could have pictures taken with it. But he kept it short, because he then complained about the remnants of the tear gas that had been used to clear the grounds for his grand photo opportunity. Is that what good Christians do? Would Jesus approve? 

I grew up at a time when televangelists were all the rage, and they were often exposed as con artists and hypocrites, like Jimmy and Tammy Baker. The late Pat Robertson is another such figure, as he spewed hatred upon anything he regarded as immoral, which seemed to amount to the vast majority of people. There are leaders of megachurches today who pretty much as the same way. In particular, Joel Osteen, for example, really creeps me out. There's just something about that smile of his, and the opulent lifestyle that he leads behind the scenes. Something about those leaders of mass religions just feels wrong to me. The leaders enjoying the trappings of the most luxurious sort just does not seem to be in sync with what Jesus actually said and taught. In short, it feels like these versions of a frankly decadent version of the Christian faith have more than a small element of scams associated with them. 

These bibles feel like an extension of all of that decadence. They sure look and feel like a scam. They also feel contrary to what the actual Bible represents and tries to teach those professing the Christian faith. No, Trump is not outright a televangelist, but he paints his face sick colors, like some infamous televangelists used to do in the 1980's. Maybe Trump is not officially the leader of a megachurch, but the faithful sure seem to want to congregate en masse to see and hear him. Much like televangelists of old and leaders of megachurches in the here and now, Trump sure likes not only to live the opulent lifestyle of a spoiled brat, but to flaunt it, to boot. Indeed, I am not sure that the man is religious at all, frankly, yet Christian Evangelicals sure seem to feel that he is one of them. 

Therein lies the problem. Because they loudly and proudly hail themselves as Christians. If this indeed is what Christianity is, or has been allowed to become, then I want absolutely no part of it. And I am not the only one. It seems to me that the real war on Christianity is being waged by those who identify themselves most loudly as Christians, who wear their religious identities on their sleeves, yet who seem to identify and promote things which are, frankly, undeserving of what actual Christianity is supposed to be about, as taught by Jesus. 

Below are the links to the articles I used in writing this particular blog entry, including the quote used above:

Trump’s Newest Venture? A $60 Bible. by Michael Gold and Maggie Haberman, The New York Times, March 26, 2024:

His Bible sales pitch comes as he appears to be confronting a significant financial squeeze, with his legal fees growing while he fights a number of criminal cases and lawsuits.  

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/26/us/politics/trump-bible.html

The 7 Trumpiest things Donald Trump said during his “counter-debate" By Jeff Stein  Jan 29, 2016:

https://www.vox.com/2016/1/29/10868360/trump-quotes-counter-debate

⚽️ French World Cup Champion & Star Olivier Giroud Set to Join MLS ⚽️

     

Olivier Giroud, the all-time leading scorer for l'équipe de France in history, will soon be joining the MLS, much as David Trezeguet, David Beckham, and more recently, Lionel Messi have done before.

As of the latest reports, Giroud is most likely to join LAFC. French coach Didier Deschamps confirmed the talks yesterday.

Below is the link to one of the articles on this particular topic. Take a look:

Romano: LAFC lead Giroud race despite ‘higher offers’ as Deschamps confirms talks by Oliver Fisher - 25 March 2024:

Olivier Giroud’s potential departure from AC Milan at the end of the season is gathering momentum as two more bits of news have emerged today.

https://sempremilan.com/lafc-giroud-lloris-milan-deschamps-talks

⚽️ UEFA Euro 2024 Groups Revealed ⚽️

The groups for the upcoming Euro 2024, to be hosted by Germany, has been released.

France is in Group D, along with Poland, Netherlands, and Austria. It looks to me that Group B is probably the toughest group here, with at least three quality sides in the group.

I took this from Facebook, and the link is attached below.

Take a look:

UEFA EURO 2024 ·  The #EURO2024 line-up is complete ⤵️

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=957377305754665&set=a.808571127301951

⚽️ L'équipe de France Bounce Back (Barely) From Loss to Germany With Close Win Over Chile ⚽️

    

After a humbling loss against Germany over the weekend, l'équipe de France recovered with a narrow win over Chile in another friendly, played in Marseille earlier today.

They sure didn't make it look easy, though. France had to overcome another sluggish start - although mercifully not quite as sluggish as the one they had against Germany - in order to come back and beat Chile. 

Marcelino Núñez scored in the 6th minute with an assist from Mauricio Isla, putting the South American side up early. Once again, France seemed to have gotten off to a horrible start in an international game, albeit a friendly. That had just happened against Germany, and they never really did seem to recover. Indeed, France had played a seemingly largely uninspired game en route to a 2-0 loss. So falling behind to Chile did not seem to bode well.

This time, however, France did have an answer. Youssouf Fofana was able to get the equalizer in the 18th minute, on an assist from Kylian Mbappé. Not too much later, Kolo Muani broke through for France in the 25th minute, putting the home country ahead for the first time.

France was able to hold onto that lead into the half. Then, Kolo Muani proved instrumental again with an assist to Olivier Giroud in the 72nd minute, giving Les Bleus a commanding 3-1 lead late in the game. It proved to be the game-winner for France.

However, Chile was able to make it interesting when Darío Osorio scored in the 82nd minute, to narrow France's lead to just 3-2. 

Still, France was able to hold Chile off to preserve the win, which helps them to recover from that disappointment against Germany over the weekend. Nevertheless, those slow starts, and the defense allowing such early goals in two consecutive games is more than a little concerning, to say the least. Let's hope that Deschamps gets the team to get a sense of urgency and tighten things up much earlier, because they cannot keep spotting their opponents early leads like this.

France breathe sigh of relief after beating Chile in friendly by: NEWS WIRES Issued on: 26/03/2024:

France breathe sigh of relief after beating Chile in friendly Olivier Giroud was among the scorers as France recovered from the loss of another early goal to claim a 3-2 friendly win over Chile at the Vélodrome in Marseille on Tuesday.  

 

https://www.france24.com/en/sport/20240326-france-breathes-sigh-of-relief-after-beating-chile-in-friendly

Former World Cup Champion Frank Lebeouf & Journalist Julien Laurens Break Down France’s Uninspired Defeat to Germany

    

A bit more on l'équipe de France losing to Germany this weekend.

My guess is that France just had a bad game, and that Germany came in feeling particularly inspired. To their credit, they played extremely well and won this one on the road in Lyon, France. The video below is a discussion about whether this was just a wake up call for France leading up to the Euro later this year, or if this signals some more serious problems. 

One way or the other, the French side really looked lifeless and flat in this one. Gonna have to do better than that once the Euro actually begins.

Is arrogance to blame for France’s loss to Germany? [FULL REACTION] | ESPN FC

⚽️ L'équipe de France Loses to Germany, 2-0 ⚽️

    

This weekend, l'équipe de France played their first game of 2024, in anticipation and preparation for the upcoming Euro tournament. They hosted Germany, which will be the host of the Euro tournament, in a friendly in Lyon, France.

Les Bleus better hope that they fare far better in the Euro tournament than they did against Germany this weekend. It took mere seconds for the Germans to take advantage and seize the lead. Toni Kroos, who came out of retirement to participate in international play, was able to get a very precise pass off to Florian Wirtz, who simply smashed the ball into the net, beating a frankly seemingly flatfooted French goalkeeper. 

Kai Havertz was able to add some cushion in Germany's lead just minutes after the half. France did not seem to play particularly inspired, although they finally got some decent chances in the second half.

Still, this was not their day. Germany dominated, owning the time of possession, 58 percent to 42 percent. They also enjoyed more shots on goal, at 15 to 11, but were on target in six of those shots, compared to just two for France. Germany also enjoyed a decisive advantage in corners, with 5 to only 2 for France.

French coach Didier Deschamps, who won a World Cup as a player in 1998 and led France to another World Cup title in 2018, did not mince words about this loss:

"We weren't there, that's obvious," said France coach Didier Deschamps after his 150th game in charge. "The Germans played a high level match today. When we see our start to the match, with this goal, we are standing still.

"The Germans did things better than us. In terms of commitment and aggression, we were below. The first person to blame is me," he added.

Not a good start for Les Bleus. Let's see if they can recover well before the Euro tournament begins, because they will have to play far better than this if they hope to make some noise there. 

Quotes and information used in this particular blog entry were taken from these two articles (see links below):

Germany beat hosts France 2-0 after record-breaking Wirtz goal Reuters March 23, 2024:

https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/germany-beat-hosts-france-2-0-with-record-breaking-wirtz-goal-2024-03-23/

France 0 Germany 2 FT HT 0-1 Wirtz (1'minutes), Havertz (49'minutes) Assists Kroos (1'minutes), Musiala (49'minutes) France 0-2 Germany: Florian Wirtz scores visitors' quickest international goal Last updated on23 March 202423 March 2024:

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/68648714

Le résumé de France - Allemagne (0-2) I FFF 2024

Sunday Funny: Star Wars Auditions - SNL

Okay, back to Sunday funnies.

This was not such an old skit on SNL. It hasn't even been 10 years since this one came out. Yet, I thought that this one was reasonably funny, nevertheless. 

In 2015, the new Star Wars film, "The Force Awakens," had just come out. This is a compilation of failed auditions (obviously fake) which director JJ Abrams considered before picking his cast for the new movie, which had then just been released. 

Seemed worth sharing here, so enjoy!

Star Wars Auditions - SNL

Novak Djokovic Is About to Achieve a Mythical 8 Years as the Number One Ranked Tennis Player in the World

   

Photo courtesy of Marianne Bevis's Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mariannebevis/5972100998/in/photolist-a6JzyA-csctLm-cscsEm-csctrw-csct17-f4CWUn-nWz24z-a6Jzhy-a6JzGq-a6JyPu-a6FHJc-9ZEUDd-ohz8qG-ox2Nmj-bPFs5a-5uzT4n-a6FHgX-f52W2j-2KSf8f-f4MHoM-cJrFYL-cJrGqo-f4MDDe-a3t6Ga-cscu3h-f4MESB-f4MJya-bALMj9-a3vX3q-bALMws-a3t6Sv-bPFshK-cJrFKY-nnjmG7-a3t6yv-cJrGd9-vUQeNJ-f4MCVT-cJrFxj-a3vXjs-np5my3-nnjiL7-npmV3n-npmS96-nr8qnZ-bPFr3t-bPFqaF-bPFsDg-f52X2j-bALPWo

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/

Novak Djokovic has enjoyed a lengthy career filled with historical levels of accomplishments and records. And these achievements continue, despite him not having gotten off to the greatest start possible this calendar year. 

Earlier this week, Djokovic started his record 417th week as the number one ranked player in the world today. To put that into perspective, that is just shy of 8 full years atop the rankings. Furthermore, he is mathematically guaranteed to attain a 8 full years as #1 ranked player in the world next week. That is a record for both men and women. 

Not sure how dominant either he or Rafael Nadal will manage to be at any point this year. My guess is that they are both capable of winning more Grand Slam titles, although you never know. Nadal will be retiring at the end of this year, and he has been more hampered by injuries slowing him down. Meanwhile, Djokovic in particular feels likely to add to his 24 career Grand Slam championships, which would allow him the honor of being the most successful champion - man or woman - when it comes to Grand Slam success. 

Unbelievable. 

Might as well appreciate it while we have it now. At eight years overall, it will obviously be a while before anybody can even come close to this level of long-term excellence again. 

Book Review: We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza

This was an audiobook which I happened to see at my local library (Hillsborough, in Somerset County, New Jersey). It was one of the ones which was on the prominent display section, although it was even then a bit hidden, being one of a tower of audiobooks upon which was displayed the latest popular fiction, which I do not even remember.

Somehow, this one caught my eye. I grabbed it and took a look. It was not a spy novel, not a murder mystery, or horror, or teenage fiction, or anything. This was different, and it required a bit more thought than many of those more popular novels.

Before I delve into this book in more detail, I have to warn about spoilers first. So if you do not read on, then let me just sum up my own impressions of this book by strongly recommending thing book. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy and give it a read. You won't be sorry!

Now, before I go on, there must be the usual warning that there will be spoilers ahead. So if you have not yet read this book and intend to, or otherwise just don't want the story spoiled, this is the warning not to read on.

*****SPOILER*****

*****SPOILER*****

*****SPOILER*****

Okay, so if you are reading now, I have to assume that one way or the other, you do not mind spoilers. Just please do not say that you were not warned.

This is about two girls who had become close friends, and remained close friends until they became women. Yet, they find themselves caught right in the middle of serious issues that are tearing the fabric of the country apart, and they are seemingly on opposite ends of the spectrum. Riley is a black woman and a journalist, who is tired of the racism - subtle and less than subtle - which she has had to endure all of her life. This shooting has a serious impact on her, since it could have happened to people very close to her. Meanwhile, Jenny is a white woman married to Kevin, one of the police officers involved in the shooting. She struggles to understand many things which she never really had to confront before, including charges of racism, and her shock when Riley, her best friend, seems hardly to believe her own assertions that Kevin is a good cop, and not a racist. In other words, it is a work of fiction for grown-ups, and it delves into many issues which are polarizing and dividing the United States right to the present. Indeed, it felt like two worlds, even two Americas, colliding. 

It begins with a police shooting of a young, unarmed black teenager. This is the kind of scenario which has, in fact, played out here in the United States time and time again in recent years. Much like many of those killings, this one is caught on video, and it generates a tremendous amount of controversy and protest, understandably. 

However, these two women find themselves in very different positions regarding this one incident. Jenny, being married to Kevin, feels it should be obvious that her husband (and her) are not racists or cold-blooded murderers. Yet, there is a newfound distance between her and Riley, her best and closest friend since very early childhood. She knows that Riley and Kevin have never gotten to be close. In fact, they hardly seem to talk or know each other at all, and appear almost suspicious of one another. 

Still, she assumes that both Riley and Kevin will always be there, the two closest people to her in her life. Jenny is pregnant now, and she and Kevin are scared after prior unsuccessful attempts to have children. The stress she now feels in the aftermath of the shooting, with her husband's job seemingly in jeopardy, their financial future suddenly in doubt, and the life that they had known (and loved) before this incident now over and gone and out of their reach, already feels like too much. But now, with Riley seeming to keep her distance, and with a newfound and very real friction between them which neither seems capable of talking about outright to the other, Jenny feels hurt and a bit betrayed that her old best friend seems to be lumping her and Kevin in with racist whites.

Meanwhile, Riley also is going through a lot. She begins to suspect that her boss might be using her color to gain better access than competitors to Tamara Dwyer, the mother of Justin Dwyer, the teenage boy who was shot. Getting as close as she does to the victims of the shooting really brings the tragedy home to Riley. She can all too easily picture such a tragedy happening to her own brother, who is not all that much older than Justin was when he was shot. Throughout her life, she has experienced all of the signs of white racism, subtle and otherwise. From annoying assumptions that she was one of the salespeople at a department store when she was actually going shopping, to more blatantly racist incidents where she is described as "ugly" or a "monkey," or outright had racial slurs hurled at her. So this particular shooting, which seems both race-based and state-sanctioned, really hits her hard. And when Jenny, her best and closest friend, does not seem to get that, Riley has a hard time. Yes, she gets that Jenny would have concern for her husband, of course. But the extent to which Jenny seems to have a blind spot towards the who issue of racism begins to really become obvious, and bother Riley like never before. 

Of course, there are other underlying issues. They have grown older, and experienced the painful reality of two friends simply drifting apart as they grow older, wrapped up in their own lives. Still, the most obvious obstacle is race. And Riley begins to feel more drawn to learn the reality of her own family history. In the process, she finds out some dark secrets in her own family history during a trip to Alabama to visit family. 

Meanwhile, both women are suspicious of being manipulated by others, for their own causes or ideas. Jenny feels trapped within her family, which is a very white Irish family with a long history with law enforcement. They put pressure on both Kevin and Jenny to remain loyal to the blue, and neither to apologize for anything, as well as never, ever to testify against a fellow police officer. This becomes a particularly divisive point when Kevin is offered a chance at a more lenient sentence if he agrees to testify against the other, younger officer, who was the one who actually shot first. As for Jenny, she begins to admire a local politician, only to feel by the end of the novel that she was basically used, just a pawn in her political power play for higher office. 

This is a book about friendship, loneliness, isolation, race, ambition, loss, fear, and suspicions. The two authors manage to juggle all of these things while also writing very capably and realistically about race and privilege and violence. 

A very entertaining and well-written book. Also, a book that addresses some of the most polarizing issues of our time in this country. 

Highly recommended!

Fallen Sick (But Tested Negative For Covid)

Yes, I have gotten sick. 

In fact, I have been sick enough to do something which I rarely ever do. I called out from my work - twice! First on Sunday night, and next on Wednesday night.

Here's the funny thing: by Sunday evening, I was wondering if I might not have made a mistake, feeling better as I was. True, I was very tired, and also weak. But I had come into some work shifts over the years feeling quite a bit worse. And I don't like to waste sick days, especially early in the year. There have been years where I never call out sick, never use even one sick day. My thinking is that I don't want to call out every time something is a bit wrong, because you can easily become the boy who cried wolf. 

By Monday and Tuesday, I felt mostly better. I woke up on Monday morning of my own accord, and with brilliant sunshine pouring into the bedroom. Still feeling a little under the weather, but my assumption - mistaken, it turns out - was that the worst was over.

You see, it started on Friday night during my overnight shift. I simply could not stay awake, which is rare. I mean, there are shifts that are tough to get through, but this one was ridiculous. And it carried into the next day, when I was working the weekend shift. It lasted all day, and when I got home, I went to sleep at 5pm, then slept until well past 5am the next morning, with maybe an hour and a half in between when I was awake by design. By Saturday afternoon, I kept getting the chills, then putting something on, and getting too hot and sweaty. So I would take a layer or two off, and I would once again feel cold, and so on and so forth. There were body aches. And I just felt weak, physically.

Again, though, I was feeling more or less halfway decently by Tuesday afternoon, before my work from home shift. Then that night, it seemed to come again, only in a different form. Still got a bit of the chills, hen too warm, but it was not as bad as it had been on Saturday. No, that was not the problem. Now, it was an annoying tickle in my throat, a fatigue and sense of weakness once again, and serious nausea. I tried eating, and then decided it was necessary to call out from work when it became clear that I could not hold anything down. 

My feelings of nausea were particularly alarming. Twice, after laying down in bed, I had to rush back into the bathroom, and had to do that heavy breathing, attempting to control myself. Opening a window helped, especially since the cool air felt refreshing. I was glad that we had seemed to get back into the winter season, because for things like that, chilly to cold air is refreshing and restorative. But the weakness that I felt was pretty serious.

Right now, I have only really had one actual meal in the last day and a half or so. That would be the chicken soup which my girlfriend made for me. Otherwise, my diet consisted of the things she recommended, which included crackers, bananas, and almost burnt toast (well, bagels). Not exactly the best diet, and not the kinds of food that will replenish my strength in a hurry, but it's something. Also, I have not had serious bouts with nausea and vomiting like I did yesterday. 

Still, I feel weak. My arms and legs are unusually tired and weak, almost wobbly. And the fatigue is serious, almost overwhelming. I almost get the sense that I could sleep for 12 or so straight hours, if I allowed it (and if circumstances allowed it). 

The problem is, another weekend is coming up. And I work both jobs, to boot. I may have to take another sick day, although I really hesitate to do so. It's not something which I ever like to make a habit of. But the way I feel...well, if it does not significantly improve, then calling out from at least one shift from the two jobs is going to have to be a very serious consideration.

There is one bit of good news: I tested negative for Covid. It's strange, because I am one of the few people whom I know who has never gotten Covid, at least not yet. For a while, I was almost certain that this was Covid, since it had gravitated from one kind of illness (the body aches and chills) to another (the ticklish throat and annoying cough, the nausea, and runny nose). The only things which have remained consistent throughout is the fatigue and the feeling of being unusually weak.

Let's see what happens in the next few days. 

Things I Just Will Never "Get" About Trump & His Cult Following

 

No, I don't really "get" the appeal of Trump. 

I have seen and even known some people who are passionately into Trump. Yet when I ask them what it is that they really like about the guy, usually they come up with generalities which, frankly, are debatable at best. "He's entertaining." I heard this a few times early on, particularly during the 2016 election, but I never found Trump remotely entertaining. Even as a kid, I frankly just thought he was an asshole. It was just in the way he carried himself. And he never, ever did anything to remotely challenge that distinctive early impression I had of him. Also, on my personal list of what makes a good president, "entertaining" would likely rank quite low. It's a serious job, and we need a serious person there. Not a clown who makes a fool of himself - and thus, of the entire country - time and time again.

Here was something else that people seemed to say of him, especially early on: he speaks his mind. They claimed that this was "refreshing." But as much as these people seemed to believe that early on, they spent pretty much the next four years of his actual presidency claiming that he did not really mean what he said, when it worked against him, or his Republican party. He did not mean it when he had a difficult time condemning outright Nazis (for days, as you may remember). He did not really mean it when he continually insulted gold stat military families, or went out of his way to belittle John McCain even after McCain died. He did not really mean it when he dismissed numerous countries as "shithole nations." Half the time, he was allegedly just kidding around, like when he said that America might want to explore having a "president for life" like they have in China, or when he claimed that he might run for a third term (before he had bothered even running for, let alone winning, a second term). Now, many of these same people are downplaying his outright admissions that he might want to be a dictator, or that he would focus on revenge during his second term. You know, because everybody just jokes around like that, right?

Another thing that some people say is that he "gets things done." Yes, I would actually agree that he gets things done. The problem that I have with this is that everything that he gets done is purely self-serving. Not in the best interests of workers or contractors or, later, once he became a politician, for the country. Pulling the United States out of treaties with Russia, as well as the Paris Climate Accord, were frankly embarrassing steps. Yes, he got these done, but I frankly wonder if it was worth it. Another thing he got done was lining the Supreme Court with extreme conservatives and "finally" reversing Roe v. Wade. Now, in the aftermath of the controversial Alabama case, some people - including Trump himself - are expressing their opposition. But this law was only possible precisely because Trump reversed Roe v Wade. So again, getting things done did not work out in the best interests of the country. Obviously, he won the White House, and that is an achievement. Yet, he frankly disgraced himself and the country time and time again with his personal conduct, as well as his absurd policies.

Let me now focus on what he didn't "get done." He did not "lock her up," and frankly, he never had the power to. After all, the Constitution limits the power of the president, and all three branches of government were designed by the Constitution to keep checks and balances on one another, to make sure none of them ever did grow too powerful. So there's one failure. Here's another thing he failed to do: build a wall. Another thing: get Mexico to pay for that wall. Another campaign promise he failed at: making America respected and strong again. Whenever he went to Britain, for example, there was a balloon of a crying baby Trump flying the British skies in protest. He was literally laughed at before the entire world during an address to the United Nations. He made a major mistake praising a nonexistent country's healthcare system before assembled leaders of Africa. And he disgraced and shocked the entire world when he dismissed literally dozens of countries in Latin America and Africa as "shithole nations." All of this showed in his approval ratings in most other countries, which was consistently very low.

Want some more? How about his promise to pay off the national debt in eight years? In the four years he was in office, he increased the national debt by well over 25 percent. He also promised to create an affordable healthcare system that would cover everyone, and went so far as to suggest that it would be easy. Then, he lifted not a finger to actually follow up on this important promise, and just put his approval on House Speaker Paul Ryan's proposed healthcare system, which never even came close to passing. He promised that he would divorce himself from his businesses to assure that there would be no conflict of interest, and then simply refused to actually do that. I could go on, but let me sum up by reminding people that on election night in 2016, when it became clear that he won, he promised to be the president "for all Americans." Then, he turned into far and away the most polarizing president in modern American history, and it isn't even close. 

All I see in Trump - and the seeming unwavering support he gets from his loyal followers - are contradictions. Paradoxes. The guy is supposed to be strong. Yet he never fails to whine about how he is such a victim, and always being targeted by those mean people who oppose him, by which he seems to mean almost everyone but his loyal supporters. The media is against him - they are, in fact, "enemies of the people," remember? - yet he relies on them far more than he would ever admit to. The Democrats are his enemies, and increasingly, the language that he uses in describing them is similar to the language that past dictators in history have used. 

Also, he is supposed to not only be very rich, but a self-made man, who made a fortune out of a "small loan" of $1 million from his father. In fact, $1 million was most certainly not a small loan back then, and all of the evidence, if you're objective, suggests that he received a hell of a lot more than that. And even though he is supposed to be a billionaire, his lawyers just admitted that he cannot post the $454 million bail. This, despite claiming that his Mar-a-Lago estate is worth $1 billion, and also owning the Trump Tower in New York City, and presumably plenty of other estates. Again, you either are a billionaire, or you are not. Since his lawyers made it clear that he could not pay it, that sure suggests that he is indeed inflating the prices of his estates, much as was claimed in court, and that he probably is not actually a billionaire, or anywhere near as rich and successful as he claims. Yet, his supporters never question any of this. 

He claims that he is the "least racist person" that anyone could ever meet. Yet he described Mexicans are rapists and criminals, wanted a ban on immigration from Muslim countries specifically, singled out "my African American" at one of his rallies, received the endorsement of the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacists groups and individuals (like David Duke), and had a ridiculously tough time condemning outright Nazis and white supremacists following the "Unite the Right" protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. He described many countries in Latin America and Africa as "shithole nations" and then held up Norway as the ideal kind of nation to receive immigrants from, and posted a video clip of one of his followers yelling out "white power!" in his 2020 re-election bid. 

Also, he once infamously suggested that a president's responsibility is "total." At the time that he said this, of course, Obama was the sitting president. Somehow, conveniently, this authority was a lot less total while he was president, when he divorced himself from any accountability regarding the failed coronavirus crisis response. Specifically, he said that he would not "take responsibility at all." Curiously, he somehow tried to sweep under the rug the fact that one of the things that he and his administration did while in office in 2018 was to eliminate the NSC pandemic unit. Given what happened early in 2020, it is interesting to think about how differently things may have been had he not done that. Yet, he claimed no responsibility, and his supporters never questioned it. Interesting how that works.

Now to me, a few things are clear. Trump is, always has been, and always will be, a con artist. I actually suspect that most of his supporters know this. Just look how mad they get when you mention things like Trump University, or Trump Airlines, or Trump Steaks, or Trump Magazine, or his failed casino ventures (I still am rather amazed how a "very stable genius" who prides himself particularly on his business acumen, on being a shark, could have run casinos into the ground). 

So I get why he does the things that he does. Because he is forever and always a scam artist, and I truly mean that. He is truly an artist when it comes to scams and self-preservation. That means that it's no mystery to me that he would indeed come up with all of these elaborate and - let's give him credit - creative ways of self-promotion, regardless of when his claims are transparently untrue, or when it is self-evident that he is lying.

Yet, I don't really get why he still retains the kind of support that he does. The guy is a criminal, a scam artist of the highest levels. He is a wanna be tyrant, and has outright claimed that he would be a dictator (do you actually believe that he would give up those dictatorial powers after only one day, or restrict it merely to building that damn wall, or off-shore drilling? 

When I think of what once was a controversial sentiment, but which today is almost universally accepted - that being the American decline in recent decades - I think of this unconditional, unthinking, and unwavering support of Trump by his Cult 45. And that is enough to confirm for me that, yes, the country has, and is continuing, to fall. And the whole world is watching. 

Spring Equinox 2024

  

Photo courtesy of DonkeyHotey Flickr Page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/donkeyhotey/6143809369

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

The old button from the Environmental Club days which I just happened to find on Earth Day! It is a little beat up (particularly the ends of the ribbon), but no worse for the wear, I think. And it is one of the few items that I have left from those days, so it carries a lot of great memories for me! Nothing Changes Until You Do!

Here is a picture of a very similar logo, with the same message, that was on the t-shirt that I purchased from the BCC Environmental Club and, if memory serves me correctly, may even have helped to make. There were a few projects like that which club members, myself included, were regularly involved with. It has been so long, however, that I no longer recall specifically if I actually helped to make these or not, although I do believe so, since I remember seeing the process of the t-shirts being dyed. In any case, I loved this t-shirt, and have kept it ever since, even if I do not regularly wear it. Since it was part of my experience with the BCC Environmental Club days, as well as more generally having an environmental theme, it seemed appropriate to share it here. 

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed."

~Mahatma Gandhi

"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."

  

~John F. Kennedy  

Yesterday was the spring equinox, specifically at 23:06 EST (11:06PM). So that means that winter has finally yielded to the more moderate winds of the spring season.

When I was younger, I hardly ever paid attention to the first day of spring, or the Vernal Equinox. It was only once a member of the Environmental Club at Bergen Community College back in 1993 mentioned something that I began to truly pay attention, and understand the significance of it, truly. These days, I enjoy this unofficial holiday, celebrating the arrival of this season.

Spring is, of course, the season of new life. Soon, the grass and leaves on the trees will be bright green, and vegetation will bloom. Duck and geese will have marching little chicks behind them, and new life will be in evidence everywhere.

This was a bizarre winter that we had once again. It was incredibly mild for most of the winter, with little spurts of winter cold and snowstorms scattered, mostly during the first half of the winter. Again, this feels like it reinforces the reality of climate change, because this just was not normal.

Many winters in the past were far more punishing. It appears that this trend is changing due to climate change. Still, winter is a time of shorter daylight and cold weather. Many people feel it drags on, and most of us are more than ready once spring finally rolls around. 

Indeed, winter can produce a great degree of stress and annoyances, which is why the spring equinox in particular always feels especially welcome. The rigors and annoyances of the winter at least can make you appreciate the mildness of the warmer spring season, when the arrival of the next winter season is still as far away as one can get. 

And so, I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge this wonderful, natural event. It is perhaps not a holiday, although we will have Earth Day soon. But right now, we should feel good about the arrival of the season of life.

Today was the first full day of spring officially in the northern hemisphere. So even though this comes a day late - and technically not late at all for all the time zones west of the Eastern Standard Time Zone - it seemed worth posting about it. 

Not sure about anywhere else. But here in northern New Jersey, it feels like we went back to winter a little bit in recent days. 

One MIT Physicist Had Some Interesting New Ideas on the "Meaning of Life"

Meant to publish this a long time ago. somehow, I never quite got around to it.

But I am remedying that now. 

Obviously, this was an article from quite a few years ago. Don't even remember when I ran into it, or why I never quite got around to posting a blog entry about it here.

Anyway, here it is now:

I remember my father telling me once, years ago, that Stephen Hawking had said that he could figure out the meaning of life, if he had enough time to work with (but he doubted that he would).

Well, as it turns out, an MIT physicist has suggested that he has figured it out.

Jeremy England is that physicist, and according to him, the meaning of life is not actually nearly as complex as it might seem. Yes, this question that has fascinated and perplexed so many great thinkers in the past might finally have been answered. 

Everything absorbs and gives away energy. The difference is in degrees. A rock has a small amount of energy, but this goes away quickly and completely. 

MIT Physicist Proposes New "Meaning of Life" Over a year ago  by Orion Jones, September 28, 2015:

http://bigthink.com/ideafeed/mit-physicist-proposes-new-meaning-of-life

Also, it seemed appropriate to add two links on speculations on the "Meaning of Life" by one of my favorite authors, Daniel Quinn. This is in two parts. 

Enjoy!

Daniel Quinn: Another Interpretation of the ‘Meaning of Life’ BY NICOLAE TANASE ON MARCH 28, 2016:

https://excellencereporter.com/2016/03/28/daniel-quinn-another-interpretation-of-the-meaning-of-life/

Daniel Quinn: Another Interpretation of the ‘Meaning of Life’ (part 2) BY NICOLAE TANASE ON APRIL 5, 2016:

https://excellencereporter.com/2016/04/05/daniel-quinn-another-interpretation-of-the-meaning-of-life-part-2/

Belgium Euro 2024 Away Uniforms Are Tribute To Belgian Comic Hero Tintin

My brother brought this one to my attention.

Personally, I thought that this was fantastic. I grew up with Tintin comics, and they were among the relatively few connections to our family's French (or in this case, French-speaking, or Francophone) cultural roots. I enjoyed the comic books, and tried to work on my own French while reading them or, on rarer occasions, watching the cartoons.

Since this is actually a Belgian cartoon (obviously, the French-speaking part of it), it makes sense for Belgium to honor one of their most famous cultural contributions to the world. Plus, the uniforms look unique, and not too bad.

It will be interesting to see them in action when Belgium plays in these uniforms.

Belgium reveal Tintin inspired jersey for the Euros Belgium unveil the jerseys they will wear at Euro 2024.

https://www.espn.com.au/video/clip/_/id/39730086

Blue jersey, brown shorts, white socks: Belgium’s new kit a tribute to comic book legend Tintin BY SAMUEL PETREQUIN Updated 10:23 AM EDT, March 14, 2024

https://apnews.com/article/belgium-kit-tintin-euro-60b06ad569be1068772d1d18880dae42

Video short on Youtube featuring the other major characters from Tintin during the official release of the new uniform designs:

https://youtube.com/shorts/upa_FSPbU4Q?si=kcY2v8HJ1SuynYbF

Belgium Euro 2024 Away Kit Leaked - Tintin Tribute

King Con Don Gives Himself Flattering & Ridiculously Inaccurate Nickname

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

As I have stated before, and will say again, I just don’t understand the whole Cult 45 thing. This fixation with King Con Don, and the belief that he is apparently the only one in a nation of some 330 million who can “fix” the country is something that I just will never get. The man is transparently narcissistic, and his greed is the stuff of legend. He manipulates situations to his benefit, including racial tensions and the xenophobia which seems to be quite commonplace among his most loyal supporters.              

One thing that even Trump fans had to admit not too long ago was that the man plays fast and loose with the truth. Now, as unbelievable as it may seem, all of that may change, as Trump is apparently trying to give himself the nickname “Honest Don.”              

Really? This man who has made a career of lying, both in business and in politics, is now trying to pass himself off as honest. And the nickname seems to have the intent of invoking the “Honest Abe” kind of feel. Just a good old boy telling you the God’s honest truth, you know? And if you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn that I want to sell you. Or perhaps a prestigious degree from Trump University, or stakes in Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks, Trump Magazine, and Trump casinos (how do you go bankrupt owning a casino, anyway?).              

This guy is such an obvious scam artist, it is absurd. Yet, it really feels like tens of millions of Americans – possibly enough to get King Con Don back into the White House – simply cannot see it. They cannot see through him, and they want to believe that he is everything that they want him to be.              

It is the latest sign of just how far removed far too many Americans have become from reality that this guy can get away with trying to sell us on the idea that he deserves to be known as “Honest Don.”          

What a joke.

Trump Gives Himself "Honest Don" Nickname

⚽️ L'équipe de France Unveil New Uniforms For Major International Competitions in 2024 ⚽️

   

Earlier today, l'équipe de France unveiled the uniforms that they will be wearing while competing in the two major international competitions that they will be participating in: the Olympics (which will be hosted by Paris) and the Euro.

Personally, I rather like them. They are not the dark shade of blue - really, navy blue - which the team has been using in recent years. These are more similar to the uniforms that I grew up watching them wear, back in the eighties and nineties. Now, they are not the same as those uniforms. There are no vintage-styled strips on either the jersey or the shorts, although the away shorts (the blue one) have white pinstripes going from top to bottom. Also, the rooster and the two stars seem to be much more prominent on both the jersey and the shorts than I remember them being.

However, overall, the uniforms look solid. A more traditional, standard shade of blue jerseys, with white shorts and red socks. That was always how I remembered France appearing in the past, and I preferred that look over the attempt to look more sleek, with that dark navy blue (sometimes, it seemed almost to border on black) with lighter blue highlights, and little red in the uniforms. 

Looking forward to seeing the team sport these new uniforms in action later this year!

Football : découvrez les nouveaux maillots des équipes de France pour l'Euro et les Jeux olympiques Article rédigé parfranceinfo: sport France Télévisions - Rédaction Sport Publié le 18/03/2024 10:49 Mis à jour le 18/03/2024:

L'équipementier des équipes de France a présenté lundi la nouvelle collection dont se pareront les sélections nationales françaises lors des futures compétitions en 2024.  

https://www.francetvinfo.fr/sports/foot/equipe-de-france/football-decouvrez-les-nouveaux-maillots-des-equipes-de-france-pour-l-euro-et-les-jeux-olympiques_6431740.html