One wonders if Nader's friend feels guilty about giving his friend that hand grenade.

This tale of woe reminded me of that Madison Cawthorn creature whose friend wrecked the SUV that crippled him.

With friends like these, who needs enemies?

BTW: I haven't been to an "In Out Burger" in decades. I trust they are still de-lish and not pricey.

VPUTZ JD Vance to Israel two weeks ago: "You can't bomb your way out of problems." [sic]

Yup, we did that too. I couldn't stand doing that to the paperbacks. Good thing I didn't do much of that. And I couldn't take home the coverless books because they seemed spoiled or corrupted to me.

For me too, that was an enjoyable chapter in my life.

Now the mom-and-pop bookstores are part of "Vanishing America."

As a writer, I am sure you visited the Algonquin Hotel decades ago and met Hamlet.

Thanks, Doc Sarvis, entertaining little anecdote. I recall both actors well.

I had a chance to purchase Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger when I worked in a NYC bookstore last century, but I didn't buy it. Can't recall why. And I had an employee discount.

Ah well, Akim and Nehemiah probably wouldn't have been in that expose anyway.

*** Train Conductor Fired After Insulting Foreigners ***

"A conductor at Tennessee's famed Incline Railway was fired for his viral Independence Day speech to tourists who were left disgusted by the controversial patriotic message.

Goof-for-nothing Jack Peterson, the now-sacked operator at the 131-year-old attraction up to Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN wished his American passengers a Happy Independence Day before welcoming foreigners to the rail system:

"To the very, very few Americans in here, Happy Independence Day," Peterson bleated to his passengers.

"To the rest of you, welcome to the greatest country on the face of the planet, and if you disagree, you can leave," he snarled.

**** Dummkopf Trumpf Calls Iranians "Scum;" Ceasefire Over ****

"Danish PM Mette Frederiksen declared at the NATO summit on Wednesday that her country would defend its territory as Dummkopf Trumpf revived his longtime demand for control of Greenland."

Source: WaPo, 8 July 2026

"Byron Donalds married Bisa Hall on 15 June 1999. The purpose of the marriage was to allow Hall, his ex-girlfriend at the time, to qualify for in-state tuition based on Byron's Florida residency. According to Hall, the marriage was not a romantic relationship and she and Donalds did not live together as a married couple. They divorced in 2002."

Thanks, Doc Sarvis.

I recently finished Hubert Selby's Last Exit to Brooklyn.

That is not one of the novels I'll be re-reading as is my wont with other great works.

I'm reading The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and I find that it's not as captivating as his later works.

*** Satanic Trumpf Junta Will Send Election Monitors to Michigan ***

Ten years of fighting the CIA-armed Mujahadeen in Afghanistan -- guerrillas who eventually evolved into al-Qaida -- cost the Soviet Army 14,453 KIA; 53,753 WIA; 312 MIA and an estimated $50bn.

"Argh! Cut off all trade with Spain! Now! Gargh!"

"Yes, Master, right away!"

*Blink!*

And the oil companies -- Russian, Saudi, Gulf State, US, Iranian -- made a killing off of the stupid war.

"The additional profits of the 100 largest oil and gas companies reached $23 billion in the first month of the war. By the end of the year, this figure could rise to $234 billion. This is equivalent to more than $30 million per hour. Five EU finance ministers are calling for a windfall tax."

"Um, green is good. Just in case you weren't sure ... ."

When the Serbs were savaging Sarajevo in that awful siege (1992-95), an Israeli woman contacted the government to say that her family was hidden from the Ustashi the entire duration of the Second World War by a Bosnian Muslim family. She said her saviors were in Sarajevo under siege by the Serbs. (How's that for allitertation?)

The Israeli govt organized a commando team (with someone who spoke Serbo-Croatian, I'm sure), found and rescued one elderly woman from Sarajevo.

KNOCK KNOCK!

"Dobra don! Do not be afraid. We are Israeli sayeret. Please pack your valaubles and mementos. We are flying you to safety in Israel. You have an hour to pack and we will help you."

Now look at the IDF today.

"Lo, how the noble have fallen!"

Yup. It's awful and there's nothing we could say. I don't think those folks are still alive today, as I lived in that building years ago.

"We must protect America before these lunatics give everyone healthcare!"