Two Republican Senators

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Per an article in The Guardian yesterday:

“A second Republican senator spoke out in defense of Nato on Thursday, joining Mitch McConnell and the Democrats, after Donald Trump said that he was ‘absolutely’ considering withdrawing from the alliance after it refused to take part in the joint assault with Israel against Iran.

‘Nato stood by America when we were under attack and came to our aid after the September 11th attacks. Their soldiers fought and died alongside our troops in Afghanistan,’ said Thom Tillis, a Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, who co-chair the Senate Nato observer group.

‘Any president that contemplates attempting to withdraw from Nato is not only fulfilling Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping’s greatest dreams but would be undermining America’s own national security interests.’”

I have a simple question. Why are there only two? I called the Senate Leader Republican John Thune and asked him that same question. These two Senators who are retiring feel more empowered to call out Trump when he is wrong yet again. Other Senators are just spineless to openly criticize the incumbent president.

Of course, we should expect the usual name calling from Trump. A day cannot pass without Trump threatening someone who he feels wronged him or name calling when he has no power over them.

Do you want some whipped cream with your toxic fruit?

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A scary headline on an article by Tom Perkins in The Guardian caught my eye called “Toxic Pfas residue identified on 37% of California produce, new analysis finds.” The subheadline does not get any better: “Peaches, strawberries and grapes were almost always found to be contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’ in the analysis.”

Here are a few paragraphs that tell the story: “A first-of-its-kind analysis has identified Pfas pesticide residues on 37% of conventional California produce, with peaches, strawberries and grapes almost always found to be contaminated with the toxic ‘forever chemicals.’

The analysis coincided with the introduction of California legislation that would by 2035 fully ban Pfas from being used as active ingredients in pesticides, and require warning labels and other restrictions in the meantime.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) non-profit conducted the analysis of California department of pesticide regulation residue testing records. It found about 90% of peaches, plums and nectarines contained Pfas residues, while 80% of strawberries and grapes showed them. Those levels are especially alarming because children commonly eat fruits like grapes and strawberries, and children are most at risk from the chemicals’ toxic effects, said Bernadette Del Chiaro, senior vice-president of EWG’s California operations.

‘Most consumers don’t expect to find Pfas ‘forever chemicals’ on their strawberries – I think this information is shocking to most people,’ Del Chiaro added.

Pfas are a class of at least 16,000 compounds typically used to make common products that resist water, stains and heat. They are called ‘forever chemicals’ because they do not naturally break down and accumulate, and are linked to cancer, kidney disease, liver problems, immune disorders, birth defects and other serious health problems.”

There is not much more to add to this alarming story. If you want to get an idea of the danger of forever chemicals, watch the move “Dark Waters.” Or, just re-read the previous paragraph. Please pay attention to this story.

A focused petition to restore government of the people

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Our blogging friend Dr. John has prepared an excellent ten point plan to restore government for the people. Please link to it below. His premise is if you agree with seven of these ideas, please sign the petition. It is not lengthy, but is impactful. These are nonpartisan ideas, several that have been bandied about for years, but not seriously pursued. They are even more needed today.

https://agingcapriciously.com/2026/03/27/12586/

Character matters

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Three retired acquaintances. Three perspectives on why character matters.

A retired attorney’s perspective: When will we ever learn? Character is so important! Yes, we live in a time when money is king and, unfortunately, it drives most decisions. But even when under the influence of outlandish money, character has a place in decision making. Examples abound. The obvious example is Donald Trump. Never has such a character challenged person been elected to the Presidency. His lack of character has been a disaster not only for us but for the world. As millions gathered this past weekend in NO KINGS protests, let us finally resolve to learn the lesson that CHARACTER MATTERS!

A retired businessman’s perspective: My friend recently wrote about the Trump comment following the death of Robert Mueller. I wrote him about an afternoon I spent with Robert where we talked about our mutual beliefs and eventually about our time in Viet Nam. His tour of duty was more dangerous than mine and he is rightly recognized as a true hero. My friend spoke about the difference between the two men and I couldn’t resist adding an observation. I said, “Trump’s insult to Mueller will go down as yet another of his pathetic insults. Mueller will always be remembered as a hero and honorable man, while trump will be remembered as an abused child who never acquired the character traits necessary to be a mature adult.” He was and is a president so confirmed in the history books, but in my view that’s not what will define his image.

A retired banking friend: Thanks for sending the note on the No Kings March – awesome that you have participated in the walk for three times – the guy is such a creep and messing with the country.  (I believe a creep would not be of good character).

Note, a key line from Michael Douglas and Annette Bening’s “The American President,” is during Douglas’ big speech where he said “Being president Is entirely about character.” If that is the case that confirms what we already know about Trump. He was voted the worst president in US history by 154 historians from multiple parties.

Canadians are staying north of the border

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When people are made to feel unwelcome, they tend to vote with their feet and avoid the offender. An article out of Niagara Falls by Kalyeena Makortoff for The Guardian called “‘Canadians don’t want to come here any more’: anger over Trump squeezes US border businesses” provides tangible anecdotes,

The subheading has the punchline: “Shops and restaurants once bustling with tourists now struggle for survival as Canadians think twice about crossing the border.” Here are some sample paragraphs from the piece.

“Local demand for Loughran’s cake and pastries, however, has not made up for a dramatic slump in tourist spending, triggered by a now year-long boycott by Lewiston’s northern neighbours.

Angered by Donald Trump’s hefty tariffs and annexation threats – and compounded by fears of border detentions and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns – Canadians have stayed away, refusing to spend their hard-earned dollars in local border towns like Lewiston.

‘All of our sales on the strip have gone way down,’ Loughran said. That has personally led to a 30% drop in revenues at her bakery, forcing the 41-year-old to cut spending, both at work and at home. ‘Especially as a single mom, it’s very tough.’

‘I’m angry that the Canadians don’t want to come here any more. And I don’t blame them. I was thinking yesterday, I wish I didn’t live in this country, because I don’t like it anymore. I don’t like the news that I’m hearing. I don’t like the [Iran] war … It’s too much for me to handle.’

The Canadian backlash is a worry for businesses and politicians across the Niagara region, who have historically relied on visitors from provinces including Ontario and Quebec to shop, sightsee, gamble and watch Buffalo Bills football games. And Niagara’s pain is cascading throughout the country, with Canadians thinking twice about crossing the border and planning trips to the rest of the US.

And with no warming of relations between Washington and Ottawa in sight, and with Trump continuing to call the prime minister, Mark Carney, a future ‘governor’ of a future state of Canada, border town locals are trying to adapt.”

It is not a surprise that Canadians are coming less to the US.* Why would they? I read many years ago the best thing a leader of a country, state or city can do is invite businesses, investment, tourists, students, etc. to the area. Trump has done the exact opposite. You would think a business leader would know this. Yet, he apparently does not. Citizens of other countries are getting his unwelcome message as well. Businesses in the travel and hospitality industry will suffer the most.

***********

*Note: Per an AI Search Summary, “Canadian travel to the U.S. has experienced a sustained, sharp decline, with a 22% drop in 2025 and continued double-digit declines into early 2026, marking 13+ consecutive months of reduced, according to 
Forbes reports. Driven by political tensions and economic factors, this downturn resulted in an estimated $4.5 billion loss in visitor spending for the U.S. in 2025, heavily impacting border states.”


Pope Leo responds

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Between a Secretary of Defense who is praying for God to show no mercy to enemies and his minister who is praying for the death of a Democrat Senatorial candidate, we desperately needed a large dose of humanity, morality and piety. Being a Sunday, it was nice for the Pope to bring us back to WWJD.

Per The Guardian, “Pope Leo has said God ignores the prayers of leaders who wage war and have ‘hands full of blood,’ in an apparent rebuke to the Trump administration.

The pontiff made the comments on Sunday as thousands of US troops arrived in the Middle East and days after the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, prayed for violence against enemies who deserved ‘no mercy.’”

There is really not much more to add. Even non-Christians understand what the Golden Rule means.

Third No Kings March

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No kings. The United States of America was created when it rebelled against a king. Now we have an incumbent president who is peeing on our Constitution. It does not work with his autocratic construct. Every week, sometimes every day, he usurps authority not given to the position he holds. And, his sycophants in Congress turn a blind eye much of the time.

Earlier today, I attended my third “No Kings March,” this time with my youngest son. It is even better attended than the last one, with many more younger people. My son is well read and pays attention to global news. He knows the world is largely not high on the incumbent president. He knows the people who primarily like the incumbent in power are those who also are bullying and lying leaders or they are those who see how they can use the incumbent’s chaotic and denigrating behavior to their benefit.

To me, the march is a way to stand up for all of the citizens of America. It is a way to stand up for the citizens of our planet. And, Republicans may not realize it, it is a path forward to more rational conservatives to reclaim their party. The Republicans must realize their figurehead is an anchor. They need to continue to lose elections and their majorities in both houses.

So, I strongly suggest people get out and vote. The rules may change under this incumbent as he must tilt things in his favor, so know the voting requirements, make sure you are eligible and vote.


Which one is the minister?

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Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is praying to God to give him the might to crush his enemies. Mr, Hegseth learned well at the mentoring of his minister. Per The Guardian yesterday:


“James Talarico, the Texas Democratic state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, has said he forgives Pete Hegseth’s pastor for praying for his death. On Tuesday, Texas’s popular Democratic nominee for a US Senate seat pushed back against comments from Brooks Potteiger, the defense secretary’s closest spiritual adviser, who said: ‘We want him crucified with Christ.’

Talarico said on X: ‘Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me.’”

Now I ask a simple question, which one is the minister? Note, one of my pet peeves is bigotry from the pulpit. To me, it is a breach of faith and trust.

Quotes on aging

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A friend forwarded the following quotes without a cite. I will offwr them in quotes as someone else compiled them:

“‘If you want to know
how old a woman is
then ask her sister-inlaw.’
– Edgar Howe

‘Old age comes at a
bad time.’ – San
Banducci

‘Inside every older
person is a younger
person wondering
what happened.’ –
Jennifer Yane

‘Old age is like a plane
flying through a storm.
Once you are aboard
there is nothing you
can do about it.’ –
Golda Meir


‘The older I get, the
more clearly I
remember things that
never happened.’ –
Mark Twain

‘I’m at that age where
my back goes out
more than I do.’ –
Phyllis Diller

‘Nice to be here? At
my age it’s nice to be
anywhere.’ – George
Burns

‘First you forget
names, then you
forget faces, then you
forget to pull your
zipper up, then you
forget to pull your
zipper down.’ – Leo
Rosenberg

‘You spend 90 percent
of your adult life
hoping for a long rest
and the last 10 percent
trying to convince the
Lord that you’re
actually not that tired.’
– Robert Brault

‘Old people shouldn’t
eat health foods. They
need all the
preservatives they can
get.’ – Robert Orben

‘At my age, flowers
scare me.’ – George
Burns

‘It’s like you trade the
virility of the body for
the agility of the
spirit.’ – Elizabeth
Lesser

‘The years between 50
and 70 are the hardest.
You are always being
asked to do things,
and yet you are not
decrepit enough to
turn them down.’ – T.S.
Elliot

‘At age 20, we worry
about what others
think of us… at age 40,
we don’t care what
they think of us… at
age 60, we discover
they haven’t been
thinking of us at all.’ –
Ann Landers

‘When I was young, I
was called a rugged
individualist. When I
was in my fifties, I was
considered eccentric.
Here I am doing and
saying the same
things I did then, and
I’m labeled senile.’ –
GB

‘The important thing
to remember is that
I’m probably going to
forget.’ – Unknown


‘We don’t grow older,
we grow riper.’ – Pablo
Picasso

‘It’s paradoxical that
the idea of living a
long life appeals to
everyone, but the idea
everyone, but the idea
of getting old doesn’t
appeal to anyone.’ –
Andy Rooney

‘The older I get, the
better I used to be.’ –
Lee Trevino

‘I was thinking about
how people seem to
read the bible a lot
more as they get older,
and then it dawned on
me—they’re cramming
for their final exam.’ –
George Carlin

‘Everything slows
down with age, except
the time it takes cake
and ice cream to reach
your hips.’ – John
Wagnerf

‘Grandchildren don’t
make a man feel old,
it’s the knowledge that
he’s married to a
grandmother that
does.’ – J. Norman
Collie

‘When your friends
begin to flatter you on
how young you look,
it’s a sure sign you’re
getting old.’ – Mark
Twain

‘You know you are
getting old when
everything either dries
up or leaks.’ – Joel
Plaskett

‘There’s one
advantage to being
102, there’s no peer
pressure.’ – Dennis
Wolfberg

‘There are three
stages of man: he
believes in Santa
Claus, he does not
believe in Santa Claus,
he is Santa Claus.’ –
Bob Phillips

‘Looking fifty is great
—if you’re sixty.’ –
Joan Rivers

‘At my age ‘getting
lucky’ means walking
into a room and
remembering what I
came in for.’ –
Unknown

‘Old age is when you
resent the swimsuit
issue of Sports
Illustrated because
there are fewer articles
to read.’ – George
Burns

‘Time may be a great
healer, but it’s a lousy
beautician.’ –
Anonymous”

One that came from Billy Graham is “Old age is not for sissies.” Carl Reiner said, he would read the obituaries each morning and if he was not in them, he would get dressed.

Let me know your thoughts or if you have others.

Former Defense Secretary James Mattis shares concerns

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A friend sent me an article by Rachel Nostrant in The Houston Chronicle called “The U.S. is in a ‘tough spot’ in Iran. James Mattis used the Texas coast to show how.” Here are a few select paragraphs from the piece:

“America doesn’t have many good options in its war with Iran, according to James Mattis, former defense secretary and retired Marine Corps general who spoke Monday in Houston at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference….

To escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as the Trump administration previously suggested, Mattis said the U.S. military would have to protect ships more than twice the length of Texas’ coastline – roughly 600 miles down the Persian Gulf, 100 miles through the Strait itself, and then far beyond missiles’ reach through the Gulf of Oman.

What’s more, Iran has stockpiles of missiles that can be fired at ships from the backs of trucks and travel 100 miles to their targets. Imagine trying to find and stop someone standing in the back of their truck in Houston from targeting one of the refineries in Port Arthur, Mattis said.”

Mattis’ words offer well-schooled caution. Plus, his experience reveals a key difference between the veracity of his counsel and that of Trump’s current Secretary of Defense. Our lack of awareness and planning are going to harm our efforts.