(0643) Woke up on time but just had a long letter to write. Sun’s out, let’s get going. (0730)

 

5. Just bringing us up to date

4. Steve at 1458

• Arson Suspect Identified and Arrested in Spokane Wildfires that Torched Hundreds of Homes – Man Previously Gunned Down His Own Father
• Rep. Andy Ogles Calls Out RINO Senate Leader John Thune for Failing to Pass SAVE America Act: “Do the Right Thing or Resign”
• Malsi Call to Prayer Now Blasts Five Times Per Day Across Minneapolis – Setting the Precedent for Other US Cities
• US Military Just Flexed The F-22 On Iran’s Mullahs
• Kiev’s Plan To Build New Air Defense System Will Not Save Ukraine – Media 
• Leafy greens emerge as single most potent food for dementia prevention in massive analysis (JH: Preaching to the converted here … I’ve been on them for decades.)
• UK government launches legal action to stop the release of data showing crimes committed by migrants
• Fusion of AI with the American war machine is the most dangerous turn in human history (JH: Appropriate then that we run 2001 today as our Wed Mat one and two.
• Much more.

3. Henley shirts

… otherwise known as grandpa shirts. While primarily winter undershirts, in summer that design can be used as standalone around the house and just outside. For shopping etc., a polo tee is the thing.

Now shorts. I see much online about too baggy shorts … I’m also not keen on those 3/4 or 2/3 shorts, hem over shin … they foreshorten even a tall guy, look ugly imho. I favour long, dark colour, just below the knee shorts, thick cotton and liner on pockets … well constructed I mean, not rags.

2. DAD at 1458

Weather note… Here July was a remarkable month – 31 days and 22 of them were 100% sunshine.]

a) France. A series of tragic incidents within the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has led to the opening of a preliminary investigation by the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office….

b) Germany prepares secret plan for electricity shortage for ‘several days to weeks’.

c) Spain. Despite repeated assurances from the Spanish government that the migration crisis in Ceuta is easing, residents of the Spanish exclave….

d) Firestarters light the flames, Bureaucracy feeds them. France’s forest fires reveal that bureaucratic paralysis and regulatory overload, not just arsonists, enable catastrophic spread despite clear solutions identified after 2022 blazes.

e) (USSD) has raised its travel advisory level for Belgium, urging American citizens to “exercise increased caution” when visiting the country over concerns related to crime, terrorism, and public unrest.

……

JH: First, apologies to DAD for being so late to approve … I was in the middle (yes, an hour and more) of a long email.

Second, I’ve noticed DAD putting links in within the text of each item … seemibgly far more than before. It causes mayhem at this end, as it will not copy … only the text. So I’ve had to work outvdteategies around DAD’s new system.

1. Don’t read anything into this concerning me

I am not making any oblique point … I went to the email inbox, there it was … Quora, some guy calling himself Parallax … I copied but there is a time limit on copy here, ipad I suppose, so I must now paste … here tis:

“I’m a divorce attorney. One who has been divorced twice and made every relationship mistake in the book. I’m also very happily married for the last 16 years. I’m not cynical about marriage. I very much believe in it but one needs to be wise about who one marries. To me, that’s the key.

I’ve told each of my children and every young person who respects me enough to value my opinion that, in my view, good character is the key to good marriage. Yours and hers. If you don’t have good character, hang it up. No point in getting into a relationship and then not valuing your partner. I’ve been there and done that. It leads nowhere good.

The other part is focusing on the character of your partner. Who is this person. Is she (or he) an honest person? Does she (or he) treat others well. Not just you but friends, family, strangers, etc. Don’t worry so much about outer attraction. Good looks and charisma might pull one in but it doesn’t last if the relationship isn’t strong. There needs to be enough to have something to build on but that’s all.

My wife and I have both gotten older and yet I find her more beautiful now than on the day we met. Because we treat each other well. Because we care about each other. Because we are honest. Because we are best friends. Because we trust each other. Because we respect and even admire each other. That’s the foundation on which to build a solid marriage.”