Got to give Ukraine’s Zelensky credit. He knows how to stand up and fight.

He announced yesterday he was willing to make peace with Russia if Ukraine was admitted to NATO.

What balls!

Great move.

It would provide Ukraine with all kinds of military protections. Though Putin would hate such a move, it provides a means to end the war with a “save face” for Russia.

Trump will play a big part. On Putin’s behalf, he will probably threaten to pull the U.S. out of NATO if such  occurred. Some believe Trump may go for Zelensky’s proposal however on the theory that Trump’s support of it might lead to the Noble Peace Prize for Trump. Trump would agree to anything for such recognition.

Trump has major foreign leaders dancing to his tune already. He is not even President yet. Trump announced he would hit Mexico and Canada with 25 percent tariffs on day one of his Presidency. Mexico’s President telephoned him almost immediately saying she would retaliate.

They continue to fall.

Canada’s Trudeau flew to Mar-a-Lago for dinner with Trump.

Trump may stand tough and be in charge of getting things done his way. The bully in him. Not the way to do business, however. Trump has created ill wind with Mexico and Canada. At some point down the road, the tables will be turned and they will defecate on Trump. Which means the U.S. will be hurt.

Paris’ Folies Bergère opened for the first time this day in 1886 in Paris.

An outstanding hit for all time! Even to today!

Ralph Nader was a 32 year old lawyer. Young in the profession. On this day in 1965, he published “Unsafe at Any Speed: The Designed-In Dangers of the American Automobile.”

An immediate best seller. He exposed manufacturing defects in American cars. Especially the Chevy Corvair. His book led to the passage of the National Traffic and Motor Safety Vehicle Act of 1966, seat belt laws in 49 states, and a number of other road safety initiatives.

I was a young lawyer at the time.  Nader’s book was law changing when it came to negligence and design defects in the manufacture of automobiles.

Teddy Roosevelt was the first President to fly. He did so on October 11, 1910, in St. Louis. An inadvertent happening. A plane and Roosevelt at the same place at the same time.

Roosevelt decided to take a ride. With admitted trepidation. He flew in a Wright Company aircraft for 3 minutes 20 seconds. The flight’s height was 100 feet and covered 3 miles.

Roosevelt said afterwards, “That was the bulliest experience I ever had.” A reporter wrote in the United Press that Roosevelt had “defied death.”

There was no body to the plane as we know it today. It was “completely open.” The body structured with pipe and wires. Roosevelt sat shoulder to shoulder with the pilot holding on to a pipe and wire which comprised part of the plane.

Winston Churchill was born this day in 1874. Asked later in life about the circumstances of his birthing, Churchill replied with a smile in his usual witty fashion: “Although present at that occasion, I have no clear recollection of the events leading up to it.”

This blog draws some strange comments. Seven have appeared in past days about “screw worms.” I have no recollection of ever having written about them nor did I ever hear of them till the comments. Such is the life of blog writing!

Chilly last night. Turned the heat on. It is always a bit cold in Key West when cold up north. Heavy snow came in yesterday off the Great Lakes burying most of the Buffalo area.

Last night was a bad one at Black Rock! My back and side killed me all night!

Today a major football game for Miami and Syracuse. They play each other. Game time 3:30.

The game means a lot to each team. Miami is 10-1 and ranked #6 nationally. A Miami win would get it a better position in the new already fouled up 12 team playoff. Syracuse is 8-3. Unranked. Already certain to get a bowl bid, although not part of the 12 team playoff. A victory over Miami will get Syracuse a top bowl, however.

Miami is an 11.5 point favorite.

Go Syracuse! It would be one hell of an upset!

I would like to watch the game at Brady’s Irish Pub. I can get a normal seat table in a back room and watch the game. Bar stools wreak havoc on my back.

It depends how I feel as the day progresses.

Enjoy your day!

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