Fun pic from Reuters: large inflatable mannequin of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, Champs Elysees, Paris: Headline from nypost.com out of Scotland: “Male rapist transitions before trial, sent to all-female prison as transgender woman.” I wonder who’s paying for it. Arguing about how much aid Ukraine receives is fair and healthy…

From the 43rd International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Chateau-d’Oex, Switzerland. Photo from Reuters: I’m not sure if the following is bad economic news or simply the city continuing to allow people to get away with criminal behavior. Headline from nypost.com: “NYCHA rent collection crashes to record low.” Telling end…

Is this evidence the world is coming to an end? Headline from nypost.com: “Al Sharpton urges black lawmakers to crack down on serial criminals, assist prosecutors in cases.” Cue Mr. Sanford: “I’m comin’, Elizabeth.” Photo from Google Images: While doing a survey this morning, these were the choices in terms…

I went the young adult route for my latest read, The Second Mrs. Gioconda by E.L. Konigsburg. It’s her take on what led to the choice of the subject of Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the second wife of an “unimportant Florentine merchant.” The third person account is told from…

Headline from nypost.com: “Former Navy pilot Royce Williams shot down four Soviet jets — and kept the feat secret for 50 years.” From the accompanying article by Matthew Sedacca, edited by yours truly: Royce Williams, 97, has received the Navy Cross, the service’s second highest honor, for actions that occurred…

This is finally it! Headline from nypost.com: “Spaceship of ‘non-human origin’ spotted near US-Mexico border: UFO expert.” Is it carrying illegal aliens? Photo from Google Images: Sad news, headline from NYP: “Navy SEAL deserter Daniel Swift killed while fighting in Ukraine.” He is the sixth Yank to die there. …

RIP David Crosby, 81, founding member of both The Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, bands that sold more than 35 millions albums. Among the songs he wrote with that first group, Eight Miles High, which still sounds fresh today. For CSN he wrote Almost Cut My Hair and the…

Remember studying clouds in Earth Science? There were stratus, cumulus, nimbus and various combinations of those including the cumulonimbus thunder cloud. There’s another I’m pretty sure didn’t make it into our textbook. While rooting around for a photo for today’s blog, I came across one of a lenticular cloud, which…

An Authentic Voice Born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, the late Andrew Vachss was the author of 33 novels, three short story collections, as well as poetry, plays, song lyrics and graphic novels. His background is unique. He was a federal investigator in sexually transmitted diseases and a…