We are just about to leave the Montreal Sheraton for the airport.  Next stop?  Vancouver. I had an unexpectedly great lunch yesterday in Montreal.  First, thanks to Olivia, Montreal Sheraton Le Centre's VIP Services Manager, who provided a birthday gift.  That's a bottle of Sangiovese and pastries below, which were a total surprise and most thoughtful gift.  Olivia greeted us at the lounge with a big smile and somehow knew it was my birthday.  She is a huge asset to this hotel for treating her VIP Bonvoe customers with  a very special touch. Looking down from the above view, you can see Stanley Street.  Around the mid-point on the left side are our previous Chinese, Korean and Japanese restaurants.  Walking up the street, a right turn will lead you to Reubens. Ordered a Reuben's original:  smoked meats on rye bread, swiss cheese, sauerkraut and Russian tangy dressing.  With the birthday gift wine, plus a bottle of beer, had my...

There is not much military activity diirectly related to the War with Iran today, but: Iran insists that the U.S. agrees to all concessions before opening the Strait of Hormuz. No serious peace talks are occurring. The Houthis continue to cause problems with Saudi Arabia. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally rejected the U.S. proposal for the Gaza Strip. In other news: Todd Blanche was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as U.S. attorney general. Typhoon Dolphin made landfall over Okinawa at 101 MPH, causing damage, but, at this time, no known deaths.  Next, on to Zhejiang. While not threatening Hong Kong, this storm was deemed responsible for the record high temperature today of just about 98.5 F. As we are expecting to stop through Vancouver after our cruise ship docks in Montreal, I asked Google AI whether the latest British Columbia wild fire is also impacting this city: Yes, there are some active wildfires and smoke in British Columbia , including a small local fire in Metro V...

The world has reached a lull period. Iran war continues with the Strait of Hormuz closed and little in battleground activity.   Invasion of Kharg Island? Maybe tomorrow? The sudden death of Senator Lindsey Graham was a shock.  Now what? He was the Republican to face Democrat Annie Andrews on November 3. Republicans now need to go through essentially the same ( but different ) process as Democrats in Maine to find a replacement. There are 114 days until November 3, so both parties have enough time. Fritz Hollings was the last Democratic Senator from South Carolina.  That was 20 years ago.  The other senator from this state is Tim Scott. Prediction markets in January of this year gave Democrats less than a 10% chance to beat Graham.  However, last month that percentage had jumped to 21%.  On November 3 with no Graham on the ballot, who knows for sure? The FIFA World Cup is taking a 2-day break. Semifinal 1: France vs. Spain – July 14 at 8 PM ED T (AT...