Former  Vice President Mike Pence, rather summarily, indicated that he cannot endorse Donald Trump for president .  No surprise, for he previously said: I believe anyone that puts themselves over the Constitution should never be president of the United States and anyone who asks someone else to put them over the Constitution should never be president of the United States again . Outlier?  Nope.  So many others:  Attorney General Bill Barr, first Defense Secretary James Mattis, second Defense Secretary Mark Esper, chairman of joint chiefs of staff Gen. Mark Miley, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, his first ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, presidential transition vice-chairman Chris Christie, second national security advisor HR McMaster, third national security advisor John Bolton, second chief of staff John Kelly and  so many others .  This list was dated October 2023.  The  Bush family never endorsed him . There is something about religion, paranormal phenomena like flying saucers, f

On 12 February 2019 I left for Bangkok.  To quote my posting of that day: I leave this morning for Bangkok.  A simple trip with five others has now been reduced to three because the others felt it was too dangerous because of the coronavirus epidemic that has spread to Thailand.  There has been a lot of concern expressed to me by residents of 15 Craigside, mostly for my welfare.  However, no doubt there is also a worry that I will return to infect them with some horrible tropical disease, like perhaps the Wuhan coronavirus, which, incidentally, now has an official name:    COVID-19 .  The 19 because it was discovered in 2019. When I left Honolulu China had reported the most number of COVID-19 cases and Thailand was #2.  I returned two weeks later.  Here were my  Thai highs .  In afterthought, I should have chickened out on my Bengal Tiger encounter, but glad I made that trip.  Phuket was hardly worth the effort, while Chiang Mai was a nice stop.  They sell yellow- to orange- to red-col