We all have ups and downs.  Take the FIFA World Cup, for example: When the USA got outclassed yesterday by Belgium, my interest in these matches dropped to nearly zero.   Then today, in a miraculous comeback, Argentina scored their winning goal in stoppage time, to beat Egypt, 3-2.  I have regained interest because 39-year Lionel Messi scored a goal, and his team has made into the quarterfinals. So what is so crucial about that game?  I have a Messi t-shirt.  Simple as that.  I watch soccer only during World Cup years, men's and women's, and now, at least have someone to root for.  Incidentally: Men's ranking:  #1 Argentina, #2 Spain and #3 France.  U.S, was ranked #17. Women's ranking:  #1 Spain, #2 USA and #3 Germany.  The next World Cup will take place in Brazil next year. This Messi t-shirt was given to me 15 years ago by the Qatar government, when they were the sponsor of the Barcelona soccer team, and their star was Messi...

But first, a Supreme Court decision today that will give Republicans a big advantage in the upcoming midterm elections and into the future .   Essentially the justices struck down campaign spending limits, allowing corporations to donate as any citizen can.  Further: The three major Republican committees — the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the National Republican Senatorial Committee — ended May with $256 million in cash and no debt. That was more than double the roughly $126 million held by their Democratic counterparts, who also carried more than $18 million in debt . The White House also, can more easily be corrupt, legally. One plus for Democracy is that, now, President Donald Trump will more comfortably allow the midterm elections to proceed on November 3, which is a little more than four months away. Who is the most popular politician in the USA?   From Time magazine. Nostalgia Tuesday is today, so back...

For nostalgic Tuesday last week, I began a new series on the best hotels I've experienced, and began with the  Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.   Stayed there for two night, then drove the short distance to the  Four Seasons Hualai . I also had a professional interest in this site, because I was once a geothermal reservoir engineer for the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute.  To quote from that posting of 20July2010: I have stayed at various Four Seasons, with the Chiang Mai and   Hualalai   properties being my two favorite.  The latter ranks as   #1 in celebrity honeymoons .   Gayot  and   Travel + Leisure   rate Haulalai as #1 in Hawaii.  There was a period 14 years ago when the hotel just opened when my staff and I discussed the possibility of drilling for warm water and providing cold deep ocean water for a unique spa providing full range of "natural" temperatures.  Hualalai is a volcano which shows potential for geothermal en...