I'll begin with me: Back from a 50-day odyssey involving two cruises and a testy train journey. I didn't like the continuous stress level.  Plus I mildly suffered from pollen pollution.  Maybe worst of all, I gained 10 pounds. Mind you, the overall enjoyment level was high, and whole effort worthwhile. Back home in my cocoon called 15 Craigside, I appreciate the security and comfort. I haven't started my low calorie diet yet, for the meal offerings since my return have been difficult to avoid: My first lunch came from Marukai:  hamburger curry, Korean chicken, macaroni salad, sashimi with beer.   I'm easing into my diet. By the way, I returned home to watch the University Hawaii men's volleyball team beat California-Irvine for the NCAA national championship. Yesterday, for example, 15 Craigside featured Chili Hot Dog for lunch, then Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner. Today, Fish and Chips, followed by Beef Curry, with the soup of the day being New England Clam ...

I've almost totally ignored topics like Donald Trump, international hotspots and the like for months.  So today, a quick look at news of the world.  Of course, the most noteworthy is still the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.   But I don't want to spoil your TV-watching, so will be mostly circumspect in my reportage.  I won't give final results of the day ( and the events today will be over by the time I release this posting ), unless it is so earth-shaking that something has to be said. With that, I can send you to the best location to see what has happened, and what you can anticipate in the future.   This is the official site of these Winter Games . While this is bringing you up to date, I will continue to include the  official medals tally.   If some of you are concerned that your country isn't doing well, there are 12 days left. To segue into the real world,  American Olympic athletes are having a hard time being honest about w...

But before I get into Sanae Takaichi, the first female prime minister of Japan, the latest news of the day. Did you know that the meaning of trumpery is worthless nonsense?  Term has long been in this dictionary: Trumpery   - as defined by Merriam-Webster:  "The meaning of   TRUMPERY   is worthless nonsense ."  Showy but worthless finery; bric-a-brac.   Nonsense; rubbish.   Deception; trickery; fraud. While the world turns with not much peace, and the U.S. still in government shutdown, Wall Street is breaking all time high records. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 82.92 points, or 1.23%, to end at 6,874.61 points, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 431.22 points, or 1.86%, to 23,636.09. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 333.87 points, or 0.71%, to 47,540.99 . However, last time I checked, gold prices today tumbled by 3% to just below $4000/ounce, a sign that there just might be a solution to sanity with China tariffs, while...