But first, tidbits about Juneteenth ( today is a national holiday, and tomorrow will be the first day of summer ) and the Israel-Iran War. Time  magazine agrees with my  Tuesday posting  that, Juneteenth or not,  the struggle for civil rights still continues . President Donald Trump has said his decision to join Israel on strikes against Iran will wait for two weeks. He  says Iran needs some time to decide for itself if it really wants to be decimated .  Fat chance that they will agree to stop trying to become a nuclear power.  And, by the way, there are now nine of them:  US, Russia, China, France, UK, Pakistan, India, Israel and North Korea. The Gerald Ford Task Force has not left Norfolk, Virginia yet, and will probably arrive in the Mediterranean in just about two weeks. Trump seems to be facing some MAGA backlash.  Important elements don't want to join a foreign war.  Yet, most probably would also like to see Iran drop their nuclear...

  First, on Trump and War. Ukraine-Russia War has not been solved in one day. Israel-Hamas War is getting worse and worse.  Trump's attempt to convert the Gaza Strip into an American resort was taken by the Middle East to be a big joke. He has initiated a global trade war . The bear market woke up today . Dow Jones:  - 1630  3.9% drop S&P 500:  -274  4.84% drop Nasdaq composite:  -1050  -6.97% Countermeasures and retaliation will of course occur. Ordinary households will be most affected, for they will be hurt by higher prices on everything, with a higher unemployment rate. Stagflation, inflation and recession are looming. Read this article released today in The Economist,  President Trump's mindless tariffs will cause economic havoc. Shingles can be terrible, and could be hurting you for up to a month.  I was tempted to show a few photos, but will save you the horror. Early Symptoms:   Burning, tingling, or shooting pain in a s...

Some of us can't hear so well, me among them.  But will this condition lead to dementia?  I can tell you the answer now...YES.  But are there ways to delay or avoid that condition?  Read this posting to find out how.  Here is another more scientific graphic. The bottom line is that there are a lot of people in our society struggling with disabling hearing loss. 45-54        5% 65-74      22% 75+         55% But those are the disabling unfortunates.  There is a transition to get to this stage, and a hearing aid can help. There is a term for this ailment:   presbycusis ( prez-buh-KYOO-sis ), or age-related hearing loss .   For Americans 18 and older, 15%  suffer from this ailment, or 37.5 million people.   This number is 55% if you are older than 74.  Generally, both ears are affected.   Because the loss is gradual, you may not realize you are getting...