Monday Musings - October 2, 2023

 

1. It is the first Monday of October. There are 5 Mondays this month and there are but 12 Mondays remaining in the year. 

2. Congratulations to the Orioles for completing a magical season and having the best record in the American League (101-61). I was not too amused by the Spring Training quality of the game yesterday, but they are now off for 5 days. 

3. Retiring Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff made one of the most eloquent statements ever made about the motivation and allegiance of the U.S. military when he said the following at his retirement ceremony: 

“You see, we in uniform are unique…among the world's armies. We are unique among the world’s militaries. We don’t take an oath to a country. We don’t take an oath to a tribe. We don’t take an oath to a religion. We don’t take an oath to a king or a queen or to a tyrant or a dictator. And we don’t take an oath to a wannabe dictator. We don’t take an oath to an individual. 

“We take an oath to the Constitution, and we take an oath to the idea that is America, and we’re willing to die to protect it.… (Letters from an American)

Rain at the Market
Palm Beach Gardens, FL
October 1, 2023

4. Chris and I went to the first open air market of the season yesterday. The only problem was that the rain also accompanied us. We had only been there a short time when a driving rain began. We huddled under one of the vendors' tents for a while, hoping the rain would end, but it did not and we finally decided to call it a rainout and departed. 

5. Family NFL Football report. It was another mixed day for the family teams with two winning and two losing. The Dolphins are included since they preclude me from watching the Ravens on TV most Sundays and so I am forced to enjoy, or not, their games.  

     Ravens (3-1) smoked the Browns (2-2), 28-3

    Commanders (2-2) narrowly lost to Eagles (4-0), 31-34

    Cowboys (3-1) rode past Patriots (1-3), 38-3

    Steelers (2-2) got roped by Texans (2-2), 6-30

    Dolphins (3-1) were trampled by Bills (3-1), 20-48

6. Today in History. 

On October 2, 1985, actor Rock Hudson, 59, becomes the first major U.S. celebrity to die of complications from AIDS. Hudson’s death raised public awareness of the epidemic, which until that time had been ignored by many in the mainstream as a “gay plague.”

Hudson, born Leroy Harold Scherer Jr., on November 17, 1925, in Winnetka, Illinois, was a Hollywood heartthrob whose career in movies and TV spanned nearly three decades. With leading-man good looks, Hudson starred in numerous dramas and romantic comedies in the 1950s and 60s, including Magnificent Obsession, Giant and Pillow Talk. In the 1970s, he found success on the small screen with such series as McMillan and Wife. To protect his macho image, Hudson’s off-screen life as a gay man was kept secret from the public.

 McCarthy's plight presents Democrats with a dilemma and an opportunity - CNN

Russian forces target Kherson with heavy shelling - CNN

Japan puts the brakes on lucrative used-car trade with Russia - Reuters

Attacked by Trump, New York judge to weigh ex-president's fraud case - Reuters

Temperatures in Spain shatter records as October kicks off with heatwave - Reuters

North Korea blames US for 'grave terrorist' act against Cuban embassy - Reuters

Americans Still Spend Like There’s No Tomorrow - The Wall Street Journal

How Ukraine Tricks Russia Into Wasting Ammunition - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL