Monday Musings - May 6, 2024

 

1. And it has arrived, the first Monday of May. Yes, the summer is almost upon us! Beware though, there are only 34 Mondays remaining in the year. 

Mustang Mach-E Puddle Light

2. Our new car, the Mustang Mach-E, has something called a puddle light. The car projects a Mustang onto the ground when we come near, but it only seems to happen during periods of darkness. It makes me smile when I see the light as I approach the car.

Lizard on a Palm
Cove Road Park, Port Salerno, FL
May 5, 2024

3. Chris and I did a 12-mile ride yesterday through a state park and to another park where people often put their kayaks into the water. It was a great ride and we saw over 10 tortoises. I had an experience with a lizard. We went eye-to-eye and he wasn't backing down. He made it clear that he owned the palm tree he was clinging upon.

4. In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, we hosted a small gathering of friends last evening. The margaritas were excellent as was the seven-layer dip Chris made. 

5. Is the daily news getting repetitive? 

6. The facts and nothing but the facts. 

What Trump Said: “I even built the embassy. And it’s a beautiful embassy for a lot less money than anybody ever thought possible.”

The Facts: Trump is talking about his decision to move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusaem, which he announced in December 2017. In early 2018, Trump claimed the U.S. would spend only $200,000 to $300,000 on the project. The embassy opened in May 2018, with the U.S. originally spending just under $400,000 on modifications to the site. But just months after the opening, Desbuild Limak, a Maryland-based firm, was awarded a $21.2 million contract from the State Department to design an extension and security enhancements—upgrades that put the embassy's cost more than $20 million over budget. (Time Magazine)

7. Today in History. In a May 6, 1994 ceremony presided over by England’s Queen Elizabeth IIand French President Francois Mitterrand, a rail tunnel under the English Channel is officially opened, connecting Britain and the European mainland for the first time since the Ice Age.

The Channel Tunnel, or “Chunnel,” connects Folkestone, England, with Coquelles, France, 31 miles away. The Chunnel cut travel time between England and France to a swift 35 minutes and eventually between London and Paris to two-and-a-half hours.

As the world’s longest undersea tunnel, the Chunnel runs under water for 23 miles, with an average depth of 150 feet below the seabed. Each day, about 30,000 people, 6,000 cars and 3,500 trucks journey through the Chunnel on passenger, shuttle and freight trains.

Analysis Trump’s criminal trial enters a pivotal week as Democrats deal with protest fallout and Speaker Johnson fights for survival again - CNN

Black voters won a big victory in Louisiana. Some White voters said it violated their ‘personal dignity’ - CNN

Bodies found in Mexico confirmed as those of missing American and Australian tourists - CNN

Sea drone warfare has arrived. The U.S. is floundering. - Reuters

Putin orders tactical nuclear weapon drills to deter the West - Reuters

How the Gaza campus protests differ from the Vietnam war era - Reuters

​​Putin is forging a new Russia: Ultraconservative, militarized and anti-West - The Washington Post

IDF urges civilians to evacuate parts of Rafah; cease-fire talks at impasse - The Washington Post

Boeing’s Big Space Test: Using Starliner to Ferry NASA Astronauts - The Wall Street Journal

The Science Behind Why the World Is Getting Wetter - The Wall Street Journal

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL