Sunday, January 18, 2026
1562 The Council of Trent was reopened by Pope Pius IV for its third (and final) session
2016 World's 62 richest people were as wealthy as half the world's population according to a report published by Oxfam
2023 Tom St. John died in the Virgin Islands
In Washington, D.C., the Women's March held a protest rebranded as the People's March against Donald Trump ahead of his inauguration on Monday. Women's March protests are also held in several cities in the United Kingdom.
In bed at9, awake at 4:45, up at 5:10. 12/-3/18/9. SEVERE WEATHER ADVISORY, tonight and tomorrow, wind chills as low as 23 to 29 degrees below zero.
Meds, etc. Morning meds at 3:45 p.m.
Text to Micaela: "Good Morning, Sweetie. I woke up early this morning, lit a candle, remembering Tom and thinking of you.❤️"
Micaela St. John:
I love you alot 💜
Charles Clausen:
💓
Email to LOA:
Good Morning, Colonel. Here an entry from my journal three years ago today, which, BTW, is the day Tom St. John died while snorkeling in the Virgin Islands. His wife, Micaela, is still struggling with widowhood. We get together with her pretty regularly.
My brush with the Milwaukee mafia. Many years ago, I was kind to a female student of mine (K.B.) who was having some sort of physical or medical problem of some sort during a final exam. I can't recall now what the problem was or how I accommodated her but it made quite an impression on her because she subsequently propositioned me. I can't remember clearly the timing and circumstances of the situation except that she invited me to lunch at Snug's Restaurant in the Shorecrest Hotel on Prospect Avenue. For some reason, which again I cannot recall, I couldn't or didn't simply decline the invitation, but I was uncomfortable about it and her intentions and spoke to Dean Boden about it beforehand, advising him of what I believed her intention to be. I wish I could remember why I didn't decline, but in any event,, I didn't. The student was known to the staff at the restaurant. I think her family were neighbors of the owner, who was Frank Balistrieri, the Mafia boss in Milwaukee with ties to the mob in Chicago and in Las Vegas. We were seated at what was Balistrieri's table when he was there. During the lunch, while her intentions were hinted at, I made a point of talking about my wonderful wife and children and making it as clear as I could that I wasn't interested in any liaison and no liaison occurred as I reported back to the dean. Months later, I received a telephone call from LOA, a classmate from my law school days and a good friend to this day. He was then an assistant US attorney in Milwaukee and he had some involvement in the prosecution of Frank Balistrieri. It turned out that Balistrieri's table was bugged by the FBI, my entire lunch conversation with the student had been recorded, and LOA had reviewed it in the course of his involvement with the prosecution. He laughed about the student's clear if veiled intentions and my clear non-interest. In yesterday's Journal-Sentinel there was a long story by Mary Spicuzza about the 1977 murder of her cousin, Augie Palmisano, who was murdered by a car bomb in the parking garage of his apartment at the Juneau Village Garden apartments on Van Buren Street. Frank Balistrieri was widely believed to be the person who ordered the assassination, though he was never charged with it. The news story described how the FBI had gained access to the Shorecrest Hotel and planted the listening device in the floor under the table where the student and I had lunch. I wish I could remember today more of the circumstances of his sordid little adventure, and especially why I couldn't simply decline the invitation to lunch, but it all occurred half a century ago, "a long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away . . ."
I saw the Cardiac Clinic at the VA on Thursday, and they confirmed I've got congestive heart failure and a couple of other heart rhythm/electrical problems. The regimen for dealing with it is a pain in the ass. I was hoping that the alternative to dealing with it would be a nice, quick heart attack or cardiac arrest that would do me in, but it's worse, a long, slow wasting away with weakness and breathing problems like my poor beloved sister had with the COPD that took her away, so I'll try to follow the doctor's orders. Tom St. John died from either a heart attack or cardiac arrest while floating in the Caribbean and looking at tropical fishes which strikes me as a pretty blessed way to take one's leave.
Geri's in Alexandria, VA, visiting her brother Jim, who's 91 years old with a bad case of Alzheimer's. He recognizes her but doesn't know who she is. She gets back tomorrow when we'll have wind chills between 20 and 30 degrees below zero, making me wish we were snowbirds spending winters Down South.
I hope all is well with you and Jan. s/f
I remember it well.Can’t remember how it turned out because the Chicago Strike Force took over the case after the wire. I don’t think Palmisano died. His Lincoln wasn’t running right so he took it to the corner gas station to let them look at it. The kid raised the hood and almost had a heart attack. The MPD bomb squad came and diffused the bomb. Think Augie went into Witness Protection after that.
We’re doing ok. Getting some back pains that might be related to the kidney cancer in my bones. Jan is good. You hang in there with your heart issues. We’ll see you this summer (I hope). s/f
Text exchange with Katherine:
Hi, Sweetie, and thanks for the legal analysis re: the Insurrection Act. If we have learned nothing else under Trump, we have certainly learned how weak a tool LAW is when those entrusted to enforce it have little or no will to do so. I include in that group not only the whole Executive Branch of the government but also the Republicans in control of the Congress during the last year and until next year, and the Republicans on the Supreme Court. Forgive my crudity, but we’re in deeper shit now than we have ever been during my life, which started before Pearl Harbor. We won’t be able to extricate ourselves during my life, and perhaps during yours. The last year has been a disaster and I fear that the coming year will be a catastrophe, with the courts, and especially the Supreme Court being complicit. On a lighter and brighter note, I’m so pleased that AG has been able to visit with you and Jordan and your Dad. I miss you and Jordan, and especially your Dad. During the years he lived up the road from us, we became friends and not only brothers-in-law. I’m saddened that he is so diminished now, but grateful that in his last years he’s been blessed by the loving care of you and Jordan and his sister.❤️
Text exchange with David:
Great news no deposition on Monday so you are off the hook for watching Ellis. Thank you for offering.
It was a hook I gladly placed myself on, so I have mixed feelings, but I’m glad for Ellis, who would have found hours with her Nono much less enjoyable than hours with her Nona. Thanks for alerting me; I was just about to text your Mom to ask if I should have any special treat in the house.
Text exchange with Geri:
Hi, Sweetie. I just woke up from a nap and read a text from David telling me Sharon’s deposition is off, so I won’t have Ellis tomorrow. I made some borscht using salt free beef stock that I got at Sendik’s instead of my usual recipe. I also took your advice and didn’t use the dated beef shanks, but rather some cheaper stew meat. I’ve consumed a few bowls of it, but it’s not very good, which is a disappointment. The cabbage and meat are fine, but the broth is way too lemony and not enough sugary, all sour and no sweet. It’s bitterly cold here with worse on tap for tomorrow. Katherine sent me a text this morning about the Insurrection Act and I responded, saying this past year has been a disaster and the coming year will probably be a catastrophe. I guess I’m glad she’s not at Homeland Security any longer, though it means some fascist has taken her spot. If she were still there, I suspect she would be buying prosecco by the case.❤️
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I’m impressed that you are moving into our new low sodium life style. I think that Mrs Dash salt might help. I think starting with low sodium will take two weeks at least as the nurse mentioned. So don’t have anything with salt tomorrow and we can eat the Kung Po chicken for dinner. It likely has 600 grams of sodium. Just a guess.
Jim was not very good today even the aids were a little concerned. However, he did eat a sandwich and seem to perk up but was in a strange world where he was 15 years old with no one to help him and he didn’t know what he was going to do. Also I think he thought he was black.
Seeing other patients in various stages of decline makes me wonder who is running this universe. Speaking of which Jordan and Katherine are off to church. I’m taking them to dinner tonight and they have opted for an Italian restaurant.
How do you like this new IOS? I’m not nuts about it.😍😘
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It’s heartbreaking to hear of Jim’s condition. I think no one is running the universe; it runs itself. That’s the philosophy of the 17th-century philosopher Baruch Spinoza. By ‘new IOS’ do you mean the latest update? I’m hardly aware of it because I struggle so much with being disconnected from the internet. I’m still thinking of getting a new laptop, but I’m afraid that, if a have a bug or virus, when I reload a new laptop from my backed-up current system, it will re-load the bug or virus. It’s always somethin’. Remind me of when you get in tomorrow, please.
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