8/19/2026

 Wednesday, August 19, 2026

1944 Catherine Monica Clausen, God's gift to her family and so many others, was born

In bed at 9:30, awake at 3:35, tossed and turned till 4:35 when I got up; 0500 202.8 112/69/64 138; 62/74/62, mostly cloudy

Morning meds at 8 a.m.

I Heard Your Voice In The Wind Today

I heard your voice in the wind today

and I turned to see your face; The warmth of the wind caressed me

as I stood silently in place. I felt your touch in the sun today

as its warmth filled the sky; I closed my eyes for your embrace

and my spirit soared high.

 I saw your eyes in the window pane

as I watched the falling rain; It seemed as each raindrop fell

it quietly said your name. I held you close in my heart today

it made me feel complete; You may have died...but you are not gone

you will always be a part of me. As long as the sun shines... the wind blows...

the rain falls... You will live on inside of me forever for that is all my heart knows.

 On this date in 1944, in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, a beautiful,  courageous, and saintly 21-year-old mother, who was one of God’s gifts to this world,  gave birth to a daughter who was destined to become an image of her mother, beautiful, courageous, and saintly, another of God’s gifts to the world.  When Mother Mary brought the precious daughter home to her little basement apartment, her waiting brother, about to turn 3 years old, is reported to have said “Take her back.  She doesn’t play.”  That was just the first of many mistakes that her almost 3-year-old brother would make in his life, but he learned soon enough that that new sister of his would become throughout 2 long lifetimes, his best friend, his confidante, his soul-sister as well as his biological sister.  He would come to love and admire her as she grew into a woman like their mother: beautiful in so many ways, courageous in so many ways, and saintly in so many ways.  As they grew older and older, with lifetimes of living behind them, the brother would share his belief in the saintliness of his sister with their father, who would chuckle because he sometimes saw her when she was impatient, or ‘bossy’ or angry at one thing or another. The now-old brother would suggest to the even older father that he just didn’t know what real saints looked like.  The saintly sister herself would join in dismissing the idea that she was St. Kitty of Emerald Avenue, and the brother would have to remind her and their father that real saints aren’t God and they are not angels - they are all human beings who get impatient, ‘bossy’, and even angry at times.  What makes them saints was described by Jesus in Chapter 25 of the Gospel of St. Matthew:  I was hungry, and you gave me food.  I was thirsty, and you gave me water.  I was sick, and you cared for me.  I needed a home, and you took me into your home.  So of course the brother, who had made many mistakes in his own life over many years, was not mistaken in describing his sister, whom he loved so much, as a Saint.  Nor is he mistaken in thanking God for giving him the blessing of his beautiful, courageous, and saintly sister, so very much like their dear mother.

Who is the most dishonorable, most unadmirable person in American history?  Not surprisingly, I start the thought with Donald Trump at the top of the list, but that is not to say he doesn't have competitors.  But who? Ulysses S. Grant (1869–1877) and Warren G. Harding (1921-1923) headed generally recognized corrupt administrations, but they were not considered personally corrupt.  Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan, the presidents during the 1850s that led to the Civil War, led administrations that were heavily engaged in political patronage and favoritism, but, like Grant and Harding, they weren't considered personally corrupt.  Andrew Johnson (1865–1869) isn't usually classified as financially corrupt, but his presidency involved serious political abuses and patronage. His principal historical disgrace is his resistance to Reconstruction and his extraordinarily hostile relationship with Congress. He was impeached by the House, although the Senate fell one vote short of conviction.  

Richard Nixon (1969–1974) is in a different category. Watergate involved the abuse of presidential power itself, including the cover-up of the Watergate burglary, obstruction of justice, misuse of federal agencies, and attempts to conceal wrongdoing. The White House tapes provided unusually direct evidence of Nixon's participation in the cover-up.  He also is - or perhaps I should say, was - infamous for his "enemies list." His resignation remains the most dramatic example of presidential misconduct in American history, but notably his misconduct did not include corrupt personal enrichment.

Now consider Donald J. Trump.

He and his businesses have continually benefited financially from his public prominence and presidency.  Consider especially his entry into the cryptocurrency business, his actions as president regarding regulation of this business, and the profits he had made  

He was credibly accused of violating the Constitution's Emoluments Clause through payments and benefits involving his businesses, although the relevant litigation largely ended on procedural grounds rather than definitive merits rulings.

His administration was characterized by extensive allegations of conflicts of interest and ethical violations.

He has been impeached twice: first concerning Ukraine and second concerning January 6.  If the Democrats regain control of the House of Representatives, it's a fair bet that he will be impeached again.

His efforts to overturn the 2020 election produced the most serious allegations of presidential abuse of power since Watergate.

He illegally retained highly classified government documents when he was voted out of office.

In his second term, he has outdone Richard Nixon in terms of using government resources to punish his enemies.

He has betrayed the country he has sworn to protect and defend by deferring to its enemies and weakening its alliances.

What am I missing?  Undoubtedly, a plethora of wrongdoing in the White House, federal departments, and federal agencies that have yet to be discovered, but will eventually come to light after he leaves office.  The damage that this one man has done to this country is literally incalculable. 

My latest exchange with ChatGPT re the Veterans Honor Flight:

Today 4:41 PM - I've received text messages from a number in area code 815 from a person purporting to be from the Honor Flight organization telling me that I have a spot on a flight in October.  I've deleted them as spam.  Today my wife answered a call on her cell phone from the person, again with the area code 815, the Rockford, IL area, saying she hadn't received a response to her text messages and that, although the number carries a Rockford ILL area code, actually she's calling from a suburb of Milwaukee, Waukesha.  Can you help?

Yes. And in light of what I found, I would not assume that this is a scam. There is a very plausible legitimate explanation—but I would verify it before responding to the caller.

The important fact is that Southeastern Wisconsin has its own Honor Flight hub, Stars and Stripes Honor Flight, based in the Milwaukee area. It specifically serves Milwaukee and Waukesha counties and flies veterans out of Milwaukee's Mitchell Airport.

Even more interestingly, Stars and Stripes says that veterans are contacted approximately six weeks before they are assigned to a flight. So receiving a call in August about an October flight is entirely plausible.

The 815 number is not necessarily suspicious.

The caller's explanation—that she has an 815 Rockford-area telephone number but is actually calling from the Waukesha area—is perfectly possible. Cell-phone numbers don't necessarily correspond to where the person lives or works. Someone who moved from northern Illinois could easily retain an 815 number.

More importantly, the organization itself is based in Menomonee Falls and lists a local telephone number: 262-238-7740

That's the number published on the official Stars and Stripes Honor Flight website.  There's another very encouraging detail.

The official site says:  "Now that we've called and given you the good news..."  and describes the process in which the veteran is called when assigned to a flight, followed by email communications concerning required waivers.

So the fact that someone called your wife because she hadn't responded to the text is not inherently inconsistent with how Stars and Stripes operates.  Here's what I would do

Don't call the 815 number back and don't respond to the old text.  Instead, call Stars and Stripes Honor Flight directly at 262-238-7740, using the number published on their official website.

Tell them something like:  "I'm a Milwaukee-area veteran, and I've received several text messages and now a phone call from someone saying that I've been assigned to an Honor Flight in October. The messages came from an 815 number. I deleted the texts as spam. Could you tell me whether I actually have a place on an October flight?"  Give them your name and whatever information you supplied when you originally applied. Don't give them your Social Security number, banking information, passwords, or anything like that.  I would actually be quite interested to hear what they say.

And there is a striking coincidence:  Stars and Stripes' website confirms that it currently flies Vietnam veterans and that the flights are out of Milwaukee.  So if you previously applied for an Honor Flight, the story you're being told is quite plausible.

And you can verify the whole thing through the national Honor Flight Network as well. Its official contact number is 937-521-2400, and it maintains the list of local Honor Flight hubs.

  My advice: call 262-238-7740 tomorrow and ask them to check your name. That's much safer than continuing to communicate with the 815 number, and it should settle the question immediately.

  If you tell me whether you remember applying for an Honor Flight and, if so, approximately when, I can also look into the October 2026 Stars and Stripes flight schedule and see whether the timing fits.

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I don't remember when I applied for an Honor Flight, but it was a long time ago.  In any event, I will call the recommended number tomorrow and follow the advice provided.  This response from ChatGPT came within 2 seconds of my inquiry, almost instantaneously, yet another mind-blowing encounter with AI.