Category: U.S. Politics
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Toothpaste, Jeans, and the Politics of Manufactured Outrage
🧼 Toothpaste, Jeans, and the Politics of Manufactured Outrage “If you made toothpaste illegal, people would be knocking over drugstores to get it.”– Daniel Okrent, Prohibition, a Film by Ken Burns That quote has stuck with me for years. It’s a wry observation about human nature and the unintended consequences of moral crusades. Ban something—even…
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Book Review: ‘Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History’
Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History Author: Kati Morton Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group Year of Publication: 2001 (Hardcover); 2002 (Paperback) Genre: U.S. History; American Presidents; American First Ladies; Biography A Departure from the Usual: A Thoughtful but Uneven Journey Through Presidential Marriages I rarely delve into books focused on politics or political…
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July 19: Remembering My Mother Amid Political Turmoil
Afternoon, Saturday, July 19, 2025 – Miami, Florida It’s a quintessential summer day in South Florida—sunny skies, no thunderstorms looming, and a heavy, palpable heat that clings to everything. At 91°F (33°C) with humidity hovering at 64%, the “feels like” temperature is a sweltering 101°F (38°C). For anyone who doubts the effects of climate change,…
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July 4, 2025: No Fireworks, No Sousa Marches…Just Grief and Dirges
🗽 “Fourth of July, Unfinished” Afternoon, Friday, July 4, 2025 – Miami, Florida Hello, everyone. Today is, as you likely know, Independence Day in the United States and its territories. The Fourth of July—“the Glorious Fourth”—marks the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, formally severing political ties between…
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Echoes of Memory: Nostalgia, Myth, and the Stories We Tell
Midday/Early Afternoon, Monday, June 2, 2025, Miami, Florida Earlier this morning, I came across a charming Facebook post from an old friend from my Amazon reviewing days. She’s a bit older than I am—by about a decade—and enjoying her retirement, sharing delightful glimpses into her daily life in rural Midwest America. Her posts often feel…
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Mid-Month Madness in May, or: Temperatures Soar…and So Do Prices!
Late Morning, Thursday, May 15, 2025, Miami, Florida Hello, Dear Reader, We’ve reached the midway point of May, and though it’s still technically spring, summer seems eager to make an early entrance. As I write this, it’s already 85°F (30°C) under a bright sun. With humidity at 66% and a light southern breeze at 2…
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Musings and Thoughts for Friday, May 2, 2025
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Books, Creative Writing, Donald Trump, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Military History, Reunion Duology, Reunion: Coda, The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle: Stories and Tips from Thirteen Years with a Leonberger, Thomas Wikman, U.S. Politics, World War II (1939-1945)Late Morning, Friday, May 2, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s another warm and muggy spring day in South Florida as another workweek winds down. Currently, the temperature is 79°F under mostly sunny conditions. With humidity at 60% and the wind blowing from the east-southeast at 7 MPH (11 Km/H), the heat index is 87°F (30°C). Today,…
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My Letter to Representative Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL 27)
When penning an email to a political representative, the fine line between respectful discourse and the expression of strong convictions often becomes a tightrope walk. Recently, I crafted a letter to Representative Maria Salazar, a Republican and a known Trump loyalist, to voice my concerns about the current state of our nation. Fully aware that…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: A Day of Mixed Emotions and Creative Triumphs
Late Morning, Tuesday, January 21, 2025, Miami, Florida Yesterday was a day of mixed feelings. On one hand, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, starting his second term with controversial actions like abandoning Afghan refugees, pardoning the January 6 insurrectionists, and renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf…
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Writer’s Shop Talk: ‘Reunion: Coda’ – Characters’ Views on History, Politics, and Personal Beliefs
What are your protagonists’ political or religious views (if any)? What do they believe in? Professor James K. Garraty: A Centrist Democrat with a Passion for History In Reunion: Coda, Professor James K. Garraty stands out as a centrist Democrat, often casting his vote for the party. As a dedicated educator, he lives by the…
A Certain Point of View, Too 