... Speaking of news, have you changed strategies regarding the press? I ask because, according to the G, you “made a surprise & rare appearance in the west wing briefing room & answered reporters’ questions there for the first time in your presidency.” ...

Have you ever been to a Grateful Dead Concert? Probably not. You were too busy going to Law School & running for office to hang out with hippies listening to music...

Are you exhausted? I know I would be. Absorbing the grieving vibes of people who have lost so much must use up your reserves....

...Did you watch the VP debate last night? I didn’t because I was too busy enjoying the company of family. Consensus seems to be JDV won, whatever that means. ...

... I’m so glad that Jimmy Carter (JEC) made it to his 100th birthday today....

...I’ve been looking at videos & photos of Asheville, NC & its environs. I am so grateful that my 90-year-old friend, Harriet, no longer lives in there....

...Jonathan Kuttab, a Palestinian Human Rights lawyer working for peace & justice in Palestine/Israel ... points out that folks need to recognize “you don’t make peace with your friends but with your enemies” & get over the taboo of talking to Hamas...

...  I am troubled to see that the IDF carried out a “precise airstrike” to kill Hassan Nasrallah. ... Please do not praise this extrajudicial execution....

... I’m sorry to hear about the loss of your childhood buddy, Tom Bell. I appreciated your sentiment that “he returned love with boundless loyalty. He was a man of honor, decency, & grace. A man of utmost character.” What a gift to have a friend like that!...

... Also tell him to stay away from our munitions factories! A photo of his visit to the one in Scranton, PA looked to me like a guy going to a car dealership to fondle his dream machine. ..

... President To Lam needs all the help he can get to meet his goals of enhancing his workforce to become technologically proficient, resolving electricity shortages, curbing corruption & speeding up government policies...

... my heart sank when I read about Sec Gen António Guterres saying humanity is “edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world?” ...

...my brother just became a grandpa. His eldest gave birth to a 7 pounder with XX chromosomes...

...Sounds like you & Anthony Albanese (AA) had a lovely time together talking about the state of the world. Did the topic of Burma come up?...

          I wrote a pretty good letter the other day & now it has disappeared!