Bits & Bytes

AMERICAN HISTORY: On July 2, 1982, “Lawnchair Larry” Walters, a truck driver from the Los Angeles area attached more than 40 helium-filled weather balloons to an ordinary aluminum lawn chair, donned a parachute, strapped himself and his supplies (e.g., a pellet gun, a CB radio, sandwiches, beer) to the chair, and cut the tethers.

But, rather than the gentle, low-altitude float he expected, the chair shot up rapidly to about 16,000 feet (around 3 miles). He drifted into controlled airspace near Long Beach and LAX, where airline pilots spotted and reported him.

After about 45 minutes aloft, he shot out some balloons to descend, got tangled in power lines during landing – briefly knocking out power in a Long Beach area – and was rescued, unharmed, and immediately arrested.

The event got massive media attention, inspired copycats (and even the sport of cluster ballooning), movies, songs, and more. His lawn chair is preserved in the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum collection.

ANTI-SEMITISM in CALIFORNICATION: An Arab Muslim migrant and former community college professor picked a fight with a 69-year-old pro-Israel protester. Not satisfied with yelling at the guy, Loay Alnaji smacked Paul Kessler on the head with his megaphone. Kessler fell backward on the concrete, busted his head open, and died due to the resulting brain bleed.

Last May, Alnaji pleaded guilty to felony involuntary manslaughter and felony battery causing serious bodily injury.

At Alnaji’s sentencing hearing this week, Kessler’s widow said, “There are no words to describe the pain of losing a husband in such a sudden and violent way. The grief is relentless. The silence in our house, the absence of his voice, his companionship, his love and the future we had planned together are losses I carry with me every day.”

Judge Derek Malan sentenced Alnaji to one year in county jail and two years of probation.

DEMOCRATS: CLICK https://x.com/nathanbrand/status/2070872061593919791 [:47] to hear Ben Flores, the Democrat nominee for Texas’ Land Commissioner, speak on behalf of James Talarico, the party’s nominee for U.S. Senate.

Not the Bee wrote, “The party that once claimed to stand for women, farmers, working people, and the labor unions has become the party of trans, tofu-eating vegans who are going to hell!

KARMA: After strangling his girlfriend to death, an Alabama man suffered a fatal heart attack while dragging her body into the woods. His ex-wife said he had a pre-existing heart condition.

LIBERALISM: It’s also when you despise men, because of “male privilege” and “the patriarchy,” then demand that biological males be allowed to compete in women’s sporting events.

OBAMA: It’s interesting to note how carefully the news items are worded to direct blame away from Obama.

E.g., “Several subcontractors involved in the construction of the Obama Presidential Center have filed for bankruptcy, citing unpaid invoices and financial strain due to cost overruns and delays on the project. The disputes primarily involve the contractors managing the project rather than the Obama Foundation directly.”

E.g., “Contractors working on the Obama Presidential Center say they are still owed millions for work performed, and several have pursued legal claims or are seeking counsel; the Obama Foundation and the general contractor characterize remaining issues as contractual closeout disputes rather than outright refusal to pay. Reporting does not show former President Barack Obama personally withholding payments; the financial obligations and contests center on the foundation, the general contractor Lakeside Alliance and subcontractors, with some disputes already in court.”

These same news sources make a big hairy deal about how Trump was convicted of multiple felonies, ignoring the fact that the charges in question related to a bank loan he repaid on time and in full.

SOUTH DAKOTA: Early Monday morning, 130 mph winds left a trail of devastation at the Highmore Wind Farm.

GRAMMY NOTES: When our then-teen made Chicken Parmesan for dinner, it tasted good, but different. She said, “I forgot the recipe when I went to the store and couldn’t remember what kind of cheese to get, so I got cheddar.” BTW, Chicken Cheddar is delicious.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/0zH7xNYfbis [2:16] to hear about Patriotic Kenny.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OkAa-MYrHmw [1:56] to watch delivery drivers who lurve their jobs.

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Bits & Bytes

AI: Some companies are reversing course on AI and bringing humans back to work. They cite rising computing costs, operational headaches, and inconsistent results. (Did you catch the oops in the AI-generated image above?)

BIRTHRIGHT: The Supremes voted 6-3 that President Trump’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship is unconstitutional. The PJ Media link below goes to an essay examining how this decision will help the GOP in the midterms. Also, the Constitution can be changed. It isn’t easy, but as I understand it, this is an 80-20 issue, so it should be doable.

BORDER: For 13 consecutive months, zero illegal aliens have been released into the United States. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said deportation numbers are up so much this year that by the end of summer, they will surpass the total for 2025. DHS is focusing on those who have criminal records or final orders of deportation from judges. Where these people are found to be living with other illegals, those get arrested and deported as well.

HOUSING: The millions of illegals that flooded across Biden’s open border caused rents to increase by 20%. To add insult to injury, because taxpayer-backed mortgage programs granted mortgages to illegals, they drove house prices up by 30%. Rep. Brandon Gill has introduced a bill called the “Homeownership Eligibility Reform Act” that would limit taxpayer-backed mortgages to U.S. citizens.

MAGA: Sugar is an addictive, mood-altering chemical that floods the brain with feel-good dopamine. Consuming too much sugar is linked to a scary long list of serious health problems like tooth decay, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, cancer, stroke, chronic inflammation, heart disease, high blood pressure, and fatty liver disease.

The American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the following limits on sugar:

  • Children under 24 months = zero.
  • Children over 2 years = no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day.
  • Adult women = no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day.
  • Adult men = no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day.

Currently, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka, SNAP, food stamps) can be used to buy junk food that is high in sugar. In fact, the number one item purchased with food stamp dollars is sugary beverages, which account for 9.3% – roughly $6 billion a yearof all SNAP benefits.

Last week, Democrats invited Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP director of Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) to testify before the DOGE Committee about SNAP.

CLICK https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2070172568363970674 [:53] to hear her tell Rep. Brandon Gill that some people need sugary sodas and she said, “Some do.”

CLICK https://x.com/realBrandonGill/status/2070173293353582821 [2:55] to hear her refuse to admit that she’s a shill for manufacturers of sugary drinks.

FRAC bills itself as “the leading national anti-hunger advocacy organization.” Coke, Pepsi, and the American Beverage Association not only donate to FRAC, but are honored guests at FRAC’s annual dinner.

RACISM in AMERICA: CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a9MK7RiIcxs [2:35] for a quick history lesson.

WE THE TAXPAYERS: The House has passed the Stopping Fraudulent Payments Act by a vote of 218-200. All of the 200 nays were Democrats. The bill now heads to the Senate, where Republicans and President Trump are poised to advance it further.

WOMEN’S SPORTS: The Supreme Court upheld West Virginia and Idaho laws limiting girls’ and women’s school sports teams to biological females, holding that Title IX permits sex-separated teams based on biological sex and that the laws do not violate the Equal Protection Clause.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/f8ZvyyNG-xk [:53] to see how the Amish make wood roofing shingles.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/AN6rf9zvdoU [:40] to see how a bartender turned his waste bottle caps into beautiful art.

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Bits & Bytes

BORDER: Democrats are angry because SCOTUS is allowing Trump to end a “temporary” status that Obama granted sixteen years ago. CLICK https://x.com/WesternLensman/status/2071583573681791391 [1:01] to hear Obama’s DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announce that the Haitian TPS will end in July of 2011.

SCOTUS: The Supremes ruled 6-3 that President Donald Trump acted within his authority when he fired a member of the Federal Trade Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter last year.

However, they also blocked Trump’s attempt to remove Federal Reserve Board member Lisa Cook, upholding the decision by a federal judge who reinstated Cook last year because Trump hadn’t given her a notice and hearing before removing her.

The Supremes have declined to hear Trump’s appeal of the finding that he sexually abused the writer, E. Jean Carroll. The justices did not offer any explanation for the rejection of the appeal.

REFLECTING POOL: On Saturday, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum vowed to prosecute the vandals who cut a 350-foot long gash into the newly resurfaced Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool bottom and defaced the area with a slew of anti-Trump graffiti.

VENEZUELA: American first responders and U.S. Marines (photo above) are helping search for survivors in earthquake-damaged structures.

On the 27th, the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue team freed a 9-month-old infant and her mother. CLICK https://x.com/StateDept/status/2070998469553053742 [:27] to see them bring the baby out.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://x.com/LangmanVince/status/2071276834931523996 [:15] to watch a toddler learning to identify animals.

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JjnagMZT-kw [2:09] to hear why California is broke and Texas is not.

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Bits & Bytes

BORDER: Back in 2018, after Trump called Haiti a “shithole“, Democrats and the media were OFFENDED. Anderson Cooper called the country an “amazing,” “incredible” and “culturally rich” place he loves to go for weekends and vacations. Conan went to Haiti and posed for the infamous “beautiful country” photo while sipping a drink out of a coconut.

Now that SCOTUS has agreed that the Trump administration can send Haitians back home, these same people are telling us that being forced to return to their home country would cause untold suffering and even death.

From the comments: “Haiti has been independent since 1812. We have a track record. Name one achievement of the Haitian people.

CATHOLIC: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/reel/1644439039949954 [2:54] to hear five things Josh Pray has learned about confession (aka, the Sacrament of Reconciliation). He ain’t lying! Practicing is good. If you don’t make a GOOD confession, you have committed another sin.

From today’s readings: “Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live in newness of life.” ~ Romans 6:3-4, 8-11

In making a good confession, we bury our sins. In receiving absolution, we rise again. Yes, Jesus died once for all. But we’re not God. We have to keep doing it over and over!

Josh asks, “Y’all think he gonna keep it to himself?” YES ! The Seal of Confession is a deadly serious thing. A priest who shares ANYTHING you said while he had that purple stole on commits a mortal sin. MORTAL, as in “death of the soul through eternal separation from God.”

DEMOCRATS: The Party of Violence hasn’t changed much.

EVERYDAY HEROES: The Owl Box Company builds and installs.

MOURNING DOVES: [8:22] – Their song is my favorite.

PHILATELY: [6:31] – Love this!

UK: The climate hoax is reaping genuine evil in Great Britain as government officials are ordering residents to not just cut back but actually remove their cooling units during a heat wave. When residents told to leave their windows open raised security concerns, they were told they should just keep windows closed.

There is no proof that “climate change” is harming anyone. Heat, however, is a known killer. “Each summer, on average, approximately 500 New Yorkers die prematurely because of hot weather in New York City. … People who died from heat stress were most frequently exposed to heat in homes. Heat-exacerbated deaths were also more likely to occur at home, underscoring the importance of access to cooling at home.”

The most likely people to die of extreme heat are the elderly and the infirm, the exact same populations that cost Britain’s nationalized health system the most to care for. May God have mercy on the souls of those who die of heat. Grant them eternal rest beside cool streams of living water. Amen.

GRAMMY NOTES: BTDT!

SHORTS:

CLICK https://x.com/Yoda4ever/status/2070940227661881811 [1:22] to watch 5 foster kittens help with weigh ins.

CLICK https://x.com/_ROB_29/status/2070920980172845292 [1:00] to watch dogs beat the heat.

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Bits & Bytes

BLOOD PRESSURE: This is important information for seniors. [8:01] – In addition to the information Dr. Quinn presents, I’d also like to mention what happened to my mother after a major life change. She was my dad’s primary caregiver at the end of his life. After he passed, she began to have real problems with postural hypotension, so went to her physician who found her bp was way too low. Caring for my father had been very stressful for her. Removing that stress resulted in her bp dose being too high.

CLIMATE HOAX: It’s summer, so expect Lefties to blame hot weather on our use of fossil fuels. Ignore them. The fact is that none of the top 20 years for most heatwaves have been in the 21st century. And the #1 was back in 1936.

IRAN: On June 25, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz with an explosive attack drone. On June 26, the U.S. responded to the nation’s violation of the ceasefire agreement by taking out missile and drone storage locations, as well as coastal radar sites inside Iran.

PSA: [15:18] – If you get a package you did not order, particularly if the package is empty, it may mean your personal information has been compromised. This video explains what to do to protect yourself.

RULES FOR THEE: In response to a heat wave, the European Commission shut off air conditioning … but only for floors 1-7, where people of lower rank work. All the Big Wigs work on floors 8-13.

This reminds me of the gas crisis back in the 70s, when we had odd-even gas lines, etc. I worked in a building that had gas heat. We were told we could stay home if we wanted, but we’d get no pay. Since most of us needed our paychecks for silly things like food and housing, we came in and pretended to work. Ever try typing with mittens on?

Bitching though … that we could do. And the snarling got a lot louder and more bitter after the #1 boss, who had electric heat in his office, came sailing through in a short-sleeved shirt to “buck up the troops.” Despite the fact that I worked in that place an entire year, this was the one and only time I ever saw the unbelievably tone-deaf man.

SOUR GRAPES: On Thursday, Politico published an article entitled “Democrats grapple uncomfortably with World Cup success” in which they note that prominent Democrats, even those who attended games, haven’t been able to overcome TDS enough to “articulate anything that sounds like praise” for the U.S. and local authorities who have made the World Cup a success.

TEXAS: The Texas Board of Education has approved a new school reading list that includes stories from the Bible. Some call this “adding religion” to classrooms. IMO, it was a crime against Western Civilization that the Bible was ever excluded.

VENEZUELA: A statue of Our Lady and the Child Jesus remained untouched by the double earthquakes that devastated Caracas.

GRAMMY NOTES: St. Alphonsus Liguori, who is known for having suffered from arthritis, is the patron saint of joint pain.

SHORTS:

CLICK https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Qe1SA78YKII [:15] for a laugh.

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Bits & Bytes

CATHOLIC: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2572145176517010 [2:30] to hear Josh Pray thank us for being so positive. In the comments, Catholics recommended various books. I added recent biographies by converts, including “To Whom Shall I Go” by Ellie Hiller and “Communion” by J.D. Vance.

DOJ: A manager and one of the employees at a 7-Eleven in Pittsburgh have been charged with stealing $600,000 in SNAP benefits.

ECONOMY: From the comments – “And eggs are $1.90 instead of $7 and gas is $3.70 instead of $5.” “In 2023, the average price of a standard wire-bristle or scraping grill brush ranged from $7 to $15 at Home Depot. I just found them at Home Depot for $5.97 to $7.97.” “Naps are still free.”

EUTHANASIA: When I was a kid, my mother said, “If they ever legalize abortion, euthanasia will be next.” In The Netherlands, it is now legal to off the unborn at any time, for any reason, and anyone after that if certain criteria are (allegedly?) met.

I say “allegedly?” because the pattern is to start off only allowing assisted suicide for those who are hopelessly terminal and suffering unbearably, then slowly chip away until you’re at things like depressed or seriously inconvenient for the nationa’s socialized medicine bottom line.

I remember reading about a Canadian military veteran and paraplegic who merely wanted the national health to install some kind of equipment that would allow her to navigate between the first and second floors of her home. They reportedly told her no (too expensive), but hey, if you’re unhappy, there’s always MAID (cheap).

FBI: Ibrahim Khaldoon Hilmi has been charged with orchestrating a massive $3.7 billion scheme to defraud Medicare. He’s been on the run since May of 2025. He was recently detained by Turkish authorities and is now in U.S. custody.

NORTH CAROLINA: The large Republican majority spent all day Wednesday overriding vetoes from Democrat Gov. Josh Stein.

REFLECTING POND: CLICK https://x.com/ConradsonJordan/status/2070305041831895476 [3:00] to hear a Greenwater Service spox explain the remediation process. CLICK https://x.com/RogueWarrior24/status/2070311346177224714 [:46] for a report from the Obama years.

USHA: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1022843494010486 [1:34] to hear her hilarious response to a snotty piece in the New York Slime. I am old enough to remember when the Left praised Michelle Obama for shopping at Target.

VENEZUELA: On Wednesday evening, 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes literally rocked the nation. Hundreds are dead or injured and thousands are missing.

WHO: Trump cited the following reasons for withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO) – mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other global health crises; failure to adopt urgently needed reforms; inability to demonstrate independence from the inappropriate political influence of WHO member states; unfair and onerous payment demands from the United States which are far out of proportion with other members. Re: the last – the WHO charges China, which has 300 times the population of the United States, almost 90 percent less than it charges us.

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Bits & Bytes

2A: The Supreme Court has struck down a Hawaii law that banned residents from carrying concealed weapons in privately owned public spaces, such as gas stations and shopping malls.

BEFORE and AFTER: CLICK https://x.com/nicksortor/status/2069961598119112922 [1:12] to see what cleaning the Reflecting Pool did. Wow!

BORDER: The Supreme Court has allowed the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) attempt to remove deportation protections for Haitians and Syrians.

CATHOLIC: CLICK https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=974067135392586 [3:36] to hear Josh Pray talk about Lent (aka, “lit” and “lint”).

CLIMATE HOAX: The weather is getting warmer and climate alarmists are once again saying that man-made climate change is causing heat waves to become more frequent and extreme. CLICK https://x.com/JustinTHaskins/status/2069856409563611580 [:29] to see what the data show.

GRAMMY NOTES: I had a post-op check-up on Wednesday, during which I told the PA that I was concerned about malnutrition hindering my healing; my appetite has been so awful, I’ve lost about 15 pounds in the six weeks since surgery. She said, “It’s normal to lose weight after this procedure, so we’re not concerned. Most of us have plenty of reserve.” I blinked, grabbed a hunk of my copious remaining flab and said, “Like this?” She indicated, yes, exactly like that.

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AIR FORCE ONE: They’re breaking in the new Air Force One (VC-25B) at Joint Base Andrews. CLICK https://x.com/PenguinSix/status/2069135952551788601 [:27].

BORDER: CLICK https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2069119844859969611 [1:40] to hear how Chicago’s insane “sanctuary” policy allowed an illegal who aided and abetted in the murder of three people to walk free. ICE has since caught up with her and she is in custody. Meanwhile, Cook County State’s Attorney’s office decided not to prosecute the two illegals who committed the murders. They have been deported. To add insult to injury, the woman who has no right to even be in the country, has been gainfully employed as a public school teacher outside of Chicago.

EVERYDAY HEROES: [1:32] – “A little global respect.” Indeed!

STUPID PEOPLE: Angie Báez (40) was recorded dumping all the trash out of a Knicks trash can before stealing it. CLICK https://x.com/ImMeme0/status/2069560506298589292 [:06] to see the video that cost her a $300K/year position at JPMorgan Chase as “Executive Director of Community and Industry Engagement for Card and Connected Commerce.” Not The Bee suggested Angie, who had only an Associate’s degree, may have gotten the cushy position because she is a very fat Hispanic female. I can believe it.

TALARICO: James Talarico, the man Democrats have put forth as their candidate in the 2026 U.S. Senate race. Talarico, who has a Master’s of Divinity from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has described himself as a “TransQueer” activist theologian. A new clip is making the rounds from an interview in which he said, “I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity.”

TOLERANCE: A court in São Paulo, Brazil, has sentenced Audato and Ieda Denardi to 50 days in prison for failing to include the state-approved LGBTQ stuff in their homeschool curriculum. This despite the facts that the prosecutor in the case recommended acquittal and an independent educational psychologist found zero signs of neglect.

In his written decision, the judge accused the parents of “using their daughters as pawns in an ideological struggle.” Project much, your honor?! He also accused the parents of cultural neglect, because neither of the two girls (who are both accomplished pianists and speak multiple languages) enjoy music that is currently popular with Brazilian teens.

The parents’ sentence is on hold while they appeal. May God grant them a judge who is less of a you-know-what.

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Persecuting Christians

The ACLJ is intervening for the third time on behalf of the same Christian student against the same public school district that continues to ignore the girl’s constitutional freedom of religion. When she was in second grade, she was subjected to daily backpack searches by school officials who confiscated her Bible and Gospel tracts. Earlier this year, as a sixth grader, she was pulled out of class and scolded simply for talking about Jesus with her classmates.

The third and latest incident began during a recent, mandatory “Inclusion Assembly” at Sylvester Middle School. Keep in mind that this school knows the girl’s beliefs and her parents’ feelings about her participation in such events, but not only made zero effort to notify them so the girl could be exempted from attending.

When the girl realized that the assembly was covering topics that conflicted with her family’s religious beliefs, she quietly approached a teacher, explained that she was uncomfortable, and asked to leave. The teacher initially appeared to understand her distress and, rather than forcing her to remain in the assembly, told staff that our client needed to use the restroom so she could leave the gym.

However, the bathrooms were closed (??), forcing the girl to hang out in the hallway, where another teacher asked her what she was doing. When the girl explained, the teacher said, “They aren’t forcing their belief on you, but they are informing you about this.” Our client again explained that she was uncomfortable, but was told, “You have no choice,” and forced her back into the assembly.

Back inside the gym, our client sat on the bleachers crying. She tried not to look at the presentation. She tried not to listen. But she was forced to remain there. Her distress was obvious to everyone around her. Her best friend was upset by the assembly as well and sat covering her ears with her hands.

Afterward, classmates and teachers repeatedly asked our client whether she was okay and why she had been crying. ACLJ notes, “Had our client been crying because she was sick, frightened, injured, bullied, or emotionally overwhelmed, school officials likely would have contacted her parents immediately. Instead, despite knowing exactly why she was upset, they forced her back into the very situation causing her distress.”

SCOTUS has ruled repeatedly on these issues, which the ACLJ reminded the school district in a legal demand letter. If they still refuse to respect this child’s constitutional freedom of religion, they’re going to get taken to court where they will lose. But it won’t be the people at fault who pay the legal fees and fines. It will be the taxpayers.

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Bits & Bytes

CELEBRATING US: Check it out! We have a whole week dedicated to us! LOL

DOJ: In March, Trump signed an executive order in March creating the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is chaired by Vice President JD Vance. Yesterday, the DOJ announced what I believe may be the task force’s first fruits in the form of charges filed against about 450 defendants for various healthcare fraud schemes totaling more than $6.5 billion. One case involved a man who billed insurers for $89 million in medically unnecessary tests.

EVERYDAY HEROES: CLICK https://x.com/Sassafrass_84/status/2068747733859442961 [3:03] to hear an incredibly articulate former Leftist reveal why he is glad Charlie Kirk died. It’s not for the reasons you might suppose.

IRAN: [13:12] – I really appreciated hearing VDH’s explanation of the current situation. As a military mom who saw my kids’ blood, sweat, and tears wasted on failed “nation building”, I fully support Trump’s decision to keep out troops out of Iran. If the Iranian people decide they want regime change, they can make it happen for themselves.

MIDTERMS: [13:25] – Please, God, let us win a solid majority!

GRAMMY NOTES: I’m sorry this is so short, but I’m struggling (again). My BP shot up above 200, which led to many hours with my primary then the ER. It came down again, my blood work were normal, and I was asymptomatic, so they decided, phew, I was not having a heart attack or stroke and also did not need additional tests. However, it has left me even more exhausted than usual. Prayers would be most appreciated.

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