Category Archives: Uncategorized

We’re back from a long holiday weekend and, true to form, much happened. Time for news and views.

NEWS: Gold is up more than $100 an ounce Monday and the Dow is down about 1,000-plus at the time of this writing as markets react to further reports that President Donald Trump is looking at how to remove reigning Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

VIEWS: Is Trump justified? Powell supposedly serves in a nonpartisan role, but has shown his political side multiple times. In Trump’s first term, Powell raised interest rates citing the inflationary impact of tariffs. There was virtually no inflation, despite Powell’s fears. Then, when Clueless Joe Biden’s regime did produce inflation in the 9-percent range, Powell appeared to try to sway the electorate to keep a Biden-type in office by cutting interest rates huge just before the election. Now that Trump is back in power, Powell refuses to cut rates, citing – wait for it – the inflation he anticipates from Trump tariffs. Interpreting facts through a partisan lens seems anything but apolitical to me.

NEWS: Pope Francis has died after an extended illness.

VIEWS: Cue the conspiracy theorists considering that Vice President JD Vance just met with the Pope a day before the death. Can we get a Russian slant on this, too?

NEWS: Democrats are making the rounds of the usual propaganda outlets proclaiming Trump is, or soon will be, pulling American innocents off the streets and sending them to foreign prisons, so-called “disappearing.”

VIEWS: There was no such outrage when Americans who happened to be in Washington, D.C., one January 6, were pulled from the streets and thrown into jail, often without formal charges, and left to rot there. Trump, on the other hand, has put illegal immigrants in foreign prisons. Not exactly the same thing in my eyes.

NEWS: Trump was supposed to declare martial law, suspend elections indefinitely and generally install himself as dictator Sunday.

VIEWS: Did this happen? Did I miss it? Or was it just more LameStream and social media scare porn designed to prey on the weak-minded?

NEWS: A report is out that Boston’s left-wing mayor, call her Ms. Sanctuary City, received hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations from an individual listed as an official of a Chinese intelligence agency.

VIEWS: Color me not surprised, both by the reality and the LameStream media ignoring this story.

NEWS: The United States Supreme Court has temporarily blocked Trump from deporting members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

VIEWS: The fact this was released literally in the middle of the night, between Friday and Saturday, speaks to the questionable nature of the decision. If the U.S. Supremes have gone full left, it is situation hopeless.

NEWS: A New York Times report again is accusing Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth of loose security regarding a past – successful – Yemen mission.

VIEWS: You can tell how worried the left is about an administration official’s success by the degree of character assassinations carried out against that person. Witness Elon Musk. Hegseth is ruffling feathers in the old-boy Pentagon and that includes irritating Neocons, supposedly on the political right. One theory is Hegseth is under fire again because he supposedly was one of a group that talked President Trump out of giving Israel the green light to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities.

A thought experiment: What might the LameStream media say about Adolf Hitler if he were alive and well today and they decided to sanitize, rehabilitate, confuse, cherry-pick and generally mislead about his many misdeeds?

Such 180-degree reversals are ridiculous, you say? Never happen. Consider, then, the case of Elon Musk. Way back when, maybe two years ago, Musk was the hero of the left and their LameStream media propagandists. He was singlehandedly saving the environment with his electric cars.

This was an assertion that conveniently ignored the ecological problems of mining for such things as lithium for the batteries that powered the cars, not to mention the problems recyling all those battery packs once they’d hit the final zero, or the impact of producing power to recharge the batteries nightly.

Add in that a lot of those Tesla sales were based largely on massive government tax credits and you have a mixed picture at best.

But, the lefties and the LameStream people, never ones to allow the facts to get in the way of a narrative, deified Musk.

Then Elon commited the one unpardonable sin, he aligned with Donald Trump politically. Now Elon was a modern-day Hitler. Teslas – ironically mostly owned by innocent customers – were to be burned, keyed and smeared with swastikas.

Musk was the object of wild death threats. He was evil personified, and that made extreme acts toward him and his vehicles justified.

Now, let’s get back to the original Hitler.

In the spirit of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland Man, Maryland Father, Maryland Husband with those inconvenient allegations of domestic abuse, possible human trafficking and gang membership, not to mentioned admitted illegal status in these United States, how might the media try to whitewash Adolf as they have Kilmar?

Adolf would be a German man, a husband, although likely not a father, a confirmation of the raunchy World War II marching song about Hitler’s testicular allotment being half of normal.

Just because he has greasy hair and a minimalist moustache, not to mention gives Sieg Heil salutes and hangs out with Nazis, doesn’t mean ‘Dolf is in the Nazi gang.

He’s just a fan of the Chicago Bulls – I mean Nazis.

While we’re at it, imgine if the LameStream and the left found the need to rehabilitate other prominent people of the present.

Kathy Hochul, New York woman and wife, would a sympathetic, down-on-her-luck figure unable to afford real eggs for Easter, and perhaps a funding account could be set up for her. We would be asked to ignore Hochul is governor of New York, a millionaire and, in keeping with Democrats’ trouble with facts, has chosen to ignore that egg prices are going down.

Bernie Sanders and AOC could be a brave, odd couple (not man and wife) fighting oligarchs looking to rule and ruin this country. We would need to ignore that the two are acting like oligarchs, flying around the country on private jets, or that Bernie is a millionaire socialist (oxymoron) with three houses and counting and AOC, while behind him in net worth and asset acquisition, is gaining much more quickly that you would expect from someone on a public servant’s salary.

Chris Van Hollen could be promoted as a Maryland man, a brave advocate of the forgotten man, fighting the good fight against the machine. Ignore, please, that he is going to bat for an illegal immigrant who, if left to his own devices, might use that bat on the head of a rich white guy like Van Hollen. Also, feel free to forget that Van Hollen has no interest in advocating for constituents who are victims of violence at the hands of illegals, and seems to be spending taxpayer money to milk a political story for his own gain.

James Carville might be described simply as a Louisiana man who, despite appearances, is not the love child of reptilian aliens (interstellar type aliens). It is necessary to ignore that Carville is a political pundit who seems mostly to have gotten it wrong since picking Abe Lincoln and therefore has little to offer of any value.

Joe Biden is a Delaware man, although he likes to be called Scranton (Pa.) Joe for political purposes. Do not note that, beyond his apparent geographic confusion, most would say Biden definitely splits time living in states of confusion and delusion. And all the money his family made while he had prominent roles in politics, that’s just coincidence.

Letitia James is a New York, or Virginia woman. You would be expected to ignore her confusion that extends beyond her residence states in the pursuit of favorable real estate terms, to include perhaps being married to her own father. Also, put on ignore that while she insists this is much ado about nothing, she is the crusader who persecuted Trump on much ado about nothing under the screeching rant that no one is above the law. This could have a karmic quality soon.

Finally, we can’t end without an homage to Hunter Biden, a Delaware, California, or Ukraine man with kids, some of whom he admits to having fathered, not needing court demands to do same. Ignore that Hunter formerly made a lot of money with his art. That’s dried up since daddy went into private life. Times are tough. And, yes, there were some problems with drugs, guns and failing to pay taxes, but Hunter has that pardon, the gift from daddy that keeps on giving.

First, the leftists and their environmental crazies came for my internal combustion car, and I did not speak out — because I could always walk.

Then they came for a my gas stove, and I did not speak out – because I had a microwave.

Then they came for my plastic shopping bags and drinking straws, and I did not speak out – because I could use paper and cloth bags or just drink from the glass.

Then they came for my rights to raise my children, and I did not speak out – because my son is an adult who can speak for himself.

Then they came for our elections, and I did not speak out – because I presumed incorrectly that their illegal actions could not be eliminated.

Then they came for my freedom, and I did not speak out – because I felt able to support those who would oppose them.

Then they came for my country’s ability to protect its borders, and I did not speak out – because I don’t live near a border.

Then they came for my president (repeatedly), and I did not speak out – because I believed he would prevail despite it all.

Then they came for the family dogs, and I did not speak out – because despite a long history of dog ownership, my current pet lineup is three birds and the feral cat who lives on our front porch and is fed daily by the wife.

Then they came for anyone upholding the rule of law, and I did not speak out – because I thought it was but a horrid dream from which I would soon awake.

Then they came for my freedom to eat meat, and I did not speak out – because one can subsist on plant materials.

Then the LameStream media descended into spreading misinformation, and I did not speak out – because non-traditional media sprang up to fight their propaganda.

Then the radical left went full-out violent regarding people on the other side, their houses, their cars, and I did not speak out – because I didn’t drive a Tesla or live in one of those crazed blue communities.

And then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak out for me.

The variables of April weather — warm and sunny one day, cold and windy and rainy the next, with temperature swings of 30 degrees — prompt me to enter a questioning state of mind.

Does anyone else think Jeff Bezos is quite the trickster, sending that all-women crew on a 10-minute-or-so “space” flight riding a rocket that looked like a penis, or at best an oversize vibrator?

If Bezos is trying to compete with Elon Musk, does he understand he’d need to have impregnated at least half the crew to win?

Is anyone else saddened by the pompous speeches from the self-absorbed women about all they had learned being away from Earth for TEN WHOLE MINUTES?

Have you heard the story of the Russian soldiers shooting down a flying saucer and being turned to limestone by the ticked off aliens?

How long before Zelenskyy reaches out to the aliens asking them to help in his losing battle with invading Russians?

Will aliens, stereotypically short of stature, identify with Zelenskyy?

Who do you think is angrier over talks of a USA-Russia hockey series, Zelenskyy or doofus NHL commissioner Gary Bettman?

Have you heard that for the first time in NHL history, the four U.S.-based original six teams, (Detroit, Chicago, Boston and the New York Rangers) all will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs together?

Should Trump place a tariff on Toronto and Montreal, the two Canada-based original six teams that almost assuredly both will make the Stanley Cup field?

Did it bring a smile to your face when El Salvador president Nayib Bukele told the snarky leftist reporter he wasn’t giving back Kilmar Abrego Garcia, currently jailed in El Salvador?

Along that line, do you find it amusing that Bukele need not fear those over-reaching district judges, and even our august Supreme Court?

Anyone else have a short list of people they’d like to put on a plane and send to El Salvador?

Can we all agree the list of would-be Democrat presidential candidates is a latter-day seven dwarfs?

Do you prefer Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer, who tried to hide her face behind a couple of blue binders to avoid being photographed in the Oval Office awaiting President Trump?

How about Bernie Sanders, the self-avowed socialist with three homes and a net worth estimated to be on the far side of $3 million?

Would you vote for former drink slinger AOC?

Maybe you back California governor Gavin Newsom, who channeled Nero, sans violin, as he watched California burn?

Do you think Cory Booker’s campaign would last longer than his 25-hour Senate filibuster speech?

What are the odds sports pundit Stephen A. Smith actually runs?

And last, can Kamala Harris convince supporters to give her another couple of billion dollars to blow in a tsunami of cackling word salads?

People who know me understand I’m not a bird lover, even though I currently share my house with three avian creatures.

A blue budgie parakeet sits outside its cage less than two feet from me, twittering away as I write this early Saturday afternoon. In the past, this creature and its cage mate (a green example now sitting atop the cage, too) have seized such opportunities to attempt carrier landings on my head.

It’s a long story.

So, it was with sympathetic amusement that I saw videos Friday of Fox White House correspondent Peter Doocy being annoyed by a bird landing on his head during live television as he attempted to report from the White House lawn. Been there, done that, sort of.

Years back, while fishing with several others along the banks of the Quemahoning Reservoir, I noted a white bird flying along the far side of that particular branch of the lake. Understand, this probably was 300 to 400 yards distant.

I pointed it out to others and, almost on cue, the bird turned and headed straight toward me. I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised, considering I read online that pigeons/doves (I think this one of that family) can see shapes and colors at ranges up to seven miles.

The bird kept coming, divebombed my head, and as I yelled (screamed like a girl, one insisted) and waved off the bird, it veered to a perch high up in an overhead tree limb, perhaps to wait for a moment of weakness on my part.

Hell, it still might be out there. Sitting. Waiting.

Allow me to interject at this point that the political left tosses around “phobias” without the sort of medical credentials they insisted upon from anyone who suggested that Clueless Joe Biden was a few bricks shy of a load mentally.

Phobias, in a clinical sense, are supposed to be irrational, excessive, persistent fears of something.

You see something wrong with Muslims killing people for failing to convert to their religion and you are an Islamaphobe.

You do not approve of same sex couples fondling each other and French kissing during afternoon television or in advertisements run during same, and you are a homophobe.

Those who are not emamored with guys wanting to be girls, and kicking female butt in athletic events, are transphobes.

Interjection: The blue budgie just buzzed me and, having been repulsed, flew into the living room to land on the head of my wife, who is holding and petting a yellow-naped Amazon parrot.

This flyby did not please me, and so I would be shoved into the ornithophobia category – fear of birds.

Allow me to push back. I am not afraid of the birds. I’m confident, if it came down to me or them in a physical confrontation, I would prevail.

Also, I do not hate the birds – the preferred politicalization of the phobia term. It’s just I prefer not to have my head serve as a landing pad, as I also prefer not to have my big toe bitten by the parrot, something that has happened because the bird, a psychotic rescue animal, seems to have abuse by feet and/or shoes in its past.

As a parting shot, I presume my lack of unconditional love for the parrot could be labeled misogyny, too.

Herbie arrived as a reported male but, after several incidents of laying eggs, has been moved to the female category. Maybe he just identifies as a female.

My wife has suggested a name change to Her-She. I’m not sure what the bird’s preferred pronouns are, but I suspect, since it can mimic human speech, it would share them if only someone programmed it with what to say – sort of like confused people have been coached along that line.

I wait with bated breath.

In case you were busy living your life Wednesday, early in the afternoon President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause for most tariffs, except those on China, and stock markets went wild to the upside.

You’d think this would make most adults in the populace happy. And you would be wrong, which explains a lot about the hatred for Trump among Democrats, LameStream media, and, surprisingly, many financial types.

It already was a good day financially for me prior to Trump’s change of heart, with gold up about $90 an ounce at the time, and silver up more than $1 an ounce. Those rises in precious metals prices had to do with panic in the bond market in overnight trading.

One theory making the rounds is that hedge funds with overleveraged positions were playing arbitrage between bonds and futures on those bond instruments and got caught short in a liquidity crunch.

Once Trump paused tariffs, the bond market was freed up and stocks went crazy to the upside, retaking much of the losses from previous days of panic.

The Dow Jones Industrial average was up nearly 3,000 points, a tad under 8 percent just on the day. The tech-heavy NASDAQ was up 1,800 and change, slightly more than 12 percent.

Understand, the doom porn purveyors in business and regular news had spent the past few days predicting the end of financial life as we know it, sort of like Democrats kept trying to portray the last election as the end of democracy should Trump win,

They were wrong then, and all the people calling for financial armageddon were wrong, too.

Oh, to see these half-wits try to scramble to cover for their tariff misread, sort of like how all those LameStream media types who denied Clueless Joe Biden was, indeed, clueless, now are trying to get on the right side of that history.

We wrote here, several times, advising all to remain calm and ignore the panic being spread by people who are supposed to know better. Trump coined a new term for them, calling them “panicans” (those who panic).

I would call them tariffied, as in terrified by tariffs.

All I know is if people succumbed to the panic spreaders and sold, they missed a huge rally, one that just might have legs in coming days.

Regardless, the race was on among media and Democrats on the national scene Wednesday to ignore the financial market gains and impugn Trump for blinking in the face of market turmoil. It didn’t matter that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he and Trump had discussed this very strategy Sunday. Once a flood of countries approached the U.S. government about trade deals to end reciprocal tarrifs – and reportedly more than 75 have done so – the plan was to pause tariffs for those nations to provide time to negotiate.

But, for countries such as China, which has been quick to counter with tariffs on the U.S., no deal.

It makes sense. One might go so far as to say Trump brilliantly has isolated China economically, not a bad thing considering that the Chinese Communists are dedicated to the demise of the United States.

Commerce secretary Howard Lutnick, like Bessent a guy with an impressive resume of Wall Street success before joining the Trump team, went on CNBS’s Fast Money show to address the situation and found himself being grilled by panelists, who seemed to be aligning themselves with China.

Part of Trump’s plan with tariffs is to incentivize companies to return production to America, thereby avoiding any tariffs.

But the Wall Street money machine has been built on corporations headquartered here, but paying sweatshop wages to foreign workers to create their products abroad, which they then sell here for huge profits.

Manufacturing of all sorts has fled this country, leaving a gap in the availability of jobs for people who didn’t go to college to get a degree in philosophy.

These smug CNBS types chortled that there is no reason to have Americans making sneakers. Lutnick pointed out maybe there is need to have semiconductors, or pharmaceuticals, or steel, or aluminum made here.

After Lutnick’s segment was done, the studio types ridiculed him in absentia.

It was left for CNBS commentator Rick Santelli, brought on to talk about bond distress, to challenge his co-workers for opinions on whether Trump had struck a blow against globalism.

These arrogant twits even took shots at Santelli, wondering whether his question was significant. Santelli believes it is, as do Trump voters. They want control of this country in the hands of our citizens, not elites in Europe or Asia,

Trump’s tariff battle is an attempt to push the reset button on the world and guarantee the U.S. is in a position of strength to fend off the globalists.

But Santelli soon was cut off and then there was a segment with an academic, a China expert, who, surprise, called Trump names and panned his policies.

Meanwhile, the very same Democrats who were rushing to microphones to berate Trump when stock markets were declining, now are demanding investigations about why he paused the tariffs and helped fuel a huge stock market rally.

Talk about hypocrites.

The latest is that the spreaders of fear porn are speculating that miffed China might do something dramatic in coming days as retribution. Let them do so, say I.

And do yourself a favor, ignore these fools. Accept that what Trump is doing could produce future volatility, but the end result likely is going to be worth any short-term discomfort. Keep the faith.

I’m guilty of schadenfreude and I’m not apologizing.

Like the Democrats and their lapdogs in the media, who refuse to apologize for Russia, Russia, Russia, COVID-19 or insisting Joe Biden was sharp mentally as president, I will not say I’m sorry for finding joy in the pain of others, which is the condition described by that German word from paragraph one.

This is the roundabout way of telling you it did my heart good to see Houston coach Kelvin Sampson looking like someone had hit him in the gonads with a two-by-four after his team lost to Florida in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament title game Monday night.

What a far cry it was from Saturday, when Duke choked away a 14-point lead in the second half to lose to Houston in a semifinal game.

Afterward, Sampson failed to appreciate that his team would play on only because there was no one to administer a group Heimlich maneuver to a gagging Duke team.

Instead, Sampson had acted like was 69 going on 13 years of age. He was smug, arrogant, boastful, preachy and generally obnoxious in panning Duke and overhyping his team. He called out anyone who had ever doubted the greatness of his Houston team, and presumably of the coach, too.

Well, I’m one of those doubters. I will admit I did not have Houston getting to the title game. I did have Florida winning there.

Fast-forward to Monday night and Sampson’s team choked away a double-digit lead in the second half and lost to Florida, which barely led in the game, except when it counted – at the end.

Karma is a female dog.

Sampson’s team looked lost at crunch time, commiting turnover after turnover and then failing even to get off a shot on its final possession.

It was glorious and all I could think of was maybe Sampson wished he’d just put a sock in his mouth Saturday instead of ranting in one of those oncourt interviews at game’s end.

Sampson mumbled through an attempted postgame explanation Monday and didn’t feel moved to call out doubters of his team.

Again, his distress was delicous.

Somehow, I kept thinking about how a lot of other Texas institutions of higher education refer to Houston as “Cougar High,” a knock on the perceived academic shortcomings that cause them to consider it something less than a college or university.

On another front, an email I received today from CBS sports gave me the final report on my bracket that I’d entered in one of their contests.

Where previously I’d ranked 600,000-something, getting Florida correct as the champion catapulted me all the way up to – wait for it – 286,535 in the pecking order. I got 73 percent of my bracket picks correct, above the national average of 68 percent.

Getting the eventual national champion right was nice. Watching it come at the expense of Sampson was priceless.

Deep State purveyors of conspiracy theories must have been orgasmic early Sunday afternoon.

That’s when Alex Ovechkin blasted a puck into the net to become hockey’s all-time goal-scoring leader, against a backdrop of all things these professional liars use to prey on the weak-minded among us, mostly Democrats.

It’s a gift, I tell you, to have such a high-profile sports story with so many elements ripe to be twisted into the fodder conspiracy theory types love to peddle.

Begin with the fact that Ovechkin is a Russian! And he plays for a team based in Washington, D.C. Looks like a KGB plant to me.

How ironic this was considering the virtue signaling NHL had a Four Nations Faceoff tournament to replace the all-star game this season, an event that had teams of players from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland, but not Russia due to political concerns.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was greeted with his customary round of booing as the game was stopped Sunday for ceremonies to honor the Ovechkin milestone. Watching Bettman need to kiss Ovechkin’s a@# – ring – was priceless.

Maybe next year Russia gets to field a team for the NHL “Five” nations faceoff?

Sure, Ovechkin is a Putin supporter, but aren’t sports supposed to be above politics?

When Ovechkin scored for the 895^th time, on a powerplay, he supplanted the Great Wayne Gretzky, widely mentioned as the likely governor if and when Canada becomes our 51^st state.

If only the U.S. and Canada weren’t on the outs, we might have rushed to the aid of our northern neighbors who must be in mourning over having their national icon passed for the record.

In attendance to view the record firsthand was FBI director Kash Patel. Sure, he had a weak cover story of being a fan of the host New York Islanders. But Patel also had been on hand the previous game, when Ovechkin tied the record.

Are we to believe that Patel is just a fan of athletic greatness? When a Russian is involved? Of course not.

And Ovechkin scored off a Russian goalie. I see collusion, don’t you?

The crowd, mostly Islanders fans, actually cheered the Russian’s milestone. In a New York arena.

Cue Letitia James and Alvin Bragg. There must be some obscure statute they can prosecute these fans for violating. If not, we’ll just make up one that fits. Show me the man, I’ll show you the crime.

This was a threat to democracy as we know it, for sure. Worst I’ve seen in my lifetime. It was insurrection, cheering a Russian setting a record on American soil.

I expect a few hundred former intelligence officials to rush to publish an ad proclaiming this all was nothing more than Russian disinformation.

Somewhere, Karine Gay Paree is leafing through her binder for the proper verbiage to label alleged videos of the event “cheap fakes.”

Democrats in Congress, many of them on the Chinese payroll, will show their general ignorance by wondering aloud why a Chinese player was not deemed fit to break the record.

They also will be drawing up impeachment charges against Donald Trump, for the greatest security breach in the nation’s history, allowing a Russian to break the record on domestic soil, during Trump’s watch.

More Russia, Russia, Russia, Trump might respond.

But there are positives to all this.

Gretzky said his Russian grandfather would have been happy.

Putin, relieved of needing to monitor Ovechkin’s record progress, now can contemplate peace with Ukraine.

And Zelenskyy can plead for more U.S. financial aid to bolster his country’s hockey programs in order to keep pace with the Russians. A few hundred billion dollars should do.

From weather, to economics, to politics and beyond, there is a bleak tinge to life these days. Why should my NCAA Men’s Basketball bracket be any different?

Let us try to put a positive slant on something — my bracket. My eventual championship pick, Florida, remains alive, as we anticpate Monday night’s championship game.

It’s all downhill beyond that.

As I glance at the standings on CBSsports.com, I rank 641,517^th among entrants. I can’t easily find how many total entrants there are, but I would suspect a lot more than 641,517.

The good news is, I spent no money to enter this bracket contest, losing only pride as pick after pick fell by the wayside. It was supposed to be easy this year, with zero Cinderella teams and not a lot of surprises between the big guys.

Yes, I incorrectly I picked a lot of early upsets.

My bracket did better as we moved along. I had Florida and Auburn tabbed to meet in one Final Four game, with Florida winning. That happened.

The other half of my bracket had Duke beating Tennessee, the team Houston had beaten a couple of rounds back.

Imagine my surprise when Duke managed to squander a 14-point second-half lead to come from ahead to lose to Houston in their semifinal Saturday.

Understand that despite the hype, I had not been sold totally on Duke this year. The guard play was suspect, especially at crunch time. The team had not faced a lot of close contests along the way.

And wunderkind Cooper Flagg seems to have a habit of coming up short in the clutch. I recall times this season watching him stumble and fall while trying to get a late shot. In the Houston loss, he left his mid-range jumper way short when it mattered at the end.

I just had thought Houston, with its ugly, rock-throwing-and-rebounding-the-misses style, would not prevail.

Also, I am not a fan of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson, who commited NCAA violations that got Oklahoma and Indiana in trouble previously in his coaching career. His backers note what were then violations now are legal.

That doesn’t matter to me. College sports have become ridiculous in being a playground of millionaire players now due to Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) payments. But, when Sampson and his staffs did what they did, it was against the rules.

It didn’t help that Sampson came out with some in-your-face comments to Houston doubters after Duke donated that win to the Cougars. He should have been grateful instead of belligerent.

Here’s hoping Florida wipes out Houston Monday. The good news for the Gators, the reason I picked them to win it all, is that they do have a great bunch of guards, led by Walter Clayton Jr., a transfer from tiny Iona.

In a departure from the spirit of these NIL times, Clayton’s total income is not reported, but he did recently announce signing a deal with Turbo Tax, so I am confident he is not hurting for pizza (or tax) money.

Florida also has an abundance of talented big guys.

If the Gators can get it done one more time, I have the solace of at least getting the eventual national champion correct on my bracket. That and about $7 will buy you a designer coffee, if I drank such.

For God’s sake, all of you on the right or the left, can the hysteria. Take a deep breath. Quit hyperventilating.

The weekend is upon us. I seldom drink, but feel free to down my share. Watch the Final Four men’s basketball games to escape your unhappiness.

Go for a walk. Read a book. Take the family out to dinner. Do something, anything, except to obsess over declines in investment or retirement accounts — drops that mean little unless you absolutely, positively, need all the money tomorrow if not sooner.

Hell, early Friday night before writing this I watched a couple of really old movies on Turner Classic Movies just to get away from overhyped types on the business channels I ordinarily like to watch.

That would include know-it-alls such as Jim Cramer, who conveniently forgets about telling us in a previous financial market meltdown – one with legitimate economic roots – that it was safe to hold the Bear Stearns investment firm about five days before it was bailed out for about 1/30^th of its price when Cramer was so sure all was well.

Somehow, despite this and other gaffes, Cramer remains a prominent horse in the CNBC stable.

Many consider the omnipresent Cramer a clown and I’m not going to argue.

If you’ve been paying any attention at all, you should be as unshocked by the financial markets’ reaction to Donald Trump’s tariff Liberation Day, as by Joe Biden’s debate meltdown that set loose the coup to remove him as the Democrat candidate in the past election.

A month ago, March 4, I wrote on this blog under the headline “Trump Cures Won’t Be Without Pain,” likening what Trump was about to do to cure our trade problem to chemotherapy.

Now, people seem shocked, shocked I tell you, that the financial markets are throwing hissy fits and trantrums because multinational companies won’t be able to continue to generate 30 percent rates of return by paying foreign serfs incredibly low pay to produce products for less than American workers can or will.

China, which loves to bluster, responded to Trump’s tariffs with tariffs of its own. Let’s see who can win that battle over time.

Other nations, and artificial amalgamations of such designed often to present a united economic challenge to the U.S., are reported to be talking about dropping their tariffs on our products to relieve Trump’s reciprocal tariffs.

I believe that in a matter of months (maybe many months), this all comes out in the wash. Until then, we could get more of this unsettling price action of recent days, so grow a pair.

Repeat, the rise and fall of portfolio numbers is part of the investment game. It is fluctuation and only matters if you are so moronic as to be overleveraged enough to receive margin calls you cannot satisfy.

If you own your stocks, bonds, commodities outright, you have not “lost” money in recent days, you’ve merely experienced a decline in their price and your net worth.

If you sell at these depressed prices and lock in the loss, then you have lost money; lit it up with a match and tossed it out the car window.

Otherwise, it only matters if you are such a pessimist that you think the nation as we know it is at the end of the line economically due to Trump. Hell, if the Democrats weren’t having a cast of socialists lining up to replace Trump in 2028, one could argue his successor could be counted on to right the ship he is being accused of torpedoing with his tariffs.

The point is, there have been dislocations much worse than this, just since 2000, and always the markets and the economy are stronger down the line, hitting higher highs.

A final word to the MAGA types and Republicans already going squishy on this. I had a considerable drawdown in my financial picture over the past two days and I was buying on the decline. I’m retired and I’m not horrified, terrified, or turning on Trump.

This is what you signed up for by voting for Trump. It’s not just the Washington deep state that sees cleaning up the Swamp as their existential problem. It’s the financial people, too, who see a threat to their cushy lifestyles.

If you didn’t understand that those in the existing culture of ridiculously easy money and inflated asset prices were going to act like so many petulant children when the candy was taken away, you were naive in the extreme.

In view of the fact I’ve been reading reports today that Trump is not about to back down, we should see more of this.

Again, I invoke the chemotherapy analogy. It’s going to be painful. You’re going to feel like throwing up, or maybe you already have tossed your cookies. But, if you can stick it out, the end will make it all worthwhile.

Try to remember that between tantrums.