Chocolate

 

60: Medicare

 

60 years ago today (July 30, 1965) President Johnson signed Medicare into law.

It is a Federal Insurance Program for People 65 years and older as well as anyone with Disabilities.

65 Million Americans receive Medicare.

57 Million are 65 or older and 8 Million are Disabled.

Stick Library

 

US Homeless

 1 in every 500 Americans (out of a Population of 330 Million Men, Women and Children) are Homeless.

That is up 12% since 2022.

 

By State:

171,521 Homeless are in California.

74,178 Homeless are in New York.

25,959 Homeless are in Florida.

25,211 Homeless are in Washington State.

24,432 Homeless are in Texas.

15,507 Homeless are in Massachusetts.

13,553 Homeless are in Arizona.

10,689 Homeless are in Georgia.

10,397 Homeless are in Colorado (90% of the Homeless in Colorado live in Denver.)

9,352 Homeless are in North Carolina.

5,967 Homeless are in Hawaii.

1,605 Homeless are in New Hampshire.

 

 The Working Poor Homeless:

44% of the Homeless in the US work Full-Time.

 

Pets:

12% of the Homeless in the US have a Pet.

 

US Veterans:

22 out of every 10,000 US Veterans or 35,574 US Veterans are Homeless.

10,395 Homeless US Veterans are in California.

2,279 Homeless US Veterans are in Florida.

2,200 Homeless US Veterans are in Texas.

 

Families:

28% of the Homeless in the US are Families with Children.

15,901 Homeless Families are in New York.

7,044 Homeless Families are in California.

 

Children:

1 out of every 50 Children (or 1.4 Million Boys and Girls) under 17 in the US are Homeless either with their Family or by Themselves.

34,703 Children 17 and under in the US are Homeless and by themselves.

 

The Disabled:

31% of the 46,227,000 (or 14,330,370) Disabled Men, Women and Children in the US are Homeless.

 

The Elderly:

1 in every 4 Homeless (or 138,098 Men and Women) in the US are 55 or Over.

 

Laws Banning Homelessness:

Many Municipalities in the US make it a crime to provide food or shelter to Homeless people with many more making it Illegal for Homeless People themselves to use blankets or soap.

At least 31 US Cities have made it Illegal to feeding the Homeless.

In June 2024, the US Supreme Court ruled that Cities may criminalize Homelessness.

In July 2025 the President made it easier for places to ban and remove the Homeless.

 

Future:

37 Million Americans are 1 to 2 Paychecks away from becoming Homeless.

 

Note: These are only an estimate from the Department of Housing and Urban Development since we can’t fully know how many Homeless there actually are.

I am not Homeless nor have I ever been Homeless, but that doesn’t mean I don’t take this issue seriously.

Any one of us could become Homeless in a matter of minutes, through no fault of our own.

We should be helping the Homeless – not banning and removing them.

TGIF

 

Logic

Friend: "You haven't liked any of my posts in months."

- Me: "You haven't posted anything new since May 2nd and I liked that one."

Friend: "Yeah. So...... you should still like what's not there."

^ It's hard to argue with that "logic." ^

Singing Driver

 

Adopt Don't Shop

 

Shelters across the US and around the World are overflowing with amazing Dogs, Cats and other Animals.

Adopt don't shop.

Sombrero

 

Navahrudak Ghetto

 

The Navahrudak Ghetto in German-Occupied Poland (today Belarus) held 10,000 Jewish Men, Women and Children from July 4, 1941 until July 8, 1944.

The first Action (mass murder) of the Jews there occurred on December 7, 1941 with 500 Men, Women and Children killed that day.

The second Action of the Jews there occurred on May 7, 1943 with 300 Men, Women and Children killed that day.

In May 1943 the Jews in the Ghetto started to build an underground tunnel (200 yards long) from the Ghetto to the outside and on September 26, 1943, 253 Men, Women and Children escaped the Ghetto through the tunnel.

100 of these People later joined the Bielski Brother Partisans in the forest.

10,000 Jewish Men, Women and Children were murdered by the Germans in the Navahrudak Ghetto.

Picture: The Stones cover the top of where the underground tunnel was from the Ghetto to Freedom.

250: USPS

 

250 years ago today (July 26, 1775) the US Post Office was created (as a Cabinet-Level Department.)

Benjamin Franklin was appointment it’s first Postmaster General.

The US Post Office is one of a few Government Agencies explicitly authorized by the Constitution of the United States.

The USPS has a monopoly on traditional letter delivery within the U.S. and operates under a Universal Service Obligation (USO), both of which are defined across a broad set of legal mandates, which obligate it to provide uniform price and quality across the entirety of its service area.

The Postal Service’s unofficial motto, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds,” has been associated with the Service since the New York City Post Office on 8th Avenue opened in 1914.

 The phrase comes from the Greek Historian Herodotus, describing Persian Couriers in the Greek and Persian Wars (500-449 BCE).

In 1838 Railroads were first used in the US to deliver mail.

The first known Female Mail Carrier was Sarah Black in Maryland in 1845.

The first US Postal Stamps were issued on July 1, 1847. Postage could be paid in advance by the Writer, collected from the Addressee on delivery, or paid partially in advance and partially upon delivery.

During the American Civil War (1860-1865) the Post Office Department could only deliver in the States and Territories still in the Union, but once the North won deliveries were resumed throughout the whole country once again.

In 1864, the Post Office issued the first Postal Money Order for Union Soldiers wanting to send money back to their Families.

Rural Free Delivery was created in 1896 to make it the same price to mail items from a city to a farm, a farm to a city, within a city or within a farming community.

The first known African American Mail Carrier was James B. Christian in 1869.

In 1869, with the completion of the Trans-American Railroad, mail could be delivered by Train from the East Coast to the West Coast.

The General Postal Union (now Universal Postal Union)  was established with the United States the International Organization.

In 1912 the US Post Office started Operation Santa – allowing Postal Employees to reply to Letters for Children from Santa.

In 1913 Parcel Post was created making it cheaper to mail packages.

In 1916 the Post Office banned mailing Children or anything alive using Parcel Post.

In 1918 the first mail was delivered using an airplane.

In 1950 mail was reduced to only one delivery a day.

On July 1, 1963 the ZIP Code (Zone Improvement Code) was introduced in the US to help deliver mail faster.

On March 18, 1970, Postal Workers in New York City—upset over low wages and poor working conditions —organized a Strike.

The Strike initially involved Postal Workers in only New York City, but it eventually gained support of over 210,000 Postal Workers across the nation.

While the strike ended without any concessions from the Federal Government, it did ultimately allow for Postal Worker Unions and the Government to negotiate a contract which gave the Unions most of what they wanted, as well as the signing of the Postal Reorganization Act by President Richard Nixon on August 12, 1970.

The Act replaced the Cabinet-Level Post Office Department with a new Federal Agency, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and took effect on July 1, 1971.

Among the changes from the Postal Reorganization Act, a key aspect was the requirement for the USPS to be self-financing, which introduced a conflict with its other requirement to provide a nationwide service.

In 1983 the USPS introduced the ZIP + 4 Code to help deliver mail faster.

Self-Adhesive Stamps were introduced in 1992.

The National Postal Museum was opened in 1993.

USPS.com was introduced in 1994.

Forever Stamps were introduced in 1998.

The Priority Mail Flat-Rate Box was introduced in 2008.

The first Female Postmaster General was Megan J. Brennan in 2015.

Informed Delivery E-Mail Service was introduced in 2017.

USPS delivers mail and packages Monday through Saturday as required by the Postal Service Reform Act of 2022; on Sundays only Priority Express and packages for Amazon.com are delivered.

The USPS delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities.

Under the Mail Cover Program USPS photographs the front and back of every piece of U.S. mail as part of the sorting process, enabling Law Enforcement to obtain address information and images of the outsides of mail as part of an investigation without the need for a warrant.

The USPS also handles Mail for the Military’s APO/FPO and the State Department’s DPO address within the United States until handing it to the Military or State Department for further delivery.

The Holiday Season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is the peak period for the Postal Service, representing a total volume of 11.7 billion packages and pieces of mail during this time in 2022.

As of 2023, the USPS operates 33,641 Post Office and contract locations in the U.S., and delivered a total of 127.3 billion packages and pieces of mail to 164.9 million delivery points with 640,000 Employees.

Sign On

 

My Best

 

Skills

 

104: Ella Blumenthal

Ella Blumenthal turns 104 years old today (July 25th.)

Ella Blumenthal was born on July 25, 1921 in Warsaw, Poland. She was the youngest of 7 Children.

She was 18 years old when the Germans invaded in September 1939 and her carefree and happy life ended.

In October 1940 the Germans forced her and her Family into the Warsaw Ghetto (along with 460,000 other Jews.)

By 1943 only her Father and her Niece, Roma, were still alive. The others having been deported from the Ghetto to the Death Camps by the Germans.

From April 19-May 16, 1943 Ella helped in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising against the Germans.

When the Ghetto Uprising ended she was one of the 50,000 Jews sent from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Majdanek Death Camp (along with her Father and Niece.)

At Majdanek her Father was killed in the Gas Chamber upon arrival.

Ella and Roma were also selected to go to the Gas Chambers, along with 700 other Women, but as they were undressed and waiting inside the Gas Chamber a German came in and told them to get out.

He was given the order to gas a Transport of 500 Women (arriving the next day) not this Transport of 700 Women. So, because of Strict German Rule-Following  he let them go and Ella and Roma lived.

Shortly after, Ella and Roma were sent to the Auschwitz Death Camp.

In November 1944 Ella and Roma were sent from Auschwitz to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp where they were liberated by the British on April 15, 1945.

After the War Ella went back to Warsaw to learn what happened to her Family (out of the 23 Members of her Immediate Family only Ella, Roma and Roma’s Father who had escaped the Warsaw Ghetto and made it to Palestine  - Israel - survived) and then she moved to Paris.

 In 1947 she moved to Palestine (later Israel) where she met and married her Husband, Issac (a Jew from South Africa.)

She has 4 Children, 11 Grandchildren and 9 Great-Grandchildren.

You can watch the 2021 Documentary “I am Here” about her life in the Warsaw Ghetto and the Death and Concentration Camps on Amazon.

She is currently living in Cape Town, South Africa.

 

Hire A Vet

NATIONAL HIRE A VETERAN DAY

Every day, hundreds of our military personnel leave the service in search of civilian employment. On July 25, National Hire A Veteran Day reminds employers to consider veterans to fill their open positions. As highly trained, qualified individuals, they’re ideal for numerous trades.  Legislation protects separating servicemen and women as they enter the civilian workforce. However, the best way a potential employer can honor a veteran is to hire one!  While they’re serving in point unknown, provide their returning brothers and sisters with an opportunity. Skills gained in the military world transfer to the civilian world. Regardless of the position, find qualified candidates in a range of fields. For example:

Information Technology, Engineering, Cyber Security, Sales, Marketing, Management, Finance, Healthcare and Skilled Trades

HOW TO OBSERVE “Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill” and do it with a Veteran!

Starting in July and throughout Veterans Day you can post your current job openings to Hire Our Heroes Veteran Job Board by visiting www.hireourheroes.com for a 50% discount on unlimited job postings by entering the code “Hire a Vet”. For year-round partnerships, employers and veterans can find more assistance and free training resources at www.hireourheroes.com and search for the latest job opportunities. Please take a moment to Honor our men and women of Armed Forces by offering them your time and consideration in the civilian workforce. Use #HireAVeteranDay to share on social media.

HISTORY:   Marine Corp veteran Dan Caporale, Founder of Hire Our Heroes, also founded National Hire a Veteran Day to provide a call to action to hire more veterans! By spreading awareness and creating the #1 Veteran Job Board platform, www.hireourheroes.com has become the connective tissue that connects corporate America with our veterans, and veteran spouses looking for employment.

  https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-hire-a-veteran-day-july-25/

The Homeless

With both the US Supreme Court and the President saying it is legal for places to ban the Homeless across the Country and many Towns, Cities and States banning them take a moment to stop and think about who the Homeless actually are.

It is estimated that there are at least 771,800 Homeless in the US (the number is much higher.)

They are Men, Women and Children.

They are Working People who work Full-Time during the day and sleep outside or in their Car at night since they can’t afford a hotel, rent or a mortgage.

28% of the Homeless are whole Families with Parents and their Children.

12% of Homeless People have a dog or a cat.

At least 40,000 Veterans are Homeless.

59% of all 360 Million Americans are just 1 or 2 paychecks away from being Homeless.

I regularly donate money, food and warm weather supplies to Local, National and International Charities that help the Homeless (People and Animals.)

It is not something I just started.

When I was 13 years old and living in Germany I did a Homeless Project for my Boy Scout Troop where I raised 2,315 Deutsche Marks ($1,216 US Dollars) to help the Homeless.

When I was 16 years old and living in New York I spent 2 nights sleeping outside with just the clothes on my back in the snow and cold (it was 24 F or -4 C) to show how bad it is for anyone to have to spend even 1 night outside.

I was even on the Local News and people donated to various Homeless Shelters in my area afterwards (that raised $6,228.)

Being Homeless is not and should never be a crime, but it should be a crime to let people be Homeless.

Removing Homeless

From Yahoo/CBS:

“Trump signs order making it easier to remove homeless people from streets”

President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order making it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets and get them treatment elsewhere. The president's order asks Attorney General Pam Bondi to "reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit state and local governments' ability to commit individuals on the streets who are a risk to themselves or others," according to a White House fact sheet. It also commits federal funding to move people on the streets who are "causing public disorder and that are suffering from serious mental illness or addiction" to "treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or other facilities." "Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order," the text of the order said. "Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens. My Administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety."

The executive order the president also asks Bondi to work with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation to prioritize federal grants for states and cities that "enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering," the White House said. The order was first reported by USA Today. "President Trump is delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. "By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need."

In March, Mr. Trump called for Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to "clean up all of the unsightly homeless encampments in the City, specifically including the ones outside of the State Department, and near the White House." He added that if she was "not capable of doing so, we will be forced to do it for her!" He signed an executive order directing the National Park Service to clear all homeless encampments on federal lands.

He also signed a separate executive order in March aiming to dismantle the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. The president pledged to remove homeless individuals from the nation's streets during his campaign. "When I am back in the White House, we will use every tool, lever, and authority to get the homeless off our streets," Mr. Trump said in a spring 2023 campaign video.

The National Homelessness Law Center said the order "does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet." "Forced treatment is unethical, ineffective, and illegal. People need stable housing and access to healthcare. Rather, Trump's actions will force more people into homelessness, divert taxpayer money away from people in need, and make it harder for local communities to solve homelessness," said spokesperson Jesse Rabinowitz.

^ Making it illegal to be Homeless and legal to make the Homeless “disappear” off the streets without creating any Programs or Shelters to help them is just wrong. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-signs-order-making-easier-201201520.html

40: Black Cauldron

 

“The Black Cauldron” premiered 40 years ago today (July 24, 1985.)

Sad Week

 

71: Hulk Hogan

 

Hulk Hogan has died today (July 24, 2025.) He was 71 years old.

Aron Bell

Aron Bell

Aron Bell was born Aron Bielski on July 21, 1927 in Stankiewicz, Poland (today Belarus.)

He was the youngest of 10 Brothers and 2 Sisters

His Family were Millers and Grocers. They were the only Jewish Family in their Town.

From September 1939 until June 1941 the area was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union (which was allied with Nazi Germany.)

In June 1941 the Germans invaded and occupied the area.

The Germans ordered the 10,000 Jews of the area into the Novogrudok Ghetto, but Aron and 4 of his Brothers (Tuvia, Alexander and Asael) refused to go into the Ghetto and instead lived in the forest.

The Bielski Brothers Resistance Group eventually had 1, 236 People (70% of them Women, Children and the Elderly.)

They turned no one away.

They lived in underground dugouts in the forest and their camp would eventually have, a School, a Kitchen, a Mill, a Bakery, a Bathhouse, a Medical Clinic and Workshops.

They survived until the Soviet Red Army entered the area in the Summer of 1944 and disbanded the Group.

Tuvia Bielski (the Leader) went to the US in 1956 and ran a Trucking Company in New York City for 30 years. He died in 1987 at the age of 81.

Alexander Bielski first moved to Israel and then to the US in 1956. He ran a Taxi Company and helped with his Brother’s Truck Company in New York City. He died in 1995 at the age of 82.

Asael Bielski was forced into the Soviet Red Army in 1944 and died during the Battle of Königsberg in February 1945 at the age of 36.

The Bielski Brothers Story came out in Nechama Tec’s 1993 Book “Defiance: which is how I learned of them.

The Book was made into a Movie in 2009 and stars Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell and George MacKay as the Bielski Brothers.

Aron Bell (Aron Bielski) went to Israel and then the United States in the 1950s. He turned 98 years old on July 21, 2025.

Dogs Are Family

 

78: Robert Hays

 

Directions

 

83: Grossaktion

 

83 years ago today (July 23, 1942) the Grossaktion Warschau (Great-Action Warsaw) started in the Warsaw Ghetto in German-Occupied Poland.

From July 23, 1942 to September 21, 1942 the Germans deported 300,000 Jewish Men, Women and Children from the Warsaw Ghetto to the Treblinka Death Camp where they were gassed to death.

Picture: The first day of the Grossaktion Warschau (July 23, 1942.) Immediately after this picture was taken the old Man was shot by the German (standing nearby are the Ghetto’s Jewish Police) and the Jews lined up were sent to the Cattle Cars to go to the Treblinka Death Camp.

Sarcastic Dog

 

Deserving Fate

From the Telegraph:

“Father who moved family to Russia to escape ‘woke’ America is sent to front line”

A Texan father who moved his family to Russia to escape “woke” America has been sent to the front line.

 Derek Huffman, 46, relocated to the small town of Istra, around 25 miles from Moscow, with his wife, their three daughters and their husky earlier this year. They did this through Russia’s “shared values” visa scheme, aimed at attracting foreigners who reject what Vladimir Putin calls “destructive neoliberal ideology”.

Mr Huffman had initially agreed to join the Russian military in a non-combat capacity, thinking at first he would be a welder and later a war correspondent. But despite having no experience as a soldier and limited understanding of the Russian language, he has been sent “near” the front line in the war with Ukraine, according to his wife. DeAnna Huffman said her husband felt he was being “thrown to the wolves” given that he had only received a limited amount of training, and that it was in Russian. “Unfortunately, when you’re taught in a different language, and you don’t understand the language, how are you really getting taught?” she pondered in a vlog uploaded to the family’s YouTube channel. “You’re not. So, unfortunately, he feels like he’s being thrown to the wolves right now, and he’s kind of having to lean on faith, and that’s what we’re all doing.”

Mr Huffman’s last message came in June, marking Father’s Day in the US. Wearing camouflage and military gear, he appeared in a one-minute video addressed to his family. “I miss you all more than you can imagine,” he said. “I can’t wait to see you, hopefully I get a vacation at some point and I get to go home and spend a couple of weeks with you. “But man, you’re on my mind 24/7 and just know that what I’m doing is important to me and important to our family. Just know I will do whatever it takes to be safe and to come home to you. Take care of each other.” Since then, there have been no new images or videos of Mr Huffman. The family commented on their YouTube channel that he was “doing fine”.

However, a link on their channel, which has since been deleted, directed users to a Telegram group titled “Save that little girls”. Created on Sunday, the group contained one message: “We are asking the United States government to save this family,” along with a photo of Mrs Huffman and her daughters crying in the street. It is unclear if the family created the group. The Telegraph has contacted the Huffmans for comment.

Their move to Russia was prompted by their dissatisfaction with what they saw as progressive overreach in the American education system. After relocating from Arizona to Texas, they were disturbed when their daughter Sophia was expected to speak about lesbian topics at school. “The final straw was when we found out my daughter Sophia learnt about lesbians from a girl in her class. She didn’t fully understand it, but for us, that was enough to realise something had to change,” Mr Huffman told Russia Today. A trip to Moscow in May 2023 convinced the family that Russia offered the traditional values they desired. “The city was cleaner, safer, and more orderly than we ever imagined. Most importantly, we found a place that respected our values – where we finally felt at home,” Mr Huffman continued. Upon arriving in Russia, the family were featured in several state-affiliated media outlets, where they described their move as a rejection of Western cultural values. Mr Huffman said he wanted to earn his place in Russian society not via handouts but through service. “The point of this act for me is to earn a place here in Russia,” he said. “If I risk myself for our new country, no one will say that I am not a part of it. Unlike migrants in America who come there just like that, do not assimilate, and at the same time want free handouts.” But Mrs Huffman has since claimed her husband was misled. “When he signed up and had all of that done, he was told he would not be training for two weeks and going straight to the front lines,” she said. “But it seems as though he is getting one more week of training, closer to the front lines, and then they are going to put him on the front lines.”

Mrs Huffman said in her vlog: “It’s been just a few months since our family made the big move from America to Russia, and while we’ve had amazing adventures, this journey has also brought deep challenges. “Being alone in a new country, raising kids, and trying to stay strong has tested me in ways I never imagined,” she said. The Huffmans settled in an “American village”, a settlement in Istra created by US expat and blogger Tim Kirby, who has lived in Russia for two decades. It was founded in 2023 as a refuge for Americans fleeing what Mr Kirby described as “liberal gender norms”. However only two families, including the Huffmans, are known to have moved there, according to a report by United24Media.

^ This is exactly what should happen to anyone who believes Putin. ^

https://www.yahoo.com/news/father-moved-family-russia-escape-153940643.html

Surprise

Malcolm Jamal Warner

 

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show”, died today (July 21, 2025) at the age of 54 following a drowning incident.

Best Photo

 

A Man

A 20 year old German Jewish Man Legally went to New York City in the United States in 1909.

He quickly returned to Germany because his Father died.

The Man then went back to the United States (again Legally) and spent 2 years there working at Macy’s Department Store and then a Bank before returning to Germany in 1911.

While in the US he became Friends with Nathan Straus Jr. (who later served as Member of the New York State Senate from 1921 to 1926, then later as Director of the United States Housing Authority from 1937 to 1942.)

The German Man served in the Imperial German Army from 1915 to 1918 (during World War 1) becoming a Lieutenant.

He was awarded the Iron Cross for his Bravery.

In 1925 he married.

In 1926 his first Daughter was born.

In 1929 his second Daughter was born.

In January 1933 Hitler and the Nazis came to power in Germany.

In July 1933 the Man moved his Family from Germany to the Netherlands (which had been Neutral during World War 1.)

In September 1935 the Germans created the Nurenberg Laws that created different classes of German Citizenship with Non-Jews at the top being Reich Citizens and Jews at the bottom being Subjects.

The Man, even though living in the Netherlands, was changed from being a German Citizen to a German Subject overnight.

In 1938 he started his own Business.

In 1938 the Man applied at the US Consulate in Rotterdam, the Netherlands for Immigrant Visas to move his Family to the United States.

From 1924 until 1965 there was a Quota Immigration System in the United States restricting not only the total number of Immigrants to the USA every year, but also the total number of Immigrants from every single Country that were allowed into the United States every year.

Every single American Visa Applicant had to have an American Sponsor that promised to Financially Support every Immigrant entering the United States.

The Man had his Friend, Nathan Straus Jr., and his two Brothers-In-Law that lived in the US has his Family’s Sponsors.

Being born in Germany he was under the German Immigration Quota Number.

Being Jewish he was under an Unofficial American Immigration Quota Number making him and his family (and most other Jews) even further down the Visa List.

Between June 30, 1938 and June 1939, the waiting list for a German Quota Visa skyrocketed from 139,163 to 309,782 due to the rising Anti-Semitism throughout Germany, German Annexation of Austria in March 1938 (Austrians were now added to the German Quota Number) and the Nazis Anti-Jewish Pogrom of Kristallnacht in November 1938.

In August 1938 the Germans required all Jews to add either “Israel” or “Sara” as part of their Legal Middle Name.

The Man had to add “Israel” as his Middle Name on all Official Documents.

In October 1938 the Germans required all Jews to have a large “J” for Juden (or Jews) in their Internal and International Passports.

The Man had to have the “J” included in his German International Passport even when living in the Netherlands.

In September 1939 World War 2 began.

In May 1940 the Germans invaded the Netherlands.

On May 10, 1940 the US Consulate in Rotterdam was destroyed by the Germans (a Bombing which killed 884 People) despite the United States being Neutral from September 1, 1939 until December 7, 1941.

Because of the Bombing every single Visa Application had to be resubmitted and so the Man applied for an Immigration Visa for his Family for a second time.

At the same time the US Government (especially the US State Department) made it more difficult for Jews living in German-Occupied Territory (including the Netherlands) to get an approved American Visa by adding to all the different Federal Government Departments that needed to approve every Visa Application.

This was due to American Anti-Semitism and the American People not wanting more Jews entering their Country.

On July 1, 1941, the US State Department made “Applicants with Close Relatives remaining in German-Occupied Countries” ineligible for American Visas.

That was due to increased American Antisemitism and not World War 2 since the US still had Diplomatic Relations with Nazi Germany (until December 1941.)

With his direct route to the United States now closed the Man tried to apply for a Cuban Visa for him and his Family.

On November 25, 1941 Germany stripped all German Jews living outside of Germany of their Citizenship so now the Man living in the Netherlands became Stateless.

Cuba cancelled the Man’s Visa Application in December 1941, shortly after the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor and the United States and Cuba entering World War 2 against Germany.

The Man had no more routes of escape.

The Man would go into hiding with his Family from July 6, 1942 until they were arrested by the Germans on August 4, 1944.

The Man and his Family were sent to the Westerbork Transit Camp in German-Occupied the Netherlands (and placed in the Punishment Block for having hidden from the Nazis.)

The Man and his Family were put on the last Cattle Car going from Westerbork to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland in September 1944.

At Auschwitz the Man was separated from his Wife and 2 Daughters and never saw them again.

The Man survived Auschwitz (the only one in his Family.)

His Wife died at Auschwitz on January 6, 1945 (the Camp was liberated on January 27, 1945.)

His 2 Daughters died of Typhus at the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany in March 1945.

That Man was Otto Frank.

American Antisemitism and Anti-Foreigner Policies and Beliefs in the 1930s and 1940s helped led to Otto Frank losing his Wife, Edith, and his Daughters, Margot and Anne.

Otto Frank died on August 19, 1980.

Otto Frank came to the United States as a Legal Immigrant in 1909 and he tried to enter the United States legally in the 1930s and 1940s to escape Jewish Pogroms and War.

Sadly, the United States in 2025 seems to be returning to the United States of the 1930s and 1940s with regards to its Anti-Legal Immigration and Anti-Foreigner Polices and Views.

How many Otto Franks is the United States denying Legal Entry into the Country or deporting from the Country today?

Oregon Trail

 

Oregon Trail - making dysentery and typhoid cool again (especially when they were given to the people you didn't like in school.)

Veterans

It has been 2 years since 988 then Press 1 (Veteran Crisis Line - VCL) started across the United States for Veterans, Soldiers and Military Families.

In that 1 year the VCL has handled 1 Million Phone Calls and Texts.

988 then Press 1 (VCL) is Free, Confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For Active-Duty Personnel the Veterans Crisis Line is available:

In Europe, call 00800 1273 8255 or DSN 118.

In South Korea, call 080-855-5118 or DSN 118.

988

988 Lifeline is the National Number for Suicide Help across the United States.

It is Free, Confidential and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

For TTY Deaf or Hard of Hearing Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

En Español

 

988 Lifeline offers free Services in Spanish 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You do not have to speak English to get help.

988 Lifeline ofrece servicios gratuitos en español las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. No tiene que hablar inglés para recibir ayuda.

Nothing Wrong

 

Animal Food Banks

 

 

If you need help feeding your Pet there are many Humane Societies and Rescues that help across the United States too.

If you don’t need help feeding your Pet across the United States then please consider donating: food or money to one of these groups so they can help others.

For info across the US:

https://genwags.com/pet-food-banks-pantries/

56: Moon

 

56 Years ago today (July 20, 1969) the United States landed on the Moon for the first time and Neil Armstrong became the first American and the first Human on the Moon. Buzz Aldrin became the 2nd and Michael Collins stayed on the ship.

1 Million People watched the launch of Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969 in Florida.

Dignitaries included the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, General William Westmoreland, four Cabinet Members, 19 State Governors, 40 Mayors, 60 Ambassadors and 200 Congressmen. Vice President Spiro Agnew and Former President Lyndon B. Johnson and his Wife Lady Bird Johnson.

3,500 Media Representatives were present. 2/3 of them were from the US and the rest from 55 Countries.

25 Million Americans watched the launch of Apollo 11 on Television.

93% of every American watched the Moon Landing on July 20,

1969 on Television as it happened (the vast majority of Americans who didn’t watch were Soldiers fighting in Vietnam.)

650 Million People across the World watched the Moon Landing on July 20, 1969 on Television. It was the first Worldwide Live Television Event.

President Richard Nixon spoke to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin through a Telephone-Radio Transmission, which Nixon called "The most historic phone call ever made from the White House."

On August 13, 1969 the Astronauts rode in Ticker-Tape Parades in their honor in New York and Chicago, with an estimated 6 million Attendees.

On the same evening in Los Angeles there was an official state dinner to celebrate the flight, attended by members of Congress, 44 Governors, Chief Justice of the United States Warren E. Burger and his Predecessor, Earl Warren, and Ambassadors from 83 Nations at the Century Plaza Hotel. Nixon and Agnew honored each Astronaut with a presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

The Astronauts spoke before a Joint Session of Congress on September 16, 1969. They presented two US Flags, one to the House of Representatives and the other to the Senate, that they had carried with them to the surface of the Moon.

The Astronauts then went on a 38 Day World Tour to 22 Countries.

The United States had won the Space Race against the Soviet Union (and 22 years later the United States also won the Cold War when the Soviet Union collapsed.)

Neil Armstrong died in 2012 at 82.

Michael Collins died in 2021 at 90.

Buzz Aldrin is still alive at 95.

Note: My Mom told me that she was Camping with her Family in Prince Edward Island, Canada when the Moon Landing Happened.

They were the only Campers with a Television (that they brought with them just for the Landing) and so everyone came around their TV and watched the Landing Live. Afterwards, my Mom and her Parents and Siblings were treated as Heroes by the Canadian Campers – because they were Americans.

 

 

Wreaths Across America

Christmas may be months away, but since Christmas in July seems to be everywhere now here is Wreaths Across America.

Wreaths Across America honors Veterans and Military Spouses at 3,400 Cemeteries across all 50 US States, DC, 5 US Territories and at the 26 American Battlefield Monument Cemeteries around the World with 2 Million wreaths.

Every year I sponsored a Wreath for my Mother in New York, my Grandfather in New York, my Sister-In-Law’s Father in Texas, my Great-Uncle Ed in New York, a Friend’s Father in New York and a Stranger here in New Hampshire.

You can Sponsor a Wreath, Volunteer to place the Wreaths on the Graves or both.

https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/

Hot Cars

 

Don't ever leave your: Children, an Elderly Person, a Disabled Person or a Pet alone in a Parked Car.

Price Doesn't Matter

I have stayed at 5 Star Luxury Resorts across the World.

I have stayed at Hole-In-The-Wall Motels across the World.

And everything in- between.

I have flown/ridden First Class.

I have flown/ridden Basic Economy.

And everything in-Between.

I have eaten at 5 Star Luxury Restaurants across the Globe.

I have eaten at Hole-In-The-Wall Shacks across the Globe.

And everything in-between.

One thing I have noticed is it doesn’t always matter how much or how little you pay for something -  good Food and good Service only depends on both the Character of the People working/running at those places and also your Attitude towards them.

I have had one of the worst experiences when paying High-End Prices.

I have had one of the greatest experiences when paying Low-End Prices.

Dog's Post

 

100: Anita Lasker-Wallfisch

Today (July 17th ) Anita Lasker-Wallfisch turned 100 years old.

Anita was born in 1925 in Breslau, Germany (today Wroclaw, Poland.)

Her Father, Alfons, was a Lawyer who was awarded the Iron Cross during World War 1 and  her Mother, Edith, was a Violinist.

Her Uncle was Edward Lasker (an International Chess Master and the Inventor of the Mechanical Breast pump, which saved many premature infants' lives.)

In 1939 Anita’s Parents were able to send their Daughter, Marianne, to the UK on the Kindertransport.

In 1942 her Parents were deported by the Nazis and murdered near Lublin, German-Occupied Poland.

In September 1942 Anita and her Sister, Renate, tried to flee Nazi Germany for France and were arrested at the Breslau Train Station.

Coming from a Regular German Prison the Sisters were sent to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland by Regular Train and not the usual Cattle Cars in December 1943 (on different Trains.

Anita received the Tattoo Number of 69388 on her arm upon arrival.

Anita, being a Cello Player, was chosen for the Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz (German: Mädchenorchester von Auschwitz.)

The Orchestra played marches as the Slave Laborers left the Camp for each day's work and when they returned.

They played for the Men, Women and Children whom the Germans selected to be killed in the Gas Chambers.

They also gave forced Concerts for the SS.

In October 1944 Anita was moved to the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Germany where she survived 6 Months with Starvation Rations and Disease until being liberated by the British on April 15, 1945.

During the Belsen Trial, which took place from September to November 1945, Anita testified against the Camp Commandant Josef Kramer, Camp Doctor Fritz Klein, and Deputy Camp Commandant Franz Hössler, who were all sentenced to Death and hanged that year.

In 1946 Anita and Renate moved to the United Kingdom with the help of their Sister, Marianne.

Anita Co-Founded the English Chamber Orchestra (ECO) in 1948.

Anita married Peter Wallfisch (a Pianist also from Breslau, Germany who immigrated to British Palestine -Present-Day Israel-  in 1938 before immigrating to the UK in 1951)  in 1952.

They have 2 Children: her Son is the Cellist Raphael Wallfisch, and her Daughter, Maya Jacobs-Wallfisch, is a Psychotherapist.

Peter Wallfisch died in 1993.

Since 1994 Anita has visited German and Austrian Schools to talk about and explain her experiences during the Holocaust.

In 1996 she published her Memoir “Inherit the Truth.”

In 2018, she gave a Commemorative Speech in the German Bundestag to mark the 73rd anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz.

In December 2020 Lasker was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, which was conferred by the Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Today, at 100 years old, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch lives in London.

Deodorant

 

Entertained

 

988

3: 988

 In the 3 years that the National 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline started 10 Million Americans have used it.

Note: 988 replaced a much longer phone number that was used throughout the US from 2004-2022.

The 988 Lifeline is comprised of a National Network of over 200 Local Crisis Centers, combining custom Local Care and Resources with National Standards and Best Practices.

988 is also the number for Veterans to call (then press 1) or to text (838255) to get the targeted help they require.

988 is also the number for Spanish Language Speakers (988 es también el número para hispanohablantes.)

988 is also the number for Russian Language Speakers (988 — это также номер русскоязычных.)

988 is also the number for French Language Speakers (988 est aussi le numéro pour les francophones.)

988 is also the number for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing:

ASL Users: Videophone via 988.

TTY Users: Use your preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

988 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year  anywhere in the United States– for free.

You can: Call, Videochat (for the ASL) or Text them.

Use 988 when you need help with: Addiction, Anxiety, Bullying, Depression, Discrimination, an Eating Disorder, Family Issues, Financial Issues, PTSD, Problems in School, Relationship Problems, Abuse (Physical, Sexual and/or Emotional), Physical Health, Self Harm,, etc.

There is Targeted Help for: Native American, Indian, Indigenous, & Alaska Natives, Black Mental Health, Maternal Mental Health, Veterans & Service Members, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Hearing Loss, Youth, Individuals with Neurodivergence, LGBT, Disaster Survivors, etc.

988’s Website:

https://988lifeline.org/chat/