Coal Bolstered

This is GOOD NEWS !!! I have been wanting Trump to do substantially more to bolster the coal industry. $625 million won't really help that much, but it's a good start.

"Trump to open more federal land for coal mining, provide industry $625M to boost coal plants"

"WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration said Monday it will open 13 million acres of federal lands for coal mining and provide $625 million to recommission or modernize coal-fired power plants as President Donald Trump continues his efforts to reverse the year-long decline in the U.S. coal industry."

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-to-open-more-federal-land-for-coal-mining-provide-industry-625m-to-boost-coal-plants

October 2, 2025, at home

Today Is ...

I have never named any of my many cars that I have had over the decades. However, in the 1960s, my mother named her white Chevy Malibu "Betsy." Her father long ago named his car "Bessie." Have you named any of your cars?

October 2, 2025, at home

Misting is a good idea, but supermarkets do it to earn ("steal") extra money by adding water weight to the produce. Before you put any produce in those plastic bags, be sure to shake off the water so that you aren't paying for (too much) water.

October 2, 2025, at home

These are Smarties in the United States: chalky and fruity. Smarties in Canada (and elsewhere) are similar to m&m's: candy-coated bits of chocolate.

October 2, 2025, at home

I haven't eaten scallops in a long while. Be careful. Often, the larger ocean scallops that are the same size are just punched out of manta rays. Bay scallops are smaller and tastier.

October 2, 2025, at home

Thank you.

October 2, 2025, at home

Not All Pink

October 1, 2025, at home

Climate Cuts: Good News

GOOD NEWS !!! GOOD SAVINGS !!! Climate Change is a natural phenomenon unaffected by the actions of humans. The Earth is actually now showing signs of heading toward a new Ice Age, similar to the 1970s. The polar bears are thriving, and Antarctica gained more than 100 billion tons of ice in a single year. That's 200 trillion pounds, so ... no worries.

"Trump administration scraps $8 billion for climate-related projects"

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/cop/trump-administration-scraps-8-billion-climate-related-projects-2025-10-01/

October 1, 2025, at home

October Observances

OCTOBER OBSERVANCES

As per my personal Facebook tradition, every October 1, I post the national observances for October. My list below is from www.nationaldaycalendar.com. (I have omitted several entries in an effort to shorten my list, but I don't think that I achieved my goal.) I used to post a different picture from the list every day during October, but I have decided to just continue to post my usual daily observances and to not post the October monthly observances every day because I just posted them here and because it would produced too much clutter on my Facebook wall. Perhaps, I will repost my list a few more times during the month.

Here is my "shortened" list for October:

• National Economic Education Month
• Adopt A Shelter Dog Month
• Antidepressant Death Awareness Month
• Bat Appreciation Month
• Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month
• Celebrating The Bilingual Child Month
• Christmas Seal Campaign (10/1-12/31)
• Church Library Month
• Church Safety and Security Month
• Co-op Month
• Down Syndrome Awareness Month
• Dyslexia Awareness Month
• Eat Better, Eat Together Month
• Emotional Intelligence Awareness Month
• Emotional Wellness Month
• Employee Ownership Month
• Financial Planning Month
• German-American Heritage Month
• Global Diversity Awareness Month
• Halloween Safety Month
• Head Start Awareness Month
• Health Literacy Month
• Home Eye Safety Month
• Italian-American Heritage Month
• International Walk To School Month
• Long-Term Care Planning Month
• National ADD/ADHD Awareness Month
• National Animal Safety and Protection Month
• National Apple Month
• National Applejack Month
• National Arts & Humanities Month
• National Audiology Awareness Month
• National Bake and Decorate Month
• National Book Month
• National Bullying Prevention Month
• National Caramel Month
• National Chili Month
• National Chiropractic Month
• National Cookbook Month
• National Cookie Month
• National Crime Prevention Month
• National Critical Illness Awareness Month
• National Cyber Security Awareness Month
• National Dental Hygiene Month
• National Dessert Month
• National Disability Employment Awareness Month
• National Depression Education & Awareness Month
• National Dropout Prevention Month
• National Dwarfism Awareness Month
• National Ergonomics Month
• National Fair Trade Month
• National Fire Prevention Month
• National Go On A Field Trip Month
• National I’m Just Me Because Month
• National Kitchen & Bath Month
• National Learning and Development Month
• National Liver Awareness Month
• National Medical Librarian Month
• National Orthodontic Health Month
• National Pasta Month
• National Pet CBD Month
• National Physical Therapy Month
• National Pickled Peppers Month
• National Pizza Month
• National Popcorn Poppin’ Month
• National Pork Month
• National Pretzel Month
• National Principals Month
• National Protect Your Hearing Month
• National Reading Group Month
• National Roller Skating Month
• National RSV Awareness Month
• National Sarcastic Awareness Month
• National Sausage Month
• National Seafood Month
• National Sensory Awareness Month
• National Spina Bifida Awareness Month
• National Stamp Collecting Month
• National Sudden Cardiac Arrest Awareness Month
• National Toilet Tank Repair Month
• National Window Covering Safety Month
• Organize Your Medical Information Month
• Pear and Pineapple Month
• Photographer Appreciation Month
• Polish American Heritage Month
• Positive Attitude Month
• Raptor Month
• Rhizomes and Persimmons Month
• Rhubarb Month
• Right Brainers Rule! Month
• Self-Promotion Month
• Spinach Lovers Month
• Squirrel Awareness Month (Different Than Squirrel Appreciation Day in January)
• Tackling Hunger Month
• Talk About Prescriptions Month
• Vegetarian Month
• Wishbones for Pets Month (10/15 - 11/30)
• Workplace Politics Awareness Month
• World Blindness Awareness Month

October 1, 2025, at home

Back To Male Standards

Finally, some common sense !!! Maybe next he can get DEI (Didn't Earn It) out of NASA.

Hegseth instates 'highest male standard only' for combat, other changes, declaring Dept. of Defense 'is over'

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-instates-highest-male-standard-only-combat-other-changes-declaring-dept-defense-is-over

October 1, 2025, at home

Italian Heritage Month

I am celebrating my Italian heritage during the month of October. I am 1/2 Italian, plus 1/4 Portuguese, 1/8 Austrian, and 1/8 Swiss.

October 1, 2025, at home

Today Is ...

My favorite homemade cookies:

Maternal Grandmother: iced Italian cookies

Paternal Grandmother: peanut butter cookies; butter cookies

Mom: spritz cookies; cinnamon log cookies

Wife: cake mix cookies

October 1, 2025, at home

In the later 1970s, I would walk to high school with a guy named Andy Flower. He literally talked about the weather almost every day. I remember that he was so proud to have been born in the 1950s. His birthday is December 31, 1959.

October 1, 2025, at home

"Black Dog" is my favorite Led Zeppelin song. It was the first Led Zeppelin song I ever knowingly heard. My cousin Blair excitedly played it for me in the 1970s when we were teenagers. 

https://youtu.be/yBuub4Xe1mw?si=4JZ5pVUvn8IawVMO

October 1, 2025, at home

I do sometimes imbibe warm sake. I haven't in a while.

October 1, 2025, at home

I occasionally like to eat roasted, salted pumpkin seeds.

October 1, 2025, at home

Support Strengthens

October 1, 2025, at home

Happy Birthday To Max

September 30, 2025, at home

Revised Improv Video

Today's Date: September 30, 2025

Original Date Recorded: December 25, 2021

I decided to visually revise another one of my older piano improvisations and then upload it onto my YouTube channel: "Bill Santos: Piano & More." (length: 59 seconds)

I like to sit at my digital piano and just start playing whatever is in my head at that time. I make it up as I go along. This is my method with all of my piano improvisational videos.

Piano Improv from Dec. 25, 2021: revised (Sept. 30, 2025)

https://youtube.com/shorts/iMeUlNwlRC8?si=9Dkcv0jM3OzauGLn

Today Is ...

I don't chew gum anymore, maybe once in a great while. My favorite chewing gum is Teaberry. I also like Doublemint, Juicy Fruit, and Fruit Stripe. When I was a teenager in the late 1970s, I liked Gatorgum, a chewing flavored like lemon-lime Gatorade. It was discontinued in 1989.

September 30, 2025, at home

I like hot mulled cider, but I am surprised that the celebratory day is not later in the year.

September 30, 2025, at home

Prostate Cancer Awareness

September is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.

1 in 6 men with have prostate cancer in his lifetime compared to 1 in 8 women who will have breast cancer in her lifetime. Yes, prostate cancer is more deadly than breast cancer. Federal funding for breast cancer research is 600 percent HIGHER than federal funding for prostate cancer research. That's SIX TIMES HIGHER !!! (That makes me sad.)

September 30, 2025, at home

World Heart Day

Today (September 29, 2025, at home) is World Heart Day, so I would like to (once again) tell you about my triple-surgical ordeal in 2022, regarding my heart. I am quite happy that I survived.

To see the photo below (if blurred by Facebook), just click/tap on "Learn more," then on "See photo," and you will be able to see it. The photo is of my wound four days after my third surgery of 2022 (May 29, 2022).

1st Surgery (March 9, 2022): I had quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery. As usual, a section of a vein in my left inner thigh was removed to be used in my open-heart surgery, which involved slicing my chest open vertically and breaking my sternum (breastbone) to access my heart. I had two drains installed in my belly. When I arrived home from the hospital, I engaged in physical therapy and occupational therapy (at home), followed by cardiac rehabilitation at a nearby outpatient facility.

2nd Surgery (May 19, 2022): A second surgeon removed the sternal plates from my first surgery that were holding my broken sternum pieces together from within my chest. The screws became loose. He also cleaned out much of a staph infection also from within my chest. A wound vacuum was then attached to my chest, sucking out the remaining infection and discharge, running 24 hours per day. My chest remained open for about a week with the wound vacuum constantly sucking.

3rd Surgery (May 25, 2022): A third surgeon closed my chest by attaching seven sutures, leaving me with eight holes in my body from my lower neck to my upper belly. The wound vacuum was reattached and continued to suck on my chest 24 hours per day for many more weeks with only 20-minutes-long dressing changes every two or three days. The vacuum's strong suction also served to pull my wounds together to increase the speed of my healing process.

Regarding my 2nd and 3rd surgeries, I entered the emergency room of the hospital on May 13, 2022, with severe chest pain, and I would not return home until July 21, 2022. I spent a total of seventy (70) days in the hospital and at a physical rehabilitation facility, the latter of which I entered on June 3, 2022. I requested to leave rehab because my pain was still rather intense which mostly prevented me from gaining any strength through my daily exercises there.

During the next two years, I would then have three more unrelated surgeries. I had two surgeries done on my spine: one to clean out an infected disk (September 2023), and one to attach a titanium metal rod to my spine that was "collapsing" due to a bone infection, as per my surgeon (October 2023). In April 2024, I had surgery on my right ankle due to a bone infection: bone biopsy, deburring, and fluid removal.

Coffee & VFW

I love an espresso, but my coffee of choice is a ristretto, which is a "short shot" of a more highly concentrated espresso. It is often enjoyed in Italy as a quick pick-me-up in the middle of a busy day. I am partial to espresso, perhaps due to my half-Italian heritage.

September 29, 2025, at home

VFW = Veterans of Foreign Wars

September 29, 2025, at home

IBEX !!!

YEAH !!! My wish came true !!! I got to play IBEX in a game of Words With Friends. It's a favorite word of mine. It's the name of a wild goat. I was able to play it in a game before, but that was years ago.

September 28, 2025, at home

99.9 Percent In Agreement

I agree with Trump at a rate of 99.9 percent. I disagree with four of Trump's policies: 1. I am not a fan of Bitcoin; 2. Trans-girls/women (boys/men) should be allowed to participate in girl's/women's sports; 3. Taxes should be lowered for the wealthy; Trump recently raised taxes on the wealthy; and 4. I am against the death penalty.

September 28, 2025, at home

Ice Growing In Antarctica

Ice in Antarctica is growing substantially, so, to the global-warming loons: No worries. Hey, remember, in the 1970s, there was panic about an impending new ice age. Many scientists believe that we are heading into a new ice age right now. Climate change is a natural phenomenon unaffected by the actions of humans.

September 28, 2025, at home

Sons & More

While I do not have a son, I am one. National Sons Day is celebrated on September 28 AND March 4.

(As I have mentioned many times, I have been a Men's Rights Activist since the early 1990s, when I was in my early 30s. So, of course, I promote everything male.)

September 28, 2025, at home

In July 1981, when I was 20 years old, I was a golf instructor / counselor-in-training at a golf school/camp for adults (one week) and for children (two weeks, ages 10 to 18) in Southern Pines, North Carolina. I attended this camp almost every summer from age 11 in 1972 to age 19 in 1980. (I was permitted to attend at age 19 even though I was technically too old.)

September 28, 2025, at home

Today is National Drink Beer Day. My favorite beer is Mohrenbräu, which is a famous Austrian beer. I first drank it in my Austrian cousins' living room in Dornbirn, Austria, in the early 1980s, when I was in my early 20s. I have enjoyed it on many subsequent trips to Austria. I have never found it in the United States. Mohrenbräu is brewed in Dornbirn in the westernmost Austrian province of Vorarlberg.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohrenbrauerei

September 28, 2025, at home

This is definitely NOT for me. I really dislike strawberries. I also don't particularly like whipped cream.

September 28, 2025, at home

Get along.

September 28, 2025, at home