Today Is ...

from husband Bill, April 25, 2026

My wonderful wife makes delicious zucchini bread. She also makes delicious banana bread and delicious mango bread.

from husband Bill, April 25, 2026

My paternal grandmother was a telephone switchboard operator long ago. You know, I don't remember if it was in the 1930s, the 1940s, and/or the 1950s. When I met my future wife in 2000, she was working in the telecommunications department of a hospital.

from husband Bill, April 25, 2026

Several years ago, I had a rather long surgery to remove eight nasal and sinus polyps removed, as well as had all eight of my sinuses cleaned out and expanded. The surgery restored my ability to breathe through my nose and my sense of smell. Topical and oral steroids were no match for those polyps. I still use a topical (not oral) steroid as a nasal spray to reduce my chances of them returning.

from husband Bill, April 25, 2026

Cats & Pigs

I enjoyed these when I was a kid in the 1960s and 1970s, but I haven't eaten them much as an adult.

from husband Bill, April 24, 2026

Haircut & Shave: Video

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

I created and uploaded this very short video of how I looked before and after my haircut and shave at home this afternoon. (29 seconds)

(My) Haircut & Shave (April 23, 2026)

https://youtube.com/shorts/gzALhDEMmws?si=C282eqONuNvU_8RB

Haircut & Shave: Photos

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

Before/After: haircut & shave (at home)

Throwback Thursday

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

Throwback Thursday: Here we are, the copydesk editors of Globe magazine and National Examiner magazine, in our office in Boca Raton, Florida, during our holiday lunch on December 23, 2010. Of course, that's me on the far right, looking a bit awkward because I was trying to maintain the proper distance from all of my female co-workers. LOL

The other magazines produced in our office were the National Enquirer, Sun, Weekly World New, and the British version of Globe. At one time, we had 117 people working in that one large room. There were no walls between any of the desks, so the buzz in that room was sometimes overwhelming, especially during our four weekly deadlines: two soft and two hard.

I worked for American Media Inc. (AMI) from 2002 to 2011 as a freelancer for one year before I was hired as a full-time employee. While there, I edited stories and photos, and designed and produced computer-generated pages. When I started, I worked in that capacity for Star magazine. I had the good fortune of helping with the transition from matte paper to glossy, which also involved a change in the magazine's size.

When Star eventually moved to New York City, I was switched to Globe. Soon, the Globe staff was given National Examiner to produce in addition to Globe. It meant more work for me, but I didn't mind, mainly because National Examiner was easier to produce than Globe.

I also worked one day as an editor for National Enquirer magazine when someone was on vacation.

Several years after I left the company, the Boca Raton office closed, and the whole operation was moved to New York City.

Also, while I was with AMI, I edited two of their full-length biographies (Johnny Cash and Whitney Houston) to earn a little extra money. I also "earned" an extra $25 by allowing my face to be used in a Weekly World News story. I was a limbless man who earned lots of money as a conversational table centerpiece at high-class dinner parties.

I'll tell you something: During my first week of working there way back in 2002, I was seated at my desk and saw from across the room a woman dressed in a bridal gown walk by followed by someone dressed in a gorilla costume. I immediately thought: "This is exactly where I need to be." LOL

***

Throwback Thursday: Here we are, the copydesk editors of Globe magazine and National Examiner magazine, in our office in Boca Raton, Florida, during our holiday lunch on December 23, 2010. Of course, that's me on the far right, looking a bit awkward because I was trying to maintain the proper distance from all of my female co-workers. LOL

The other magazines produced in our office were the National Enquirer, Sun, Weekly World New, and the British version of Globe. At one time, we had 117 people working in that one large room. There were no walls between any of the desks, so the buzz in that room was sometimes overwhelming, especially during our four weekly deadlines.

I worked for American Media Inc. (AMI) from 2002 to 2011 as a freelancer for one year before I was hired as a full-time employee. While there, I edited stories and photos, and designed and produced computer-generated pages. When I started, I worked in that capacity for Star magazine. I had the good fortune of helping with the transition from matte paper to glossy.

When Star eventually moved to New York City, I was switched to Globe. Soon, the Globe staff was given National Examiner to produce in addition to Globe. It meant more work for me, but I didn't mind, mainly because National Examiner was easier to produce than Globe.

I also worked one day as an editor for National Enquirer magazine when someone was on vacation.

Several years after I left the company, the Boca Raton office closed, and the whole operation was moved to New York City.

Also, while I was with AMI, I edited two of their full-length biographies (Johnny Cash and Whitney Houston) to earn a little extra money. I also "earned" an extra $25 by allowing my face to be used in a Weekly World News story. I was a limbless man who earned lots of money as a conversational table centerpiece at high-class dinner parties.

I'll tell you something: During my first week of working there way back in 2002, I was seated at my desk and saw from across the room a woman dressed in a bridal gown walk by followed by someone dressed in a gorilla costume. I immediately thought: "This is exactly where I need to be." LOL

April 23, 2026

Today Is ...

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

I took an intensive Shakespeare course at Villanova University in the early 1980s. We studied fifteen (15) of his plays in three (3) months.

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

I have certainly taken thousands of chances throughout my life, and almost all of them have ended in failures. I have attained some successes, and I continue to seek success.

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

I am not a fan of cheesecake, but I do like cherries.

from husband Bill, April 23, 2026

Prebiotic Soda: excerpt

from husband Bill, April 22, 2026

I created and uploaded onto my YouTube channel another taste-test video. This is only a 30-second excerpt.

Prebiotic Soda: excerpt (April 22, 2026)

https://youtube.com/shorts/PRQHUMllMFs?si=xCOwFbbDRHUeZIcF

Please watch the full version:

Taste Test: Prebiotic Soda (April 22, 2026)

https://youtu.be/E_dkhooZnIY?si=i-_-geLUzfhLnBdx

April 22, 2026

Prebiotic Soda Review

from husband Bill, April 22, 2026

I created and uploaded onto my YouTube channel another taste-test video. (3 minutes, 39 seconds)

The background music: excerpts from two of my piano improvisations. 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.

Taste Test: Prebiotic Soda (April 22, 2026)

https://youtu.be/E_dkhooZnIY?si=i-_-geLUzfhLnBdx

Earth Day

from husband Bill, April 22, 2026

Today (April 22, 2026) is World Earth Day. The first Earth Day was celebrated on this date in 1970, as co-founded by environmental activist Ira Einhorn. Seven years later, police raided his closet and found the "composted" body of his ex-girlfriend inside a trunk.

https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna42711922

April 20, 21, 22

from husband Bill, April 22, 2026

Jelly Beans & Drivers

from husband Bill, April 22, 2026

My Favorite Jelly Bean Flavors:
Generic: cherry; orange; grape
Jelly Belly: buttered popcorn; mango; chocolate pudding; black pepper

Least Favorite Jelly Belly Flavors: vomit; sardine ... (Apparently, the vomit bean was an attempt at making a pizza bean.)

Morning Drive Home

from husband Bill, April 21, 2026

En route home from this morning's appointment with my cardiologist (in southeastern Florida), I just stuck my phone out of the car window and shot this short video by twisting my phone at different angles. (47 seconds, unedited)

Car: black 2008 Volkswagen Rabbit. I was NOT driving; my wife was. I haven't been able to drive in several years due to peripheral neuropathy (constant numbness, occasional pain) in both of my feet due to diabetes.

Morning Drive Home (in SE Florida) after My Cardiologist Appointment: unedited (April 21, 2026)

https://youtube.com/shorts/ywxGKhp78Fk?si=iVs1l9e2gp5BlXDt

from husband Bill, April 21, 2026

Cashew is one of my favorite nuts.

from husband Bill, April 21, 2026

From 1992 to 1996, I was a reporter, writer, editor, and researcher for an international weekly magazine on the financial and technical aspects of the chemical industry, as I have mentioned many times. My first position there was titled "Oils, Fats, and Waxes Editor." (I still love that title.)

While I wrote about such substances as Carnauba Wax and High Erucic Acid Rapeseed Oil, in regard to today's celebration, I also wrote about grease, both white and yellow; lard; and tallow (all from an industrial lubrication perspective). I also wrote about biodiesel fuel.

I was later promoted to more complex coverage areas: Flavors and Fragrances Editor; then Heavy and Agriculture Chemicals Editor; and then Market Research Editor.

from husband Bill, April 21, 2026