Following SUPER BOWL LX (8 days from now)

 The Seattle Seahawks

NFL Team will be put

up for sale (Confirmed

ESPN, The_Athletic, )

it is their second time

in franchise history to

play for the "Lombardi

Trophy" . . .

Deadline was Jan. 31 : Final day of January in NEW YEAR 2026

 Employers and financial institutions

must

BY TODAY

send

W-2 forms

and 1099 documents

to taxpayers for the previous

year!

(annual requirement)

State Dinner - FLOTUS invites GOP only -- No members of Press invited either for 2018 diplomatic dinner -- welcoming Emmanuel & Brigitte Macron

from POLITICO coverage (Friday 4/20/2018) -- as reported by "The Hill" dot-com

 President Trump and FLOTUS will host French President Emmanuel Macron and Mrs. Macron April 24, 2018 for the Administration's first state dinner (after 15 months), no Democrats or members of the media will be in attendance.

Politico reported on Friday (April 20) that Trump has not invited any Democratic lawmakers to the Tuesday dinner, nor has he extended invitations to members of the media — a departure from past state dinners (since 1789).

Of the roughly 150 people that are set to attend the dinner, only four are members of Congress: House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.); Rep. Ed Royce, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee; and Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), according to Politico.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was invited, but is unable to attend, Politico reported. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was not extended an invite.

Lea Berman, the White House social secretary under former President George W. Bush, told Politico that the exclusion of Democrats and members of the media is "a break with tradition."

During the last state dinner for a French president, Macron's predecessor François Hollande, then-President Obama featured lawmakers from both parties, and an appearance by singer Mary J. Blige.

Also at that dinner were a number of representatives from major news outlets. CNN President Jeff Zucker was there, as was Jill Abramson, then The New York Times's top editor. Representatives from other media companies, like The Associated Press and Reuters, were also present.

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/384195-trump-shuts-democrats-and-media-out-of-first-state-dinner

Emine_ Erdogan urged FLOTUS Melania to support children of Gaza : Unite our voices -- no such letter from her desk publicized

DETAILS AT

BBC.com/news/article/cn47ppy382wo

The First Lady of Turkey (spouse of Pres. Erdogaan)

wrote publicly an open letter to

Melania Trump (3rd wife of

Donald J. Trump) as FLOTUS

to write Benjamin Netanyahu

on behalf of the "CHILDREN" of

Gaza before he authorizes an

all-war on the Gaza City / Territory

location where children and families

reside.

reuters dot-com / August 23, 2025

DATELINE : Ankara or Istanbul, TURKEY

Joining former Andrew, no longer Prince of York in the RELEASED by D o J Atty. General Bondi are : 4 Capitalist "wonder boys" : Musk, H. Lutnick, Steve Tisch, Bill Gates & Richard Branson, Bret Rattner, Melania Knauss

WALL STREET JOURNAL (Rupert Murdoch, Publisher)

stands by its story that 

SECY. of COMMERCE for Trump 2.0-Vance Cabinet is

associated with EPSTEIN- Ghislaine Maxwell Paedo/Sex

Abuse activities/conspiracies/child endangerment

also

ELON MUSK

STEVE TISCH

BILL GATES . . .

WSJ.com/us-news/law/what-we-know-

so-far-about-the-release-of-epstein-files. . .

Sunday Feb. 1, 2026 online "Front Page" / website

Three months later

AMONG THE massive "Epstein" PHOTO-file

release by PAMELA JO BONDI Dept. of Justice

Andrew is shown in

PHOTOGRAPHY . . .

shows his presence at

"EPSTEIN ISLAND"

with sex / underage

victimization

__________________

update (Oct. 30 4:25 p.m.)

NYTimes.com/2025/10/30/world/Europe/uk-prince-andrew-title.html 

There will no longer be a

Prince of York

says Andrew, 2nd son of

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece.

He surrenders the royal title effective

Oct. 17, 2025 due to a cascade of scandals.

See NY Times dot-com

2025/10/17/world/Europe/prince-andrew-duke-of-york-title.html

Juillard School of Music : tribute / immersive experience of music: Happy Birthday to Philip Glass, composer!

 . . . in honor of music of PHILIP GLASS

juillard.edu/

event/183736/celebrating-

philip-glass-immersive-

keyboard-experience

THE
RENOWNED American

composer will have his 89th

birthday on Sat. 1/31/2026.

Neutral Tones

 by British poet

Thomas Hardy (b. 1840 - d. 1928)

We stood by a pond that winter day,

And the sun was white, as though chidden of God,

And a few leaves lay on the starving sod;

_ _ _ _ They had fallen from an ash, and were grey.

Your eyes on me were as eyes that rove

Over tedious riddles of years ago;

And some words played between us to and fro

            On which lost the more by our love.

The smile on your mouth was the deadest thing

Alive enough to have strength to die;

And a grin of bitterness swept thereby

            Like an ominous bird a-wing. . . .

Since then, keen lessons that love deceives,

And wrings with wrong, have shaped to me

Your face, and the God-curst sun, and a tree,

            And a pond edged with greyish leaves.

Jan. 2026 Blog Statistics (visits-views 39,886 TOTAL)

Visits / views to this Googler BLOG

Seeking Faith and Understanding

faithfor2008.blogspot.com/ (since 2007)

[ highest TOTAL on a single day was

Jan. 27, 2026 3,423 // entire month nearly

reached 40,000 VISITS-VIEWS ]

Days of the New Year and first month

Jan. 1            867

Jan. 2            761

Jan. 3            914

2nd Sunday Xmastide        1,269

Jan. 5            734

Epiphany       1,043

Jan. 7                948

Jan. 8                 992

Jan. 9                 933

Jan. 10               1,489 

1st Sunday Epiphany     1,390

Jan. 12                1,158

Jan. 13                 1,656 

Jan. 14                1,730 

Jan. 15                1,915 [ 3rd highest # visits / views of blog postings ]

Jan. 16                   1,325

Jan. 17                      810

Second Sunday Epiphany   1,568

MLK Birthday           659

Tues. Jan. 19            2,001 [ 2nd highest on a single day VISITS / VIEWS ]

Wed. Jan. 20             1,308

Jan. 21                        1,640

Jan. 22                         1,152

Jan. 23                            903

Jan. 24                            908

Third Sunday Epiphany 772

Jan. 26                            855

Jan. 27                            3,423 [highest # of visits-views to this blog]

Jan. 28                            1,154

Jan. 29                            1,108

Jan. 30                            1,606

Jan. 31                             1,798 [4th highest # on a single January 2026 day]

Total for Jan. 1 - 31 - -  39,690   visits / views here at Blogger

National Black History (African American H.) Month (February 2012) - a former POTUS

from WhiteHouse dot-gov "Proclamations"

A PROCLAMATION

     The story of African Americans is a story of resilience and perseverance.  It traces a people who refused to accept the circumstances under which they arrived on these shores, and it chronicles the generations who fought for an America that truly reflects the ideals enshrined in our founding documents.  It is the narrative of slaves who shepherded others along the path to freedom and preachers who organized against the rules of Jim Crow, of young people who sat-in at lunch counters and ordinary men and women who took extraordinary risks to change our Nation for the better.  During National African American History Month, we celebrate the rich legacy of African Americans and honor the remarkable contributions they have made to perfecting our Union.
     This year's theme, "Black Women in American Culture and History," invites us to pay special tribute to the role African American women have played in shaping the character of our Nation -- often in the face of both racial and gender discrimination.  As courageous visionaries who led the fight to end slavery and tenacious activists who fought to expand basic civil rights to all Americans, African American women have long served as champions of social and political change.  And from the literary giants who gave voice to their communities to the artists whose harmonies and brush strokes captured hardships and aspirations, African American women have forever enriched our cultural heritage.  Today, we stand on the shoulders of countless African American women who shattered glass ceilings and advanced our common goals.  In recognition of their legacy, let us honor their heroic and historic acts for years to come.
     The achievements of African American women are not limited to those recorded and retold in our history books.  Their impact is felt in communities where they are quiet heroes who care for their families, in boardrooms where they are leaders of industry, in laboratories where they are discovering new technologies, and in classrooms where they are preparing the next generation for the world they will inherit.  As we celebrate the successes of African American women, we recall that progress did not come easily, and that our work to widen the circle of opportunity for all Americans is not complete.  With eyes cast toward new horizons, we must press on in pursuit of a high-quality education for every child, a job for every American who wants one, and a fair chance at prosperity for every individual and family across our Nation.
     During National African American History Month, we pay tribute to the contributions of past generations and reaffirm our commitment to keeping the American dream alive for the next generation.  In honor of those women and men who paved the way for us, and with great expectations for those to follow, let us continue the righteous cause of making America what it should be -- a Nation that is more just and more equal for all its people.
     NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 2012 as National African American History Month.  I call upon public officials, educators, librarians, and all the people of the United States to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2012/01/31/presidential-proclamation-national-african-american-history-month-2012

Olympic Skater Maxim Naumov's family Among those who died in UNITED Airline - Army Blackhawk helicopter collision just one year ago. . .

 AP covers story of Maxim Naumov who will skate in TORINO

Olympic Games next week

who will seek to medal, honoring family & others who died Jan. 2025

those who died in collision were . . .

Peter Livingston and family members

Alydia and Everly Livingston, skaters at Olympic level

all told,

28 members of a figure skating (U.S.) Community

who died from this tragic crash-collision. . .

see KOAT channel 7 "Action News" coverage

of NTSB hearing . . .

Dextrocardia with situs inversus

 USA TODAY

background article on the medical genetic

condition CATHERINE O'HARA dealt

with -- the Canadian-born actress (film & TV)

died this week in Los Angeles, CA

usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2026/01/30/

catherine-ohara-situs-inversus-dextrocardia/88440931007/

Muse_ Films Production (theatrical films - documentaries) - focus corporation for the "Melania" Brand

MUSE FILMS Production company

(executive producer - CEO is Melania Knauss Trump)

More details The HILL platform

thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5652663-melania-trump-

film-trailer-unveiled/?tbref=hp

Tara Suter - correspondent/BLOGGER - Wed. Dec. 17 online

article

"Melania" documentary

had its Jan. 30

2026 theatrical release

hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/

melania-trump-production-company-muse-films-

1236432711/

This sets a historical precedent for a FLOTUS while

in Office to seek to make films under the aegis of

a for-profit Production company (Hollywood, CA).

Past First Ladies like Nancy (Davis) Reagan who

had a film and TV career were not releasing

film documentaries for profit about their impact

on Washington, the nation, and the world.

Such media appearances (guest shots on

Sesame Street (PBS) for example) were

charitable in nature, NOT for-profit, benefitting herself.

A different approach to bringing attention to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- for nutrition's sake: unpaid work by a FLOTUS -- during a Fall 2013 post-Govt. Shutdown

from online Google Blog -- http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/ . . . . . . . .

Monday October 28, 2013. . . . . . . 

 Making up for time lost during the sixteen-day government shutdown, 

First Lady Michelle Obama will host two back-to-back Let's Move! events 

at the White House on Wednesday, Oct. 30. 

 After unveiling a new child food marketing initiative, Mrs. Obama 

will welcome elementary school students from three states and DC 

for a Fall harvest in her Kitchen Garden, her office announced today. 

 Sesame Street characters Elmo and Rosita will help Mrs. Obama harvest, the East Wing said. 

 The two will also join Mrs. Obama for her marketing announcement. 

 It will be the first time Mrs. Obama has been joined by kids' TV characters 

during a crop-plucking party, rather than by her usual high-profile guests--celebrity chefs. 

 The Kitchen Garden is entirely restored after falling into chaos during the government shutdown, and ready for harvesting. The veggie fest will follow Mrs. Obama's 2:40 PM announcement in the State Dining Room "about marketing healthier foods to children," the East Wing said. 

 Mrs. Obama will also be joined by representatives from the Produce Marketing Association, a fruit and vegetable trade group with a global membership, and Partnership for a Healthier America, the foundation created to support the Let's Move! campaign. Mrs. Obama serves as honorary chair. 

 The events come on the heels of Mrs. Obama's first-ever White House Convening on Food Marketing to Children, held in September. 

 "Mrs. Obama called on stakeholders to leverage the power of marketing to promote healthy products and decrease the marketing of unhealthy products to kids," the East Wing said. 

 Elmo and Sesame Street are beloved by Mrs. Obama and Let's Move!. The shaggy red character has previously appeared in a White House video promoting healthier school lunches, and Mrs. Obama made an appearance on Sesame Street in 2009 to promote healthy eating and gardening. Big Bird joined the First Lady in a White House video earlier this year. Rosita is the first bilingual Muppet introduced into the Sesame Street oeuvre, and looks like a blue version of Elmo.

 http://obamafoodorama.blogspot.com/2013/10/wednesday-first-lady-will-make-food.html

DSM-5 (Psychiatric - Diagnosis reference standard) about to get online Version 5.0

 DSM-5

the psychiatric reference

that draws lines of inclusion

as well as negation / disqualification

for illness / pathology will be

released soon -- NPR dot-org

has this online notice - expectation during

WINTER weeks 2026

NPR.org

Winner of the GOLDEN GLOBE 2026 - for category of Best Actor, Drama Feature Film

 Wagner Moura

The Secret Agent

The Secret Agent (Feature film now in general release) -- Rotten Tomatoes

Rotten tomatoes.com/m/The_Secret_Agent_2025

98% Tomatometer

84% Popcornmeter

Brazilian actor

Wagner Moura has an

ACADEMY nomination for "Best Actor"

(ceremony is March 15, 2026) - Los Angeles, CA 

Amazon Documentary - FLOTUS salary to be $28 million

Oct. 14, 2025 DATELINE

Palm Beach, FL

Mar-a-Lago Golf Course and resort/restaurant

AMAZON will release the feature-length document, directed

by Brett Rattner and starring Melania (Knauss) Trump, POTUS

47's 3rd wife and mother of the 19-year-old Barron Trump, NYU

student in Business undergraduate-level, Washington, DC Branch

campus. . .

The FLOTUS reportedly gained a salary of $28 million as "Star"

and executive producer.  It will open in theaters Jan. 30, 2026 next year

and after its theatrical run it will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime

video service.

_______________________________________________

NEW YORK magazine

nymag.com/intelligencer/article/melania-trump-

documentary-amazon.html

Among executive producers are MELANIA herself,

and Fernando Sulichin (Argentinian producer);

Pay-out = $40 million // FLOTUS salary $28 million.

___________________________________________

Busy 24-day out-of-public-eye period due to 

travel between New York City, Florida, and D.C.

residences/official address.  

She defended her 24-day absence, saying that she will

never be a "traditional First Lady" . . .

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

People Magazine quote / source

She hasn't spent meaningful time at 1600

Pennsylvania in an official capacity . . .

AMAZON billionaire and new Trump BFF

Jeff Bezos -- hired Brett Ratner to follow around

the third Mrs. Trump while she steps away from

official duties to take a break from official duties ? ? !

Unclear whether any other Trump family members

will appear in the non-fiction film or docu-series.

It will have a theatrical release, even if limited.

Happy 89th birthday to Vanessa Redgrave!

 Actress (stage and screen)

b. Jan. 30, 1937 in

Greenwich, London

to parents Michael & Rachel (Kempson)

Redgrave . . .

winner of a 1978 Academy Award for

Julia

a gripping Holocaust

drama, based on Lillian

Hellman memoir . . .

also 2 Golden Globes . . .

Trump toned down his hateful resentment of Governor Walz, stops name-calling / hate-remarks , mocking

 BBC world news

Trump and Walz hold

'productive call' as Minnesota

Governor pushes for impartial

inquiry into shootings

(Renee Good & Alex Pretti)

Prayers for Alex Pretti, shot by 2 ICE agents after being disarmed (was not a criminal non-American citizen)

 Wed. Jan. 28, 2026

Vigil where

hundreds gather in

Minneapolis, MN

26th Street and

Nicollet Avenue

mprnews.org/

story posted

8:44 p.m. Central

Time zone at

Minnesota Public Radio

News dot-org

In recent months

 ICE Border Control does not limit itself to

"raids" / kidnapping at

finding "targets" surveiling them arresting them

BUT instead 

raids HOME DEPOT

parking lots

car washes

school entrances / parking lots

Government shutdown - end of January

 Trump is finding himself caught . . .

WASHINGTON POST breaking news

[subscription required]

Jeff Bezos publisher

Reporters Natalie Allison,

Isaac Arnsdorf, Hannah

Knowles . . .

Amazon slashes another 16,000 jobs

 Jan. 28, 2026

Amazon announced permanent job

losses for 16,000 employees;

but no cutback in benefits for

upper-level management like

owner-investor

Jeff Bezos

Dulce J. Foster chides -- Attorney Pamela Jo Bondi

 for publishing still photography without

acknowledging that defendants

are

Innocent until Proven Guilty

nytimes.com/2026/01/28/us/ICE-protests-

photos-Bondi-social-media.html

D.J. Foster is a federal judge for

MINNESOTA where

16 people were charged Wed. for 

assaulting immigration agents . . .

she told those in the court room

"THIS CONDUCT is something

that the court condones"

Symphony No. 15 -- not to have its "world premiere" June 2026 - source NBC NEWS

 Composer

Philip Glass

has withdrawn his

"Lincoln" Symphony

No. 15

from performance at the

Kennedy Center for Performing

Arts (last month where signs were

thrown onto the entrances

TRUMP-KENNEDY) . . .

NBC News has the story from the

formerly scheduled performance /

world debut being cancelled.

National Symphony conductor

quoted in the breaking news . . .

nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/

composer-philip-glass-withdraws-

symphony-kennedy-center-rcna256156

Philip Glass has withdrawn his commissioned new SYMPHONY; the National Symphony continues at KPC, in district of Columbia

 ArtNews dot-com

art-news/news/composer-philip-glass-

withdraws-symphony-kennedy-center-

1234117738/

article by reporter Tessa Solomon

1/27/2026 afternoon

Sen. Susan Collins (endangered GOP Senator) - will she gain from Maine's Purple election mix a 6th term to serve 36 years as a Senior SENATOR ? ? ?

 Posted on her social media

Thursday 1/29/2026

U.S. Immigration

and Customs Enforcement

has ended enhanced

activities

in the state of Maine. . .

targeted were

1,400 "aliens"/criminals

_________________

Thursday Jan. 29 -- the

DHS did not confirm her

statement. . . Spurring worries

that the drop in detentions/

arrests/deportation might

return in month of February

and remainder of months

leading to Nov. elections

(midterm).

What has the ARCHBISHOP of Canterbury written about?

Five years ago, 

the Anglican Bishop

Sarah Mullally wrote

an ARTICLE in

Spirituality & Psychiatry

(Cambridge Univ. Press,

2022) was authored by

Bishop of London and

collaborators

"Spiritual Care in the NHS".

It is part of an expanded and

updated edition of the book

by C.C.H. Cook & A. Powell.

Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London, England was consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury today in A.D. 2026

Reuters dot-com (U.K. Press Platform)

covered the actual ancient ceremony

BREAKING NEWS:

6 a.m. Friday Oct. 3, 2025

5:33 a.m. Eastern USA Time Zone

nbcnews.com/world/Europe/woman-named-archbishop-

first-time-church-england-history-rcna235359

Church of England Bishop

(presently Bishop of London)

Sarah Mullally

will attain the most senior

role in March 2026 :

ARCHBISHOP of CANTERBURY

1,400 yr. - history of this role-administrator

episcopal leader for a global Episcopal

Church across boundaries of nation, class

Happy 90th Birthday

 today  is

the 90th Birthday (b. Jan. 28, 1936)

of actor

ALAN ALDA

with release out of ICE detention of Juan Tobay Robles -- ICE director Lyons will not be held in contempt by Judge Patrick Schlitz of Minnesota

Judge's order to release JUAN TOBAY ROBLES

makes DHS blink and they released him Tuesday

at month's end after mid-January flouting of court orders . . .

NBC NEWS coverage:

politics/trump-administration/

judge-threatens-hold-acting-ice-director-

lyons-contempt-flouting-court-order- et cetera

To face possible Contempt

of COURT charges

Breaking NEWS

Tuesday 27th Jan.

Washingtonpost.com  

40th sad ANNIVERSARY for U.S. Space Program

 Explosion of

U.S.S. Challenger upon take-off and lift-off

from Florida, U.S.

Jan. 28, 1986

6 professional astronauts died

and one honorary astronaut (School teacher

Krista McAuliffe) also perished

Special Elections for State Legislators in MINNESOTA -- 2 gained by Dem.-Farmer-Labor party

 Minnesota Public RADIO

mprnews.org/

specials-elections-for-minnesota-

house-districts 47a and 64a

Jan. 27, 2026 4 a.m. (Local time zone)

Jan. 29, 2025 American Airlines - Army Blackhawk Helicopter collision NTSB Hearing -- a year later -- Air Traffic heavy at time of mid-air lethal collision

KOAT (channel 7 action news)

koat.com/article/ntsb-hearing-dc-midair-collision-70153592

UPDATE at 1st anniversary since

death of 67 in helicopter (ARMY) and 

United Airlines jet (regional) collision

Jan. 29, 2025

Trump-Vance FAA

(Secy. Transportation

Sean Duffy) . . .

NTSB board members insist

"not here today to place

blame on any individual

or organization. . ."

FIRST of three days of hearings in D.C.

July 30 2025

NTSB Hearing on cause/s of crash killing Army

Blackhawk training

helicopter crew and American Airlines Flight

from Wichita KS ready to land at D.C. airport;

one AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLER at

8:48 p.m. the night of Jan. 29th was handling

both helicopter traffic and incoming flight landings;

see Washingtonpost.com/ July 31, 2025 online

coverage

___________________________________________

Feb. 19 update (NY TIMES): TSA Chief Duffy

laid out in a memo to NY Gov. Kathy Hochhul

that Trump personally objected to "Congestion

Pricing" in Manhattan below 60th street // Duffy

would contact her to discuss orderly cessation

of toll operations. POTUS then crowed on Truth Social:

"All of New York is saved: long live the King"

with illustration of #DJT wearing a crown

us/politics/trump-king-image.html

____________________________________________

Feb. 3 update (POLITICO):  TSA Chief Duffy

told the DOT to prioritize communities that have

higher than average birth rates and marriage rates;

accessibility of transportation to families of young

children . . .undated memo, effective immediately. . .

UPDATE: FAA Chief and FAA Deputy administrator

positions are vacant; incoming Trump-Vance admin.

asked for all Biden-Harris to leave effective Jan. 20.

No one is able with Congressional approval to act

on behalf of the FAA today after yesterday's deadly

collision between an Army helicopter and an American

Airlines flight from Wichita, KS that crashed near D.C.

Mike Whitaker was forced from office (5-year-term) after

a vote of 98-0 from the Senate in Oct. 2023.  Elon Musk

had called for Whitaker to resign once Trump-Vance

won the Nov. 5 election; also posting on "X" / Twitter

that the FAA should no longer exist

new republic.com/post/190942/faa-no-leader-dc-plane-

crash-elon-musk

________________________________________________

Duffy was nominated by POTUS Trump and confirmed by

the U.S. Senate, Transportation Secy. will now

be the face of the Fed. Govt. with the collision

mid-air of an Army helicopter and an American

Airlines flight from Wichita, KS that collided

near Reagan Intl. Airport (Wed. night 1/29/2025).

Duffy is most recently a lobbyist and

FOX NEWS on-air commentator having entered those

fields after 8 years as a Wisconsin GOP Congressman

from 2011 - 2019 and a district attorney general

for Ashland County, WI (NW part of state).  He had vowed to improve

the nation's transportation infrastructure.

Father of 9, he is married to Rachel Compos-Duffy.

Duffy was a professional lumberjack athlete in the field

of lumberjack sports.  The family lives in Wausau, WI.

Judge Fred Biery

 Federal Judge has blocked the deportation of

5-yr.-old

Liam Conejo Ramos

who was arrested last

week at his elem. school

along with his father.

Wearing a large hat and

a Spider-Man backpack

ICE AGENTS took the

minor away from his father

and used him to knock on

doors seeking to draw out

others who they were also

seeking to question and detain.

DETAILS:

nytimes.com/2026/01/27/us/ice-liam-ramos-minneapolis-deportation.html

International Holocaust Remembrance Day - Jan. 27 - pray for those who died / the few living survivors

 81st anniversary of

Liberation of Auschwitz

Concentration / Death

camp

for millions of European Jews

_______________________

Jan. 27, 1945

POTUS 47 -- Trump continues to layer with pancake makeup on his bruised, discolored hand

CNN investigates

CNN.com/politics/health-trump-bruises-hand

admits he has chronic

venous insufficiency;

he is 79 yrs. 7 months

and takes higher than

recommended aspirin

as an elective OTC drug

____________________

as of Sept. 4 -- White House is NOW

declaring that viral video showing

black disposable bag being thrown out of

White House to dispose of health / quarantine

materials is

"FAKE"

____________________________________

THE HILL.com

"Maggie Haberman says,

Trump

has never been 

transparent about his

health" 

He appears at public events

with his hand caked with make-up.

(August 25, 2025)

NBC News termed it in a summary article

"Trump, who questioned 

his opponents' health,

rebuffs rumors about his

own"

nbcnews.com/politics/

donald-trump/trump-rebuffs-

health-speculation-golf-hand-

bruise-biden-clinton-rcna228542

BAFTA nominations square off "One Battle After Another" versus "Sinners" -- to be awarded Feb. 22 earlier than OSCARS (mid-March)

 14 for One Battle After Another  (Paul Thomas Anderson -

adapted Screenplay & Director)

13 for Sinners (Ryan Coogler -

original screenplay & Director) -- recognition of film score

apnews.com/article/britain-film-bafta-awards-

battle-hamnet . . .

Tuesday a.m. 27 Jan. 2026

"Melania" for-profit Documentary debut at White House // this Friday "TRUMP"-Kennedy Center for Performing Arts D.C. open to public view

Satu. 1/24/2026 -- during counter demonstrations

to immigration/customs / enforcement shooting/s 

Guests at

1600 Pennsylvania Ave.,

D.C. for the celebrity

event (FLOTUS self-

executive produced

with AMAZON MGM)

Queen Rania of Jordan;

Mike Tyson;

Tony Robbins, author;

Erika Kirk, CEO of Turning Point USA;

Andy Jassy (Chief of Amazon, who

is distributing the documentary

globally before it goes streaming).

Jan. 25 NY TIMES

story by Katie Rogers

Bill Cassidy (Junior senator from Louisiana, Medical Doctor - licensed) declares "Must be a full federal and state investigation" over Pretti & Good Slayings by ICE

 SOCIAL MEDIA POST

The credibility of

ICE and D.H.S. (homeland Security)

are at stake. . .

There must be a full federal and state

investigation.  We can trust the

American people with the truth

_________________________

Republican 

officials also calling for an investigation

are

Mike Pence, VP during Trump 1.0 administration

Jerry Moran, incumbent Senator of Kansas

Ted Cruz, Junior senator from TX

Winter Weather Advisory - Tuesday 1/27/2026

Jan. 27, 2026

Michigan counties under this advisory: Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph

Snow accumulations

Wind Gusts up to 35 mph.

Blowing and drifting snow could impeded traveling.

begins 1 a.m. with bitter cold wind chill

ends 10 p.m. covering 7/8th of entire 24 hours . . .

Lindsey Halligan departs D o J - Eastern District Virginia where she illegally indicted_ James Comey former FBI Head

 The illegally appointed Prosecutor

(formerly an insurance lawyer)

was shown the door at Pam Bondi's

Dept. of Justice this month.

Judge found she was "masquerading" as

a Federal Attorney / Prosecutor.

Heavy Snow Warning -- PreK & K-12 Schools close entirely - nearby IUSB & Mich. Comm. Colleges have Virtual Learning online only -- do not drive to your campus

updated Monday 8 a.m.

Additional snow accumulations of 2 - 4 inches

N. and S. Berrien County 

MICHIGAN

NWS (National Weather

Service) has issued a

"Winter Weather Advisory"

for the hours of Saturday

Jan. 24 until Monday Jan. 26, 2026

at 10 a.m. Eastern Time Zone.

additional accumulations of 3 - 6"

of New snowfall.  Lake effect

snow develops Sunday through

Monday.

N. Indiana counties as well as

Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph County

in Michigan region.

U.S. Carrier Abraham Lincoln now in Persian Gulf (near Iran)

 The ship and its accompanying destroyers will give

POTUS 47 expanded in the next days/ weeks / months

for a potential strike on the Ayatollah and the Republican Guard,

which has killed thousands of protesters . . .

WSJ. dot-com

Farmers blindsided by USDA report showing bigger-than-expected corn glut

 MPR News.org

Minnesota Public Radio

4 a.m.

Jan. 26, 2026

"Minnesota Corn Farmers surprised by USDA

report showing corn glut"

17 billion bushels

Eleanor Holmes Norton

 late-January 2026

longtime

District Representative - DELEGATE to

House Repr.

Eleanor Holmes Norton

announced she will

not seek re-election

in Nov. 2026.

Zinzi Coogler

 History-making film producer

Sinners

first Filipina producer

and third Black woman nominated

for "BEST PICTURE" at

Academy Awards . . .

Celeste Maloy -- GOP MAGA Congress Repr. to seek undoing of Grand Staircase-Escalante land use plan in UTAH

 see

Deseret (Salt Lake City media)

"Will Congress overturn the

Grand Staircase-Escalante

National Monument

Land use plan?"

Such overturning has already

taken place in

Alaska

Montana

Wyoming

North Dakota

______________________________

Mountain States Legal Foundation says

such a Congressional manipulation of rules

could create the "Wild-West" for land use planning. . .

Anger over Trump's denigration of U.K. , NATO : he told Maria "FOX NEWS HOST" we never needed the trans-Atlantic alliance

Further details about

how Trump 2.0 has now backtracked that

harsh and inaccurate position about the

U.S. Need in the Iraq War and 9/11/2001

for the other nations in the NATO alliance

reuters.com/world/uk/

trump-praises-UK-troops-brave-warriors-after-

widespread-condemnation-2026-01-24

Sir Keir Starmer

NYTimes.com/live/2026/01/23/us/trump-news#uk-

soldiers-afghanistan-trump-nato

Utahan Christian Joel Young (29-year-old assailant) -- accosts and punches Floridian Maxwell Frost and friend at Sundance

 KSL Radio (posted online reporting)

of the Drunken-Disorderly who taunted

youngest Congressman and his friend --

saying "Trump will deport you and your kind"

also telling the female friend

"You are the kind we are going to deport". . .

KSL is part of Deseret Digital Media, Utah.

the assailant who had stolen an entry pass to

the internationally recognized film festival

could not initially recall his own name or place

or town of residence when subdued by event

security and local officers on the scene in Utah.

FRIDAY Evening Jan. 23, 2026.

Youngest Repr. to Congress (D of FLorida): Maxwell Frost sucker-punched by drunken taunter: House MInority Leader Jeffries rebukes "Political Hate-Violent attacks"

NBC News coverage of the attack on the Florida Congressman and a female 

with invitation to attend the SUNDANCE film festival event -- the attacker,

booked at UTAH police station - jail nearby will face charges of drunken disorderly

possible "Hate Crime" over taunts about ICE removal from U.S. / Florida . . .

NBC News.com/ Jan. 24, 2026

_________________________________________________________

Youngest elected member of House of Repr. is activist Maxwell Frost (D) of FLorida;

Successor to Jackie Walorski (2nd Cong. District, IN): Rudy Yakym (R)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2022/new-members-of-congress/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

a 1970s "National Day" not to be confused with "PI DAY" (March 14 annually)

 National PIE Day

Jan. 23, annually

no matter how you slice it,

pie in just about any form

makes a crowd happy!

A cake made to look like a "Coat of Many Colors"

 Happy 80th Birthday Dolly Parton!

Life-size for what a coat to fit would

stretch out to -- 

composed of 20 different cakes,

layered and shaped . . .

Baker presented it herself to

DOLLY PARTON

Sing "Auld Lang Syne" on BURNS_NIGHT (annually Jan. 25)

 Those of Scottish heritage / ancestry know of

Robert Burns, Scotland's

most famous poet

(1759 - 1796) : he is held dear to

his fans / admirers among the

descendants of the Scottish clans.

His "Burns Night Supper" includes a

well-known menu of HAGGIS

minced with suet, onions, oatmeal,

& seasoning : diners sing at the

courses before them as well as

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot

and never called to mind?

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

and auld Lang syne"

almanac.com -- Jan. 25 annually

Seats on Trump "Board of Peace in GAZA" offered to Orban & Putin among others : $1 billion American DOLLARS

 POLITICO dot-eu

(European capitals)

collected info overseas

that TRUMP-Vance are

charging $1 billion for a

seat on the Gaza "Peace

Security" Council

politico.eu/article/vladimir-putin-mulling-over-invite-

to-donald-trump-board-of-peace-for-gaza

Monday Jan. 19, 2026

Those who have opted in to a "seat" on Trump / Kushner / Witkoff / Gaza Stabilization "Peace Committee"

 Viktor Orban of Hungary;

Saudis and Emirati (prince / emirs);

in particular Prince bin Salman of Riyadh

along with Saudi finance ministry, Foreign

Minister . . .

Javier Milei of Argentina;

Larry Fink of Black Rock (co-chair of DAVOS);

Marc Benioff of Salesforce.

Yes, ask for these dishes!

 Year of the Fire Horse

foods:

Sticky Rice Cakes

Whole Fish

Long-Life Noodles

Yu Sheng (prosperity toss salad)

Lion's Head Meatballs (contain pork)

Is it a "biopic" when it's about Super Fans / Tribute Duet Group?

 No

SONG SUNG BLUE

(stars Hugh Jackman & Kate Hudson)

as a Milwaukee, WI couple who tour

singing 

Neil Diamond songs

galore

imdb.com/title/

tt30343021/

Neil Diamond is 85 today : "Song Sung Blue" movie now in theaters features his anthems, sing-alongs

 Happy 85th Birthday to the

Brooklyn, NY Native!

Many More!

Trump 2.0 cites "knowledge" that the nation of Norway "controls" the Nobel Prize selection

UPDATE: Same comments about his

grievances with N. Europe (in particular Scandinavia)

"THEY Control the PEACE PRIZE awards, despite what they say . . ." 

Exclusive interview with NBC News

before his 4-day trip to Davos, Switzerland

gathering of billionaires and absolute potentates /

world's wealthiest by family or earned capital --

Donald John Trump

told NBC News

Norway totally controls it despite what they say

Fed. Judge stops Kristi Noem's arbitrary & capricious deporting of refugees here out of oppressive Myanmar

 "Federal Judge

extends deportation

protections for Burmese

migrants"

Judge Matthew F. Kennelly

of ILLINOIS (U.S. District

Court)

nytimes.com/2026/01/23/us/politics/burmese-migrants-tps-deportation.html

Trump offers own election in 2024 as "proof" that overturning 2018 Citizen PROPOSITION 4 for Utah Redistricting means all 4 Representatives must "be Republican"

6 p.m. story online Jan. 23, 2026 

Story in

Deseret dot-com

(Salt Lake City, UT)

"Trump endorses Utah GOP push to repeal

redistricting law"

The super-majority in Utah's lawmaking

assemblies continue to adopt maps that divide up

the state's few Democratic voters in the large

cities of the far Western state. . .

another Soloist / booked Production opts to skip performing at Trump-Kennedy Performing Arts center (Jan. 23, 2026)

Opera great / soprano for the ages =

RENEE FLEMING will cancel her May 29-30

performances of Appalachian Spring Symphony

at the National Symphony Orchestra later this year.

FURTHER DETAILS of the fill-in soprano that the

Trump-Kennedy management / Symphony conductor

will arrange to take over the singing part . . .

__________________________________________

who has resigned from the Kennedy Center for the Arts?

Renee Fleming, artistic adviser;

Ben Folds, singer-songwriter;

Shonda Rimes, Treasurer

of the Center;

18 board members appointed

by POTUS 46 - Joseph R. Biden

all terminated by POTUS

February 11, 2025

Greenland Turmoil is eclipsing Ukraine's woes from aggressor Putin . . .

 DAVOS

Switzerland

Jan. 21 - 24, 2026

"Trump Pauses Greenland-linked

Tariffs on 8 European Countries"

due to his meeting with NATO 

Secretary Mark Rutte that delayed the

punishment for those who opposed by

sending troops to protect the Greenland

people from the TRUMP Military troops

who might invade their island neighbor nation. . .

NBC News dot-com

STEVE KOPACK Story . . .

Greenland's leader Jens-Frederik Nielsen -- recent statements to the world press

GREENLAND P.M.

cannot rule out attack this year

by U.S. Military

Jan. 20, 2026 (one year anniversary

of Trump becoming Commander-in-Chief)

This week TUESDAY 1/13/2026

the leader of Greenland and Denmark's

Prime Minister held a joint news conference

"If we have to choose between Denmark and

the United States, We Choose Denmark"

NYTimes.com/2026/01/13/us/politics/

greenland-denmark-trump-frederiksen.html

We choose NATO, the Kingdom of Denmark,

the EU. . .Greenland does NOT want to be

part of the United States. . .

Greenland's national

PARLIAMENT will meet to discuss

how the N. American territory

and its citizens united

will respond to Trump 2.0 - Vance

threats to take control of its land mass

(Artic island and surrounding waters).

REUTERS is reporting that the leaders of

5 political parties issued the joint

statement Saturday 10 January 2026.

Mette Frederiksen arrived today in capital of GREENLAND (Friday 23rd January 2026)

 PRIME MINISTER

of DENMARK

arrived in 

Nuuk, Greenland

for an unexpected visit

Friday; a lot remains unclear

about the "Davos, Switzerland"

compromise between NATO

and TRUMP . . .

one proposal is for the U.S.

to gain its separate sovereign

claim on "pockets" of the island --

an idea which is anathema

to Denmark which controls the

semiautonomous territory.

Chronicle of Melania Knauss (3rd Mrs. Trump) -- documentary by Brett Rattner

 titled

Melania

Cast to include

Melania Trump as

herself

she will also 

Executive Produce

this "Chronicle"

and receive salary

from AMAZON corporation

[ owned by billionarie

Jeff Bezos ]

her 20-day preparation to

be FLOTUS (First Lady)

ahead of Jan. 20, 2025.

It will open in theaters

Friday Jan. 30, 2026

at the Trump-Kennedy

theater for documentary

film showings.  Tickets

available for the limited

time showing.

Does Melania make Slovenian pastry/pastries for her Husband? Film- executive Producer about to release 2026 Documentary film at Trump-Kennedy Center Theater . . .

a Slovenian pastry

_________________________

World Figure POPE FRANCIS

asks Melania if she has cooked/

baked it for her husband Donald

(see book review of her 184-page

autobiography published pre-2024 

election)

nytimes.com/2024/10/31/opinion/

melania-trump-donald.html

MELANIA (2024) disclosive memoir of M. Knauss Trump : revealed she is an abortion rights supporter

Halloween, 2024 [ ahead of Nov. 2024 election

candidate's 3rd wife makes "splash" in

publishing world / market:

In first week, MELANIA sold 85,349 copies;

At a September 2024 rally, the candidate said

She just wrote a book. . .

I hope she said good things

about . . .

I don't know, I didn't. . .

so busy"

Scientists leave Atlanta, GA with Trump's vindictive cutting of jobs & research for CDC and nearby laboratories / corporations

 Trump's Cuts to the CDC

(Centers for Disease Prevention / Research)

in Atlanta take a wallop to

city of Georgia (its capital) . . .

RFK, Jr. placed as head of HHS . . .

__________________________

over many decades the disease-fighting work

of the CDC helped define the Southern city's

moral purpose along with its civil rights legacy;

Atlanta was host to regional life sciences sectors

that employed 200,000 + of the brightest

scientists / technicians / lab workers . . .

From 13,500 employees Full-time (Jan. early weeks 13 mos. ago) to fewer than 10,000 scientists, technicians, epidemiologists

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention 

Did CDC in Atlanta, GA really shrink?

Yes, approximately one-third.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon

 Thursday Jan. 22, 2026

reported to ABC News dot-go-dot-com

U.S. Judge

presiding over challenge by 

National Trust for Historic

Preservation's

lawsuit in District Court 

signaled deep skepticism over 

whether the Trump-Vance

administration has "legal authority" 

to undertake the EAST WING

renovations and to fund them

with private donations, thereby

supplanting the Constitutional

"guardrails" that FUNDING must

go through (I.e. CONGRESS). . .

Tik Tok reveals

 TikTok

seals deal

for new joint US

venture to avoid

American ban

Jan. 23, 2026

FIFA World Cup - at midyear - FIFA announces Trump will present July 19 TROPHY to best-in-world Men's Soccer team

 hosted by N. American major cities

Vancouver, British Columbia

&

Seattle, Washington

How can the U.S. city and the Canadian

city encourage tourists to visit both sides

of the national border?

Amb. Pete Hoekstra (former Michigan Congressman

and Trump 1.0 ambassador to Netherlands (2017 - 20))

If Canadians are staying home,

that's their business. . .They

want to ban American alcohol,

that's fine. . .(Boycotts) are why

Pres. Trump and his team have

referred to Canadians are "mean

and nasty to deal with."

Leonardo's painting in ITALY (Milan's Sforza Palace)

 showing leaves and plant species

commissioned by the Sforza family

who were among his patrons

_________________________

on view after restoration for

OLYMPIC visitors / tourists

apnews.com/article/leonardo-restoration-milan-cortina-

olympics . . .

Jan. 21, 2026

6:51 a.m. for ASSOCIATED PRESS wire service

Did France reject participation in the GAZA Stabilization Force earlier this week?

 Yes

Troopers Bleed Blue -- annual Blood drive benefitting VERSITI (formerly Michigan Blood)

 for April 2026

date is now set:

Wednesday morning

following Easter weekend:

April 8 appointments

available 8:00 until 12:30;

the VERSITI crew of

phlebotomists, nurse-staffers

will work at the MSP Headquarters

for the Niles, Michigan POST.

web connection is

donateblood.versiti.org/

Indictment: The People versus Donald John Trump [ four charges ]

Tuesday Aug. 27, 2024

POLITICO.com/news/2024/08/27/read-trump-indictment-00176509

The new indictment by Sp. DOJ Prosecutor Jack Smith

removes some specific allegations but contains the same

FOUR Charges of 

election interference

to subvert the 2020 election 

Jack Smith's TESTIMONY: on Impeachable - Criminal offenses of Donald John Trump

 C-Span coverage of House Judiciary Cmte.

today Thursday 1/22/2026

10 a.m. forward Eastern Time zone

c-span.org/event/house-committee/

special-counsel-jack-smith-testifies-

on-trump-investigations/439618

The 2023 case brought against Trump 1.0 on his mishandling of Classified Documents (in bathrooms Mar-A-Lago) and Bolton Indictment last fall 2025

NY TIMES.com

Charlie Savage article (online) - Thursday Oct. 16, 2025

"How the Bolton Indictment Compares to 

the Trump Classified Documents Case"

[ D of J special prosecutor Jack Smith ]

it was thrown out by FL judge Aileen

Cannon [who sided with the POTUS

who had placed her in a high position

in the Federal Judiciary]

us/politics/trump-bolton-indictment-documents.html

Casting Directors for a motion picture (New Category 2026)

 The last time the Academy Awards added

a new category for competitive Oscar was

in 2001 was for "Best Animated Film"

OSCAR NOMINEE: Delroy Lindo, Movie & TV actor of "Sinners" and "Believe" (2014)

UPDATE: Jan. 22, 2026

OSCAR nomination for portrayal

of a Blues musician in Sinners

AARP "Movies for Grown-ups"

film & TV awards (Jan. 10, 2025

announced )

He won BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

for Sinners (2025)

[ watch the entire

ceremony on PBS

"GREAT PERFORMANCES"

feb.22, 2026 - check local

listings of your PBS affiliate]

Denver Film Festival winner of 

Career Achievement Award

from work in 

Sinners (2025)

Australia passes LAW 2026 on hate crimes : Anti-semitism, hate,extremism

as reported in JERUSALEM POST

21 Jan. 2026

17:27 a.m.

SYDNEY Australia

jpost.com/diaspora/

antisemitism/article-884056

by

Mathilda Heller

Trump will never earn an Eagle Scout Badge

POTUS 38 (he was VP of Richard Nixon

who had resigned from the presidency in August

1974) 

Gerald Ford of

Grand Rapids, MI

is the only POTUS

to have earned the

EAGLE SCOUT

BADGE while growing

up in 1927 -- he received the

Distinguished Eagle Scout

award and had an honor

guard of Eagle Scouts at

his funeral . . .

__________________________

this unique POTUS shares few

attributes in common with POTUS 47

(Trump 2nd term).

Nowadays Ford would be called a

Moderate, non-MAGA Republican

from a state where Mitt Romney's

dad was also a GOP governor in 

a Blue State. . .

There are few GOP Politicians like

Ford and Romney who maintain

a public profile or who challenge

the actions and statements of the

current POTUS 47

Winter Reading Program NDL Thurs. evening 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. - Teens & Adults

nileslibrary.com [ Niles District Library

SW Michigan]

Niles, MI (Berrien County)

District Library (cards free

for those living inside

city limits / tax district)

620 Main Street, Niles 49120

http://nileslibrary.com/

Thursday Jan. 22, 2026

6:30 - 7:30 p.m

Adult Programming event

for

Give a book

Take a book

Share the joy of reading

Niles Library dot-com

Adult services

(269) - 683-8545

Ferry Street Resource Center to be replaced by a memorial park (Recreation Plan, NILES CITY COUNCIL)

 details at local NBC Affiliate News website

wndu.com/2026/01/20/niles-presents-community-recreation-

plan-residents . . .

Tuesday Jan. 20, 2026

reporter interviewed Tim Ryan, 2nd War council representative

NILES,

MICHIGAN

49120

Lee Ann Rimes (Country Star) needed "Plasma Exchange"

 Nashville, TN

a blood plasma exchange will

clear micro-toxins, (mold, micro-

plastics) and for her second

treatment stem cells were added

to encourage overall repair.

mlive.com/news/us-world/2026/01/country-music-icon-

undergoes-oil-change-for-the-body-after-her-teeth-fell-out-onstage.html

TPE

Therapeutic Plasma Exchange

costs $10,000

she was a country music sensation

as a teenager

The Snow-Storm

 a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson 

1834 - 1835?

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight; the whited air

Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,

And veils the farm-house at the garden's end.

The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

Come see the north wind's masonry,

Out of an unseen quarry evermore

Furnished with tile, the fierce artificer

Curves his white bastions with projected roof

Round every windward stake, or tree, or door.

Speeding, the myriad-handed, his wild work

So fanciful, so savage, nought cares he

For number or proportion. Mockingly,

on coop or kennel he hangs Parian wreaths;

A swan-like form invests the hidden thorn;

Fills up the farmer's lane from wall to wall,

Maugre the farmer's sighs; and at the gate

A tapering turret overtops the work.

And when his hours are numbered and the world

Is all his own, retiring, as he were not,

Leaves, when the sun appears, astonished Art

To mimic in slow structures, stone by stone,

Built in an age, the mad wind's night-work,

The frolic architecture of the snow!

Pisa's Leaning Tower

from Herman Melville's Timoleon, etc.

The Tower in tiers of architraves,

Fair circle over cirque,

A trunk of rounded colonnades,

The maker's master-work,

Impends with all its pillared tribes,

And, poising them, debates:

It thinks to plunge -- but hesitates;

Shrinks back -- yet fain would slide;

Withholds itself -- itself would urge;

Hovering, shivering on the verge,

    A would-be suicide!

Lamia's Song

A poem of Herman Melville -- from Timoleon, et cetera

Descend, descend!

        Pleasant the downward way -

From your lonely Alp

With the wintry scalp

To our myrtles in valleys of May,

        Wend then, wend:

Mountaineer, descend!

And more than a wreath shall repay,

        Come, ah come!

With the cataracts come,

That hymn as they roam

How pleasant the downward way!

An uninscribed monument

 from Herman Melville's Battle-Pieces

collected book of Civil War era Poetry

____________________________

Silence and Solitude may hint

    (Whose home is in yon piny wood)

What I, though tableted, could never tell-

The din which here befell,

    And striving of the multitude.

The iron cones and spheres of death

    Set round me in their rust, 

These, too, if just,

Shall speak with more than animated breath.

Thou who beholdest, if thy_ thought,

Not narrowed down to personal cheer,

Take in the import of the quiet here -

The after-quiet - the calm full fraught:

Thou too wilt silent stand-

Silent as I, and lonesome as the land!

An Epitaph

 When Sunday tidings from the front

    Made pale the priest and people,

And heavily the blessing went,

    And bells were dumb in the steeple;

The Soldier's widow (summering sweetly here,

    In shade by waving beeches Lent)

    Felt deep at heart her faith content,

And priest and people borrowed of her cheer.

from Herman Melville's

BATTLE-PIECES (after the Civil War's conclusion)