Todd Sandel's Blog from Macau

My letter to US senators from the state of Texas where I am now registered to vote: I am writing to you concerning the Trump tariffs on Canada and Mexico. These are economically, politically, and strategically misguided. Canada and Mexico are our closest allies, our neighbors, and our friends. I urge you to speak out publicly against these tariffs. They are hurting our economy and security. As the stock market falls, I have personally lost thousands of dollars in my savings and investment accounts. And the damage will not end until Trump publicly and permanently renounces these tariffs. I urge you to use your position as an elected senator from the great state of Texas, to do what is right and end these tariffs.

Where are you now Superman? “I’m fighting for Truth, Justice, and the American way.” In the 1978 film, Superman: The Movie , a memorable scene is when Lois Lane asks Superman , “Why are you here?” Superman responds, “I’m fighting for truth, justice, and the American way.” I’m old enough to remember seeing this film when it played in the movie theater, and remember the thrill that I felt when Superman (played by Christopher Reeve) said this. As Americans, we were experiencing difficult times. Inflation was high, the economy was not growing, energy prices were surging, we still felt strongly about losing the Vietnam war, many former colonies in Africa were aligning with the Communist bloc, and we feared that we were losing the Cold War with the Soviet Union. Our President, Jimmy Carter, who began his term on a wave of optimism, was struggling to find solutions, and in his brutally honest way of communicating, emphasized the “challenges” and “difficulties” ahead more than the solutions. ...

 Happy Year of the Snake!  We mark the beginning of a new year in Macao, and also in Taiwan where I'm spending the holiday with Donna and family. The weather is bright and sunny here after a cold night. Let's hope that this is a sign for the days to come, that after a cold start, things get better. The last time I posted anything on this blog was on Joe Biden's inauguration in 2021. I thought that the days of the orange-felon-cheat-etc. were behind us. Unfortunately, he was able to convince enough people that four years of chaos wasn't enough, and they chose to experience four more. Donna and I went on a short drive to see a nearby park, trees, and flowers. It was too crowded to stop, so we just drove slowly and enjoyed the sights as we passed by. As we came close to home, I was driving in a four-lane highway that had some traffic, but not too bad. A car came up on me very fast, passing cars in the slow lane, and I moved to the inner lane, out of the way, to let it pass...