A Few Happenings in our world 03/01/2026 to 15/01/2026

Good afternoon friends:

48 hours ago we celebrated New Year's Eve with an eruption of worldly music during a play called "We Will Rock You." We were two of a near full house in a fabulous theatre in downtown Toronto. Many know this music to be exciting, wordy and meaningful. In Europe and the far east fireworks had been lighting the skies to welcome its citizens into 2026. There was dancing, singing, hugs and kisses between friends and total strangers all having a good time around our globe.

😄

    Prior to 11:00am January 3, 2026 we were notified that the president of the USA had an important message to deliver. The news networks assembled at his Florida Club  where Donald J. Trump delivered a message that 150 armed military planes of various descriptions, dozens of low flying helicopters carrying armed soldiers, and an armada of equipment and machines have invaded the Venezuela city of Caracas to muffle and kidnap its president Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Their mission to load them on to a plane, fly to an airport north of New York City and turn them over to the American Judicial System for arraignment was a complete success. [Several days later we are told that 75 Venezuelans and 10 US military lost their lives.]

    This massive enlistment of men, women and machines was used to capture Maduro and Flores fell under a proclamation of U.S. President James Monroe issued in 1823. This was a U.S. foreign policy called The Monroe Doctrine that opposed additional European colonialism in the Americas...in exchange for the U.S. not meddling in European affairs. Trump coined his phrase the 'Donroe Doctrine' early in his 60 minute message to the American people and, to the rest of the world. 

    The Congress of the U.S.A. was not involved in drafting his 'Donroe Doctrine' which Trump claimed his administration had a legal right to invade the sovereign country of Venezuela. However, most of the hour was spent arguing the U.S.A. Government's intention to control Venezuela's Oil Industry. Trump and Secretary of State Mark Rubio spoke of the financial benefits that will fall to all Venezuelan citizens as well as the American Oil Companies when this take over is completed years from now.

    Meanwhile the rest of the world deliberates the actions of the U.S.A. in Venezuela over the last few hours. 

Demonstration outside the US Embassy in Ottawa 

In Caracas

 

Maduro 

 48 hours later on January 5, 2026 all eyes are on New York City where the judicial system takes over. Maduro is arraigned and pleads not guilty without bail with his next court appearance on March 17, 2026.

😀

On a happier note my son Greg and daughter in law Marie Lou with their sons, have joined numerous friends and their families from Quebec City on a trip to a Club Med for a week of sun, fun, and all inclusive frolic in Cancun Mexico.

😀

On January 5, 2026 at 20:00 hours my younger son Rob telephoned me. I picked up my cell and engaged in a fourty minute discussion on top-of-mind subjects. He began by referring to an AI response given to him on the topic of 'what to talk about.' With that in place these pieces came together. 

1. Ask a question about what I thought of an issue he had addressed some time ago? We did. It was settled.

2. How did I feel about another topic? We did and both of us were satisfied.

3. He wished to tell me what was happening at his place of employ especially as it relates to AI and his training toward a level 8 at CIBC. His results appear to follow a plan he has in place.

4. Finally my spoken observation regarding finance, investing, good debt versus bad debt, better health and a road to a successful possible retirement in 15 years when he turns 65 years.

    The time went quickly and we closed the conversation in 50 minutes at 20:50. We had decided to do this at a prescribed time once a month along with our usual 'once a month' dinner in his Parkdale area. Here they are, Greg and Rob at dinner with Terryl and me three days before Christmas Day in Port Credit.

😔

On January 7, 2026 as reported on our CBC Live at 13:40 two stories of devastating and tragic events. One being the brutal slaying of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner by their son Nick Reiner on December 14, 2025. Today's report was that Nick Reiner's lawyer requested a postponement to allow his removal as defence attorney.

Secondly, in the USA these days President Trump has created a group called ICE to round up illegal immigrants, detain and eventually send these people by various means out of the USA and gone forever. It's accurate to state that many of these people have been in the USA for many years, where they have worked, paid taxes and raised families of contributing citizens to the common good in their communities. Today's news involves a woman in Minneapolis who was caught up in a scuffle with an ICE group and was shot to death. Several films indicate this woman was not at fault. Most importantly the Mayor Jacob Frey made a statement that suggested ICE get the hell out of their city now and forever. He didn't mince words in his address which included Bull S... and get the F... out of our city. We don't want you and we don't need you in our city.

    Let's see what the Lyin King says about this.

😞

I've opted for a new App on my phone; it's called Habits. Simply stated it asks what habits you have or wish you had. Once initiated the app records the amount of time spent doing this habit as well as comparing previous time spent on this habit overall.

    On choosing a habit, the App puts it into these categories: Body, Mind, Healthy Habits, Appreciation and Commit. For example in Commit there are 8 suggestions: play instrument, sing, draw, practice, play, save money, try new thing, and call friend. Under Mind there are 8 suggestions: breathe, meditate, visualize, read, relax, learn, focus, and more.

    I've practiced 11 different ones so far; for example under read I have set a goal to read 30 minutes per day; and under write I have a goal to write 30 minutes per day. Both of these are easy to achieve such as reading newspapers and writing in amcpir.blogspot.com has been in my daily activity long before now. 

    Reading and writing are both important but reading is key to personal development. I have spent significant time in my lifetime learning from others whom I deem qualified to teach. That process, over the last 27 years, has caused a Pages Document to consist of 160,000 words (and growing) on this MacAir computer. Here is a statement made by one such person:

"Protect your peace like it’s your property.

Not every argument needs your voice.

Not every insult needs your response.

Not everyone deserves access to your emotions.

Peace is expensive.

Protect it from drama, negativity, and draining people...

even if they're among your closest friends." 

The person who wrote these 7 lines is unknown to me. He/she deserves the credit note, not me who has practiced its dictates.

    My habits  to walk, stretch, and squat do require getting off my butt and doing it. Let's Go. 

😊

We saw Connor Russo perform January 11, 2026 along with Bruno Nesci another Elvis impersonator to a sold out crowd at the Port Credit Legion. Connor was introduced by his very proud father who appears to be making a career for himself, and his son, highlighting Elvis impersonators around the world. 

It was a fantastic show and the crowd loved it especially when both singers  invited the ladies to accept a kiss while he performed those unforgettable hits made famous from the mid '50s to his passing at 42 years in 1977.

    

    This performance included a four piece band of two guitars, a keyboard, and drums all amplified by a sound export amped up to provide a superior audible experience for two and a half hours.

    Terryl and I had visited the Legion several times a few years ago when we sat on the balcony watching canoes and dragon boats drifting down the quiet Credit River into Lake Ontario. After the not-so-quiet final song today, performed by Bruno Nesci, we walked away holding two new applications for membership in our PC Legion for the princely sum of $10 each. And by the way 2026 is their 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Legions that serve Veterans and their families to promote Remembrance, and to serve their communities, focusing on support, and ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten.

    We have also subscribed to their website elvisandco.ca for more data regarding events, history, and specific information for what appears to be a world-wide gathering of Elvis Presley music lovers.

😁

Sir Anthony Hopkins has written a book entitled 'We Did Ok, Kid.' Anthony Hopkins' acting accomplishments are legendary and unforgettable. This memoire begins at his birth in Wales and ends at his current age of eighty-seven alive and well in Malibu.

    Tony Hopkins tells his readers he was not athletic, not studious, not liked, and not ambitious as a boy. His father didn't help; he had his own problems and Anthony spends time weaving those problems into his life as he saw it as a boy. We learn that Tony was bored, uninterested, and uninteresting with an unusually large head propped on top of his shoulders. But then a grade school teacher called him to the front of the classroom and ordered him to read a passage from a very heavy book.

    Tony writes that he never looked up from those pages, but took a few deep breaths and slowly began to speak. Soon the usual noise of discontent from the class of Welsh boys began to fade while Tony continued with eyes glued to the poem. When he finished the recital the silence persisted until broken by his teacher congratulating him on a job well done. At the end of the day he gifted Tony with that book.        

    From that point on there was but one road to walk, trot, and run like hell to get where he thought he wanted to go. The stage, theatre and motion pictures became the canvas that brought life to Anthony Hopkins.

    

    This is me with a thought to share. Was there a person who said or did something that changed your life drastically? Did you have an epiphany in your lifetime? WE DID OK, KID and others have made me think about mine.  

    Some closing remarks from Sir Anthony Hopkins are to never look back with regret, always do your best, be kind to people you meet and speak mindfully to all, listen to music you like, never stop reading books of various genres and, find someone to love and be loved. 

😁