So what else do you have going at noon tomorrow? (Or more accurately, 12:30.)

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Here’s your chance! Press the flesh with Gideon and Susie (if the Gid’s personal security team will permit it). No ticket price that I can find on the website, but possibly $16 admission — or just use my name (and pay $20).

All at the Bedford Playhouse!

No word on popcorn buckets, but there is a cafe/bar with the improbable name of Bambi’s on site.


Fun story for a slow Friday afternoon

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Rescued From a WWI Battlefield, This Dog Became Hollywood's Biggest Star and Saved Warner Bros.

On Sept. 15, 1918, Corporal Lee Duncan walked through the bombed-out ruins of a German camp near Flirey, France. There, he found a kennel that housed military-working dogs meant for the German army. Most were dead, but he discovered a starving German shepherd mother with her litter of five newborn puppies. Their eyes hadn't even opened yet.

Duncan had no idea that one of those puppies would soon become the face of Hollywood and save a then-unknown film studio called Warner Bros. from bankruptcy.

WWI Soldier Rescues a Battlefield Puppy

Born in 1892 into a poor family in California, Duncan's father abandoned the family soon after. In 1898, his mother placed him and his sister in an orphanage, unable to support them. He spent five years there before his mother was able to retrieve them.

Due to his upbringing, Duncan jumped at the opportunity to join the military when the U.S. entered World War I. He was one of the first Americans sent to France in late 1917 with the U.S. Army Air Service's 135th Aero Squadron. 

You’ll definitely want to read the whole thing (or at least dog owners will)

Well, of course it did — it was a rule promulgated by the Orange Man

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Appeals court blocks Trump’s rules to stop illegal immigrants from getting truck driver permits

A federal appeals court put on hold Thursday the Trump administration’s new rules limiting commercial driver’s licenses, saying the Transportation Department cut too many corners in rushing the regulation out the door.

The Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 2-1 decision, said the evidence shows the migrants targeted by the new rule actually have lower fatal accident rates than other drivers, undercutting the government’s justification.

That revelation, plus the hurried nature of the new rule, which was not shared with states in advance, makes it arbitrary and capricious, said Judges Florence Pan and Robert Wilkins, Biden and Obama appointees.

They also said the migrants themselves, as well as the economy, have come to rely on migrant drivers and that taking them off the road “would have public safety by forcing it to replace safer experienced drivers with less-safe new drivers.”

Judge Karen Henderson, a George H.W. Bush appointee, dissented, saying she thought the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration made a good showing of the need for the rule, which she said should have been good enough at this point in the litigation.

The rule at issue limited states’ ability to issue commercial driver’s licenses to people whose addresses were foreign domiciles but who live in the U.S.

The government said those drivers fell into a loophole.

Because much of their driving history exists in their home countries, states struggle to make determinations on whether they should be granted licenses.

Judge Henderson said that made sense, and it was an error for the court to substitute its judgment for the government.

“It should go without saying that our nation’s roadways are safer the fewer people there are operating eighteen-wheelers, buses and delivery trucks with unchecked driving histories,” she wrote.

She said the government also provided examples of five recent fatal crashes — which claimed 12 lives — involving foreign-domiciled commercial drivers. She said an audit of their foreign records might have denied them permits.

Search the web for answers to “why are Indians such bad drivers” and you’ll find literally hundreds of posts, from both natives of India and long term residents, and you get the same answer: complete disregard of traffic laws, no consideration of other drivers and pedestrians (thy’ll drive on sidewalks to avoid stalled traffic) and no demonstration of driving competency required for licensing. Here are just two examples:

Reddit question: What’s wrong with Indian drivers?

One answer:

Indian here. The main reason I feel is a lack of respect for traffic laws unless monetarily penalized. Leaving Apart city roads in many places, road infrastructure has developed a lot in the past decade, with 6 lane superhighways, model roads etc. The latest highways have a speed limit of 120-140 kph since the infrastructure is there to support it. However even then the roads will remain dangerous due to disregard for traffic laws. I'll give some examples of things that are standard in other nations but not in India:

Lane Obedience and sticking to rightmost for fastest and overtaking, leftmost for slowest and trucks

Indicators for switching lanes, for turning some people do use it and some people don't as far as I've seen

Respect for right of way or pedestrians (a huge issue imo)

Overloading of trucks and basically trucks being a nuisance overall

Lack of awareness of road signs and markings

All of this can be fixed by better driving training and license enforcements...almost anyone can get a license with a simple af test or some with none at all. Only a few modern driving test facilities exist as well. So we need better drivers to fix these issues.

Quora:

Why are people driving in India so bad?

Originally Answered: Why are people driving in India so bad?

What i have noticed is that no one uses blinkers for lane change, they dont care about traffic laws and signals, pedestrians dont cross safely ( they just do what they feel like, jaywalking and crossing when signal is green ), if one guy uses blinkers for stopping the car to a side ( people barely use ) immediately starts honking from the cars behind like theres a dog chasing them, overspeeding or going too slow, and the last one is honking for no reason.

A new mayor who's still living on an allowance from her parents? What could possibly go wrong?

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David Strom makes a bold prediction

Seattle's New Socialist Mayor Will Be Worse Than Mamdani

Everybody is rightly worried about what damage Zohran Mamdani will do to New York City. It is, after all, the financial capital of the world. 

However, the truth is that many of the things he has promised to do will be blocked in Albany due to some complexities in the relationship between the city, the state, and multi-governmental organizations. Mamdani will be able to do a lot of damage, of course, but likely more along the lines of being a worse Bill de Blasio than a Fidel Castro. 

New York City has so much wealth that it will take a long time and a lot of effort to do irreversible damage, I suspect. Mamdani will be flashy and do damage, but not kill the city. I think. I hope. 

Seattle, though, may not be so lucky. New York City is a colossus, so it can sustain quite a bit of injury. Seattle may be wealthy by most standards, but its success has shallower roots and its institutions are likely less resilient. 

The election of Katie Wilson, who barely ousted the incumbent Mayor Bruce Harrell, takes the city out of the frying pan and directly into the fire. Harrell has been struggling to bring the city back from the disastrous COVID/CHAZ/CHOP years, which devastated the city. Microsoft, based just outside Seattle, no longer holds its big Build conference there because the city has become intolerable at times for visitors because of homelessness and drug use. 

Harrell was trying to address those issues by rebuilding basic institutions like the police. 

Wilson's pitch to bring Seattle back is to become more socialist. Ideologically, she is very Mamdani-like, but intellectually, she is Mamdani-light. Or, perhaps I should say, Mamdani without the looks or charm. 

…. Ancient Rome could endure many bad policies because there was a lot of wealth to consume before it collapsed. New York City is like that. Seattle doesn't have the economic depth and power to endure a lot of horrific management. Having a mayor whose sole experience is running a tiny nonprofit, whose husband is an unemployed baker, and who can't even support herself, I'm pretty sure you are screwed. 

How will all this largess be paid for? Aww, c’mon, you know how a communist tackles problems like that.

And while you might think that the best way to keep grocery and drug stores open in the most blighted area of a city would be to reduce crime and make it safe for customers to shop and enable store owners to make a profit, Katie has an easier, perhaps even brilliant approach: “we’ll pass a law and make them stay!”

As for “the people”, they can relax, maybe play a couple of tunes when the weather’s nice.

I'd thought that when three of the four Fountain Boyz left town (and Lorin), Greenwich lost the title, but apparently, Gideon's maintained it all by himself

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Or so says that fine, understated newspaper the Daily Mail, and who would gainsay the 4th Viscount, Lord Rothermere?

The most expensive house for sale in 'the city of billionaires': Stunning Connecticut estate with its own beach hits market for eye-watering price

  • Greenwich, Connecticut is dubbed 'the city of billionaires' for its rich residents 

  • The most expensive estate in the neighborhood hit the market for $49.5 million

  • It boosts six bedrooms, six bathrooms and 1.6 acres of waterfront property 

That article, dated May 21st, 2024, is both erroneous and out of date: 545 Indian Field Road was originally listed August 4th, 2023, for $57,995,000, and has seen four price changes since, dropping to as low as $44,560,000 on March 21, 2025, and today it was raised to $45,000,000. You snoozed, you loozed.

Another triumph for Trump

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never mind!

EU Parliament Slashes ESG Rules

David Strom, Hot Air

Talk about a story with a double dose of goodness!

“First and foremost, the European Parliament voted to dramatically scale back its ridiculous Environmental and Social Governance rules for corporations, which is a big win for sanity. 

“And, as a cherry on top, that vote came after the United States kicked our European Allies around, showing them who is boss when it comes to economic matters.”

The European Parliament has voted to dramatically wind back the bloc’s ESG rules following intense US pressure.

The development means that >90% of companies originally in scope of ESG reporting requirements will no longer need to comply. https://t.co/bCHlubkOje

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) November 13, 2025

“The EU Parliament isn't quite as awful as the United Nations, but it is seriously in the running for worst international organization. And ESG rules and regulations are serious drags on economic growth, since they force corporations to adhere to ridiculous woke ideology that causes us so much grief. “

The European Parliament has voted to dramatically wind back the bloc’s ESG rules following intense pressure from US business associations and state attorneys general.

The development means that more than 90% of companies originally in scope of environmental, social and governance reporting requirements will no longer need to comply. Other planks of the rulebook that emerged as a sticking point for the US have been dropped entirely. After Thursdays vote, the legislation now heads for approval by the European Union’s member states.

The EU responded to concerns raised by America’s fossil-fuel industry and the American Chamber of Commerce, said Pascal Canfin, a senior lawmaker for the centrist Renew Party. “They won,” he said.

As a long-time bastion of ESG, Europe’s decision to slash regulations once viewed as standard-setting marks a stunning retreat. In the US, ESG has been vilified by the Trump administration as “woke” and anti-American. In Europe, however, concerns have centered mostly on the costs associated with complying rather than on ideological arguments.

…. The changes agreed on by EU lawmakers mean that 92% of companies that would have been subject to the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive will no longer be in scope, according to Julia Otten, a senior policy officer at advocacy NGO Frank Bold. Lawmakers also voted to drop a requirement that companies produce climate transition plans under the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. A proposal to introduce EU-wide civil liability is also off the table.

Lawmakers didn’t address the issue of extraterritoriality, whereby countries outside the EU still need to comply with its ESG rules if they target the bloc’s markets. But with other parts of the legislation effectively wiped out, the expectation among EU lawmakers is that US concerns have now largely been put to rest.

Valdis Dombrovskis, Europe’s economy and productivity commissioner, said in an interview with Bloomberg Radio last week that the EU was listening to such concerns. However, Teresa Ribera, executive vice president of the European Commission, has warned against excessive deregulation.

Strom: “The European Commission is worried about "excessive deregulation." That's a laugh. This is Europe we are talking about, where economic "growth" is a dirty word. I'm pretty sure Teresa doesn't have to worry that Europe will suddenly become a vital economic center of growth again. At least until the European Union is disbanded. 

“The EU has been targeting American corporations that conduct business in Europe, seeking to establish regulatory authority over them in all matters they choose to engage in. ESG rules are all about replacing shareholder value with "stakeholder" value, which in practice means pushing DEI, climate alarmism, and all sorts of woke ideas into corporate culture. 

“This is a significant win, even though it will likely go unnoticed by most people, as it has more to do with corporate culture than with how businesses build and sell products. Expect less focus on pleasing activist groups and more on the core competencies these corporations should be focused on. 

“Good!”

Carjacking in mid-country? Really?

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(Borrowed photo)

Arrests Made Following Mid-Country Greenwich Carjacking

Greenwich Police announced that on Nov 8 around 3:53pm officers responded to a report of a stolen vehicle in the area of mid-country. The victim reported being physically forced out of their vehicle and thrown to the ground by an unknown suspect who then fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.

Responding officers learned that the suspects were possibly Hispanic males wearing hooded sweatshirts and that a blue Audi may have been acting as a trail vehicle. The victim was not injured declined medical attention.

An investigation led by a Greenwich Police Dept Detective currently assigned to a CT State Police Statewide Task Force, in collaboration with multiple law enforcement agencies, resulted in the arrest of two suspects in New York State and the recovery of the stolen vehicle on Monday.

Through this ongoing investigation, detectives have determined that many recent victims of similar incidents were targeted after visiting businesses located on or near East and West Putnam Avenue.

Organized auto theft crews are known to operate along these major roadways, identifying and following potential victims before committing thefts.

“many recent victims of similar incidents” Many?

Neither the exact location nor specific details of the crime are given, so it’s impossible to know whether this is now a “thing” in Greenwich, but … sheesh.

Many years ago I used to shoot with friends on Fridays at the Cos Cob Revolver and Rifle Club, and would tease two of them who (legally) carried pistols on them whenever they left their houses; one even wore a second gun in an ankle holster (you know who you are, JTF). “Guys”, “I’d gently chide them, “we live in Greenwich, Connecticut. What are the chances of you ever having to use a gun on a perpetrator?”. “Better to have a gun when you don’t need one, than not have a gun when you do”, was their response.

At the time, I used my carry permit simply to legally transport pistols from my house to club, and locked them up when I returned home. I still don’t carry, but then, I no longer live in the Greenwich war zone.

Besides, anyone who tries to hijack my 10-year-old Honda Ridgeline probably needs it more than I do. I might still shoot the bastard, but I’d do so with sympathy and understanding.

What's with the free passes for COVID fraudsters?

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Two days ago we posted on the sentence of probation handed to a former politician who’d created phony employees and hidden bank accounts to defraud taxpayers during the COVID “crisis” and wondered why he hadn’t been jailed.

Here’s an even worse case, reported yesterday:

CT woman who stole $1 million from COVID-19 loan program gets probation

NEW HAVEN —  An East Granby woman who pleaded guilty to stealing $1.1 million from federal COVID-19 loan programs, funding a spending spree that included a $40,000 diamond ring and two Mini Coopers, was sentenced Thursday in federal court to three years of probation, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Karen Gaston, 45, used fictitious and dormant companies to siphon money meant for ailing businesses through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, officials said. She pleaded guilty in June to wire fraud and illegal monetary transactions.

During her probation, U.S. District Court Judge Sarah F. Russell ruled that Gaston must spend four weekends incarcerated, 10 months of home detention and perform 500 hours of community service, according to U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut David X. Sullivan.

During a debt-clearing and shopping binge in 2020, Gaston used the ill-gotten funds to pay off her $477,000 home mortgage, while also spending about $30,000 at Tiffany and Co., $13,000 at Jimmy Choo and more than $14,000 at Macy’s and Nordstrom department stores, according to a sentencing memo submitted by Sullivan and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.

Gaston spent more than $10,000 at Crate and Barrel, $8,752.89 at Home Depot and $4,599 at California Closets and made out checks to cash for thousands of dollars, prosecutors said. The long spending list ranged from $4.28 for Friendly's ice cream to $39,521.63 for a diamond and platinum ring from jeweler Harry Winston, according to the sentencing memo. Gaston also bought a Toyota for her brother and a Mini Cooper each for her boyfriend and older daughter, authorities said.

But wait, there’s more!

Federal prosecutors noted that Gaston was convicted of defrauding Connecticut's Medicaid program last year in state court. As CEO of Elegant Clinical Corp., a vocational program for disabled adults in East Windsor, Gaston fraudulently billed the state for more than $52,000 between 2016 and 2019, state prosecutors said during her trial. The jury found her guilty of first-degree larceny by defrauding a public community and health insurance fraud. At her sentencing in December, Gaston received a suspended six-year sentence and five years of probation. She also was ordered to pay restitution, perform 200 hours of community service and serve nine months of home confinement subject to electronic monitoring, according to state authorities.

For the federal crimes, prosecutors had recommended a sentence of 37 to 46 months, describing Gaston in a sentencing memo as a greedy person who acted out of a sense of entitlement. Her spending on restaurants alone, prosecutors said, was "remarkable," and included totals of $6,000 at Mill on the River, more than $4,000 at the Tosca Restaurant and about $1,200 at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.

Gaston revealed her character, prosecutors said, when she fraudulently listed her older daughter as part owner of one of the companies she used in the scheme. On the loan applications, Gaston lied about the status of her businesses, the number of workers and workers' wages and submitted bogus tax documents, authorities said. In all, she filched $1,163,910 in loan funds meant to help people fighting for financial survival, prosecutors said. Federal officials said Gaston agreed to make full restitution.

Another story that the Mainstream Flying Monkeys won't cover (and wouldn't matter if they did).

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Double dip

500K Double Dippers, 5K Dead People Found on SNAP in 29 States

Across three-fifths of the United States, the Trump administration has found half a million people receiving SNAP benefits twice over and 5,000 dead people receiving them. In deep blue states, the fraud is probably much worse.

It is important to clarify that 20+ states out of the 50 did not comply with the federal government's request for information on SNAP beneficiaries, likely because they are trying to hide how many illegal aliens are illicitly receiving food stamps. So the horrifying numbers revealed by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show, The Ingraham Angle, are actually incomplete, and will probably be much higher if the administration can make radical Democrat states provide the necessary data.

Rollins, having mentioned the blue states' incomplete SNAP data, stated that “of the 29 that complied, what we have found is staggering. Half a million people getting benefits two times under the same name, [likewise] 5,000 dead people.” Those 5,000 cases are probably family members continuing to receive SNAP benefits instead of the deceased individuals. In any case, we are wasting huge amounts of taxpayer money on beneficiaries who have passed away and greedy double-dippers.

The secretary continued to list off food stamp recipient statistics: “80% [are] able-bodied Americans, meaning they can work, they don't have small children at home, they're not taking care of an elderly parent. They can work, and they choose not to work, of course, because they're getting significant benefits from the taxpayer.”

We'll see more of this — maybe even at Starbucks (Updated)

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remember, the minimum wage is always zero

Or teachers?

Or, what the Hell, even Granny? Take a picture, press a pillow, and save on nursing home fees.