Like their allies the Iranians, they're just waiting out the Trump administration until they can regain power and resume business as usual

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No, this blog still reports real estate news — when there is any. No activity today, other than a few rentals and out-of-town contracts, but tune in tomorrow (Updated)

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Ghost Town, Greenwich

In the meantime, and in the spirit of this post, here’s that noted pederast Jonathan King, singing his hit from 1965. Mr King successfully completed his 7-year sentence for diddling underaged boys some years ago, and I’m sure he’s back in (the music?) business. Looking at him back then, who’d have thought?

UPDATE: “Politics of Smoking” has thoughtfully provided a colorized version of the tape I used, and one that includes the master pedohile of all, Jimmy Savile, introducing the children’s next heartthrob. I’m replacing the version I posted with the new one:

Damn it, I was directly responsible for steering him into a star NFL career, and I've never received even a crummy Viking's T Shirt, let alone Super Bowl tickets

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“I know there’s something I forgot to do, but what was it?”

GHS Announces Graduation Speaker, Former NFL Player, GHS Class of 2003 Grad

On Tuesday, the administration and staff of Greenwich High School announced that former NFL All-Pro John Sullivan will be the 2026 Commencement Speaker.

Mr. Sullivan is a proud GHS alum, class of 2003. GHS Commencement is scheduled for 5:00pm on Thursday, June 18 at Cardinal Stadium (weather permitting).

Sullivan played 11 years in the National Football League as a center for the Minnesota, Washington, and L.A. Rams franchises. Selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft out of the University of Notre Dame, Mr. Sullivan became the Minnesota Vikings’ starting center in 2009, holding the position for seven seasons and earning First-Team All-Pro honors in 2012. In 2017 and 2018, he helped the Rams win consecutive NFC West division titles and started 31 of 32 regular-season games, culminating in an appearance in Super Bowl LIII against the New England Patriots.

At Greenwich High School, Sullivan emerged as a two-sport phenom, earning four varsity letters each in football and wrestling, plus one in rugby and one in track. On the gridiron, he led the Cardinals to FCIAC Championships in 2001 and 2002, secured All-State honors three consecutive years (2000-2002), and was named the 2002 Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year.

His senior season culminated in a selection to the prestigious 2003 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.

Way, way back when, I “coached” — and I use the term loosely — the little league baseball team that young Master Sullivan, along with my son John, were part of. I did so only because no other parent would step up, and my coaching skills were as limited as my own baseball talent. In fact, if I hadn’t been such a poor coach, Johnny might never have abandoned the game, discovered football, and gone on to stardom.

It probably didn’t hurt that the 8-year-old, 4’6” (approx), 60-lb ballplayer grew to be 6’4” 311 pounds, but it was my own ineptitude that gave him a nudge in the right direction. Oh, well, no tickets, but I did enjoy following his success in the NFL, and I’m delighted to learn that he’s still a star on a different field.

A Gold Star mother makes a request; guess who responded, and (this part's easy) who didn't?

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if only there were time ….

Tulsi Gabbard and Others Go Above and Beyond for a Gold Star Widow

On the night before Memorial Day, Sharrell Shaw posted a special request on social media. "This is probably a long shot, but if anybody happens to be in D.C. this weekend and plans on visiting Arlington, I would love to see a fresh photo of my husband’s grave in Section 60," she said. "There’s just something about knowing people still stop by, still say his name, still remember."  

The Gold Star widow's husband was Staff Sergeant Alan W. Shaw. He was killed in action in Iraq on February 9, 2007. Alan was only 31, and while he's from Little Rock, Ark., he's buried Arlington in Section 60, Grave 8451 at Arlington. 

Sharrell, who goes by @SharrellAnne2 on X, didn't have high expectations, so I imagine she was mighty surprised on Monday when dozens of patriotic Americans visited her husband's grave to pay their respects and take a photo for her, including members of the Donald Trump administration. 

One of the first was outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. A veteran herself, Gabbard posted a response to Sharrell, which included a picture of her placing a challenge coin on Alana's headstone. 

"It was an honor to visit your husband’s grave today on your behalf, and to pay my respects," she said. "It was wonderful to see the beautiful flowers representing many others who did the same. Our nation owes a debt of gratitude to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and to the loved ones they left behind. Thank you for your service and sacrifice."  

…. Later, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his wife and children also stopped by to pay their respects. 

And many, many more, from prominent politicians and “ordinary” citizens, like these:

Sharrell responded with the following message: 

Last night, I made a simple request on X. I asked if anybody visiting Arlington National Cemetery for Memorial Day would stop by Alan’s grave and leave a photo for our family.

What happened next honestly caught me off guard.

By this afternoon, dozens of Americans from all walks of life had made the walk to Section 60 to visit SSG Alan W. Shaw. Veterans. Families. Complete strangers. People who had never met Alan, but chose to honor him anyway.

For one day on social media, people put aside the constant noise and negativity and came together for something bigger than themselves. My notifications filled with photos, kind messages, prayers, and stories from people honoring not just Alan, but so many of our fallen heroes.

I don’t think people fully understand what moments like this mean to Gold Star families. The fear is never just losing them. It’s losing them slowly over time as the world moves on and fewer people remember their name.

But today showed me that Alan will never be forgotten.

After years of watching social media reward some of the worst parts of humanity, today gave me a reminder that the good is still out there too.

Thank you to every single person who stopped by to visit Alan today, said his name, shared his story, or took a moment to honor the fallen.

This right here is the America Alan knew and loved enough to fight and die for.

And today, y’all showed us all that it’s still here and it’s still worth fighting for. 

Just to be thorough, and fair, I inquired of ChatGPD:

Q: The day before Memorial Day this year — 2026 — a Gold Star widow posted a request on her social media page asking any readers who happened to be at Arlington Cemetery on the 25th to place flowers on her husband's grave. Quite a number of people responded, but I haven't seen any report of a Democrat visiting the grave. Were they any? Did any post about it?

A: I could not find any verified public reports, posts, or news coverage showing prominent Democratic elected officials visiting Staff Sgt. Alan W. Shaw’s grave in response to Sharrell Anne Shaw’s Memorial Day request this year.

What is publicly documented is that a number of people — including Tulsi Gabbard and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — visited the grave and posted about it on social media.

Sharrell Shaw’s original request on X reportedly received millions of views, and many private citizens, veterans, and military families responded by placing flowers and sharing photos.

I also searched for public posts or reporting involving Democratic members of Congress, Democratic administration officials, or well-known Democratic public figures tied specifically to Shaw’s request, and I did not find any. That does not necessarily mean none visited privately — only that there does not appear to be publicly documented evidence of it at this point.

The Democrats were, however, shamed by enough of the public to remove their first try at pretending to remember the dead on Memorial Day and replace it with an equally-obnoxious, equally-partisan one:

Oops! Didn’t like this one? Let’s try again'; don’t to forget to vote for our candidates this fall!

Fast Food Killing Centers

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Canadian Doctor Offers Assisted Suicide To Man Outside Tim Hortons, Personally Drives Him To End His Life

A real story from the National Post.

….[A] 45-year-old man with Crohn's disease was approved for and received MAiD — Canada's government-sponsored assisted-suicide program — after a doctor assessed him for lethal injection right outside a Tim Hortons. Because apparently fast-food restaurants are a great place for death doctors to find potential clients.

Thomas Dillon reportedly suffered from Crohn's, along with other issues like depression. But instead of, you know, actual medical treatment, ongoing support, or even a conversation, Dr. James MacLean conducted the Medical Assistance in Dying eligibility assessment in a parking lot. They texted back and forth, and then eventually, the death doctor drove him to his final destination.

Dillon's family members, of course, were never made aware of the death assessment!

But wait! There’s more! — Of course there is.

Canada severely restricted the sale and possession of guns years ago, with a miniscule effect on the already-miniscule number of homicide gun deaths. If saving lives were a goal of their government (it isn’t) they’d be far better off banning doctors.

Total number of homicides by shooting in Canada from 1974 to 2024

The New Democrats; same as the old Bolsheviks — and the Soviet/Russian nomenklatura*

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Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner embraces democratic socialism at Bernie Sanders rally in Portland

The presumptive Democratic nominee told progressives he would do 'whatever it takes' to fuel a 'political revolution'

Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner appeared alongside Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Monday and echoed several Sanders-style progressive themes, criticizing five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins, criticizing and U.S. weapons spending tied to conflicts in Gaza and Iran.

Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee seeking to unseat Collins in November, made the fiery remarks during a "Fighting Oligarchy" rally led by Sanders in Portland — an event aimed at mobilizing progressive activists and expanding grassroots organizing efforts ahead of the midterm elections. The Portland event was one of Sanders’ Maine stops with Platner and gubernatorial candidate Troy Jackson.

During the rally, Platner leaned heavily into anti-corporate rhetoric, telling a crowd of cheering progressives they must build a "political revolution" and take back "what is ours."

We are taking back what is ours. We're going to take it back from the corporations that seek profit, no matter the cost from the billionaires for whom greed is the point, and from corrupt politicians like Susan Collins, corrupt politicians who have sold us out," Platner said.

Fun fact: Bernie Sanders, who has never held a job in the private sector, owns three houses, including a Washington D.C. townhouse and lakeside camp in Vermont, has a net worth estimated at (at least) $2-3 million.

*If you’re not familiar with the term, this Google summary is close enough, although it doesn’t mention that when the Soviet Union collapsed, the nomenklatura stayed in power and proceeded to get even wealthier.

The nomenklatura was the Soviet Communist Party's patronage and appointment system. It consisted of classified lists of key administrative, economic, and political positions, alongside the approved individuals eligible to fill them. It served as the primary mechanism for the Party to maintain absolute control over the Soviet state. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Key features of the nomenklatura included:

  • Political Loyalty Over Merit: Appointments were not based on technical expertise, but on absolute loyalty to the Communist Party and strict adherence to the party line.

  • Centralization: The Party controlled the personnel of almost every sphere of national life. From industrial managers and university rectors to local government officials and military commanders, every important leader required approval from the Party's hierarchy.

  • The "New Class": Over time, the nomenklatura evolved into a de facto ruling class or elite. They enjoyed significant privileges inaccessible to the general public, such as access to special well-stocked shops, superior housing, vacation dachas, and better healthcare.

  • System Origins: Formally established in the early 1920s under Joseph Stalin, the system grew from personnel records designed to centralize state administration. By 1985, the system encompassed millions of positions across the USSR, with the Central Committee alone managing key posts. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

Western Civilization — going, going …

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An excellent talk, well worth spending to listening to in its entirety. But if that’s too much of a commitment, here’s 12-minute segment; if that’s too much, watch the first 6 minutes; and if that’s too much, spend two minutes: start at 2:26 and watch through 4:26.

Here’s what historian David Butterfield says, beginning at 2:46, and it’s no wonder he’s so pessimistic about the continuation of western civilization — we have neither part of what he deems essential to its survival:

Tradition is the act of handing off – it involves two kinds of people; you need both. The first is someone actually in position to give to another the thing deemed worthy of preserving, but crucially, that baton is going to be dropped if there isn’t also a second person willing to receive it, and sees the value in picking it up.”

Voter ID, Now!

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Then they didn’t (2025-26)

And now full-circle.

(Great headline by Ed Driscoll):

PRATT PERFORMANCE IS NO GUARANTEE OF FUTURE RESULTS: The Entire Internet Threatens to Vote for Spencer Pratt. And just like that, suddenly California is intensely interested in election security.

And this Spencer-related story has been around for a few days, but if yiu missed it, it’s fun Beautiful street theater, literally: