James Lovell, R.I.P.

One of the United States' courageous astronauts having participated in

both the Gemini and Apollo programs, James Lovell was an excellent

astronaut candidate; a Naval Academy graduate in 1952 and a test pilot

--- he finished at the head of his class in the test pilot training course at

the Naval Test Center, all that after he had built his first rocket at the 

tender age of sixteen. 

And the confidence that people had in Lovell were well rewarded. 

On the Apollo 8 mission, he was a crew member of the team that was

the first to orbit the moon having positioned the craft such that crew 

member William Anders could take the iconic and breathtaking 

"Earthrise" photograph of the Earth floating above the moon's surface.

On Apollo 13 in 1970 Lovell reported back upon finding that the lunar

module had been compromised by an explosion to mission control

("Houston, we've had a problem"). The Apollo 13 crew went about 

fixing the problem, Lovell commanding everything, miraculously 

returning to Earth with safety and without further difficulty.

Oh, by the by, the aforementioned quote by Captain Lovell is 

indeed correct; "Houston, we have a problem" is how the quote 

has been passed along to the public and has been oft repeated as 

such, being almost but not quite right.

Having retired from the Navy and NASA in 1973, having been for 

a time in charge of Houston along the way, he provided for his wife 

Marilyn and their four children working in the telecommunications

industry and ran a Chicago-area restaurant. Marilyn passed away in

2023, Lovell having gone to join her mere weeks ago aged 97. 

A long and full life, to be sure. Requiescat in pace, James. Bravo!

MEM

DOGE and Air Traffic Control

No sooner than President Trump was once again inaugurated,

the Lamestream Media spread a bunch of harum scarum about

Americans being afraid to travel by air, punctuating their claim

with news of the deadly helicopter/plane collision at Reagan

Washington International Airport, then adding them up to arrive 

at the sum being that commercial flying in Trumpian America

is taking one's life into one's hands. The truth is, however, that

most Americans haven't thought that at all; the number of air-

travel passengers soared to record highs this summer, much like

a jet airplane. So although DOGE has made some budget cuts

concerning air traffic control, they have not at all cut flight

safety.

Flying is, then, still the safest way to travel. And President Trump

lives in the heads of the Lamestream Media rent-free.

MEM

Anthony "Tony" Dolan, R.I.P.

Anthony "Tony" Dolan was an enduring fixture in the Republican Party

and the conservative movement. Born in 1948, he was a most enthusiastic

volunteer for the Goldwater campaign at just sixteen years of age, and 

later went to Yale. 

In 1970 he became the deputy press secretary on the James L. Buckley 

Senate campaign. Yes, THAT James L. Buckley, brother of William F.

Buckley Jr., the godfather of modern conservativism. Later working 

for the Stamford Advocate, Dolan won a Pulitzer Prize for reporting 

on municipal corruption. As chief speechwriter for President Ronald

Reagan he was the one who called the Soviet Union an "evil empire",

and Reagan did same in a rather famous speech. Dolan also did some

work in the George W. Bush and Donald J. Trump administrations.

Dolan even wrote and recorded folk songs; who says that folk songs

can only be written and sung by lefties? 

All this is but a part of Tony Dolan's legacy. He has left this world 

at the age of 76. R.I.P.

MEM

The Peasant Returns

Now that I'm back from my annual Irish holiday 

(attending the Milwaukee Irish Fest) we shall re-

commence our perusal and examination of the 

political news stories. I had such a grand time 

getting together with old friends, some whom I 

haven't seen in one, two, more years. Sadly, some 

have passed on; among the fallen were fellow 

members of the Milwaukee Irish Fest Song Circle

which your musical Peasant had belonged to for

many years. Still others weren't able to attend 

due to poor health, one of them a fine singer,

songwriter/arranger, and musician who appeared 

at our Irish Fest in years past with a wonderful 

band which played Irish music with a rockin' 

beat and volume as well as rock music with an 

Irish brogue. Get well soon, Jim Kiley! My other

ailing friends as well! 

The weather was decidedly undecided, as throughout

most of the festival it vacillated between sun, wind, 

and rain, warm and cool, humid and airy. Luckily 

your diligent Peasant planned ahead, having brought 

my umbrella with me; perhaps I should have brought 

my mac along, too. 

However, with all the wonderful and wonderous music,

all the good food and drink, all the historical exhibits,

all the friends present, and all the lovely Irish breeds of

dogs going through their paces and also taking time to

enjoy human attention from their loving owners and 

from festival attendees, there was so much to take in 

and to enjoy. And your joyful Peasant enjoyed it to 

the fullest! 

And now, down to business.

MEM

It's My Irish Holiday Time Again!

Folks, it's time once again for The Peasant's Irish holiday.

Your red white and blue and also green Peasant will be off 

during the week of the Milwaukee Irish Fest (August 14 - 17).

So no blog article for this week, but we'll get back to business

the following week! 

I'll share with you about the fest on my return. And we'll pore

over the political and economic news of the day as always!

See you then!

MEM

How Will the World End?

From the August 2025 issue of National Review:

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ICE."

The Peasant says that the world will end in ICE for illegal aliens

who immigrated to the U.S. bringing their criminal pasts and 

criminal activities with them. As well it should be so!

MEM

Conservativism and the Second Amendment Break the Bank

Citigroup, one of the country's largest financial service firms

has recently announced that it will no longer require retail clients

to restrict gun sales as a condition of service, clarifying that Citi

"does not discrimination the basis of political affiliation in the 

same way we are clear that we do not discriminate on the basis 

of other traits such as race and religion." This is a reversal of the

policy enacted by Citi in 2018 on the heels of the Parkland, 

Florida shooting that informed that Citi would no longer do 

business with retailers that sold guns to individuals under 21,

along with other restrictions. The change in policy came about 

after Republicans became increasingly alarmed and angry over

the possibility of politically driven de-banking a' la that which

was used against the Canadian truckers who protested against

Canadian anti-Covid lockdowns three years ago. 

President Trump also brought up the subject of de-banking

at the World Economic Forum, and Republicans in Congress 

have introduced legislation to prevent it from being implemented

in the United States. Yet another sign of the new times which have

taken hold in our country with a most refreshing and necessary

change of leadership.

MEM