I just fined listening to James Comey’s new book “High Priority”.(audible.com). Miser Comey’s narration of his book was quite inspiring, here was a man who was completely dedicated to make The Federal Bureau of Investigation, an unbiased entity of the the United States, it’s job is to the country’s top law enforcement department of the land, it was solely independent of any of the other branches of government, The Director of the FBI, James Comey was appointed for ten years, unfortunately he was fired by President Trump for not easing up on the bureau’s investigations on Michael Flynn(General), and easing up on their scruity of the Rusians interferring with the 2016 elections. It quite possible that President Trump like most of his buisness deals that loyalty goes with the territory, but this time he was dealing with someone who what his job and committment to the bureau was, a  complete independance from all the other departments of government. James Comey was our “Top Cop”, and it’s a shame that President Trump tried to interfere with performing his job.

When the FBI discovered that some of Hilliary Clintns missing emails were sent to Anthony Weiner, a Democratic Congressman from New York, director Comey sent a leter to Congress on Oct. 28. His  letter indcated, the FBIhad “learned of the existence of emails that appear to be pertinent to the investigation” into the privavte email server that Hillary Clinton used while still being the Secretary of State, soon her lead in the polls shrunked dramatically, in essence handed Donald Trump his presidency. For this he was rewarded and without ev en been told by the president that he need to be fired because James Comey did not show him his loyalty, but instead he showed his loyalty to his country and the FBI. Only time will tell us that maybe for the future of the United States or even the World, or in Preaident Trump’s case was to keep one’s mouth shut?

What do you think?

I have to admit that I have shown much anomosity torwards the forty-fith president of Te United States, Donald Trump, I believed  I disected his personal life get the best of me, like many unsatified Americans, sure his life style is deplorable, from prn stars to making fun of the handicapped, but it took a TV star from the 1980’s to sum it up, and this will stick in my mind for some time, Jobs, my friend “We almost lost our house.” If I lost my house, especially at my age, sevety- one, I would be devastated, and maybe looking for a cliff to jump off. Even now, being quite invested in the stock market, I see myself looking in the mirror asking myself, am I that crazy to risk everything I have, bingo, the dream of wanting to be financially securred starts now, get the hell out of the market, and count myself lucky, that I did not lose every thing I have.

Thanks Roseanne, you are a pretty smart “Hillbilly” grandma after all, you showed me that Donald Trump is trying to make America great again, with jobs, tax breaks, and most of all get rid of those who come into our country and ripped so many of us. The party is over, and hopefully we can all survive.

One of the things that President Trump tweeted about, was how the stock market kas sky rocketed. But in the last month the Dow Jones has erradicated over three thousand points, almost to the level of a whole year of gains, like many I have been a nervous wereck, and would ket mysel in my ass if I could. The truth of the matter, I screwed up like millions of Americans, thinking that the bubble was never going to pop, and boy is it popping, the bottom line is that this the financial dagger that we thought will never happen, it certainly looks like a fifty per cent correction, but this time no correction in site. For me the poor houuse is right around the corner, with my wife ready to say, “I told you so! At seventy on e yearts old, I certainly should of known better, but that is what I keep saying, my broker keeps saying to hang in there, but what I tghink he is saying, get ready to hang yourself, you my friend are your own Bernie Madoff.

I think President Trump is getting plenty of heat from his fellow Republicans about his imposing higher tariffs for China, fifty billion dollars is a spit in the bucket, compare to the ten trillion dollars eradication of the value of the Dow Jones Thirty compoents, mean while the Democrats must be chopping their teeth ready to take over the house and senate, a pretty glim future for the United States, the Democrats will just spend and spend, and stick it to the big corporations, higher taxes, less spending on defense, and a lot more spending on social reform, the one issue they will have to address will definately be affordable health care, something that cannot happen, it will break our economy, and there will be less take home pay for most Americans, add this to the four additional tax increases, and a reduction of interest payments, the Great Depression of 2018 will approach us sooner than we think.

I beg all of our elected officials, start having President Trump make his prime priority is to stabilize our economy, if we he doesn’t he will not need a stronger military, our worse ennemy will be our fallen economy, and the eventual downfall of the economies of the whole world, like in Argentina, we will have to barter with eggs, and what one of the three founders of the Apple Computer Company, Ronald G. Wayne, is to start buying precious metals, mostly silver, and if you can afford gold, then do it, what  he has emphasized that what we mostly have to be concern about is “Buying Power”.

Owning real estate will not make any sense if you can’t pay your mortgage and taxes, once the damaging spiral takes place, the government will have no choice but to eliminate the likes of Social Security and Medicare. For me I would suggest to liquidate everything you have, and get a manufactured home and home my rent lot payments don’t spiral to $2,000.0o a month, I know I am getting paranoid, but this is certainly “The Calm before the Storm” and the end of the Republican Party, sorry Abe, the Party is over, unless you can shake some sense into your President Donald Trump.

Today was suppose to be a typical Saturday when I got a chance to watch some of the top eight basketball teams in the NCCA tournament, it was a day of protests by our millions of high school students to put an end of the gun violence that has inflicted so many young high school students, it was a six minute and twenty seconds moment of silence given by Emma Gongalez, a student at the Stoneman-Douglas High School, where last February, where seventeen people were killed, and seventeen people were injured, she reminded us that it only took a short period of time for the killer Nicholas Cruz, to rapid fire  his ar-15 asault rifle to annihalate students and faculty that never had a chance to take cover. It was like he was at a shooting gallery trying to win a big stuffed animal, instead he destroyed parents dreams, student friendships, and for many asking themselves why is our government, both on the state level and  the United States goverment, for not having stricter gun laws? Even worse, why are many our our elected officials accepting money from the National Rifle Association? This needs to be answered! Assault rifles, shoulbe be restricted for our military and  our law enforcement officers, the age to purchase a gun should be raised to the age of twenty-one, a complete background check must be met, a mental evaluation must be completed, and a gun license at the cost of $100.00 -$5000.00 depending on the number of guns that one has, and the purchase of gun insurance, to accept the financial responsibilty for inflicting injury and injuries to others.

However there was something else that was puzzeling me to day, our future generations were protesting, and yet why wasn’t our president, Donald Trump was not there? Maybe it would be soothing to even have his Vice-President, Mike Pense, isn’t he a parent, the point is that most of our elected officials didn’t give a dam! Right now we are are on the verge of a financial collaspe of of equity matket because of President Trump wants to have international tariffs, it’s best to collect fifty billion dollars from China, than have a five trillion dollar erradication of the value of our biggest companies.

Today was a day to tell us that “Silence Is Golden”, but unfortunately the government will just turn their thin ears, but as I try to point out on many occaisons, that there is another way to protest. here goes and take note.

For one month, we will try not to spend any money on the week ends, no going to the malls, restaurants, gasoline stations, the movies, going to church, going to the airports, libraries, shoe maker, health club, grocery stores, car wash, liquor store, no buying of lotto tickets, race track, concert venues, bars, visiting friends, drug stores, post office, maybe laying off paying for video games, and especially no spending at all on line, sorry Amazon. We do not have laws that the police can drag us out of our houses and make us spend money.

I think this will get the attention of our lected officials and our big corporations tha MONEY TALKS. Unless we make our voice heard on what we think that will make America great, better gun laws, afoordable health care and educaion cost, acceptance of our Dreamers, climate control, programs for the arts, free trade, a cap on the RMD tax for us seniors of the age of seventy and a half, and lower interst rates, there will be no future for those who so bravely protested today to end gun violence. A special thanks to former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, reminding us that his former  bandmate and friend John Lennon was as assasinated.

May God give us many more Emmas and John’s to make our planet great again.

This has been one of the worst week for me on my investments, $20.000 to say the least, and how did it happen, it was not because I had crappy stocks  in my portfolio, most of them were in the Dow Jones, IBM, Walmart, Pffizer, Disney, JPMorgan Chase, Intel, and Cisco, it was because of one man’s not thinking, you guessed our president who has no buisness belonging in the White House, decided that we need to punnish our trading partners like China that we need to impose a TARIFF, well President Trump you “fucked” millions of people around the world bu causing their as well as our probably trillions of dollors, compare this to the 50 billion dollars you expect China to cough up, you did so much collateral damage, and who knows what will it might spiraled to next week, or even worse a fifty percent decline in the whole world’s ecomy, and top of that your new fed chief informs us that will be some four rate increases, in essence you screwed our whole global economy. So I am asking you and with the help of hundred of millions of people around the world to rescing your tariff demand, I for one will pitch in a couple of hundreds of dollars to help you build your WALL around Mexico, I wouldn’t surprise me if Mexico is starting plans to build their own wall this is serious that I think all your fellow republicansmight want to contribute ten percent of their salary to start the construction of your wall.

So I beg of you President Trumpnto change your mind about starting an international trade war, I have have been invested in the stock market for over thirty five years, and hopefully I will finally have to admit that I have to throw in the towel. Hmmh a towel from my local dollar store, of course made in China.

Please send me a bill.

Today was a day of tears, and a reality check, as I entered my Facebook page, I was stunned to hear that a photography friend, Chuck Westfall died from his seven year battle with kidney disease.I first met chuck when I worked for Helix Ltd., a professional Chicago camera store that occupied the 325 west Huron St. in Chicago in 1971, some forty seven years ago. Myself who graduated with a photography degree from Southern Illinois University, was struggling to be a photojournalist. with a shoty stint as a photographer for the News Gazette in Champaign Illinois, I found myself heading back to Chicago kiving with my Mom and her husband. I was devastated, but what I found out from so many, and especially my wife, that photography was a hobby, and very few photographers can actually make a living, but still having a passion for being “The man behind the camera”, I was very fortunate to enter the world of photo retail. I started as first taking inventory, worked in the shipping department, and graduated to being a full pledged samera salesman. The world of photography never hear of the word DIGITAL, there were no cell phones, there were cameras, the likes of Canon, Nikon,Leicas, Hasselblad, 4×5 Sinar, Linhoff, Enlargers, Chemicals, and a four letter word that was so precious-“Film”, yes film, all sizes, roll films, particulary 35mm and 120, sheet film, sizes 4×5 and 8×10, and oh yeah, instant Polaroid film. I found myself working in the ultimate toy store, owning a camera also meant you just didn’t own a camera, but you needed a tripod, a good camera strap, and not just one camera bag, but one in every size and color. Not only was I over whelmed also by all the professional lighting equipment, but I meant many of Chicago’s finest photographers. In the Helix building alone their must of been atleast a dozen photographers.

I can remember one day in particular, a young photographer came in to buy some film, he was very personal, and I asked him how is he doing, especially in photography, his name was Chuck Westfall, a graduate of New Trier high school, and he was finishing up on his photography degree at Rochester Institute of Technology, better known as the home of Eastman Kodak, Chuck wanted to know if their were any photo studios hiring any assistants. Well at that time I met a fellow Masonic brother named Sam Hay, who was the photo rep first for Phil Hastings, and David Puffer. I was hanging out at his studio and introduced Chuck to Sam and David. David took a liking to Chuck, and soon Chuck was also entering his journey of wanting to be a commercial photographer, I am sure it did not pay much for Chuck, but he was able to dosome small photo jobs with the guidance of David and another wonderful photographer John Von Dorn. These were happy times for both Chuck and I. I was oin my start of a four deacade journey in photo retail, and Chuck was the “Man Behind The Camera”, however Chuck soon found out that to be a successful shooter, you needed to pay bills, and most of the time wait a very long time to get paid, and to make things worse, your client did not like what you gave him, and he demanded a re-shoot. Chuck was entering his crosswork, of if he really wanted to be a photographer, should he go back to RIT, or just start all over again. I could see his frustration, but being in the same position as he was in, but because of my physical condition, I new that I could never be more than a camera salesman, but Chuck was taller and certainly better looking than me, was perfect to be a photographic representative. I said Chuck, don’t go bsack to RIT, you schould work for Nikon, or Canon., you love photography,n and you don’t have to take photographs, you just have to know about your camera company, make some enquiries, maybe there is camera store you can get a job near where you are living, what the hell, I got my photo gig and you can do it too. And did he do it, Chuck Westfall eventually became Canon’s top technical advisor, traveleling around the world, giving lectures, writing articles, and being a great teacher, friend, brother, husband, and farther, and today he left us, in body and sounds, but certainly not what he left us, life is not just about taking pictures, but defining to yourself what is really important, it is about love, emotion and liking who and what you are. I lost a dear friend, but a Photo Legend who changed so many others lives, and yet I discovered my legacy that you can make a differnce in ome person’s life. I am grateful for being able to tell reflect on my howiemaui.com blog, today to say good by to a very special friend Chuck Westfall, and encourage others to see if they can make a differnce in someone’s elses life.

I think President Trump thinks he is still officiating his Apprentice TV  show ih the White House, and can’t wait to fire one of his cabinet members. Every time he does it, bad vibrations are sent around the world, and of course it sends a badd message to Wall Street, thus calling the market to go lower and lower. Can’t he just focus on just making his fellow Americans happy and instead of being Great? So many of us Seniors are struggling to make ends meek, and it seems that every day my investments are tanking. He should stop it with his Mexican Wall, and dampening our relations like countries, China about imposing a 25% tariff, I like going to the dollar store, and now with his economics, my dollar store, is changing it’s name to the $3.00 store, What the president does not realize, when countries see how easy to live without American products and services they will step up to plate, and decide that it’s best to use their own products, services, and universities.

So President Trump, can’t you just get focus n the issues that Americans need, or perhaps you might have to fire a thousand members that were once in your cabinet, to discover that the one person who eventualy have to fire is yourself.

I was very impressed seeing high school students in Washington D.C. protesting the gun violence in this country today. Most of them probably would be embarrassed if they took a grand parent with them to protest, today every high school had just that grand parent at their rally, Grand Pa Bernie Sanders. With a twinkle in my eye, I could  not be more prouder of some one close to my age, sticking up to the NRA, and the gun manufacturers, that our future generations should not be scared to go to gigh school, or maybe one of their wacco teachers who are allowed to carry a gun just blow their top, or the top of one of their students.

Both students and all Americans, need to help one another with each other’s problems, the elderly need affordable health care, and students need not only a good education, but the security that they or fellow student might be killed by one of their fellow students. We have a president who is more concerned about building a wall and start a trade war arround the world by imposing high tarrifs than concentrating on the basic problems of his fellow Americans, stricker gun laws, affordable health care, free college education, and a securred stock market. It seems that every day, president Trump loves turmoil, who am I am going to fire now, what goverment leader can I piss off, and maybe he can trash the stock market so many of his rich buddies can buy back their companies for ten cent on the dollar. It’s like the crash of 2007, one casino did go down to $2.50 a share, and it was amazing that it’s selling for in the $60.00 a share. This is going to happen again, the doom of America is right around the corner.

I think instead of worrying about building a wall, I wish we could put our money that clone many of our trusted elected officials.

How many Senator Bernie Sanders do you think we shoild clone?

Today this seventy one year old Facebooker, Me, was on Facebook Live, and watching our dedicating high school students protesting against the gun violence that has happened. Being shackled by the local police, I watched as a proud grand father I wish I could be. I applaud them, but I wrote, that I have a better solution. Don’t risk going to jail, don’t interupt your scchedules, let your teachers teach, and get ready to let your actions tumble the NRA, and Donald Trump begging for your forgiveness, no more sales of assault rifles, stricter laws,  the proper assistance for those who need mental help. Sounds like a plan, but you probably thinking, how are we going to let our voices heard without protesting?

The one thing I noticed when I was younger some fifty years ago, especially at my favorite mall, yes they had the mall, that I loved to buy things, eat  at the many take outs, and of course, finish my day at the movies. Being a teenager was great, but paying for it was not so easy, it meant many extra chores, so what does this have to do with us stopping Gun Violence? Well here goes with my modern day on how to protest, and get the real attention that tis problem needs.I challenge all Americans to send an economic message to our rich corporations, that we come first, and you better give in what we need, affordable health care, education, and put and end to the killings of our childre, so for six week ends, we are going to try very hard to not spend any money, no visting at the Malls, no going out to eat, no going to church, no driving our cars, not even visiting Mom and Dad, Rember the days after 9-11, not even an airplane in the sky, the more money we don’t spend the bigger the pain our economy will have to endure. I know this could cripple my IRA account, but in the long run, we will be sending a message to President Trump, if you want America to be great again, you have to start by making us happy to be an American.

Good luck to our future great leaders, and after six weeks when our government concedes to our needs, we will all celebrate at our local malls.

P.S., sorry Amazon, but for twelve days, you are just going to understand that things have to change, and it this would be a good time to plan a well desrved vacation.

For last year and a half, my retirement savings are invested in the stock market, but now the pain has thrown me into a tail wind  of great shock, and stupidity. I like many were enticed with GREED and like many of us, I will be paying for this for the rest of my life, the only regreat is that I fave to tell my wife of twenty five years that you married someone who is a dreamer, a Big Smuck! It’s not Donald Trump’s fault, I take the total blame, the clock is ticking, faster and faster, for those who are reading this blog, take ypur loses and reid yourself of the pain! Good Luck. I hope I am wrong.