Looking Back Friday: America's Worst Presidents

[Chronicles of Reasoning]

Friday, August 7, 2026

Good morning Houston;

As the country celebrate 250 years of supposedly greatness, there has been some major failures of those occupying the White House. So far, James Buchanan hold the title of being the country's worst president.

Buchanan presidency (1857–1861) preceded the American Civil War, and 'actively supported pro-slavery policies, lobbied the Supreme Court in favor of the infamous Dred Scott decision, and completely refused to use military force or political leverage to stop Southern states from seceding from the Union.'

In second place as the worst, Andrew Johnson (1865–1869 took office after Abraham Lincoln's assassination and completely mismanaged Reconstruction. He vocally opposed civil rights for newly freed Black Americans, actively blocked congressional Reconstruction efforts, and became the first U.S. president to be impeached.

In third place, Franklin Pierce (1853–1857) because his policies severely fractured an already divided nation. He signed the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854, which struck down the Missouri Compromise and triggered a violent regional conflict over slavery known as 'Bleeding Kansas,' steering the country closer to civil war.

Fourth place is Warren G. Harding (1921–1923) because his brief tenure was defined by unprecedented executive corruption. 'Harding appointed personal friends to high offices who used their power for personal gain. His administration was plagued by the 'Teapot Dome' scandal, which involved the secret, fraudulent leasing of federal oil reserves.

In modern scholarly surveys, 'Donald Trump is also frequently ranked near the very bottom. Historians who rate him poorly cite his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, his rhetoric leading up to the January 6th Capitol riot, two impeachments, and his overall handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Conversely, his supporters counter these rankings by pointing to conservative judicial appointments, tax cuts, and pre-pandemic economic growth. Because recent presidencies lack historical distance, their placements often remain highly polarized between academic experts and public opinion polls.'

But now, what will stand out about Trump is his personal war with Iran, of which he has claimed that a deal with Iran is imminent or completed at least 38 times during the conflict.

'March 23: Trump first declared that 'almost all points of agreement' had been reached. He used Truth Social to announce he had instructed the Department of War to postpone military strikes due to total resolution talks.

April 15–17: Trump asserted on three separate occasions that Iran had 'agreed to everything.' He publicly stated that a deal would materialize 'in the next day or two.'

June 9: Ahead of the G7 summit, Trump noted that negotiations were in the 'final throes of what will be a very, very good deal.'

June 14–17: Trump claimed on Truth Social that 'The Deal... is now complete.' On June 17, he signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran's president to pause hostilities.

August 3: Following a period of renewed tensions and a canceled military strike, Trump announced once again that the U.S. and Iran had reached an agreement to address the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis.

Iranian leadership has consistently pushed back on many of these assertions, frequently characterizing Trump's repeated statements as 'theater diplomacy' and maintaining that formal, finalized negotiations remain unfulfilled.'

Iran is protecting it's right to defend itself, or to keep up with modern warfare technology, or as often noted, destroy it's enemies, of which Trump is trying to strip away from the country, and the repeated statements of a deal being, or almost being completed, strongly suggests, lies are common with him, or he's suffering from some sought of mental illness.

When all is said and done, there will be a statue of Trump, who let greatness slip from his agenda, built high enough for the world to see, and named, America's worst president.

 

Veterans Benefits First, Iran War Cost Second

[Chronicles of Reasoning]

Thursday, August 6, 2026

Good morning Houston;

Back on July 29, Senate attempts to approve the Take Care of America’s Veterans Act suffered another roadblock because of disability-benefit offsets; 'the bill bundles dozens of veterans measures, but its path forward is uncertain because lawmakers disagree over future tinnitus and sleep apnea compensation. Veterans, caregivers, survivors, service members and future disability claimants could be affected if the package advances, stalls or is rewritten.'

This is disturbing to say the least because, if the numbers are accurate, '98 military veterans serving in the 119th Congress, making up about 18.1% of all members. This total includes 80 members in the House of Representatives and 18 members in the Senate.'

The Take Care of America’s Veterans Act is a huge combination of dozens of individual veterans' bills, and it expands popular benefits, but has created division and opposition over how the federal government will pay for it.

The primary objection from major military service organizations is that the bill seeks an estimated $57 billion in savings over 10 years, and this saving will be accomplished by altering the VA rating schedules for auditory and respiratory conditions.

The bill aims to reduce, or completely eliminate future disability compensation for common service-connected issues like tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and obstructive sleep apnea.

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) reasoning is 'funding new or expanded benefits for one group of former service members by stripping or reducing earned disability compensation from another group sets a dangerous precedent,' and that is so true.

Democratic lawmakers and veterans advocates have suggested that funding the package using alternative sources, such as unspent Department of Defense funds, rather than cutting disability ratings, but these alternatives have suffered procedural blocks from congressional leadership as well.

Here's a thought, Since President Donald Trump has been in office, the military conflict, not war with Iran has cost an estimated $37.5 billion in direct taxpayer spending over its first five months, according to figures released by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, but independent defense analysts and tracking groups estimate the total economic and physical impact is much higher.

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), a major combat support and intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense can track Iran's progress on it's nuclear weapons at a much cheaper cost, react when necessary, and those funds saved can benefit, or settle both sides of the veterans bill arguments.

Veterans served under contract and conditions that need to be honored.

 

Anti-aging Wednesday: The Power of Mushrooms

[Chronicles of Reasoning]

Wednesday, August 5, 2026

Good morning Houston;

When we think of mushrooms, we think of the 'spore-bearing fruiting bodies of fungi, featuring common types like white button, cremini, and portobello. They grow above ground or on their food source from underground networks called mycelium, 'the root-like, vegetative part of a fungus made up of a network of tiny thread-like fibers called hyphae that absorbs nutrients from the environment, breaks down dead matter, and can grow to form mushrooms.'

Be that as it may, here's the most important aspect of the plant. Mushrooms offer powerful health advantages especially for women, including stronger immune defense, better bone health, and hormonal support.

Varieties of mushrooms exposed to UV light provide a rich plant source of vitamin D, which helps absorb calcium to build strong bones, and certain functional types like Reishi contain compounds that may ease stress, improve sleep quality, and help manage menopause symptoms.

High levels of antioxidants and beta-glucans are linked to lower risks of chronic illnesses, including a reduced risk of breast cancer, and prebiotic fibers in mushrooms feed good gut bacteria to strengthen your body's overall defense system.

Mushrooms also contain nutrients like B vitamins and ergothioneine that protect nerve cells and lower the risk of cognitive decline as you age.

With that out of the way, let's introduce Alice:

'Alice is committed to sharing the power of functional mushrooms in the most joyful ways possible. We are a female-founded company with backgrounds in food and wellness education, pharmaceuticals and community-building. Our products, Brainstorm and Nightcap, are chocolate bites that combine functional mushrooms with additional adaptogens and nootropics to create an instant sensation other functional mushroom products do not have. In addition to our chocolates, our limited-line of cozy-chic sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks and hats featuring Alice’s signature mushroom logo and cream-and-black or cream-on-cream colorways.'

 

Hunting Is Only The Beginning For A Troubled Mind

[Chronicles of Reasoning]

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Good morning Houston;

Over the years, things change, as the case with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the mental health condition, generally associated with veterans. The disorder can develop after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event, causing intrusive memories, avoidance, and negative mood shifts.

This expands the reach of PTSD.

Charles Whitman, the Texas mass murderer and former U.S. Marine, remembered as the University of Texas tower mass shooter on August 1, 1966, killing 16 people; including his wife and mother earlier that day, and the wounding of 31 others before police officers shot and killed him on the tower's observation deck is an example of the expansion of PTSD.

PTSD common symptoms are flashbacks, vivid nightmares, and unwanted scary thoughts, but there is no mention of Whitman ever involved in actual combat, as in a war. He was just an ordinary, everyday Marine.

Included in PTSD symptoms are; feeling jumpy, getting angry fast, or having trouble sleeping, and mood shifts, such as feeling sad, numb, or detached from other people.

All of the above is reported as reasonable behavior patterns that could lead to the act of mass murdering, such as what Whitman did on that tragic day, and the cause behind the mass shooting is labeled as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM); a grade 4, fast-growing, and aggressive cancerous brain tumor that starts from star-shaped support cells called astrocytes. It is the most common and dangerous primary brain cancer in adults, causing symptoms like bad headaches, seizures, and weakness.

There is no mention of thoughts of committing mass murder.

For the record, PTSD is not a direct physical cause of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), but it can be associated with brain tumors in specific contexts, such as psychological trauma from a life-threatening diagnosis, physical head trauma preceding a tumor, or chronic stress influencing tumor progression.

Before the mass shooting from the tower, Whitman stabbed and shot his wife, and his mother at their homes the night before and morning of August 1. He managed to ascend the University of Texas Austin clock tower with a military footlocker containing multiple rifles, pistols, and a shotgun, and when he settled in, he fired indiscriminately at people on campus and the surrounding streets for roughly 90 minutes from the 28th-floor observation deck.

Eventually Whitman was killed on the deck by Austin Police Department officers Ray Martinez and Houston McCoy.

Whitman was a former Eagle Scout and Marine sharpshooter who had been experiencing 'severe personal and emotional turmoil, and he reported having intense, sudden headaches and overwhelming aggressive impulses in the months leading up to the shooting, leaving notes asking for an autopsy.'

That autopsy revealed the glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor pressing against his amygdala, leading scientists to study whether the growth contributed to his sudden violent behavior.

Regardless of what caused the behavior, which is more closely associated with PTSD, but without combat experience, it is reported that Whitman's father bought him a rifle when he was young, taught him how to hunt, and now, the end results reflects, the Marine Corps taught him how to kill humans, or perhaps the end results were always with Whitman, since the beginning of his hunting lessons.

The Weekend Crime Brief

[Chronicles of Reasoning]

Monday, August 3, 2026

Good morning Houston;

Supposedly, Houston's shows a general downward trend in violent crimes compared to previous years, but the city is still 'ranked as the second-least safe big city in America, coming in just behind Memphis, Tennessee, according to a study. Culture Map reports; According to a new study, 'Houston fared poorly in all four: 11.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 42.9 property crimes per 1,000 residents, 11.6 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents, and “very high” risk for natural disasters, which makes sense in a city prone to tropical weather and flooding.' Read more

When it comes to that downward trend in crime, well, Houston is still a deadly city, in a class by itself, especially over weekends; a time when living for the weekend was a celebration of completing another work week, not dying.

Over the weekend, violent crimes in Houston involved several fatal shootings, and a targeted drive-by shooting that are currently under investigation by authorities.

Northwest Houston was the area most of the shootings occurred. There was an apartment shooting at Antoine Dr. and Tidwell early Sunday morning around 1:20 a.m., Houston Police Department (HPD) officers responded to reports of gunfire at the Oakwood Gardens apartments in the 5600 block of Antoine Drive. They discovered a man in his 60s dead outside with multiple gunshot wounds to his head and chest. No suspect descriptions have been released.

Also on Tidwell, late Friday night, two men walking near Tidwell Road and Lost Forest Drive were injured when four individuals in a vehicle opened fire on them. One victim was struck in the stomach and the other in the arm. Police have detained one suspect, who is cooperating to help identify the remaining shooters.

On Ella Blvd, Saturday night around 8:00 p.m., Harris County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) deputies found an unresponsive 18-year-old male dead from a gunshot wound at the Hacienda Bonita Apartments in the 14400 block of Ella Boulevard. Investigators are currently looking for witnesses, and no suspect is in custody.

Another man was found shot to death in the courtyard of the Oxford Place Apartments on Berry Road. Despite life-saving attempts by the Houston Fire Department, the victim died at the scene.

In Southeast Houston, HPD reported another drive-by shooting in the 5100 block of Milart Street where four suspects inside a white SUV shot two adult males. Both victims sustained upper-body wounds, and one is in stable condition while the other required emergency surgery.

It's important to note that if we want to feel safe on weekends around Houston, authorities urge anyone with details on these open investigations to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS, and believe it not, Crime Stoppers still offer cash rewards for information leading to arrests in unresolved local homicides.

Get paid to make your streets safe.