Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – August 21, 2026

Greetings from Tyler,

Now the news is trying to make something of Trump’s relationship with his aide, Natalie Harp.  If you were married to Melania, I don’t think Natalie Harp would spark an interest.  I hope there’s nothing to it. If he allowed the media to break up his marriage and there wasn’t anything to it, it would be a sad day indeed. They’re printing Natalie’s letters, but who knows what goes through the head of a beautiful woman.  She certainly takes her job seriously.  

We’re at war, and we hardly know it.  We have to consult the news to find out what’s going on, and even then we’re not sure. The Strait of Hormuz is in the news again. Donald Trump claims we are policing the narrow gap, and the media is making the most of our vulnerabilities.

To be clear, I thought the war with Iran would be over by now, but those wily suckers refuse to give up. It’s like the Old Testament. Sooner or later they’ll be forced to reveal the obvious. But for now they’ve got unexpended drones. This is why we didn’t pull the trigger before. One thing about people from that region, they won’t admit defeat. Trump’s advisors should have told him that. They talk big. Too big.

 With all their “Save the Planet” jargon, they’re about to destroy California, if the job hasn’t been already done. I don’t know what the situation is now, so I’m avoiding California. I’d love to go back, but things are never as you left them.  

We’re playing mind games over Taiwan. Would the Chinese dare attack?  If they did, it would have an impact. We couldn’t afford gadgets anymore. But Trump is trying to repatriate these industries so we won’t worry.  But if China attacked Taiwan it might escalate.  That’s what we have to worry about.  Most of the world’s concerns are much more immediate.

Post apocalyptic movies are making a comeback.  There’s one candidate from Colorado claiming, forget the claims, we don’t want to know.  Resist the Devil and he will flee from you.

Mark