You know those birds that are usually singing behind my shoulder when I do these Chicago

wave monologues, the Robbins, the Cardinals, occasionally the Red wing blackbird.

They're pretty aren't they?

But you can't hear them.

You know why?

Because I'm not outside.

I can't even go down the stairs.

On Labor Day, hope you had a great Labor Day.

I did a clown impression and did one of those backward falls, stumbling clown fall.

Ouch.

Smashing into the wall of the patio, stone wall.

Right into my ribs.

Yeah, well, that's what happened.

So at the emergency room, they told me I had three broken ribs.

It kind of sucks. And I've been sitting around watching TV, watching the coverage of Donald

Trump and the trial. And you know what I'm thinking? Lawyers on both sides are talking about how they're going to win this or you know the Republicans are one way the Democrats of the other and they're chattering past each other and I'm thinking of the

fall of umpire.

I'm thinking of 571 years ago in the spring of 1453 the walls of Constantinople were finally breached.

The Byzantine Empire, the extension of the Roman Empire, lasted a thousand years after the fall of Rome.

And finally, it couldn't withstand the pressure from the Turks and it finally cracked.

That's what I'm seeing as I listen to the music of the

fall of Empire.

...