It was complicated last night, trying to have a seder crunched between the Artimus II launch and the Trump speech on the Trump War in Iran. But we did, a little abbreviated for our youngest guest who showed off his ability to read, and our second youngest, who has the Four Questions (there is that mysterious capitalization choice again) down pat.

The launch was spectacular of course and while Joan was nervous for the safety of the astronauts, 5 year old Izzy was gung-ho. After all, his plans for the future have long been connected with astronauts. He doesn’t to be one, but when asked what he wants to do when he grows up, he consistently seems to respond, “I want to train the astronauts.”

While the readings were shortened a bit last night, including omitting references to the plagues, the food was delicious, thanks in part to Edie’s visiting cousin Debbie, who worked with her all day, and to Hannah, who came with various ritually connected foods. We are going to do it all again tonight, but thankfully at Hannah’s, not here.

I did want to hear what Trump was going to say in his major speech on the war. There was a lot of speculation, but it turned out he said nothing that he hadn’t said before. And he didn’t even say it well.

He looks terrible, he read the speech with a single ad-lib, and said good night after 20 minutes. Basically, he said it was a great, necessary and courageous war that only he could wage, that it would go on for a period of not less than two weeks and not more than forever. That we had accomplished our goals and would accomplish them soon. And we don’t care if the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t ever open, but if it doesn’t, we will attack Iran’s oil facilities and their electric power plants and send them back to the stone age (Stone Age?), which, by the way, is where they belong anyway.

Of course, we are conducting this war with, or  perhaps just along side of, Israel, which hardly got a mention in last night’s speech. The absence of references to Israel was the only thing about the talk that interested me. Was that meaningful? If so, what does it mean?

I can only assume that the speech he gave last night was not the speech he intended to give when he decided to talk to the American people. He does see the poll numbers and he has already caved on the TSA DHS issue, so maybe he had something else in mind, but decided against it. Maybe we will find out. Or not.

Well, happy Passover to all. We have received greetings from as far away as Israel and Australia. It is now 8:30 a.m. Time for breakfast. I think I will have something on a matzo.