Louis Roney: How's life treating you?

• Whether we know it or not, we are at war.

• President Obama’s address to the American people following the ISIS terrorists decapitation/murder of a young American journalist was an exhibition by a man who does not seem to intend on dealing meaningfully with a stark tragedy. His words were the same kind that Obama uses to show when he is really “like mad.”

In WWII, I served four years as a gunnery officer in the Navy. In the South Pacific, I served under Admiral “Bull” Halsey in his Task Force 58. After the war, I was very proud to be an American citizen when General Eisenhower became President Eisenhower. With “Ike” leading us I doubt seriously that our present terrorists would have the chutzpah to violate the rules of warfare — and if they did I am confident that within an hour or so Ike would loosen upon those miscreants a barrage of explosive power like the ones that leveled Berlin and Tokyo. Fear in people invites attack, and the strongest people are the safest. When Obama’s TV speech was over, he stepped into a waiting limousine and headed to a golf course to do what satisfies him.

• Yesterday my good pal took b.w. and me over to see a house that he has just restored. He is a perfectionist in all he does, and the house will surely bring great happiness and pride to its future occupants.

• Aren’t we all ships headed somewhere or other, floating on a sea of time? OK, I may be a bit fanciful, but don’t forget I did “real good” in high school English!

• We learned about the death of actor/comedian Robin Williams. I am morbidly intrigued wondering what the last thoughts were of someone who had determined that those were in fact to be his last thoughts. I am too curious to see what the future holds for me to fail to play all the cards that I’ve been dealt. No matter how you figure it, human existence is a trip too short to satisfy most of us. It is no surprise to learn that Jonathan Winters was a longtime pal of Robin Williams. Winters said that he spent eight months in a private psychiatric hospital in 1959 and again in 1961. He suffered from nervous breakdowns and bipolar disorder and made reference to his illness and hospitalization during his stand-up routines, most famously on his 1960 comedy album, “The Wonderful World of Jonathan Winters.”

During his classic “flying saucer” routine, Winters said that if he weren’t careful, the authorities might put him back in the “zoo.”

Winters joined Williams in the fourth and final season of the sci-fi-styled TV comedy “Mork & Mindy.” Jonathan Winters was brought in as Mork and Mindy’s child, Mearth. Due to the different planet Orkan physiology, Mork laid an egg, which grew and hatched into the much older Winters. It had been previously said that Orkans age “backwards,” thus explaining Mearth’s appearance. Mork’s infant son Mearth was created in hopes of improving ratings and as an attempt to capitalize on Williams’ comedic talents. However, after scheduling and cast changes, the fourth season of “Mork & Mindy” ended up being the last. After his death, many comedians, actors and friends gave personal tributes to Jonathan Winters. Robin Williams toasted Winters saying, “First he was my idol, then he was my mentor and amazing friend. I'll miss him huge. He was my comedy Buddha. Long live the Buddha.” At the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards, Williams again honored the career and life of Winters. Ironically, Winters might be considered to have had a regular life dying of natural causes at 87 in 2013, and Robin Williams who might seem to have been the more “normal” of the two, died Aug. 12 at 63, by suicide.

Alas, we shall never know what Williams’ last thoughts were except that they said, “goodbye.” Those people who make their careers keeping us guffawing rarely seem to end their own lives with a smile on their face.

• I sang opera in Germany for many years. Want to chat with me auf Deutsch? Call 407-629-1480.