Morning all. It’s just that I am a little creakier than last week while making my way to the laptop. Even pouring the coffee is a bit of a process; slower and more thought through. Nevertheless, the java tastes great and I am ready the share my Ramblings.

Thanksgiving 2021 – After a long wonderful autumn came Thanksgiving weekend complete with a biting wind and a bunch of rain. It also happened to be the exact same day as the running of the 112th Thanksgiving Day Race; a 10k event for which I signed up.

Waiting for the start a cluster of us stood around (for warmth) and stomped our feet (to keep water from seeping into our shoes). We were just bantering a bit when from nearby I caught local boy Earl Pitts jawing away with his take on Thanksgiving. I just happened to capture his ‘insights’;

Race Start – involved our State’s Governor, Mike DeWine. He, his wife Fran, and their twenty-some-odd grandkids all assisted in sending the 10,000 or so of us on our way. When I spotted his carefully tied shoe laces I just knew that DeWine considered a 10k as serious business.

The Race, the Event – I actually did more than walk (wouldn’t really call it ‘elite’ running), and was on track to complete in well under 1½ hours.

Dehydration is a nasty thing – especially when you don’t recognize it. I remember passing the 5-mile banner when we had to detour around some flooding to turn onto the bridge taking us into Cincinnati and the finish. That’s when I tripped over curbing, tried to outrun my forward fall, failed at that, and hit the pavement like a sack of potatoes.

Four people were required to get me on my feet. Then, shortly after I figured in what direction to head, a recovery pause, and now escorted by two new found friends; I WALKED across the finish line. Did this in a (still) respectable average 15:48-pace, in 1:37:56 total time and was #4214 overall.

That’s how you stare an 80th year in the face.

I FINISHED!  (I overheard Marcia mumbling something about my being FINISHED for good). We’ll see.

Friends – are found all over and every ‘hiccup’ also has a sunny side. The young couple who hung with me across the finish line (folks I’d never met before) also insisted they drive me home.

This became my FIRST ride ever in a new Tesla. At first I refused since both hands were dripping blood; and the car’s interior was a brand-spanking new white! They exclaimed that, that was nothing, since it was a Tesla, and Elon Musk says that anything could be cleaned off of its seats. So, I poured a bottle of water over my hands, tucked them under my armpits, squeezed, and off we went – thanks again Mark & Dawn!

A must tradition – for Thanksgiving, just has to be the reliving of the ‘Nati’s favorite; the WKRP in Cincinnati sponsored Thanksgiving Turkey drop. It’s to help “the little people” celebrate the holiday with a bit more of a ‘splash’ ‘SPLAT’.

Evidence – One uses Facts the other Emotion. The Left largely believes that the Rittenhouse verdict is wrong and the Arbery verdict is correct. The Right largely believes that the Rittenhouse verdict is correct and the Arbery verdict is also correct.

Reading – I’m well into a book which I find captivating. It’s written by the New Testament scholar, Professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bart D. Ehrman PhD. The title of the book is: Did Jesus Exist? The Historical Argument for Jesus of Nazareth.

Ehrman believes that yes, there was a real historical individual named Jesus, and he so concludes – vigorously, citing resource after resource; and Ehrman is a self-proclaimed agnostic! I’m finding it a ‘not-to-put-down’ read!

Fini –
• This is day 622 of the “10 days to slow the spread”.

• Spotted this on line; “Month 21 of the pandemic and still no public official talking about the benefits of eating real food, exercise, and increasing vitamin D exposure as part of creating positive public health outcomes”; kinda weird don’t you think?

• School Boards are taking it on the chin, and many rightfully so. Recently the Toronto District School Board vetoed a student event featuring the memoir of Nadia Murad, a Yazidi activist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was captured and sexually enslaved by Islamic State terrorists, since it would cause Islamophobia.

• Think about it. Communism nearly always springs forth and becomes accepted when things are bad. Happy people really never opt to choose communism. All the destruction (currently much of it placed at the causal feet of the pandemic and supposed racial inequity) becomes a productive foil for communism. True?

• Our neighborhood has several of what I call “Hobbit Houses”, most have small windws, gabled eaves, and to help the curvature, cedar shingle roofs. Over the years many have disappeared. Not this one, it’s being refreshed with a new ‘Topper’.

• What does it take to be an Energy Secretary? Answer; Not much. Secretary Granholm, asked “how many barrels of oil a day does the U. S. consume”? Her answer? “I don’t have that figure in front of me. I’m sorry”. Can’t get any more pathetic than that now can it?

• To help the administration with the oil conundrum; some details. Biden will reduce the emergency oil reserves by 50-million barrels to lower the price of gas – actually, of the 50M, 18M was previously sold so thus leaving 32-million barrels. The U. S. uses 19-million barrels a day so this will be 2.6 days’ worth. Biden further stresses international assistance and lists China, India, Japan, S. Korea, and the U. K. – only China produces fuels in enough quantities. Thought you’d want to know. Goldman Sachs quote: “a Drop in the Ocean, a Symbolic Gesture has minimal effect on price”.

• Doing distance running or walking? Hint: establish a serious ‘Hydration’ plan. Giving this tip from a friend to a friend.

Enjoy the remainder of Thanksgiving weekend, then make it a great week. Stay involved. Stay creative. Stay happy. Value friendships.

Best till next weekend.

Dirk – your newly hydrated geezer

Morning all. I know that the old Judy Garland song goes; “Clang, clang, clang” went the trolley “Ding, ding, ding” went the bell”. But the ‘beep, beep, beep’ I just heard was my personal variant; it was our Mr. Coffee’s alert that my morning brew was hot and ready. So, maybe now I’m ready to ride that trolley.

Before I forget, how many of you have ever heard Albert Einstein speak, actually heard his voice? I certainly hadn’t. This week I opened this little video clip and heard him describe his Theories of Relativity – E = mc². Having been raised in and around accented folk, it seemed a bit like a homecoming.

Totalitarian rules – In my opinion, one of the best minds around these days is that of Toronto based Professor Jordan Peterson. Controversial, contrarian, and a brilliant, prominent dissident; he packs it all into a constant stream of insight.

Recently he was a podcast guest where on Wednesday he told host Dave Rubin: “I thought, all right, I’ll get the damn vaccine. But, here’s the deal, guys: I’ll get the vaccine and you f***ing leave me alone!” Then the host questioned; did that work? “No. “It’s like, why did I get the vaccine then, if you’re not going to leave me alone?”

Like everyone traveling between Canada and the US, testing and masking up is still required. Biden is still trying to enforce a controversial vaccine mandate for employers despite a court order freezing the rule. And on it goes.

The irony Peterson forgot is that you cannot do anything to appease a mob; never violate your own principles to appease a mob! Then, the vaccine doesn’t give to back your freedom. What Peterson also forgot is that freedom cannot be taken, only given up.

Both Peterson, and include me, were surprised by “how rapidly we stampeded to imitate a totalitarian state in the immediate aftermath of the release of Covid.”

Best Quote in quite some time:

”The vaccine should be tested on politicians first. If they survive, the vaccine is safe. If they don’t, then the country is safe.” ~ Monika Wisniewska, Polish Author

Andrew Sullivan – British-American author of note compiled this list; 2016 election. Rittenhouse. Covington. Russian collusion. Vaccines. Bounties on US soldiers. Lab-leak theory. Jussie Smollett. The Pulse shooting. The Atlanta shootings. Hunter Biden laptop. Inflation. Steele Dossier.

Then in a sentence asked to spot the commonality of these subjects? Answer; the Main Stream Media got everyone of these topics dead wrong. Please remember.

Herman’s Hermits – are coming to town. Actually it’s Peter Noone (Peter Blair Denis Bernard Noone) and a cadre of four newbies forming today’s Hermits. Always little too “Bubble-Gum” for my liking, but name a ditty and you’ll find yourself breaking out into song. Think; “Mrs. Brown You’ve Got a Lovely Daughter”, “Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat”, “There’s a Kind of Hush, or “I’m Henry the Eighth, I Am”. Happy, foot tapping, songs, one after another.

Coming across the ocean with the English Pop Invasion, behind The Beatles, the Hermits were the hottest thing around in the mid Sixties.

Rock History began at our Ludlow Garage which in 1969 brought the counter-culture musical vibe to Cincinnati when it opened. It’s at the Ludlow Garage where Herman’s Hermits will be playing.

What amazes me is that, in this small venue, the band can demand ticket prices as high as $270. It shows that people will pay practically anything to grasp at what are now merely memories their youth, of days long past. Enjoy the show.

Learn from history – And as historian Will Durant, writer, historian, and philosopher, wrote; “We are choked with news and starved of history”. I mention this because I just finished reading the Autobiography (Up from Slavery) of Booker T. Washington. Especially during this crazy time of BLM, Antifa, and CRT it is a work you must read. Please do.

Best ever – again, remember that I own a French Citroën Deux Chevaux — 2CV. I spotted this old English advertisement for the car. Be sure to also read the fine print

Fini –
• November 18, 1997 the movie; Titanic premiered in the UK. Interesting ‘bits’ about the movie; it runs exactly 2 hours 40 minutes since that is how long it took the ship to sink. The iceberg scene is a mere 37 seconds, again, the actual time.

• Dame Margaret Thatcher; “Global warming provides a marvelous excuse for global socialism”. (this quote remembered in honor of the just completed COP26)

• Dr. Patrick Moore, co-founder of Greenpeace; “Great website on Coral Reefs. It confirms that the highest biodiversity of coral is in the warmest seas around Indonesia. Also confirms marine calcification began 550M years ago when CO2 was 5,000ppm in the air.” Without climate change we’d be a dead planet.

• Last ‘tip-of-the-hat’ to COP26 (being sarcastic); Fossil Fuels are the reason that forests cover Europe. Forests had been reduced to covering less than 10% by 1800 and is now grown to 43%. The science of forestry (silviculture) was developed in central Europe. Energy once supplied by wood is now mostly provided by fossil fuel, hydro, and nuclear.

• UN Climate talks, the annual ritual:

• Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller. He was 23 and a graduate of Harvard and traveling through Dutch New Guinea looking for artifacts for his dad’s museum. There is thought that he was eaten by local cannibals.

• National Entrepreneur’s Day was celebrated this past week. How about Eric Otto Sonneman who obtained a visa to leave Germany the day after ‘Kristallnacht’ in 1938. In Chicago he started a business that patented almost 40 chemicals, one of which was used by NASA to reduce the drag on the Apollo 11 lunar mission.

• My almost weekly ‘tip-of-the-hat’ to the Dutch. The 1948 Olympics had scoffers state that Fanny Blankers-Koen, a Dutch track and field star was both too old (she was 30) and also a mom. She won four Olympic Gold medals.

• Talking Dutch; Dutch children have traditionally been told that babies were delivered by storks. Here is living proof.

• Building on what was started under Trump’s ‘Abraham Accords’. This week Israel, Jordan, and the UAE are scheduled to sign in Dubai an “electricity for water” deal. Two years ago such thinking would be thought impossible. Thank you President Trump.

• Under the law of ‘don’t worry it’s only politics’ the January 6 Commission hauled Trump adviser Steve Bannon in for ‘criminal contempt’ charges. But don’t worry, this is America and soon you’ll be able to buy a complete line of official Bannon Surrender garb:

• Now that the cold weather has moved in, someone mentioned to not forget to wear a thick winter coat. This is so that the person next to you doesn’t freeze to death.

Do not forget that the US Constitution is not a list of things the government gives us. It’s a list of things the government cannot take away.

Make it a great week. Stay involved. Stay creative. Stay happy. Best till next weekend.

Dirk – sometime curmudgeon

Morning all. So, its 4:30, pitch black and cold. But really, that’s not the issue. The issue is that I was watching sporting ‘stuff’ till 11:30 last evening. The ‘body-clock’ is a magnificent thing.

Earlier in the evening it was the 5th ranked Cincinnati Bearcats taking care of the USF ‘Bulls’ in Tulsa, FL [Bearcats won 45 – 28]; continuing on their all wins track. This was followed by a qualifier game to Soccer’s World Cup games in 2022 held at our new TQL stadium – USA vs Mexico [USA won 2 – 0]. For the town the international exposure is a good thing.

Every time the hotels and restaurants fill up it allows the city ‘fathers’ to contemplate using newly generated funds to expand our pint-sized streetcar line to operate more than just in a little loop – it’s called “thinking big”.

The short night prompted me to hit the “strong brew” button on our Mr. Coffee. The resultant coffee is good, but I really can’t tell the difference.

Cincinnati in the Civil War: Then and Now – I spent an hour and a half at an Empower U class on this topic. For a history fruitcake I was mesmerized. During the American Civil War, Cincinnati played a crucial role in preserving the United States. Not only was the city the North’s most populous in the West, but also it was the nation’s third most productive manufacturing center. As an example, over 60 steamboat paddle wheelers were built on our shores, and this was the primary site for the building of military supply wagons. The Gatlin gun was developed here (the world’s first practical machine gun).

Cincinnati, the Queen City of the West, served as a key provider of the Union’s soldiers, weapons, supplies, medical aid, and political influencers. Also, since the city had a medical school and the war effort required care for the wounded a hospital was set up, at one time treating over 2,900 wounded at one time. This established the beginnings of what is still used today, the military field hospital. We also took a dive into the presence of Salmon P. Chase. And who was he?

Salmon P. Chase – He lived much of his adult life in our town, was the co-founder of the Republican Party and a very vocal anti-slave advocate. He founded the IRS, established our national bank system with our U.S. “greenbacks” as our paper currency.

He created the phrase “In God We Trust” used on our coins. Opened the bond market to all citizens (prior to that it was only available so some select folk). And he was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during Reconstruction.

Most in our town only remember a strange name, Salmon P. Chase, as the name of our law school. As I started out by saying, it was a wonderful evening at Empower U.

January 20, 1942 – and in a villa in the Berlin suburb of Wannsee a short meeting of 9 senior Nazi officials, lasting a mere 90 minutes, took place. In that short period these nine people developed, laid out, and initiated a plan for what would eventually cause the murder of almost 10-million people including what became the Final Solution of the Jewish Question (Endlösung der Judenfrage) – the destruction of the Jews in Europe.

At the time Germany was as civil a society as any place in the ‘civilized’ world. Yet, all it took was a carefully crafted plan put forth by a small handful on men. The wholesale slaughter of people by the millions was not because of a groundswell demand by the everyday citizenry; but because these everyday citizens were swept into this ‘maelstrom’ because the plan was well crafted, they didn’t really want to know, and closed their eyes to much of it.

I mention this, not as the crazy thoughts as a conspirator or ‘wannaby’ vigilant, but as an observer of what’s going on in our own nation. We’ve come to view the murder of 800-900,000 aborted fetuses per year as normal and a ‘right’. We leave hundreds of Americans and allies to their possible demise, including over a dozen young missionaries, in Afghanistan as a no concern, no big deal – just tell us more about Megan and Harry.

Our administration blithely disregards the ideals of the Constitution by ordering OSHA under a Covid-19 mandate to run ramshackle through businesses, or the IRS to be alerted when you write a check of $600. How about the introduction of values absolutely foreign to our culture? A culture seeking freedom of thought and speech and the acceptance of all races, with foreign to our liberty, constraining, values now being pushed into our schools and Universities. Need I continue?

Slowly inching towards the abyss……..

That was heavy, this is lighter – Brother Pieter and Jeanne were in Portland Oregon and got there via the train – 15-hours and a sleeper. Anyway, he decided to hold his radio show, Listening Lyrics, while riding the rails. Need some great music and a bit of banter? Sit back and have a listen (or park it for later listening since it’s a one-hour show)

And then this – remember that I own a French Citroën Deux Chevaux:

French cars just make any guy an automatic 10. I don’t make the rules, but that’s just how it is. ~ David Obuchowski (Peugot owner)

Fini –
• I am amazed, at the University of Maryland they’ve isolated a brand new human racial type: It’s the “Student of Color minus Asian” catagory. This has to be Nobel prize-worthy:

• John Cleese is as sharp as ever, even in his advancing years – this on 11-10-2021: “I was looking forward to talking to students at the Cambridge Union this Friday, but I hear that someone there has been blacklisted for doing an impersonation of Hitler……..I regret that I did the same on a Monty Python show, so I am blacklisting myself before someone else does”.

• Never forget that there will always be kids that are looking to be part of a family.

• For years, one of my favorite bits was the wonderful insights shared by the iconic Canadian on Hockey Night in Canada, Don Cherry. Sad that he was caught up in the cancel culture and made to disappear.

• Australian political cartoonist Michael Leunig was fired for drawing this cartoon – a little too close for comfort maybe? Can’t have that now can we?

• Yesterday I read that this weekend the Netherlands (72.1% fully vaccinated) is going back to full lockdown – both vaccinated and unvaccinated. Wonder how that’s going to impact the confidence of their vaccination campaign?

• The BEST campaign sign I spotted during our last election cycle. Mann has been involved for over 20+ years in local politics as a council member and former Mayor. He lost this round.

• As a former old-style Volkswagen owner I noted the ‘oddity’ immediately – so insightful

• I spotted an old interview with a young Dr. Fauci. During the start of the AIDS crisis he insisted that children could contract HIV through, his words; “ordinary close contact”. Dismissing the efficacy of therapeutic treatments, insisting on universal HIV/AIDS vaccination treatment. I think I’ve heard similar.

• Remember, that at least since the start of the WuFlu no politician has lost a paycheck (maybe ‘lost’ yes, but ‘missed’ no)

• Just in case you’re keeping track, this morning we started day 608 of the “15-days to slow the spread”.

• Keeping track of the inflation rate? You should.

As a conservative I have to apologize. I have steadfastly refused to acknowledge man created climate change even when we were broiling on our little blue globe. Now daylight is shortening, trees are losing their leaves, and Florida is hot. Question to self; how much proof do I need?

Make it a great week. Stay involved. Stay positive. Best till next weekend.

Dirk – your French car enthusiast

Morning all. With a fresh mug of Bourbon Infused coffee at my side I realized that overnight the old Tennessee Ernie Ford song lyrics from decades ago had all come true; “another day older and deeper in debt”. 2,000 pages worth!

Then, in a week or so from now the push to further place our nation into what will be a massively stunning, and gargantuan debt will take place. Let’s pray that it’s a mountain of debt from under which our grandkids can crawl.

”The last official act of any government is to loot the treasury.” ~ George Washington

In light of the what we’re witnessing in government these days I should insert into these Ramblings a “Word of the Day” so;
The Word of the Day is ’malversation’ (16th century): the corrupt administration of power.

Ultimate Recycling – Leftover pumpkins – what to do, what to do? Here’s an excellent way to quickly turn used pumpkins into bacon (ours are two of the larger ones & two smaller). The collection site was down the street a ways:

‘Tis the Season – I couldn’t believe it. It’s been well over a week since I began noticing, in the background mind you, more and more lame Christmas jingles and sounds. It’s a dreaded season that keeps springing on us, and is seems earlier and earlier. Well, it looks like Earl Pitts, our local prognosticator, has his own thoughts on the subject of shopping – at least on the ‘how to’ portion:

A Rainy Evening – and Marcia and I headed out for the Pendleton Arts Center – an eight story warehouse turned Arts center. Our purpose was an exhibit raising money for kids with cancer. First it was dinner at The Nation restaurant (named after prohibition firebrand Carrie Nation who would axe everything inside of any pub she entered). She was one of the more famous prohibitionists. Fun evening – especially riding the wide open freight elevators.

Most Massive (change) Election — was the election of the new Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Winsome Sears. In a Blue State she is a black (first winning statewide office) conservative woman who emigrated from Jamaica, served in the Marines, has a Masters degree, ran a homeless shelter, and has raised 3 kids. Her acceptance speech is the most grounded I’ve seen (if you’re going to watch it, stay ‘on-board’ for the whole 6-minute speech. It’s good!):

Tulsi Gabbard – former Congressional Representative from Hawaii, and a very sane ‘old school’ democrat also discussed the results of the VA election:

McAuliffe’s loss is a victory for all Americans. Why? Because it was a resounding rejection of efforts to divide us by race, the stripping of parental rights, and arrogant, deaf leaders. This benefits us all.

From Japan – and a Japanese neurologist no less comes this image. If the image is still, you are calm. If this image moves a bit, stressed, and if it spins you’re absolutely frazzled. So, how are you doing this morning?

Fini –
• As a reminder, we have not yet had any jobs ‘created’; we are still reclaiming jobs lost from the pre Covid shutdown numbers. We’ll need 4-million to get back to the numbers the Fed had at that time.

• Ms Amiral posted this photo Of Marilyn Monroe. She was getting ready for the premiere of How to Marry a Millionaire on November 4th 1953. Sixty eight years ago.

• I heard it was a prime time for the Northern Lights to be visible. No, I didn’t spot any here, but in Vegreville, Alberta they did:

• Fun times at COP26 as the hob-nobbing continued day and night. The discussions seemed to be around how to curtail our lifestyle for a cause that doesn’t exist. The one photo is from around Glasgow where the event was held and show just a handful of the 400 or so private aircraft that converged for this couple of days event.

• What is not a news item is that the new boss at Sky (a major COP26 climate change sponsor), and related to the COP26 fun event, spent the first half of the year commuting with regularity between her home in in the USA and office in Britain by private jet.

• We should all be happy that in America a black ‘victicrat’ like Ibram Henry Rogers can change his name to Ibram Xolani Kendi and become wealthy by telling white people how they prevent black people becoming wealthy. What a country!

• One of our local hospitals, The Christ Hospital, has moved beyond just doing mammogram screenings for Breast Cancer. They have their High Risk Cancer Screening Clinic team set up a genetic risk-evaluation for at risk individuals. Let’s hope that other health facilities follow suite.

• Without even trying High School Cheerleading will unwittingly ‘jump’ (pun intended) into various newsworthy, cutting edge, stuff. Imagine cheering for this school, “Let’s Go …….”;

• Have any of you noticed that even talking about a specific service or product will have your screens pop-up with related ads within just a day? Probably no one is concerned in the least.

• Our little condo needed ceiling work in our guest bedroom. Like even ourselves as we age, real and cosmetic work is required to keep is in tip-top shape (wherever possible)

• This is so what our mind’s eye sees as all American. Unknown truck driver Edward Durr spent $153 on his campaign and ousted the sitting, powerful, New Jersey State Senate president. Guess who now controls as to which bills move forward? It does bring to mind a saying attributed to Sun Tzu; “If you wait by the river long enough, the bodies of your enemies will float by.”

• This past week’s seven day average has the Covid death rate for the Scandinavian countries at: Norway 1, Denmark 2, and Sweden 5. These countries are totally open. Why are we not talking about such successes and the ‘why’?

• Today is Saturday November 6th 2021 and there are still Americans trapped in Afghanistan because the administration abandoned them.

• This week was a reflection on the life of Bert (my favorite Frisian, Dia’s, brother in law), RIP Bert.

• It’s a major Anniversary (50th) celebration for brother Pieter and SIL Jeanne (Neaners). Much love and happiness.

Make it a great week. Stay involved. Stay Happy. Remember, I am not a conspiracy theorist. I’m a “things aren’t up and that is obvious” theorist. Best till next weekend.

Dirk – your curmudgeon