Morning all:

Happy Halloween weekend. A little bean grinding in the early morning hours, and the result, a large steaming mug, is wonderfully worthwhile. Work-wise it’s been about as busy a week as I’ve had in a good while. All of this is beginning to force me along the lines of beginning to think of the “V” word—vacation. A little of the “recharge the batteries” time on which to start focusing. Maybe its time to get serious and do a little planning.

This past Monday night the ‘nnati was in the national spotlight—big time. The city turned on its lights as Al Michaels and John Madden crowed about the way the place looked and felt. On top of that our lowly Bengals threw a major burr under the Denver Broncos’ saddle. Yet I was disappointed! Yes, what was said was nice and all, but these national celebrities stopped short, even Hank Williams, Jr. failed to include any reference in his opening piece. The reason being is that no one even mentioned that Cincinnati is the world’s epicenter of the Corn Hole toss.

For this year’s college campus craze, the Corn Hole toss, look no further than Cincinnati. During the late evening constitutional with Shang will find whole families tossing their little hearts out. The playing “field”, usually a driveway, brightly lit under the harsh glow of their “shade tree” mechanic halogen lights. Now I ask, can you envision a sight more beautiful?

Last Sunday little Marin took all of us to the Children’s Museum. That place is an absolute jewel in this city’s crown. The little guy knows exactly where he wants to go and what activities he wants do—all with tongue out intensity. The adults either also get involved or just lounge about with happy smiles on their faces. The only crying I heard was approaching the elevator as parents tried to get their unwilling little ones out.

It was earlier in the week at about ten in the evening that I spotted Adrianne’s name as being on-line in my Trillian instant messaging window. A quick check and yes it was her. Next I hollered downstairs to Marcia who with only a bit of effort tore herself from the couch, where by the way she was watching one of her half-dozen or so “must watch” CSI shows, to join me for a little “chatting”; great fun. I understand full well the dynamics of how it all works. Yet it still impresses me that it is so easy and seamless to communicate instantly and in real time at ten at night literally around the world, with a daughter who has just gotten back to work from lunch on my following day. I believe it was Captain Cook who around 1768 was the first European to set foot on the Tongan islands, his one-way communication only took two years.

Lastly; please go and vote. If you do not we’ll all be subjected all over again to many more weeks of horrid campaign ads and “talking head” political pundits by the hour; I absolutely can’t take any more. My internal clock tells me that this year’s political funny season has lasted for well over a year—and enough is enough. Actual delivery on the “stump-speech” promises means we’d all have a chicken in every pot, or something like that. Help me end the nonsense—VOTE!

Have a great week.

Cheers,

Dirk