Good morning all:

Weekly Wisdom:

“We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.” — Henny Youngman

All I was ready for when I woke up this morning was a bunch of argle bargle. Since then I have perked the morning coffee, finished half a mug, and now have a new outlook. Let the rambling begin.

Ixchel – The Mayan jaguar goddess was offered a prayer and thus, this week, the hard working U.N. bureaucrats and others gathered in Cancun began their deliberations for reducing emissions. Last year’s “climategate” scandal in Copenhagen has moved on. The current focal point is now pretty well focused on wealth redistribution. Cultish environmentalism has replaced prudent science and economics at these events.

Personally I just love the reinvention of the dire outlook these folk present in an effort to find the right ‘hook’ to frighten the masses. “Global Warming” didn’t do it and was then quickly restated as “Climate Change”. Most people just went ho-hum with the climate change thing so, drum roll please, in Cancun it’s now being touted as “Global Biodiversity.”

To the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); if you want to be taken seriously I would think that you do not want to start with an appeal to a jaguar goddess. But then, I love Cancun, so as John Belushi once said; “party on!”

Winter – I started with the U.N. climate (sorry, “biodiversity”) thing as an introduction to the fact that our season has changed. We had been living in a wonderful period of Indian summer. Almost overnight we then moved, past fall, directly into winter—and jumped in with both feet. When I say winter I mean January type weather. This coming week they’re even predicting a morning low of 13 degrees.

With winter weather the TV meteorologists wake from their collective stupor. The junior members of the reporting team man their stations and in the cold park themselves in their regular spots overlooking a city salt pile.

Yesterday the weather alerts went out. This morning we would experience our season’s first measurable snowfall. Last night on the news we were told (by the reporters at the snow piles) that the salt-truck drivers would be reporting in for duty at 11 pm. Traffic would come to a standstill.

Pouring my coffee this morning I looked outside; how does one measure a dusting?

Icicle lights – This year I took advantage of the long Indian summer and put up all the clips to hang the strands. Then, just prior to the cold setting in I hung the things. We even beat Marcia’s nemesis, the perfect little family across the way, in getting our lights up first.

One problem, actually there are two. Firstly, we have a new neighbor who beat us all with a spectacular, multihued, display. This caused us to be out of the running for first place in the seasonal display category.

Second, I just hung the lights, but did not deal with the electricity to the lights. For this I waited till the weather changed; and no Marcia, I don’t know why! In the cold I ran the requisite cords and set the timer. That first evening an obvious problem “came to light” (pun intended). The final strand of lights had a couple sections not lit. This made it look like we aimed to create a large toothless smile directly over our front door.

The next morning, coupon in hand, Marcia ran off to Michaels for replacement lights. Later that morning, in the freezing cold, I was replacing the defective section. And it worked! Well, the lights worked. Without realizing it she must have bought a male strand of the things. The new section, we realized, is affected with a ‘shrinkage’ issue in cold weather. All across the front of our house hangs an array of beautiful – long – glowing icicles. “All across” that is, except for that one new section. That last 15 feet of new lights are comfortably curled up tight against the gutter they’re hanging on. We’re hoping that they’ll ‘reposition’ should we get another spell of Indian summer. One can only hope.

Holiday factoid – Cathy, have a Happy Hanukkah. By the way, did you know that Hanukkah was created as an observable and fun-for-kid’s holiday by two rabbis in Cincinnati late in the 19th century? Prior to that it had been noted as a minor event. Cathy knows, but for everyone else, Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest and main Rabinical school for Reform Judaism. It began in Cincinnati (1875) and now has branches in Los Angeles, New York, and Jerusalem.

HUC was the first permanent school of higher  learning in the New World for the settling Jewry who by 1873 numbered over 150, 000. Click on the HUC-JIR link for a nice historical review.

Closing – Marlena, I once read that after chemotherapy, there’s no such thing as a bad-hair day; be sure to put a hairbrush on your Christmas wish list. Marcia and I are awed by your strength, serenity, and humor as you plowed through this year. Now that all that nastiness is behind you play with and love that beautiful baby of yours. You deserve it. Justin, Molly, Jeanne, and David hats of to you guys for the support, love, and cradling you gave to Marlena—now go and enjoy this holiday of fulfilled promises!

A happy birthday to Donn. And to Vince who is training and signing up for any and all marathons and triathlons he can find—good for you!

Make it a great week!

Cheers,

Dirk

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