Good morning all:

Weekly ‘motivational’ quote:

“Never be afraid to try, remember… Amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.” – Author Unknown

Last night Marcia asked, “started a new book already?” I nodded a quick yes. But, it’s difficult when you spot probably eight or more books per week that only get added to some sort of vague reading list; knowing full well that the “to be read” and the “read” lists will never be in sync. Now that I’ve discovered that the library system allows instant e-book retrieval it’s a tiny help—nah, I still won’t catch up. Maybe my morning coffee will aid in planning a new mode of attack.

Roaring in the Jungle – Marcia freely spouts forth that I do not like sports. Not true. What I loathe are the televised renditions of sports. Actually, that’s not true either. The broadcasts are fine; it’s the accompanying sound-track that drives me bonkers. Somehow, especially with our national media, there is an inane need to have enough voices telling us the things we see in such a fashion that there is never a second of silence; their changing of a game into an event. I am just not allowed to observe and enjoy. This is what gets translated as “he doesn’t like sports.” That is why I will walk out of the room midway through a sporting event.

Last Sunday Tevita and I got invited to the Cincinnati Bengals versus the Cleveland Browns game at Paul Brown stadium—the well hyped Battle of Ohio annual clash. It was wonderful. And, with club seats on the 50-yard line, it was great. When we won in the last minute with our rookie quarterback managing a long play to the Browns ½ yard line, which then led to a comeback win, it was marvelous! See, I do like sports! Sports the game that is.

And the beat goes on – It’s really the “beating;” my beating as a victim that is. Ok, let’s see. Our County Clerk of Courts has a web page. Currently the opening paragraph reads:

”In these difficult economic times, the Clerk recognizes that we must make every effort to create a positive environment for the legal professionals to do business in Hamilton County. Increasing our Court’s efficiency by leveraging our digital capabilities to better serve the legal community is one way to do this.”

I have a better idea. Put a halt to an ongoing array of stalls which abuse the legal system and by no short measure the victims. It’s all this nonsensical side-show stuff that is clogging our courts. Maybe the “legal profession” loves this, I do not!

Ours is a simple case. Our home was burglarized. A blood sample retrieved from my second floor office door ‘flat-out’ places the accused in our home through a DNA data bank. Currently the resultant legal circus is in high gear—presently there are 24 entries in the accused’s case history file (screen capture at left-click twice to enlarge). The latest now has the “Plea or Trial Setting” moved to January 10, 2012. Bah!

Animal Planet – I realize that my continued referencing of deer in our city neighborhood is getting old. However, yesterday, seeing a large 8-point buck standing a mere 15 feet from our front window – around 8:30 in the morning – is worth noting. By the way, Vaioleti insists that “Bambi’s daddy” was a “reindeer”; I wonder what’s going on in her mind?

Closing – Marcia and my hearts go out to Vince, Kirstin, Derek, and Kellen, as they deal with the loss of their beloved “Gigi”, Vince’s grandmother. She was such a huge influence on all their lives, Vince’s especially, but later on Kirstin’s. Eventually it was Derek and Kellen who’s weekends were complete when they would set out on the hour-and-a-half drive to visit with her in her little lakeside home. To give a tiny insight on the type of strength she was; Gigi volunteered with the Peace Corps and served overseas for two years after she retired. As Kirstin wrote; “she was an amazing woman.”

Make it a great week everyone.

Cheers,
Dirk