Morning all. Here in our little nook to the world the corner of ‘Chaos & Mayhem’ is vastly different, this morning it’s the corner of ‘Calm & Monotony’. Reason?

You knew there had to be a reason, didn’t you. At 2:21 this morning the following public emergency message was received and it caused Marcia and I to be up the rest of the night listening to the scanner:

“Cincinnati Police Public Information – Social Media Administrator Sergeant Franz, Cincinnati Police Department AGENCY

There are several active protests & groups causing damage to property in the Downtown & OTR neighborhoods currently. Please avoid this area.”

Protests occurred in the evening. These were peaceful and pretty well over with when the ‘thugs’ emerged. So we listened throughout the night as reports of groups of hooligans stormed through the downtown area starting fires, busting anything in sight, and looting, looting, looting. To properly honor the fellow killed in Minneapolis it seemed to demand that any store having “Jeweler”, “Pharmacy”, or “Computer/Phone” in the name be trashed and looted.

The one positive to all their actions is that the stupid something called, “lockdown”, now seems to be relegated into the annals of ancient history.

Hope: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ~ Oscar Wilde

Memorial Day walk – happened last Monday. It was gorgeous outside and since we’re a mere (almost) four miles from Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum where my parents are buried I decided to walk there. I let Marcia know what I was doing and set out.

Once inside the park – and with about 40-miles of roadway winding about, slightly lost, I put on my earpods. My music? It couldn’t have been better for such a walk; Kraus Badelt. Badelt has written the score for at least 35 movies, plus TV scores, and live performances.

To listen to stunningly heroic music walking through the Arboretum passing the graves of Civil War and World War I veterans was more than special. Finally arriving home and quite high from the whole event was such that it finally got Marcia to tell me; “great, but…..” (Meaning, please no more).

Amazed – Ever been blindsided? Gobsmacked? Jason did that to me when he sent a video clip of an outside security camera he had just installed at his house. He’s now talking me up with language such as:

“I will try separating the video camera from the regular network on a VLAN next. I’ll add an additional switch for Power Over Ethernet should I get more cameras”

No, he didn’t just run into Costco to pick up a Blink or a Ring system. Jason bought enterprise level components and built/set up a system to record continuously for 20-day stretches. The clarity is amazing. And, after what went on last night just about ½-mile from his home, totally timely!

Dinner Out – Actually it was almost a bit of a first date style event. We went to the nearby Wiedemann Taproom and its excellent pub food. Fish sandwich, coleslaw, and cauliflower nuggets with a glass of draught Amber Ale.

Since it’s still the “easing in” period for indoor dining the place was plainly marked at 110 person maximum (normally 220 persons). Several tables were taken on the patio, but Marcia and I wanted the experience of indoor dining. Aside from the staff, there were three people sitting at the bar and Marcia and I, plus background music and the echo of our chatting. It was lovely!

     

And yes, I was certain that Elvis was in the room.

Fini – This is the year that both Derek and Kellen will be in their school’s Marching Band. It’ll be a strange year. They’ve got a new music director. Covid-19 means that they don’t have a clue as to how rehearsals and games will be managed. Anyway, to give a clue how difficult it is to manage the group, here is last year’s Anderson Trojan’s formal band photograph.

This afternoon at 3:22 East Coast Time the NASA/SpaceX Dragon launch is scheduled for lift-off the International Space Station with 2 astronauts aboard. This will be a first in a decade. The ‘marriage’ between NASA in the role of ‘manager’ and SpaceX as the innovator and builder is a lovely thing to see.

I sat and watched the weather scrubbed try two days ago and was amazed at how different it all was from the launches years ago. Urge you all to take time and watch it – fingers crossed that the weather hold this time.

While it’s still the ‘Merry Month of May’, remember that this whole moth is; “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month is for the duration of month of May for recognizing the contributions and influence of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States.” We’re proud of you Tevita, ofa atu!

This week I needed a prescription refill. It took a couple of back and forth during which time it crossed my mind that almost all pills are made white. Why? Wouldn’t it be more delightful to open a new pill bottle and look on a rainbow of color? Just a thought.

During this week (on the night of May 28) 1977, during the Memorial Day holiday weekend the Beverly Hills Supper Club in nearby Southgate, KY burned. A total of 165 people died and more than 200 were injured as a result of the blaze. More and more, small bits of detail point to both the Cleveland and Chicago mafia having a hand in starting the fire. Then Kentucky Governor Julian Carroll ordered the burned out structure to be bulldozed on the very next day. A Federal team of fire investigators – 12 strong arriving from Baltimore – were told look where you will, but by then the room where the fire started had already been cleared. John Davidson was the headline act that evening. Marcia and I happened to be in New Orleans when we heard of the fire.

This day in 1889 the brassiere was invented – that’s what’s referred to as ‘Bra’ for you who attended Woodstock in 1969 and those were the things you burned.

Make it great week, keep the peace, stay safe, and be healthy!
Dirk

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