A good Saturday morning to everyone – first mug of Java has disappeared quickly. Next little break will pour ‘numero’ two (second mug that is).

Once upon a time there were two pant-suited and jacketed politicians who held a debate. Let’s call these two; Steve and Abe. They debated seven times, and each debate lasted three hours. The first got one and a half hours, the other got one hour, and then two fifteen minute rebuttal/wrap-up time periods each. Most importantly, there was NO moderator. Did you grasp all of that, seven debates allowing for a total of 21-hours? Each making their case and again; there was NO moderator! That amount of debate time allowed for each to hone their craft and sharpen/tighten their position. Abraham, the loser, gained a reputation for his “A house divided against itself cannot stand” words, which reverberated throughout the seven districts of Illinois.

Stephen was Senator Stephen A. Douglas and the ‘loser’ for the Illinois the 1858 Illinois state election campaign Senate seat was Abraham Lincoln; eventually one of our most revered and beloved Presidents.

So dissimilar to today’s “debates” where the “you have two-minutes” and a rebuttal of “fifteen seconds” orders are barked; with questions assembled by a biased hack ‘moderator’. The whole thing is now a joke with barely enough time to utter a carefully rehearsed one-line sound bite.

“I want to ask the American people, how calm were you when you were panicked about where you were going to get your next roll of toilet paper?” ~ Senator Kamala Harris; during the Pence/Harris debate

How many steps from the Presidency is this woman potentially? Is this for real?

Personal Injury Note – This week I’ve been fighting something my mother referred to as ‘lumbago’ (an old popular term for lower back pain). It just seemed to become a part of me; no announcement, no request. I just got out of bed mid-week and ten minutes later found me ‘walking’ from chair to couch to floor, then to repeat. Even so, I did manage to get my minimum five-miles per day of walking in; round of applause please.

Yesterday, arriving back home, I felt lucky that a cop hadn’t pulled me over for my careening drunken movements ‘walking’ on the sidewalk – crossing a street was even worse since there weren’t any light posts.

An end – The Boeing 747 was my favorite plane to fly on. And, my favorite 747 flight was the one where brother Pieter and I did Japan and China on old ‘Pan Am’ (Pan American World Airways); seats 1A and 2A!

As an aside; I learned that the original plan was to have it configured as a double-decker. However, they couldn’t get it certified that way since they couldn’t evacuate in the required 90-seconds; hence the immediately recognized ‘bubble-nose’ resulted. But, the immense efficiency of the 747 really brought costs down and started the world on the path of flights for the masses.

Thursday was the day where British Airways flew the final flights for their three remaining 747s; the last of these glorious machines left in passenger service. I watched them take off from Heathrow on Sky News.

Luckily Amazon Prime has begun its freight operations at our airport, and with many international carriers having converted 747s to freighters I can still muster over to the viewing area to catch sight of one gliding in. Amazon Prime Day is this coming week; and we aren’t even members — how’s that for a plug?

Bulent comes through – My friend and neighbor is currently at his north woods camp enjoying a late autumn and the corresponding color. He inspected Northern Comfort and judged the place as “sound”. All is well, even the tarp covered boats not only survived last winter’s snows, ice, and winds, but also spring and summer. Not certain if this is because I did such a good job ‘tucking’ them in or if I was lucky and bought high-quality tarps. Let me not take a chance, so, thank you Harbor Freight.

Nevertheless, I (phrased kindly) am still not happy with the border lockdown due to the Wuhan mess. Everything better be open no later than next season.

Halloween – No matter whether Halloween will be celebrated legally or not, we’re plowing forward. Marcia has arranged the décor and the prep work (candy purchasing) is progressing. Even in the sunroom our ceramic pumpkin greets all passers-by. Donn see what’s giving it its ‘spark’?

Fini – Yesterday, from the Washington Times I learned that; “Nebraska is the only state in the nation with a ‘unicameral’ legislature’ — a zero party, zero partisanship House, absent a Senate where bills are presented and debated without the typical Republican versus Democrat bickering, and then sent along to the governor for signing, or not.” See, one is never too old to learn.

Tomorrow, we’ll be wishing Paul a very happy birthday. He keeps on trying but finds it difficult to catch up to ‘moi’ and he’s no better gaining on his sister.

Tuesday I’ll join in on a discussion (via Zoom) at EmpowerU. A ‘twofer’, first up is Civil Rights Attorney Robert Newman who’s sued the City of Cincinnati. And secondly is Averel Meden. She’ll be discussing how the Ohio States’ $26 billion K-12 public education system monies are doled out. Aside from public education, the state has 5 school choice programs. Averel’s agency operates a network of Protestant and Christian schools who advocate for a parent’s right to choose the best education for their children. Both speakers will hold my interest.

Concert later today put together by nearby neighbors who passed this note around: “Kim and I will be joined by some of our dear friends and colleagues from the Cincinnati Symphony this Saturday October 10 at 3 pm in the afternoon for a CSO in ‘Your Neighborhood Concert’ in front of our house!
Bring a chair, picnic blanket, snacks, drinks etc. for a socially distanced 45 minute performance on Rose Hill Ave.”
Guess where Marcia and I will be.

RIP Peter (Peter Stambrook) who I didn’t know as a London born Professor of Molecular Genetics, Biochemistry and Microbiology. No, I knew him as a teammate who, as we’d both run the length of the soccer pitch would trip, fall, roll, bound up, and still beat me. That’s the Peter I knew.
RIP Eddie Van Halen (Edward Lodewijk van Halen); guitar god. He was from the city of Nijmegen, also in my own birth country of Holland. Cancer is a beast.

After almost 50-years of friendship our friend Bill Melvin is moving to be with his kids in the NY & NJ area. Aged 94 and he’s giving us a little lunchtime talk during a luncheon in his honor which Marcia and I went to. He’d sold his car (don’t need it in NY), and a lifetime of model aircraft he’d been building — some are in museums and decorate homes and corporate lobbies. Many more years of health and joy Bill, it’s been much more than just a pleasure.

Make it great week, keep the peace, stay safe, and be healthy! All Lives Matter.

Dirk