What exactly do I mean with this week’s title? Well, it appears that the two ‘attack’ Pit-Bulls from the problem property down the street are gone. With the move by the kids, Rugby the dog is now our neighbor. This could also mean that I’ll get a walk or two in on a regular basis.

However, this year the “Dog Days of Summer” end today, August 11. Stemming from the days of Caesar it was thought that; “this was an evil time when the sea would boil, wine would turn sour and dogs would go mad. Disease would also be on the rise.” With the folly we see happening in the fight against the spread of the ‘Wu-Flu’ the season’s moniker seems to be not far off base. Let me have another sip of coffee and ponder on that last bit a little more.

“Directions” – But first, let me park this ‘graphic’ in front of George and Sandy who’ll be visiting with us in about a week and a half. A couple of days with us and then we’ll all head for Bourbon Country in Kentucky. Just in case they end up struggling with their GPS on their way here, I thought I’d help them out with directions. Our place is the Chicken ‘Nugget’ forming the high point on the KFC platter – a pretty easy find don’t you agree? Safe travels you two, we’re excited!

Really, what have we learned? – or Build the Taliban Back Better…. (Joe Biden). During the last two decades? On this, the twentieth anniversary of terrorists using passenger aircraft as missiles causing death, mayhem, and destruction in New York city, the Pentagon, and even a quiet Pennsylvania farm field, what have we learned?

We started a war much akin to one started in Vietnam decades earlier with a toxic blend of warring and politicking and left it even more chaotically (actually could use the word; ‘criminally’).

In the midst of all of that was Benghazi. That debacle caused more American deaths for no purpose and caused by an inept cadre of folk from the Obama administration (lying as they went along). Now, with a core group of ‘retreads’ from that past administration the Biden team keeps on trying to, using the idiom, “make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” Aside from using any leverage to curtail the mess we began, we’ve allowed the ‘jackals’ to take over while leaving citizens behind, handed death sentences to friends and their families, allowed women to be returned to lives akin to the suffering their forbears lived 400 years ago, and discarded all of the relationships with had fostered with our NATO allies. What we witnessed has been criminal and if it were any other President impeachment would be a foregone conclusion.

In my long memory I have not witnessed any move worse.

China gets auto chips, Russia gets a pipeline, the Taliban gets US arms, Cartels get open borders. We get mandates, lockdowns, inflation, and a hostage crisis. Don’t you get it yet? ~ Stephanie Hoover

Ribbit Ribbit – For the past 45 years WEBN has hosted the ‘Natti’s Riverfest Fireworks. WEBN radio is known for its mascot, Tree B. Frog, was one of the first stations in the nation which back in 1967 launched something called “Album Oriented Rock”, this at a time when FM didn’t draw a lot of listeners. Their ‘must tune in’ show, Jelly Pudding hosted by Michael Bo Xanadu had every ‘cool hipster’ in the area tune in almost daily.

Also, they would run an array of spoof spots such as; “the “White Rose and Lilac Virginity Restoration Clinic”, “WEBN’s Tree Frog Beer” “The Sleezy People’s Beer” and then years later with “It doesn’t taste like much but it gets you there faster”.” These were so good that stations such as Chicago’s WDAI in its ‘Underground Days’ also picked them up.

Anyway, for this entire run WEBN has synchronized an amazing lineup of music to each year’s Fireworks. I remember the era of the ‘Boombox’ where just maneuvering through the throng of 500,000 people on the riverbank (actually 250,000 since that was the number on each shore), in the dark, found oneself tripping over the things. Enjoy this one minute snippet from this year’s show; “RRRRRRIBBIT!”

The Duck – After all my tribulations, head scratches, and cuts ‘n bruises getting the little French Citroën 2CV home from Canada I got some input from friends and family. Several of their thoughts and ideas centered on turning it in to be recycled for its metal value, i.e. ‘scrap’.

What people really don’t realize is just how special that little vehicle is. How important it was to brining a whole nation a generation forward, and how it’s a ‘showcase’ for innovation. Don’t believe me? Spend a few minutes enjoying this YouTube, and you too will have learned a bit and grow in your appreciation of our little ‘Duck’:

Fini –
• “Have they released the actual number of lives saved by taping arrows to Supermarket aisles”; anonymous while shopping yesterday at Aldi’s.

• Best sandwich board of the week:

• Forgot to mention last week. Here’s to a (belated) blessed Rosh Hashanah to all my Jewish family and friends. Shana Tova and a Happy New Year.

• Welcome home from vacations to Cathy and Kirstin, Derek, and Kellen

• Going WOKE in a manner that’s comprehensible:

• Scary thought of the day. “Realize that the woman who is third in line to the Nuclear Codes claims that she was duped by a hair stylist. Let that sink in”: Todd Bollinger

• I led the brothers exercise sessions this week – successfully. ‘Successfully’ except for the one new workout item I could not master.

• Now pay my annual “Hosting Service” fee. I guess that The Rambling’s will be around for a while longer.

Make it a great week. Demand the best from yourself, others, and your leaders. Be healthy, and stay happy. Best till next weekend.
Dirk