Morning all. I don’t know the ‘why’ of it, but why do so many ‘recreational’ activities require getting up during the wee weekend morning hours. I complain, but once up with the smell of coffee brewing and able to see the corner of Chaos & Mayhem as an empty and clean slate, then all is well. So again, this time in caps; Good Morning.

The ‘Picture of the Week’ is special. Vince dearly loved his grandmother, Gi Gi; both have passed. Gi Gi had a cottage-style place, lakeside, in Florida and Vince loved that place from childhood on and cherished taking Derek and Kellen there. So yesterday on the 4th anniversary of his passing I thought the two of them together, lakeside, and now looking out, both part of that vast beyond of merely that little lake captured it all.

Not to be hammering further on the Government’s yammering on and on over the WuFlu — while racing madly about moving the goal posts. Let me just say that now that I’ve officially gained ‘geezer’ status, that I am old enough to remember the government telling my parents that Margarine was good for us (but it had to be white; though could be sold with a little embedded yellow dye pack).

Meme of the Day. I remember trying to create a ‘tower of sound’ as complete as this shown and never achieving it. It still bothers me and I am still jealous of those who did.

Cereal of the Day. Am I the only one who dives for the Grape Nuts as my first choice? It’s difficult to find it in many cereal isles, and I have to pack extra when getting ready for a season at Northern Comfort; can’t find the stuff in Canada.

Can we get the Mexican cartels to help us with our supply chain issues? They don’t seem to have trouble getting stuff from one place to another ~ Scott Adams [Creator of the Dilbert cartoon]

Kentucky waters – was where we headed at dawn yesterday morning. Dinah was rowing and Marcia and I went to watch. Shortly after 7:30 we dropped her off. Then we joined up with Cathy and Jason for breakfast. Eventually we ended up on a bridge overlooking the Licking River (a 300 mile long tributary to the Ohio River, joining across from downtown Cincinnati). What I did learn is that the Licking is one of Kentucky’s best native muskellunge streams (didn’t see any).

Watching her on the water in her 8-person oared skull is impressive. The boat moving along at approximately 20mph makes it that much more impressive. Having the opportunity to see up close the boats and their team facilities had me saying; “WOW!”

What we saw and experienced is best shown by my shutting up and just posting it via photo:

Cyber Security — We love our proclaimed days and months. Did you know that October is; National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM)? It was started by the National Cyber Security Division within the Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance. All good stuff. Having said that, we best begin paying some serious attention to what is going on in the world and not just ‘pop a cork and celebrate’.

This October Nicolas Chaillan, the Pentagon’s chief software officer, resigned because he could not bear to see the US overtaken by China in technological development, with some American cyberdefences at “kindergarten level”.

I guess we’re just a bit more involved establishing WOKE things, things such as “equity” policy, rather than worry about matters on the world stage.

Wonders of Sleep — This year my brothers and I have all become healthier thanks to brother Art starting us lazy slugs on a path towards better health through exercise. And, it’s working! Thanks Art.

This week on my walks I’ve been listening to Dave Rubin Report interviewing a Dr. Matthew Walker — professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California at Berkley.

He claims that for better health what we do regarding sleep is not just to treat it as one of the three pillars towards good health (body & mind), but it’s actually the foundation of the whole business. I thought this fun 45-minute podcast worthwhile enough to share and urge you to play it. Click on this ‘Dave Rubin Report’ as your link.

Fini –
• Today in 1793 Marie Antoinette (she of “Let them eat brioche” fame) was sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution. It probably is still an event which every politician should heed.

• On a much more positive note, today in 1894 the Ohio National Guard killed three lynchers trying to kill a black man.

• Jason would just as soon mow his lawn using a push reel lawn mower. Sneakily, this past week he was seen mowing, operating nothing of the sort.

• Whatever happened to; “fifteen days to flatten the curve”?

• Whatever happened to; “herd Immunity”?

• On a walk I spotted a beautiful vintage BMW. The sticker on the window said it all. And, from my perspective it applies everywhere.

• In two days our day-high temperature dropped from 84 to 65 – autumn has come. With that in mind much of what we hear ignores the undisputed fact that the earth was much warmer than today for the past 200-million years of the Pleistocene and that we’re on the trailing end of a 50-million year cooling period. Thought you’d want to know.

• Ian S. is a fellow 2CV lover who lives in Wales. It’s good to see that even in the UK a 2CV on the street has the same response as it does here. He wrote; “Elly [his 2CV] in New Quay last evening while awaiting chips. Was amusing to see how much attention she gets.”

• Bert, a fellow born-in-Enschede guy, and Brother in Law to Paul and Dia needs your thoughts and prayers. Currently experiencing a tough time.

Make it a great week. Stay positive. Stay happy. Stay involved. Best till next weekend.

Dirk