Enjoy a wonderful Saturday coupled to a very Happy Independence Day weekend. Then, wishing a belated Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends.

Their Canada Day (July 1st) would have been so much better for everyone had they released their political prisoner, Tamara Lich, to spend time with her grandkids.

If you hadn’t heard, Tamara loves Canada and especially it’s Freedoms and has been active promoting it. Because of her leadership role in the Truckers Freedom Convoy which ran across Canada and to the capital, Ottawa, she is being held political prisoner under a trumped-up charge of ‘mischief’.

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, their ‘black-face’ narcissistic-in-chief has been going all out trying to maintain control; “sorry Tamara, nothing personal, you were just in the way”.

Coffee Trivia –:
Once, in old London town, they had their big double-decker busses run on coffee. Project Bio beans and Shell; they tried to transform coffee beans into diesel and this was successful. It wouldn’t surprise me if the lads and lasses (staying with Brit talk) discussed this Bio-coffee solution at the G7.

I say the latter since I’ve not seen anything of ‘worth’ spring forth from this austere group.

July 4th –

”My fellow Americans, we’re known around the world as a confident and happy people. Tonight there’s much to celebrate and many blessings to be grateful for. So while it’s good to talk about serious things, it’s just as important and just as American to have some fun. Now let’s have some fun – let the celebration begin!” ~ President Ronald Reagan, July 4, 1986 Address to the Nation

”Desolation Row” (Bob Dylan) – Midweek’s walk – of almost six miles – gave plenty of time to open up Spotify. All week it’d been various podcasts I listened to, this time it was music. In fact it was a whole hour and a half of Bob Dylan.

It’s easy to forget what a fabulous poet’s he’s been all these years. He’s a true national treasure! The piece that jumped out at me, he wrote it over half a century ago – ‘Desolation Row’.

If you listen to or read the words, do not focus on each word and every line; take a more comprehensive and holistic world-wide view of his word pictures. If you do, it’s as if that half century ago he was foretelling a future as the one we’re currently mired in.

A future where police stand by idly while a ‘Pride’ parade marches by with mostly naked men ‘twerking’ their bare a**es at flag waving toddlers.

A world where people, ‘leaders’ and politicians, en masse, trumpet for some mythical ‘right’ to murder 3,000 unborn humans each and every day.

A world where Post-Modernist people – church sanctioned – can happily announce their ‘Trouple’ by mailing out invitations. It wasn’t all that long ago words such as “polygamy’, ‘polyamory’, ‘polyandry’, all from their ancient Greek roots were the descriptors; bundled under the banner of, wink-wink, “threesome”. Today we’re so much more sophisticated; now it’s the more uplifting, much happier sounding, ‘trouple’. Party on!

A world where you can get arrested and fined for using a wrong pronoun, while during a recession politicians extend themselves pay raises. Meanwhile continue squeezing us out of more and more of our freedoms all under the rubric of giving us a ‘New World Order’.

I could go on, but then it’d be a rant – which I want to avoid. However, you get my drift.

’Ancient Medicine’ – Most times I read that ‘life expectancy’ keeps on rising. In fact today’s generation of newborns supposedly will be able to lead happy productive lives into a ripe age of 100.

So I wonder why my mail in-box gets messages from any number of ‘snake-oil’ sales companies with language such as this: “That’s why we created our Ultimate Guide to Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Medicine. In it, you’ll learn about intuitive healing, herbalism, tongue diagnosis, a cousin to acupuncture that uses heat instead of needles, face reading, and more.”

Wasn’t it during these “Ancient Medicine” times where average life expectancy was not much more than age 40?

I wonder if the various “Psychics” and “Palm Readers” have the correct answer; after all, they are all knowing and all seeing. Aren’t they amongst the very wealthy?

Northern Comfort – Not too many days after the Willie Nelson concert early next month, I am planning to head into the North Woods and to our Northern Comfort (our cabin in the woods).

I know what is important. Hence. my first preparatory move has been to load up the Kindle with summer readings (Marcia would just shake her head in disbelief that this would be the first). In order to help assist you getting motivated organizing your own summer line-up, here is mine:

• Meditations – the musings of Marcus Aurelius; arguably the best Emperor of ancient Rome (from 161 to 180 AD). Written to assist in his own guidance, these are the private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoic philosophy. The first few pages prove to be extremely readable. “I am hoping from this one to gain” (as Yoda would say).

• 1984 — George Orwell. I’ve read this classic, but that was over two decades ago, so it’s time for a refresher.

• Death Rides the Zephyr — Janet Dawson. The only fiction in the bunch. I picked it for two reasons, my passion for lengthy, adventure filled, train rides and the derailment of the California to Chicago Amtrak train a little over a week ago.

• The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy — Dr. Thomas Sowell. At age 92 and still very active, he is arguably the nation’s pre-eminent Economist. This book was written in the mid-seventies and is still offering; “a provocative critique of the failures of liberalism.” Sowell is black, was raised in Harlem, and is close to topping the list of thinking conservatives. At age 92 he’ll pin any one of the cadre of ‘race-baiting’ charlatans to the proverbial wall.

Can’t wait to get it started!

Vacations – are in full swing. Kirstin and the boys in California are doing it all by hiking through our National Parks. Meanwhile Adrianne, Tevita, and the kids will be heading out tomorrow morning to end up for a week in Hawaii. Happy for them!

Fini –
• Here’s a question about using a thumbprint to open your mobile. What happens after getting ‘nicked’ by a ‘mandolin’ when slicing veggies and a bandage is required? Asking for a friend.

• This week it was a Happy Birthday to Jolene and our Kellen ~ many more.

• Last weekend it was off to the (really) old neighborhood and the Farmers Market on the square. All week long, every day, it’s been one wild array of salad after another, from Waldorf on.

• Knowing what the place (the really old neighborhood) is like these days I was in a bit of a quandary whether we should be using the ‘Regular’ or take the longer line and go through the ‘Organic’ entrance at the market.

• Today in 1937 aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were heard from for the last time prior to their plane’s disappearance on their around the world flight attempt.

• Also today, but in 2001, in neighboring Louisville, KY was performed the worlds very first Self-Contained Artificial Heart Transplant. The main problem with the ‘heart’ was size (big) and a machine life expectancy of just 180 days. After a small number of trial patients, further development was stopped.

• Planned Parenthood was originally called “The Negro Project” and was started by Margaret Sanger, an avowed eugenics proponent. It’s clear that the organization’s ‘birth’ was firmly rooted in what can best be described as a means of controlling growth of our black population. I mention this because of the current Roe vs Wade turmoil – it’s a real ‘kerfuffle’.

• We gave our latest nearby restaurant, Ford, a close-up inspection. Its décor is amazing and door handles like I’ve never seen before.

• Maybe I should repeat until this is over, so here it is again; “I know that with all that’s happening it’s easy to forget that we are still holding January 6 ‘political’ prisoners in prison in DC. They have not been formally charged and by not having a ‘speedy’ trial are being denied their basic human rights.”

Ciao, I hope that the Fireworks this weekend won’t cause you loss of sleep nor have your pets go into a panic mode. Just go outside, light a cigar, and ‘drink’ it all in. Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk