Happy autumn everyone! If I look hard enough, then I could well say; “fall is in the air.” That ‘fall’ thing didn’t start here till late this past week.

Morning Coffee Trivia: Since it’s still dark and the coffee just beginning to perk, I thought it an appropriate time for the following quotation; “a yawn is a silent scream for coffee.” (author unknown)

Quote of the week

The GOP is promising to repeal the law hiring an extra 87,000 IRS agents.
The Libertarian Party will do you one better and FIRE the existing 92,000 agents also.” ~ Todd Hagopian

Powering the EVs – Living in southern Ohio we’re aware of the goings-on in the south-eastern (Appalachian) part of the state; this is a huge coal-producing part of the country.

With the massive push for an immediate ‘leap’ into a bright new world of electric vehicles, it is this area which is busily providing the necessary fuel for a constant flow of the electricity to power them. Nice going guys.

The scam – powers on as California’s governor, Gavin Newsome signed 40 Climate bills this past week.

These new climate measures argue that “renewable energy sources can be expanded from one-third of the state’s power input to 90% in just over a decade, partly by spending $54 billion that California has allocated to the task of fighting climate change”.

No worry though for the $$-millions this ‘track’ will cost the California citizens.

As a reminder and example; Al Gore is (STILL) wrong on Artic ice.
2008 Gore predicted an ice-free Artic by the summer of 2013
2022; at the peak ice-melt, Artic ice extended more than 5-million square kilometers.
Just so you know; climate on earth has always been changing – naturally! These predictions for human ‘cause-of’ are a hoax. Learn that!

”The longer I live, the more convinced I am that this planet is used by other planets as a lunatic asylum.” – George Bernard Shaw

Fentanyl update — Tracking the epidemic numbers of fentanyl poisoning over the past month. Based on NIH data, 154 Americans die each day.

Just so that it is clear, that’s the equivalent of 38 mass shootings every day. Backing out a bit, in the last 3 weeks, 3,171 Americans died from fentanyl poisoning, or the equivalent of 792 mass shootings or another 9/11 horror.

From China, through Mexico, and into the USA seems to be the pathway on how the stuff gets here. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre during a press conference on September 15th agreed with Vice President Kamala Harris’ (she, who as ‘border tsar’ has never stepped near the place) statement that the border was “secure“.

Sadly, the clown-show continues. And, our headlong dash towards the abyss keeps picking up speed.

Repeat:

”The longer I live, the more convinced I am that this planet is used by other planets as a lunatic asylum.” – George Bernard Shaw

It was a Mater’s class – especially when it comes to the Saxophone. Thursday evening Marcia and I went to an evening concert and dinner featuring the music popularized by The Rolling Stones. Held in our old neighborhood’s vintage (now converted) movie theater it was an intimate setting for a full house of maybe a bit over 150 people.

It was beyond our expectations. Marcia went so far as blurting out that it was her best concert EVER.

Two longstanding members of the Stones’ touring band, Tim Ries (saxophone) and Bernard Fowler (vocals) joined our local jazz big band, the Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra.

All the music played was recorded by the Stones and written by Cincinnati native, Matt Harris. Pieces such as Wild Horses, Under my Thumb, Ruby Tuesday, Street Fighting Man, and concluded with one of my personal favorites; You Can’t Always Get What You Want. WOW!! Double “WOW” when considering that this performance came after just a single, short, 2-hour rehearsal!

At the conclusion the crowd exploded, we did too. Enjoy my feeble attempt to record the finale:

Outspoken defender of Israel Hillel C. Neuer a Canadian-born international lawyer, writer, and the executive director of UN Watch; a human rights NGO and UN watchdog group based in Geneva, Switzerland. His organization assembled the attached chart.

Looking at this it makes me wonder why in the world are we the world’s major contributor to this do-nothing hateful confab called the UN? During this week’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this entity continues to register condemnations of various nations. Does one nation jump out at you? (these numbers are from the years 2015 – 2022)

Fini –

• Amazing technology going back over the centuries. This clock at Prague Orloj was installed in 1410 and is the world’s oldest operational clock.

• Senator Rand Paul of neighboring Kentucky reminded us this week that; “the Constitution wasn’t written to restrain citizens’ behavior. It was written to restrain the government’s behavior.”

• There’s a new teacher in town. Teaching in shop in a manner I never envisioned when as an ‘eager to try new things’ teen, I too took shop.

• Watching Senate hearings with benches filled with uniformed people, stars, ribbons, ‘ad infinitum’, I am reminded from history that; Lincoln fought our Civil War with just his cabinet and a single personal secretary. He did not have a White House bureaucracy numbering thousands. I’ve read that firing 75% would not damage the necessary functioning of government one iota.

• Repeat from last week: with the mid-term elections just on the horizon. I spotted this by Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch; “Early voting is bad public policy.” I agree wholeheartedly!
Just this week Pelosi put a stop to ’mail-in voting to take effect two days after the November election.

• Just asking a question; Pedophile enabler Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty over 250 days ago of child trafficking. Her little ‘black-book’ is being held somewhere. Important government officials know exactly who flew into Epstein’s pedo-isle. How come that the FBI has made no arrests, leaked no names, no homes have been raided at dawn with CNN waiting across the street, no mobile phones confiscated. Yet a pillow manufacturer gets detained and his life disrupted as he was surrounded by 3 SUVs filled with G-men at a Hardees Drive-Thru. How come?

• At the Hyde Park Farmers Market I came across one of Cincinnati’s finest in Blue – actually Cincinnati’s Best. If you don’t believe me click on the photograph to enlarge it then look closely. Puts a smile on your face doesn’t it?

Ciao. Stay strong, stay involved, and be happy – life is precious!

Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

It’s a big one – weekend that is. Half the family will be off Apple picking. The other half (me) is off to the City’s Octoberfest Zinzinnati. I think that 120 varieties/brands of beer won out over three or four varieties of apples. Especially when that is in combination with 30+ food vendors and 30 musical acts (yup, it is the largest Octoberfest in the nation and second only to the original in Munch, Germany).

Besides, who can resist joining thousands doing the ‘Chicken Dance’, or watch the “Running of the Wieners.”

But it’s now still dark outside and my coffee is done; I can still wish that I didn’t have to get up and pour my own mug, can’t I? A delivery service similar to the way beer is served would be wonderful!

Morning Coffee Trivia: As just said, it’s morning and time to enjoy my coffee. I accept that it was Ulla Suoraniemi (coffee training expert in Helsinki) who thought that; “Coffee is the answer……who cares what the question is.”

Politicians vs Preachers – I’ve watched too many Senate hearings and the like. At each the amount of ‘double-speak’, obfuscation, ‘twisting in the wind’ all make someone like me cynical.

Hence, local boy Earl Pitts, to the rescue. He related in his own, story telling way, how it’s all the same whether politician or preacher. Here, listen to his words:

Thursday excitement Thursday evening is when we’re off to an evening with the CCJO (Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra) our town’s premier 17-piece jazz group. That in and of itself would be great, but for this season’s opener two members of the Rolling Stones touring band will join on stage.

Saxophonist Tim Ries and vocalist Bernard Fowler will join in with some of the Stones’ greatest hits. Hits that were all written by Cincinnati native Matt Harris!

The venue is the old converted Redmoor theater just down the street from our former home in Hyde Park. It’s a small venue and has an excellent chef on site—yup, it’ll be a dinner and music evening. Should be a fabulous time.

THE Corner Just to show how the ‘beat goes on’ at the corner of “Chaos and Mayhem”. Last week I posted a picture of a police cruiser securing our driveway while exploring what went on with a ‘Shot-Spotter’ notification of shots fired on an adjacent street.

This is a photograph taken this past week from the exact same angle, of Police and Fire (medical) on a call – it was a mental health issue a couple of doors down (cutting and the like). As they say about New York, but also applies at C&M, “the city (corner) never sleeps.”

Fini –

• I’ve been listening to a lengthy discussion on Economics. A preferred trend is to view wealth/poverty/trends through the lens of ‘time required’ as a cost; thus a constant throughout history and location is achieved. Using that, here is an example; “For the time it took our grandparents to earn the money to buy one song in 1955, we get 19,750 songs today.” This can be applied just as readily as work required to buy a pound of sugar in the mid-1800s versus today (1 to several hundred). Interesting stuff indeed.

• Spotted on the internet in response to the travel crisis: “Thoughts and prayers to the people of Martha’s Vineyard who are under a state of humanitarian crisis (125 National Guard were dispatched) thanks to the presence of 50 illegal immigrants.”

• Talking about dispatching authorities, this week the ‘My Pillow’ guy, returning from some Duck hunting in Iowa was surrounded by a series of massive black SUVs filled with FBI agents while sitting at a Hardees drive-through. The search had them confiscate a cell phone and discover an array of contraband found scattered in his car (proudly displayed). Confiscation of cell phones has become a ‘thing’ for every one of these raids (except for anyone named ‘Hillary”).

• Ever wondered what all the little spots on a QR code mean? I have and finally found the answer – which I still barely understand.

• Also seen, and something I made note of since the mid-term elections are just on the horizon. I spotted this by Tom Fitton, President of Judicial Watch; “Early voting is bad public policy.” I agree wholeheartedly!

• While in Canada I made plans to head for an evening of Poetry reading held at a restored Round Barn – one of a remaining handful of the exquisite structures. Vernon, who was the reader, came down with Covid and the event postponed. This past week Marlene and Donn attended the rescheduled event and she took this spectacular photo looking straight up the canopy of the barn. Isn’t it amazing?

• Almost every evening this week I’ve tuned in to watch the latest SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral. Every day it’s been scrubbed late into the countdown due to weather. Last evening was no different. Tonight is the night?

• Look at the attached photo. How many of you are old and wise enough to remember why the two little triangles were part of the radio’s dial at the 1240 and 640 positions. No cheating, but if you can’t stand it anymore, look up ‘Control of Electromagnetic Radiation’ or CONELRAD.

Ciao. Stay strong, stay involved, and be happy – life is precious!

Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

Should I begin by saying “Feliz Navidad” this Saturday morning? It was just announced in a news clip I came across that there are retail establishments with aisles decorated for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and – would you believe it – fully lit up Christmas trees. Let the Season begin (this with daytime temps in the mid-eighties)!

Anything to pull attention away from the slide into a recession, etc.

Morning Coffee Trivia: In 1953 (the year I arrived in North America) a guy by the name of Delbert E. Phinney of Seattle Washington invented the coffee-cup lid. It’s been stated that; “Coffee drinkers of the world will (would) be forever grateful.” Please tell that to my burned upper lip caused by the little opening in the ‘lidded’ coffee I purchased on my way home from the North Woods a week and a half ago.

A grand and classy grandmother left us this week. What was lost in a world of continuing chaos and mayhem (not only on our corner — see below) was the stability and continuity this lady exemplified. RIP Queen Elizabeth II.

In school in Toronto, on the day not long after her coronation, the new Queen came to visit Canada; we were each given a copper medallion inscribed with the details of the event. As a young lad having to walk home for a mile or so along a farm lined road I began tossing up and catching my medallion. All went well until it disappeared into the adjacent field. Searched for about half an hour; never did find my medallion.

That was my memory of someone who exuded both dignity and humanity. This same week I also caught a speech given by our ‘Veepness’. Think there is a comparison?

Now watch a minute of the exciting, motivational, and energizing words as offered by our Vice President:

Socialized Healthcare – for three weeks I was at our Northern Comfort place in the woods. It had been a long time so, with some eagerness, I visited with friends and neighbors. All of you probably know that when you get to be my age, often much of the discussion circles around health issues. These visits were no exception.

Canada has a government managed health care system. Here I could get off on some ‘screed’, but I won’t. I think the following Quote-of-the-Week will suffice:

”The essence of a government health care system – for people who have never lived under it and don’t know – is waiting, waiting, waiting. You wait for everything. You wait for years for operations that are routine in America” ~ Mark Steyn; author and radio/television presenter

California ‘Logic’: when a California gasoline ‘logic’ will possibly be implemented in our state, I will be ready. Of course I am making reference to the demand that gasoline and diesel engines be scrapped and only EV vehicles sold; all this in the very near future.

And, and this is the most critical part, the plan is to do so when rolling blackouts and AC shutdowns are the ‘modus operandi du jour’ [for Madame Kamala, this means; a method of functioning or working (at least for) today.] in that State

The attached photograph is of what will be my newly sourced replacement vehicle:

Fini –

• Question found on the internet shortly after seeing another SpaceX launch; if NASA launches a spaceship with only women as crew, will it be considered an unmanned flight?

• Even though it’s almost disappeared from our media, the Dutch farmer rebellion and protest is still very active. This past week the Dutch Agriculture Minister who was leading the radical Climate Agenda was toppled from his position

• Continuing with my Dutch ‘bits’. The Dutch city of Haarlem this past week became the first city in the world to ban meat advertising in public.

• Now that grandson Marin is working in the world of vertical farming, I bought some of their product at a nearby Whole Foods. Both Marcia and I were blown away. We had no idea that there would be such a taste difference and increased product longevity (although the little tomatoes disappeared in short order). Wow!

• Mid-week there was gunfire on the street running behind ours. Marcia heard it and with Shot Spotter the police had the exact location. Net result? Our street quickly had a number of cops ensuring that no ‘perp’ jumped a fence and thus come storming onto our ‘fiefdom’. The picture shows how our driveway was secured.

Ciao. Stay strong, stay involved, and stay happy. Later Marcia and I will be off to nearby St. Bernard for their St. Clemens festival and pig roast. Last evening we missed a performance by Stagger Lee. Today it’ll be Buzz Bin a high-energy all-90’s cover band. And, even better, I’ll be able to grab a beer and some Goettawurst.

Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

A great Saturday morning to everyone. Mid-week I drove back from the North Woods in Canada. The biggest shock was the 20-degree temperature and humidity jump (although nothing like the 100+ degree temperatures my brothers in California are experiencing).

I started the truck and left Northern Comfort at exactly 4:30AM. By 6:00AM I arrived at a deserted Border checkpoint. From that point on the homeward push was on, pulling to a halt in front of our Condo at four in the afternoon.

I’ve paid a bit of a body ‘re-set’ in the days since. Yesterday I did join the brothers for our morning Zoom, exercise session – so maybe I am getting back to normal.

Morning coffee trivia: I believe I am correct when I mention that when we smell coffee at the beginning of our day, it will help us properly wake up. My coffee has been made and I’ve downed my first cup. All is well.

”You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you’ll discover will be wonderful. What you’ll discover is yourself.” ~ Alan Alda

why ‘solo’ in the woods? Having a cabin also means that there are requisite things to do (as I discovered seeing the 2 to 3 foot grasses surrounding the place). So there were an array of chores.

However, 3-books later it also means that the peace and quiet was something to relish. Then the walks and paddling ventures by kayak were more than just a bonus. All of this while being surrounded by nature’s choir – everything from yodeling Loons to chattering Otters (with Crows and Ravens providing the base lines). Can’t forget the close-by ‘tail-slap’ from a Beaver diving into its lodge either.

So, rather than chatter on and on, here is my stay in Northern Comfort in picture form. Enjoy (and be certain to click on each to expand your view).

Some of us were heading north, others preparing to head south




dinner at the Outpost
      

Rib Roast and games at the nearby Wharncliffe Community hall


      

reading time
      

Animal Kingdom
        
      

paddling




cooking
      

views
      



time with family & friends


      

work never ceased
 

And as always, the one that wasn't caught!


Fini –

• Brother George is celebrating his Birthday today.

• This past Thursday my mother would have been 111 years old. Kirstin wrote some beautiful words which I think worth repeating. Thanks Kirstin.

“On September 1st, 111 years ago, my grandmother, our Omi, was born. I came across her obituary again recently and I was reminded not only of what an incredible human being she was, but also of her fortitude and the similarity of us becoming fairly young widows with sons to raise. In fact both of our youngest sons were age 11 when their dads died. Over the past few years whenever I’m feeling down I think of her and the courage and strength she had to help get me through. How I would love to be able to sit with her now over a cup of tea and talk about how she was able to get through those times. I truly don’t know how she managed, alone with 4 boys in a new country. And if you happen to know my dad and uncles, you know it wasn’t easy! We’re celebrating you today, Omi. Happy Birthday!“

• Cleaning out my mailbox after returning I had received an update from our local 17-member Cincinnati Contemporary Jazz Orchestra and their evening later this month featuring two members of the Rolling Stones’ touring band. BAM! Tickets were secured immediately!

Ciao. Stay strong, stay involved, and stay happy. Keep on storming the castle.

Pray for Peace.

Dirk