CSO – Pops Brady Block Party

Happy Saturday morning. Last evening was our local block party. Marcia and I went and we had a great time. So, this morning, getting up I was gob smacked when I saw Marcia sitting on the couch with her second cup ‘du café’ — she beat me to being upright. Now that I’ve poured mine, let’s get busy.

Thursday at 3:00 pm I took Adrianne, Tevita, and the kids to the airport. They were off to Boston for the annual Polynesian Days weekend – it was ‘Tongan’ focused this year. I mention the whole time-thing because the traffic was horrid! Almost an hour for a trip what normally hovers around a half hour.

The reason? The new Superman movie is being filmed in town. Union Station is one of the backdrops  for the film. But, it’s the Lytle Tunnel (I-71 into downtown) which was closed to all traffic for 15 minute intervals all afternoon long that was the real problem.

Apparently, Superman has clout.

Traffic being a mess anyway I swung by Costco. Here is one purchase from the place. As you can see, we’re supporting the town of Traverse City. But, if you’ve never tasted Great Lakes potato chips from Traverse you’re truly missing something.

Politics – stormed into our lives front and center. We witnessed the horror of the assassination attempt on former President Trump. The sanest reference on how it could have happened comes from Erik D. Prince, who has had a career in the military, US Navy SEAL officer, and afterwards founded a private military company named ‘Blackwater‘:

“DJT was not saved by USSS brilliance. The fact that USSS allowed a rifle armed shooter within 150yds to a preplanned event is either malice or massive incompetence…………In my old business of providing Diplomatic Security in two active war zones we were expected to execute the basics or we would be fired. Clearly USSS failed at the basics of a secure perimeter and once shots were fired their extraction was clumsy and left DJT highly exposed to follow on attacks. It looked like they had never drilled together because those responses should be effectively autonomic. Will there be accountability? That’s not the Washington way. “

Political junkie – means that I pay (what Marcia calls “way too much”) attention to the matters that impact all our lives. This week it was the watching of the RNC 2024 convention.

It was unlike any political convention I’ve seen in the past. This was upbeat, fun, and offered a huge variety of people of differing backgrounds: College ‘frat’ boys, Gold-Star families, a spry 98 year old WWII veteran who had hit the beaches of Normandy, business types, and even ‘Hulk’ Hogan. To me it was a political event for the history books. Now we’ll see how the Dems fare.

JD Vance – is now officially running as Trump’s VP running mate. Here is a snippet of why I am paying special attention. ‘Special’ not necessarily because he’s our State’s junior Senator, nor that he hails from the little town of Middletown a mere 20 miles up the road. But, here’s why.

Attached is a picture of the cover of one of my graduate school projects and the title will give a clue as to why I’ve been following J.D. Vance since he began his run for the senate. Coming from probably the poorest backwoods ‘hollow’ in Kentucky and a drunk mother to being raised by grandparents up the road here in Middletown.

Do read his book, “Hillbilly Elegy“, it’s the all-American story of how drive, mentoring, and love can get even the poorest to be lifted up.

Block Party – was where Marcia and I were last evening. Several hundred neighbors and friends got together, got caught up, had dinner from Food Trucks (including a ‘cakes & cupcakes’ truck), and music by the city Symphony’s Pops Orchestra. All that on a perfect evening (the temps had lowered and the humidity dropped)

The music offered something for all of us. I took a few clips and put them together. You’ll see an AMAZING local highschooler play her Cello. A local gal singing from George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, to music from the Godfather of Soul, James Brown (who recorded at the old King Studios about a mile away). All this in the fresh air, sitting in a bag chairs with sunlight dancing in faces; it really doesn’t get any better.

Life is AMAZING!

May Peace prevail! Shalom.

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Which one of these Presidents have everyone in their family with the same initials?

1) WHH
2) JKP
3) RBH
4) LBJ
5) USG
6) CAA
7) WHT