Finally some sleep – Huh?

 Happy Saturday Friday morning (again). Please take note. Seriously, do take note. I will make every effort to try not to gloat unbearably. Should you have any insights into our collective immediate past I shall try not to gloat too insufferably. I’ll be happy to entertain your thoughts (those on any viewpoint say the last three days or so) – or of the prior four years for that matter.

Quote – “I want to hang a map of the world in my house. Then I’m gonna put pins into all the locations I’ve traveled to, but first I’m gonna have to travel to the top two corners of the map, so it won’t fall down.” ~ Mitch Hedberg.

Traveling – has been part of the ‘drill’ since late summer, first it was Kirstin in Austin. Then Dinah rowing in Chattanooga. And today it’s Jason and I traveling to Canada to screw snow covers over the cabin windows. Giving this last bit of labor some thought has me thinking that maybe I’m the one getting screwed.

The way home from Chattanooga was filled with “Sturm und Drang”. It all ended up with Marcia stretched out on the back seat with a pillow. The event became a bit like a version of “Everybody Loves Raymond”. The difference being, as a paraphrased Paul Rudd says, “Everybody Loves Raymond” lasts 22-minutes: our tense version lasted six hours.”

But first some coffee to prep for nine plus hours of driving.

Brilliant – Read anything and you’ll be inundated by a wealth of opinions on the why of ‘winning’ and ‘losing’ at this week’s election – so let me add to this mix.

A few weeks ago, I posted in The Ramblings how the Douglas/Lincoln debates were run: open discussion lasting three hours. I think that we’re quickly coming full circle. The most watched event this election cycle was a couple of long discussions (3-hour) podcast by Joe Rogan. CBS Austin has the podcast being viewed 40-million times. And three hours of conversation cannot be made while relying merely on talking points; the unedited podcast can’t help but show the human side of people.

Unlike Trump and Vance, Harris refused Rogan’s offer to sit down (except possibly for a much shorter version with others in the studio which Rogan nixed). The inability for people to really get to know/understand Harris through such a medium cost her dearly.

Election thoughts – Addressing the events of Tuesday evening, Marcia advising tells me to stay away from politics in this week’s Ramblings. She’s right of course. Even in my own family it’d be difficult to stay with civil discourse were we to discuss.

So here is my solution. It won’t matter how you filled out your ballot. It won’t matter if you chose not to participate in the elections at all; for EVERYONE here is one of the great anthems of the 1980s. This captures, regardless whether it was Love or Despair, all the election – Foreigner; “I Want to Know What Love Is”.

Turn up the volume & however you judge the outcome of the election you’ll find meaning and comfort with this wonderful masterpiece recorded by Foreigner. ENJOY!

And if you can’t do politics at all – when even listening to Foreigner does you harm, then maybe you are someone who just needs a total break from all the ads and blather, etc. If so, read no further. Just sit back and focus on a calming and fun Sudoku puzzle:

Life is AMAZING!

Slán agus beannacht (Irish for: Goodbye and blessings to you all)

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Every organization needs a cadre of surrogates to oversee the organization’s various functions. The White House being no exception. Now, again, it’s President-elect Trump’s turn to pick. From this list of past stalwarts and new faces which two would never be invited to his 2025 cabinet.

1) Ken Paxton

2)  Vivek Ramaswamy

3)    Tulsi Gabbard

4)    Peter Navarro

           5)    John Bolton

          6)    Steve Mnuchin

          7)    Robert Lighthizer

          8)    Elon Musk

        9)     Linda McMahon

       10)     William Barr

       11)     Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.