Hope is Alive

Happy Saturday morning. And luckily, it’s of no concern that my morning glory will be disrupted by the ‘coffee sniffer’ (see below: a job of yore, especially under the rule of Frederick II of Prussia). Therefore, in between keying The Ramblings, I’ll ease back and enjoy my coffee in peace and quiet.

By the way, I thought you’d like to know that yesterday’s morning temperature here in the ‘Nati was 10-degrees colder than at our little place in Canada.

It’s been a quiet week here in the ‘hood. After a chase, I re-connected with my Optometrist – he moved over to the Cincinnati Eye Institute (CEI) which did all my past eye surgeries. Our reunion was only just a wee bit short of man-hugs. Anyway, it appears that everything about my eyes is hunky-dory and just some low-level pharmacy cheaters required. Yay!

DOGE – President elect Trump has approved the initiation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to be co-chaired by Elon Musk & Vivek Ramaswamy. Their charge? Reduce governmental waste and reduce it dramatically! Along with waste they plan to introduce a major shrinkage of the annual increase of a myriad (tens of thousands of pages) of new rules, orders, laws and restrictions.

Were you aware that at the time of Queen Victoria’s 50th jubilee, when Britain ruled the seas, had an empire where the ‘sun never set’, they ran the whole enterprise on a mere 10% of Britain’s GDP? Currently, our government’s last record was at 34.4 percent of GDP in 2023. Even at that unreal number we’ve grown the national debt exponentially. How much? The national debt grew $2,410,000,000,000 over the last 365 days; that’s an increase of about $6.6 billion a day.

How would you describe this out-of-control debt fiasco? I’d use words such as “obscene”, “frightening”, “criminal”, “crazy”, “unlawful”, sick, or “alarming”.

The 1920s were known at the time as the “Coolidge prosperity”. Now, we look back affectionally at the ‘Coolidge Prosperity’ renamed as the “Roaring Twenties”. Maybe because our 30th President, Calvin Coolidge, cut taxes in half, and then for his second term, did it again. Also, he managed to balance our nation’s budget every year of his Presidency. That feat has never been achieved since.

Can it still be done today when we’re so out of control? Apparently we’re going to give it a try!

Blueprint – During the latter part of the last century we were blessed with the amazing insights, humor, and knowledge of one of our most revered economists and statisticians, a staunch Libertarian, Dr. Milton Friedman (1912 – 2006). Winner of the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the complexity of stabilization policy. Whew, I have no idea what he researched.

Anyway, thirteen years ago he had a discussion with Peter Robinson at the Hoover Institute thinktank. At the close of the interview he, in 4 SHORT minutes, laid out and assessed the viability of 14 government cabinets. He laid out exactly what Elon & Vivek are about to embark on – the Blueprint exists!

Want to watch the whole interview click this link:

Friedman made the selection portion for the DOGE-boys a snap! Now, does it make sense? The reason I am giving a chunk of this morning’s Ramblings to the potential of DOGE?

Vendée Globe – As I aged I had completely forgotten just how difficult and strenuous a sport sailing is. Here is a short of Brit entry, Conrad Colman, doing his thing, gybing in calm waters:

Quote – “Where the heart is not singing there is no melody, there is only the dreadful medley of human self-praise.” ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Screenshot

Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Yesterday I went and saw the movie; Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Assassin. Bonhoeffer (4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a Lutheran Minister. At his death at age 39 he had written 37 books including his writings during two years of imprisonment. He was put to death at the very end of the German Nazi regime.

He’s celebrated by some churches as a saint and by others as a 20th Century Martyr. The movie runs a fine line between ‘movie’ and ‘documentary’. It’s a powerful film and made me question how I would function under similar circumstances. If you can’t check out the film, then read his “The Cost of Discipleship” it’s a masterpiece.

I realize that this week’s writing has little lightheartedness, but instead it is a more thoughtful and serious Rambling, hence this close:

Does your State or country alert everyone whenever a DUI driver checkpoint is being set up? The location and times? Here is where a nearby checkpoint was located last night. For some levity, fool the police, place an empty Bourbon bottle across the passenger seat.

Wishing everyone a spectacular THANKSGIVING!

Life is AMAZING!

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

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Time does move on doesn’t it? As it does, we see new jobs put into play and it’s the old ones that fade into the fog of history. Here is a list of those jobs, all but one that is (hint: it’s still being plied – to a degree – in my neighborhood):

1) hurrier
2) Uinyo
3) coffee sniffer
4) sluggard waker
5) night soil men
6) shorthand secretary
7) aircraft listener
8) human computer
9) groom of the stool
10) lamp lighter