Gotta be a Story

Happy Saturday morning. This past Monday we feasted on an early, 2” snowfall. By mid-week it was back to walking with Bermudas. But never fear, today is the day that Saint Nicholas (‘Sinterklaas’) arrives in the Netherlands (by boat from Spain no less). So, the season of cold and white and possibly more Northern Lights cannot be but closing in.

Now, coffee is done so best pour a mug

There are Stories – Last Saturday I took a 5½ mile hike through nearby Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum. It was a glorious day. Trees were on full display, and the ducks were causing the only ripples on the various ponds. On the back side of the park are some hills, and as the old saying goes, “the greater the climb, the better the view.” I had several of those ‘better’ views.

In no hurry and with gorgeous weather I made a quick decision. I wasn’t going to be there to set a time record. Instead, it was a visit to be filled with exploration. And, in a cemetery, what better exploring than to ‘poke’ around to take a closer look at some of the grave headstones.

Here are a few which caught my interest. And, at the same time, have you put together their story or history of the ‘resident’.

Just to give you a headstart here is one, selected primarily because ‘Karl’ was in his prime during the “Civil War” (or since we’re on the Kentucky line it could have been the “War Between the States“). I did look up Karl’s details; Charles J. ‘Karl’ Bolea. Born in Germany and little else. I thought that his time period was of interest.

This large headstone carrying the name; ‘Neeb” is of black marble. I thought the shape was unusual and yes, I did figure out Mr. Neeb’s background and the meaning of the shape. Good luck on your own path to discovering.

These two 5’ high SpongeBob headstones caused a bit of a ruckus in the local news. They were first approved by someone without the authority to do so – whoops. From the roadway they’re now not visible. Good luck with your own search.

The story behind this marker must be a difficult one. It’s three crosses each with the engraved photo and name of three young men, different names (2 same surname), differing birth years but same death year. I found out a bit of detail, but not much.

This bust is one of three in the cemetery. Each of these three have glass eyes. The result is that from whatever direction you approach the eyes look at you and follow you as you move about. It’s a bit surreal.
Charles C. Breuer Sr. (1845-1908) born in Germany. His occupation? He was an Optometrist, now, does the ‘eye’ gain some meaning?

And last on these few unusual markers is this one with the headline: “Through Their Thoughtfulness Knowledge Grows”. It was placed by the University of Cincinnati, Body Donation Program, Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology.

Ok, one more. Enough of the death thing, this sculpture is about ‘life’. The sculpture is on Spring Grove’s grounds and celebrates a Rev. John Chapman (1774-1845). Yes, he of ‘Johnny Appleseed’ fame. A Swedenborg pastor, Chapman roamed these parts with bible and a sack of seeds to bring ‘life’ to the earth. You know the story.

It’s a Wonderful World – And it is definitely so in the city of Belém. The whole Global Warming scam just keeps giving us these wonderful “what the?” moments. Now in Belém, Brazil the world’s elite and rabid believers are gathering to ‘save’ the world. The airport is being enlarged to accommodate the fleets of jets. But it gets better. To accommodate the limos thousands of rain-forest trees have been cut down to accommodate an 8-mile long 4 lane highway. It’s serious work these folk have embarked on.

The corner (well not quite) – Looking out the front window, Marcia and I saw a full-sized Coyote cross the street. Something must have spooked it because it started loping off. Too bad or I would have put on the song “Coyote.” Canadian singer—songwriter Joni Mitchell’s mega hit from 1977 and thereby enhance the whole event.

Mid-Week, on an afternoon walk a couple of streets away, I came across this Volkswagen sitting in front of one of the houses. Personally, I think it’s a tad beyond salvageability. I do think Marcia caught the whole event on the scanner. Think that is close enough to count as a Corner of Chaos & Mayhem item?

Then yesterday our building required ‘after-the-storm’ work on our building’s soffits. This is what a 48’ extended ladder looks like. And yes, it took multiple trips up-and-down to affect the fix.

Let me leave you with a couple of pictures from last Sunday’s Jazz@First Chamber Jazz Series at the nearby little First Unitarian Church.

The alto saxophone soloist was Christopher Andrews. Instructor at the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, and a slew of work with notable artists, he was exceptional. As mentioned last week we explored the evolution of the alto saxophone in jazz: Showcasing Jazz through several decades (mostly 1930s through the 1960s) with almost 15 pieces of music.

I couldn’t get enough.

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

This week, in Philadelphia, the last US Penny was struck. I believe the idea is to not yank them out of circulation but to let time take care of it. How many are in circulation?

1) “1 trillion”
2) “500 million”
3) “780 million”
4) “800 billion”
5) “300 billion”
6) “1.25 trillion”

Different ‘tunes’

Happy Saturday morning. For a while now, a few times a week, I’ve tapped into my Dutch roots. Alongside my morning coffee I’ve been enjoying a morning “beschuit met kaas” (rusk with cheese).

I have no idea why I hadn’t tapped into that source of pleasure for so long. Maybe I rediscovered this pleasure once I remembered that locally Jungle Jim’s International Marketplace carries this delight. In fact, they carry several variants, including whole wheat.

An Election – Ok, early this week we had an election. Marcia and I voted early at our County Board of Elections, which is headquartered in nearby Norwood. The facility is much more conducive to ease of entry and accommodation for Marcia.

Anyway, that’s not what I want to write about. I wanted to mention my viewpoint on the election results:

“Close the door, put out the light
You know they won’t be home tonight
The snow falls hard and don’t you know
The winds of Thor are blowing cold” Led Zeppelin, ‘No Quarter’

Riding the wave of politicians we’ve unleashed on our communities is akin to the reason we should ride a horse and shouldn’t ride a sparkling cute Zebra; i.e. their innate reflexes will kick you in the rear surprisingly fast and without warning.

Oh well, it’s a new beginning. Do it well:

Outages – Last week it was the electric outage, this week it was the internet. Here is how it started.

I’ve been looking for a new printer. Finally, Costco had the model I had on my list, and it was on sale. Tuesday, I pulled the handle and returned home with a box under my arm.

Wednesday, I began the installation. What promised to be a simple procedure went on and on. I checked the router, the modem, our connection, and all checked OK. But no communication between computer and printer.
Repeat!
Every time installation screens flashed by to then eventually pop up with a notice that the process could not be completed.

I quit and had some lunch followed by a well-deserved break. Near 2:00pm I felt ready to get-the-job-done.

It was Marcia who interrupted my ‘work’ with a quick; “did you get the Spectrum note stating hat there’d be intermittent internet disruptions?”

Thursday, started with renewed energy. The internet was back to normal and a short time later everything was running, printing, including the scanner and photo functions.

In fact, I felt so upbeat that I set out right after lunch on a 7.99-mile hike! An early prep for my Thanksgiving Day ‘Turky-Trot 5k’ starting next to our TQL Soccer stadium. All is good!

Creep – Wednesday Marcia and I were off to where granddaughter Vai and her 25-member school Steel Drum band, ‘Genesis’, performed for family, friend, and neighbors. They did several numbers including “Yellow Brick Road”, from the We’re off to See the Wizard.

As I expected these teenagers would zero in on one specific number and I hit the ‘bullseye’, it was “Creep”, by English rock-band Radiohead. I didn’t get a chance to record her playing it so here is a piece of the audio from the 1992 original performed by Radiohead.

Keep in mind that Steel Drums are tuned for every note on the scale, no matter what musical instrument, be it clarinet, violin, guitar, etc., can be replicated. So, what you hear on the track below is pretty well what we heard on their drums – very cool stuff! Very fun!

Remember the 2023 movie, Boys on the Boat – It focused on the Washington State rowing team. It describes a real event where this rowing team competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. What we saw were rudimentary wooden boats, and where the Coxswain bellowed instructions through a handheld vintage megaphone.

Our Dinah, now rowing for Syracuse University rows and practices in a whole different world. On the Syracuse website I found this closeup of one of their Coxswains and all the electronics for her to track, strategize, and communicate with.

Comic – A strike, whether it’s a Congress, a government group, a Company, or even a school system, it usually all boils down to the same. Same old, same old, and mostly just a lot of same old losers.

Now get ready for some exercise hiking – it’s the last of the long list of great Fall days. Starting tomorrow there’ll be a serious temperature drop with rain and, possibly, the first snowflakes of the season, i.e. a ‘wintry mix’. So to celebrate, tomorrow I plan to head out for a bit of an intimate performance with the Jazz@First Chamber Jazz Series

We’ll explore the evolution of the alto saxophone in jazz with Jazz Alto Sax Legacy: Hodges, Bird and Cannonball – Johnny Hodges, Charlie “Bird” Parker and Cannonball Adderley. Showcasing Jazz through swing, bebop and soul-infused hard bop. It should be a fine time.

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

2 questions:
1st, who was the first U.S. president who spoke English as a second language. Name: ………
2nd part: What was his first language?

1) “Welsh”
2) “German”
3) “French”
4) “Danish”
5) “Dutch”
6) “Irish”

Batsh*t-Bonkers?

Happy Saturday morning. You’re probably wondering why the title? And no, I am not going to start doing the daily UK’s Katie Hopkins’ delightful Batsh*t show from her perch in jolly-old Britain. But more later.

Now, back to normal it’s time for a morning coffee after Halloween, or maybe for Marcia I should say: Happy Cacao-Iloween for just this weekend – she loves hot chocolate. We did experience another first this year. The first year in many, many where we did not roam the neighborhood watching grandkids race around in costume. Time does pass doesn’t it?

Actually, it’s a bit nutty here at “The Corner of…blah, blah.” Thursday morning at 12:30am we had a power outage. Then I got a text that power would be restored by 4:40am. One hour later I received another one telling me that out of the 1967 ‘lucky’ in-the-dark customers all but 759 were still impacted. We, on ‘The’ corner of blah, blah, etc. were still in the dark. Then another text, power would be on by 5:15am. Apparently, our power did come back on five-ish.

OK, so building on all my Batsh*t-Bonkers (now to be referred to as just ‘B-B’) of nighttime fun, I had to reset several clocks. Always thinking, I dealt with the fact that tomorrow morning all those same clocks must be set back an hour (an event that too is ‘B-B’). In a brilliant move I ended up putting all those blinking clocks on the soon to be Sunday time.

This works great, except that now half our timepieces give one time and the on-line others another. I believe that Marcia has stuck her head around one corner or another umpteen times with the words; “now what time is it?” Was this move on my part a ‘B-B’ move?

Batsh*t-Bonkers 2 – is the lovely Chagrin Falls, Ohio annual Fall tradition referred to as “The Pumpkin Roll”. It’s an all night event otherwise I’d shoot on up. In any case enjoy these few minutes of ‘B-B’ seasonal fun:

Final Decoration pic – It’s been fairly strenuous, deciding on the final “best of” Halloween home decoration picture of the week for 2025. Keep in mind, the lucky winner was selected by me, came from houses I pass during my walks, and is completely subject to my subjectivity for this selection process.

I toyed with going for houses with the most decoration stuffed into the smallest yard. I quit that effort when I lost track of just how many bony fingers sticking out of the grass I could count. Then, another negative was the weather, two days of rain plus gusty winds meant that too often the massive inflatables had either blown over or purposely been deflated. I settled, again, on simplicity.

I love this winner’s décor. As a kid, would you walk a long dark drive towards a massive and imposing house only to be greeted by these two gatekeepers? As an aside, this is the house Adrianne’s best buddy since kindergarten, Gillian, grew up in, and Marcia and I have attended parties at. Maybe that last bit helped lock in my decision. Click on picture for full size.

Batsh*t-Bonkers 3 – Is the politics current in our city as managed by Mayor Aftab Pureval (think “Pure-Evil”). Finally, we’ve reached national status. We’re quickly placing ourselves alongside some other cities. To find the others, just grab the top contenders in an array of stats; crime rate, murder increase, carjackings, or in financial straits, don’t be choosy, pick any other undesirable category.

The latest is the firing of our Police Chief, Terri Theetge (who they made responsible to the City Manager who’s appointed by the mayor). This means that her work was overseen by a political group heavily entrenched with the DEI, WOKE, and Progressive twaddle of the day. This last bit is important.

As a career officer she rose through the ranks with nothing but positive reviews. Her parents, sibs, uncles are all in law enforcement. Personally, I don’t know her other than that she has a sterling background.

Anyway, crime in the core city areas is out of hand and aside from inept courts it’s also the ‘white glove’ treatment the ‘perps’ receive from the city.

All of this finally received National attention when a racially initiated brawl broke out downtown, and since neither the mayor or City Manager take any responsibly Chief Theege was quickly tossed under the bus.

And here is the problem – her record, is sterling! And is deemed so unanimously by the Fraternal Order of Police. So here is their ‘brilliant’ solution, she’s been put on paid leave (i.e. fired), a new ‘acting’ Chief appointed, and a Law Firm hired on the public’s dime.

Why hire a Law Firm you ask? The firm’s sole job is to discover cause for her firing! To a former neighbor and Past President of the NAACP this and much more is so bad that he is recomending that a Federal case be opened.

Let that sink in; first fire than find the crime for the firing! History comes full circle!

Quote – “give me the man, and I will find the crime“, or “show me the man and I’ll show you the crime” The saying is commonly attributed to the Stalinist-era the secret police chief Lavrentiy Beria, ? or possibly to Stalin himself by Soviet jurist Andrey Vyshinsky in his memoirs.

A Peppercorn for your house update – And here is Bulsh*t Bonkers 4 and it’s from the UK no less. Last week I focused a bit too much on all that ‘kingly’ stuff. Not to worry, this is just a quick update. It appears that King Charles has made up his mind and is booting his younger sib, Prince Andrew, out of the Royal Lodge and ‘disrobing’ the guy of his royal titles. There goes that sweet, single Peppercorn a year rent deal, and Andrew can now ‘display’ his new magical, invisible, royal robes.

I wonder if it’ll affect World peppercorn prices and if “Naked Emperor” comics will soon reappear?

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

After splashing down southwest of Hawaii, completing man’s first moon landing, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins had to…………. (only one of these is correct)

1) “stay isolated in their capsule for 8 days”
2) “while still in their capsule used a scale to weigh their moon rock stash”
3) “drink a liquid diet for several days”
4) “complete a standard U.S. Customs form”
5) “use a dual engine GM highway bus to travel to Houston”
6) “flew from Hawaii to Houston on the Concorde dressed in isolation garments”

‘Butt’, one or two Ts?

Happy Saturday morning. Not to start with negativity, but yesterday morning I struggled getting ready for my Zoom exercise session. There was a reason. See, Thursday evening I organized a ‘spur-of-the-moment’ Cigar & Bourbon (with some food thrown in) gathering in Covington Kentucky for Jason, Marin, and myself – it was a guy’s night out. The evening was maybe a bit too good and I experienced a slight penalty yesterday morning.

Now, back to normal it’s time for a morning coffee and then the rest of The Rambling should then start to flow.

Last week I had my Halloween decoration picture of the week. This week it’s a look at how simplicity can also be just as an effective decoration.

3 guys evening out – It had been way too long for Marin, Jason, and I, to get together to catch up. As noted above, we ended up at Smoke Justis in Covington. They had a package deal; three quality cigars and a 2-ounce mid-shelf Bourbon pour for a fixed price.

So, what better venue for catching up than their outdoor patio where we could both light up, eat, and chat. And, yes, it was all most excellent as was the whole evening.

No King – No Clue – On the heels of the well-funded and then instantly disappearing staging of the “No Kings” protestations let it be said that our history is replete with government overreach. The IRS used it’s ‘iron heel’ to stomp on people in many administrations, Theodore Roosevelt, Clinton, Obama, George W. Bush, and Biden just to name some.

It’s Dr Ron Paul MD (Distinguished Counselor to the Mises Institute) who opined: “instead of focusing just on electing the “right” president, we should focus on shrinking the size and scope of the federal government to its constitutional limitations. This will ensure that Americans can exercise their right to criticize the government without fear of reprisal.”

With that thought in mind, here are the words of Thomas Jefferson, who said; “in questions of power then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the constitution.”

A Peppercorn for your house – It seems that getting away from all this ‘kingly’ stuff is almost an impossibility. This’ll be the final such a thing. I did learn that the UK’s Prince Andrew (he of Jeffrey Epstein ‘Lolita Isle’ fame) is being punished by the remaining Royals. He had to ‘disrobe’ himself of some of his titles.

However, he can remain in a palatial home, Royal Lodge (Queen Elisabeth’s favorite house). It’s a mere 30-room place, which he does share with his ex – Sarah Ferguson. But he must pay an annual rent. The rent of a single Peppercorn each year.

Now that’s the kind of Royalty I can appreciate enough to join in with some march or other.

Butterfly – Last Tuesday Adrianne and I went to see John Batiste in town. I’ve attached a YouTube of his song, “Butterfly” which he performed. The song’s backdrop is as follows: His wife Suleika Jaouad was undergoing her second bone marrow transplant and for a time could have no visitors. Batiste, in lieu of visiting her, wrote a song or poem for her every day while she was recovering. As an aside, they first met at age 14 in music camp. Butterfly is one of those songs. It’s lovely, so enjoy:

‘Butt Breathing’? – Our town has an amazing place, and in a moment, you’ll see why I bloviate on this place. It’s about Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. For the past 15 years it’s appeared in the US news and World Report honor roll as a top performer. This year it’s #1 for pediatric cancer care, gastroenterology, and endocrinology, plus more.

So, why all this hoopla on this page and why now?

The reason I am writing about this place is because of a breakthrough study. Maybe I should say; a TOP to BOTTOM study.

As a side study to Covid 19, a research team at The Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center team took their inspiration from the modes Loach, a freshwater bottom-dwelling fish found throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. Want to know why the Loach? It seems that the Loach employs intestinal breathing (i.e., through the anus) rather than gills to survive under low oxygen conditions. In other words, the Loach can breathe through its butt!

See where this is going?

Building on the work of a Leland Clark, also of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, who invented a perfluorocarbon liquid called Oxycyte as a possible form of artificial blood, they studied this liquid in mammals. Building on success and human trials they are currently studying the next phase.

Assuming success this ‘butt-breathing’ could aid treating patients who require mechanical ventilation & therefore possible lung damage to breathe. This technique would give time, time for lungs to heal properly.

Cool, don’t you think?

The other – realize that Christmas is a mere 8½ weeks away. For those of you who go bonkers with the whole hyped-up shopping thing, it’s time to get nervous. Not get panicked mind you, just nervous.

Now best get organized to plan for travel into town and The Cincinnati Coffee Festival

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

What do NVIDIA, Amazon, Uber, and White Castle have in common? They’re all working with ……….

1) “Babel”
2) “Ford, to fleet on F150 trucks”
3) “offering Montessori style child care”
4) “a product referred to as ‘sliders’”
5) “Miso”
6) “to equip premises with a Kindle”

Back to Normal

Happy Saturday morning. Well, well, I’ve completed what will probably be my final ‘volunteer’ journey for the year. Like the previous ones, I loved it and learned a bit to boot.

One of my brothers said that after my “Kentucky Bourbon Experience tasting” stint I should now volunteer to serve communion at a nearby mega-church. Hmmmm.

But currently, I’ll sit back, grab a coffee, and put my feet up while listening to some tunes. I somehow got caught up listening to this little number and now can’t get it outa my mind. Here it is, for you to enjoy!

Millenia old ‘dad’ jokes – Since I started off on a good note, let’s continue. And yes, puns and ‘groaners’ have popped up here and there going way back throughout time. I thought it might be fun to post a ‘dad’ joke from the Roman times. Here goes:

A Roman walks into a bar. Lays down on an empty pillow and holds up two fingers and says, “Five beers, please!”

Get it?
Groaning?
No? Answer found at the bottom of the Ramblings.

Boats heading home – The majestic steamboats boats finished up Sunday evening. Boilers stoked up, Calliopes’ pumping out tune favorites, they made one final parade upriver and turned back. At our riverfront they were welcomed one final time, all aglow in lights as fireworks lit the sky.

Block Party – I nearly forgot, but yes, this year our neighborhood did hold our annual block party. And as usual one of the streets was blocked off, a massive grill was lit, lots of side dishes and desserts emerged, and for the first time we had live music.

Since Marcia and I moved from our home on Red Bud we noticed that the area has filled up with little tykes – the cycle of life. We were sought out by the new owners of our old home (they moved in last August). They just had to gush about their pure love of the place – they adore it! It absolutely made our afternoon.

These events, simple as they are, always strike a warm chord.

Halloween Decorations – have already sprung up. Some very subtle, some way over the top. Since I walk a fair bit through all our nearby neighborhoods I’ve started to both inventory and rate these homes as the decorations spring up from their home in basements/attics/or garages. To date, here is my winning home entry. It’s in adjacent St. Bernard, a village where they always go all out for each and every holiday.

HUGE – This coming, Tuesday can’t come soon enough. The reason being that Kirstin gave both Adrianne and me an early Christmas gift. “And the reason,” you ask? It turns out that an amazing performer will be in town, and we each have a ticket to see him (great seats to boot).

We’ll spend an evening seeing Jon Batiste at concert in our Taft Theater. In case you didn’t know, Batiste plays about six instruments, sings, and performs everything from classical piano, R&B, Jazz, hints of Country, Gospel, and can even do some Rap. Oh, and he composes much of what he plays and sings. He’s about as good as it gets.

Batiste holds a Masters in Music from the Juilliard School and has “seven Grammy Awards from 22 nominations, including an Album of the Year win for We Are (2021)”. You might remember his rendition of the National Anthem he sang at Super Bowl 59. Yes, he’s truly about as good as it gets.

Upon getting the news, Adrianne swooned. Me? I skipped a heartbeat. THANKS Kirstin!

St. Bernard – I mentioned the village because it’s also the place where our nearest Dairy Queen is located. As a walk-up, it only serves ice cream and this past week shut down for the season. Just think a mere 120 days till its re-opening (also about the time everything else breaks out in bloom)

The other – and maybe main reason I mention the DQ closing/opening cycle statistic is that yesterday it was World Statistics Day as designated by the United Nations Statistical Commission in 2010.

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

Groaner answer: Customer wants 5 beers; remember it’s in Rome: 5 = ‘V’ (2-fingers make a ‘V’)

BONUS POINTS:

A new Stanford Medicine-led study shows that premature babies — born at least three weeks early – when exposed to recordings of the mothers speaking, a total of 2 hours and 40 minutes a day promoted development of …………… In other words, there was a recognizable boost in their……….

1) “language-center development”
2) “breathing & early lung functioning”
3) “body’s ability to deal with jaundice”
4) “sleeping patterns”
5) “initial eye contact with the parent”
6) “improved feeding suckling strength”

250th Kick-Off

Happy Saturday morning. No coffee! At least not till Marcia gets up, and this will be a while since I got an early start on the day. Having said that, no worry, you will get to read this morning’s Ramblings in a timely Saturday a.m. manner. (a.m. for Ante meridiem, Latin for ‘before midday’) So, sit back, watch, listen, read, and enjoy!

For more on this Latin bit read today’s ‘Bonus Points’.

Tuesday evening a single drumbeat started the evening, and the start of Aaron Copeland’s Fanfare for the Common Man. I was at our Music Hall where our Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, the Cincinnati Ballet, and the Cincinnati Opera began what was the nation’s very first ‘kick-off’ beginning of our nation’s 250th anniversary. The ‘Nati began it all with a massive The Spirit of America Gala at Music Hall.

The Ohio River was the theme and thus the opening drum gave homage to the early natives who traded along the River. Celebrated were the African sounds and Blues music from southern slaves seeking freedom the river brought up from New Orleans. The orchestral sounds and Opera the European immigrants brought down the river to what was then the extreme edge of the settled new continent. With a Cincinnati harbor filled with flat bottom steamboats, the sights, smells, and sounds such as this by Aaron Copeland would fill the place:

Those sounds brought our town a vibrancy of music like none other on the continent – remember this was before Memphis and Nashville. In fact, a young Cincinnati youngster, Mamie Smith, recorded the very first ever black-female blues song. One year after releasing her groundbreaking record (1920) she came home and on the very stage our Pops orchestra now occupied and sang her hit – “Crazy Blues”.

WLW700 radio – Time moved on, and soon radio became any household’s ‘must have’. Locally, WLW700 was the biggest with its 500.000 watts transmitter (max for any station today is 50,000 watts). This caused most every entertainer to stop in the ‘Nati to perform and record since the WLW radio signal, from coast to coast, gave instant coverage. This had several studios spring up. The most innovative being King Records which quickly became the nation’s largest independent label. Syd Nathan owner was also the first studio to be fully integrated. Syd was referred to as the “happiest little, short man” and was heard to say; “white or black, it doesn’t matter, I just like green”.

So, it was King where James Brown’s career was launched. Aso from Cincinnati came some kids who recorded as “The Isley Brothers” of “Shout” fame. The Isley Brothers are the only act in history to hit the Billboard Hot 100 in six consecutive decades: The 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

So it was all of the above sitting in a hall with our full Pops Orchestra which led me to watching a baritone Opera singer singing and dancing The Twist while covered by a full Pops Orchestra. We watched the Ballet dancers, now in street clothes, lead us all in dancing to Shout – “a little softer now”.

What an evening!

Shenanigans rule – America’s River Roots festival is in full swing. The river is filled with churning paddle-wheelers. Sounds of the steam horns and Calliope music fill the air. And every so often a roaring canon kicks off another boat race – never a clear winner without shenanigans galore causing much delay and bickering before finally declaring the race’s winner. So much fun.

The scenery looking up and down the river is not to be forgotten. Thursday even with the big boats coming and going came a parade of probably close to 50 ‘Great Gatsby” era style wooden Chris Craft type boats.

I am a volunteer on the Kentucky side of the festival at The Bourbon Experience. Three ticketed events a day offer a roomful of people an hour and a half tasting and learning experience. Each is different and presented by a different local Bourbon distiller. People love it.

The music – is so critical to these events. A series of stages offer a variety of music throughout the day. Thursday evening outdoors on the River Adrianne and their house guest joined me to watch a favorite of ours, Over the Rhine who played along with The Newbees. I’ve always viewed them as a wonderful regional band. Hearing them again I am proclaiming the as a really good International Band: Karin Bergquist & husband Linford Detweiler form the duo. It even brought way back memories when they performed at nearby Sudsy Malone’s leaning on the clothes dryer – see, Malone’s located in nearby Corryville was not just a music venue but was also the neighborhood laundromat!

So, this ends the post for this week. It’s a little focused on a single subject but does reflect just how involved I am with the America’s River Roots festival. Plus, I do have to get ready to head out again – it’s a double shift today.

Happy entry into America’s 250th

Life is AMAZING! – what a time to be alive!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

You’ve probably accepted that Latin (used by the Romans) is really a dead language. The following are words the Romans used and we too use, but one is not. Which word is NOT Latin in origin?

1) “Alibi”
2) “Arena”
3) “Bonus”
4) “Video”
5) “Forum”
6) “Gift”
7) “Raptor”

It’s been eventful

Happy Saturday morning. This afternoon we’re off for a short walk around the corner. There, with the street blocked off, we’ll join our annual neighborhood block party. The weather will be sunny 83 and thus a perfect time to catch up with friends and acquaintances. Yesterday Marcia put out the ‘stuff’ that will become our mandatory side-dish offering.

But for now, I’ve started our morning coffee pot. Not really a fan of Starbucks (never have been), I couldn’t help but follow their somewhat urgent downsizing – by hundreds of stores. I suspect that this also means that a slew of ‘barista’s’ will be exploring other avenues. Bottom line, I am just happy that I buy the coffee bean, I grind the coffee bean, and I brew the result. And, as a bonus, the smell of fresh coffee wafting throughout our little condo beats anything Starbucks could offer.

Trickle Down Incompetence – These past weeks I’ve run across reference to both Federal and Local information which was either ‘classified’ or ‘held private’. Both, as in nearly all situations, should have been made completely transparent and available to a free people. But modern society has government which is so crazily overreaching that even the most mundane is held ‘classified.

Nearly 90 years ago the world opened newspapers and tuned in radios with bated breath to follow the adventures of Amelia Earhart, Aviation Pioneer, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and many other firsts. Trying to reach her fuel stop on an island in the South Pacific she disappeared while trying to be the first woman to fly around the world.

Now, as with every President since that mystery, the request to release the records of her ‘final’ trip was once again brought up. Last week Friday President Trump ordered those classified records released. My question is “why were these records held for 90 years? What was so critical to the safety of the nation to keep details lock and key? Why is government so preoccupied to classify almost everything?

My thinking is that none of it was due to some grand worry, concern, or some imposing plan. I think that what happened is that government is so overgrown that no one wants to just decide. To do something it needs to be run up and down the ladder. Not just THE ladder, but several hundreds of ladders. The result being a much easier (think of ‘safer’ to make) non-decision. Was this just another case of trickle-down incompetence?

Volunteering again – Mid-week America’s River Roots festival will get into full swing. Of the nine Tall Stack steamboat paddlewheel boats arriving the furthest to ply the nation’s river system is the Natchez out of New Orleans (1,100 miles). It’ll assemble the largest gathering of Tall Stack Riverboats in the nation. Add to this all sorts of music and foods, all having the makings for a grand time.

Then mid-week Wednesday my stint as a volunteer at the festival’s “Kentucky Bourbon Experience” will begin. While most of the activities will be on the Ohio side, the ‘Experience’ will take place in a 300’ riverfront tent in Newport Kentucky. From that vantage point I should have a wonderful view of all the boats and activities.

1000 miles – apart is Kirstin from here. Yet all last evening we were so together. How so?

Last evening Jon Batiste on the stage of Austin City Limits was live streamed. And it was an unbelievable show showcasing his amazing musicality with Jazz, Country, Rap, Classical, Gospel, Rock, and Blues; this incredible show was as good as I’ve ever seen. Also, I found out that his guitarist is just 22 years old. This last thought Kirstin shared as we kept texting back and forth.

Both of us watching the same show and sharing with each other each of the many “oohs” and “aahs” we experienced. This is what made the evening even more special.

So, here is what we watched. It’s the full concert (2-hours 18-minutes – actual concert starts at the 14-minute mark); only watch it when you have the time. Play on the largest screen you have. And if you have a sound bar be sure it’s on. Then, afterwards, be sure to thank Kirstin since she was the first to alerted.

Oh, Oh – And now I need to peek out the front door and find out why, in the dark, a Fire Engine is backing into our driveway.

Just got back inside after talking with the arriving Police. It appears someone is on next-door’s roof, shirtless, and thinking about jumping. Welcome to a regular morning at the Corner of Chaos & Mayhem.

An hour later: it appears that the ‘jumper’, now brought down and taken away by ambulance.

And since it’s now after eight o’clock I’ll park it for this week and post. Have a great week everyone.

Life is AMAZING! – what a time to be alive!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

Who has not heard of Charles Dickens author (1812 – 1870)? But did you know that he invented words still in use? Which of these words came from Dicken’s imagination?

1) “whizz-bang”
2) “sassigassity”
3) “messiness”
4) “sawbones”
5) “comfoozled”
6) “mildewy”
7) “jog-trotty”

55

Happy Saturday morning. Last evening it was a quiet dinner at Marcia’s favorite neighborhood pub, Gordo’s Pub & Grill. While there we both clinked our glass of ice cold Grolsch Lager. Aside from this Lager being our favorite, it’s brewed in my birth-city of Enschede. It was last evening at Gordo’s we ‘clinked’ in our 55th anniversary!

This also means that we’ve been married 5-years longer than the Rocky Horror Picture Show movie which turns 50 today. Locally once a month, on a Friday starting at midnight, it’s still being shown. I’ve seen it twice, both without a costume, and seeing it, it’s still a hoot.

Today is a new day and an early one at that. I’m holding off making coffee till it’s a bit closer to Marcia’s getting-up-time. What I should do is make a quick mug of instant/fresh coffee Kirstin brought with her to Canada last weekend. Coffee that’s in a teabag like baggie with folded ‘wings’ on each side. Unfold the ‘wings’ and they grab the sides of a coffee mug, open the baggie and add boiling water. And that quick it’s great coffee.

4 Active Days – Kirstin and I had a marvelous few days at Northern Comfort. We (she) worked hard giving the place a major cleaning while I worked on the grounds. Then I had fun showing her the ‘ins’ and ‘outs’ of getting the place set for its winter hiatus.

Over afternoon coffee with our new neighbors, we were told that last year he went over to look at our place and that the snow was about 18” high on the roof. It’s hard to imagine.

Donn and Marlene took us on a boat ride around the lake on their new Bombardier Sea-Doo pontoon; wow, what a machine! Then, Marlene must have felt sorry for us, we were invited for dinner. It was so good to catch up.

On the final afternoon at the cabin, I pulled a Kayak and the Canoe Marcia won at Vai & Vili’s school’s auction. We circled the cove and heard a Beaver tail slap as we approached their lodge. This was followed by a pizza done on the grill.

All of the above was to keep the kitchen clean and have the place ready to pull the water the next morning.

So that morning we were at it by seven and at 10:30 were on the road. Two hours to the border, through border control, and a coffee at the Soo’s new Biggby Coffee shop (which I like better than Starbucks). Dropped Kirstin off at the little local airport (4 in/out flights a day) and set sail for the ‘Nati. At a fuel stop just past Flint Michigan my GPS said I’d arrive home at 10:16PM. Pulling off I-75 and waiting at the light a half mile from home, my car clock clicked 10:16. I am still blown away at just how accurate the technology is.

At home I dragged a large bag of garbage from the truck to our dumpster. This was trash from the cabin. Question to Paul, is it legal to bring your own trash from Canada into the USA? Asking for a friend.

Another Town Hall – Yesterday afternoon I spent with the next Governor of Ohio, Vivek Ramaswamy. Also, there was Cory Bowman (stepbrother of our Veep) who’ll be our next Mayor. Add to this group Independent Chris Smitherman and Gary Favors as candidates for City Council.

Finally, answers to questions that were based on COMMON SENSE!

A major part of the afternoon was spent on how best to deal with the crazy crime wave we’re experiencing. Several people who’d been affected were introduced. One lady, Holly, who was pounded on and kicked in the head at a bashing she received while leaving a restaurant as she tried to assist someone who was being pounded on. Still requiring a chair on stage, it was a powerful moment.

Cory Bowman stated that once he’s mayor he’ll hold a weekly Press Conference listing any perps and the name of the Judge who’s released that individual on one of those crazily minimal bonds. Great idea.

From friends and acquaintances, the answers are all the same, after years of being known as “The Queen City of the Midwest”, we’re now on a decade long downward slope and its high time for a clean sweep of our local government.

As an aside, our current “mayor” has yet to reach out to any of the victims and not yet made a substantive statement.

Did it again – Volunteering that is. In a couple of weeks, we’re holding something called; “America’s River Roots” festival. It’ll bring the largest national collection of Tall Stack Riverboats to the city along with a variety of cruises, music, cuisine, and the piece I’ll be involved in; The Kentucky “Bourbon Experience”. This is a 90-minute-deep dive into everything Kentucky Bourbon. Monday I’ll start learning all my duties to assist that it’s a great experience for all the attendees.

Quotation by Albert Einstein: “Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.”

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

When Erika Kirk said she had forgiven the man who allegedly shot and killed her husband, Charlie Kirk, it caused actor Tim Allen to:

1) “begin reading through the entire Bible for the first time in his life”
2) “caused him to fall away from God”
3) “leave him cold”
4) “forgive the man who killed his father”
5) “acknowledge that he had a pound of cocaine while at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek International Airport”

3:00 AM

Happy Saturday morning. Earlier this week I woke up alert and ready for the day. Made a pot of coffee and turned on the radio then sat down to ease into the day. It wasn’t till that moment that I first looked at the clock and got shocked by the fact that it was 3:00AM.

Today it’s early, but not ridiculously early. Still dark and quiet and for the ‘Corner of Chaos and Mayhem’ that’s a delicious time. So, Good Morning!

Later this coming week I’ll head north to meet up with Kirstin where the two of us will head into Canada and our Northern Comfort. It’ll be a short visit primarily to check up on the place and make certain all is ready for the place to face the Canadian winter.

Having said that there will be some time to take in the Fall colors. Also, to sneak in some Kayak time in the cove! And spend Saturday on the area’s annual Sylvan Tour.

By now you can guess that next Saturday there will NOT be the regular weekly Ramblings. As my French cousin Guillaume would say, “sorry, so sorry”.

Sylvan Circle Artist & Artisan Tour – This, the 23rd annual tour has us follow a 100 km route through the Algoma countryside. We’ll stop at a number of villages where their community halls have opened to allow over 50 area artists to display/sell their wares. Some of the halls also offer food, while the backroads meander through gorgeous Fall colors. Anyway, now you know what Kirstin and I will be doing next Saturday.

Merely just shopping – Luckily nearby we have a foodie’s heaven, Jungle Jim’s International Market. Starting as a highway fresh food stand is now a two-location enterprise which necessitates a fold-out maps just to get around. Hundreds of types of sodas, over 1.400 different types of cheese. Need fresh vegetables or herbs from Yugoslavia, India, Argentina, or Polynesia, no problem you’ll find it there.

Where else could I have discovered a made in the Netherlands Gouda cheese infused with Indonesian spices?

To make Kirstin’s stay at the cabin a bit more special I thought I’d head over to Jungle Jim’s for three (as in 3) items I couldn’t get elsewhere. When I arrived back home, I saw Marcia’s eyes bulging wide open when I opened the trunk on her little car. Somewhere in one of the sacks she discovered the receipt. Remember I set out to purchase 3 items? Well, all I can say is that $220 worth of groceries buys more than three (as in 3) items.

It’s very easy to get lost in the place. Having said that, I did get Dutch salted herring filets (zoute haring), pumpernickel health bread (Dutch; Roggebrood), and Deventer Kruidkoek (ginger cake) as the three primary items. Then added a ‘few’ small wedges of differing cheeses plus some odds and ends.

Loss – This week we, as a nation, didn’t just lose an “activist”, our loss was much deeper, and now in death the ‘activism’ possibly much stronger. Our college campuses have become stronger through Charlie Kirk’s founding of Turning Point USA now a voice on hundreds and hundreds of campuses. This man, Charlie Kirk, leaves us a phenomenal legacy and I believe that what he’s started will unleash a ‘turning point’ from the very dark path our schools and culture are sliding down on.

Words from Charlie Kirk –
“When you stop having a human connection with someone you disagree with, it becomes a lot easier to want to commit violence against that group. What we as a culture have to get back to is being able to have a reasonable disagreement where violence is not an option.” –Charlie Kirk

“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith.” –Charlie Kirk

“This silent majority are the Americans who love God, their family, and our amazing country. They don’t want their morals, their job, or their lifestyle threatened by the government or any candidates.” –Charlie Kirk

“All death can do to a believer is deliver him to Jesus.” –Charlie Kirk

“Conservatism is not about hating change; it’s about preserving what is good and proven.” –Charlie Kirk

“Education should focus on teaching students how to think, not what to think.” –Charlie Kirk

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

What is the most notable feature of “French cursive”

1)     “reverse angled lettering”      

2)     “cursive writing with some letters disconnected”

          3)     “written at an angle of 90 degrees”

          4)    “learning cursive as early as kindergarten”

          5)     “graceful rounded loops”

All Matters

Happy Saturday morning.

Too much going on, otherwise I’d be off for Findlay Marked with a quick stop by this little Tuk Tuk:

Finale! – Here’s the final minute and a half of the Riverfest 2025 WEBN / Western & Southern fireworks show last Sunday. This year the show paid homage to ‘Musicals’ and it quickly became known as “Boomsday the Musical”. It might help, especially if you have a sound bar, to crank it up. This was the 49th year and the best.

Billy Graham – Quote: [Angels] “crisscross the Old and New Testaments, being mentioned directly or indirectly near 300 times”.

Angels – back in 1975 Reverend Billy Graham first published his well-researched book: Angels, God’s Secret Agents. I understand that it seems that after the atomic bomb was dropped, we declared ourselves as having mastery of the Universe. Religion was dead.

Now, while AI is about to take over, comes the realization that we are more than a collection of chemicals, neurons, electric impulses, and minerals; we’re not robots. That once again we’re viewing what was expounded in the Bible eons ago in a new light.

This is in part due to what the James Webb Space Telescope is presenting to us. Galaxies, and even a massive Black Hole, existing shortly after the supposed start of it all, the Big Bang. How? And, even questioning what exactly is the Big Bang and what caused it?

Viewing us as being merely a collection of chemicals, minerals, etc. puts us in league with a block of marble, or a tree, or a drop of water. In other words where does the concept of free will fit? Why then bother with laws, down the extreme laws, even ones prohibiting murder?

Along with all this reevaluation of religion as offering structure, there is story after story of people reporting an Angelic experience. Well, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced such an event. Having said that, a couple of weeks ago this happened going to The Fresh Market:

I talked Marcia into joining me at this fancy grocery store. The handicapped slots were in use and so I parked in the far corner of the lot (it was a shade thing). She grabbed my arm and held her cane and off we went. By the entrance sat an elderly gentleman in a wheelchair with no one else around. At first glance I thought he was panhandling. I smiled and gave him a few words of greeting. He responded likewise. There we stood for maybe a minute exchanging pleasantries. His eyes sparkled with goodwill and joy. That was all.

When we left the store there was no sign of the old gentleman. However, that short interaction did make an impression on me – was this an Angelic event? I don’t know, maybe not, but maybe I (we) need to open ourselves more open to the possibilities. Life and all its mysteries are so much more than anything we can comprehend.

Borders to Cross – In just under two weeks I’ll be off for the cooler climes of Northern Comfort. The exciting piece of news is that on my way north I’ll stop and retrieve Kirstin at Chippewa Airport where she’ll then join me for a few days at camp.

Between our ‘tariffs’ and their ‘elbows up’ I am hoping that crossing the border at Sault St. Marie will be a smooth process. My worst fear being that Canada’s give-and-take could be that the interaction at the border be conducted in French (their other formal language). I could get caught up much like the boys in Monty Python and the Holy Grail:

Marin the chef – Even though he’s still in a junior position (his formal title is; ‘commis chef’), this weekend he is having his first “Event”. As you might know, he’s been working at a great restaurant in the hub of the ‘Nati’s the Over-the-Rhine foodie area, a place called Abigail Street Mediterranean restaurant.

The “Event” is one where Marin has designed a dinner menu which he then oversees and prepares. I have no idea what he’s organized other than that it includes his variant of a “baba ganoush”. But we’ll find out this evening when Marcia, Jason, Cathy, and I head to Abigail’s where we have a reservation. Proud of this kid, really proud!

Life is AMAZING!

Dirk

BONUS POINTS:

From the list below locate any “portmanteaus”

1) “Motel”
2) “Chillax”
3) “Biopic”
4) “Spork”
5) “Podcast”
6) “Smog”