Enjoy a wonderful Saturday coupled to a very Happy Independence Day weekend. Then, wishing a belated Happy Canada Day to all my Canadian friends.

Their Canada Day (July 1st) would have been so much better for everyone had they released their political prisoner, Tamara Lich, to spend time with her grandkids.

If you hadn’t heard, Tamara loves Canada and especially it’s Freedoms and has been active promoting it. Because of her leadership role in the Truckers Freedom Convoy which ran across Canada and to the capital, Ottawa, she is being held political prisoner under a trumped-up charge of ‘mischief’.

Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, their ‘black-face’ narcissistic-in-chief has been going all out trying to maintain control; “sorry Tamara, nothing personal, you were just in the way”.

Coffee Trivia –:
Once, in old London town, they had their big double-decker busses run on coffee. Project Bio beans and Shell; they tried to transform coffee beans into diesel and this was successful. It wouldn’t surprise me if the lads and lasses (staying with Brit talk) discussed this Bio-coffee solution at the G7.

I say the latter since I’ve not seen anything of ‘worth’ spring forth from this austere group.

July 4th –

”My fellow Americans, we’re known around the world as a confident and happy people. Tonight there’s much to celebrate and many blessings to be grateful for. So while it’s good to talk about serious things, it’s just as important and just as American to have some fun. Now let’s have some fun – let the celebration begin!” ~ President Ronald Reagan, July 4, 1986 Address to the Nation

”Desolation Row” (Bob Dylan) – Midweek’s walk – of almost six miles – gave plenty of time to open up Spotify. All week it’d been various podcasts I listened to, this time it was music. In fact it was a whole hour and a half of Bob Dylan.

It’s easy to forget what a fabulous poet’s he’s been all these years. He’s a true national treasure! The piece that jumped out at me, he wrote it over half a century ago – ‘Desolation Row’.

If you listen to or read the words, do not focus on each word and every line; take a more comprehensive and holistic world-wide view of his word pictures. If you do, it’s as if that half century ago he was foretelling a future as the one we’re currently mired in.

A future where police stand by idly while a ‘Pride’ parade marches by with mostly naked men ‘twerking’ their bare a**es at flag waving toddlers.

A world where people, ‘leaders’ and politicians, en masse, trumpet for some mythical ‘right’ to murder 3,000 unborn humans each and every day.

A world where Post-Modernist people – church sanctioned – can happily announce their ‘Trouple’ by mailing out invitations. It wasn’t all that long ago words such as “polygamy’, ‘polyamory’, ‘polyandry’, all from their ancient Greek roots were the descriptors; bundled under the banner of, wink-wink, “threesome”. Today we’re so much more sophisticated; now it’s the more uplifting, much happier sounding, ‘trouple’. Party on!

A world where you can get arrested and fined for using a wrong pronoun, while during a recession politicians extend themselves pay raises. Meanwhile continue squeezing us out of more and more of our freedoms all under the rubric of giving us a ‘New World Order’.

I could go on, but then it’d be a rant – which I want to avoid. However, you get my drift.

’Ancient Medicine’ – Most times I read that ‘life expectancy’ keeps on rising. In fact today’s generation of newborns supposedly will be able to lead happy productive lives into a ripe age of 100.

So I wonder why my mail in-box gets messages from any number of ‘snake-oil’ sales companies with language such as this: “That’s why we created our Ultimate Guide to Unlocking the Secrets of Ancient Medicine. In it, you’ll learn about intuitive healing, herbalism, tongue diagnosis, a cousin to acupuncture that uses heat instead of needles, face reading, and more.”

Wasn’t it during these “Ancient Medicine” times where average life expectancy was not much more than age 40?

I wonder if the various “Psychics” and “Palm Readers” have the correct answer; after all, they are all knowing and all seeing. Aren’t they amongst the very wealthy?

Northern Comfort – Not too many days after the Willie Nelson concert early next month, I am planning to head into the North Woods and to our Northern Comfort (our cabin in the woods).

I know what is important. Hence. my first preparatory move has been to load up the Kindle with summer readings (Marcia would just shake her head in disbelief that this would be the first). In order to help assist you getting motivated organizing your own summer line-up, here is mine:

• Meditations – the musings of Marcus Aurelius; arguably the best Emperor of ancient Rome (from 161 to 180 AD). Written to assist in his own guidance, these are the private notes to himself and his ideas on Stoic philosophy. The first few pages prove to be extremely readable. “I am hoping from this one to gain” (as Yoda would say).

• 1984 — George Orwell. I’ve read this classic, but that was over two decades ago, so it’s time for a refresher.

• Death Rides the Zephyr — Janet Dawson. The only fiction in the bunch. I picked it for two reasons, my passion for lengthy, adventure filled, train rides and the derailment of the California to Chicago Amtrak train a little over a week ago.

• The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation as a Basis for Social Policy — Dr. Thomas Sowell. At age 92 and still very active, he is arguably the nation’s pre-eminent Economist. This book was written in the mid-seventies and is still offering; “a provocative critique of the failures of liberalism.” Sowell is black, was raised in Harlem, and is close to topping the list of thinking conservatives. At age 92 he’ll pin any one of the cadre of ‘race-baiting’ charlatans to the proverbial wall.

Can’t wait to get it started!

Vacations – are in full swing. Kirstin and the boys in California are doing it all by hiking through our National Parks. Meanwhile Adrianne, Tevita, and the kids will be heading out tomorrow morning to end up for a week in Hawaii. Happy for them!

Fini –
• Here’s a question about using a thumbprint to open your mobile. What happens after getting ‘nicked’ by a ‘mandolin’ when slicing veggies and a bandage is required? Asking for a friend.

• This week it was a Happy Birthday to Jolene and our Kellen ~ many more.

• Last weekend it was off to the (really) old neighborhood and the Farmers Market on the square. All week long, every day, it’s been one wild array of salad after another, from Waldorf on.

• Knowing what the place (the really old neighborhood) is like these days I was in a bit of a quandary whether we should be using the ‘Regular’ or take the longer line and go through the ‘Organic’ entrance at the market.

• Today in 1937 aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were heard from for the last time prior to their plane’s disappearance on their around the world flight attempt.

• Also today, but in 2001, in neighboring Louisville, KY was performed the worlds very first Self-Contained Artificial Heart Transplant. The main problem with the ‘heart’ was size (big) and a machine life expectancy of just 180 days. After a small number of trial patients, further development was stopped.

• Planned Parenthood was originally called “The Negro Project” and was started by Margaret Sanger, an avowed eugenics proponent. It’s clear that the organization’s ‘birth’ was firmly rooted in what can best be described as a means of controlling growth of our black population. I mention this because of the current Roe vs Wade turmoil – it’s a real ‘kerfuffle’.

• We gave our latest nearby restaurant, Ford, a close-up inspection. Its décor is amazing and door handles like I’ve never seen before.

• Maybe I should repeat until this is over, so here it is again; “I know that with all that’s happening it’s easy to forget that we are still holding January 6 ‘political’ prisoners in prison in DC. They have not been formally charged and by not having a ‘speedy’ trial are being denied their basic human rights.”

Ciao, I hope that the Fireworks this weekend won’t cause you loss of sleep nor have your pets go into a panic mode. Just go outside, light a cigar, and ‘drink’ it all in. Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

As my little side-banner states, “Happy Saturday”, and it’s already off to a good start. I just started Mr. Coffee with the first pot of Tim Hortons coffee from my new purchase. We were just about out of coffee and I happened to be at Costco. Lo and behold, a whole space dedicated to Tim Hortons, 3-lb tins of medium roast.

Then the phone rang and it was Paul. I had been thinking it was about time for me to give him a call – then he beat me to it. At one point he could hear some loud car barreling away from the Stop sign outside and wondered what he had heard. That talk turned to occasionally (about once a year) seeing a huge cadre of motorbikes blast by; but none so far. It wasn’t but an hour later Marcia and I were regaled by probably about 70 bikes of all sizes and shapes racing on by at speed – none even slowed one iota careening through the corner Stop sign. The ‘corner of Chaos and Mayhem‘ had come alive. The level of self-entitlement some people display is astounding.

A while later it was Marcia who heard on the Police scanner me that our Futball ‘soccer’ Club was playing Orlando and there was extra activity by the stadium. I knew about the game but had forgotten (not an age thing), so on went the TV and I ended up seeing a great defensive game. Our boys won 1 – 0.

As I said, the weekend is off to a great start.

Coffee Trivia –:
Now that age is creeping up on me, it’s the Japanese who believe that bathing in coffee grounds fermented with pineapple pulp will reduce wrinkles and beautify the skin. Should I try it?

It’s become so that hardly anyone actually sends a letter via a postal service, but let me share this bit from Brazil. At one time Brazil created a stamp that smelled like coffee. This stamp was designed to promote Brazilian coffee; allegedly the smell would stay for almost five years.

One of the most pathetic—and dangerous—signs of our times is the growing number of individuals and groups who believe that no one can possibly disagree with them for any honest reason ~ Thomas Sowell, Professor and Philosopher

For the children? – Full blown is the push to vaccinate our youngest children, down to the toddlers, against Covid; they are the very least and most minimally affected. There have been virtually no (as in zero) proper studies for efficacy and long term effects. Nevertheless, parents are told it’s “the science”. Those of us who label this as ‘child abuse’ (and there are many) are pushed aside. Are parents being urged to jab only by ‘conjecture’?

I just want everyone to dig into their memory banks, on the tragedy, then also in the name of “the science”, which we hoisted on our most vulnerable; the elderly. When seniors living in institutional facilities were locked up and inaccessible; where thousands died in bitter isolation. It was ‘the science’ you know.

History will not speak kindly of this.

Willie Nelson update – and the concert we’re heading to is only about a month out. Just about every week I pass on to Marcia something Willie related to build anticipation. This was this week’s offering – definitely worth a listen – especially if you like this piece by Charles Aznavour:

A ‘goon’ squad? – Is it just me, or has the FBI turned into a partisan goon squad? Available on beck and call; operating during the dark of night with CNN standing by, cameras rolling. Performing more than questionable legal activities, all at the behest of the current administration. Struggling with this?

There is a lot which the FBI won’t touch. How about beginning with Hunter Biden, his breaking of gun laws and his influence-peddling schemes; where they claim they can’t even find the guy’s laptop though signed over to them two years ago. Then, how about Epstein’s ‘fixer’, Ghislaine Maxwell – how many names in her little Black book are being questioned? Answer, none.

But, here’s what they can (and are) doing to name just a couple;

• Paul Manafort pulled out of bed in his pajamas by a ‘swat’ team (with CNN cameras across the street) and hauled in when he had informed that his attorney was willing to meet and discuss.
• Sweeping the offices of Project Veritas and treating James O’Keefe like a criminal after they had legally purchased Ashley Biden’s diary, which includes an allegation of possible misconduct by the current president.
• The latest is a raid on Michael McDonald, the Republican chairman in Nevada, and the seizure of his phone. Crime? A “fake electors” scheme where some Republican electors pledging to vote for Donald Trump. As the report notes, that move was purely ceremonial and held no legal weight.

Aside of political shenanigans at the start of the mid-term elections (impeccable timing people), what we’re seeing is a two-tiered justice system. The damage to the reputation of the FBI is palpable. I just thought you’d want to know – unless you do want to see our nation turn into the likes of a ‘Banana’ Republic, then never mind.

Meanwhile we’re watching our leadership march on. By the way, the magic word of the day is “Asufutimael’haehfutbw”:

Bluenose – This month- 6-years ago – Marcia and I spent time in the Canadian maritime provinces. A highlight of that trip (there were many) was a close-up look at the upkeep effort taking place on the schooner, the Bluenose in Halifax harbor. What’s the significance of this ship? Oh, not too much, it’s just the etched picture on every Canadian dime. Thought I’d make note of this great memory.

Fini –
• Here in the ‘hood there is a whole new way for ensuring your car is properly locked.

• without specificity – “SCOTUS isn’t illegitimate, they are the final word, and they didn’t strike down any law yesterday.” Found on the web.

• With the current cost of gasoline (something we made note of on our 1,000 mile trip a week or so ago); “Vladimir Putin did NOT cancel the Keystone Pipeline”!

• This week I discovered that the Quaker sect is only about 350,000 workd wide. In the USA there are approximately 87,000 Quakers out of the 350,000. Therefore, with so few in number, I thought it interesting that a mere few blocks from our home and in our neighborhood, is a Community of Friends – Quaker house of worship.

• Unthinking heroism: Anita Alvarez lost consciousness in the pool during world water championships in Budapest. Spaniard Fuentes, past Olympic Gold Medalist, jumped into the pool and brought Alvarez back to the surface and aid (apparently she is OK).

• Remember the 500-million per day plastic straws in the ocean hysteria? It seems that stat was an invention by a nine year old for a school project. I suspect the kid got an A+.

• Yesterday morning there were 5 planets of our solar system perfectly aligned, something not to occur again until the year 2040. Somehow, wanting to see this, I thought it was to be Friday evening. Whoops, me bad!

• Four days ago it was the summer Solstice. In Wollongong, NSW, Australia an artist built this very special bench. Cutting slices into the seat at an angle of 34°. This is perfect for the winter solstice in that region to create a striped shadow. For their summer solstice cutting holes at a 74° degree angle changes the shadow to a polka dot pattern of shadows.

• Brother Art has an amazing Lemon tree. Last Christmas he made us all bottles of Lemoncello. This is what I spotted at Aldi’s this week. It’s a whole new opportunity!

• Love Tesla? This past week their model Y & model 3 were named the “most American-made vehicles in the USA” by Cars.com. BTW, the largest car company in the US, GM, was not listed in the top 10.

• People love colors; they contain all sorts of meaning. Historically we still refer to the era of ‘yellow’ journalism. How many years before kids will refer to something called ‘blue’ journalism?

• Our Ikea kitchen faucet broke. It had a 10-year warranty. Bought in 2014 it took a few minutes of paperwork and a runner to grab a replacement. Back home, in less than an hour it was a ‘voila’ moment. Nice Customer Service Ikea.

• Maybe I should repeat until this is over so here it is again; “I know that with all that’s happening it’s easy to forget that we are still holding January 6 ‘political’ prisoners in prison in DC. They have not been formally charged and by not having a ‘speedy’ trial are being denied their basic human rights.”

Ciao, and be well till next weekend. Wish a fruitful and wonderfully meaningful life to all the newborns that now have a chance to achieve it. Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

After a week’s hiatus, I’m Baaaack! Our trip to Sarasota could not have been better. The US Junior National Rowing competition was something to behold. The Nathan Benderson Park venue (touted best rowing facility in the nation) was stunning. And what Dinah’s US Junior Girls Rowing Team was able to accomplish was amazing – coming in for Silver beating the third place team by just one tenth of a second. It was a nail biter.

Weather wise, the most that Florida could’ve thrown at me (but never did), was brought north. This past week we had ridiculously high humidity, ‘real-feel’ temperatures constantly sitting at 105, and a rain and lightning storm with winds in excess of 80mph. Our energy company was trying to re-establish power to just over 200,000 customers. Marcia and I wondered if the last one to get their power on would get a prize (sort of a reverse lottery).

Coffee Trivia –
Due to my Dutch heritage I’ve got to point out that The Dutch East India Company; was the first to import coffee on a large scale. That company helped institute banking as a lending entity which the Brits began to study. It also assisted bringing about Holland’s ‘Golden Age’, As during that time The Dutch East India Company ushered in the Netherlands as the world’s naval powerhouse to primarily to protect their fleets [read the history of Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter born March 24, 1607].

However, to be a bit more clinical, Coffee contains important nutrients we all need. One cup of coffee contains; “11% of the daily recommended amount of Riboflavin (vitamin B2), 6% of Pantothenic Acid (vitamin B5), 3% of Manganese and Potassium, and 2% of Niacin and Magnesium. And. the buzz some feel after drinking coffee comes from ingesting tiny 0.0016-inch crystals of caffeine.”

Chaos & Mayhem – And this was only a street away from our actual C&M Corner (less when cutting through someone’s yard). We were only home a couple of days when I smelled smoke and saw it fill our street. Marcia quickly picked up the details on her scanner. It was a two alarm and brought under control very quickly. The news claims it was $400,000 damage.

Father’s Day? – One item I should get out of my system. As a society we’ve gone absolutely ‘nutso’ by allocating a single day each year to celebrate Mothers and then Fathers; to now proceed allocating a full month to a small verge group loosely housing themselves under the acronym LGBTQIA+ (an acronym umbrella which rolls off one’s tongue doesn’t it?)

For a species which depends on natural selection, humans require a mechanism which our species depends on, sexual reproduction – this requires male and female traits.

Why not celebrate family, mother, father, and the power of starting new life on a strong path into the future – and celebrate that for a month?

I have little to no problem accepting that people have behaviors along a spectrum and wish everyone a long and fulfilling life, but a month-long celebration for LGBTQIA+? Give me a break.

Planning for the coming recession? – The idiocy of shutting down a whole economy, printing out millions of blank checks to everyone here and there, telling a nation to stay home from work, breaking up the supply chain, and then while at it spend trillions of dollars on pet causes; is it anything but a cause for disaster?

Now the spike in inflation (officially May 8.6% – most likely higher) is the highest in 40 years, and the 13th straight month with rise over 5%.

It’s actually funny to watch Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wiggle around trying to unpack the blame for the downward spiral away from her boss and his inflationary policies.

USRowing Youth National Championships, Sarasota, FL – I’ve gone on and on about to the point of driving the family bonkers – hence, it’s enough. Now just some photos for those who hadn’t seen anything about the event. But winning a silver second place by one tenth of a second fighting off 18 nationally represented teams is quite special.

Fini –
• An exclamation point to the whole weekend

• Flying soon? Let me know whether or not you experienced the newest ‘double-decker’ seating arrangement.

• Good times with George and Sandy who made the jaunt north from Naples. Thanks guys!

• Sarasota: After dinner – by the beach – it was drumming into the night

• Boating. Only in America

• Waiting for sunset at Nokomis Beach, FL

• Pop’s Pub in Nokomis, FL. With Jason, Cathy, Marcia, and me. A super fun evening, great food and drinks. And special thanks to the two guys who kept supplying the ladies with shots.

• When a downpour happens during a rowing race, the racing never stops. The beach did clear of people, but the cheers and ringing cowbells stayed active.

• With the seeming food shortages and looking ahead. Should I begin stocking up on ‘Fromm’ or do you think ‘Taste of the Wild’ better? Asking for a friend.

• Even during races the training and warming up continued

• This week it was announced that Dr. Fauci tested positive for Covid. Remember when this same Doctor was quoted as saying; “when people are vaccinated, they can feel safe that they are not going to get infected.” I will let both Sandy and George know, as just this week they are getting over a bout of Covid – btw; they’ve both been jabbed and boosted.

• I know that with all that’s happening it’s easy to forget that we are still holding January 6 ‘political’ prisoners in prison in DC. They have not been formally charged and by not having a ‘speedy’ trial are being denied their basic human rights.

• Dr. Simone Gold, JD, MD, founder of America’s Frontline Doctors and conservative voice on the handling of the Covid epidemic was sentenced to 60-days in jail for entering the Capitol Building (the peoples house) without an invitation January 6. Does the photo taken during the January 6 occurrence depict an out-of-control rioter?

• Seeing this side of Florida is not very common. Cathy, Jason, Marcia and I took some time to explore and were glad we did.

Ciao, and be well till next weekend. Wish all happiness and to all the Dads recognition for their role in all of our lives. Keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

WHOOPS !

Forgot to mention last week. Traveling. So NO Ramblings this week.

Apologies.

Dirk

Saturday morning. Here in the ‘Nati it’s perfect; sunny at low eighties. Then, for our run to Florida early in the week, the low-level hurricane blowing through will have passed on by. So, yes, it’s set for one excellent week.

Coffee Trivia:
Kona is a coffee grown in Hawaii. The only other place in the USA where coffee is grown is Puerto Rico, and some in California. Having said that, were you aware that we have had a Kona coffee plant growing in Ohio for 20 years?

I finally saw the price of a Swiss made Jura E-6 (the mainstay coffee machine in aircraft). The in-home use version of the machine costs more than I paid for my first new car – a NSU Prinz.

The Championships – are here. Tuesday we leave for the 2022 Youth National Championships – USRowing in Sarasota, Florida. 
We managed to ‘snag’ our visitor’s passes (last year these sold out very quickly). These went on sale last Wednesday at noon exactly. Marcia and I both had our computers open (hers as backup), and at 11:59:55 my index finger hit the ‘enter’ key. Even so, I was placed in a (short) wait cue. Whew!
Booked a hotel (not easy).
Rented a car (easy using Costco).
And now the biggest debate of all – what all and how to pack for the adventure.

Once again, it’s Earl Pitts and his common sense insights, which has made the whole packing process much more manageable.

The pictures below are of the venue: Nathan Benderson Park, a $40-million facility:

The Last Takajo – I thought I’d present you with a short (around 7 minutes) read about a 71-year old man, Hidetoshi Matsubara.[<– CLICK name to open the story]

It’s a story first written for Patagonia Japan and only recently translated to English for Patagonia – North America. It takes place in Japan’s T?hoku (snowy) region. Matsubura is one of the last remaining individuals who practices falconry.

Most hunting throughout the world uses traps, guns, and some hand managed equipment, i.e. knife or bows, etc. As a falconer Matsubara uses animals to hunt animals.

A falconer he’s trained and hunted with the birds for 50 years. He lives in a small hut at the foot of a mountain in northern Yamagata Prefecture to a solitary life with his hawks. The hut did not have gas, electricity or water, and only lamps and candles provided light, with the nearest home a two-and-a-half-hour walk away.

A quick read, sprinkled with some stunning photographs, I thought it worthwhile to share and hope it delights you as much as it did me. Enjoy!

”This country has a mental health problem disguised as a gun problem.” ~ Joe Rogan, host of The Joe Rogan Experience

It truly is obscene – horrific, and disgusting what we witnessed this past week with the killing of so many. What is also nauseating is what we’re being ‘spoon’ fed. There was another mass shooting on June 1st; it was barely reported on and then, nothing. Why?

Prior to the 1980s we never had unprovoked mass killings. Prior to that time kids all had play guns, access to real guns, and at a young age had BB guns – what has changed since then? It’s a question that is not asked but needs to be.

Was this change a result of LBJ’s introduction of the “Great Society” and his “War on Poverty”? Programs which, especially with minority groups, pushed men out of the father role and inserted government into the void? Could it be the assault on the nuclear family? Could it be the overarching role of Social Media? Could it be the total disregard of advancing mental health programs?

We best start paying attention to all of this and have serious and on-going discussions rather than constant ‘knee-jerk’ reactive responses.

”During my twelve-and-a-half years as a member of this body, I have never believed that additional gun control or federal registration of guns would reduce crime.”
“I am convinced that a criminal who wants a firearm can get one through illegal, untraceable, unregistered sources, with or without gun control.” ~ Senator Joe Biden, 1985

For those who thought our founding fathers wrong by introducing the 2nd Amendment and that “arming the body of people against would-be tyrants” totally unnecessary. Please note that just this last century tyrannical governments (whose first act was always gun removal) slaughtered 200-million innocent people. Even this past year, see how easy it was for a Canadian PM to erase his people’s Charter Rights and run ram shot over truckers protesting for Freedom as was legally guaranteed using heavily armed ‘police’.

Why are Uzi’s common on the streets of Israel without problem. Why are we discussing gun restrictions while simultaneously arming just about every Ukrainian.

It’s all political and all a power grab. It’s a loss of your Freedom!

Fini –
• Big mistake! Selling our 1971 VW van a few decades ago. Arrrgh!

• Reflecting on cars. Back in the sixties did any of you take a nap in one of these “Lull-A-Baby” wonders?

• Then shock of shocks, this sent to me by an aquintance in France. I think it’s still salvageable. If you don’t recognize, it’s a red Citroën Deux Chevaux (2CV).

• Last week I did mention activity on the corner of Chaos & Mayhem”. Please note that the activity never stops:

• Mentioning Canadian PM Trudeau, here were his words this week; “There’s no reason anyone in Canada should need guns in their everyday life”. Please take a look just how he himself moves around;

• Happy Birthday (92nd) to one of my favorite actors – Clint Eastwood

• Remember what happened in Wuhan, China? This past week China was elected to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) executive Board. Reflect on that for more than a moment!

• On my walk I passed this food truck. Made me wonder if this truck specialized parking adjacent to Senior Citizen places, ie. Nursing and retirement facilities?

• Memorial Day weekend had me walk the four miles to Spring Grove Cemetery and Arboretum to stop by my parent’s grave site for some reflection. Glad I went or I would have missed all of these sights and happenings:

• Elon Musk said it well; “tomorrow will be the first sunrise of the rest of your life – make it what you want.”

Best till next weekend, keep smiling; and keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.
Dirk

Saturday morning. The coffee tastes great. The rains have moved off (or so I think). I will be spending quality time with my four-legged buddy, Rugby-the-dog, while the rest of his pack is off roasting a pig in points north. So life is good.

Happy Memorial Day weekend. As the just-out-of-school kids say; “let the summer begin.”

Coffee Trivia:
Oxford is the place where England’s first coffeehouse was established in 1652. Within 25 years, England had 3,000 coffeehouses. It didn’t take long when, in 1675, King Charles II of England banned coffeehouses because he believed people gathered there to plot against him. The idea wasn’t so far-fetched: both the American and French revolutions were plotted in these places. So, exactly what does go on in Starbucks?

” I’m a morning bird. I love getting up before it’s light out if it’s possible. I wake up, I have a black coffee. I’m an 86-year-old man. I try to work out first thing to get it over with. When I do it, I feel good because I have the endorphins all day.” ~ Ellie Kemper

Quatman Café – was ‘revived’ again ~ it never really closed; it was ‘revived’ by Marcia and Dirk because we stopped by for dinner. Best in burgers, but since it was Friday I had their fish sandwich special – I’m a traditionalist.

Like any meal at Quatman, it would just not be done right were it not kick started with a cup of Mock Turtle Soup; there is none better.

Chaos & Mayhem – Quick question; does having four uniformed Police officers and two members of the MHRT Team on the condo building premises qualify as a ‘Corner of Chaos & Mayhem’ moment? If they stayed for over an hour would it?

The happenings; one of our neighbors returned from a very extended period away. Upon the return he busted in on the the individual who had stayed back. What he saw was a totally untenable lifestyle the other person had established (for those in the know — it was powered by Bagels). There, I believe that encapsulates the events that must have brought all this to a head.

Overheard from one of the Officers; “you’ll have to leave immediately.”

Can’t be too happy though, since I don’t have a clue as to what lies at the other end of that tunnel. But so far so good!

Sarasota bound – Last weekend I went to watch the Mid-West Regional rowing Regatta at close by East-Fork Lake. Over 500 rowers from as far away as Minneapolis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis all convened. 9th (moving to 10th) grader, granddaughter Dinah is a rower. Dinah’s 8-man crew boat won their class (by a substantial margin). She and her boat were invited to the rowing Nationals in Sarasota, Florida (June 9-10-11-12). THIS IS A REALLY BIG DEAL!

Imagine rowing 2,000 meters sitting in a 60’ long boat (almost that of a city bus), in a ‘shell’ which weighs 200 pounds, is under 24” wide, on a seat that slides, and rowing with oars that are over 12’ long. Then go all out for around 7 minutes at about 14mph. Depleting all your aerobic capacity all while listening to a Coxswain urging you to do more and to do it better.

That’s the sport Dinah has sought to involve herself in – practicing 3-hours per day, 6 days a week, almost year round.

And she is good at it!

Bottom line; Marcia and I are heading for Sarasota, Florida to watch her compete. We both are beyond excited.

The following was an 8-person women’s boat using a camera on the Coxswain at a race held earlier this year. It shows the absolute physicality of the sport. I also think it was taken at the same Sarasota venue Dinah and her crew will race at.

Some family members have seen these pictures taken at last weekend’s Regatta, but here they are again for anyone else. Dinah is wearing the white baseball-cap.

Fini –
• The WEF in Davos Switzerland was a huge success. At least it was so based on the many participants concerned about the world’s climate. You can count just how many convened when you count one or two participants to each of the private planes parked on every available piece of tarmac at Davos.

• The ‘deep thinking’ bunch did it right. And the well-armed police presence made sure that none of the participants were cornered by independent journalists asking any ‘awkward’ questions.

• Our live Saturday morning radio host, Gary Jeff Walker of 700WLW, just interviewed a regular caller who lives 3-miles West of Indianapolis. The guy says that when the Indianapolis 500 race (tomorrow) is running that the windows in his house vibrate.

• This week we had another obscene and horrific mass murder event. What’s happened since the 1970s after which all this crap started? Prior to that we just didn’t have random mass murders. And, I remember as kids we were all over the neighborhood running around with cap pistols and BB guns. What changed? Other than the family unit being torn apart as part of the ‘War on Poverty’ and ‘the Great Society’ policies of the 60s, males being marginalized and the government acting like the financial father figure. Also add the complete 180° about face regarding the management of Mental Health issues; facilities closed and really never replaced. I could add more such as the overbearing presence of Social Media.

• There’s more. I was reading that the U.S. is 3rd in murders throughout the world.
If you remove
1) Chicago
2) Detroit
3) Washington D.C.
4) St. Louis
5) New Orleans
The U.S. is then 189th out of 193 countries in the world.
(as an aside, all 5 mentioned cities have strict gun laws and a similar political makeup)

• There is a storm raging on Saturn – it’s hexagonal in shape. Look closely at the picture where an outline of the USA was placed in the middle to give a size perspective.

• Mentioning perspective. SpaceX has launched a number of their rockets and brought back the first stage booster to be reused on a subsequent launches. Look closely at the photo below and the two people standing next to the landing legs for scale. Wow!

Best till next weekend, be healthy; and keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

Saturday morning, and aside from our little family sitting around waiting for the Covid wave to pass over, all is great (caused because Marcia refused to allow me to smear Goats blood on our front door). I discovered that the ‘Covid wave’ wasn’t all that horrific in that I managed to catch up, I mean really catch up, on sleep. Marcia is in the same straights.

Coffee Trivia:
Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. It’s believed that’s how the first coffee drink was born.
Plus: were you aware that coffee and word games are an excellent combination to sharpen your vocabulary?

This past week I refilled my morning coffee and walking back to the front I heard the last piece of some advert on the radio – which included the sound of a Fog Horn. Before that horn sound could fade, my mind’s eye had me, with total clarity, back to my summer stint on Mackinac Island in the late sixties. Several times throughout that summer the nearby fog horn would sound – desolate, solitary, lonesome, and even eerie. Whenever it sounded it was the only sound to be heard. The mind is an amazing thing!

Just so you too can again capture this iconic sound, I put a one-minute Fog Horn audio clip below. The horn you hear is that of a big one, the Sumburgh lighthouse at Sumburgh Head, Shetland (northern Scotland). It is the oldest lighthouse in Shetland and was the sound used in Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” (film – 2019).

”Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.” ~ George Carlin

So Stuck …. On a roof – Aging brings along many changes. Some changes we recognize and deal with, others, we pretend to not exist, or if they exist, they are dealt with much less severely than reality would dictate. All this takes place on just about every front, whether medical, physical, or mental. Yet we plod on.

This past week on our brotherly Zoom exercise session George displayed a patch on his forearm. Turns out he miss-stepped on his ladder (luckily only on the second rung) and scraped his forearm on the house’s exterior stucco.

This leads to the next story. Possibly the ‘Nati’s most influential and arguably most popular live Radio host is one, Bill (‘Willie’) Cunningham. He’s also an attorney and knows literally every local and state political entity, business guru, and sports figure. He’s in a position where something will come up and then, on occasion, he’ll pick up the phone and call our Governor – and get through! His wife is a retired Federal Judge (that too plays a small part as you’ll see).

Visible here is where the whole, life changing, aging thing happens. And deep down we know it’s the same to us all; whether yours truly or even a ‘Willie’ Cunningham. Listen to his interaction with a 911 emergency dispatcher:

Entertainment –
Last Saturday I mentioned that I got tickets to see Willie Nelson and Family in early August! I also discussed how thrilled Marcia is with this.

Having lived in the world of Marketing I know the importance of building anticipation and excitement. Hence, mid-week I sent her this little YouTube to do just that. And felt that you too, my faithful three-strong readers, would appreciate:

3-years ago – Mother’s Day to be exact, I gave Marcia a small Orchid plant. After blooming it looked like it was ready to die. Yet, the following year it bloomed again, and has been doing it every year since.

Last year it had two blooms, white with a purple edge. This year it produced six (6) buds and now the first three flowers have opened and the flowers are a wonderful purple.

Some folk just have a green thumb!

Fini –
• Today is the 141st day of the year 2022 in the Gregorian calendar. There are 224 days remaining until the end of this year.

• Major deep thinkers such as George Clooney, Bill Gates, Greta Thunburg, and others will be meeting in Davos, Switzerland this week. Much news reporting from their deliberations will deal with the “end of the world.” I just want them to know that the ancient Maya civilization believed that the end of the world would happen on December 21, 2012. There are now 3,438 days since this fabled cataclysmic event.

• Today in 1881 the American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton and Adolphus Solomons. Ours became part of the International Federation of Red Cross Societies.

• And, also on this day in 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to make a solo air crossing of the Atlantic. Today, possibly 10,000 people will make their own first air crossing of the Atlantic.

• 1979: Dan White who had gone to see NYC Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk to ask for his old job back, when they refused to give him back his job he shot and killed them both. He was convicted of voluntary manslaughter (rather than first degree murder) after his defense lawyers argued his mental state at the time of the killings was one of diminished capacity due to depression, caused by his consumption of sugary junk food. White’s defense was labeled by the press as “the Twinkie defense.” It took from 1979 to 2011 for Twinkies to disappear in bankruptcy (then get reborn in 2015). Enjoy!

• Sears was the Amazon of its day. In their catalog they labeled products using descriptions as “good”, “better”, and “best”. Anyone know what Amazon will be remembered for?

• Success to Dinah and her teammates as they participate in an invitational Sculling Regatta (8X & 4X boats). I’m putting an extra $100 bill in my pocket to cover gasoline costs to the lake.

Best till next weekend, be healthy; and keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

Saturday morning, and for most of the week I shuffled between chair, bed, couch, and back to bed. Mid-week I did a four-mile ‘leisurely’ hike. Felt good and then slept for 10-hours. But, I do believe I am better. Now Marcia is doing the couch thing, and a couple of days ago Adrianne joined the fray.

The other day I spotted this Kentucky license plate. Since seeing this thing was hot on the heels of my health ‘event’, I took special note. I am registered as a ‘parts’ donor, but seeing this plate I was nothing but impressed. I think that these should be made available in every state, gratis, and as a public service.

In the meantime:

”A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.” ~ Irish Proverb

But, then there was a happy little family – Last evening Marcia spotted a little family out on a jog. Mom, Dad, and two young kids between ages 5 and 9. One small hiccup in this world of bliss. The youngest, a little girl was on a bike. She was done in and aside from whining; she got off of her little bike and just lay on the ground.

At this point Dad’s ‘fuse’ snapped, he picked up the bike and dumped it into the corner trash bin. And off they went. As Paul Dudley White (1886-1973) once said; “A vigorous five-mile walk will do more good for an unhappy but otherwise healthy adult than all the medicine and psychology in the world.”

I recorded the ‘bike-in-the-trash’ moment. Ten minutes after I took the photo Mom and daughter returned, retrieved the thing, and moseyed on home. And so, Marcia and I were witness to one little family, all exercised out, begin what was sure to be the start of a glorious weekend.

Entertainment – is all about us. This week Kirstin saw the Dave Matthews Band in concert – her most favorite group. Adrianne and Vaioleti went downtown to catch Leon Bridges pour out his soulful sounds – Vai’s Christmas gift. This weekend Garth Brooks will fill the stadium twice over, and tomorrow The Who will fill the soccer stadium – returning to town after a 40-year hiatus.

The last time The Who played here 11 people got trampled to death and the event prompted a complete nationwide restructuring of the whole ‘general seating’ concept. This time a sizeable chunk of the monies generated will be poured back into the community in the form of Scholarships.

But, there is more (as I alluded to last week). Marcia does not have any sort of out-of-control ‘bucket’ list. But she does have a list and even has a 1st place item on it. Number 1 is her seeing Willie Nelson in concert.

After a fair bit of research I got tickets to see Willie Nelson and Family in early August; and snagged seats 16 rows behind center stage! She is over the moon and I too am beyond pleased.

Now I’ll ease back a bit and hum; “Whiskey River” before I continue Rambling. At the same time remind everyone that yesterday, May 13th, was Stevland Hardaway Morris’ birthday. You know him professionally as <u><b>Stevie Wonder</u></b>.

Chaos and Mayhem – Life continues at a hectic pace here on the corner of Chaos and Mayhem. Even after a number of years we realize we haven’t got room to get jaded.

This week I noticed a flurry of activity and people in reflective vests along with 5 trucks busily at work shutting down traffic lanes. Then, I realized that most of their effort centered on the manhole hidden in our grass/bushes at the edge of our dumpster enclosure.

A rope ladder was tossed over the edge of the hole. One worker in very heavy duty chest-high waders climbed into the shaft. Then a camera on four wheels was lowered in. After their start next to our place the whole ‘enterprise’ moved slowly, from cover to cover, down the street. I should have gone downstairs to retrieve a pair of bag-chairs to better take it all in – outside in the fresh air.

Fini –
• Did you know that when <u><b>Elon Musk</u></b> started his first company – Zip2 in 1995. He had over $100K in student debt, a computer he built himself, and a few thousand dollars.

• Kirstin spent a couple of hours donating both Blood and Platelets this past week. Proud of you girl.

• Student smarts:

• As a retired sales type, I’ll say it again; “It’s all in the marketing”:

• Mentioning our waste dumpster enclosure. This week I watched how it’s emptied. Usually the event occurs Thursday mornings around 3:30AM. For some reason this time it was during daylight hours.

• During my college years one of my favorite newspaper go-to items was always the editorial page and the Political cartoon. Locally we had a world class cartoonist, Jim Borgman, who has also perfected the Zits comic.

• Now that the Political Cartoon has met its demise, Meme’s have taken over. Slowly I have come to appreciate the power of the Meme. Here are a couple; with minimalism comes a statement.

• Spotted locally, a Hot Sauce vending machine.

• This week the New York Times mentioned that Apple will no longer support the iPod. Safely stored away is my 20GB model A 1040. This, for years, was my faithful companion on cross-country and overnight flights (along with my sound cancelling Sony head set). Now it’s a museum piece.

• Prayers are with my cousin Guilaume and his wife Maryse in France. Peace and comfort with you Maryse.

Best till next weekend, be healthy; and keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk

Saturday morning, and after two days of lounging about and mostly under cover bed time, I am very ready to move on. Especially since it appears that I have begun to take on, what in our household we refer to my newly discovered doddering walking style, the ‘Joe Biden shuffle’, as my own. However, my body hasn’t quite caught up to my mental wish list.

Our weather too has been crappy with thunder and wind storms, plus I can’t forget the rain. In that light, please re-read my coffee reference card and this time first hit the audio track below to gain some additional mood. Enjoy:

For each of my three readers who might, beyond all odds, be keeping track of my Fitbit activity progress scorecard – this has been the worst week in four years. I thought you deserved to know.

But, even with all of this going on – a Happy Mothers Day to all the ladies. This afternoon we’re (the ‘Nati gang) are going out for ‘Drunch’ (same as Brunch only in the period between lunch and dinner). We’re gathering at something called Oakley Kitchen. This is a food hall where spaces are made available to start-ups to test their acumen, and acts like a food court in reverse. Various restaurants are in the middle with patio seating and seating around the perimeter. Plus, as expected, yes there is a bar.

The idea is very cool. The removal of the weighty barriers to enter the market, renting a space and building out a new location, here companies can prove the demand for their product or concept and grow their business prior to the normal massive upfront costs normally incurred.

Pops and more Pops (part ‘deux’ – the adventure) – from last week was as good as we had hoped it would be; starting with music from Cincinnati’s own, the Isley Brothers. We had a stage full of musicians begin the performance with Isley’s “It’s Your Thing.” By the way, that number was first recorded at the old King Studios which is less than a mile from us.

Rather than me trying to detail the adventure Broadway star and one of our Pops concert soloists, Brian Stokes Mitchell, shared, I’ll let him explain – it’s much better than anything I could do:

As you’re aware, one of our favorite local groups is the husband and wife team going under the name; Over the Rhine. What they shared was just how moved they were to be performing with the Pops in Music Hall. When years ago as a young couple they lived in a small apartment about six blocks away and in the shadow of Music Hall; an area which until recently was a pretty rough part of town.

Also, they shared that while living in that little apartment they had a standing gig at Sudsy Malone’s — closed in 2008. Sudsy Malone’s was a Laundromat which served beer and had space for ‘punk’ and ‘metal’ bands, even a stage for karaoke (do two loads of laundry and the show was free – genius!).

When feeling crappy – and crashing immediately after dinner also had me wake up at some very strange times. The other morning I woke up at shortly after 1 o’clock. Turning on the TV I ended up watching our four returning astronauts land in the middle of a pitch black Atlantic Ocean. I then woke up at an early morning hour, and again turned on the TV to watch a Space X rocket launch, leaving to place another batch of Starling satellites. This whole space thing is becoming so common that it’s almost like watching a Greyhound bus trundle down the highway.

Keep those feet moving – Since I am cutting these Ramblings short, let me at least get your Saturday started with a SHOUT. Listen to comedian Sinbad introduce The Isley Brothers perform “Fight the Power”:

Fini (a massive ‘Fini’) –
• Happy Mothers Day weekend

• Today in 1945 Germany signs an unconditional surrender ending the WWII fighting in Europe.

• This past week back in 1994 Channel Tunnel linking England to France was opened. About 10-years later I left Paris’ Gare du Nord railroad station for England traveling through the channel tunnel. Ahh, for the memories.

• Reflecting on what all we have become so totally accepted and standardized; what all we have become so totally dependent on. Think mobile phones, digital cameras, all our travel. All our digitized storage from precious art to literature. The ability which allows this to happen and become commonplace is absolutely dependent on the integrated circuit. Yet the concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, was first published by Geoffrey Dummer in 1952 (a mere 70 years ago).

Best till next weekend, stay safe, stay healthy; and keep on storming the castle.

Pray for Peace.

Dirk

Saturday morning, for us here I’ll be an active one. Actually, the whole weekend will be an active one.

What I did want to share is that this past week I had a family member from each side of our family spend some time in a hospital. Last Monday neither of them had listed on their calendar spending time in a hospital bed as an ‘event’ entry (both now home, recovering, and doing well).

Another family member was tested Covid positive and is home in bed with a temperature. What it reminds all of us is just how precious and fragile life is. How it should be valued, treasured, and cherished.

Personally I’ve been more physically active than I’d been in years. Not so much to extend life; but to be able to celebrate my life to the fullest during my time.

”Life is a moment
Is just a moment in time
So many rivers
Which one do I cross?” ~ Vicentico & Willie Nelson; lines from their duet: Sólo un Momento

Should Willie Nelson not place high on your listening list; directly below is a thirty second clip of the song, Sólo un Momento.

On the other hand, I’d urge you to skip listening to the audio cut and proceed directly to the embedded video of the whole song – personally I think you’ll be glad you did.

Pops and more Pops – 45 years ago the Cincinnati Pops grew out of our Symphony Orchestra. Over that period, and here let me toss out some stats: an estimated 30 million people have viewed eight national telecasts of the Cincinnati Pops on PBS, and the Orchestra has more than 100 available recordings, 56 of which have appeared on the Billboard charts, a record unmatched by any other orchestra, and sales of over 10 million units. In fact, the Pops received an invitation to the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the only American orchestra to play the opening weekend. They are GOOD!

The Pops usually performs at our Music Hall. And, every few years Marcia and I need our Pops fix. This is the year, in fact tomorrow is the day! Celebrating the conductor, John Morris Russell’s, 10th anniversary with the organization it’s a playlist of all his favorite ‘stuff’.

As the advertisement goes; “but there is more!” One of our more favorite performing groups is the husband and wife team going under the name; Over the Rhine. OTR will also be performing with the Pops – a ‘twofer’. Now, how good is that?

Busy grandkids, busy parents – The pandemic is quickly sinking out of sight over the horizon. Part of what that means is that the activity scene is in hyper drive. Vili is busily getting ready for a band performance in mid-May – he is Saxophone.

Dinah spends three hours a day after school – 6 days a week rowing. Last weekend she along with Jason and Cathy headed for Knoxville, TN for a massive Regatta – almost 500 rowing teams.

She and her team bounced between first and second place, one semi-finalist heat was a photo finish (1/10 of a second over 2,000 meters). At the end of the day, several races in both 4-person and 8-person boats, Dinah went home with a Silver and a Bronze medal. How about that for a ‘newbie’ to the sport.

Entering the world as a micro-preemie Vai has shown early prognosticators what can be achieved. Last weekend at a meet, she was doing Shot Put and Discus toss. Combined her school in both Field and in track came in first place combined with around a dozen schools participating. Here are a couple of clips showing the event – both of Track & Field activities. Vai is shown doing the discus.

OK, enough from a proud grandpa!

Fini (a massive ‘Fini’) –
• Happy Birthday today to Marlene – many, many more! Likewise to Willie Nelson, his 89th today.

• Want a wee bit more detail regarding CO2 in our atmosphere and what would happen if CO2 were to vanish. Take a moment to study the attached photo. What it really says that dropping CO2 to near zero (which we couldn’t do) and mean we’d look like Mars.

• What is now going on in DC? A “Disinformation Governance Board”? Our newest propaganda arm, a scary boondoggle headed up by a ‘Russian Collusion’ hoaxer and ‘Hunter Biden Laptop Denier’, Nina Jankowicz. She calls the Musk purchase of Twitter as “troubling.” Is 1984 is creeping up fast (or is that ‘disinformation’)?

• Parking phenom. A while back Marcia and I put the car in a paid parking lot downtown. It was 7:22 PM and I by happenstance I bought 2-hours of parking time. We never looked at a clock until we returned to the car and started it. The car’s clock read 9:22 – 2 hours Dead On to the minute!

• This coming week, May 4th, it’ll be the 52nd anniversary of the Kent State massacre. On May 4, 1970, Ohio National Guardsmen fired upon and killed four students at Kent State University and wounded nine, one paralyzed for life. With the Vietnam War raging, then as now, the USA was a deeply divided nation. As has been said, that event was the end of American innocence.

• Times have changed, at least in our country. This photograph taken in 1910 shows West Virginia coal miners coming up after their 14-hour shift.

• This week the Cincinnati Reds won a baseball game!

• Remember when people could dress this way for fun and comedic effect?

• This week the ‘Bird’ was Freed! As was posted on Twitter; “an African American immigrant who manufactures electric cars is now protecting free speech for everyone and somehow the (ed. progressive) community is somehow mad.” Elon Musk apparently drew and posted the timeline displaying his stance on matters:

• And finally, also spotted (but ‘spot’ on); “If college debt is to be forgiven the universities need to pay for it.”

• Wait a minute, nearly forgot. We have a new addition in the household.

Best till next weekend, stay safe, stay healthy; stay involved, and keep on storming the castle. Pray for Peace.

Dirk