August 24th, 2023
“ Dobroho ranku”, or “Good Morning!” in Ukrainian, an Eastern Slavic language spoken mainly in Ukraine. I have decided that the UJT will remain focused on Ukraine until we can all rejoice at the end of hostilities. It has been 539 days since Russia invaded Ukraine.
This week I learned some stuff:
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- I remember stuff in this case -Woodstock was in the middle of August in 1969. I was at my grandmother’s house, waiting for her to get ready as we were going out to Foxes on South Dixie Hwy to celebrate her 64th Birthday. Killing time I switched on her old black and white TV adjusted the rabbit ears and listened to the news media describe a “Disaster in the making” in upstate NY. For the most part, they were all taken by surprise, like almost everyone else except for the more than 400,000 attendees. I remember my grandmother being concerned but for me, I think it might have been the best moment of my generation.
- I finished Michelle Obama’s excellent memoir, “Becoming” this week and began to read the One Book One San Diego selection for 2023. I just started but have already grasped the unfortunately unique perspective the economist, Heather McGhee brings to her new book, “ The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together”. This book affected me in a similar way that the 1613 Project did. There is a discomfort and sadness in reading how much racism has cost us all. While her fundamental approach is on the economics of this flaw in our nation’s character but you cannot escape the emotions in learning such truths about ourselves and those who abused their power before us.
- August 24th is the 236th day of 2023. Just 122 days till Christmas. On this day in 1832, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop (from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey; Today in 1950, Edith Sampson becomes the first black U.S. delegate to the United Nations; Led by Abbie Hoffman, the Youth International Party temporarily disrupts trading at the New York Stock Exchange by throwing dollar bills from the viewing gallery, causing trading to cease as brokers scramble to grab them today in 1967; Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for murdering John Lennon today in 1981; On this day in 1991, Mikhail Gorbachev resigns as head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union; Today in 1992, Hurricane Andrew makes landfall in Homestead, Florida as a Category 5 hurricane, causing up to $25 billion (1992 USD) in damages.; Today in 2012, Anders Behring Breivik, perpetrator of the 2011 Norway Summer Camp attacks, is sentenced to 21 years of preventive detention; Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup, American singer-songwriter and guitarist was born today in 1905; Wynonie Harris, American singer and guitarist was born today in 1915; Today Harry Markowitz, American economist and academic, Nobel Prize laureate was born in 1927; Jackie Brenston, American singer-songwriter and saxophonist was born today in 1930; Mason Williams, American guitarist and composer was born today in 1938; Molly Hatchet’s Danny Joe Brown, American southern rock singer-songwriter and musician was born today 1951; Stephen Fry, English actor, journalist, producer, and screenwriterwas born today in 1957; Dave Chappelle, American comedian, actor, producer and screenwriter was born today in 1973; Rupert Grint, (AKA Ron Weasley in Harry Potter)English actor was born today in 1988; Richard Attenborough, English actor, director, producer, and politician passed away today in 2014; Finally, we lost Rolling Stones founding member and drummer, Charlie Watts, English musician today in 2021.
This week’s Website Update:
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- A New Vocabulary Quiz!!!!
- Week two for our Musical Trivia Quiz
- I cooked Singapore Chicken Satay this week and noticed a bunch of issues with the page. I updated it and reposted it. To go with the satays I came up with a Pineapple Rice dish. I also updated and reposted the formerly Blackened Rockfish recipe as Blackened Fish with Key Lime Butter because many other fish work in this recipe. I also developed a recipe from something I saw on Facebook. Something I call, Comfort Breakfast Burritos for all you “breakfast for dinner” fans. Comfort food notwithstanding, I continue to update old recipes with alternatives to maximum fat and salt. I will repost updated recipes when I have cooked them to verify the changes do not prevent the food from tasting as it should.
- The Home Page quote for this week is from a poem by Gregory Orr, “To be alive: not just the carcass But the spark. That’s crudely put, but… If we’re not supposed to dance,Why all this music?”
Writing, Ceramics, Bonsai Trees, Stained Glass, and Painting Update:
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- I did my bonsai maintenance and said goodbye to 3 junipers that we had started a year or so ago. I felt so guilty for their neglect. I cleaned up the rest of my plants.
- Enough procrastination!!! I am getting busy with the stained glass project this week!
- I did manage to get some more of the paper editing done on Grandpa Stories”. My goal is 3-5 chapters each week till it is done.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
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- My first hurricane was Hurricane Donna in 1960. I was eight years old back then hurricanes happened once every decade or so. Donna was wet, windy, and scary but at the same time, fun. We lost our lights early on and played cards in candlelight. My mom had made macaroni salad and ham, favorites of my brother and mine. We watched the trees get blown back and forth and the rain seemed to come down in sheets hour after hour. When we woke up in the morning Donna had moshed across Florida on her way to North Carolina. Donna was the strongest wettest hurricane to hit the United States until Andrew in 1992. Back then they had these planes called Hurricane Hunters which would fly right into the storms to measure the intensity and provide tracking data for the weather service. I thought those pilots and crews were the bravest people in the world. I was always amazed that any of them made it back home.
Music Update:
Here is a new batch of music for you to try out. Enjoy.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
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- Jimmy Buffett — Fruitcakes (Live)— I have been fortunate enough to see Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band many times. Jimmy’s shows are always such a blast. Everyone sang along with every song and danced with joy. This is a live cut from his 2005 release “Live at Fenway Park”.
- Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On — This was the total cut and a huge hit for Marvin in 1971. It was always a song associated with happiness and friends. Now it makes me a little sad. Gone far too soon.
- Harry Chapin — Cat’s in the Cradle — This is a song that makes me tear up every time I hear it. Harry and his wife Sandy wrote it and it was released in 1974 on his “Verities & Balderdash” album.
- Tab Beniot — Long Lonely Bayou — Tab won my heart the very first time I heard “Medicine” and the more of it that I listened to the more I loved it. um, “Medicine” was released in 2011.
- Harry Nilsson — Coconut — This comes from his 1971 release, “Nilsson”. I always loved this silly little song, reminds me of a Calypso version of “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” kind of thing.
- Hayes Carll — The Love That We Need — I do not know where I got this song. It might be one of those songs on iTunes on that, “if you liked this one, try these” section. But the bottom line. This is a cut from his “Lovers and Leavers” released in 2016. I like it. All of it. It’s just a song done well.
- The Jimi Hendrix Experience – House Burning Down – From the Vinyl !!!! If someone put a gun to my head and asked me to pick the best Jimi Hendrix album, I would have to say this one. He took us so many places on this double album!! It’s one is a favorite cut from their 1968 release, “Electric Ladyland”.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; Always remember… The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!