September 24th, 2020
“(Gutn morgn) גוטן מאָרגן”, or “Good Morning!” in Yiddish, a Jewish language that developed from Medieval German with influences from Hebrew, Aramaic, and various Slavic languages. It is Day 189 of the California Lock Down. San Diego county is trying so hard to start back up, with new normal rules… The state government has come up with a cause and effect based tiered system governing the reopening. If the number of COVID cases continues to fall openings will continue under new capacity guidelines and rules depending up where your county falls interns of “tiers”, if cases increase, your county can be placed in a lower tier and restrictions reapplied. No one particularly likes any of it but it does seem to be a reasonable fact based response. Of course, our county leaders want to create exceptions to the counting of cases (they don’t want to count cases on college campuses because kids are stupid and like to party) so people can die but not affect our county’s standing in the tier system. To his credit, Governor Newsom is finding all their whining interesting and fascinating but applying the same rules to all…so far
I will not be publishing the UJT Update next week. I have been asked to take my Census act on the road. Later this week, I will be heading out to Northern California near the Oregon border to count our minions for Uncle Sam. It has been a while since I have gotten on an airplane or stayed in a hotel. I have never been north of San Francisco (except to fly over it on my way to Seattle), so I am looking forward to the adventure. Of course, every time I do anything that pushes my infectious envelope (like get a haircut or board an airplane) so I will have to self quarantine for a couple of weeks when I get home.
“Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” We lost RGB this week. For those who don’t know much about Justice Ginsberg, I suggest she is well worth the research. I grew up in Miami. Florida in the 1960s. Back then every New York garment worker, bus driver, nurse, cop, electrician, etc. were all taking their hard earned union pensions to south Florida. As a consequence of this migration, a large influx of Jewish mothers became a force that permeated my kid/teen world. That is what RBG reminded me of every time she spoke. That incredibly practical yet principled individual that every room in every building should have. She just simply will not allow academic philosophy persist in harming regular people, particularly women and other downtrodden in our society. Her quiet and reasoned voice was heard above the deafening clamor of extreme politics from the right or left. Her faith in the rule of law created a presence sorely needed on our countries highest court. Wealth and money govern our country at the moment. We have allowed the influence of special interests to corrupt our entire system of government – executive, legislative and judicial branches. The storm is already rising concerning the nomination process and the potential for a Senate, completely absent of true statesmanship, to continue to manipulate the placement of Supreme Court Justices. The precedent has been set by the Senate’s intentional procedural denial of President Obama’s selection in the last year of his presidency. Now, of course, our “leadership” will attempt to repeat the same thing in SCROTUS’ last (Oh! I so hope it is the last) year in office. This behavior is not new for our country. It started way back when Jefferson was president in a different form but has progressed primarily for the endless desire for each political party to Gerrymander it’s foot print such that incumbents remain and new “right thinking” people are placed in more offices. This is the same logic with much more dire consequences. The selection of RBG’s replacement, how it is done as well as who succeeds her will be pivotal in our country’s and the world’s future. It’s clearly a time for all of us, to pull up our big boy/girl pants and get engaged to make sure our principles are defended by any means available to us.
This week I learned some stuff:
• I am told that my census work will continue through September 30th. I have even volunteered to go to Las Vegas to help out those guys for the last week.
• The Great Left Coast Poker, Smoke and Lies Society has found another venue further north, that makes the commute a lot less intrusive for some of our players. This is a cool site… a brewery that actually had a live band playing a lot of old tunes from the 1960s and 1970s. It was also cool that I was the big winner !:)
• September 24th is the 268st day of the year (because 20 is a leap year – but there still only 92 days till Christmas!). Today in 1789, the United States Congress passes the Judiciary Act, creating the office of the Attorney General and federal judiciary system and ordering the composition of the Supreme Court; On this day in 1890, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints officially renounces polygamy; In 1906, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower in Wyoming as the nation’s first National Monument; On this day in 1957, President Eisenhower sends the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce desegregation;Today in 1960, USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is launched: On this day in 1968, the first episode of 60 Minutes airs on television; Today in 2015, at least 1,100 people are killed and another 934 wounded after a stampede during the Hajj in Saudi Arabia; Sarah Knauss, American super-centenarian, oldest verified American person ever was born (she died 119 years later in 1998); Ruth Leach Amonette, American businesswoman (first woman executive at IBM when she was made VP at age 27) and author was born today in 1916; Mel Taylor, American drummer (The Ventures) is born today in 1933; Jim Henson, American puppeteer, director, producer and screenwriter, created The Muppets was born today in 1936; Linda McCartney, American singer, photographer, and activist was born today in 1941; Dr. Seuss, American children’s book writer, poet, and illustrator died today in 1991:And finally, Buckwheat Zydeco, American accordionist and bandleader passed away today in 2016.
Website Update:
This week we made the following changes:
• Last week for our “New” Vocabulary Quiz.
• A New UJT Musical Trivia Quiz!!! (YEAH!! The crowd roars!!!)
• This week we stuck to mostly old favorites. We had some yummy home made Onion Soup and made some pretty tasty crusty bread to go with it. I put the crusty bread recipe on the UJT site.
Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• This week I managed avoid attending all of my classes.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• It strikes me more and more, just how polarized our country has become. When I was younger, I was concerned that our citizens were becoming ambivalent. That they didn’t take their responsibilities of citizenship seriously. The percentage of voters to eligible voters was declining and few even discussed politics or vision without the context of taxes or war. But now. I am concerned that civil discord has been fanned and fostered to the point of ignition. I maybe paranoid but I wonder whose purposes are served by making Americans afraid of civil unrest. Whose political stock increases should the hate being so subtly supported be reciprocated by the every increasing numbers of the disenfranchised? Who has the money, guns and righteousness to consider such a dangerous tactic as “worth it”. As we get closer to election day, make your vote the only weapon you wield. Do not allow yourselves or those around you to be provoked into violence that only serves those who have fostered this dark chapter of our country’s history.
Music Update:
Once again, your fossilized DJ takes you on another tiptoe though the archives to share some things you might missed or never have heard or at least not heard recently.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
• Jude Cole – It Comes Around (Album Version) — Another great cut from his 2005 release, “Start the Car”.
• The Beatles – Hey Jude – This was released as a single in 1968 and was number one in many countries that year. It is believed to have been written entirely by Paul McCartney to comfort Julian Lennon (Hey Jules) after John left his mother Linda for Yoko Ono.
• The Doobie Brothers — What a Fool Believes — This one came back up in the rotation this week. It was written by Kenny Loggins and Michael MacDonald and released on the Doobies’ 1978 release, “Minute by Minute”.
• Eric Clapton — (I) Get Lost — From The Vinyl !!! This song is just so tight! It was recorded in1999 as part of the soundtrack for “The Story of Us” and released on his Clapton Chronicles best of album that same year.
• Lionel Richie — All Night Long (All Night) — Its been a while since I heard this song. I remember my kids and I used our coupon money, when we moved up to northern VA. to buy this album at the used record store next to our grocery store. This is a very tight well produced record.
• Molly Hatchet — Flirtin’ with Disaster — For me this is the original headbanger song. I can remember our head bobbing doing the air guitar thing to this song with all our heart. At least, I think I remember that:) Anyway, this is the title cut from their 1979 release.
That’s it… Do the best you can; Laugh every chance you get; And always remember … The best is yet to come! As always, thank you for being my friend!