October 12th, 2024
“ Dobroho ranku”, or “Good Morning!” in Ukrainian, is 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 977 days since Russia invaded Ukraine.
This week I learned some stuff:
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- I am happy to report that progress (albeit slow) is being made on the Great Waterfall Project of 2024. as it’s called in all the newspapers 🙂 The top tier is gone as is the supporting structure – just working my way to the water’s edge. Keep those fingers crossed!
- I was successful in getting hooked up with the Braille Institute’s Library of Congress audiobook system! Woo Hoo!
- You can find out all about today’s history here.
This week’s Website Update:
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- This week, I came up with a new Rotisserie Chicken dish. It’s fast, easy and tasty.
- This week, the Home Page will quote from an old African proverb,“When an old man dies, a library burns down”. If I may wax a bit philosophical for a moment, Have you ever asked yourself what our life’s purpose is? I have. “ A life unexamined …and all that. Anyway, after pondering the question for some time, I have decided that for me, at least, there are two purposes: 1) Help create suitable, if not superior, replacements and 2) continue the story. Most folks find their way to seeing number one, but fewer find their role in number 2. Everyone should pass their stories on! If you won’t or can’t write them down at least tell them often to those around you who are younger. If you write them down, there is a much more significant chance that future members of your family and perhaps their friends will be able to enjoy them. if not, learn from your experiences even if you are not there to share them. If you choose not to, the library burns to the ground when you pass.
Bonsai Tree and Stained Glass, Update:
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- I came up with a new excuse this week! I am tearing down my old waterfall 🙂
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
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- As election day grows closer and really bad Hurricanes threaten our family living in Florida, AGAIN! I have detected a valuable enhancement to candidate statement publications – online, video, and print media. They have added a fact-check feature to many of the stories I have seen. We will all benefit if corporate America can keep their sticky little fingers out of the content. For example, I saw three clips from one of the presidential candidates on the response to the damage caused by Helene. One was “false or untrue”, and the other two were “misleading”. Further, there were assessments of the impact such misinformation could have on the recovery effort underway. Our media has expanded on the “whatever comes out of their mouth is mews” to “Are they being truthful tools news too” As long as the assessment of the content is not biased un anyway and it is applied equally, this change will aid us all in finding our way through the compost pile we call American politics.
Music Update:
This week’s selections are all about friendship. Your friendships are what separate you from the poor people. It has never been about money. Our riches flow fro the friends we make and keep and the times we share.
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
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- Moody Blues — Lovely to See You — This one goes out to one of my oldest friends. We spent hours and hours listening to, singing along with. and dancing to our Moody Blues music. There always seemed to be a lot of decent pot, Boones Farm Apple, and Ripple Red wine, which makes the memories fuzzy, but there is nothing fuzzy bout the bond we formed in those days. This one is from their, “Thrashed of a Dream” album, released in 1969. We got to see them live a couple of times over the years – always lovely to see them again!
- Joe Cocker — A Little Help From My Friends — This cover of they Beatles tune, is just the best! It was the title song on his 1969 release. It was perhaps one of the more memorable performances at Woodstock that year as well.
- Venice — Tight Where We Left Out — I discovered this band because a friend of mine invited me to a backyard concert. They have some of the best harmonies in he biz! But the sentiment of this song is so true. It feels like this whenever I get to meet up with my friends. This one is from their. “ Home Grown” was released in 2008. The the guitar work on this one is pretty special too.
- Carole King — You’ve Got a Friend — This one is perhaps the most popular tune in this list of great songs about friendship. For me this song is like an old friend. This version is from her “Carnegie Hall Concert – on June 18, 1971. This version is special to me because yu can feel the love and friendship between Carole and James Taylor as they sing.
- Jimmy Buffett —African Friend — Not all friendships are lifelong but that does not make them less valuable. This is a great song from Jimmy’s “Son of a Son of a Sailor” album released in 1978.
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- Rolling Stones — Waiting on a Friend —It has taken most of my life for me to learn that there is no such thing as a “best” friend. All the friends I have known have always done their best and even when we are not together, I feel their love and support. This song was given to me by one of these friends. It is from their album, “Tattoo You” released in 1981.
- Wiz Khalifa — See You Again (feat. Charlie Puth) —This is a beautifully sung sad song with poetry embedded. When I heard this the first time, I had all these flashbacks of friends that I have lost over the years. I was never ready to lose any of them. This is the soundtrack of “ released in 2015.
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!