November 14th, 2019
“Chubo dele” or “Good Morning” in Dzongkha (རྫོང་ཁ), a South Tibetic language spoken in Bhutan.
This week I started the new woodworking project and as a consequence, I didn’t get much time to work on this UJT Update. I hope everyone had a great USMC Birthday, Veterans Day and a shout out to my favorite youngest granddaughter, Chloe on her 11th big day. I spent most of my time this week refining the design for my back yard barbecue island. I think i have most of the materials I need to construct it so I can start cutting wood after class today. I also have some repairs to make on the fence that my bamboo has been beating up for so long. So I will be busy most of the week, when I am not in class.
As we will be out of town for Christmas, I started getting ready early. Jess and BJ have gotten the inside of the house decorated already. The tree is up and many of the litle decorations have been placed or hung. I haven’t even gotten our Thanksgiving turkey yet.
This week I learned some stuff:
• I learned how to make a wooden barbecue island that won’t burn down when you use the grill. It was a bit scary for a while there, in between purchasing the grill and most of the materials and when my design was completed. I relearned how much I love building things like furniture. The last major woodworking project was refinishing our bed and matching end tables about 2 years or so ago. Before that, it might have been building Jessica’s (now Darrian’s) bed about 14 years ago. I love the process, the smells, the troubles and triumphs of it all.
• I had an old guy moment recently trying to remember if Dave Mason played, “The Wind Cries Mary” or “All Along the Watchtower”, so I did a Google Search on the concert playlist to see if I could find out what songs he did for sure. Anyway I was sooo jazzed when I found this set list site that has audio or video of each song played that night!!! Check it out here. Oh and while you are there search for your favorite bands to see if there are any great videos or live audio captured for you there.
• November 14th is the 318th day of the year (only 41 days till Christmas!). On this day in 1851, Moby Dick by Herman Melville was published – I disliked this well written masterpiece immensely! It was the first book where I learned about the arrogance of man – I was like 11 or so when I first read it and pretty much thought the hero of the book was the whale; In 1910, Aviator Eugene Burton Ely performed the first takeoff from a ship in Hampton Roads,Va. He took off from a makeshift deck on the USS Birmingham in a Curtiss pusher; The BBC had its first broadcast on this day in 1922; In 1957, the “Appalachian Meeting” in rural Tioga County in upstate New York is raided by law enforcement; many high level Mafia figures are arrested while trying to flee; In 1960, Ruby Bridges becomes the first black child to attend an all-white elementary school in Louisiana; In 1967, American physicist Theodore Maiman is given a patent for his ruby laser systems, the world’s first laser.; In 1982 – Lech Wałęsa, the leader of Poland’s outlawed Solidarity movement, is released after eleven months of internment near the Soviet border; In 1991, American and British authorities announce indictments against two Libyan intelligence officials in connection with the downing of the Pan Am Flight 103.; In 2001, the Afghan Northern Alliance fighters take over the capital Kabul; On this day in 1967; On this day in 2017m a gunman kills four people and injures 12 others during a shooting spree across Rancho Tehama Reserve, California. He had earlier murdered his wife in their home. in 1719, Leopold Mozart, Austrian violinist, composer, and conductor was born on this day; In 1840, Claude Monet, French painter was born;In 1908, Joseph McCarthy, American captain, lawyer, and politician was born; Our beloved, “Henry” from the TV version of M.A.S.H, McLean Stevenson, American actor and screenwriter joined the party; 1952, American 4 Star General and Director of the CIA was born; On this day in 1947, Buckwheat Zydeco, American accordion player was born;1952, Johnny A., American guitarist and songwriter; 2014, Glen A. Larson, American director, producer, and screenwriter, created “Battlestar Galactica” died.
Website Update:
• Last week for the “New” Vocabulary Quiz!
• A “New” Music Trivia Quiz !! Yeah!!!!
• This week I managed to come up with 4 new recipes that I think were worth sharing. I added “Something Like a Juicy Lucy Burger” which I found out was kind of like the “Philly Cheesesteak” of Minneapolis, MN. Very tasty! I also worked up a revival recipe for pork chops. I say revival recipe because for me pork chops had kind of come off my menu until now. This nice Lemon-Caper sauce just makes it work soo good – Yum! I found out about a really simple, and tasty main course or side past dish called, “Scratch Husband Pasta”. To hear how it got its name, read the recipe. Lastly, I have another one pan dish called, 1 Pan Chicken Dinner that everyone seemed to like.
Writing, Ceramics and Painting Update:
• I glazed my house sign. Unfortunately, I mistook really dry clay for first fired clay (bisque) and subsequently glazed the thing too early. It might be ok but I have to fire it in 2 steps – low temp then high temp. It still may end up in the trash but not yet. I also worked on this funky little pentagon box.
• Grandpa Stories is still not re-published.
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
• When I was doing the “On this Day” in the past thing for the UJT, I was reminded of another extremely powerful fear monger in our not too distant past. Do you all remember, Senator Joe McCarthy from Wisconsin? He lead the greatest “US and Them” campaign prior to the current rein of our own SCROTUS. As Chairmen of the Senate Government Operations Committee he bullied, humiliated, ostracized and destroyed individuals’ lives, careers and caused American’s to lose faith in their organizations. McCarthy was able to abuse anyone different by fanning the fames of fear and hatred. Many of his tactics will be familiar to you. Even the FBI counterintelligence community became afraid of Joe McCarthy’s impact. “McCarthyism did all kinds of harm because he was pushing something that wasn’t so. The problem was that McCarthy lied about his information and figures. He made charges against people that weren’t true. McCarthyism harmed the counterintelligence effort against the Soviet threat because of the revulsion it caused” author Ronal Kessler, said in his book, “The Bureau: The Secret History of the FBI”. Anyway, it might help us to review this dark part of our political history, if for no other reason than to gauge just how resilient the American people are after they make a huge political mistake.
Music Update:
This week, I have created another very nice collection of song samples that I think celebrate life in a grand way!
Go to this week’s UJT Radio program.
• Johnny A — The Wind Cries Mary — Happy Birthday to Johnny A!!! I had no idea that he was my age.
• Dead & Company – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door — John Mayer was a wonderful fit for band. They have been touring non-stop since 2015 and produced a number of live concert albums.
• Bob Dylan —A Hard Rain is Gonna Fall — This one is from the 1963 release, “The Freewheeling Bob Dylan”. One of my favs by the OBIWAN of Folk Poets.
• Bob Marley and the Wailers – Could You Be Loved – This one comes to us from their , “Uprising” album released in 1980.
• Boxing Gandhis — Piece the Valley — This is a song about quiet desperation. About a soul who gets lost with a gun. I thought of this song as I was recalling the tragedy in Las Vegas. This one should be listened to closely. This is a deeper cut from their album,”Howard” released in 1996
• Bob Schneider — Bullets — This is a very tight piece. Bob channels his inner Wolfman Jack on the vocals and the horns just work. This one is from his 2001 release, “Lonelyland”.
• Bobby McFerrin — Don’t Worry, Be Happy— From his, “Simple Pleasures” released in 1988. It kind of infectious. I cannot help but smile whenever I hear this song.
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!