March 1st, 2025
“ 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 2,017 days since Russia invaded Ukraine.
This week, I learned some stuff:
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- I am so happy with how our pond turned out!!!! Sean and BJ did an excellent job. When I get up in the morning and step out of my sliding door, I am first created by the happy sound of a stream flowing through nearby. With just a few steps, I am watching the water flow over the rocks, around the durns and into the pools they built on its way back to the pond. The morning sunlight reflects giving these little twinkles of light. Another sight to be grateful for.
- I mentioned last week that my friend Lou recommended this Andrew Mayne author to me and I have not been disappointed.
- We did our part during, Nationwide Economic Blackout on February 28th. In our modern economy it takes some thought on how to abide corporate purchases and find some locally owned businesses to meet our needs. A near gesture, I am sure. Perhaps a minor irritant? We have to find ways that express our discord in monetary terms because it seems that’s the only thing those currently empower understand and care about.
- I must admit that cleaning the pond is a much more challenging task for my old ass. There are eight filter media pads that have to be removed from the filter and flushed with it with a hose. Then we have to remove the bottom cap and drain all the sludge and rinse it before we can reassemble the filter. I also have to clean the intake filters on the pumps in the water. All this was a half hour task that really wasn’t too challenging not so long ago but yesterday I think I spent four hours getting it done and there were a couple points, especially when I was trying to return the plug to the bottom of the filter Thing that I got a little wobbly. When I talk about this with my wife, she says I should stop doing it and hire somebody to do it but when talking about it with my son, I explained that I’d much rather die doing something that I enjoy and get pleasure from than to be hiding from it or being so careful. I can’t enjoy it. It just doesn’t work that way for me. So it takes me longer it tires me more, and I have to take precautions against becoming dizzy or falling, but when it’s done, I feel a sense of accomplishment, and I enjoy listening to the site and sound of clean water flowing through the pond pond.
- You can find out all about today’s history here.
This week’s Website Update:
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- I have a new recipe almost ready for prime time – Parmesan Squash is coming soon.
- The Home Page this week is from a legend surrounding Ernest Hemingway. The story goes that while drinking with some other authors in a Paris bar, Hemingway expressed distain for the wordiness of many of modern short stories. Taking offense they challenged him to put his money where is mouth is. Legend has lost the amount of the wager but it is said Hemingway was given a week to produce the shortest story. He won the bet with: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Hemingway may have been an asshole human being, but the boy could write!
Bonsai Tree and Stained Glass, Update:
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- I continue to linger over this piece. I feel like i need to retreat to my YouTube college and brush up on my technique. I seem to work on it for awhile and ge frustrated and stop. This is not a good work ethic for any endeavor. I shall “endeavor to persevere” .
Weird-Stuff-O-Meter:
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- If you are a Facebook user you must have noticed the vindictive nature of their AI driven selection of what ends up on your feed. Of course you are given a chance to express your desires by election “Show more of this” Or “ Show lesss of this” but it appears that the algorithm likes to take these expressions in very different directions. I forget what the topic was that I selected “”Show less of this” for but the great FB algorithm in the sky must have taken offense because suddenly my feed was filled with graphic images of prey being chased down and killed in the wild. Another time I expressed that same sentiment, I was treated to 4or 5 days of breastfeeding imagery. Also beware, it may take many “Show more or less of tis “ selections to get a change. When this happens … go ahead and read a good book
This week’s UJT Radio Program:
This week we lost Roberta Flack and Gene Ha man. Roberta didn’t enjoy anything like the fame that Gene Hackman had but she was a giant in her own way. Most people will remember her by her biggest hit “killing me softly”. The world is a poor place because of the loss. RIP. This group us the final “M” people group. Next week a new letter.
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- Men at Work — Who Can it be Now — This was the first song I heard from this group, I became a hard-core fan. ones from their debut album “business as usual” released in 1981.
- Michael Jackson — Billie Jean — this song is something like the second highest sold song in history, surpassed only by a candle in the wind after Princess Du passed. This is from his first solo album that was produced by Quincy Jones, “thriller” released in in 1982.
- Mike and The Mechanics — All I Need Is a Miracle ’96 (Remastered Version) — This is a great self titled album and song released in 1985. It was their self titled debut album. And it’s one of my favorites.
- Mike Oldfield —Tubular Bells (From “The Exorcist”) — this is a fantastic piece of music in its own, right the composition is amazing, but it becomes even more amazing when you consider the fact that all, but a few of the instruments played on the album were done by Micheal. This is the title cut from his 1982 release.
- Mitch Rider and the Detroit wheels — Devil with the Blue Dress on — T before bob Seger, and Ted Nugent the Detroit sound was firmly established by Mitch Rider and his band is a great song to dance to.it was released as a single in 1964.
- Moody Blues — Lovely to See You— This song was released on , (their, ” on the threshold of germ” released in 1969. From the first time to this time, it remains one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands.
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!