![]() December 1st it snowed enough to shovel. I’m feeling tired, it’s the Covid blues December 10th and the daily death toll (from covid) in the US surpassed 3,000 with over 250,000 new cases in a single day. We are at a place no one imagined. The vaccine is about to be released but will it have the expected effect? We are told it will take months to notice real decreases in cases. Canada will not see widespread vaccine availability till late spring or early summer. A lockdown - they call it “grey zone” is now (December 14th) in effect in the Windsor area - where all stores except food, drugs, alcohol, fuel etc, are closed. This will dampen Christmas spending at a time of the year where many businesses make their profit. Toronto, Peel and Brampton have been in lockdown for two weeks. Schools in Windsor have been ordered closed starting Monday Dec 14 - a week early. The lockdown has been extended (at this writing) until January 23rd, so my art show has been postponed. The lockdown could be extended once we reach that date depending on the virus spread. ![]() Against Mr Ford’s (Ontario's Premier) wishes, I traveled to Port Credit (on the 23rd) to spend Christmas with my sons and their mum. I kept my fingers crossed and my mask on. I stopped in London to pick up 7 Rick Brant books (children’s series) for $25. Thanks to Ted for meeting me out near the highway. The temperature was in the high 40’s and it rained that night. Our Covid Christmas In the house: James, John, Anthea, myself and Laurel for dinner Christmas Eve (we opened her gifts that night). After a very mild December it snowed for Christmas morning, and a fair bit. John and I cleared the 4 cars and driveway. We opened gifts, had brunch and zoomed with England (Anthea’s maternal relations) around noon. Not long after we heard that George Shaw (Edna’s brother) died that day. It is a very strange time, but we all know this and will remember. There is no visiting friends and family and the streets are relatively quiet. ![]() Read Passage to Juneau Jonathan Raban (2000 non-fiction) A writer/sailer ventures solo up the inside passage of the west coast from Seattle to Juneau Alaska in a 34 foot sailboat. Widely interspersed is the history of Captain Vancouver and his expedition to map the area in the 1790’s. Mid voyage Raban leaves for England to attend the death and funeral of his father. We get a smattering of autobiography. In the end his wife and daughter join him, only to have his wife inform him that their marriage is over. A long read (435 pages) where the wind falls several times leaving us stranded in the doldrums. ⅗ Goodreads link here. War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq Richard Engel (2008) This is kind of a must read. It’s about the first 5 years of the Iraq war. You will learn that it’s really the never ending civil war within the Muslim community which started the day Mohammud died. The Prophet left a power gap and the two factions (Shuuni and Shite) have been at war ever since. It will not end until one group has eliminated the other - they cannot live together in peace. The Americans tried to get between them, and George Bush thought he could enlighten them with democracy. It didn’t work. What is revealed is how low humans can sink - it seems like another world. It’s not pretty and it’s not sane. Goodreads reviews ![]() Viewed Goliath (Prime - Seasons 1, 2, & 3) Season 1: Where have we seen them? We know Bill Bob, William Hurt and country singer Dwight Yoakam. I recognize Molly Parker who plays Callie Senate - the red head, lover to Billy Bobs x and handles the case from Lost in Space - she plays the mother. Harold Perrineau, the judge was Damon Pope on Sons of Anarchy, season 5 (he had Tig's daughter killed - burned in the pit), Sarah Baker is the daughter on The Kominsky Method. I didn’t watch Lost so I didn't recognize Tania Raymonde. Maybe it was covid, maybe because I hadn’t seen anything I thought was good in awhile - but I really liked this series. The first one is somewhat normal, then half way through season two we have the kidnapping with the Japanese woman - a very weird episode. From there I think the writers and producers let go. Season three is an art film, maybe not as suspenseful as the first season, but it makes you think. There is one more season in the works. Highly recommend Trailer here The China Hustle (Netflix 2017) How American stock brokers registered crappy Chinese companies on the NYSE and pumped them way beyond their values. Investors and retirement funds have lost billions. Stay away from Chinese investments (Alibaba included) but many are buried in defunct American companies - that’s how they register on the exchange. Greed again including accounting firms and banks. Worth the time if you are inclined. Trailer here Returned to Source Chuck Yeager (1923 - pilot) Charlie Pride (1934 - country singer), Rick Hilborn (1949 - brother of friend Michael), George Shaw (my x-mother-in-law’s brother) John le Carre (David John Moore Cronwell - author 1931), Pierre Cardin (1922 fashion designer) Eddie Van Halen (1955 guitarist) Below are three small posters (8.5 x 11) created by graphic artist Marcy Boles, which I will use as promotional flyers in store windows. There is a large poster (36 x 48 not shown) for the show entry. Dates will have to be changed once I know it is safe to proceed.
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AuthorI believe we are what we think. What we think depends on what we feed our brains. This is a partial record of what my brain has been eating. Archives
February 2023
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