Friday Music

On July 2nd, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence.  

 A couple of days later its delegates to the Congress  adopted the Declaration of Independence - a historic document drafted by Thomas Jefferson. 

From 1776 until the present day, July 4th has been celebrated as the birth of American independence.  

To celebrate the holiday here is American roots-rocker Dave Alvin having a really good time singing an original of his with David Hidalgo, Flaco Jimenez, Pete Sears, Max Baca and Los Cenzontles at the benefit for Los Cenzontles Cultural Arts Academy at the home of Robert Mailer Anderson and Nicola Miner, San Francisco, February 16, 2017,

4th of July.....

Memorial Day

It is, in a way an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country....in wars far away.  The imagination plays a trick.  We see these soldiers in our mind as old and wise.  We see them as something like the Founding Fathers, grave and gray haired.

But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives - the one they were living and one they would have lived...

- Ronald Reagan

Originally called Decoration Day - Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have died in service to our country.

There is an American Cemetery and Memorial located in Colleville-sur-Mer on the bluff overlooking Omaha Beach in Normandy, France.  Dedicated in 1956 the Cemetery and Memorial is situated closely to the site of the temporary American St. Laurent Cemetery, established by the U.S. First Army on June 8, 1944 - the first American cemetery on European soil in World War II.  

This is the final resting place of 9,388 of our military dead - most of whom lost their lives in the D-Day landings and ensuing operations.  If you were to visit this place you will note that upon the walls of the Garden of the Missing are inscribed an additional 1,557 names.  And because old battlefields continue to yield their dead - rosettes mark the names of those since recovered and identified.

In Plot E Row 26 Grave 37 rests James D. Johnston - Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, 47th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division.  Jill and I walked this sacred place on a typical rainy Norman morning and while I have no direct connection to James Johnston, his life before the war, or his survivors following the war what you can discern from the marker is that Johnston was from North Carolina and was a commander in the same division and infantry regiment my dad served.  

Some of you know that my father landed at Utah Beach as an infantry replacement.  He was a machine gunner in a heavy weapons platoon.  Dad fought in the battle of the hedgerows, the breakout at Saint-Lô and Patton's mad dash across northern France.  His participation in the liberation of Belgium was interrupted by wounds incurred in combat.  Following his recovery in England he served for a brief period in the US Army of Occupation in Germany.

Dad returned home from the war and lived a full and rewarding life. He worked quietly in a public school system and never spoke about his war experiences in any great detail until I was in college. I am alive today to muse about this subject because he survived.  James Johnston never had the opportunity to sit on the stoop and share closely-guarded feelings about the war with a son.  

This is why Memorial Day is personal to me.

A bit of reading reveals that Johnston died from wounds suffered from the detonation of a German 88mm shell at the blood-stained Crossroads 114 near Acqueville just outside of Cherbourg.  Death in combat was fickle in the skirmishes and battle for mere meters in the uneven and mixed woodlands and pastures of the Bocage.  PFC Gaertner survived - Lt Col Johnston did not.

When it came time for a permanent burial, the families of the dead were asked if they wanted their loved ones repatriated for permanent burial in the U.S. or interred overseas.  Lieutenant Colonel Johnston's remains lie here with approximately 461 graves belonging to 9th Infantry Division G.I.s.

Today it is useful to remember and honor the lives that brave men and women sacrificed.  

Both of those lives.
 

click on images for a closer look

 

 

_{*Eight Stars to Victory - Mittelman, The Battery Press}

 

A Wee Bit O'Blarney

Clonmacnoise, Ireland

The Feast Day of Saint Patrick has taken-on more significance for me since we traveled and visited the Old Sod of my ancestors before COVID.  Unless you are oblivious it is obvious that the Republic of Ireland is most assuredly a bastion of the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith.  And I suppose more than a few visitors are left with the impression that Ireland is - in some official capacity - a Catholic country.  While Catholics significantly outnumber all other faith traditions in Ireland, there is no reference to Catholicism in the Irish Constitution.  Ireland is officially a secular state and tolerates all belief systems.  Of course, on my visit not even once did I spy a Lutheran church.  But I digress.

Getting back to the Feast Day the story of Ireland’s Patron Saint persists and you readers are likely wondering if St. Patrick really did chase the snakes out of Ireland.  Or is that tale just a bunch of blarney?        

According to the tale way back in the fifth century the legendary priest raised his staff and banished the reptiles into the seas surrounding the Emerald Isle.  Save for those in captivity it is true that Ireland has no snakes.  But this current condition has less to do with religious tradition and more to do with geologic history and events dating many millennia ago.  Following the retreat of the last glaciers some 15,000 years ago Ireland was devoid of snakes.  Surrounded by icy waters to this very day snakes cannot swim or find their way there and as a consequence Ireland remains snake-free.         

That’s too bad because if my recreational DNA test is to be believed I am becoming more Irish with every passing year.  And I have a particular fondness for snakes. The bigger the better.   

Like this dandy five foot long Western Fox Snake.  I also like a good saint when I see one and St. Patrick wasn’t even Irish.         

Patrick was born of aristocratic blood in Britain probably around the year 390.  The legend says that he was not particularly religious.  At age 16 he was kidnapped into slavery was forced into life as a sheepherder in Ireland.  It is held that it was during this time that he found God and became a believer.         

As the story goes he began hearing voices and the voices instructed him to flee.  Which he did.  Patrick eventually found his way back to Britain and his family.  Alas, the voices returned commanding him to return to Ireland.  He was ordained a priest, went back to Ireland and spent the balance of a rather difficult life converting the pagan Celts to Christianity.  He died on March 17, 461 and was promptly forgotten.      

Nevertheless, over many years faithful conviction and belief in the story of Patrick grew.  And he grew ever larger after his death than he did in real life.  Hundreds of years after the fact he was honored as Ireland’s patron saint.         

So on March 17th we gather to pay homage to this saint who - ostensibly - banished the snakes from Ireland.  It is said that on this one day of the year everyone is Irish.          

Since I have real Irish blood coursing through my veins I intend to raise a glass of Guinness and toast my ancestors and Saint Patrick.  I will ignore the part about the sketchy British and Western European connection.         

Speaking of Guinness - according to the Guinness people somewhere around 5.5 million pints of Guinness stout are consumed world-wide each and every day.  On St. Patrick’s Day this will grow to 13 million pints.     

Drink responsibly people.         

Sláinte!

Patron Saint

In the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith Valentine is the Patron Saint of betrothed couples, happy marriages, love, lovers, bee keepers, fainting, epilepsy, plague, travelers, and young people.  His feast day is today.   

As a consequence of so little being known about the man the Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.  Nonetheless, he persists as a recognized saint.  

One of many stories about Val is that he was imprisoned for committing the most heinous of crimes - marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius of Rome.  Angered to the point of rage Claudius commanded Valentine to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.  Refusing the emperor - Valentine was executed outside the Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269.  

In case you’re wondering if Valentine was a real person - archaeological excavations have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to him.  In 496 Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration honoring his martyrdom.   

Today his relics can be found throughout the world – including his skull at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.  

 

Happy Valentines Day

 

February Night Sky

Venus is the Roman Goddess of Love and among other things is associated with beauty, desire and fertility.  In ancient Greece she was the Goddess called Aphrodite.  

In astrology, Venus is the planet of lover, beauty and harmony.  If you're looking to get your romantic vibe on it is Venus who communicates with other significant planets in your life.  If Venus is getting along with Mars or Jupiter you might feel more passionate and lucky in love.  If Venus is on the outs with Saturn and Neptune your relationships will be challenged by insecurities and trust issues.

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and what I know for sure is that normally bright Venus will attain her highest state of brilliance tomorrow evening.  Over the next several weeks our bright planet will fall closer to the western horizon losing more it its brilliance all along.  By the time March rolls-around Venus will disappear from view to emerge in the morning sky in April.

Happy Valentine's Day.....

Happy New Year

The grand kids asked if they could write LET IT SNOW on the porch windows.

The bottom photo is the view from the street.

Happy New Year.....

 

The Magic Hour

On this last day of the year it seem appropriate to share some highlights of those brief, fleeting, moments associated with the rising and setting of the sun.

Most always these moments are not even close to an hour.  Most often they are there and gone in a heartbeat.  You snooze you lose.

Happy New Year and thank you for reading, following and sharing.  See you next year on the flip side....

 

Friday Music

The meaning of Hallelujah.

This world is full of conflicts and full of things that cannot be reconciled.  But there are moments when we can reconcile and embrace the whole mess and that's what I mean by Hallelujah.

- Leonard Cohen

Haleluye - Yiddish

By Daniel Kahn from Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah with help from Michael Alpert, Mendy Cahan and josh Waletzky...

And Even More Holiday Spirit

For the loved one in your life that still likes to burn one on occasion there is this.....

 

Follow me at this blog for more gift-giving tips.

Merry Christmas!

Nativity Story

The Bible story of the virgin birth is at the center of much of the holiday cheer this time of year. The book of Luke tells us that Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem because Caesar Augustus decreed a census should be taken. Mary gave birth after arriving in Bethlehem and placed baby Jesus in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.       

Some people think Mary and Joseph were mistreated by a greedy innkeeper, who only cared about profits and decided the couple was not worth his normal accommodations. This version of the story (narrative) has been repeated many times in plays, skits, and sermons. It fits an anti-capitalist mentality that paints business owners as greedy, or even evil.         

It persists even though the Bible records no complaints and there was apparently no charge for the stable. It may be the stable was the only place available. Bethlehem was over-crowded with people forced to return to their ancestral home for a census – ordered by the Romans – for the purpose of levying taxes. If there was a problem, it was due to unintended consequences of government policy. In this narrative, the government caused the problem.          

The innkeeper was generous to a fault – a hero even. He was over-booked, but he charitably offered his stable, a facility he built with unknowing foresight. The innkeeper was willing and able to offer this facility even as government officials, who ordered and administered the census, slept in their own beds with little care for the well-being of those who had to travel regardless of their difficult life circumstances.         

 If you must find "evil" in either of these narratives, remember that evil is ultimately perpetrated by individuals, not the institutions in which they operate. And this is why it's important to favor economic and political systems that limit the use and abuse of power over others. In the story of baby Jesus, a government law that requires innkeepers to always have extra rooms, or to take in anyone who asks, would "fix" the problem.    

But these laws would also have unintended consequences. Fewer investors would back hotels because the cost of the regulations would reduce returns on investment. A hotel big enough to handle the rare census would be way too big in normal times. Even a bed and breakfast would face the potential of being sued. There would be fewer hotel rooms, prices would rise, and innkeepers would once again be called greedy. And if history is our guide, government would chastise them for price-gouging and then try to regulate prices.

This does not mean free markets are perfect or create utopia; they aren't and they don't. But businesses can't force you to buy a service or product. You have a choice – even if it's not exactly what you want. And good business people try to make you happy in creative and industrious ways.         

Government doesn't always care. In fact, if you happen to live in North Korea or Cuba, and are not happy about the way things are going, you can't leave. And just in case you try, armed guards will help you think things through.         

This is why the Framers of the US Constitution made sure there were "checks and balances" in our system of government. These checks and balances don't always lead to good outcomes; we can think of many times when some wanted to ignore these safeguards. But, over time, the checks and balances help prevent the kinds of despotism we've seen develop elsewhere.         

Neither free market capitalism, nor the checks and balances of the Constitution are the equivalent of having a true Savior. But they should give us all hope that the future will be brighter than many seem to think.

Credit - First Trust Advisors

 

 

Friday Christmas Confusion

Twelve Days of Christmas Confusion

Performed by Angel City Chorale 

Artistic Director, Sue Fink Video edited by, Alex Chaloff, Annika Benitz 

Angel City Chorale Website

Only In Wisconsin

You've heard of Elf On A Shelf.....

 

Winner Winner - Chicken Dinner!

Pregame Thanksgiving feast for the two of us.

Clockwise from the top: mixed veggies, baked yam, homemade stuffing, breast and drumstick.  Gravy over-all.

Did a roaster chicken in the bottom oven low and slow and finished it on convection roast setting to crisp it up.  Yams and dressing in the upper oven. Nuked the veggies.

I’m really digging the new GE Profile range. And, no. I’ve not paired it with my iPhone. Yet.

Pro Tip:  if you’re baking yams, taters or some other tubers; rub them in bacon drippings beforehand for a flavor enhancement.

Happy Thanksgiving Friends.

Go Pack!

 

Thankfulness

As per usual the Thanksgiving Holiday falls during deer camp.  This year it’s just Jill and I as nobody wants to be with us.  Which is just fine.  It’s a relaxing day of filling the wood box, drinking coffee, stuffing and roasting a big, fat chicken, maybe chilling-out in a deer stand for a couple of hours followed by sitting by the fire.

I've been counting my blessings because I've got a great deal to be thankful for.  My family, my friends, neighbors, reasonably good health, my marbles, a comfortable retirement, a new hunting dog and the great outdoors.  Let's face it - we live in the best country on planet earth.

 

An additional ray of sunshine is this bit of news:   According to the American Farm Bureau Survey this year's Thanksgiving dinner will see a dip in price for the second year in a row.  Thanksgiving dinner for ten will set you back $58.08, down 5% from last year; yet still 19% higher than five years ago.

 

Over the 39 years the Bureau has kept records the turkey has accounted for an average of 43% of the total dinner cost.  This year is no different - a 16-pound turkey accounts of 44.2% of the 10-person feast.  2024 brought a 6% decrease in turkey prices - a surprise considering  the USDA reported that growers raised 6% fewer birds this year and the lowest number since 1985.  In further evidence that presidents do not set the price of your turkey dinner contributors to the decline in turkey numbers have been the highly contagious avian influenza along with a drop in consumer demand.  This drop in demand has caused prices to fall.

 

There is some stuff in our world that can be improved-upon; yet on balance this is a terrific time to be alive.  If you glass is half-full like mine take a moment to count your blessings.  We have much to be thankful-for.

 

The staff here at The Platz extends their best wishes to you on this Thanksgiving holiday.   

Gobble, gobble...

 

Deer Camp

Been busy here at The Platz and the blog has been neglected.

Deer Camp is running at full tilt and it's out 30th Anniversary!

Raise the flag and bake the bread.

That's a deli rye and a sourdough boule.

Belgian Days

I cannot comment on the hundreds of pounds of Belgian Trippe, hamburgers, hotdogs, gallons of booyah that were sold from the kitchen.  As a licensed bartender I worked the bar.

The Brussels Lions Club sold 71 half-barrels of beer and 4 kegs of Von Stiehl cherry cider.  There was also the sale of an unknown number of vodka-infused fruity seltzers, hard iced tea and hard lemonade.  The latter seem to be a trending 'thing'.

Tending bar at the east end closest to the rock and roll bands has likely accelerated my hearing loss.  Nevertheless, Sunday brings welcome relief from the Modern Day Drifters and country music which is easier on the ears. 

Besides who doesn't like Waylon, Willie and The Boys with some pedal steel thrown-in for good measure...

 

Belgian Days

Busy Saturday at Belgian Days.

Boy's and girl's baseball and softball tournaments.  

Ring the bell.

Booyah to be cooked over a wood fire.

Refreshing adult beverages. 

Terrific food.  And if you're lucky Miss Door County will serve you. 

Live Music from WAMI Award winning Oshkosh band - Road Trip

 

And following the rain there was a rainbow.

Today is Sunday.  Which means all of the above and a parade to start...

Belgian Days

Wednesday and Thursday of this week found me over at the local town park with my neighbors and fellow Brussels Lions Club members setting-up for our annual fundraiser.

 

Belgian Days.

Yup.  63 years running.  And its a big deal for our small community because over that period of time the Brussels lions have raised more than $870,000, most of which stays right here in town.  Whether it is a family displaced by a fire, someone that needs a short or long term loaner on medical equipment, the church food pantry, investment in playground, trail and infrastructure in the town park or the local volunteer fire department; where there is a need there is a Lion.

 

I joined several years go after I retired and moved here permanently.  It was a marvelous way to make new friends, engage in the community and stay involved.  And yesterday we kicked-off the festival with a high energy cover band, Boogie and the Yo-Yoz....

 

 

Independence Day

Today is Independence Day - a day to celebrate the birth of this great nation of ours.  Casting-aside the yoke of British oppression it is on this day that we recognize and celebrate the Declaration of Independence of the United States on July 4, 1776.

To be absolutely clear, the Congress had voted to declare independence two days earlier - on July 2 - but it was not formally declared until July 4.    

Take a few moments from your celebration today to go to this link and take a handful of short quizzes.  Test your knowledge of the Constitution by measuring your Constitution I.Q.  You can also find out which of the Founding Fathers you are most like and which one you would likely vote for. 

In case you are wondering I not only aced the ten question Constitution Quiz - I am also most like James Madison and would likely vote for Benjamin Franklin.  But I digress.

Ordinarily I would say something snarky about British royalty today but I am going to demure.  Recent SCOTUS action notwithstanding I'm tickled that we don't have a present or future president with the absolute powers of a monarch.  

Nevertheless, coming off of a charming family vacation in the United Kingdom I have a new found appreciation and fondness for the the people that live there.  And all of the pomp and circumstance that comes with British royalty is sorta quaint. 

So while this has nothing to do with our national birthday celebration today; here's a short video clip from Buckingham Palace of the procession leading-up to the changing of the guard.

Everybody likes the precision drill of a marching band.....  

The Founders And Religion

A few words about the belief systems of our founding fathers on Independence Day. 

 

Quite a few of them - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine, James Madison, Ethan Allen and James Monroe - practiced a faith called Deism. 

 

Yup.  They were Deists. 

 

Deism is grounded in the philosophical belief that human reason is a reliable means of solving social and political problems. In lieu of relying-upon divine revelation Deists believed that religious truth should also be subject to the authority and influence of human reason.  And as a consequence they do not believe that the bible is the revealed word of God and they rejected scripture as a source of religious doctrine.  

 

Many of the founding fathers were also practicing Christians. They retained a supernaturalist world view, a belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ, and an adherence to the teachings of their denomination.  Among them are Patrick Henry, John Jay, and Samuel Adams. 

 

And like in all belief systems that are matters of degree; so there are Founders who fall into the category of Christian Deists. Washington is included in this group and his dedication to Christianity was clear in his own mind - Deist beliefs notwithstanding. These believers made use of Deistic terms for God but sometimes added a Christian dimension—such as Merciful Providence and Divine Goodness.  Yet these Founders did not move further into orthodoxy to solely employ the traditional language of Christian piety. 

 

Founders who remained unaffected by Deism or who like John Adams became conservative Unitarians and made use of terminology that clearly conveyed their orthodoxy - Savior, Redeemer, and Resurrected Christ.

Happy Independence Day.

And always remember we do not have a state religion.

The Founding Fathers had great foresight in that regard.....