725. 90,000

The population of Toowoomba, Australia is said to be 90,000. That is also the population statistic given for two countries, Grenada and Aruba. Lakewood, New Jersey is said to have the same number of residents. Los Angeles is said to have 90,000 homeless.

As of March 1, 2012, at 9:48 am, a visitor from Washington, DC become the blog's 90,000th visitor, pulling up entry #642 from August 9, 2010, which was largely a discussion from my trip to the New Madrid Bend of Kentucky and Reelfoot Lake area in Tennessee.

90,000 ! Woohoo! Keep reading.

667. Merry Christmas and all that

First, some old business. On December 1, someone (Anonymous) posted a comment (which for some reason did not show up until today) about me singing Frank Sinatra's My Way in Mr. Moorman's Chemistry class and Mrs. Risner's English class. In my music list published in September, I failed to include it. While it has not remained one of my favorites, it was in fact at one time one of them. I learned to play My Way on the piano in Shera Baker's living over in Treasure Island. I still play it often as it is one of the few songs I was actually taught to play, by Shera no less, as opposed to most of my music which I picked up by ear. But Shera and I were never in class together so whoever posted that comment has to be someone in my class, another person who probably turned 50 this year. Whoever it was, I appreciate your reminder about what was once one of my favorite songs.

With that out of the way - sort of, we'll get back to the turning 50 - today is Christmas Day. Merry Christmas to all of you, Christian or not. Christmas is at once a religious holiday, a cultural one, and significantly a commercial one. Most people get something out of it, even the atheists. That's all fine with me.

I used to get more out of Christmas than I do nowadays. Growing up Christmas was a big, big deal. We celebrated five different places usually, the main one being at home with my maternal grandparents where me, my mother, and my brother lived. We usually had relatives staying one or two nights, either Aunt Dorothy, my grandmother's aunt, or Uncle Milford, my grandfather's little brother. We'd also go to my Dad's house, and to my Dad's parents' house, as well as my great-grandparents' houses in Frankfort - the Lewis family home on Old Louisville Road and the Hockensmith home, originally on Devils Hollow Road, but later on Cavern Drive off what used to be called Parkside Drive but is now the West Frankfort Connector.

Most of those people are dead - my great-grandparents (I knew four of my great-grandparents, six if you count step-great-grandmothers), all of my grandparents, Aunt Dorothy, and Uncle Milford, and quite a few others. Even a generation closer, my dad's older brother, Uncle Don to everyone who knew him, has been dead since April 2005. The family members have been replaced generationally by my brother's children - six of them, ranging in age from 23 to 7. So, at least the Christmas morning part of Christmas is reserved for them. The youngest three are still at my brother's house and while I didn't this year, I have been over there in Christmasses-past to see the wild abandon of opening presents.

The adults in my family, along with these three youngest members, will gather later this week at my Mom's for our family celebration, a small but nice affair. We'll eat dinner and exchange presents, many of which will be gift cards. My mother decides the day we actually celebrate (not only Christmas but all the other holidays including birthdays) based on a number of factors with this year's decision being complicated by her not feeling well the last week or so.

For me, Christmas has come to mean attending Mass. Over the years I've done so mostly at Holy Family, my church home for just over thirty years, up until this year. When I was in my twenties, I regularly attended with a number of college friends at Saint Francis of Assisi. A few times I went to the Cathedral of the Assumption downtown, once to St. John's UCC downtown, and a few other times I went to the Episcopal Church of the Advent, the church I finally joined very early this year after wandering in the religious desert for several years, all the while maintaining an active membership at Holy Family. Since joining Advent, I've tried to be just as active there as I was in my old church.

Christmas comes just once a year, so the song goes. Frankly, as I get older, I am thankful for that. Getting older, by the way, is what 2010 has mostly meant for me. While I had a very busy and successful year politically, all of that has been internally overshadowed by two related events - being 49 while anticipating being 50, and actually being 50, which I've honestly not yet mastered as I've at this point passed the 1/3 mark of my 51st year. For most of the year being 49, I recognized that I was getting older. I'm still apparently healthy despite significant health problems when I was 44. I'm also still active enough to enjoy myself. But I also realized that there is lots left to do.

On September 23rd I turned 50, celebrating in grand proportion (as far as I'm concerned) with a party (on the 19th) attended by 175 people and recorded for posterity and subsequently posted on my Facebook page. Friends from throughout my life attended and I was very pleased. My entire family was there at some point as was many in my current political family, noticeably my congressman who stayed for most of the three hour party. But then, instead of "getting" older, I actually got older when the 23rd rolled around four days after the party.

Suddenly, the terminus of my life is not so far away. Hopefully it is still well on down the road, but I am likely much closer to the end than the beginning. And that has not been a pleasant experience thus far. In all of my life, while I've had a few relationships, none of them have lasted long, and none of them have been entirely fulfilling. And now, at 50, I've come very close to deciding that I do not want to be alone as I wander into the twilight of my life a few years from now. And I've decided that there are things left to do which cannot be left undone. That famous "bucket list" that people have is rather full for me and the time has come to do something about that.

My guess is that means more than making new friends and going to new places. It also entails a new attitude about what and who is and isn't important. While I have few extremely close friends, I am blessed to have lots of friends, many of whom I've kept as friends for ten, twenty, thirty, and even a few for forty years. I've also worked hard at creating and maintaining a friendship base with those ten, twenty, and even thirty years younger than me. Somehow I think that helps keep one's outlook in perspective, as there are far more people younger than me in control of society than those of my age or older. Even President Obama is younger than me. Having young friends is also good for the soul. Further, some with whom I've been close the last few years are finding their own ways, independent of my control or influence. While it is hard to let go of some of that, it is also a necessary component of life but one that is fairly new to me. In particular my friend Keith, whom I first met in 2000, has departed with his new partner for New York to do whatever it is that people do when they are in their mid-20s and free of most any restraints. And I'm very happy for him and have been supportive when asked. I love him dearly.

I've also decided to divorce myself from a very limited number of people, although I'm not quite sure I'm fully prepared to do so. Thus far there has been only one on that list although I suspect 2011 will see a few more be set aside. And I've decided to aggressively pursue some new friends while I have time to do so. Such pursuit is the direct result of one conversation I had with the one person I've thus far set aside. I hope it will work. I have no idea if it will or not.

I have other plans for 2011. One is to continue the diet I've been upon since November 3rd. I've lost 25 pounds so far, just under half my goal. I'm very happy about that - it is the first time I've lost weight in twenty years. Ironically, the last time I went on a diet, twenty years ago, one reason was because I thought I was getting older. Now I am; now I have to.

My hope is 2011 will see siginificant change in my life. I'm not all that sure what that change might be, but I am planning to engage it, envelope myself in it, and enjoy it for all it may be worth. That's my Christmas present to myself. A renewal of my life plan. It is the best Christmas present I've given myself in a long time, perhaps the best ever. We'll see how it goes.

I hope Christmas has been and is and will be for you as rewarding as what I am planning for it to be for me. To my seven faithful readers, and all the rest of you, Merry Christmas and God's Blessings.

581. Farewell to 2009

Thus ends another year. The skies are dark and grey, although it is not all that cold right this moment. The temperature here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 is about 42 degrees and the wind is, oddly, southerly. All that is scheduled to change later tonight when the mercury will dip into the high teens or low 20s, amidst what is now rain and drizzle, there will likely be ice and sleet for the year's-end celebration.

This entry is set to review the blog over the year and here and there a look ahead to 2010 and what plans might be made. This will be the 154th entry for the year, down from the 167 of 2008, and considerably down from the 250 during the first year's writing. There is a message in those numbers which will probably be borne out sometime in 2010.

The year started with a recollection of the Kentucky counties which I visited in 2008, something I've kept track of since 1979. I've been to all of Kentucky's counties at least twice, but usually make it only to 45 or 60 in any given year. This year's number is 45, compared with 44 in 2008. For the 22nd year in a row, Elliott and Lawrence have eluded me. These two counties I've been to only twice in the 31 years I've been keeping count - in 1979 and 1987. Twenty-two years is too long not to visit places like Ordinary, Sandy Hook, Blaine, Louisa, and Fallsburg, the latter being the hometown of former governor Paul Patton. Sometime this year, I'll see those places again - maybe I'll ask the inhabitants thereof what is on their minds as we begin the statewide races for 2011. Elliott is the most reliably Democratic county in the Commonwealth.

Later entries in January 2009 dealt with my return to City Hall, a trip to Washington to see Barack Obama inaugurated, and an ice storm of grand and trajic proportion visited upon the city. I'm not as pleased with President Obama as I was with candidate Obama - is anyone ever so? He has had a year to play. I hope 2010 is far more successful for him and the country than 2009 proved to be. I'm not sure how he is to accomplish that, but I am hopeful that he has some idea. One of the deficiencies of the last administration was their clear lack of a plan - other than the schemes of Big Dick Cheney. This administration must put forth some plan of action. Failed plans are better than no plans. FDR went through several iterations of plans when he was dealing with his recession.

February's entries marked Abraham Lincoln's 200th birthday, a visit to Belknap Theater, the viewing of two films at the cinema (the last time I've "been to the movies"), and a decision regarding my religious affiliation. On the 15th I announced that I would begin the steps necessary to leave the Roman Catholic Church and join the Episcopal Church. It was a decision I had been very slowly making since the summer of 2003. That decision will become final on January 24, 2010, when I am officially received into the Episcopal Church of the Advent by Bishop Ted Gulick of the Diocese of Kentucky.

March's entries seemed mostly concerned with basketball. Imagine that - a blog in Kentucky mentioning basketball in March. There is also an entry on Kevin Triplett's deer-meat chili, a truckride to the Indiana village of Orleans, and the unfortunate passing of Chuck Olmstead, who was a friend for many years.

With Spring springing in April, it is obvious I took to the roadways. There are pictures from Bath County, the community of Salt Lick, the Nada Tunnel in Red River Gorge, and an intersection in Perry County. There are also pictures of Kentucky's earliest division of counties, a Louisville road map, and a flooded Churchill Downs.

May began with a 50-1 shot winning the Kentucky Derby - Mine That Bird. And while 2009 was a non-election year, May is still, even without an election, a naturally political month in Kentucky, the month in which our primaries are held. In a variety of entries, I manged to mention Gore Vidal, Jim Wayne, Perry Clark, Doug Hawkins, Dan Borsch, Robert Linn (of Pennsylvania), Rand Paul, John Yarmuth, Richard Nixon, William Taft, James K. Polk, Steve Beshear, and Stuart Perelmuter. Stuart, by the way, will be 30 (Damn!) next week and is celebrating the big day with a party. He is one of my favorite people on the planet.

On June 1st, we celebrated Kentucky's 217th birthday. Well, at least I did. I don't think there were any official commemorations. Later entries were all over the board - a Lincoln statue dedication, an immigration discussion with fellow blogger Paul Hosse, a trip with my friend Preston to a place called Preston Plantation, and a meandering discussion on racetrack slots wherein I mentioned ten different Kentucky counties, threw in some Scripture, invoked the names of former members of Congress Anne Northup and Henry Hyde, and reminded my readers of the fun I had with a bottle (and a half) of Old Forester Bourbon the night John Yarmuth was elected in 2006. That was quite an entry. June closed in a much more somber and recollective manner upon the death of music icon Michael Jackson.

The long, hot, summer days of July saw Craig Greenberg exit the mayor's race and Sarah Palin exit the governor's office in Alaska. Then there was the "Dan" entry - some political coverage of Dan Mongiardo, Dan Seum, Dan Kelly, and the son of Danny Meyer. Other entries mentioned Shakespeare in Central Park, and memories from 1998 of the race for Mayor of Louisville, and 1969 of Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon.

The first Saturday in August marks the annual Fancy Farm Picnic in Graves County. For the first time in many years, I did not attend. Instead of the hot and sweaty winds of west Kentucky and arguably vulgar mouth of Jack Conway, instead I wrote of Louisville's inundation by a flood on August 4th. It was devastating to a number of mostly inner-city neighborhoods, the same areas which flooded in the Great Flood of 1937. I lost a water-heater and furnace due to standing water in my cellar. Others' losses were much, much greater. Mid-August brought the State Fair and the special election of Robin Webb in east Kentucky, and the long-awaited but hard to accept death of United States Senator Edward Kennedy.

September's entries included a trip with Chris Hartmann to an Indian restaurant on Bardstown Road, comments on Congressman Joe Wilson of South Carolina effectively calling the president a liar, and former President Jimmy Carter effectively calling Congressman Wilson a racist. Tense times. By the way, Joe Wilson is being challenged in 2010 by Rob Miller, a former Marine, who also ran in 2008. You may want to look into that race. Later entries centered on activities at the Kentucky Democratic Party and the revival of a proposed amendment to the KDP By-Laws concerning Special Elections in Fayette and Jefferson counties, a proposal I first made in 2005. My proposal was repeatedly opposed by Tim Longmeyer, the Jefferson County Democratic Party chair. As politics is strange at times, Tim has now proposed virtually the same language he opposed for several years. Whatever his reasoning, I support the changes. Finally, there were several entries on my father's failing health. I'm happy to report that since late October he has been doing considerably better.

Comments on President Barack Obama's win of the Nobel Peace Prize were among October's entries. Others included roadtrips to Owen, Carroll, and Fayette counties, and another through the 14th Senate District in Kentucky's so-called Holy Land. A Harvest Moon began the month and an extremely funny and rather over-the-top sexually performance of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Actors Theater closed it out.

November was mostly consumed with my trip, aboard a Greyhound, to San Antonio, Texas. I had a great time both on the trip and in the city, and wrote several entries to that effect. The trip was inspired by one taken by my friend Keith and his friend Daniel earlier in the year to Los Angeles and back, also on a Greyhound. A note - the two of them arrived early this morning in New York City, again, by way of a Greyhound bus. At some point I might write about the problems of riding the Greyhound, but not now. The end of the month brought the number of visitors to my blog to 60,000. Wow.

That brings us up to December with its shorter days and longer nights. Entries mention President Obama's war, a memorial tribute to my grandfather on Pearl Harbor Day, stunning losses to the Kentucky Democratic Party in two Special Elections, a discussion on political correctness with a Lexington friend, the possibility of new tax revenues mentioned by Speaker of the House Greg Stumbo, the celebration of Christmas, and the passing of a very wonderful and giving person, Mrs. Sylvia Cross, at the age of 92. She will be sorely missed for many generations to come. May her souls and the souls of all the departed Rest In Peace.

So long 2009.

569. Who will be the 60,000th visitor to the site?

Sometime today or tomorrow, we will cross another of those thresholds, this one the 60,000th visitor. I'm prepared with some rainbow sherbet and ginger ale to celebrate. I don't really have a post today - just noticed the numbers. So, if you're hanging around here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 if the next few hours, check the number counter. I'm curious as to who is visiting. I'll take off the comment moderation device and make a request that for a few days people leave a message in the comment section. Tell me who you are and where you are from. Even if you don't use a real name, that is ok. I just want to know.

Thanks. All 60,000 of you. Even the repeaters. Even the six faithful readers.
-- Jeff

545. Time Out

The blog is on hiatus. My father is back in the hospital for a few days. Until his release, we'll be taking a break.

516. Briefly . . . .

Very briefly:

The ennui has passed.

I've penned another entry but am having second thoughts about posting it.

Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" plays a part of the entry I've written but not posted.

I'm still for Jack Conway despite the abovementioned tune going through my head over and over.

I'm glad I didn't go to Fancy Farm; I might have said something.

Stay tuned.

Ennui

July seems to have been an awfully long month - and there are still three days to go. I know it isn't any longer than any previous Julys, saving of course the possibility that the Atomic Clock Commission in Colorado has added a second somewhere, something they do now and then since the earth is slowing down, but usually they do that between 11:59:59 pm on December 31 and 12:00:00 am on January 1.

For whatever reason a sense of ennui has set in both here on the blog and at home. I've been slowing down doing things like making entries and cleaning the house. Neither seems to be a priority. The disinterest is such that I've decided to forego by usual travel to the west this weekend, missing out on a bean soup dinner on Friday, evening parties along Kentucky Lake Friday night, a great breakfast at Mayfield High School on Saturday morning, and the best sit-down country dinner in the Commonwealth Saturday afternoon at the K of C in Fancy Farm, Kentucky.

Other than the summer of 2005 when I was seriously ill, I've been going to the Saint Jerome Picnic at Fancy Farm in Graves County for a long time. This year, alas, I won't find my way into the annals of Kentucky's largest outdoor political event, nor will I overindulge after the K of C dinner on mutton snadwiches, cokes, and ice cream. And I'll miss out on buying a Capital Prize chance as well as playing bingo for one of the prizes under the big central pavilion behind the old school building.

I'll just be glad when July ends and August commences.

My goal, starting let's say on August 4th, is to reverse the hazy and lazy days of July with a burst of activity once August actually arrives on the scene, notwithstanding that the Fancy Farm Picnic is in fact on August 1. Since I've not been a part of either of the Senate candidacies for next year - for the record I'm for Jack Conway - next year's mayoral race will begin its long ascendancy in August and that I will be a part of. One of the refrains I've heard over and over this summer has been "You can't not participate in a mayor's race." After all, we haven't had a mayoral primary since 1998 and the last real one before that was 1985. I participated in both of those. This one will soon get started.

Another plan I have during August is to begin fixing the house up to the point that I can "have people over" sometime later during the Christmas holidays. Of course, given that I do not cook, I'll have to acquire some prepared food from somewhere if in fact I do that. The house is an old foot-thick-brick walled New Orleans-style one-story shotgun built in the late 1880s. It needs lots of work. I'd like to paint the entire interior which will be a great task in itself. Some of the rooms have 13 feet tall walls while others are 14 feet tall. I'm not quite 5'8". And all of them are full of stuff - books, furniture, boxes, more books, and boxes of books. Books predominate. I'd also like to comparmentalize the remnants of other peoples' stuff that I manage to have - leftovers from friends and relatives coming to stay a night, a week, or, as in the case of my brother on more than one occasion, over a year. For once in my life I seem to have the room not only for my stuff but everyone else's - but there needs to be a thinning. I have the room not only in the house, but also in the cellar, and if not there in the oversized two-car garage in the back. So that is my project for the next few months - personal organization and reor, something I've put off for forty-eight years or so.

That's another issue. In September I will be 49, twelve short months from a half-century. I want to be prepared to start that second half-century with as much of a clean and manageable plate as possible. Since I tend to be a procratinator, starting now - thirteen months early - is probably a good thing. Ok, admittedly, I'm not starting til next week, three or four days into August.

Happy End of July.

496. On Holiday

The blog is taking a Friday the Thirteenth break for a few days. This month Friday the Thirteenth is being celebrated on a Saturday.

See you soon.

Holy Week

I'm taking the week off from posting. We'll return after Easter Sunday.

Happy Easter.

444. Movie Reviews - Spoiler Alert (sort of)

Those of you who know me well know I do not do movies. Up until a few weeks ago, I hadn't been to a movie in years. I've never liked dedicating a few hours of my life to a less-than-acceptable made-up story often portrayed by less-than-capable made-up actors. It is related to my aversion to television although I'm not quite sure exactly how. In the nearly twenty-five years I haven't watched television, I've probably been to a movie theatre twenty times at most. Several of those would have been to see Rocky Horror at the old Vogue Theatre in Saint Matthews, and maybe two or three more were special films, the most recent of which was Fake ID in 2003. Doing movies just isn't my thing. Over in the categories column on the right, there really isn't one that doing a movie review will fit into, unless it is uncategorized.

Having said all that, I must tell you in the last three weeks, amidst illness, inaugural, and icestorm, twice I've been found in the dark confines of a movie theatre. My friend Preston and I agreed to see two movies, both for their historical significance. Historical must be taken in context here. The movies both covered real political, cultural events which took place roughly a year and a half apart. I hesitate to say they were historical out of vanity. Both occurred during my lifetime; neither occurred during Preston's so for him the historic appellation is more appropriate.

The movies we viewed were Frost/Nixon and Milk. Both are strong representations of events that historically occurred, each having significance in American history. The Frost/Nixon debates took place in April, 1977, just as my junior year of high school was coming to an end. It was a politically and historically siginificant time in my life as I had just won my first big race, that of Student Government President of my high school, defeating the favored pick in a big way. I had ran for class office in 7th, 8th, 9th, and 11th grades, losing every single time, several times to the same person. Finally, at the end of 11th grade, my election as Student Government President of Durrett High School was an important milestone. David Frost's interviews with the former president were taking place at exactly the same time. As a politically interested and active student, I am sure I followed the interviews, although I'd be lying if I said I actually remember doing so - I don't.

I have always been something of an apologist for the former president on certain matters. I think because of his criminal activity with regard to Watergate, his domestic policy contributions have long been overlooked. I've written here before that he was one of the last of the "government can be the answer" New Deal type presidents. In his early years, and perhaps in his personal life and belief system, Nixon may have been a conservative. On the other hand his presidency, other than the problems with Vietnam and his involvement in Watergate, was an example of pragmatic liberalism, fostering programs such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Philadelphia Plan of Affimative Action. He was also one of the first presidents since Harry Truman (and one of the last) to seriously address the idea of universal healthcare for all Americans, although like Truman, the plan never got off the planning paper. But, all of that, much good and well-known bad, was put down with the interviews by the British television personality David Frost.

The movie tells two distinct stories; first that of Frost, who agonizes over how to finance the project, an agony which was not overcome until after the broadcasts. The other story is that of the lonely yet oddly and uncomfortably amiable Nixon, with a mind and persona fully permeated by the deep rejection he received from the American people after Watergate. Both actors play their characters well, but I think the dark and brooding offering from Frank Langella as the president is sure to remain in people's minds as a reminder of this once great presence on the world's stage then reduced by a belief that the president can and should be above the law. It was an excellent movie.

About a year and half after the Nixon/Frost interviews, word came from the city of San Francisco on November 27, 1978 that its mayor, George Moscone, and one of its supervisors (councilmembers), Harvey Milk, had been assasinated by another supervisor, Dan White. At the time, I was a freshman at the University of Kentucky, enrolled as a political science major, and honestly not very focussed on anything at all, school or otherwise. Upon arrival at UK, I had been elected president of my dorm (Kirwan II) and a few weeks later was elected a vice-president of my pledge class in my fraternity (Sigma Pi). Once elected, my mind turned to partying and little else. The great diversion at the time were the protests both by and against Iranian students just before and after the uprising and subsequent revolution in Teheran, deposing the Shah and institution religious control. The gay revolution occurring in San Francisco was not on my radar screen despite my interests in the support and promotion of gay rights as a personal belief. My political barometer, which had started on the right when I was in my early teens had been gradually moving well to the left. Like the Frost/Nixon debates, I can't honestly say that I remember the San Francisco assassinations clearly. That isn't to say I don't remember them at all them as I clearly do. But, I've never really studied the background story leading up to the assassinations. I do remember all the controversy over Mr. White's so-called "twinkie defense" and his subsequent conviction on manslaughter charges. And I remember years later when it was reported that he committed suicide believing God has a way of spinning the wheel around.

The movie offers an deep-insider's look at the story of Harvey Milk, America's first openly gay politician, elected as a San Francisco City/County Supervisor in 1977. Milk is portrayed by Sean Penn. It is part history and part love story, but it is entirely lifted from a page of real American life; events which happened during my lifetime. With the possible exception of Matthew Shepard, Harvey Milk is America's only gay political martyr, a martyrdom which has only increased over the years. The movie portrays a number of characters, several of whom are still living, while others have passed on, notably that of Scott Smith, portrayed by James Franco, Milk's long-time lover and business partner who died in the 1990s from complications from AIDS. Among others still with us are Dan Nicoletta, Cleve Jones, and Anne Kronenberg, and each of their roles are memorably portrayed in the film.

At different points throughout the movie, I was moved to tears, mostly out of joy for the successes Milk made as a cultural leader, despite his losses as a political candidate. The movie goes through all of his races, and then his tenure as a supervisor, and finally his death. But nothing - nothing - prepared me for a scene at the film's end of the impromptu Memorial March from 18th and Market streets to City Hall in Milk's memory. Estimates then and now put the number at 30,000 to 50,000. The scene is partially recreated, combined with vintage footage from the actual march. It took my breath away and left me sobbing. While the movie may or may not be the greatest, it does tell a great story and, as stated, the ending is an eruption of emotion. The picture at left was taken, at the time, by Danny Nicoletta who is one of the characters portrayed in the film.

If history is any judge, I won't be back in a movie theatre for several years. And emotionally speaking, that might be a good thing as I need some time to recover.

Comienza tan el Tercero Año

Briefly, today is the Second Anniversary of the blog. We've written thousands of words, uploaded hundreds of pictures, entered 435 posts (six of which we have deleted), and had just under 46,905 reader hits linking up to 53,034 page views. There've been a few comments along the way, although not too many. Actually not many at all.

In any event, thanks - sincerely. Really, thanks.

Tomorrow the 111th Congress starts, the Kentucky General Assembly convenes for a "short" session, and I report to a new boss. Tomorrow is also the birthday of my friend Sherry.

All is well.

Thanks Be To God.

423. Some Fun. Copied from another blog.

The instructions are to copy and paste the list in your own blog and color all of the things YOU have done. Things you haven't done will be in black. Since I don't know how to do colors, the things I have done will be in regular Roman letters; those I haven't will be in italics. I'll make comments along the way.


1. Started my own blog - you are reading it.
2. Slept under the stars - several times, including during the blackout from Hurrican Ike.
3. Played in a band - unless you count elementary school.
4. Visited Hawaii - the one state I've missed.
5. Watched a meteor shower - at Cherokee Park, on the golf course. By the way, there was a meteor shower last night.
6. Given more than I can afford to charity - not many times, but thankfully more than once.
7. Been to Disneyland/world - Once, to Disney World.
8. Climbed a mountain - Mount Greylock, North Adams, Massachusetts. But the one I really want to climb is Snowdon, or Yr Wyddfa in Welch.
9. Held a praying mantis - lots when I was younger.
10. Sung a solo - At Prestonia Elementary School, in the 5th grade, singing It Came Upon The Midnight Clear. It wasn't supposed to be a solo. No one else knew the words.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched lightning at sea
14. Taught myself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - yes, when I was 5, with my mother and my Aunt Jean Moore, back when you could go al the way up to the top of the torch.
18. Grown my own vegetables - regularly.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train - I really want to do this sometime.
21. Had a pillow fight. No comment.
22. Hitchhiked - back in the late 1970s.
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill - no comment.
24. Built a snow fort - I can only remember doing this once, in 1966 or 1967 as a very young boy.
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping. Several times, most memorably in Benson Creek behind the North Benson Baptist Church.
27. Run a Marathon (yeah, right!)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse - yes, at 2:00 one afternoon here in Louisville in the 1990s.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - regularly.
31. Hit a home run (Little League) - I did try, but no.
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - but I was little and can;t honestly say I remember it.
34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors - every time I go to Frankfort.
35. Seen an Amish community - there are several south of Louisville.
36. Taught myself a new language - I've tried with some success to learn Arabic thanks to my friend Sattar Al-Soddoun.
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - When, Lord when?
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing - not interested.
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke - at Saint Therese's Summer Picnic.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt - I want to, though.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant - more than once.
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had my portrait painted - sort of. Not painted but drawn by charcoal and by a caricaturist. The latter was my late Uncle Don, who regularly drew all of us.
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain - this brings back unprintable memories.
53. Played in the mud - we had crawdads and snakes in my back yard growing up, so yes.
54. Gone to a drive-in - the old Preston when I was kid.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - if my political consultancy counts.
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen - at the Fransciscan Shelter House on Preston Street.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma - regularly.
65. Gone sky diving. You know, Dottie Priddy did that once.
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check - regularly.
68. Flown in a helicopter (hot air balloon?) - both, the latter in Frankfort.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - several.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial - yes, and I will again on January 19 or 20.
71. Eaten caviar - yes, once, and no more.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square - twice, but need to again.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job - at least twice.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone - several.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle - once, with my brother at the wheel (so to speak).
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car - actually a truck, my old 2002 Ranger, which now belongs to my friend Morgan.
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had my picture in the newspaper - a few times.
85. Read the entire Bible - more than once.
86. Visited the White House - once, but plan to again someday.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox - when I was a kid.
89. Saved someone’s life. I could only hope.
90. Sat on a jury - once.
91. Met someone famous - several, including the president-elect.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one - see the previous entry.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit - a few here and there.
98. Owned a cell phone - isn't this a little too common a question?
99. Been stung by a bee - and nearly died.
100. Ridden an elephant - no, but I have ridden a horse.

Are you as bored today as I am?

407. There is a poll down there two entries back . . . .

Be sure to scroll down two entries back and vote in the poll.

383. Apologies

The first apology is to the Hon. Jennifer Moore, Chair of the Kentucky Democratic Party.

*****

Dear Jennifer --

This letter is to put into writing the words I offered to you in person the night of the last State Central meeting. As I said then, the events of the last several weeks - and now months - have been pleasant for none of us. Much of that is considered to be my doing.

I am aware the actions I took in response to what I believe occurred at the State Convention have had repercussions well beyond what I intended. I know that we disagree on what happened and nothing either of us can say will change the opinion of the other. However, my response has created problems for you and others and that was not then nor is it now my intention.

When faced with a decision to act or react, sometimes such a decision comes without knowing, or in some cases, without even considering, the scope of both the problem perceived and any possible solution. My actions are such as these. I neither knew nor considered what all was involved.

I cannot go back and undo the words spoken or untype the words written which have created the places we now find ourselves in. Nor would I have spoken or typed them if I knew the rancor and division they would cause. And for those reasons I owe you an apology.

I have struggled through these last few weeks knowing that you and I have been friends for some time, that we see each other on a regular basis, that we are likely to encounter each other in our future political lives, and that we have a number of mutual friends, most especially Dan. You have never been anything less than professional and polite through all of this and for that alone I am indebted to you.

And of course, I am known to be fan of yours. It is now my hope to rebuild the former relationship between us, if that is possible, which I hope and believe it to be. Such a rebuilding requires an apology, although it is one I have already given you in Frankfort - one I gave immediately upon it being requested and one I am confident was sincere. I am happy to do so again. It is offered with a depth of humility and sincerity. And it is one I am hopeful you will accept - not just to put an end to the current differences between us, but to reclaim our friendship, both personal and political.

With great respect,

-- Jeff

*****

The second apology is to the Hon. Kerry Morgan, Legal Counsel for the Kentucky Democratic Party.

*****

Dear Kerry --

I know you are expecting an apology from me and more importantly, I understand you deserve one. This series of events has been a most trying time and I am aware my actions have seemingly made it so for you, and for that reason alone I should be remorseful, and am. The course of action I took in response to what I felt happened at the State Convention was taken without fully understanding the consequences. I acted emotionally and without much thought. The expressions I made cannot be taken back by a mere apology or deletion from a blog. And the resulting chasm I've apparently created cannot be surmounted with a few short words. These things I am greatly aware of. Nonetheless, I offer these few short words here, alone, and without any excuse, a sincere and contrite apology.

I have been humbled and diminished by how my actions were taken and I hope to someday overcome those perceptions, if not with you, then with others for whom these actions were perhaps harmful and injurious.

I know that in this place and in this time I have made errors judged by you and others to be offensive and demeaning, and for these actions you have my sincerest apology, complete and without condition.

-- Jeff

*****

The third apology is to the members of the Kentucky Democratic Party State Central Executive Committee.

*****

To the members of the State Central Executive Committee --

This letter serves as an apology for the situation I've created, which for some of you has been your first order of business as a member of the Committee. In Appealing the reported results of the 3rd Congressional District election to you, it was not my intention to harm the Kentucky Democratic Party, its Executive Committee, or the work it is intended to do. Nonetheless, there has been harm done by my actions in the eyes of several members. For that, I sincerely apologise.

-- Jeff Noble

*****

These apologies were submitted to and accepted by the Kentucky Democratic Party Chair, Legal Counsel, and State Central Executive Committee at its meeting yesterday at the Kenlake State Resort Park in Aurora, Kentucky.

366. Twenty Thousand

Thank you, thank you, and thank you, and another 19,997 thank yous.

322 - Friday Update

Early in the life in the blog, I would occasionally comment on the variety of locations from which people visited. The last time I made such a report appears to have been about a year ago. Since that time, I have documented visits from all 50 states and about 40 foreign nations. I know that some of the locations aren’t accurate. For instance, the town of Columbus, Indiana has recently begun appearing in the list, and I know exactly who it is when that city appears, but I also know they are reading on a computer here in Jefferson County. I do not know why they show up from Columbus, a cool little city about an hour due north of Louisville known for its architecture among other things. On one of my visits there, I attended a concert at the Saint Christopher Catholic Church where a Jewish festival of some sort was held, which included reading Hebrew from a rolled-up scroll. I have to admit I did not fully understand what was going on, but I did enjoy it.

Looking over the last one hundred visits to the blog, which only takes us back to the middle of the day on the 23rd, there are some interesting places. The most recent visit is listed as coming from 6,794 miles away in Seoul, Korea, followed immediately by visits from Poland and Germany, specifically Gotha Thuringen Germany.

Most of the visits are honestly from the allegedly 16th largest really big town in America, a place called Louisville, Kentucky, that 16th largest line coming from the Mayor of Louisville – Jefferson County Metro, who governs the 386 or so square miles along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606. Another Kentucky city is my second most listed, Lexington. Some cities appearing on a regular basis are Cox’s Creek and Frankfort in Kentucky, constituting a few of my five faithful readers; as well Washington, DC, where a few more people are specifically monitoring words I write about a particular congressman. A few visits from the Nation’s Capital may be people monitoring what I say about the Senior Senator from our Commonwealth, as they have come from the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee. Another city recently making the list more than a few times is Mountain View, California, where the link has on each occasion has been to www.google.com. I suppose that means someone at Google is looking in on the Left Bank here in Louisville, but I really don’t know that. Nearly all of the pictures that I have posted thus far have been taken from the Google Images site.

.I get lots and lots of visits from addresses ending in .edu, indicating a reader from an institution of higher learning is indeed involved in some higher learning reading the blog - maybe, maybe not. Among the last 100 visits are hits from the University of Louisville (which is a regular), the University of Kentucky, Georgetown in DC, Rutgers, Rensselaer in Indiana, Ohio Northern, and my alma mater, Spalding University. When I see an address I don’t recognize, I will more often than not go visit their webpage, which was the case with Ohio Northern. I’ve visited lots of college campuses (campi?) in this manner. Ohio Northern University is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and located in Ada, Ohio.

Locales from the last 100 visits have included, in addition to those already mentioned, the states of California, Oklahoma, New York, Virginia, Michigan, Alabama, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Kansas, and Illinois. The foreign countries include single visits from the UK, Canada, Tongji Chongqing China – the most distant at 7,598 miles, and finally someone in Vedelago Veneto Italy, who has visited on more than one occasion.

I know that some governments have famously blocked access to blogs, for whatever reason. The Louisville Metro Government address appears now and then although I know that certain readers are blocked from viewing the blog while others are not – something called either selective access or conversely selective enforcement.

So this entry can be marked as a report and thank you for your selective habit of reading the blog.

243. Guest Blogging may not be for me.

As many of you know, either from me telling you here or finding out for yourselves by linking to Mark Nickolas' BluegrassReport.org, I've been Guest Blogging on his site for a few days now, although I've only entered three posts. One, an historical essay on Frankfort which some liked and at least one person didn't; the second a political essay inviting folks to email me about ideas for the Kentucky Democratic Party, and a few people have actually done so; and the third an announcement about a personal friend of fifteen years or so, Adam Edelen, receiving an appointment from the governor. The last one was more typical of the things Mark generally has on his blog, which for over two years has been the premier place to go to catch up on Kentucky politics, although that prime ranking seems to be changing since his removal from this state to the Big Sky Country to the west. I do not know Mark personally; we've never met - our only acquaintance being through his electronic posts and my electronic responses over those two years, sometimes in agreement, oftentimes not. But I have enjoyed the opportunity to be a Guest Blogger, expanding on his site my ability to reach many people, something I have not done here. When he first emailed me asking if I would be interested, my response was "I'd be honored." And I have been. It was suggested to me by someone after my first post was entered that I failed to advertise there, where there is a large readership, my blog over here where after nearly twelve months, we are closing in on 7,000 hits. Mark's blog has recorded well over 2,000,000 hits thus far. The failure to advertise was intentional.

Truthfully, in creating this blog, my blog, the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606, my intention was never to reach the large numbers of political hacks (like myself) who daily visit BluegrassReport, or any of the other political sites in the state, especially (of late) that of Jacob Payne's PageOneKentucky or Ryan Alessi and other Herald-Leader's writers' PolWatchers, both of which are must-see blog-stops, at least for me. Mark, Jacob, Ryan, and others (apparently) have a large network of sources and attempt to stay on top of things as they happen, things such as my announcement yesterday for Adam. My intention over here is far more laid back, far less controversial, and hopefully comes across like one of those road-trips of which I am fond of writing, over the hills and dales of Kentucky and southern Indiana, a stream-of-consciousness report of whatever may be lurking in the nooks and crannies of my mind on any given day. I like to throw in the weather, a bit of sports, and more than a bit of religion, things that I can not do over at BGR, although Mark's invitation to post placed no restrictions on any subject matter.

And there are days where I have really have nothing at all to say and I try to do just that. On other days, there may be reasons I just do not wish to blog. Yesterday's entry here was indicative of one of those days, a day set aside on what would have been the birthday of a dear friend who has long since died, a friend I think of most everyday. But, in fulfilling the responsibilities as a Guest Author over there on BGR, I was compelled to make some entry on the events of the day, so printing the governor's notice of his appointment of Adam Edelen seemed appropriate. Adam is a name you should write down as he will be on the statewide political scene for some time to come. Another is Morgan McGarvey who I have mentioned here in the past. But, I digress.

Having said all this, it is not my intention to abandon my blog or even my writing style over here. I enjoy this - a lot. If people are reading what I've written, that is fine too. But what (I think) people come here to read is far different than what many of those same people seek over there. And wearing two different hats with two different purposes is difficult. So, my entries here will continue as always, while my entries there will not be in any forced writing style or quick up-to-the-minute scoops. They'll be, hopefully, vintage Ohio River, Left Bank, MP 606 stuff.

I'll be back tomorrow or Monday

Sorry for the lack of posts. Busy weekend. Political fundraiser/Christmas Party tonight. Maybe we'll have an entry after Mass tomorrow, the second Sunday of Advent.

209. TARCing about

The truck is still out of commission, so travelling to and from work, and other places, has been on foot or by bus - TARC as we say here along the Left Bank of the Ohio River near Milepost 606 - TARC being an acronym for the government-subsidized public transportation system serving Louisville and Jefferson County, as well as portions of Bullitt and Oldham counties in Kentucky and Floyd and Clark counties in Indiana.

Neither walking nor riding is a problem given I live about fourteen blocks from where I work, six blocks from my father, and maybe a little over 700 feet from a little market called Webb's, one of those old-fashioned corner markets with wooden plank floors, where they have a little of everything, plus a steam-table for the lunch crowd, most of whom are industrial workers in the area. While the selection isn't broad, it is decent if a little pricey, and the home-cooked meals from the steam table are great. Given they cook quite a bit of meat each day, they maintain a pretty good selection of different cuts, all fresh given, as I said, they are cooking and serving most of it as part of a meal.

My college friend Tim Darst would tell me I could be riding the bus all the time everywhere I need to go, and he may be right up to a point. But getting to my mother's requires a long walk along a narrow two-lane well-travelled county road with no sidewalks. Thursday evening, I have a Democratic Party rally to attend as well as two fundraisers afterwards. Hopefully, I'll be driving to those as opposed to relying on friends. In the long term, I have decided on two things when the times comes to purchase a newer vehicle. First, it will not be a stick. I am getting too old to switch gears. Two, it will not be a truck - this is my fourth. I am getting too old to move everyone else's stuff.

In the meantime, if you happen to see me standing along the side of Jefferson, Muhammad Ali, Chestnut, Preston, or Broadway, I'm just waiting for the next long white sixty-six passenger limousine to come my way. And presently doing all that standing in the rain, which started yesterday and may not end until tomorrow.

208. In a rut.

Bad timing. My truck is "off the road" again - the second time in four weeks. It is a Grey 2002 Ford Ranger XLT (whatever that means), that truthfully has given me very few problems. It has been in 61 of Kentucky's 120 counties this year and has about 107,000 miles on the odometer. In the bed are several 4x4 beams, some fence posts for erecting 8x4 yard signs, and two old window frames I got from a neighbor, not really knowing what to do with them, but she was "sure" I could make something out of them. It also has about four Jack Conway signs left in the back which have yet to find homes. And it is easily identifiable by the array of liberal and left-leaning stickers adjoined to it including one that says "I'm a Card Carrying Member of the ACLU." The most recent political sticker added is one which reads "Ken Herndon - Democrat for Metro Council." In a little over two weeks, the "Conway for Attorney General" stickers will be replaced with ones reading "Yarmuth for Congress." There is also an "HRC" sticker and another one which reads "Teach Peace" which was the first sticker I put on it after purchasing it from Bluegrass Lincoln-Mercury several years ago when it had only 1600 miles on it. In an official ad, my license plate is one of those crowing about Kentucky's Independent Colleges, mine a speical plate for Spalding University, my alma mater. Finally, in the upper right hand corner is an ad for my favorite secret bunker and coffeehouse which reads "Imbibe Atomic Saucer, 1000 E. Oak St., Louisville, Ky." For the moment, all of them are doing no good since the truck is not going anywhere.