Entries by dickbernard

Democracy, revisited

You may have heard that the Iowa Caucus is Monday January 15 (see comment from Larry at end of this post).  More, if you wish, from the Des Moines IA Register: Iowa Caucus 2024. (For me, the most interesting data is on page 5 of the article.) If you’re not sure where Iowa is: Minneapolis-St. […]

January 6, 2024: QUOTES against Democracy

Ten months from now – Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2024 – is Election Day in the United States. Dec. 30, Chuck Woolery, long-time subscriber to this blog, sent a writing of his including over 100 “QUOTES against democracy”. Here’s the 21 page document: Democracy compiled Chuck W.   I read the entire document, find it full […]

The Christmas Tree

More than once over the years a retired elementary teacher friend has told me the story of her team teacher colleague, Ron, and his Christmas tree.  This year she gave me a photo copy of the tree as of December 2023.  To me, the photo is worth more than the usual “thousand words”…. Here is […]

Birthday

UPDATE  on Gaza Jan. 6, 2023:  David Cooley, a local member of Veterans for Peace in the Twin Cities wrote a commentary on Gaza on the Winter 2023 VFP Newsletter.  It speaks for itself: Vet for Peace comments on Gaza Winter 2023. * All Blessings on this most most contradictory of days: Christmas.  Virtually everyone […]

Sunflowers

Today is Winter Solstice 2023.  Molly offers some seasonal poems at the end of this post.  All best wishes for all that is good at this season, and in these times. A North Dakota retired farmer sent his Christmas letter recently, including this photo: “Sunflowers…in 1980s” The photo brought memories for me. The farmland pictured […]

Peace on Earth….

Previous posts this month: 1st, 5th and 7th. I have been thinking of how I can most constructively approach this distinctly unpeaceful season of peace.  What follows is a small attempt.  Sunday we were at a magnificent Christmas program at a large suburban church, St. Andrews Lutheran in Mahtomedi: “How Great Our Joy!”  There had […]

December 7, 2023

Those who follow this blog know that I have often remembered Uncle Frank Bernard who perished on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.  Search his name (the magnifying glass at upper right corner) and you will find many references.  Most recent was Dec. 7, 2022. My main engagement re Uncle Frank this […]

Liz and Rachel

Liz Cheney’s book, “Oath and Honor“, is out today, and my wife wanted a copy so it’s in the house.  We watched the interview with Rachel Maddow last night.  Liz self-identifies as a “conservative”, Rachel as a “liberal”, both on the left and right flanks of the population, but neither at the ideological extremes. Rather […]

Arrival

Please see postnote at the end of this post. It has been another event-filled time in my life.  I was again orphaned on the internet, this time from Nov 22 – Nov. 28.  probably thanks to some denizen of the dark web, the real reason or identity or location of the perpetrator never to be […]

Thanksgiving

A month ago, this tree in our yard reminded us of the coming season. One month at this time of year makes a difference here in Minnesota.  No leaves on the tree, now, but no lasting snow on the ground either.  Thanksgiving day will be chilly, but nice otherwise. As we all know, the seasons […]