Last month, Prince Harry announced that he and his wife, Meghan will be stepping down as senior members of the Royal Family. Now with the transition process in place, some of Harry’s roles are being passed on to other members of the House of Windsor. And one reported move could see Princess Anne make royal…
via Princess Anne could make royal history with a new military role — Royal Central
I note that Harrison Ford is starring in a new movie, The Call Of The Wild. This seems reason enough to reprise my wild time working with Harrison, and dropping his name yet again.
In 2001/02 the movie, WIDOWMAKER K-19, was made, much of it filmed in Halifax harbour and out on the nearby ocean. It deals with submarines and an in-ship disaster, staring Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson.
I was not aware of this when I visited Halifax. I went down to the waterfront and went along the boardwalk. It was very foggy on the water (which it can be without having much on land). I was exceedingly surprised to see, looming out of the fog, a submarine next to the wharf. There are submarines in Halifax, but they are berthed at the navel dockyard a couple of kilometers from where I was walking.
It took a couple of minutes to realize that it was not a naval submarine (no markings). What was happening was that the submarine was being turned by a couple of tugboats. I read later that each side of the same submarine was altered differently so, in close ups and aerial footage, it could appear to be two different submarines.
However, there quickly appeared to be a problem. From the shouts and gesticulations of a man on the wharf, I found out that one of the mooring lines had not been cast from the wharf. The submarine was being pulled away from the dock, but it was still attached. It was a gigantic and thick mooring line, and I do not know what damage would have been done to either ship or dock.
The man was yelling to another man on the deck of the sub, who had a bullhorn and in turn was bellowing to the crew of the tug boat. However, nothing was heard over the roar of the engines (tugboats have powerful engines). The man on the wharf was trying to lift the mooring line from its post before it got too taut to move. I ran over and helped him, and we managed to get it from the post just as it started to be pulled into the water.
Of course I watched the movie credits closely, but I was not mentioned.
No famous movie actors were involved in this incident.
[image] https://s.ying.com/ny/api/res/1.2/q7BOT9JdHZPOFk9mbrIy8A–~A/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRl
~ U know, Donnie – U might have been headed to the Dumpster.
~ I’ll be here awhile – believe me.
~ Believe U?
~ Of course.
~@RealDonaldTrump – it’s me & U.
~ Oh, yes. I luvs ya, #Twitter.
~ I’ve read all that you tweet.
~ Lucky U. & THANKS for letting me use more words.
~ U like that?
~ I’ll tell you something about politicians.
~ Yes?
~ They love using a lot of words.
~ Yeh.
~ And so do I.
~ Politicians use a swamp of words.
~ & it’s my SWAMP now.
~ There’s no way of bombing it?
~ Not when I’m living there, & loving it HUGHLY.
~ Donnie – U have less than a year.
~Not to worry – they tried IMPEACHING my ass.
~ Wasn’t that the fake news?
~ And the real NEWS, too. Sons Of Bitches.
~U think the Senate is still your friend, Donnie?
~ I’ve got their short & curlies in my hands.
~ So it seems.
~ Gotta great grip. And I’m pulling hard.
[image] https: //www.dailydot.com/wp-content/uploads/f56/8b/e0d229e9b9400775b67b573c79a81a21.jpg
I was going to make spaghetti for the weekend but an ‘end of the world’ freezing rain storm is (literally) on the horizon, so …
Spaghetti tonight.
And since I did not have enough spaghetti noodles (nor redred wine) I had to brave the mean little snow flakes that felt as if they were cutting my face, and get both.
Happily, all the other ingredients were already in place, and the process began.
Two cans of prepared tomato sauce (with roasted garlic). Two large onions. Two stalks of celery. Five cloves of garlic. Chop everything that is to be chopped, with no piece larger than your thumbnail. Put them into the pot of prepared sauce. Put on low heat.
Take as much lean hamburger as you think is healthy (I stop at a kilogram/two pounds). Put some of the chopped garlic and onion in a frying pan with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Cook them up until the kitchen smells wonderful. Add the hamburger. Let it all cook as you stir them up. Stop when the meat is brown.
Add the meat to the pot. I never drain. And a half cup of whatever wine you are going to drink with the spaghetti. And two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Add a quarter teaspoon of sugar. Bring to a bubbling boil while stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for two hours, stirring a few times per half hour.
Pour on cooked spaghetti noodles.
Sprinkle on an outlandish amount of Parmesan cheese
Drink a glass or two of the wine.
My father, who helped liberate Italy in the Second World War, told of the time he was invited into a farmhouse to share a meal. Spaghetti sauce was simmering away in a cauldron in a fireplace. He was told that same sauce had been simmering for decades.
[image] https:/cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2015/02/01/16/23/pot-619785_640.jpg
In my novel, Kafka In The Castle, I fill in the ‘missing’ diary entries from Kafka’s real diary. He either did not fill in these days himself, or he destroyed them. There are some estimates that Kafka destroyed 70% – 80% of everything he wrote.
And I must wonder, if he were writing right now, what he would write with the knowledge that February has an extra day.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
01 February 1917
A particularly tedious day at the office, which stretched like a bridge over an abyss. Perhaps to mock yesterday’s comments – the month so short and the day so long. I am sometimes afraid of the white, and sometimes of the black, but my deepest horror is for the destroying grey of life. When it is grey and senseless, it starves your feelings of oxygen, and then you really and truly die. It is said that Jesus raised the dead (though I never understood why), and our own Prague rabbi created the Golem to help out in this world. All I can do is scratch ink upon the page.
In Kafka In The Castle, I fill in the ‘missing’ diary entries from Kafka’s real diary. He either did not fill in these days himself, or he destroyed them. There are some estimates that Kafka destroyed 70% – 80% of everything he wrote.
23 January 1917
The Director talked to me today. About not having sufficient people to run the Institute, and the other shortages caused by the war. And he asked my advice.
And I gave him good ideas – pointed the way. I do know my strengths – although far more familiar with my weaknesses.
And as the Director talked to me, he looked at me. In the eyes – as he so often does.
But he did not see me.
Not the I which I carry around inside myself. Not the K.
He saw an adequately dressed government official, Herr Doktor of Law, a Jew (I think he really does not mind), who knows well the operations of the Worker’s Accident Insurance Institute for the Kingdom of Bohemia in Prague. Has, indeed, risen to the rank of Deputy-Secretary.
And that is who responded to the conversation. Made comments Smiled at the Director’s dry humour.
I watched this Jew with interest, and his act was flawless.
What sights,
indeed,
are these,
that cause the racing clocks
to pant their minutes
in counterpoint
to a life still learning
the difference
between wretchedness and love?
{The swing goes up,
and the swing goes down,
and then goes up,
again. }
If you are on that race,
with childish yells and
up-down/mess-it-around
feelings
in the pit of your stomach …
They haven’t lowered
that coffin lid yet.
No – not yet.
[Image] https://themerrythought.com/wp-content/uploads/TreeSwing7(pp_w730_h887).jpg
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