The 2025 Daytona 500 and America is REALLY Back!

Posted By on February 18, 2025

NASCAR has always been something that I’ve taken an interest in watching. When I was a boy, I’d watch it with my brother and dad. When I was a dad, I’d watch it with my son Taylor and The Beastwe collected cars and trading cars — he was a Jeff Gordon fan.

These days I still watch it, but now I find myself talking about all the drivers, cars and controversial stories with Brenda; she has shockingly grown to tolerate it and even knows more about the points scoring calculations than I do. Weekly racing aside, the big race to kick off the 2025 season was this past Sunday and after a rain delay, went well under the lights in the evening. 

The initial “pre-race and pre-rain delay” ceremony was as patriotic and impressive as it always is, but for the second time saw President Trump there to greet the fans and race teams. So great to see this part of Americana still brings chills to generations of our citizens — at least those who share the love of cars, competitive racing and patriotism. Trump rolled around the 2-1/2 mile Daytona Speedway in “The Beast” … followed by the pace car and field of drivers warming up their cars. Besides the Air Force Thunderbirds flyover during the National Anthem, it was quite a sight … and then having the President of the US talk on the radio in the cars and grandstand was pretty cool too.

All is all, it was a good day for those watching … and those who enjoy knowing that America is REALLY Back and in better hands than the past 4 years (see 2021 link)!

William Byron

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Like Houdini making an unlikely escape from a straitjacket, William Byron trusted his instincts and emerged from a smoky, last-lap wreck on the backstretch at Daytona International Speedway to win the Daytona 500 for the second straight time.

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Music Monday: Barry Manilow and his 1974 hit “Mandy”

Posted By on February 17, 2025

Barry Manilow - MandyAlthough this season’s blowout of a Super Bowl has been almost forgotten by all but Philadelphia Eagles fans (and definitely forgotten by Kansas City Chiefs fans), the halftime show stands out as one I could have easily pass on. To each their own I suppose? 

Anyway, some of the chatter on social media was “why don’t they invite someone like a Barry Manilow” (suspect the comment was from someone older?);  I personally had not thought about him for years, but as I was reading it, up popped his 1974 hit Mandy on my SiriusXM 70s on 7 channel (also see “Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl”).

So with two references at the same time, the song lock it’s place in for Music Monday.
 

  Barry Manilow – “Mandy” | 1974

“Mandy” is a song by Barry Manilow that was released in 1974 and became his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 and Easy Listening chart. The song was originally titled “Brandy” and written by Scott English and Richard Kerr, but Manilow changed the title to avoid confusion with Looking Glass’s “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)”.

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A little … very little … Sunday morning humor

Posted By on February 16, 2025

MovingBelieve it or not, I had a longer Sunday post on Psalms typed and ready to go, but it disappeared. ☹️ 

So I’m going to rewrite it for next week and try to include it. 

So for today, I’ll add a little … very little … church humor

There’s no place better for Valentine’s Day than on the beach

Posted By on February 15, 2025

We have been enjoying our time together in Florida this month. The weather has been near perfect after a little “expected” cooler, damp, jacket weather that Florida received in January. Next week could be different … Valentine's Day Greeting to the granddaughtersaccording to my weather and tides watcher — report courtesy of Brenda. 😉

Duffy Walking

Our daily walks are getting easier (we are in better shape) and the distance of 7.0 miles just about right for me (Duffy app step counter), but it’s not enough according to my fully rehabbed wife.

We celebrated Valentine’s Day morning (yesterday) on the beach as is our usual, after sending this “Bluey” greeting to our granddaughters. KDAE are off to Gma and Gpa Oostra’s beautiful Michigan place and will likely have some fun in the snow. We are looking forward to a few photos, but here are a couple of mine below! 😊

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Tech Friday: Computer development from 1940 to 2100 #TikTok

Posted By on February 14, 2025

I’m not much of a TikTok person (actually anti-TikTok) and you might want to take this with a grain of salt, but it is interesting to contemplate where computer development is going in the next 75 years? 

Enjoying the Florida Sunshine and started a new book: “Area 51”

Posted By on February 13, 2025

Sunset at CondoBeach Footprints

Brenda and I have been thoroughly enjoying the surprisingly nice early February weather and escape from winter up north — and we are living The Life of Riley (a previous reference that I can’t get out of my mind).  

Area 51 bookI’ve finished “Killing the Rising Sun” and have picked up a Annie Jacobsen book (previous was her “Nuclear War: A Scenario”) after reading about Operation Crossroads and atomic testing in the Pacific after World War II. The 2011 book is a Kindle copy of, “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base,” and introduces readers to scientists and engineers who worked in Area 51 in Nevada. The book addresses the Roswell UFO incident and covers a few of the explanations we’ve all heard through the years (still questionable). After the first couple of chapters, it has grabbed my attention … and even knowing that there are plenty of critics … I’m looking forward to learning a little more about this base and part of our country’s secretive Cold War history. 

Google Area 51 view
Google Maps view of Area 51 in Nevada – 75 miles north of Las Vegas

Edit add: After finishing this “books” post, my daughter sent me a “bloggable” topic on putting aside distractions. A quote from “Gen Z, Fight ‘Brain Rot’ by Reading Books” is probably pretty fitting for all of us with smartphones: My phone addiction took away my ability to sit in silence, focus for any length of time, or engage deeply with anything meaningful. As Oxford Press might put it, I was a victim of “brain rot.”

Excellent speech by VP JD Vance on Artificial Intelligence, etc.

Posted By on February 12, 2025

Excellent speech by US Vice President JD Vance on artificial intelligence in a summit in Paris, France. He told European and Asian leaders that the United States will dominate AI. Worth watching.

It will also probably come at no surprise that my “right-column” commentary over at TheHustings.News is starting to become the Laughing emojinorm — see “Trump’s First Three Weeks” heading — but it has Brenda asking, “are you getting paid?”

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Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog