Daily Verse | Job 28:28
“And he said to man, ‘The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.'”

Friday’s Reading: 29-31
Saturday’s Reading: 32-34

Friday and the close of another week as we scratch one more mark on the walls of the Indignity Hoosegow whose warden can’t read a complete sentence (much less carry on a coherent conversation with anyone) and whose staff are determined to make even the thin gruel they call food as tasteless and as expensive as possible.

There’s so much going on that it’s impossible to cover it all in anything approaching some kind of depth, not least because the news cycles so fast these days and I only write once per day. As we head into the weekend, here’s some interesting stories that I’d love to write more about, but time doesn’t allow.

In deep-blue Illinois, which holds the dubious distinction of levying the highest state and local tax rates in the U.S. on its residents, they are focusing on the things that matter to voters, such as renaming the Asian carp.

Three guesses why and the first two don’t count.

The renaming is being done for a couple reasons:  Racism, for one, and to make the fish sound more appealing …

… Charlie Wooley, Director of the Great Lakes regional office said they “wanted to move away from any terms that cast Asian culture and people in a negative light.”

You know, now that you mention it, I have heard a lot of Asians carping about the name.

Nah, not really. This is just another example of something that literally no one is complaining about but woke administrators have to do something to get their raise.

I remember when I was younger going to the orange and aqua blue Howard Johnson’s restaurants. Now they’re all gone.

America’s final Howard Johnson’s restaurant — a 7,500-square-foot single-story diner, which had sat off Lake George, NY’s Route 9 for almost 70 years — has closed its doors, ending an era for what was once the nation’s largest restaurant chain. It’s also now for sale — and for a price that won’t break the bank. 

The nostalgia for me comes not from the food but their ubiquitous presence on family road trips.

Here’s a headline I could never imagine reading: Hot air balloon collides with train in Wisconsin.

The balloon struck a northbound Canadian National train. The occupants of the hot air balloon, three adults, suffered injuries in the crash; 2 of them were flown to Froedtert Hospital by Flight for Life. The third person was taken to Froedtert by ambulance. No other injuries were reported.

Apparently the balloon was in distress, as you can see in the picture accompanying the article. Thankfully all of them survived and are recovering at home.

If you have a spare half-million, you could be the next proud owner of a Rare Apple-1 with original components and Woz’s signature going up for auction next week.

Grewal is the founder of The AAPL Collection, one of the largest private collections of vintage Apple products. The collection now has nearly 200 Apple computers, and Grewal wants more people to be able to see these products in person. That’s why the proceeds from the sale of this Apple-1 will be used to take his “Apple museum” to more places.

This particular Apple-1 is even rarer because most of its components are still the originals. More than that, the computer is signed by Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak.

In 2021, Mr. Grewal had the opportunity to meet Steve Wozniak, aka Woz, who autographed the Apple-1. Woz chose to sign the CPU of this particular Apple-1 and was enthusiastic to see one of his creations in such remarkable condition. Only a few Apple-1 computers bear the signature of their creator, and this is the only example known to be signed on its iconic white ceramic 6502 processor.

The computer is expected to go for between $460,000 and $485,000. If you buy it based on reading this blog, my cut is $10,000.

Finally, a word about our American right to keep and bear arms.

Such carnage [Ukraine-Russia conflict] should evoke strong sentiments from any red-blooded American who believes that the defense of liberty from foreign or domestic tyrants is a fundamental human right. Still, many Americans can’t imagine such a scenario occurring here. That is exactly the eventuality, however, that our Founding Fathers had in mind when they enshrined the Second Amendment in our treasured Constitution. In fact, it was considered important enough that it was placed immediately below the bedrock human functions of free exercise of religion, speech, the press and assembly. The Framers knew that, without the protection afforded by the people’s possession of arms, the guarantees of the other rights were mere words on paper.

During the course of my private and professional life, I’ve had the privilege of traveling in at least 30 countries—some near the area now engulfed in war. In each case, the people’s access to firearms was, by way of comparison to my own life experience, restricted significantly or prohibited outright. In time, I concluded that there simply is nowhere else on Earth where the private ownership and use of firearms is exercised as it is here in America.

Have a great weekend.