Brian’s Blog

The Main River is only a five-minute walk from here. It is an important waterway which flows into the Donau. The locks can accommodate ships up to 360 ft × 38 ft.

Branches

Originally uploaded by kilgorebrian13

Looking up into the trees or looking down at the Nile delta from space. Don’t remember what I was doing on this particular day.

Knetzgau is a relatively small and quiet community on the Main (rhymes with Rhein) River in the northern part of Bayern (Bavaria). It is about equidistant from Bamberg and Schweinfurt, and the A70 autobahn runs right by use here, making getting around very convenient. If I were looking for somewhere in Germany to retire, this would be it.

Knetzgau

Beach Stone

Originally uploaded by kilgorebrian13

A rock on the beach slowly becomes sand . . .

Soon after the world’s oldest profession came into existence, the second oldest profession evolved. Some may think pimpin’ is easy, but it’s not. Making it look easy is the goal, and for the the successful entrepreneur, attention to detail is essential. Crack may now be whack, but color-coordinating socks remains fly.

Tobacco companies are suing the federal government, claiming the anti-tobacco legislation signed into law in June violates their First Amendment right to communicate with adult customers. I suppose big tobacco has backed away from “Joe Camel” type of advertising aimed at young people. Now I have to read up on the First Amendment. It seems advertising is a form of commercial speech (motivated by profit) and is not without protection under the law as developed through various Supreme Court decisions.

I have two phones. One is a cell phone provided by my employer, the other is my house phone. When the house phone rings, it could be anyone. Quite often it is someone calling the local nursing home, the last four digits of their number being similar to mine. I don’t always answer my home number.

For “security reasons” I can’t take the cell phone to work with me, so I don’t use it for much beyond a time piece and phone book at home. About the only people who have my cell phone number are those from work, so when I get a call I know it is work related and I make every effort to answer it.

The other day, the cell phone buzzes (I keep it on vibrate) while we were having breakfast. Since it probably someone from work, I go to answer it. Whoever called apparently didn’t have time to leave a message and has hung up. As soon as I sit back down to breakfast, the house phone rings. Now I know someone from work is calling. Because they didn’t leave a message on the cell, I am sure there is some urgency prompting this call to my home phone number. Here’s a approximation of this conversation. My silent thoughts are in parenthesis.

Hello?

Hey, it’s T. I’m sorry to bother you at home.

(As opposed to where? Would you happily bother me at the doctor’s office? )

Do you have a minute?

(I did, but wasted it answering this call.) I’m in the middle of breakfast. Can I call you back?

Sure.

(Pigs might learn to floss before I do call back.) Okay. Later.

After a leisurly breakfast, I return the call.

. . .  and spare a pear.

Ercan BAYSAL İzmir, Türkiye