Letters for George: November 2026

Monday, November 2, 2026

MIDTERM CLERIHEWS

Dear George,

Clerihews are four-line poems that poke fun at a famous person. They were invented by British schoolboy Edmund Clerihew Bentley when he was bored in his science class. The rhyme pattern is AABB. The first line ends with the person’s name which sometimes results in weird rhymes in the second line. Here are clerihews for some of the more prominent candidates in tomorrow’s midterm elections.

Love, Dave

Sherrod Brown, Democratic Senate candidate, Ohio

Chasing his former slot is Sherrod Brown.

The working man’s candidate, hands down

They complain he’s been there fifty years

But fans say fifty years deserve cheers

John Husted, Republican Senate candidate, Ohio

J.D. Vance’s replacement, John Husted

Thanks to John, Ohio data centers are boosted

The president says that John’s got a fine ass

Not the greatest endorsement, alas

Amy Acton, Democratic candidate for Governor, Ohio

Ohio Dems have put up Amy Acton.

During covid she was Mike DeWine’s captain

As a kid she lived part-time in a tent

Not a happy camper, they couldn’t pay rent

Vivek Ramaswamy, Republican candidate for Governor, Ohio

Then there’s also multi-billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy

Whose campaign blows through like a tsunami

Attacking Amy Acton with disgusting adverts

Here comes voter backlash, just desserts

James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate, Texas

The Texas bright light is James Talarico

Hispanics claim he’s their amigo

James offers a left-wing Christianity

But Bible-thumpers think that’s insanity

Ken Paxton, Republican Senate candidate, Texas

Mister controversy, attorney general Ken Paxton

He looks worse and worse with the facts in

Felony charges, impeachment, corruption

Ken’s talent is definitely disruption

John Ossoff, Democratic Senate candidate, Georgia

Georgia’s first Jewish senator is John Ossoff

His speeches in Congress make folks nod off

John’s a former mentee of John Lewis

Civil rights and good trouble brought him to this.

Darline Graham, Republican Senate candidate, South Carolina

Carolina’s fill-in is Darline Graham

One more contributor to Republican mayhem

Darline, of course, is Lindsey’s younger sis

Vote her in, drop into the abyss

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic Senate candidate, Michigan

Michigan’s first Muslim candidate is Abdul El-Sayed

His progressive views fill enemies with dread

Abdul make a case for Palestinian rights

Some complain he creates too many fights

Mary Peltola, Democratic Senate Candidate, Alaska

Alaska’s native candidate is Mary Peltola

Accused of misdoings, payola.

She recruited a second opponent named Sullivan

Mary might want to take a mulligan

Susan Collins, Republican Senate candidate, Maine

Seniority in the Senate belongs to Susan Collins

But it’s like she’s being stalked by goblins

A dying species, she’s a Republican moderate

Which means both parties wish she would quit

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BLOG POSTING SCHEDULE, CONTENT, SOURCES, FOCUS, ETC.

-POSTING SCHEDULE

-Larger main posts at left: usually a new addition every one to two weeks.

-Short posts in right-hand column: changed every three weeks, usually on a Monday or Tuesday.

-SOURCES: Personal photos (e.g., family) are by myself or sometimes by another family member. Nonpersonal photos are usually obtained through Google Images. Nonpersonal factual info most frequently comes from Wikipedia and external links available there or from Google searches. Typically I cite sources at the end of the post. If you want to know a source and haven't located it through info I provide, Wikipedia, Google, or Google Images, please let me know at lundgrdc@gmail.com, and I should be able to help.

-MORE OF MY PHOTOS: www.flickr.com/photos/lundgrdc/

-MORE OF MY POEMS: www.funnypoemsmaybe.blogspot.com

-NAMES: At my family members' request, I use "L" rather than our full last name and sometimes initials for first names. Where there's content deemed personal in a story, I may use pseudonyms.

-MY EMAIL: lundgrdc@gmail.com

DECEMBER 2024 HOLIDAYS

-Sat., Dec. 7. Pearl Harbor Remembrance. Japan attacked the American Naval Station at 8 a.m. on 12-7-41. // -Sat., Dec. 21. Winter Solstice. The shortest day of the year in the Northern hemisphere. // -Wed., Dec. 25. Christmas. The beginning of a 12-day Xmas season that ends on Jan. 5. // -Thurs., Dec. 26. Chanukah begins. The 8-day Festival of Lights, celebrating victory from Greek religious persecution. // -Thurs., Dec. 26. Kwanzaa (Start). Created in 1965 by Black Power leader Dr. Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa is a weeklong celebration of African-American and Pan-African family, community, and culture. // -Tues., Dec. 31. New Years Eve. See out the old year and ring in the new. // (Source: holidayinsights.com)

PROMINENT CINCINNATIANS

George Rieveschl was born in 1916 in Lockland, Ohio, the son of a paper mill worker and his wife. In 1933 he graduated from the Ohio Mechanics Institute and began looking for work in commercial art. With no success, he returned to study chemistry at the University of Cincinnati, earning his B.S. in 1937, an M.S. in 1939, and a doctorate in 1940. Joining the UC chemistry faculty, his research resulted in the discovery of Benadryl, an antihistamine used for allergy sufferers. Rieveschl left UC in 1943 and worked for Parke, Davis and Co. Returning to UC in 1970, he took a position as vice president of research. (NY Times; Ohio History Central)

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)

EVERYDAY FOIBLES

Our Sunday morning tradition of brunch at Frisch’s came to an end with the pandemic, and we finally returned a while back. The restaurant was nearly empty, and every other table had a big sign that said “Closed”. The hostess was masked, and so were we. She gave us paper disposable menus and said we should pick our own table or booth. There was a bar code on the wall which allowed one to order and pay for their meal with their cell phone, but the waitress (formerly the hostess) did come and take our order. We had plastic silverware and two jelly containers each. The food didn’t taste as good as we remembered, and the prices were much higher. It took a long time for somebody to come to the cash register at the end of our meal. We’d ventured out thinking the pandemic was over, but I’m afraid we were wrong.

TENNIS GREATS

Henri Cochet (b. 12-14-01, Villeurbanne, France; d. 4-1-87, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France; 5-6, right-handed (one-handed backhand); amateur, 1920-1933; pro 1933-58); 684-186 W-L (78.6%), 90 career titles; ranked No. 1 (1928); Winner US Open (1928), Wimbledon (1927, 29), French (1926, 28, 30, 32); winner of 22 majors; a member of the famous “Four Musketeers” from France (Cochet, Rene Lacoste, Jean Borotra, Jacques Brugnon) who won 10 titles in 11 years at the French Championships (1922-32). (wikipedia)

MENOMINEE FOUNDERS

Augusta Jane Chandler was born at Freedom, Maine, on Nov. 6, 1837, and moved with her family to Flat Rock, Mich., in the early 1850’s where her father and uncle engaged in lumbering. She married William Holmes, later the mayor of Menominee, in Flat Rock in 1859 and moved to Menominee shortly afterward. According to the Evening Leader, “She is honored and beloved by all who know her, and presides over her lovely home with becoming grace.” Mr. and Mrs. Holmes were among the founding members of the First Presbyterian Church in Menominee, and they raised six children. (Menominee Evening Leader, Industrial Number, 1899, p. 21.)

FAVORITE VACATION PLACES

We lived in Ann Arbor for six years in the 1960’s so return visits these days are filled with lots of nostalgia. Our number one stop is Zingerman’s Delicatessen where Katja always buys some bread and other goodies to bring home. Zingerman’s is quite near to the Kerrytown markets which offer a great thrift shop. Tne University of Michigan campus is a pleasant place for walking, and its adjacent business districts to the east and the west offer high-end shops, bookstores, and good restaurants. A great place to visit.

THE HISTORY OF YELLOW SPRINGS

The first white residents of what is now Yellow Springs, Ohio, arrived in the first decade of the eighteenth century, but the community did not begin to grow until the arrival of followers of Robert Owen in 1825. A hundred families came to Yellow Springs, hoping to create a utopian community based on socialism, although the utopian vision never clearly developed. Yellow Springs received its name from a nearby spring with high iron content, and people from across the U.S. visited the community hoping the spring water would cure their ailments. Antioch College was founded by the Christian Church in 1852, with nationally prominent education expert Horace Mann as its first president. (ohiohistorycentral.org)

MY WEEK (Mon., 10/19 - Sun., 10/25/26)

Justin was sick with a cough. I read my “home alone” poem in class and my “gratitude” draft at Legacy Letters. I got an email that our writers’ group hostess is entering assisted living, The group’s future is uncertain. I didn’t hear much at Moby Dick, did better at Modern Art. A rapid transit letter made my nervous that they were going to take our home, but Gemini reassured me that it would be o.k. The Bengals had a dreadful first half, then scored 5 touchdowns in the second half to defeat the Ravens. We enjoyed Professor T and Maigret on Sunday PBS.

JAZZ ALL-STARS

Ron Carter (b. May 4, 1937, Ferndale, MI; jazz; double bass, cello, Piccolo bass, electric bass; active 1960-present; associates: Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderly, Randy Weston, Bobby Timmons, Thelonious Monk, Eric Dolphy, Mal Waldron, Miles Davis, Hank Jones, Houston Person, Art Farmer, Herbie Hancock; labels: Blue Note, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Prestige, Sunnyside; 2,221 recording sessions, most-recorded bassist in jazz history; 3 Grammys; Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame (2012). (wikipedia)