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The New American Digest

For Followers of Gerard Van der Leun's Fine Work

  • About American Digest
  • About New American Digest
  • “The Name In The Stone”
  • Remembering Gerard Van der Leun
    • from the website: Through the Looking Glass
    • from the website: Barnhardt
    • from the website: Neo’s Blog
  • Articles
    • The Overland Stage
      • The Holladay Overland Stage: 1 – The Central Route
      • The Overland Stage – 2 Company Operations
      • The Overland Stage – 3 Exploring The Route – An Overview
      • The Overland Stage: 4 – South Platte/Julesburg/Ft Sedgwick
        • Jack Slade
      • The Overland Stage: 5 – Julesburg to Junction Station (aka Ft Morgan)
      • The Overland Stage: 6 – Junction Station to Latham
      • The Overland Stage: 7 – Latham Crossing to Fort Collins
      • The Overland Stage: 8 – LaPorte to Virginia Dale
      • The Overland Stage: 9 – Virginia Dale to Cooper Creek
      • The Overland Stage: 10 – Cooper Creek to Pass Creek
        • Fletcher Family
      • The Overland Stage: 11 – Pass Creek to Bridger Station
      • The Overland Stage: 12 – Bridger Pass to Duck Lake
      • The Overland Stage: 13 – Duck Lake to LaClede
      • The Overland Stage: 14 – LaClede to Almond
      • The Overland Stage: 15 – Almond to Rock Springs
      • The Overland Stage: 16 – Rock Springs to Fort Bridger
      • The Overland Stage: 17 – Fort Bridger to Weber Station

I find I don’t wish to explore new lands, but to explore again those I have already passed through, trying to see what I’d missed in the first hectic rush … Gerard Van der Leun

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Tunesday – Klaus Schulze – Euro Caravan

The New American Digest Posted on January 13, 2026 by DTJanuary 10, 2026

A sample of some obscure - and maybe not obscure - tunes from my strange and off-the-wall collection.

Today's double selection: Klaus Schulze - "Euro Caravan" 2007

Off Klaus Schulze' 36th album, "Kontinuum"

Klaus Schulze (1947 - 2022) was one of the early German electronic music composers, having performed with Tangerine Dream, Ash Ra Tempel, and Cosmic Jokers - all of which are among my favorites. He ended up releasing more than 60 LPs, 90 if including compilations. He died of kidney disease just before his final album was released.

Euro Caravan is a 19 minute cut. It begins low and builds. I've often had it playing in the background without realizing it until it reaches my consciousness as it builds. It is not a loud piece but it builds over the entire time. Might be worth turning the volume up; it's quiet at the beginning but will not "roar" at you as it plays.

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Dear Senator Mark Warner

The New American Digest Posted on January 12, 2026 by DTJanuary 12, 2026

Headline: "CNBC’s Joe Kernan Buries Dem Senator Mark Warner With a Brutal Reality Check After Warner Claims “Americans Did Not Vote” for ICE ‘Randomly’ Arresting Illegals"

Joe Kernan was wrong; we did not vote for ICE to randomly arrest illegals.

We've voted for them to arrest - and deport - ALL illegals.

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Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Replies

Before & After

The New American Digest Posted on January 12, 2026 by DTJanuary 10, 2026

I think it's time for flowers. "It’s Better To Be a Warrior in a Garden Than To Be a Gardener in a War"

Before

After

Ammo prices are going to go up ...

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Old Roads

The New American Digest Posted on January 11, 2026 by DTJanuary 9, 2026

Heading down into Snake River Canyon. The river is just out of the photo to the left.

Sometime in the distant past, someone went through a lot of effort to build this wagon road. Funny thing though - it doesn't show up on any maps going back to 1894. The "original survey" map of 1868 only defines township/range boundaries with few details other than the river itself.

This is not a casual path; carving into the basaltic rock and building up the roadway suggests a lot of effort was put into road-building and some heavy freight traffic at one time. Although not obvious here, the road does go all the way down to the river.

There is some evidence of a ferry operating near the foot of this road; this road on the north side of the river, Silver City is to the south. Comparing the construction methods with those of other locations in the region, I would speculate that this trail was built in the 1860s for stagecoach travel and probably fell out of use as better roads and bridges were being constructed by the 1880s. This road is not on an obvious route between the major mining regions of the time: Silver City and Boise Basin.

I've walked up and down this road - there is no obvious evidence of a ferry at the river although one is shown here on older maps. There is a faint trail along the edge which apparently was shown as a road in the 1890s and plenty of fallen boulders at the base.

One more curiosity I'll have to pass on.

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The Palace

The New American Digest Posted on January 10, 2026 by DTJanuary 8, 2026

Ground-breaking for The Palace of Auburn Hills began in 1986, it opened in 1988, and was demolished in 2020. Originally built by the Detroit Pistons basketball franchise, it was intended as a multi-purpose arena. Unlike many stadiums, it was not built with public money and never sold naming rights to corporate sponsors. The final Pistons basketball game was played in 2017.

Many concerts were held at The Palace, among them: Pink Floyd, Grateful Dead (8 times), Aerosmith (14 times), Led Zepplin, Phish (4 times).

And semi-hometown favorites, Grand Funk Railroad, Madonna, and Bob Seger.

The Palace is only about 2 miles from where Madonna went to high school. At one concert in Detroit, she called out to her former science teacher and said: "See, I didn't need science after all".

Bob Seger played the final concert at The Palace in 2017. This was roughly 1 mile from where I first saw Bob Seger's Last Heard (East Side Story, Persecution Smith, Heavy Music) and System (Ramblin Gamblin Man, 2+2=? - with Glenn Frey) play at the Silverbell Village Ski Resort 50 years earlier when he played (with other bands) for a $3 cover charge in the mid/late 60s. Peppy on the oil drum bass drums ...

Bob Seger System

Pink Floyd played the Silverbell once as a backup band for Fleetwood Mac - '67 or '68 (info on this is spotty and hazy but it fits my memory). This would have been more or less the same time they both played the Grande Ballroom (a different story). None of these bands were then what they would become a few years later. I still kick myself for skipping that Pink Floyd concert - "They'll be back" I thought to myself ... (I missed them one other time when they played in Royal Oak about a year later) but I sure enjoyed Seger's concerts (and other local bands of the time).

Nothing now remains of either venue; even the ski hill has been removed from Silverbell; only the Palace parking lot remains (last time I was by there). Last time I passed by, the parking lot was filled with surplus new automobiles from the nearby GM Orion plant (Or-E-en, not O-rye-on).

More to my memory though ... way back in distant time, one of my closest friends lived on Harmon Road, immediately to the north of the Palace location. In those days, the massive development that has occurred in the area since was only in the future planning stage - this was "the sticks" - and the area was heavily wooded. We used to shoot 50 caliber, black powder buffalo rifles into trees located in what became The Palace parking lot. Like granny gear, the bullets didn't move fast ... and they didn't stop easily either.

Shoot one of those with full charge and if you missed the bear, at least the recoil would knock you back out of the bear's range.

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Tableaux

The New American Digest Posted on January 9, 2026 by DTJanuary 8, 2026
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Something To Think About

The New American Digest Posted on January 8, 2026 by DTJanuary 8, 2026

(the sky is falling, the sky is falling!)
PS: Two more were apparently shot in Portland this evening (Thurs) for the same reason- trying to run over ICE officers.

"The media is making a big deal about the Dow Jones closing above $49,000 for the first time. But with gold closing above $4,490, today’s 49,462 close is worth just 11 ounces of gold. In Sept. 1999, the Dow was worth over 43 ounces of gold. That’s a 74% decline over 26 years."
Peter Schiff, Jan 6, 2026

"When this channel breaks, the dollar is going to get absolutely demolished, and commodities are going to rip. ... Time to get long commodities. Like, yesterday."

"Your pay didn't go up, the dollar became worth less. Your house didn't become worth more as you've lived in it, parts wore out and broke. The price went up because the dollar's worth went down."

"If you have your food pantry good to go, look next at ammo as a hedge against inflation and as a store of wealth."

"Last week (end of 2025) the Federal Reserve pumped something like 105 Billion into the financial system because the banks got caught with their pants down. They were selling the same bar of silver 15 times or more."
[They kept that real quiet. I heard it was Chase Bank that went under. Chase placed a massive short on silver and silver sky-rocketed. The bank couldn't cover the margin call.]

"New tires, brakes etc on the cars, while those things are available. Spare filters for everything that needs them. Spare wicks for the lanterns. I am sure we are not ready, but we have sure tried to cover all the bases."

I believe the only reason now - like "today" now - isn't the time, is it's winter. Minneapolis may signal the lit fuse though.

Remember: the dollar is backed SOLELY "by the full faith and credit of the United States Government".

I have no doubt we'll see something similar to FDR's gold confiscation: a new currency, exchange the old for the new at 75% exchange. Chop a couple of zeroes off the dollar: the $100 bill becomes the new 80¢?

Confiscation (under a different name) of 401Ks, reduction in Social Security - perhaps by 50%? Reductions in Medicare.

Gold is sexy, shiny, and everyone goes ooh and aah over it. A tenth of an ounce of gold is $50 and is about the smallest practical amount. Silver is more practical; I can buy 90% silver dimes which have a melt value of $5.55. It's expensive you say? Yes it is but it won't be too long before we all go "I wish I had bought it at $75/oz". (I expect the stock market to keep going though - it's the only game in town.

Oil is cheap right now; I'm investing in oil and pipeline stocks right now because I expect another 1973/1979 sticker shock. Silver ETFs (SLV) are running about $70 right now - Kitco silver runs about $76/oz. My dealer charges $4.50/oz so I can buy physical silver for about $72. I expect a temporary dip; I'll load up on silver ETF at $57 - if it gets that low.

Get your vehicles in good long-term operating condition. Kerosene for kerosene lamps. Prepare for no electricity at times.

I keep dollars in the Bank of Mattress. Their value is decreasing but it's what I need to spend for groceries and other everyday items.
I keep minimal $$ in any bank; sometimes I need a checking/credit card account. Amazing how many places won't accept cash.

If I had to, I can pay off my mortgage. Don't want to - I was lucky and bought with low interest and I can use the cash for other things that pay better than my mortgage rate. Not sure it beats inflation though. (CPI based on the method used in 1980 - Jimmy Carter - is running about 12%. It peaked at about 17% in 2023).

It's musical chairs time. Be where you want to be when the music stops.

Damn, I'm not ready for this ... and no way to know how badly I'm prepared until badly arrives.

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Travelin’ Man

The New American Digest Posted on January 8, 2026 by DTJanuary 7, 2026

Moving as fast as it appears. I-95N between Richmond and DC.
Just another day of commuting.

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On A Roll Today

The New American Digest Posted on January 7, 2026 by DTJanuary 7, 2026

lots of posts ...

Check out this article at "American Thinker" (americanthinker dot com)

"What are you prepared to do to save our country?" by Bob Weir

If the refrain ‘no one is above the law’ is to mean anything, we should see more politicians being perp-walked from their government offices.

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How Can Anyone Not Like Bagpipes?

The New American Digest Posted on January 7, 2026 by DTJanuary 7, 2026

Stolen from the Tube (Utube dot com/shorts/_0er0m0G53E)

I've made that call to the porcelain god many times in my youth after a night of excess drinking.

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Contact: dt@newamericandigest.org

Gerard Van der Leun
12/26/45 - 1/27/23


Gerard's Last Post
(posthumous): Feb 4, 2023
"So Long. See You All a Little Further Down the Road"

When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Where will I go?
Will the trade winds take me south through Georgia grain?
Or tropical rain?
Or snow from the heavens?
Will I join with the ocean blue?
Or run into a savior true?
And shake hands laughing
And walk through the night, straight to the light
Holding the love I’ve known in my life
And no hard feelings

Avett Brothers - No Hard Feelings

The following was posted along with the announcement of Gerard's passing.
Leonard Cohen - Going Home

For a 2005 interview with Gerard


April 2026
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Most Recent Comments

  1. Anne on PhrasingApril 16, 2026

    We are so interested in "designing" new solutions to old problems. i have one you might consider. Any woman going…

  2. jd on Night Launch…April 16, 2026

    Lovely description, Jean. Thank you. DT does your site have a new look or is it my computer?

  3. DT on Night Launch…April 16, 2026

    Spent the 1980s and 2010s in the biz. The thrill wears off. It's not "giving up"; it's "had enough".

  4. azlibertarian on Night Launch…April 16, 2026

    Very nice, jean. I share a similar experience, although I can't express it poetically. My brother is in the oil…

  5. jean on Night Launch…April 16, 2026

    You're very welcome, HJB. I was on the beachside when the shuttle exploded. Heartbreaking, horrible sight.


Blogroll
The New Neo
Jean's Blog - Pondering
The Feral Irishman

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
I'm not sleepy
and there ain't no place I'm goin' to

Hey, Mr. Tambourine Man,
play a song for me
In the jingle jangle morning,
I'll come followin' you

Take me for a trip upon
your magic swirling ship
All my senses have been stripped
And my hands can't feel to grip
And my toes too numb to step
Wait only for my boot heels to be wanderin'

I'm ready to go anywhere,
I'm ready for to fade
Unto my own parade
Cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it


Men who saw night coming down about them could somehow act as if they stood at the edge of dawn.


From Gerard's site. The picture always caught my eye.

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Contact: dt@newamericandigest.org

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