Friday, November 28, 2008
In an earlier post (2129 Living a Reality Show) I mentioned an incident that had messed me up for the next umpteen years. In 43 years, I have never told anyone about this, no one, ever. Not even the psychiatrist.
I was a few months over 21, and nearing the end of my first year of teaching high school math in a small tourist town in Pennsylvania. I was doing well, loved most of the kids in my classes and they liked me. Even though it was only my first year, the principal had told me that I would be the head of the 5-member math department the following year. They liked my methods. I pretty much pioneered what is now called Master Teaching. I'd been married about 9 months to Ex#1, who was in the Army, in Germany. I was beginning to like me. Beginning to feel like maybe I could control my life after all.
One Friday evening my friend Jean had to work late in the next town over, inventory at a shoe factory. Jean didn't drive, and the person she usually commuted with would not be working late. She could get a ride to the outskirts of our town with a coworker, but he turned north then, so she needed a ride from there to her home. She had asked me to meet her in the bar of the hotel at the intersection. She wasn't sure of the time, "probably between 9 and 9:30." (This was in 1966, before cell phones.)
In 1966, women never went to bars alone. It just wasn't done. I couldn't get anyone to go with me. I tried waiting in the car, but it was cold. There was nowhere to sit in the tiny lobby. So I shrugged and went into the bar.
The bar was very dark. No TV. There were maybe three men in the bar, all together at one end. I sat down at the bar, at the other end, by the register, where the bartender had his stool. There was a bright light there. I had brought a book with me.
I ordered a screwdriver, and told the bartender that I was waiting for a friend, and would appreciate it if he could kind of watch out for me. I didn't want to talk to anyone, just read my book, and please, I did not want any drinks bought for me (I'd noticed the heads go up at the other end of the bar when I walked in). If anyone offered, tell them "no thank you" for me. "I don't want conversation." And I opened my book and stuck my nose in it.
Sure enough, within minutes, there was another drink in front of me. I did not look at the other end of the bar. I just said to the bartender, "Thank whoever bought this, but I cannot accept drinks." I didn't even look to see where he went, who he talked to.
No more than fifteen minutes later, I became aware that someone was standing at my elbow. He reached over and closed my book. It was one of the county sheriff's deputies, the one who patrolled the town.
He informed me that I was under arrest for solicitation of prostitution.
It gets worse. Part 2 is here.
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Friday, November 28, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
2133 Kitty Update
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Miss Thunderfoot still resents Jasper's very existence. She won't allow him within three feet of her without snarling and spitting and serious slapping. He's not allowed in the den, where the computer is, at all. That's her territory.
Jasper seems to hold no resentment, and mostly observes the restrictions, except when he's bored, or when Miss Thunderfoot is distracted, like when I've just put food in her dish. Then he'll creep up on her, reach out as far as he can, and tag her. No claws, just a pat, but that's enough to cause a tornado.
Lately he has started creeping into the den when I'm in here. Miss Thunderfoot is usually asleep under the desk, or on top of a stack of storage containers near my elbow. Jasper will come in quietly, and if he doesn't get snarled out, he'll pat my leg, collect a brief petting, and leave.
He sneaked in this morning while Miss Thunderfoot was asleep on the containers. Jasper crept up to the container, and sat straight up on his haunches to look at her. He watched her for quite a while, as if he was studying her. Then he reached out with one paw, pulled it back, reached out with the other, pulled it back, like he was judging how off balance he'd be when he patted her.
I wished I had the camera. I'd label the photo "EXPLOSION! in 3...2...1...".
When he reached out again, I leaned over and touched the top of his head, and said, "No no." He looked up at me and said, "Meeeep?"
And the explosion happened.
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Miss Thunderfoot still resents Jasper's very existence. She won't allow him within three feet of her without snarling and spitting and serious slapping. He's not allowed in the den, where the computer is, at all. That's her territory.
Jasper seems to hold no resentment, and mostly observes the restrictions, except when he's bored, or when Miss Thunderfoot is distracted, like when I've just put food in her dish. Then he'll creep up on her, reach out as far as he can, and tag her. No claws, just a pat, but that's enough to cause a tornado.
Lately he has started creeping into the den when I'm in here. Miss Thunderfoot is usually asleep under the desk, or on top of a stack of storage containers near my elbow. Jasper will come in quietly, and if he doesn't get snarled out, he'll pat my leg, collect a brief petting, and leave.
He sneaked in this morning while Miss Thunderfoot was asleep on the containers. Jasper crept up to the container, and sat straight up on his haunches to look at her. He watched her for quite a while, as if he was studying her. Then he reached out with one paw, pulled it back, reached out with the other, pulled it back, like he was judging how off balance he'd be when he patted her.
I wished I had the camera. I'd label the photo "EXPLOSION! in 3...2...1...".
When he reached out again, I leaned over and touched the top of his head, and said, "No no." He looked up at me and said, "Meeeep?"
And the explosion happened.
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2132 Over the Years
Thursday, November 27, 2008
I played with YearbookYourself.com. It's not the easiest or friendliest place in the internet, but, hey, I've got lots of time. (I was a little disappointed that I couldn't choose hairstyles. That might have been more fun.)
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This first photo is me, at 16, in 1961. No makeup. It's a real mugshot taken for a badge, when I was doing some work for the Provost Marshal on the Air Force base we lived on. (Yeah, the dark line above the poof of hair is the 5' mark. I gotta learn some photo editing, so I can remove the white marks.)
This photo is what YearbookYourself says I should have looked like in 1960 (they have only even-numbered years) if I'd had any sense of style. And a hairdresser. I'm almost glad I didn't.
-----------------------
This is my college yearbook photo. 1965. 20 years old.
The next one is what YearbookYourself thinks I should have looked like in 1966. Of course, that's the 16-year-old face.
Ack! There's NO WAY I would ever have worn that hairstyle! I have a lot more brains than that. But, actually, I did have classmates who did....
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This is me in 1996, at age 52. The photo was taken in a London Underground booth, for use on a rider pass, immediately after a frantic morning of last-minute packing, a two-hour drive to the airport, and an 8-hour flight. I was dragged out, super tired, and there was no makeup left. When I'm very tired, the right side of my face sags. Even so, I like this picture. I don't know why. I don't really look good. I do look tired. (The dark on the left eye is a reflection on the glasses.)
I still love those big half-frame glasses. I miss them. Not only did they block less of the face and allow more eye to show, they provided a huge field of vision.
What YearbookYourself thinks the stylish me should have looked like in 1996 (but add 35 years to the face):
Who the heck is she? I have an inexplicable but immediate dislike for her. I'm glad I didn't look like her. Ever. Ever ever. Actually she sorta looks like my younger sister when she was 16. Hmmmm.
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I played with YearbookYourself.com. It's not the easiest or friendliest place in the internet, but, hey, I've got lots of time. (I was a little disappointed that I couldn't choose hairstyles. That might have been more fun.)
---------------------------
This first photo is me, at 16, in 1961. No makeup. It's a real mugshot taken for a badge, when I was doing some work for the Provost Marshal on the Air Force base we lived on. (Yeah, the dark line above the poof of hair is the 5' mark. I gotta learn some photo editing, so I can remove the white marks.)
This photo is what YearbookYourself says I should have looked like in 1960 (they have only even-numbered years) if I'd had any sense of style. And a hairdresser. I'm almost glad I didn't.
-----------------------
This is my college yearbook photo. 1965. 20 years old.
The next one is what YearbookYourself thinks I should have looked like in 1966. Of course, that's the 16-year-old face.
Ack! There's NO WAY I would ever have worn that hairstyle! I have a lot more brains than that. But, actually, I did have classmates who did....
------------------------
This is me in 1996, at age 52. The photo was taken in a London Underground booth, for use on a rider pass, immediately after a frantic morning of last-minute packing, a two-hour drive to the airport, and an 8-hour flight. I was dragged out, super tired, and there was no makeup left. When I'm very tired, the right side of my face sags. Even so, I like this picture. I don't know why. I don't really look good. I do look tired. (The dark on the left eye is a reflection on the glasses.)
I still love those big half-frame glasses. I miss them. Not only did they block less of the face and allow more eye to show, they provided a huge field of vision.What YearbookYourself thinks the stylish me should have looked like in 1996 (but add 35 years to the face):
Who the heck is she? I have an inexplicable but immediate dislike for her. I'm glad I didn't look like her. Ever. Ever ever. Actually she sorta looks like my younger sister when she was 16. Hmmmm..
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
2131 Wishes
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Wishing everyone a happy and fulfilling tomorrow.
If you're with friends or family, be gentle. If you're alone, enjoy the quiet, and relax.
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Wishing everyone a happy and fulfilling tomorrow.
If you're with friends or family, be gentle. If you're alone, enjoy the quiet, and relax.
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2130 Legal Thud
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
A Boston court has ruled that a limo company and the limo driver can be held responsible for the actions of their drunken customer, after he has left the limo.
What was the limo driver supposed to do - lock them in the limo until they sobered up? This article makes it sound like the guy got into his car immediately after leaving the limo. The PBS radio report, where I heard it first, said that they went into the sports bar and drank some more.
Is the limo driver supposed to follow them around for the rest of the evening? Should he have called their mommies?
I think I know what happened here - Powers' insurance company doesn't want to bear the full brunt of the claims, and is pulling in the limo company's insurance company, to pass some of it off to them. But I don't understand the court's thinking at all.
Opinions?
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A Boston court has ruled that a limo company and the limo driver can be held responsible for the actions of their drunken customer, after he has left the limo.
The Supreme Judicial Court found that Ultimate Livery Service Inc., of Boston, and its driver, Richard Broderick, were negligent in a 2001 accident that killed an off-duty Boston police officer and left several other people with serious injuries.What? Is no one ever responsible for their own actions? The men knew they'd be drinking, that's why they hired the limo, and yet they drove themselves to the sports bar at the beginning of the evening? They gave no thought to and made no provisions for the end of the evening? Is the limo driver supposed to be their mommy? Is the limo driver supposed to check at the beginning of the evening, and if they had driven to where he picked them up, should he refuse to take them?
The court said Broderick should not have dropped off a drunken passenger at a location where he would likely get into a car and drive.
William Powers, along with five other men, had hired Ultimate to take them to a bachelor party on the night of Aug. 11, 2001. The driver picked them up in a 15-passenger van at a South Boston sports bar, took them to a strip club in Rhode Island, then drove them back to the sports bar. The men drank in both bars and during the ride to and from Rhode Island.
Powers, joined by two of the men, drove away after being dropped off and had a violent intersection collision with another car. The crash killed Sean Waters, an off-duty police officer who was a passenger in the other car, and passengers in both cars were injured.
Lawsuits were filed by Waters' estate and the injured passengers, claiming that Ultimate and its driver were negligent in allowing Powers to leave the van at the Boston bar when they knew, or should have known, that Powers was likely to drive a car while intoxicated. [emphasis mine]
A Superior Court judge dismissed the lawsuits, finding that Ultimate and the driver were not responsible for the conduct of the passenger once he left the van.
But the SJC, in reversing that ruling, found that Ultimate and its driver, Broderick, "owed a duty" to the occupants of both cars. The case could now go to trial in a lower court to determine if damages should be paid.
"Broderick knew, or should have known, that Powers was intoxicated, yet he allowed Powers to make his own judgment about driving, failing to take any reasonable precautions to prevent him from doing so. A jury could conclude that Ultimate and Broderick were negligent when they left Powers at a location where he would likely drive and pose an extreme danger to the public," Justice John Greaney wrote for the court.
The court found that Ultimate's insurer, Commerce Insurance Co., is required to cover the claims made by the passengers. [Complete article here.]
What was the limo driver supposed to do - lock them in the limo until they sobered up? This article makes it sound like the guy got into his car immediately after leaving the limo. The PBS radio report, where I heard it first, said that they went into the sports bar and drank some more.
Is the limo driver supposed to follow them around for the rest of the evening? Should he have called their mommies?
I think I know what happened here - Powers' insurance company doesn't want to bear the full brunt of the claims, and is pulling in the limo company's insurance company, to pass some of it off to them. But I don't understand the court's thinking at all.
Opinions?
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Tuesday, November 25, 2008
2129 Living a Reality Show
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
An article in Yahoo News says that
It's not new. It's just that sufferers now have a way to describe it, a context to put it in, something to compare it to when they report it. It's a feeling that everything around you is, like, scripted, not real. A feeling that you're being watched and tested, that much of what happens around you feels too well planned, designed to "get" you. A feeling that things can't be just random.
It's part of what was going on with me that landed me in the psychiatrist's office twice a week for more than four years in my middle thirties. That's why I recognize it so well.
I was pretty beaten down by the time I graduated from college, but I was coping. I had a job teaching in a small tourist town in Pennsylvania, and I might have been able to find my feet myself, but something happened in my first year of teaching that messed me up really badly (future post*, I think. Maybe).
It all just got worse and worse, until by the time Daughter was born, ten years later, I always felt like there were cameras watching me constantly. There were other problems, too, I had no sense of "me", but there were also the cameras.
Watching me.
Daughter and I would be alone in the house, and it was my house, and in 1975 the smallest video cameras were huge, so intellectually I knew there were no cameras - and yet I also knew they were there, watching me. Waiting for me to be a bad mother, to make a bad face or say a bad word, or get angry, or forget to feed her on time, or drop her, or ... whatever. Waiting for me to leave an opening so they could punish me. So they could make something outrageous happen to me.
I don't know why they (this article) used the word grandiose. I guess they're focusing on the "reality TV star" aspect? I've also heard "omnipotence" used. But anyone who would use those words doesn't understand that it's actually a feeling of NO control. Of being set up, and controlled, by others.
(I do know why "omnipotence" - because someone with this condition believes it's their failures that cause other things to happen - things that others see as completely unrelated. Those who call it omnipotence don't get the scripted aspect. It's not my power making it happen - it's the scriptwriters! The people who are watching me! That's the exact opposite of omnipotence.)
Silly researchers. Of course it's an old syndrome. It's just that people who have it can now describe it in new reality show terms. That's not enough to earn it a new name.
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* The description of that incident begins here.
.
An article in Yahoo News says that
Researchers have begun documenting what they dub the "Truman syndrome," a delusion afflicting people who are convinced that their lives are secretly playing out on a reality TV show. Scientists say the disorder underscores the influence pop culture can have on mental conditions.Is that the question, really? Duh? New? Grandiose delusions of fame?
"The question is really: Is this just a new twist on an old paranoid or grandiose delusion ... or is there sort of a perfect storm of the culture we're in, in which fame holds such high value?" said Dr. Joel Gold, a psychiatrist affiliated with New York's Bellevue Hospital. [...the article is short, easy to read...]
It's not new. It's just that sufferers now have a way to describe it, a context to put it in, something to compare it to when they report it. It's a feeling that everything around you is, like, scripted, not real. A feeling that you're being watched and tested, that much of what happens around you feels too well planned, designed to "get" you. A feeling that things can't be just random.
It's part of what was going on with me that landed me in the psychiatrist's office twice a week for more than four years in my middle thirties. That's why I recognize it so well.
I was pretty beaten down by the time I graduated from college, but I was coping. I had a job teaching in a small tourist town in Pennsylvania, and I might have been able to find my feet myself, but something happened in my first year of teaching that messed me up really badly (future post*, I think. Maybe).
It all just got worse and worse, until by the time Daughter was born, ten years later, I always felt like there were cameras watching me constantly. There were other problems, too, I had no sense of "me", but there were also the cameras.
Watching me.
Daughter and I would be alone in the house, and it was my house, and in 1975 the smallest video cameras were huge, so intellectually I knew there were no cameras - and yet I also knew they were there, watching me. Waiting for me to be a bad mother, to make a bad face or say a bad word, or get angry, or forget to feed her on time, or drop her, or ... whatever. Waiting for me to leave an opening so they could punish me. So they could make something outrageous happen to me.
I don't know why they (this article) used the word grandiose. I guess they're focusing on the "reality TV star" aspect? I've also heard "omnipotence" used. But anyone who would use those words doesn't understand that it's actually a feeling of NO control. Of being set up, and controlled, by others.
(I do know why "omnipotence" - because someone with this condition believes it's their failures that cause other things to happen - things that others see as completely unrelated. Those who call it omnipotence don't get the scripted aspect. It's not my power making it happen - it's the scriptwriters! The people who are watching me! That's the exact opposite of omnipotence.)
Silly researchers. Of course it's an old syndrome. It's just that people who have it can now describe it in new reality show terms. That's not enough to earn it a new name.
------------------------
* The description of that incident begins here.
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2128 Demolition
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
After 26 years with The Company, I'm getting 25% of my 1993 salary as retirement (there have been no COLA raises), and it's not guaranteed. After just one term, Congressmen get 100% of their salary for life. Do you think they worry? Do they really understand?
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Kim Komando's Video of the Day today is fun. Actually, there's two. The first one sets it up, and the second blows it away. Watch. You'll understand why I like the race-format demolition derbies. (Watch for the flagman's reaction at the end of the race.)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeaY2HS0KQI]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osqtn0GBuMU]
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After 26 years with The Company, I'm getting 25% of my 1993 salary as retirement (there have been no COLA raises), and it's not guaranteed. After just one term, Congressmen get 100% of their salary for life. Do you think they worry? Do they really understand?
------------------------
Kim Komando's Video of the Day today is fun. Actually, there's two. The first one sets it up, and the second blows it away. Watch. You'll understand why I like the race-format demolition derbies. (Watch for the flagman's reaction at the end of the race.)
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeaY2HS0KQI]
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Osqtn0GBuMU]
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Monday, November 24, 2008
2127 What's an emergency? Thud.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Looking at my medical insurance. Visits to the emergency room are covered "only if it's a true emergency".
Definition of a true emergency: "You are admitted to the hospital."
So I guess we're supposed to be very good at self-diagnosis. You'd better not mistake that stiff neck muscle and headache and beginnings of a cold for meningitis, or vice-versa. And you'd better be very good at keeping two days-worth of pressure on that deep cut in your leg that needs stitches, until your doctor's office opens on Monday.
There are lots of "true emergencies" that require immediate diagnosis or treatment, but do not require hospitalization.
Sheesh. Bureaucrats!
-----------------------
We did once experience something like this. Jay'd had a port implanted in an artery in his chest one afternoon in Albany. They covered it with gauze and that thin plastic stuff that seals all around the edges. They said if it bled, I should call.
I woke up during the night to check on him, and found the plastic bulging, filled with almost a cup of bright red blood. I called Albany. They said to take him to the ER, but not our local hospital. I had to take him to the one about a half hour away, because the smaller local hospital wouldn't be able to handle it if it was a serious problem, and there was a 50-50 chance it was serious.
I threw him in the car, and made it to the further hospital in 13 minutes, with visions of an open spurting hole in his aorta and his chest filling with blood.
They somehow determined that it was the incision bleeding, not the artery, and they got it to stop, and sent us home.
The insurance company did squawk, but I was able to prevail, since Albany Medical Center had told us to go, but if we hadn't had a case manager who agreed it could have gone either way.
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Looking at my medical insurance. Visits to the emergency room are covered "only if it's a true emergency".
Definition of a true emergency: "You are admitted to the hospital."
So I guess we're supposed to be very good at self-diagnosis. You'd better not mistake that stiff neck muscle and headache and beginnings of a cold for meningitis, or vice-versa. And you'd better be very good at keeping two days-worth of pressure on that deep cut in your leg that needs stitches, until your doctor's office opens on Monday.
There are lots of "true emergencies" that require immediate diagnosis or treatment, but do not require hospitalization.
Sheesh. Bureaucrats!
-----------------------
We did once experience something like this. Jay'd had a port implanted in an artery in his chest one afternoon in Albany. They covered it with gauze and that thin plastic stuff that seals all around the edges. They said if it bled, I should call.
I woke up during the night to check on him, and found the plastic bulging, filled with almost a cup of bright red blood. I called Albany. They said to take him to the ER, but not our local hospital. I had to take him to the one about a half hour away, because the smaller local hospital wouldn't be able to handle it if it was a serious problem, and there was a 50-50 chance it was serious.
I threw him in the car, and made it to the further hospital in 13 minutes, with visions of an open spurting hole in his aorta and his chest filling with blood.
They somehow determined that it was the incision bleeding, not the artery, and they got it to stop, and sent us home.
The insurance company did squawk, but I was able to prevail, since Albany Medical Center had told us to go, but if we hadn't had a case manager who agreed it could have gone either way.
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2126 Mostly about water
Monday, November 24, 2009
The highs over the past week have been barely above freezing, and in the teens overnight. I have two plastic bottles of water in the car. One is filled with water from my well. It's frozen solid. The other is "Vasa" (or something like that), labeled as "pure spring water". Not frozen. Not even little spikes of ice.
Why? What's in that stuff? I find that scary.
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What's with the bathing of cats? YouTube, CuteOverload, and LOLCats are full of photos and videos of cats freaking out during baths. For some reason people seem to think cats need baths, and they find the panic funny. Not me. They upset me. That's close to torture, and I don't find it the least bit funny.
Cats don't need baths! There are only a few cats in the entire world (tigers?) who willingly immerse themselves in water. Cats are self-cleaning.
Some people seem to think that bathing a cat will lessen the dander. It doesn't. It temporarily removes the dander that's there now, but it dries her skin, which means MORE dander very soon. Vicious cycle. Not a solution. Just gets worse and worse.
Occasionally a cat will get into something icky that wouldn't be good, or is too much, for her to clean off herself. What you do then is take a rough wash cloth very wet with lukewarm water (no soap) and use it as a "tongue" to wash her. Short stokes, with and against the fur. No immersion. She'll love it.
Same with dogs. A healthy dog never needs a bath. The natural oils in his fur prevent dirt from sticking, especially if he's brushed frequently. The more often his fur is washed with soap or shampoo, the more it dries out and will soak up dirt and odors, and the more oil his skin will produce to compensate. Vicious cycle again. However, since it doesn't upset them so much, one or two baths a year probably won't be so bad, especially on a hot summer day.
In the wild, both beasties get combed by running through brush. Since we don't allow our pets to get much of that kind of exercise, we need to brush them regularly, and that's enough to keep their fur and skin in top condition.
Stop torturing those poor kitties for your own amusement!
------------------------
I don't understand why anyone is still using AOL as a browser. I don't know about theirs, but mine is unacceptably slow. Videos are downright painful - four seconds of play, six seconds of load, four seconds of play, six seconds of load.... Dripping water torture. I just copy the URL over to another real browser, and it plays it at the same time it's loading. Maybe AOL doesn't have enough temp space, but that's not something I have control over. Maybe AOL hasn't heard of multitasking?
I use AOL for email. That's the only thing it's still pretty good at.
.
The highs over the past week have been barely above freezing, and in the teens overnight. I have two plastic bottles of water in the car. One is filled with water from my well. It's frozen solid. The other is "Vasa" (or something like that), labeled as "pure spring water". Not frozen. Not even little spikes of ice.
Why? What's in that stuff? I find that scary.
------------------------
What's with the bathing of cats? YouTube, CuteOverload, and LOLCats are full of photos and videos of cats freaking out during baths. For some reason people seem to think cats need baths, and they find the panic funny. Not me. They upset me. That's close to torture, and I don't find it the least bit funny.
Cats don't need baths! There are only a few cats in the entire world (tigers?) who willingly immerse themselves in water. Cats are self-cleaning.
Some people seem to think that bathing a cat will lessen the dander. It doesn't. It temporarily removes the dander that's there now, but it dries her skin, which means MORE dander very soon. Vicious cycle. Not a solution. Just gets worse and worse.
Occasionally a cat will get into something icky that wouldn't be good, or is too much, for her to clean off herself. What you do then is take a rough wash cloth very wet with lukewarm water (no soap) and use it as a "tongue" to wash her. Short stokes, with and against the fur. No immersion. She'll love it.
Same with dogs. A healthy dog never needs a bath. The natural oils in his fur prevent dirt from sticking, especially if he's brushed frequently. The more often his fur is washed with soap or shampoo, the more it dries out and will soak up dirt and odors, and the more oil his skin will produce to compensate. Vicious cycle again. However, since it doesn't upset them so much, one or two baths a year probably won't be so bad, especially on a hot summer day.
In the wild, both beasties get combed by running through brush. Since we don't allow our pets to get much of that kind of exercise, we need to brush them regularly, and that's enough to keep their fur and skin in top condition.
Stop torturing those poor kitties for your own amusement!
------------------------
I don't understand why anyone is still using AOL as a browser. I don't know about theirs, but mine is unacceptably slow. Videos are downright painful - four seconds of play, six seconds of load, four seconds of play, six seconds of load.... Dripping water torture. I just copy the URL over to another real browser, and it plays it at the same time it's loading. Maybe AOL doesn't have enough temp space, but that's not something I have control over. Maybe AOL hasn't heard of multitasking?
I use AOL for email. That's the only thing it's still pretty good at.
.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
2125 Flog-a-Blog
Sunday, November 23, 2008
There's another blogging award making the rounds, and one of my ten? twelve? readers has nominated me, which is nice, but I have to turn it down, because it's for writing, and I'd be accepting under false pretenses. I don't write well. I take 100 words to say what could be said in 10. And I don't compose - I just transcribe what I say when I talk to myself in my head. And 90% of what I do write isn't even interesting. Its main purpose is to help me remember what I did last week.
A requirement of the award, however, is to name five blogs you like and appreciate or whatever the rules said, I forget. I would like to do that! More than five, in fact.
There are several folks that I refer to or link to or definitely read with regularity, like Chris, Becs, the Queen, Michael, Scott, Shreve, Kate, Sunshine, Stephen. And a bunch more (I have 91 feeds on Bloglines. I just picked the most-looked-forward-to 10%.). I'd like to include MysteryElfx (aka the Gypsy) too, but her blog is private, so I can't, but if you think my "thuds" are amusing - well, I'm old enough that I just roll my eyes. She gets downright pissed at stupidity. She satisfies my rant-rage-urge with no effort on my part. Nya nya. I get to read her and you don't.
Chris - Recipies! I hate cooking, but love the descriptions, ingredients lists, and photos. He also provides food for introspection and growth, and reminds me what it's like to love and be loved with no conditions or reservations. Sometimes I need reminding.
Becs - Now there's a lady who can Write. You can taste, smell, feel her surroundings, recognize her coworkers, and she creates that world with a bare minimum of words.
Queen Ellen - The lady's just a little bit crazy, but that's ok. Most of her family is crazier. She's the best fun girlfriend that was never safe to introduce to your parents. (Although we've never met, she was inadvertently responsible for The Man and I getting together.)
Michael - Uncensored dispatches from the hot spots of the world, emphasizing the human aspects.
Scott - Another nutcake. Off-the-wall ideas that, OMG! just might work! Dilbert's "Daddy".
Shreve - She and tomcat Eli adopted an orphaned coyote pup, Charlie. Daily photos of Charlie as he grows and learns about the world. If you visit, start from the beginning.
Kate - Stories from the ER, photos from the wild places, tiny glimpses into a love story.
Sunshine - A teenager in Iraq, how she copes in a dangerous world.
Stephen - He picks a complicated topic every week, and explains it in a way that anyone can understand, and yet that doesn't leave out the complicating elements. He makes it sound easy.
Odd. None of them are chosen because they're especially funny. Some are, but that's not the attraction. In fact, the "funny" blogs I've followed for a while usually drift off my radar. I wander away because they're not "real". I wonder what that says about me?
I'm not amused by blogs that set out to amuse me? Or I like to be conscious of the reason the blog exists, the subtext? Or I'm a sourpuss?
Ahah - there's an exercise. See if you can identify the unacknowledged subtext in blogs:
"I want to be rich and famous!"
"I'm lonely."
"I need a place to bitch, and my world ain't it."
"I gotta remember what I did last week...."
"I want praise and worship from commenters."
"A blog will keep me honest with myself."
"Cheap psychotherapy."
"...?..."
.
There's another blogging award making the rounds, and one of my ten? twelve? readers has nominated me, which is nice, but I have to turn it down, because it's for writing, and I'd be accepting under false pretenses. I don't write well. I take 100 words to say what could be said in 10. And I don't compose - I just transcribe what I say when I talk to myself in my head. And 90% of what I do write isn't even interesting. Its main purpose is to help me remember what I did last week.
A requirement of the award, however, is to name five blogs you like and appreciate or whatever the rules said, I forget. I would like to do that! More than five, in fact.
There are several folks that I refer to or link to or definitely read with regularity, like Chris, Becs, the Queen, Michael, Scott, Shreve, Kate, Sunshine, Stephen. And a bunch more (I have 91 feeds on Bloglines. I just picked the most-looked-forward-to 10%.). I'd like to include MysteryElfx (aka the Gypsy) too, but her blog is private, so I can't, but if you think my "thuds" are amusing - well, I'm old enough that I just roll my eyes. She gets downright pissed at stupidity. She satisfies my rant-rage-urge with no effort on my part. Nya nya. I get to read her and you don't.
Chris - Recipies! I hate cooking, but love the descriptions, ingredients lists, and photos. He also provides food for introspection and growth, and reminds me what it's like to love and be loved with no conditions or reservations. Sometimes I need reminding.
Becs - Now there's a lady who can Write. You can taste, smell, feel her surroundings, recognize her coworkers, and she creates that world with a bare minimum of words.
Queen Ellen - The lady's just a little bit crazy, but that's ok. Most of her family is crazier. She's the best fun girlfriend that was never safe to introduce to your parents. (Although we've never met, she was inadvertently responsible for The Man and I getting together.)
Michael - Uncensored dispatches from the hot spots of the world, emphasizing the human aspects.
Scott - Another nutcake. Off-the-wall ideas that, OMG! just might work! Dilbert's "Daddy".
Shreve - She and tomcat Eli adopted an orphaned coyote pup, Charlie. Daily photos of Charlie as he grows and learns about the world. If you visit, start from the beginning.
Kate - Stories from the ER, photos from the wild places, tiny glimpses into a love story.
Sunshine - A teenager in Iraq, how she copes in a dangerous world.
Stephen - He picks a complicated topic every week, and explains it in a way that anyone can understand, and yet that doesn't leave out the complicating elements. He makes it sound easy.
Odd. None of them are chosen because they're especially funny. Some are, but that's not the attraction. In fact, the "funny" blogs I've followed for a while usually drift off my radar. I wander away because they're not "real". I wonder what that says about me?
I'm not amused by blogs that set out to amuse me? Or I like to be conscious of the reason the blog exists, the subtext? Or I'm a sourpuss?
Ahah - there's an exercise. See if you can identify the unacknowledged subtext in blogs:
"I want to be rich and famous!"
"I'm lonely."
"I need a place to bitch, and my world ain't it."
"I gotta remember what I did last week...."
"I want praise and worship from commenters."
"A blog will keep me honest with myself."
"Cheap psychotherapy."
"...?..."
.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
2124 DIY Cat Toy
I absolutely have to try this!
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_cUS9FdWEk]
(Featured on Cute Overload)
.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_cUS9FdWEk]
(Featured on Cute Overload)
.
2123 Answers
Saturday, November 22, 2008
I've been amusing myself by answering questions on Answers.Yahoo.com. You get points for answering questions (2 each), and you can use the points to ask questions (5 each), and if your answer is chosen as the best answer, you get 10 more points.
I'm doing pretty well, considering. One quarter of my answers gets chosen as best, and I have over 1,000 points.
I'm amused by the social questions. Most of the questions in the social and math/science sections are asked by kids. Oh, the drama! "She did this, then she did that, and ... what should I do?" My answers look like "Consider it from her viewpoint ... consequences ... options ...." Usually, the answer chosen as best in those categories is more like "Set fire to her house."
Sigh. I guess I don't understand.
In other categories it looks like the kid has copied a homework or take-home test question verbatim, with "show your work". It annoys me that others actually do the work in the response, without explaining the concept that the asker seems to be missing. There's a whole herd of kids out there getting their homework done for them and learning nothing. Hey, Yahoo! This is not helping!
The legal, home, business, travel, medical, and so on categories fare much better. The responses sometimes come from people with obvious expertise (although you can't trust an answer that starts with "I'm a doctor, and..."). I'm learning a few things in those categories.
Well, it's better than playing games, I guess.
---------------------
A long time ago I did the same thing on WikiAnswers. I got noticed by the supervisors there, and was contacted, "Your name has been passed around among the supervisors here", and was offered a job (job?) as a supervisor. "Join the team!"
I turned it down. I don't want ANY responsibility. For anything.
.
I've been amusing myself by answering questions on Answers.Yahoo.com. You get points for answering questions (2 each), and you can use the points to ask questions (5 each), and if your answer is chosen as the best answer, you get 10 more points.
I'm doing pretty well, considering. One quarter of my answers gets chosen as best, and I have over 1,000 points.
I'm amused by the social questions. Most of the questions in the social and math/science sections are asked by kids. Oh, the drama! "She did this, then she did that, and ... what should I do?" My answers look like "Consider it from her viewpoint ... consequences ... options ...." Usually, the answer chosen as best in those categories is more like "Set fire to her house."
Sigh. I guess I don't understand.
In other categories it looks like the kid has copied a homework or take-home test question verbatim, with "show your work". It annoys me that others actually do the work in the response, without explaining the concept that the asker seems to be missing. There's a whole herd of kids out there getting their homework done for them and learning nothing. Hey, Yahoo! This is not helping!
The legal, home, business, travel, medical, and so on categories fare much better. The responses sometimes come from people with obvious expertise (although you can't trust an answer that starts with "I'm a doctor, and..."). I'm learning a few things in those categories.
Well, it's better than playing games, I guess.
---------------------
A long time ago I did the same thing on WikiAnswers. I got noticed by the supervisors there, and was contacted, "Your name has been passed around among the supervisors here", and was offered a job (job?) as a supervisor. "Join the team!"
I turned it down. I don't want ANY responsibility. For anything.
.
2122 Eagle Verification
Saturday, November 22, 2008
"Nature" is on PBS right now, and the show is about bald eagles. I am reminded of the time I was standing at a vulture cage in a tiny community zoo somewhere in Wales. A woman and a little girl were standing next to me. They looked at the two vultures silently for a while, then the little girl said, "Mummy, is that a bald eagle?"
The mother answered, "I guess so. It's big and it's bald. Never understood what the Americans saw in such an ugly bird."
I cracked up.
---------------------
To the recycle center today. It was in the middle 20s, and there was a lot of wind. My hands haven't recovered yet. They burn.
But at least I got rid of the two huge garbage bags of shredded paper from the last "cleaning out the files" spasm. My shredder cuts small diamonds, and Jasper had found the bags and torn them open. Little diamonds of paper all over the house.
Jasper is going to kill me. He follows me everywhere (except to the den, which is the exclusive province of Miss Thunderfoot), but he doesn't follow - he leads. He runs in front of me, and then stops suddenly, flopping onto his side or back. I'm always tripping over him. I know he's asking for petting, but that's not the way to get it, and I don't encourage it by petting him when he does it. I've tried to discourage it by "walking through" him, pushing him out of the way with my feet, but it hasn't worked. I'm getting frustrated. It's especially dangerous at night.
---------------------
Chris, over at "Inane Thoughts...", wonders if others have noticed a change in word verification offerings. He says they seem to look more like words now, rather than a random collection of letters.
Yeah, I had noticed. Sometimes they even seem to have some application to the topic, or to carry a comment of their own. Downright eerie. They do seem to be less confusing than the random ones, although they are still not real words. They just look like they could be. Or are trying to be.
On that topic, I read something recently, and as usual I don't remember where, about using real words in the verification process.
Many organizations are putting books online, thousands of paper books are being digitalized by people who stand at scanners all day, feeding in pages. Software takes the scanner images, "reads" them, and translates them to text. Occasionally (or often, depending on the age, font, and condition of the book) a word can't be translated because letters are broken, or the ink is smudged, or the word is clear but not in any dictionary. The software can't figure out what the word should be.
Humans could easily figure out what the word should be, but there are simply too many to make it cost effective.
Somebody had the great idea of using us to figure out what the word is. Many sites are now using those scans for word verification, and as a kind of bonus, they rent the lists, helping to support the book project. We are shown the scan, and we figure out what the word is. I've seen many of them. They're apparent from the smudged ink, the obvious "old book" look, and from the fact that two words are offered, one word being quite clear (that's the REAL verification word), the other being messy.
The folks digitalizing the books collect our guesses on the messy words, which are tagged as to the book and location they came from, and after a certain number of people identify one as a certain word, that information goes into the book text.
Watch for them. At least now when there's frustration, perhaps a virtuous feeling can ameliorate it a tad.
.
"Nature" is on PBS right now, and the show is about bald eagles. I am reminded of the time I was standing at a vulture cage in a tiny community zoo somewhere in Wales. A woman and a little girl were standing next to me. They looked at the two vultures silently for a while, then the little girl said, "Mummy, is that a bald eagle?"The mother answered, "I guess so. It's big and it's bald. Never understood what the Americans saw in such an ugly bird."
I cracked up.
---------------------
To the recycle center today. It was in the middle 20s, and there was a lot of wind. My hands haven't recovered yet. They burn.
But at least I got rid of the two huge garbage bags of shredded paper from the last "cleaning out the files" spasm. My shredder cuts small diamonds, and Jasper had found the bags and torn them open. Little diamonds of paper all over the house.
Jasper is going to kill me. He follows me everywhere (except to the den, which is the exclusive province of Miss Thunderfoot), but he doesn't follow - he leads. He runs in front of me, and then stops suddenly, flopping onto his side or back. I'm always tripping over him. I know he's asking for petting, but that's not the way to get it, and I don't encourage it by petting him when he does it. I've tried to discourage it by "walking through" him, pushing him out of the way with my feet, but it hasn't worked. I'm getting frustrated. It's especially dangerous at night.
---------------------
Chris, over at "Inane Thoughts...", wonders if others have noticed a change in word verification offerings. He says they seem to look more like words now, rather than a random collection of letters.
Yeah, I had noticed. Sometimes they even seem to have some application to the topic, or to carry a comment of their own. Downright eerie. They do seem to be less confusing than the random ones, although they are still not real words. They just look like they could be. Or are trying to be.
On that topic, I read something recently, and as usual I don't remember where, about using real words in the verification process.
Many organizations are putting books online, thousands of paper books are being digitalized by people who stand at scanners all day, feeding in pages. Software takes the scanner images, "reads" them, and translates them to text. Occasionally (or often, depending on the age, font, and condition of the book) a word can't be translated because letters are broken, or the ink is smudged, or the word is clear but not in any dictionary. The software can't figure out what the word should be.
Humans could easily figure out what the word should be, but there are simply too many to make it cost effective.
Somebody had the great idea of using us to figure out what the word is. Many sites are now using those scans for word verification, and as a kind of bonus, they rent the lists, helping to support the book project. We are shown the scan, and we figure out what the word is. I've seen many of them. They're apparent from the smudged ink, the obvious "old book" look, and from the fact that two words are offered, one word being quite clear (that's the REAL verification word), the other being messy.
The folks digitalizing the books collect our guesses on the messy words, which are tagged as to the book and location they came from, and after a certain number of people identify one as a certain word, that information goes into the book text.
Watch for them. At least now when there's frustration, perhaps a virtuous feeling can ameliorate it a tad.
.
Friday, November 21, 2008
2121 Spider 'Hood
Friday, November 21, 2008
I got a few things done today. I've discovered that opium incense for some reason will get me off my behind and moving. Very strange, since opium would (I assume, having no first-hand experience) elicit the opposite reaction.
In fact, I even laughed at this video.
[http://www.zippyvideos.com/5694558476583576/thewoodspider/]
.
I got a few things done today. I've discovered that opium incense for some reason will get me off my behind and moving. Very strange, since opium would (I assume, having no first-hand experience) elicit the opposite reaction.
In fact, I even laughed at this video.
[http://www.zippyvideos.com/5694558476583576/thewoodspider/]
.
2120 Well, at least I'm alive....
Friday, November 21, 2008
Still with the malaise.
It's time to select the medical, dental, and vision plans for my retirement plan for the next year. The Company sends a thick envelope outlining the choices available in your area. Here, I get a choice of like 10 different medical plans, 7 dental plans, and 3 vision plans.
For several years I'd chosen one of the catastrophic medical plans, where for $170 a month I pay the first x thousand dollars every year, and once that deductible is met, I'm covered for 100% of everything else, and there is no network nonsense. I can handle x thousand if I have to, and I'm getting old enough that catastrophe looms, so that sounded really good.
This year, the exact same plan ominously mentions in and out of network (with no indication of who is in the network), and mentions copays varying from 10% to 50%. The other choices offered don't look any better.
A lot of retirees don't read the package every year. If you don't make any changes, the previous year's plan is extended, so if they've been happy with what they had, they don't bother to look at the options. They just let it ride. I think a lot of people are going to be shocked when they find out that even though their plan still has the same name, and the same deduction from their pitiful retirement check, it's changed drastically.
I did upgrade my dental plan.
As to the malaise, it's affecting everything, even blogs. I go to foreign affairs, news, and political blogs that I had read avidly every day, take one look, and think "Who cares", and hit the back button. I go to personal blogs, click on "comment", and think "He/she doesn't really need my whatever", and click the red X.
It's like that with everything.
The temperature has been described as "January, not November!". I am miserable. My snowthrower is still in the shop. Snow showers are predicted several days next week, and since the temperature hasn't gone over 35 in what feels like ages (in the TEENS overnight!) any snow that falls is likely to stick.
I want to hibernate.
.
Still with the malaise.
It's time to select the medical, dental, and vision plans for my retirement plan for the next year. The Company sends a thick envelope outlining the choices available in your area. Here, I get a choice of like 10 different medical plans, 7 dental plans, and 3 vision plans.
For several years I'd chosen one of the catastrophic medical plans, where for $170 a month I pay the first x thousand dollars every year, and once that deductible is met, I'm covered for 100% of everything else, and there is no network nonsense. I can handle x thousand if I have to, and I'm getting old enough that catastrophe looms, so that sounded really good.
This year, the exact same plan ominously mentions in and out of network (with no indication of who is in the network), and mentions copays varying from 10% to 50%. The other choices offered don't look any better.
A lot of retirees don't read the package every year. If you don't make any changes, the previous year's plan is extended, so if they've been happy with what they had, they don't bother to look at the options. They just let it ride. I think a lot of people are going to be shocked when they find out that even though their plan still has the same name, and the same deduction from their pitiful retirement check, it's changed drastically.
I did upgrade my dental plan.
As to the malaise, it's affecting everything, even blogs. I go to foreign affairs, news, and political blogs that I had read avidly every day, take one look, and think "Who cares", and hit the back button. I go to personal blogs, click on "comment", and think "He/she doesn't really need my whatever", and click the red X.
It's like that with everything.
The temperature has been described as "January, not November!". I am miserable. My snowthrower is still in the shop. Snow showers are predicted several days next week, and since the temperature hasn't gone over 35 in what feels like ages (in the TEENS overnight!) any snow that falls is likely to stick.
I want to hibernate.
.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
2119 Baghdad is Huge
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
We see photos from Baghdad. They're usually at street level. They don't convey the real sense of the city. See http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/11/in-country-2.php for an eye-opener.
We see photos from Baghdad. They're usually at street level. They don't convey the real sense of the city. See http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/11/in-country-2.php for an eye-opener.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
2118 S.A.D.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I'm sad. It's cold and dark and dreary all the time here now. We won't get out of the 30s for at least a week, that's as far as the local weathermen want to go, anyway. Today there were tiny flurries of snow, and there's more predicted.
Last Tuesday, I put the snowthrower out in front of the garage for the service guys to pick up. That's what they'd told me to do. When I left for dinner, it was still there. The top of my driveway is not visible from the road, so I figured it was safe. When I got home that night it was gone.
Yesterday it occurred to me that it had been a week, and I'm only assuming they'd taken it, so I stopped by the shop in the village to check. Yeah, they had it, but they hadn't started work on it yet. Today I got the "uh oh" call. The carburetor is all gummed up, cleaning didn't ungum it, they need to order parts, it might take a while, and I didn't ask, but it sounds expensive.
You know, every year, for the past eleven years, at the end of winter I forget to run the old gas out. And I forget to put the drops in the tank to keep the gas from getting yucky. The gas sits in it all summer. Then almost every fall I get it serviced, and it's fine. Sometimes I let the servicing go too late, and it doesn't get serviced, and it's fine. Last winter I put the drops in, and early this summer I ran it to burn out the old gas and clear the carburetor. For the first time in twelve years I did it right! And for the first time ever ....
Oh Hell. I don't understand. Makes me wonder why I bother. Why try. Nothing seems to make any difference.
I'm getting buried in paper again. Last time I dug myself out I promised myself I would sort the mail as soon as I brought it in, and I'd pay the bills as soon as they arrived, and I'd put each day's newspaper in the recycle bag before the next day's arrived. Yeah. Sure. Why do I have so much trouble with that? It's so simple, and not inconvenient. But I just don't do it. I don't know why.
I'm getting nothing done around here. I look around and feel overwhelmed, and do nothing. It's pretty bad.
I'm having tooth problems. I think I'm losing bone in the front of my upper jaw, and on the right side upper and lower. My teeth are migrating. I'm growing a space between my upper front teeth. The upper right side teeth seem to be dropping. The jaw seems to arc downward. It screws up my bite, and when they'd moved a bit again, I get pain in my jaw from the teeth not meeting correctly. Then they nestle in and the pain stops for a while. This has been going on for about three years.
I haven't seen a dentist since shortly after Jay died. My previous dentist (cleanings every six months) is where I lived before I married Jay, and that's about an hour away. I figured I'd find one closer. They won't let me drive that far if any drastic work is done. About once a year, when the moving teeth intrude on my wandering mind, I call around to try to find one. Most local dentists are not accepting new patients, period. The few who are, are booked up for three to six months. So I haven't made any appointments.
It's like I don't care.
I've got some medical issues, too. I don't know why I keep putting it off. At this point it's like I don't want to look too hard at anything, because what if they find something? Better not to know.
I'm putting weight on again. I don't know why. The goal was to lose 10 or 15 more pounds, and instead I've put 10 back on over the past year.
I'm pretty sure a large part of this is seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But thinking that doesn't make it any better. I'm afraid I might drive The Man away with my blahs. And right now I'm so blah I don't care about that, either.
I'm starting to care a lot less about a lot of things.
.
I'm sad. It's cold and dark and dreary all the time here now. We won't get out of the 30s for at least a week, that's as far as the local weathermen want to go, anyway. Today there were tiny flurries of snow, and there's more predicted.
Last Tuesday, I put the snowthrower out in front of the garage for the service guys to pick up. That's what they'd told me to do. When I left for dinner, it was still there. The top of my driveway is not visible from the road, so I figured it was safe. When I got home that night it was gone.
Yesterday it occurred to me that it had been a week, and I'm only assuming they'd taken it, so I stopped by the shop in the village to check. Yeah, they had it, but they hadn't started work on it yet. Today I got the "uh oh" call. The carburetor is all gummed up, cleaning didn't ungum it, they need to order parts, it might take a while, and I didn't ask, but it sounds expensive.
You know, every year, for the past eleven years, at the end of winter I forget to run the old gas out. And I forget to put the drops in the tank to keep the gas from getting yucky. The gas sits in it all summer. Then almost every fall I get it serviced, and it's fine. Sometimes I let the servicing go too late, and it doesn't get serviced, and it's fine. Last winter I put the drops in, and early this summer I ran it to burn out the old gas and clear the carburetor. For the first time in twelve years I did it right! And for the first time ever ....
Oh Hell. I don't understand. Makes me wonder why I bother. Why try. Nothing seems to make any difference.
I'm getting buried in paper again. Last time I dug myself out I promised myself I would sort the mail as soon as I brought it in, and I'd pay the bills as soon as they arrived, and I'd put each day's newspaper in the recycle bag before the next day's arrived. Yeah. Sure. Why do I have so much trouble with that? It's so simple, and not inconvenient. But I just don't do it. I don't know why.
I'm getting nothing done around here. I look around and feel overwhelmed, and do nothing. It's pretty bad.
I'm having tooth problems. I think I'm losing bone in the front of my upper jaw, and on the right side upper and lower. My teeth are migrating. I'm growing a space between my upper front teeth. The upper right side teeth seem to be dropping. The jaw seems to arc downward. It screws up my bite, and when they'd moved a bit again, I get pain in my jaw from the teeth not meeting correctly. Then they nestle in and the pain stops for a while. This has been going on for about three years.
I haven't seen a dentist since shortly after Jay died. My previous dentist (cleanings every six months) is where I lived before I married Jay, and that's about an hour away. I figured I'd find one closer. They won't let me drive that far if any drastic work is done. About once a year, when the moving teeth intrude on my wandering mind, I call around to try to find one. Most local dentists are not accepting new patients, period. The few who are, are booked up for three to six months. So I haven't made any appointments.
It's like I don't care.
I've got some medical issues, too. I don't know why I keep putting it off. At this point it's like I don't want to look too hard at anything, because what if they find something? Better not to know.
I'm putting weight on again. I don't know why. The goal was to lose 10 or 15 more pounds, and instead I've put 10 back on over the past year.
I'm pretty sure a large part of this is seasonal affective disorder (SAD). But thinking that doesn't make it any better. I'm afraid I might drive The Man away with my blahs. And right now I'm so blah I don't care about that, either.
I'm starting to care a lot less about a lot of things.
.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
2117 Thud
Sunday, November 16, 2008
There's a semi-local family who will be competing in a national family cook off. Their specialty is a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They use wheat bread and light butter to make it healthy.
I don't know how to describe my reaction to that.
It's so wrong on so many levels it blew everything else out of my brain. I have no other thoughts.
We are doomed.
.
There's a semi-local family who will be competing in a national family cook off. Their specialty is a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They use wheat bread and light butter to make it healthy.
I don't know how to describe my reaction to that.
It's so wrong on so many levels it blew everything else out of my brain. I have no other thoughts.
We are doomed.
.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
2116 Msg to Granny, re alerts
Saturday, November 15, 2008
[Later - 6:30 pm -- wouldn't you know it? Bloglines is down again. I'm getting no updates today, and trying to do some operations gets a "loading" loop. They're really starting to bug me.]
This is a reply to PDX Granny, regarding how to get blog post alerts. There are several ways to get alerts and feeds. Some people prefer Google, I like Bloglines.
If you'd like to try it, go to www.bloglines.com, and set up a free account. Unfortunately, it recognizes me when I go there, so I can't go through the steps to describe them for you, but it's not difficult. Once you have an account, you'll get a split screen. The left side is where you'll see your list of subscriptions, and on the right side you get the text.
On the left, at the top, you'll see "Add". Click on it. Then on the right you'll be able to type in the URL of a blog (or news feed or just about anything) you want to follow. Click "Subscribe".
You'll then be given a list of feeds for that URL. I always just pick the one that already has the most subscribers. Down a little further, choose the "full feed" option. Some blogs feed only the first few lines, some feed the full post. The full post is most convenient if they provide it.
Once you have subscribed, you'll see new posts in the list on the left. If you click on that, Bloglines will give you the text, on the right. If the blog owner has chosen to provide full feeds, you can read the entire post right there. (Sometimes embedded videos don't show, though. That's why I always include the URL of the video.)
If you click on the post title on the right, you'll go directly to the post, including comments. If you click on the blog title, you'll go to the blog. At the bottom of the post you'll see a little "Keep new" square. If you click on that, it'll hang around until you uncheck it. That way, you can keep things you might want to look at again.
If the text of the post is too wide for the right side of the screen, press "m", and you'll get full screen. Press "m" again to go back.
Have fun. Warning - this makes it so easy to follow a blog, that you can end up with 50 or 60 or more in your list.
.
[Later - 6:30 pm -- wouldn't you know it? Bloglines is down again. I'm getting no updates today, and trying to do some operations gets a "loading" loop. They're really starting to bug me.]
This is a reply to PDX Granny, regarding how to get blog post alerts. There are several ways to get alerts and feeds. Some people prefer Google, I like Bloglines.
If you'd like to try it, go to www.bloglines.com, and set up a free account. Unfortunately, it recognizes me when I go there, so I can't go through the steps to describe them for you, but it's not difficult. Once you have an account, you'll get a split screen. The left side is where you'll see your list of subscriptions, and on the right side you get the text.
On the left, at the top, you'll see "Add". Click on it. Then on the right you'll be able to type in the URL of a blog (or news feed or just about anything) you want to follow. Click "Subscribe".
You'll then be given a list of feeds for that URL. I always just pick the one that already has the most subscribers. Down a little further, choose the "full feed" option. Some blogs feed only the first few lines, some feed the full post. The full post is most convenient if they provide it.
Once you have subscribed, you'll see new posts in the list on the left. If you click on that, Bloglines will give you the text, on the right. If the blog owner has chosen to provide full feeds, you can read the entire post right there. (Sometimes embedded videos don't show, though. That's why I always include the URL of the video.)
If you click on the post title on the right, you'll go directly to the post, including comments. If you click on the blog title, you'll go to the blog. At the bottom of the post you'll see a little "Keep new" square. If you click on that, it'll hang around until you uncheck it. That way, you can keep things you might want to look at again.
If the text of the post is too wide for the right side of the screen, press "m", and you'll get full screen. Press "m" again to go back.
Have fun. Warning - this makes it so easy to follow a blog, that you can end up with 50 or 60 or more in your list.
.
2115 B1, B2, and B3 Explained!
Saturday, November 14, 2008
B1, B2, and B3 are of course the Banes-of-my-life from Post #2113. I figured out what the problem is. I just have to stop speaking German to them! Apparently, German is very open to misinterpretation.
I accidentally discovered a plethora of parodies/satires on YouTube. Folks have put subtitles on a clip from a Hitler movie - many versions of what's being said, all on the same clip. Some of them are very funny. If you double click on any of these, it'll take you to YouTube, and you'll find more similar clips listed on the right.
If you understand German and it distracts you from the subtitles, mute the sound. Warning - some blue language in the subtitles, but what do you expect from Hitler?
Hitler gets caught in the housing bubble. I cracked up when he asked about his 401K.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNmcf4Y3lGM]
Hitler gets banned from Wikipedia.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYvldOuZ6_k&feature=related]
Hitler's ride is stolen.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukAhlxl4hmM&feature=related]
.
B1, B2, and B3 are of course the Banes-of-my-life from Post #2113. I figured out what the problem is. I just have to stop speaking German to them! Apparently, German is very open to misinterpretation.
I accidentally discovered a plethora of parodies/satires on YouTube. Folks have put subtitles on a clip from a Hitler movie - many versions of what's being said, all on the same clip. Some of them are very funny. If you double click on any of these, it'll take you to YouTube, and you'll find more similar clips listed on the right.
If you understand German and it distracts you from the subtitles, mute the sound. Warning - some blue language in the subtitles, but what do you expect from Hitler?
Hitler gets caught in the housing bubble. I cracked up when he asked about his 401K.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNmcf4Y3lGM]
Hitler gets banned from Wikipedia.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TYvldOuZ6_k&feature=related]
Hitler's ride is stolen.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukAhlxl4hmM&feature=related]
.
Friday, November 14, 2008
2114 My Head Hurts
Friday, November 14, 2008
This post was a comparison of 1957 to 2007. It got posted (by someone else) to a national Mensa discussion group, where, among other things, political topics are banned.
The post was deleted as having violated the ban on politics.
This kicked off some objections. Some people saw it as not so much political, but simply social commentary. That's my opinion, too.
What got my head hurting (probably due to all the eye-rolling) was that about half considered it a commentary on the sad state of society in 2007. The other half saw it as a commentary on the sad state of society in 1957.
----------------------------
Decision made, by the way. I was with The Man last night, Karaoke (he did a terrific job on Prince's "Purple Rain") and dinner, so I missed Survivor. I've decided to watch it on YouTube this evening instead of going out. Maybe all I was looking for was an excuse to stay home. Cold drizzle out there.
.
This post was a comparison of 1957 to 2007. It got posted (by someone else) to a national Mensa discussion group, where, among other things, political topics are banned.
The post was deleted as having violated the ban on politics.
This kicked off some objections. Some people saw it as not so much political, but simply social commentary. That's my opinion, too.
What got my head hurting (probably due to all the eye-rolling) was that about half considered it a commentary on the sad state of society in 2007. The other half saw it as a commentary on the sad state of society in 1957.
----------------------------
Decision made, by the way. I was with The Man last night, Karaoke (he did a terrific job on Prince's "Purple Rain") and dinner, so I missed Survivor. I've decided to watch it on YouTube this evening instead of going out. Maybe all I was looking for was an excuse to stay home. Cold drizzle out there.
.
2113 More Blah
Friday, November 14, 2008
I'm debating whether to go to an event this evening. I'd like to go, but I guess I need to figure out how much I want to go. The biggest problem is that I can't decide on the criteria for the decision. I feel like I'm just dangling here. If I dangle long enough, time will make the decision for me.
---------------------------
I had mentioned a very unsettled feeling Tuesday night, that disturbed my sleep. I think I figured it out. It was foreboding.
There are three people locally that I don't get along with, no matter how hard I try. From my viewpoint, each of them seems to take everything I say or do the wrong, most negative, most insulting, way. A few people have said that these people seem to be afraid of me or something. Like they think I judge them constantly and find them wanting, and they're looking for proof of this in every contact.
They hear what they want to hear, not what I say.
I don't understand.
Anyway, one of these people was at the dinner Tuesday evening, let's call that person B1 (for "Bane-of-my-life 1"), and in the course of talking about a particular topic B1 mentioned that B2 had done something that B1 thought was very nice. I commented that yes, it needed doing, and it's nice that B2 is willing to step in when things need doing, but that B2 should not have done it, that because of B2's position in the group the rules bar B2's participation in that process, that B2's having done it could invalidate the local group elections if anyone chose to oppose them.
I realize now that the foreboding started at that instant.
Sure enough, Thursday morning there's a fiery email, two of them actually, from B2, saying that I may have a legitimate gripe, but it's not with B2, and blah blah blah explanations and defenses. B2 is freaking apoplectic. All B2's reasons and explanations don't change the fact that B2 shouldn't have done what B2 did, and B2 knows that! I don't know how to respond to B2, or even whether I should.
I suspect that what B2 heard was delivered in words and tones other than the ones I actually used. To be true to myself, perhaps I should respond by clarifying exactly what I said. If B2 still objects to that, well, so be it.
It's not finished. I have a feeling I'll hear from B3, as soon as the (distorted further) report gets circulated. Because, horror of all horrors, B3 did the same prohibited thing. And as soon as B2 and B3 tell the person who SHOULD have done the thing but didn't, necessitating their doing it, I'll probably acquire a B4.
I just gotta learn to keep my mouth shut. Or find a more adult bunch of people to associate with.
.
I'm debating whether to go to an event this evening. I'd like to go, but I guess I need to figure out how much I want to go. The biggest problem is that I can't decide on the criteria for the decision. I feel like I'm just dangling here. If I dangle long enough, time will make the decision for me.
---------------------------
I had mentioned a very unsettled feeling Tuesday night, that disturbed my sleep. I think I figured it out. It was foreboding.
There are three people locally that I don't get along with, no matter how hard I try. From my viewpoint, each of them seems to take everything I say or do the wrong, most negative, most insulting, way. A few people have said that these people seem to be afraid of me or something. Like they think I judge them constantly and find them wanting, and they're looking for proof of this in every contact.
They hear what they want to hear, not what I say.
I don't understand.
Anyway, one of these people was at the dinner Tuesday evening, let's call that person B1 (for "Bane-of-my-life 1"), and in the course of talking about a particular topic B1 mentioned that B2 had done something that B1 thought was very nice. I commented that yes, it needed doing, and it's nice that B2 is willing to step in when things need doing, but that B2 should not have done it, that because of B2's position in the group the rules bar B2's participation in that process, that B2's having done it could invalidate the local group elections if anyone chose to oppose them.
I realize now that the foreboding started at that instant.
Sure enough, Thursday morning there's a fiery email, two of them actually, from B2, saying that I may have a legitimate gripe, but it's not with B2, and blah blah blah explanations and defenses. B2 is freaking apoplectic. All B2's reasons and explanations don't change the fact that B2 shouldn't have done what B2 did, and B2 knows that! I don't know how to respond to B2, or even whether I should.
I suspect that what B2 heard was delivered in words and tones other than the ones I actually used. To be true to myself, perhaps I should respond by clarifying exactly what I said. If B2 still objects to that, well, so be it.
It's not finished. I have a feeling I'll hear from B3, as soon as the (distorted further) report gets circulated. Because, horror of all horrors, B3 did the same prohibited thing. And as soon as B2 and B3 tell the person who SHOULD have done the thing but didn't, necessitating their doing it, I'll probably acquire a B4.
I just gotta learn to keep my mouth shut. Or find a more adult bunch of people to associate with.
.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
2112 Bloglines Kerflooey?
Thursday, November 13, 2008
What's the deal with Bloglines today? I'm getting 200 updates on every blog I've subscribed to. It looks like they're considering everything posted in 2006 and 2007 as a new post. It's not anything the bloggers did, like change templates, because mine is one of them and I didn't do anything different.
That's not the worst - after I mark them "read", the next time the screen refreshes, all 200 are back on the list. Right now I'm showing like 3000+ posts "to be read".
----------------
It's two hours later, and it's up to 5100 posts to be read. I'm beginning to wonder if Bloglines has picked up all the programmers AOL laid off. Looks like the same fingerprints....
.
What's the deal with Bloglines today? I'm getting 200 updates on every blog I've subscribed to. It looks like they're considering everything posted in 2006 and 2007 as a new post. It's not anything the bloggers did, like change templates, because mine is one of them and I didn't do anything different.
That's not the worst - after I mark them "read", the next time the screen refreshes, all 200 are back on the list. Right now I'm showing like 3000+ posts "to be read".
----------------
It's two hours later, and it's up to 5100 posts to be read. I'm beginning to wonder if Bloglines has picked up all the programmers AOL laid off. Looks like the same fingerprints....
.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
2111 1957-2007 - 50 years of progress
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Garbage is out. Bed is delayed because I found this:
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by ACLU. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that learning English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007- ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
-------------------------
Of course it's supposed to be funny. But it's too close to the truth to be funny.
.
Garbage is out. Bed is delayed because I found this:
Scenario 1:
Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.
1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.
2007 - School goes into lock down, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers.
Scenario 2:
Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.
1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins. Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.
2007 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.
Scenario 3:
Jeffrey will not be still in class, he disrupts other students.
1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.
2007 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability.
Scenario 4:
Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt.
1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.
2007 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.
Scenario 5:
Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.
1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.
2007 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.
Scenario 6:
Pedro fails high school English.
1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.
2007 - Pedro's cause is taken up by ACLU. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that learning English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.
Scenario 7:
Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.
1957 - Ants die.
2007- ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated. Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.
Scenario 8:
Johnny falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Mary. Mary hugs him to comfort him.
1957 - In a short time, Johnny feels better and goes on playing.
2007 - Mary is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison. Johnny undergoes 5 years of therapy.
-------------------------
Of course it's supposed to be funny. But it's too close to the truth to be funny.
.
2110 Sigh
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
I'm feeling blah today. Don't know why. I just don't have any enthusiasm for or about anything. Even LOLCats left me cold today. I had a vague feeling of dissatisfaction, of something being wrong, all night last night. Didn't sleep well. My body feels all achy, too. That's a chicken-or-egg thing. Achy because I'm blah, or blah because I'm achy?
I think I'll take the garbage to the end of the driveway and go to bed early.
.
I'm feeling blah today. Don't know why. I just don't have any enthusiasm for or about anything. Even LOLCats left me cold today. I had a vague feeling of dissatisfaction, of something being wrong, all night last night. Didn't sleep well. My body feels all achy, too. That's a chicken-or-egg thing. Achy because I'm blah, or blah because I'm achy?
I think I'll take the garbage to the end of the driveway and go to bed early.
.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
2109 Northern Spies
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Mensa dinner tonight, seven of us at the Northern Spy Cafe in High Falls. An intriguing name until you realize that the restaurant is next to apple orchards, and "Northern Spy" is a variety of apple.
As of 5 pm there were supposed to be 10 at table, but as usual, several people canceled at the last moment. That does annoy me.
Here's the crew, without names. None of them have names....
.
Mensa dinner tonight, seven of us at the Northern Spy Cafe in High Falls. An intriguing name until you realize that the restaurant is next to apple orchards, and "Northern Spy" is a variety of apple.
As of 5 pm there were supposed to be 10 at table, but as usual, several people canceled at the last moment. That does annoy me.
Here's the crew, without names. None of them have names....
.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
2108 Ok, I'm a Conspiracy Nut
Sunday, November 9, 2008
From FailBlog.org:
Dear Abby,
I have a man I can't trust. He cheats so much I'm not even sure the baby I'm carrying is his. ...
PunditKitchen.com has a photo of Pres. Bush on the phone. The caption has him asking, "Is there any quick way for me to revoke all those powers I gave my office?"
In case you missed Craig Ferguson's show last Friday, Ferguson chatted with "President Bush", who was bubble-wrapping items in the oval office. He asked Bush if he had voted, and for whom. Bush said yes, and that he had voted for Obama. Paraphrased: "If I voted for that other guy, we'd have four more years of Cheney's mess. "
Then Bush told Ferguson to tell Obama that he'd be packed up and out of the Oval Office by Monday. Ferguson pointed out that he didn't have to be out until January 20th, "You're still President until then. Check the Constitution." Bush said he couldn't, he didn't have a copy, "Cheney burned them all."
I cracked up.
My opinion is that Cheney wanted to be President all along, but knew he'd never win an election, so G.W. was chosen as an electable, gullible, and easily controlled front man.
I've never felt great animosity toward G.W. Bush. He was simply stupid, and can be forgiven because he didn't do things out of bad intent, and had no understanding of the consequences of his actions. I think Cheney was downright flatout evil. He knew damn well what he was doing, and his intent was not honorable. Evil in every sense. VICE-President. The title fit.
I also think Cheney had something to do with the selection of Palin (although it was Henry Kissinger who convinced McCain to choose her). It would not be a good idea for Cheney to try for Vice-President again, because he's too tied to the failures of the past eight years. Palin would be malleable, "trust me, Little Lady...". McCain would not be so easily controlled, but nobody would expect him to last further than the first four years anyway, and he wasn't likely to change much of anything Cheney had set up, unlike many of the others who had entered the primaries. This ticket was Cheney's dream, if only it could win.
The pundits are all blathering about the "split" in the Republican party. I think there's another split they've missed. I think The Powers of the Republican party didn't really want to win this election. It helps to explain some of the stupidities of the Republican campaign.
The next President is inheriting a royal mess. There are things that will have to be done that will be very unpopular. Many of those actions will look very socialistic, which will strongly alienate the Republican voting base, who will not understand the absolute necessity for those actions. Many problems will require more than four years to show improvement.
So if the next President and Congress does a good job, and gets things turned around and headed onto the right track, it probably won't pay off during the first term, and it could be at the cost of popularity. So why not let the Democrats take that heat, instead of the Republicans? 2012 is the right time to waltz in and reap the benefits.
Conspiracy theories. Oh, my. But I can easily believe them, or some version thereof.
By the way, how and when did intelligence, education, and understanding become a character fault?
I wonder what would happen if we gave an election, and nobody came.
There's a underground movie floating around out there, "Zeitgeist". The "Addendum" clip linked from that site is over two hours long and I haven't watched it yet, but I will. The original is in three parts. The first deals with religion (which will immediately alienate most viewers - an attempt to separate the susceptible from the skeptics, perhaps? - but is worth the time anyway, I think), the second is about 9/11, and the third is about the financial interests that influence, perhaps even rule, the world. Perhaps the new addendum is a fourth part? I don't know yet.
It reminds me a lot of Rosicrucians. I met and was friendly with a group of Rosicrucians when I lived in St. Louis. They gave me pamphlets and books and urged me to join. It smacked of elitism to me - they seemed so smug in their "secret knowledge", their select status. Sorta like Saved Christians. Or Freemasons. I just don't feel I need for that. Anyway, back to the topic ....
As with all films of that type, it's a bit sensationalist, throws in everything including half a dozen styles of kitchen sink, and ignores the possibility of simpler explanations and motives. But among all the dross and leaps of speculation, there's a solid core of fact and explanation. It's up to the viewer to sort it out, and when you do, you're left with a handful of very scary ideas.
One of the chief criticisms of the theories presented, particularly those of the third part on financial interests, is that this conspiracy theory has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years, and has been repeatedly discredited and disproved, and therefore ought to be given up as a myth that's dragged out every so often by disgruntled people for their own purposes. Like when the Nazis used it, for example.
Um, misapplication doesn't make it untrue. The conspiracy may not be as organized and/or hierarchical as the movie implies, but I do believe that the motives certainly exist, in cells and individuals.
Like Cheney. A movement and conspiracy of his own.
In reference to nothing, just in case you aren't aware, the wealth of the top 1% in the US has tripled in the last 35 years, while the bottom 50% haven't advanced at all. Where did the top 1% get it? From the bottom 50%. The rich have their own version of redistributing the wealth. They object to it only when it works in the biblical way - see 2 Corinthians 8:9-15 :
Where is the line drawn between Christian action and socialism? I suspect it's "when it inconveniences me".
.
From FailBlog.org:
Dear Abby,
I have a man I can't trust. He cheats so much I'm not even sure the baby I'm carrying is his. ...
PunditKitchen.com has a photo of Pres. Bush on the phone. The caption has him asking, "Is there any quick way for me to revoke all those powers I gave my office?"
In case you missed Craig Ferguson's show last Friday, Ferguson chatted with "President Bush", who was bubble-wrapping items in the oval office. He asked Bush if he had voted, and for whom. Bush said yes, and that he had voted for Obama. Paraphrased: "If I voted for that other guy, we'd have four more years of Cheney's mess. "
Then Bush told Ferguson to tell Obama that he'd be packed up and out of the Oval Office by Monday. Ferguson pointed out that he didn't have to be out until January 20th, "You're still President until then. Check the Constitution." Bush said he couldn't, he didn't have a copy, "Cheney burned them all."
I cracked up.
My opinion is that Cheney wanted to be President all along, but knew he'd never win an election, so G.W. was chosen as an electable, gullible, and easily controlled front man.
I've never felt great animosity toward G.W. Bush. He was simply stupid, and can be forgiven because he didn't do things out of bad intent, and had no understanding of the consequences of his actions. I think Cheney was downright flatout evil. He knew damn well what he was doing, and his intent was not honorable. Evil in every sense. VICE-President. The title fit.
I also think Cheney had something to do with the selection of Palin (although it was Henry Kissinger who convinced McCain to choose her). It would not be a good idea for Cheney to try for Vice-President again, because he's too tied to the failures of the past eight years. Palin would be malleable, "trust me, Little Lady...". McCain would not be so easily controlled, but nobody would expect him to last further than the first four years anyway, and he wasn't likely to change much of anything Cheney had set up, unlike many of the others who had entered the primaries. This ticket was Cheney's dream, if only it could win.
The pundits are all blathering about the "split" in the Republican party. I think there's another split they've missed. I think The Powers of the Republican party didn't really want to win this election. It helps to explain some of the stupidities of the Republican campaign.
The next President is inheriting a royal mess. There are things that will have to be done that will be very unpopular. Many of those actions will look very socialistic, which will strongly alienate the Republican voting base, who will not understand the absolute necessity for those actions. Many problems will require more than four years to show improvement.
So if the next President and Congress does a good job, and gets things turned around and headed onto the right track, it probably won't pay off during the first term, and it could be at the cost of popularity. So why not let the Democrats take that heat, instead of the Republicans? 2012 is the right time to waltz in and reap the benefits.
Conspiracy theories. Oh, my. But I can easily believe them, or some version thereof.
By the way, how and when did intelligence, education, and understanding become a character fault?
I wonder what would happen if we gave an election, and nobody came.
There's a underground movie floating around out there, "Zeitgeist". The "Addendum" clip linked from that site is over two hours long and I haven't watched it yet, but I will. The original is in three parts. The first deals with religion (which will immediately alienate most viewers - an attempt to separate the susceptible from the skeptics, perhaps? - but is worth the time anyway, I think), the second is about 9/11, and the third is about the financial interests that influence, perhaps even rule, the world. Perhaps the new addendum is a fourth part? I don't know yet.
It reminds me a lot of Rosicrucians. I met and was friendly with a group of Rosicrucians when I lived in St. Louis. They gave me pamphlets and books and urged me to join. It smacked of elitism to me - they seemed so smug in their "secret knowledge", their select status. Sorta like Saved Christians. Or Freemasons. I just don't feel I need for that. Anyway, back to the topic ....
As with all films of that type, it's a bit sensationalist, throws in everything including half a dozen styles of kitchen sink, and ignores the possibility of simpler explanations and motives. But among all the dross and leaps of speculation, there's a solid core of fact and explanation. It's up to the viewer to sort it out, and when you do, you're left with a handful of very scary ideas.
One of the chief criticisms of the theories presented, particularly those of the third part on financial interests, is that this conspiracy theory has been around in one form or another for hundreds of years, and has been repeatedly discredited and disproved, and therefore ought to be given up as a myth that's dragged out every so often by disgruntled people for their own purposes. Like when the Nazis used it, for example.
Um, misapplication doesn't make it untrue. The conspiracy may not be as organized and/or hierarchical as the movie implies, but I do believe that the motives certainly exist, in cells and individuals.
Like Cheney. A movement and conspiracy of his own.
In reference to nothing, just in case you aren't aware, the wealth of the top 1% in the US has tripled in the last 35 years, while the bottom 50% haven't advanced at all. Where did the top 1% get it? From the bottom 50%. The rich have their own version of redistributing the wealth. They object to it only when it works in the biblical way - see 2 Corinthians 8:9-15 :
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. …
For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.” [here quoting from the Hebrew scriptures, Exodus 16:18]
Where is the line drawn between Christian action and socialism? I suspect it's "when it inconveniences me".
.
2107 Thud
"Firefighter's Instructions" sign seen recently in a NJ hotel elevator:
When flashing, exit elevator.
Saturday, November 08, 2008
2106 Freeze
Saturday, November 8, 2008
It's 55 outside. There is no wind, the air is still. I am inside, in the den, laboring over a hot laptop. I am wearing a long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, slacks, knee socks, and closed shoes. The thermostat says it's 73 in the living room, right around the corner.
I'm FREEZING! My hands, feet, and nose are icy. I'll need a thicker bra if anyone visits.
I don't understand.
I'm gonna hate winter.
.
It's 55 outside. There is no wind, the air is still. I am inside, in the den, laboring over a hot laptop. I am wearing a long-sleeved turtleneck sweater, slacks, knee socks, and closed shoes. The thermostat says it's 73 in the living room, right around the corner.
I'm FREEZING! My hands, feet, and nose are icy. I'll need a thicker bra if anyone visits.
I don't understand.
I'm gonna hate winter.
.
2105 Ladies Only
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Males who found their way here should wander away now, or pass it over to their ladies.
[Later edit - On second thought, men should read the material at the links, here and most especially absolutely here. The Man seems to know this stuff by instinct, and you should too. Highly recommended.]
I'm sure this rates as TMI, but it's the surprising results of a little research I did today, out of curiosity, engendered by some experiences I've had over the past 18 months. I wish I had known some of this stuff decades ago.
Like most women, I wondered if I was "average", or "normal". Did I look right "down there"? Like most women, I'd never seen what other women looked like. There were photos and drawings in "your body" type books, but, uh, they never looked like me, so instead of helping, they made me wonder even more.
I had asked a few men along the years, and they all said yeah sure, you're just fine, but first off most of them had very little experience, one, two, or three other women, and second, I suspect that's considered a question of the "do these pants make me look fat" variety, which made me rather shy about anyone getting close enough to actually look at the fool thing.
I had asked some female doctors during the Pap test, and they always assured me I was perfectly normal. But then, they were the same ones that told me that the long curly black hair that I had to tweeze from around my nipples was normal, too. It felt too much like "there's nothing we can do with this mess anyway, so let's just pat her on the head and send her on her way, poor disfigured thing".
With the internet and Google, now we can check out lots of pictures, and read all kinds of things we'd never know how to find in a library.
And guess what? It turns out I'm not normal, in several ways, and mostly not the ways I thought.
My labia majora are unusually large and thick. I remember that when I was young, I always wore bathing suits with a straight modesty panel (which doesn't exist any more), or with a skirt, because when my tummy is flat, the mons is very obvious, prominent.
My labia minora are almost non-existent. There's a lot of tissue up around the clitoris, there's a lot of hood, perhaps even an excessive amount, but then they thin and disappear almost immediately. They don't reach even as far as the urethra. This is apparently very unusual. I've found nothing similar anywhere.
In all those other pictures or drawings, you could see the clitoris. Mine is invisible, so well buried that when it's asleep, it's difficult to locate, so I assumed I was unusually small there. It turns out it's the large thick labia majora and excess hood that hides it. In actual fact, according to the size ranges here, mine's not small at all. In fact, the head and shaft are more than twice the length and twice the width of the top numbers of the "average" ranges.
Whoa.
The article says that they get larger with age, but I haven't noticed that much change since I first discovered it, and I think their numbers include post-menopausal women anyway.
So yeah, I'm not "normal".
I found out something interesting that I didn't know before, but should have expected. I was aware that the clitoris contains the same corpus cavernosum arrangements as the penis, and recently discovered it's capable of quite impressive erection. And we all know that the male penis doesn't stop at the junction of the penis and belly - it keeps on going and can be felt for some distance behind the scrotum. But I never wondered how far the clitoral corpus cavernosum extended.
Both versions of the corpus cavernosum bifurcate near the far end. I don't know where the male version bifurcates or where the ends go, but the female version splits near the base, passes on either side of the urethra, and extends along the sides of the vaginal entrance. That's cool! And it explains that firmness and swelling I'd noticed in those areas down the sides when things get interesting.
This site (which is also linked from the earlier one) addresses female ejaculation, the what, why, and how, the female prostate and the G-Spot, better than any other explanation I've seen.
Explore. Then, "Ladies, start your engines!"
.
Males who found their way here should wander away now, or pass it over to their ladies.
[Later edit - On second thought, men should read the material at the links, here and most especially absolutely here. The Man seems to know this stuff by instinct, and you should too. Highly recommended.]
I'm sure this rates as TMI, but it's the surprising results of a little research I did today, out of curiosity, engendered by some experiences I've had over the past 18 months. I wish I had known some of this stuff decades ago.
Like most women, I wondered if I was "average", or "normal". Did I look right "down there"? Like most women, I'd never seen what other women looked like. There were photos and drawings in "your body" type books, but, uh, they never looked like me, so instead of helping, they made me wonder even more.
I had asked a few men along the years, and they all said yeah sure, you're just fine, but first off most of them had very little experience, one, two, or three other women, and second, I suspect that's considered a question of the "do these pants make me look fat" variety, which made me rather shy about anyone getting close enough to actually look at the fool thing.
I had asked some female doctors during the Pap test, and they always assured me I was perfectly normal. But then, they were the same ones that told me that the long curly black hair that I had to tweeze from around my nipples was normal, too. It felt too much like "there's nothing we can do with this mess anyway, so let's just pat her on the head and send her on her way, poor disfigured thing".
With the internet and Google, now we can check out lots of pictures, and read all kinds of things we'd never know how to find in a library.
And guess what? It turns out I'm not normal, in several ways, and mostly not the ways I thought.
My labia majora are unusually large and thick. I remember that when I was young, I always wore bathing suits with a straight modesty panel (which doesn't exist any more), or with a skirt, because when my tummy is flat, the mons is very obvious, prominent.
My labia minora are almost non-existent. There's a lot of tissue up around the clitoris, there's a lot of hood, perhaps even an excessive amount, but then they thin and disappear almost immediately. They don't reach even as far as the urethra. This is apparently very unusual. I've found nothing similar anywhere.
In all those other pictures or drawings, you could see the clitoris. Mine is invisible, so well buried that when it's asleep, it's difficult to locate, so I assumed I was unusually small there. It turns out it's the large thick labia majora and excess hood that hides it. In actual fact, according to the size ranges here, mine's not small at all. In fact, the head and shaft are more than twice the length and twice the width of the top numbers of the "average" ranges.
Whoa.
The article says that they get larger with age, but I haven't noticed that much change since I first discovered it, and I think their numbers include post-menopausal women anyway.
So yeah, I'm not "normal".
I found out something interesting that I didn't know before, but should have expected. I was aware that the clitoris contains the same corpus cavernosum arrangements as the penis, and recently discovered it's capable of quite impressive erection. And we all know that the male penis doesn't stop at the junction of the penis and belly - it keeps on going and can be felt for some distance behind the scrotum. But I never wondered how far the clitoral corpus cavernosum extended.
Both versions of the corpus cavernosum bifurcate near the far end. I don't know where the male version bifurcates or where the ends go, but the female version splits near the base, passes on either side of the urethra, and extends along the sides of the vaginal entrance. That's cool! And it explains that firmness and swelling I'd noticed in those areas down the sides when things get interesting.
This site (which is also linked from the earlier one) addresses female ejaculation, the what, why, and how, the female prostate and the G-Spot, better than any other explanation I've seen.
Explore. Then, "Ladies, start your engines!"
.
Friday, November 07, 2008
2104 Stories Behind the Curtains
Friday, November 7, 2008
When I travel at night, I look at house windows as I pass. Sometimes the curtains are open and I can see decorations on walls, a flickering television set, or a dining room chandelier. Rarely actual people, unless there's a party with people standing around.
But the ones that fascinate me are the houses with lights on, and closed curtains. I always wonder what stories are behind the curtains. Every house has a story, and some of the stories are horrifying, and very likely no one but the people in the house knows.
When I was young, I was always surprised at how many people really liked my parents. They were very popular. They described my father as funny and intelligent, and my mother as beautiful and caring. They didn't know what went on behind the curtains. There was no fun, and no caring. Quite the opposite.
It has affected my reactions to people. I don't trust my first impressions when people seem just too nice. I can't help but wonder what they're hiding. Sometimes people have curtains inside, too.
When I first met Jay, I thought he had lived an idyllic childhood - in the same house the whole time, in a beautiful neighborhood, neighbors he'd known all his life, the same schoolmates, a close financially comfortable family who took family vacations and did things together, parents who wanted the best for him, a mother who was a gourmet cook and magazine-perfect housekeeper. It sounded like a '50s family sitcom.
It was so different from my childhood, I was foolish enough to envy him.
That was just how it looked from the outside. Behind the curtains, Jay's mother had experienced postpartum depression, and had rejected him for most of his first year. It looks like his sisters weren't very involved with him either, because they can't remember much of his youth. His father belittled him whenever Jay made a decision or did something in a way different from the way he would have done it. If Jay didn't think exactly the way his father did, his father told him he was stupid (literally! I have heard him say "That's stupid" to comments from Jay) and took the decision or project away from him, and did it himself, including school science fair entries. Going through the files after Jay's father's death, I discovered that Jay's father had filled out all the applications, and had written all the letters and all the essays for all the various summer classes and internships, camps, and schools Jay had applied for, including college. Jay then copied them over in his own handwriting. Obviously Jay was incapable of doing it himself to his father's standards.
I suspect the glow on the curtains hid a very cold atmosphere inside.
The result was that the adult Jay had great difficulty making decisions, and very little confidence. If he could hold something close to his chest, he was confident that it was good, but if he had to turn it over for someone else's judgment, he wasn't so sure. That's why he blew Company schedule after schedule. He was never sure his work was good enough to call it finished.
Jay also was not sure that he was worthy of love. At first, I saw that he was very attached to his mother. She died several years before we married, and later I came to realize that it was not so much that he was attached to her, as that he wanted her to be attached to him. The 45 year-old Jay had nightmares about her walking away from the child him, and not looking back, turning a corner and disappearing so that he couldn't find her.
Behind the curtains they weren't such a perfect family after all.
I wonder if there are any perfect families. I don't mean perfect perfect, I mean families where people aren't being damaged over and over.
In fact , I was fortunate in a way. My childhood home was so extreme that even as a child I knew it was wrong, that it wasn't at all the way it was supposed to be, so that eventually I was able to dump the feeling that it was all my fault. Jay's family's disfunction, on the other hand, was more subtle, and it was more difficult for him to push the faults and blame away from himself. He never did, actually. He died too soon. At least before he died, he did learn that he was worthy of love and admiration.
I was aware when I met The Man that because of my total lack of a tan and the depth of his tan, we would have had very different experiences, and that it would affect our different attitudes and responses. It does. We are both fairly intelligent, so there are a lot thinking patterns we have in common, and we are sometimes able to address the superficial things we don't. What I didn't realize is that some of those differences are very deep and pervasive, and I am having difficulty with them. He probably is, too. For example, he's very closed emotionally. He doesn't trust easily. He doesn't "let you in" easily. He withdraws when he's pressured or under stress. He's fiercely protective of himself (and me). I tend to see him as paranoid, until I back up and remember some of the things that have happened to him, and I understand where it comes from. That doesn't make it any easier, especially when a criticism of those patterns is taken as an attack on him. If it doesn't work out between us, it will be because of my need to be "inside", and his need to defend himself from that.
His curtains are all inside. It's probably not safe to open them.
.
When I travel at night, I look at house windows as I pass. Sometimes the curtains are open and I can see decorations on walls, a flickering television set, or a dining room chandelier. Rarely actual people, unless there's a party with people standing around.
But the ones that fascinate me are the houses with lights on, and closed curtains. I always wonder what stories are behind the curtains. Every house has a story, and some of the stories are horrifying, and very likely no one but the people in the house knows.
When I was young, I was always surprised at how many people really liked my parents. They were very popular. They described my father as funny and intelligent, and my mother as beautiful and caring. They didn't know what went on behind the curtains. There was no fun, and no caring. Quite the opposite.
It has affected my reactions to people. I don't trust my first impressions when people seem just too nice. I can't help but wonder what they're hiding. Sometimes people have curtains inside, too.
When I first met Jay, I thought he had lived an idyllic childhood - in the same house the whole time, in a beautiful neighborhood, neighbors he'd known all his life, the same schoolmates, a close financially comfortable family who took family vacations and did things together, parents who wanted the best for him, a mother who was a gourmet cook and magazine-perfect housekeeper. It sounded like a '50s family sitcom.
It was so different from my childhood, I was foolish enough to envy him.
That was just how it looked from the outside. Behind the curtains, Jay's mother had experienced postpartum depression, and had rejected him for most of his first year. It looks like his sisters weren't very involved with him either, because they can't remember much of his youth. His father belittled him whenever Jay made a decision or did something in a way different from the way he would have done it. If Jay didn't think exactly the way his father did, his father told him he was stupid (literally! I have heard him say "That's stupid" to comments from Jay) and took the decision or project away from him, and did it himself, including school science fair entries. Going through the files after Jay's father's death, I discovered that Jay's father had filled out all the applications, and had written all the letters and all the essays for all the various summer classes and internships, camps, and schools Jay had applied for, including college. Jay then copied them over in his own handwriting. Obviously Jay was incapable of doing it himself to his father's standards.
I suspect the glow on the curtains hid a very cold atmosphere inside.
The result was that the adult Jay had great difficulty making decisions, and very little confidence. If he could hold something close to his chest, he was confident that it was good, but if he had to turn it over for someone else's judgment, he wasn't so sure. That's why he blew Company schedule after schedule. He was never sure his work was good enough to call it finished.
Jay also was not sure that he was worthy of love. At first, I saw that he was very attached to his mother. She died several years before we married, and later I came to realize that it was not so much that he was attached to her, as that he wanted her to be attached to him. The 45 year-old Jay had nightmares about her walking away from the child him, and not looking back, turning a corner and disappearing so that he couldn't find her.
Behind the curtains they weren't such a perfect family after all.
I wonder if there are any perfect families. I don't mean perfect perfect, I mean families where people aren't being damaged over and over.
In fact , I was fortunate in a way. My childhood home was so extreme that even as a child I knew it was wrong, that it wasn't at all the way it was supposed to be, so that eventually I was able to dump the feeling that it was all my fault. Jay's family's disfunction, on the other hand, was more subtle, and it was more difficult for him to push the faults and blame away from himself. He never did, actually. He died too soon. At least before he died, he did learn that he was worthy of love and admiration.
I was aware when I met The Man that because of my total lack of a tan and the depth of his tan, we would have had very different experiences, and that it would affect our different attitudes and responses. It does. We are both fairly intelligent, so there are a lot thinking patterns we have in common, and we are sometimes able to address the superficial things we don't. What I didn't realize is that some of those differences are very deep and pervasive, and I am having difficulty with them. He probably is, too. For example, he's very closed emotionally. He doesn't trust easily. He doesn't "let you in" easily. He withdraws when he's pressured or under stress. He's fiercely protective of himself (and me). I tend to see him as paranoid, until I back up and remember some of the things that have happened to him, and I understand where it comes from. That doesn't make it any easier, especially when a criticism of those patterns is taken as an attack on him. If it doesn't work out between us, it will be because of my need to be "inside", and his need to defend himself from that.
His curtains are all inside. It's probably not safe to open them.
.
2103 Thursday in Newburgh
Friday, November 7, 2008
The Man and I met in Newburgh last night, at one of his favorite karaoke bars. There were some other guys there, about the same age as The Man, who were very good. They kind of knew The Man from previous evenings, and last night they started having fun, backing each other up or dancing around whichever was singing.
I think he had a good time. I know I did, watching them.
----------------
I called Piper this morning, because we'd had a tentative lunch meeting set up, but mainly because yesterday I received a letter from New York State saying that I owed more on my taxes, and they're assessing penalties. I can't believe the 2008 tax crap isn't over YET!
He said he wasn't up for lunch, and would probably be leaving the office soon. Said he had terrific abdominal cramps. He said he'd call me in the afternoon to let me know how he was, but he didn't call. I drove past his office a little over an hour ago when I went to the post office, and his flag wasn't out, so I guess he did go home early. I hope he's ok.
Everywhere else, my world is completely blah.
.
The Man and I met in Newburgh last night, at one of his favorite karaoke bars. There were some other guys there, about the same age as The Man, who were very good. They kind of knew The Man from previous evenings, and last night they started having fun, backing each other up or dancing around whichever was singing.
I think he had a good time. I know I did, watching them.
----------------
I called Piper this morning, because we'd had a tentative lunch meeting set up, but mainly because yesterday I received a letter from New York State saying that I owed more on my taxes, and they're assessing penalties. I can't believe the 2008 tax crap isn't over YET!
He said he wasn't up for lunch, and would probably be leaving the office soon. Said he had terrific abdominal cramps. He said he'd call me in the afternoon to let me know how he was, but he didn't call. I drove past his office a little over an hour ago when I went to the post office, and his flag wasn't out, so I guess he did go home early. I hope he's ok.
Everywhere else, my world is completely blah.
.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
2102 Explanation of the experiment
Thursday, November 6, 2008
If you didn't listen to the previous post, the experiment, please do. I don't know how long it will be up.
He didn't tell me he was going to sing a second song that Saturday night, he didn't tell me what he was going to sing, and he didn't tell me it was recorded. It was a surprise on Monday, my birthday. This one is not one of the songs he usually sings, he said it's not one that karaoke crowds go for, so I guess it was 'specially selected. Forgive me if I think it has meaning.
He has an amazing voice. His speaking voice is soft, deep, and slightly rough, but when he sings, he takes on the voice, phrasing, and accent of the original artist. I don't know how he does it. When he sings Barry White, he sounds just like him. He sang Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" for me once, and sounded just like her. It's pretty incredible.
.
If you didn't listen to the previous post, the experiment, please do. I don't know how long it will be up.
He didn't tell me he was going to sing a second song that Saturday night, he didn't tell me what he was going to sing, and he didn't tell me it was recorded. It was a surprise on Monday, my birthday. This one is not one of the songs he usually sings, he said it's not one that karaoke crowds go for, so I guess it was 'specially selected. Forgive me if I think it has meaning.
He has an amazing voice. His speaking voice is soft, deep, and slightly rough, but when he sings, he takes on the voice, phrasing, and accent of the original artist. I don't know how he does it. When he sings Barry White, he sounds just like him. He sang Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" for me once, and sounded just like her. It's pretty incredible.
.
This is an experiment
I hope everyone can hear this - click on the inner "file" box (not the X!) - you may have to click twice.
(It'll repeat until you tell it to stop. I don't know how to change that. Also, the comments got lost when I replaced the previous experimental post with this one, so feel free to comment again if you like.)
(It'll repeat until you tell it to stop. I don't know how to change that. Also, the comments got lost when I replaced the previous experimental post with this one, so feel free to comment again if you like.)
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
2101 Election night
Wednesday, November 5, 2008 - 1:10 am
I've been following the election results on network TV and online on CNN. The one state I'm very curious about is Alaska. I'd love to see how that one goes, but their polls didn't even close until ten minutes ago. I'm not going to wait up for them.
Something interesting I noticed. On the CNN website, at http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/, they show the states in red or blue. You can click on a state and see the counties in that state in red or blue.
The very interesting thing is that in many states, whether it ended up red or blue, the rural counties are almost always red, and the metropolitan counties are almost always blue. Go to the site and click on Pennsylvania, and you'll see a stark example of what I mean. Erie, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Allentown, State College, all blue. The rest of the state, all red.
It would be easy to say "Oh, that's the Black vote" - except that Blacks are still a minority on a county basis. It really does look like city and suburban folk in general went blue, and country folk went red.
.
I've been following the election results on network TV and online on CNN. The one state I'm very curious about is Alaska. I'd love to see how that one goes, but their polls didn't even close until ten minutes ago. I'm not going to wait up for them.
Something interesting I noticed. On the CNN website, at http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/, they show the states in red or blue. You can click on a state and see the counties in that state in red or blue.
The very interesting thing is that in many states, whether it ended up red or blue, the rural counties are almost always red, and the metropolitan counties are almost always blue. Go to the site and click on Pennsylvania, and you'll see a stark example of what I mean. Erie, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Allentown, State College, all blue. The rest of the state, all red.
It would be easy to say "Oh, that's the Black vote" - except that Blacks are still a minority on a county basis. It really does look like city and suburban folk in general went blue, and country folk went red.
.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
2100 Crazy eBay
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
I'll go months with no problems on eBay, and then all of a sudden things go crazy, even with people I've bought from over and over. I don't understand. It's happened like that several times - months of no problem, then one problem after another over a short time.
I bought some sew-on doflinkies. The description said there were 30 in the package. The "hang on a display hook-type" package arrived still sealed, and it says "count: 30" on it. But I counted the doflinkies through the plastic, several times, several ways, and there are only 28 in the package. Three stacks - 9, 9, 10. It's obvious that the one stack is higher than the others.
I contacted the seller. He sells hundreds of these things, and he says he'd never heard that before. He wants me to send the package back and he'll replace it.
I bought an orange silk sari with gold stripes on the pallu and gold butis on the body. What arrived was an orange artificial silk sari with a turquoise and gold zari pallu.
I contacted the seller, and sent her a photo of what had arrived. She says she can't locate the sari I had bought, and she can't understand that I received a sari with a turquoise pallu, because she has never owned a sari with a turquoise pallu. I know it came from her, because there was a second sari in the same package that I HAD purchased from her. And it's not like I've mixed it up with another, because it's unlike any other I had ordered. She has refunded my payment, and said I can keep the sari, but I'd feel guilty about keeping it. I intend to return it to her. Maybe when she sees it she'll recognize it?
I bought a turquoise kurta with beading around the neckline. It arrived with beads missing, threads hanging, right at the front of the V-neck. I can't repair it easily by moving beads from the back, because the facing covers the stitching.
I sent the seller a scan of the damaged section, and she has refunded my payment in full and said I can keep the kurta anyway.
I bought a large number of bars of Coast Original Blue soap as a gift to The Man, who loves the stuff. Coast had replaced the Original Blue scent with Pacific Force scent a few years ago, and he doesn't like Pacific Force. Original Blue is next to impossible to find, so I was in extended communication with the seller as to whether she was sure it was really Original, and I checked with several other of her buyers who verified that what they had received was absolutely the original scent. When it arrived, the outer packaging said original blue. I gave one test bar to The Man a week ago, and he says it's Pacific Force, not the original. I guess I'm stuck with that purchase, because all I have is a handful of conflicting opinions. I've been trying to find Coast Pacific Force so I can conduct my own sniff comparison, but neither my local grocery store nor pharmacy seem to carry it.
This has all happened in the past week, after months of nothing but perfect transactions. Some of them, like the kurta and the sari, leave me feeling vaguely guilty.
Maybe the eBay gods are trying to tell me something?
-----------------------
Breaking news - the news station I'm watching has Obama taking Pennsylvania and Florida, which are significant to the outcome. On the other hand, that's with like 5% of the precincts reporting. I don't know how they can predict a victory on such a small sample.
.
I'll go months with no problems on eBay, and then all of a sudden things go crazy, even with people I've bought from over and over. I don't understand. It's happened like that several times - months of no problem, then one problem after another over a short time.
I bought some sew-on doflinkies. The description said there were 30 in the package. The "hang on a display hook-type" package arrived still sealed, and it says "count: 30" on it. But I counted the doflinkies through the plastic, several times, several ways, and there are only 28 in the package. Three stacks - 9, 9, 10. It's obvious that the one stack is higher than the others.
I contacted the seller. He sells hundreds of these things, and he says he'd never heard that before. He wants me to send the package back and he'll replace it.
I bought an orange silk sari with gold stripes on the pallu and gold butis on the body. What arrived was an orange artificial silk sari with a turquoise and gold zari pallu.
I contacted the seller, and sent her a photo of what had arrived. She says she can't locate the sari I had bought, and she can't understand that I received a sari with a turquoise pallu, because she has never owned a sari with a turquoise pallu. I know it came from her, because there was a second sari in the same package that I HAD purchased from her. And it's not like I've mixed it up with another, because it's unlike any other I had ordered. She has refunded my payment, and said I can keep the sari, but I'd feel guilty about keeping it. I intend to return it to her. Maybe when she sees it she'll recognize it?
I bought a turquoise kurta with beading around the neckline. It arrived with beads missing, threads hanging, right at the front of the V-neck. I can't repair it easily by moving beads from the back, because the facing covers the stitching.
I sent the seller a scan of the damaged section, and she has refunded my payment in full and said I can keep the kurta anyway.
I bought a large number of bars of Coast Original Blue soap as a gift to The Man, who loves the stuff. Coast had replaced the Original Blue scent with Pacific Force scent a few years ago, and he doesn't like Pacific Force. Original Blue is next to impossible to find, so I was in extended communication with the seller as to whether she was sure it was really Original, and I checked with several other of her buyers who verified that what they had received was absolutely the original scent. When it arrived, the outer packaging said original blue. I gave one test bar to The Man a week ago, and he says it's Pacific Force, not the original. I guess I'm stuck with that purchase, because all I have is a handful of conflicting opinions. I've been trying to find Coast Pacific Force so I can conduct my own sniff comparison, but neither my local grocery store nor pharmacy seem to carry it.
This has all happened in the past week, after months of nothing but perfect transactions. Some of them, like the kurta and the sari, leave me feeling vaguely guilty.
Maybe the eBay gods are trying to tell me something?
-----------------------
Breaking news - the news station I'm watching has Obama taking Pennsylvania and Florida, which are significant to the outcome. On the other hand, that's with like 5% of the precincts reporting. I don't know how they can predict a victory on such a small sample.
.
2099 Election Day, TBBT, Boston Legal, other bits
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
12:42 pm. I overslept. Woke at 11 this morning. I went to bed at 11 last night, worked some crosswords and logic problems and fell asleep at about midnight, and had several nightmares. Strange. I woke myself up crying twice, choking once. I can't remember the dreams, but at least I'm certain they were not political.
------------------------
I cracked up at Denny Crane's explanation last night on "Boston Legal" as to why he was voting for McCain: "salmon and sex". The northern salmon is in trouble. If McCain wins, all the intelligent people will move to Canada, thus raising the general IQ level of Canada, and all those smart people will figure out a way to save the salmon. And if McCain wins, all the women left in the US will be depressed, and "everyone knows" depressed women are easy. So it all comes down to spawning. Salmon and sex.
I love that show. But I strongly object to the depiction of the Asperger guy, Jerry. Asperger's Syndrome shows up in a variety of ways, but the show's writers have concentrated on the odd physical patterns, which they have carried to excess, while ignoring the low empathy, emotional paralysis, and inability to pick up social signals. He's not a typical Aspie any more than Denny Crane has Mad Cow. In fact, I think there's a lot more Tourette's syndrome and OCD than Asperger's in Jerry.
Viewers get the Mad Cow joke, but I'm afraid they don't see through the exaggerated and inaccurate Aspy depiction. For a better depiction of Asperger's, see Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" (Monday at 8 pm on CBS).
------------------
5:02 pm. I'm back. I voted. I'd heard so much about the long lines, but there were only three other people in line when I arrived. We're still using the mechanical lever machines, which is comforting (and the place I went to had only one machine). I split my vote all over the place. In the state and local elections I voted not so much for a particular candidate as against the one that had the nastiest commercials - sending my own message that nasty doesn't work with me. It happened to work that way in the presidential vote, too, but that wasn't the main criteria there.
I dropped off some dry cleaning - five silk sweaters, one silk blouse, $37. Ouch!
I arranged to have my snowthrower picked up for service. (I hate winter!)
I also stopped at the post office and the grocery store.
I forgot to stop at the bank. Well, I'll be fresh for that tomorrow.
.
12:42 pm. I overslept. Woke at 11 this morning. I went to bed at 11 last night, worked some crosswords and logic problems and fell asleep at about midnight, and had several nightmares. Strange. I woke myself up crying twice, choking once. I can't remember the dreams, but at least I'm certain they were not political.
------------------------
I cracked up at Denny Crane's explanation last night on "Boston Legal" as to why he was voting for McCain: "salmon and sex". The northern salmon is in trouble. If McCain wins, all the intelligent people will move to Canada, thus raising the general IQ level of Canada, and all those smart people will figure out a way to save the salmon. And if McCain wins, all the women left in the US will be depressed, and "everyone knows" depressed women are easy. So it all comes down to spawning. Salmon and sex.
I love that show. But I strongly object to the depiction of the Asperger guy, Jerry. Asperger's Syndrome shows up in a variety of ways, but the show's writers have concentrated on the odd physical patterns, which they have carried to excess, while ignoring the low empathy, emotional paralysis, and inability to pick up social signals. He's not a typical Aspie any more than Denny Crane has Mad Cow. In fact, I think there's a lot more Tourette's syndrome and OCD than Asperger's in Jerry.
Viewers get the Mad Cow joke, but I'm afraid they don't see through the exaggerated and inaccurate Aspy depiction. For a better depiction of Asperger's, see Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" (Monday at 8 pm on CBS).
------------------
5:02 pm. I'm back. I voted. I'd heard so much about the long lines, but there were only three other people in line when I arrived. We're still using the mechanical lever machines, which is comforting (and the place I went to had only one machine). I split my vote all over the place. In the state and local elections I voted not so much for a particular candidate as against the one that had the nastiest commercials - sending my own message that nasty doesn't work with me. It happened to work that way in the presidential vote, too, but that wasn't the main criteria there.
I dropped off some dry cleaning - five silk sweaters, one silk blouse, $37. Ouch!
I arranged to have my snowthrower picked up for service. (I hate winter!)
I also stopped at the post office and the grocery store.
I forgot to stop at the bank. Well, I'll be fresh for that tomorrow.
.
Monday, November 03, 2008
2098 Bits
Monday, November 3, 2008
Tomorrow I have toyell at have a discussion with my bank (actually it's a credit union). I have multiple checking accounts there, which I use for different purposes. They require that you have a savings account for every checking account, so I opened the savings accounts and put a small amount in each. According to their documentation back when I opened them, they require a minimum of $5 in the savings. I have about $150 in each. I don't use savings accounts for savings - there are better places to put savings. I also have a money market account with them, which I use occasionally when I need to park large amounts of money that will be dribbling out over a few months. There's about $600 in that account right now.
Today I discovered that they have been assessing a "Low balance fee" of $1 a month on all those savings accounts, and $10 a month on the money market account! That's a load of bull poop, especially since they never mentioned any increase in the minimum!
Yeah, I get quarterly statements on the savings and money market, but I file them without looking at them, because there's no activity on them. I guess one has to look to make SURE there's no activity.
--------------------------
I went shopping today in a large store, at about 3:30 pm. I wandered around a long time. When I came out of the store I almost panicked! There was a TV show I wanted to watch on at 8 pm, and it was cold and full dark in the parking lot. I was sure I was late and wouldn't get home in time for my show.
Then I looked at my watch. 5:30. I hate winter.
--------------------------
I listened to NPR on the way home from shopping. They were talking about a gorgeous $260M glass cruise ship terminal built in Shanghai. The hope is that it will encourage tourism. Unfortunately, they built it inland above a bridge, and, um, it so happens that one third of the world's cruise ships won't fit under the bridge, and most of the others have to calculate tides and fiddle schedules to get under. Worse, of the newer ships currently being built, two thirds won't make it under. Story here.
I think it's a riot.
--------------------------
Another topic on NPR was an initiative somewhere, California?, on the ballot to legalize prostitution. A prostitute said that she had once been raped, and could not report it to the police, and since rapists know this, protitutes are always in danger. If her profession were legalized, then prostitutes would be safer.
My mind wandered off. I have to wonder about the conditions. Granted that there's a difference between on duty and off duty, if she's on duty at the time, at what point does it move from theft of services to rape? That's an old question, but I haven't heard a good answer yet.
.
Tomorrow I have to
Today I discovered that they have been assessing a "Low balance fee" of $1 a month on all those savings accounts, and $10 a month on the money market account! That's a load of bull poop, especially since they never mentioned any increase in the minimum!
Yeah, I get quarterly statements on the savings and money market, but I file them without looking at them, because there's no activity on them. I guess one has to look to make SURE there's no activity.
--------------------------
I went shopping today in a large store, at about 3:30 pm. I wandered around a long time. When I came out of the store I almost panicked! There was a TV show I wanted to watch on at 8 pm, and it was cold and full dark in the parking lot. I was sure I was late and wouldn't get home in time for my show.
Then I looked at my watch. 5:30. I hate winter.
--------------------------
I listened to NPR on the way home from shopping. They were talking about a gorgeous $260M glass cruise ship terminal built in Shanghai. The hope is that it will encourage tourism. Unfortunately, they built it inland above a bridge, and, um, it so happens that one third of the world's cruise ships won't fit under the bridge, and most of the others have to calculate tides and fiddle schedules to get under. Worse, of the newer ships currently being built, two thirds won't make it under. Story here.
I think it's a riot.
--------------------------
Another topic on NPR was an initiative somewhere, California?, on the ballot to legalize prostitution. A prostitute said that she had once been raped, and could not report it to the police, and since rapists know this, protitutes are always in danger. If her profession were legalized, then prostitutes would be safer.
My mind wandered off. I have to wonder about the conditions. Granted that there's a difference between on duty and off duty, if she's on duty at the time, at what point does it move from theft of services to rape? That's an old question, but I haven't heard a good answer yet.
.
2097 Mac on Vista
Monday, November 3, 2008
I'm starting to get really bugged by the Mac commercials that go on and on about the "problems" with Vista.
I've been on Vista for a bit over 18 months now, and I've had no problems, and have no complaints. None. Zero. Zip. **
I went directly from 98E to Vista, so I don't know what's different from NT. All I know is I'm quite satisfied. Granted, I don't do a lot of fancy stuff, but I'm all over the internet, and Vista has protected me just fine. The one time that I approved a download that I shouldn't have (and Vista warned me not to), and ended up with a supposedly unremovable virus, the backup/restore facility, which was very easy to use, got rid of it in short order.
I suspect that a lot of the "problems" are from people using applications that have not been upgraded to and are incompatible with Vista.
Mac is starting to sound a lot like McCain. If we have nothing to offer beyond history, well, let's just scare the customers away from the competition with vague "problems".
----------------
** Later - Well, actually, I do have one complaint. When you search for a file, the result presents the file to you, but doesn't tell you where it resides. Of course, that could be my problem - I just don't know how to find things, and haven't been concerned enough to find out.
.
I'm starting to get really bugged by the Mac commercials that go on and on about the "problems" with Vista.
I've been on Vista for a bit over 18 months now, and I've had no problems, and have no complaints. None. Zero. Zip. **
I went directly from 98E to Vista, so I don't know what's different from NT. All I know is I'm quite satisfied. Granted, I don't do a lot of fancy stuff, but I'm all over the internet, and Vista has protected me just fine. The one time that I approved a download that I shouldn't have (and Vista warned me not to), and ended up with a supposedly unremovable virus, the backup/restore facility, which was very easy to use, got rid of it in short order.
I suspect that a lot of the "problems" are from people using applications that have not been upgraded to and are incompatible with Vista.
Mac is starting to sound a lot like McCain. If we have nothing to offer beyond history, well, let's just scare the customers away from the competition with vague "problems".
----------------
** Later - Well, actually, I do have one complaint. When you search for a file, the result presents the file to you, but doesn't tell you where it resides. Of course, that could be my problem - I just don't know how to find things, and haven't been concerned enough to find out.
.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
2096 Self Portrait, How To
Sunday, November 2, 2008
People often take their own picture by pointing the camera into a mirror. They usually end up with something like this (scarfed off an online dating profile, and yes, that was his only photo) -->
Hint: If you have a digital camera with the screen on the back, so you have to use a mirror somehow, do not point the camera at the mirror. Hold the camera to the side with the lens toward yourself, and the display screen toward the mirror. You can look at the screen in the mirror to frame, zoom in or out, and focus, and then click the button. Ta rah! No flash on the mirror.
.
People often take their own picture by pointing the camera into a mirror. They usually end up with something like this (scarfed off an online dating profile, and yes, that was his only photo) -->
Hint: If you have a digital camera with the screen on the back, so you have to use a mirror somehow, do not point the camera at the mirror. Hold the camera to the side with the lens toward yourself, and the display screen toward the mirror. You can look at the screen in the mirror to frame, zoom in or out, and focus, and then click the button. Ta rah! No flash on the mirror.
.
2095 Cat Photos!
Sunday, November 2, 2008
I took the new camera's book to bed with me last night, and installed the software this morning.
The photos are huge, 1.5 to 3.5 megabytes each! Now I have to figure out how best to size them. The camera will do it, but the photo I reduced in the camera according to their recommendation for posting on a website came out tiny. Gotta experiment a bit. Oh, and the card I bought is 4 G, not 4 M.
This is Jasper, under the buffet in the dining room (click on it to enlarge the photo). That's where he takes his toys for serious destruction. All that glitter behind him is the remains of a foil ball. The rolled up rug is a silk oriental waiting to go under the table. Note the nick in his right ear (Ears! We've got EARS!), and that he doesn't have stripes on his back - just salt 'n pepper. Tiny feet.
Jasper on my bed. Glorious whiskers. Yeah, he's getting fat. I'm surprised to see some faint striping on his back. Must be the flash brings it out.
Miss Thunderfoot, grooming.
Miss Thunderfoot. Her irises are unusual. Sometimes they're white, as in this photo, sometimes pale blue, pale green, or light yellow, depending on her mood and the ambient light. They always have the brown spots near the bottom. Note the long ear hairs - they get longer in the winter, and almost meet curled around the back of her head.
And that's my housemates.
.
I took the new camera's book to bed with me last night, and installed the software this morning.
The photos are huge, 1.5 to 3.5 megabytes each! Now I have to figure out how best to size them. The camera will do it, but the photo I reduced in the camera according to their recommendation for posting on a website came out tiny. Gotta experiment a bit. Oh, and the card I bought is 4 G, not 4 M.
This is Jasper, under the buffet in the dining room (click on it to enlarge the photo). That's where he takes his toys for serious destruction. All that glitter behind him is the remains of a foil ball. The rolled up rug is a silk oriental waiting to go under the table. Note the nick in his right ear (Ears! We've got EARS!), and that he doesn't have stripes on his back - just salt 'n pepper. Tiny feet.
Jasper on my bed. Glorious whiskers. Yeah, he's getting fat. I'm surprised to see some faint striping on his back. Must be the flash brings it out.
Miss Thunderfoot, grooming.
Miss Thunderfoot. Her irises are unusual. Sometimes they're white, as in this photo, sometimes pale blue, pale green, or light yellow, depending on her mood and the ambient light. They always have the brown spots near the bottom. Note the long ear hairs - they get longer in the winter, and almost meet curled around the back of her head.
And that's my housemates.
.
2095 Patriotism
Sunday, November 2, 2008
On CBS' "Sunday Morning" today there was a discussion of patriotism, what it is, how it is defined. A poll showed that more Republicans than Democrats consider wearing a lapel flag pin, or saying the pledge of allegiance, to be patriotic, that one who does these things is by definition a patriot.
The focus of the segment was a man who defined patriotism as doing things to make the US a better place. It's not wearing a symbol, or saluting a flag, it's what you do.
There seems to be an attitude among conservatives that one has to support the government, right or wrong, to demonstrate patriotism. So Vietnam war protesters back when, and Iraq war protesters now (who are mostly quiet because of fear of retribution) are, by their definition, unpatriotic.
I am reminded of an incident in 1967. I was teaching math in a high school in Hanover, Pa., substituting for a teacher who'd died mid-year. A very bright girl, a senior with straight As, had declared in a speech given at a school assembly that she considered herself first and foremost a citizen of the world, and secondly an American. That the only way to achieve world peace is for everyone to realize that they are first and foremost citizens of the world, that we should all work for the health and happiness of all our fellow world citizens, and that blind insular local patriotism is detrimental to world peace.
She said that she knew everyone would forget her words as soon as the assembly was over, so in order to remind them, for the remainder of the school year she would not rise for and would not speak the pledge of allegiance with everyone else, not as an expression of disdain, but as a reminder that there is a higher call.
A few weeks later, the faculty voted her unanimously into the national honor society.**
The principal freaked. He called an after-school compulsory faculty meeting and ordered the teachers to vote her out. He pointed out that grades alone did not an honor student make, that citizenship and service to the school and community counted just as much, and he did not consider her a good citizen or an example for others to follow.
The teachers refused to change their votes.
That stupid principal called a one to two hour meeting after school every day! for something like a month and a half, during which we were not allowed to check homework, prepare lesson plans, grade papers, or anything else that teachers do every evening. We had to just sit there (children waiting at home be damned), and every half hour or so he'd ask if we were ready to change our vote.
You know, I don't remember the outcome, whether he finally prevailed or the teachers stood firm. But that was 1967, and back then, unlike today, people were ready to sacrifice for what they felt was morally right. What I vividly remember is that toward the end of the siege, the principal offered me the position full time for the next school year, and my response to him was, "Work for you? You have GOT to be kidding!"
--------------------------
**This was back in the days when honor societies meant something. I don't think it means much any more. There are local schools with 900 students, and when the newspaper prints the honors lists, 700 of them are on it. That "everybody gets a prize" mentality. I don't know what's wrong with the other 200. Maybe they're all in jail.
.
On CBS' "Sunday Morning" today there was a discussion of patriotism, what it is, how it is defined. A poll showed that more Republicans than Democrats consider wearing a lapel flag pin, or saying the pledge of allegiance, to be patriotic, that one who does these things is by definition a patriot.
The focus of the segment was a man who defined patriotism as doing things to make the US a better place. It's not wearing a symbol, or saluting a flag, it's what you do.
There seems to be an attitude among conservatives that one has to support the government, right or wrong, to demonstrate patriotism. So Vietnam war protesters back when, and Iraq war protesters now (who are mostly quiet because of fear of retribution) are, by their definition, unpatriotic.
I am reminded of an incident in 1967. I was teaching math in a high school in Hanover, Pa., substituting for a teacher who'd died mid-year. A very bright girl, a senior with straight As, had declared in a speech given at a school assembly that she considered herself first and foremost a citizen of the world, and secondly an American. That the only way to achieve world peace is for everyone to realize that they are first and foremost citizens of the world, that we should all work for the health and happiness of all our fellow world citizens, and that blind insular local patriotism is detrimental to world peace.
She said that she knew everyone would forget her words as soon as the assembly was over, so in order to remind them, for the remainder of the school year she would not rise for and would not speak the pledge of allegiance with everyone else, not as an expression of disdain, but as a reminder that there is a higher call.
A few weeks later, the faculty voted her unanimously into the national honor society.**
The principal freaked. He called an after-school compulsory faculty meeting and ordered the teachers to vote her out. He pointed out that grades alone did not an honor student make, that citizenship and service to the school and community counted just as much, and he did not consider her a good citizen or an example for others to follow.
The teachers refused to change their votes.
That stupid principal called a one to two hour meeting after school every day! for something like a month and a half, during which we were not allowed to check homework, prepare lesson plans, grade papers, or anything else that teachers do every evening. We had to just sit there (children waiting at home be damned), and every half hour or so he'd ask if we were ready to change our vote.
You know, I don't remember the outcome, whether he finally prevailed or the teachers stood firm. But that was 1967, and back then, unlike today, people were ready to sacrifice for what they felt was morally right. What I vividly remember is that toward the end of the siege, the principal offered me the position full time for the next school year, and my response to him was, "Work for you? You have GOT to be kidding!"
--------------------------
**This was back in the days when honor societies meant something. I don't think it means much any more. There are local schools with 900 students, and when the newspaper prints the honors lists, 700 of them are on it. That "everybody gets a prize" mentality. I don't know what's wrong with the other 200. Maybe they're all in jail.
.
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