This is partly about "the political games" but also about the illogic and careless language used by the talking heads on TV. And I don't like either side of both issues!
First, the "the political games". The Facts: FBI Director Comey sent a letter to "Congress advising them that more emails were found that might involve their previous committee investigations, as he had promised to do if new information was discovered. No specific information was included, and he noted that the possibilility of misunderstanding.
The basis of concern is that Huma Abedin (wife of Anthony Weiner of sexting shame-fame) is an associate of Clinton and there MIGHT be some Clinton emails not yet discovered. She used a family laptop to send some emails to Clinton. The content has not been made public at this time is not known at this time. Nothing suggesting anything improper has been offerred.
The FBI, after reviewing all the emails on Clinton's server, has found nothing of concern and closed the investigation months ago. A very few emails with classified information were sent TO her without proper notifications. Her replies were lawful; if you don't know received information was classified, YOU are not at fault. The FBI said so.
OK. As far as I can think, if Huma sent Clinton any emails, they are on Clinton's email system and already examined by the FBI. This starts to look like the Kevin Bacon game. Can you connect anyone socially unacceptable to Clinton? LOL!
As far as I can tell now, the letter was addressed TO House Committee Chairman, all Republican of course. I will explain something about the details of Government letter-writing. There is "TO", there is "cc" (courtesy copy), and there is "bcc" (blind courtesy copy) just like on emails.
Only in Government letters, the cc and bcc is not on the original TO letter. The "TO" recipients do not know about the cc and bcc list unless they ask for a file copy of the letter. The cc list does not know about the "bcc" list unless they ask (and the originators admit to it).
So, unless things have changed (and they might have - I've been retired for10 years), the Republican Committee saw only that they had been sent the letter, the Democratic minority leaders saw they had been sent a copy of the letter to the Republican Chairmen, and only Comey and his staff know who got sent a bcc copy (bcc's are usually sent only to internal staff who need to know about such things for media questions and file-keeping.
Is that confusing enough? I spent 30 years in Government and got very used to those kinds of subtleties, LOL! It all makes sense to me! LOL!
Second, the talking heads discussions...
Everyone I heard on MSNBC and CNN got it all WRONG! Clinton mentioned the Comey letter send to the Republican Committee Chairmen. As usual, she was utterly technically correct. The letter was indeed addressed to the Republican Committee Chairmen. She said that with the same accuracy I would in discussing "TO, cc, and bcc". She understands that stuff and speaks of it accurately.
The TV talking heads did not! They said Clinton claimed the letter was sent "only" to the Republicans and casitigatd her for a deception.. The ccs were sent to the ranking Democratic Minority Leaders. But they received cc copies; they were not the original TO recipients.
Meanwhile, Clinton is saying that she would like any available information to be released ASAP, as there is noactual information in Director Comey's letter but there are suggestions. Trump, on the other hand is claiming the non-information in Comey's letter as some proof of guilt
As odd as that might seem in the real world, it matters in Government. Comey very DELIBERATELY and EXPLICITLY sent the official copies of the letter to the Republican Committee chairmen and NOT the official copies to the Democratic Ranking Members. But cc'd them to cover his ass. A true Washington wimpy asshole who needs to be removed...
Conclusion: Comey wished to try to stay out of trouble by playing it both too carefully and too ineptly. Whoever wins the Presidency, he is going to be gone for the crime of political incompetence. He can't claim it was urgent (the FBI had the information 5 weeks ago), and he can't claim any factul reason for presenting the mere statement that the FBI was investigating new information 11 days before an election.
Ex FBI officials have said there is an informal, but previously modern unbroken rule of avoiding all political statements 60 days before an election. That Comey broke that rule says a lot about his intent.
Saturday, October 29, 2016
Tuesday, October 25, 2016
Scary Movies
Cat blog friend http://www.15andmeowing.com asked about scary movies and I realized I had more to say about one than would fit as a comment.
When 'Alien' came out in 1979, a friend and I went to see it opening night. We stood in line for hours in the rain, and missed the first showing by only 3 people. We thought is was about bad things from an alien's POV. Boy were WE wrong. When the first viewers cane out, they were pale and shaken! I turned to my friend and asked what we had gotten ourselves into?
Neither of us were particularly frightened by monster movies. I'm realistic, and my friend was a cinema buff, so we weren't either really TOO worried. Space aliens were generally silly, and Earthly ones too unlikely.
But as the movie started darkly, and a sense of unease came over us, and we thought about the looks on the faces of the first audience as they came out, we began to worry. When we first saw the queen alien skeleton in the derelict ship, we both said "Oh crap"!
And even then, we weren't prepared for the first egg. How harmful can a newly-hatched creature be? We found out! And it all got worse from there. By the time Ripley was searching for her cat Jonesie, I was watching most of the screen with partially-shielded eyes. The SUSPENSE was what was killing me!
Right up to the end, I wasn't sure who was going to win. The movie had been unique enough that it might well have been the alien left, sending the ship to Earth...
It is the only movie I have ever left with popcorn uneaten! As we left the theater, I turned to the nearest people in line and said "You aren't prepared for this one".
I still have a T-Shirt I had made afterwards that says "Alien" on the front and "Here, Jonesie" on the back. But I have never watched that movie on TV.
The following Alien movies were easier to watch, but not by much. Enough (since I knew Ripley would win) to watch though. My favorite parts of the later movies were when Ripley confronted the Alien Queen using the personal equipment-mover outfit in Alien2, and when she let herself fall into the molten iron pit in Alien3. I cried as she fell holding the newly-irrupting Queen hatchling to her to prevent it escaping.
Tgere was Alien; Resurrection, but if I saw it, I can't recall anything about it.
But I was surprised some years ago by the movie 'Prometheus'. I watched for a few minutes and realized it felt a bit like 'Alien', so I kept watching. I had no idea it was a prequel. As prequels to movie series go, it was much better than most. It involved a superior humanoid species (likely space-faring ancestors to ourselves in some way, 8' tall, built like giant wrestlers, and technologically-advanced) developing dangerous interstellar creatures as weapons. I didn't watch the whole movie (in and out of the room cleaning) but apparently the human heroine is fighting and losing to the humanoid when a cage is damaged and a dangerous captive octopus-like creature gets loose.
Apparently, it was like a dozen strong humans could capture a panther, but one would have a very hard time of it. And even then, it was a close struggle but the humanoid loses. And the octopus-like creature absorbs him - and his DNA. Making the Alien of the original movies...
The heroine escapes the planet in a makeshift spaceship and instead of returning to Earth goes after humonoid race seeking revenge. That last part is a bit weak, but I guess they couldn't have the Earth being warned about the dangerous aliens.
I understand that there is a Prometheus 2 movie in the works which may explain how the Prometheus heroine fights the sperior humanoid race
But I still can't watch "Alien'...
When 'Alien' came out in 1979, a friend and I went to see it opening night. We stood in line for hours in the rain, and missed the first showing by only 3 people. We thought is was about bad things from an alien's POV. Boy were WE wrong. When the first viewers cane out, they were pale and shaken! I turned to my friend and asked what we had gotten ourselves into?
Neither of us were particularly frightened by monster movies. I'm realistic, and my friend was a cinema buff, so we weren't either really TOO worried. Space aliens were generally silly, and Earthly ones too unlikely.
But as the movie started darkly, and a sense of unease came over us, and we thought about the looks on the faces of the first audience as they came out, we began to worry. When we first saw the queen alien skeleton in the derelict ship, we both said "Oh crap"!
And even then, we weren't prepared for the first egg. How harmful can a newly-hatched creature be? We found out! And it all got worse from there. By the time Ripley was searching for her cat Jonesie, I was watching most of the screen with partially-shielded eyes. The SUSPENSE was what was killing me!
Right up to the end, I wasn't sure who was going to win. The movie had been unique enough that it might well have been the alien left, sending the ship to Earth...
It is the only movie I have ever left with popcorn uneaten! As we left the theater, I turned to the nearest people in line and said "You aren't prepared for this one".
I still have a T-Shirt I had made afterwards that says "Alien" on the front and "Here, Jonesie" on the back. But I have never watched that movie on TV.
The following Alien movies were easier to watch, but not by much. Enough (since I knew Ripley would win) to watch though. My favorite parts of the later movies were when Ripley confronted the Alien Queen using the personal equipment-mover outfit in Alien2, and when she let herself fall into the molten iron pit in Alien3. I cried as she fell holding the newly-irrupting Queen hatchling to her to prevent it escaping.
Tgere was Alien; Resurrection, but if I saw it, I can't recall anything about it.
But I was surprised some years ago by the movie 'Prometheus'. I watched for a few minutes and realized it felt a bit like 'Alien', so I kept watching. I had no idea it was a prequel. As prequels to movie series go, it was much better than most. It involved a superior humanoid species (likely space-faring ancestors to ourselves in some way, 8' tall, built like giant wrestlers, and technologically-advanced) developing dangerous interstellar creatures as weapons. I didn't watch the whole movie (in and out of the room cleaning) but apparently the human heroine is fighting and losing to the humanoid when a cage is damaged and a dangerous captive octopus-like creature gets loose.
Apparently, it was like a dozen strong humans could capture a panther, but one would have a very hard time of it. And even then, it was a close struggle but the humanoid loses. And the octopus-like creature absorbs him - and his DNA. Making the Alien of the original movies...
The heroine escapes the planet in a makeshift spaceship and instead of returning to Earth goes after humonoid race seeking revenge. That last part is a bit weak, but I guess they couldn't have the Earth being warned about the dangerous aliens.
I understand that there is a Prometheus 2 movie in the works which may explain how the Prometheus heroine fights the sperior humanoid race
But I still can't watch "Alien'...
Friday, October 21, 2016
US Election
Well, we are down to the final few weeks of the US Presidential election, and quite frankly, I wish it was tomorrow. Or even yesterday. I am SO tired of it I could scream!
At least it seems that the decision is no longer in doubt. We will be referring to "Madame President" for the first time ever here, Democrats will have won a 3rd consecutive term controlling the White House since 1940 when Franklin Roosevelt was re-elected to a 3rd personal consecutive term, and (to steal a phrase from an previous generation) a long national nightmare will be over.
The election results will probably give nominal control of the US Senate to the Democrats by a small majority. It is possible that the House of Representatives will become Democratic , but I'm not expecting it today (but who knows what things will look like in 3 weeks)? Trump and the Republicans have the 3 weeks to make things better or worse.
If the Al Smith Foundation Dinner last night was any clue, it will get worse for the Republicans. As background, the Dinner "is an annual white fundraiser in the United States for Catholic charities supporting needy children, held at theWaldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, on the third Thursday of October. It is organized by the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation in honor of Al Smith the former New York Governor and the first Catholic US Presidential candidate. The dinner is hosted by the Archbishop of New York.
The idea is for the 2 major Presidential candidates to engage in self deprecating humor and some gentle digs at their opponent.
Trump failed at that utterly. That's not just my opinion. He received boos and several points when he just made his regular speech at a few points. Commenters said afterwards that they had never heard boos at the event before.
Apparently, Trump does not understand humor at all. He did have a few funny lines, none of which were aimed at himself, and even as delivered fell flat. I suspect several of them would have gotten laughs if delivered by a professional. Sarcasm can be funny, but not when delivered in anger.
Trumps best joke was when he mentioned 'Michelle Obama made a speech and everyone loved it. It was great. My wife, Melania, made the exact same speech and everyone gets on her case.'
The audience loved it. It is probably the best humor about plagiarism ever! But even THEN, it wasn't aimed at himself.
The crowd stayed with Trump while he ticked down a list of what he called "corny" jokes about being a former Democrat and sarcastically calling himself "modest." And they mostly laughed along when he joked about Clinton accidentally bumping into him back stage and saying "pardon me."
"I very politely replied: Let me talk to you about that after I get into office," Trump landed the punchline. Trumps as said previously that Clinton should be in jail for various reasons. Clinton was seen laughing.
His 20 minutes went downhill rapidly after that.
Clinton, on the other hand went straight to herself for humor. "I took a break from my rigorous nap schedule to be here," Clinton told the audience. And "Usually, I charge a lot for speeches like this."
She got in some rather harsh zingers, but they didn't get boos and there were definitely Trump supporters in the audience. Rudy Giuliani was there and was the subject of one Clinton joke. Clinton mentioned the many dignitaries in the audience positively, and then said "and then there is Rudy Giuliani". Ouch!
“Now, many don’t know this,” Clinton continued, “but Rudy actually got his start as a prosecutor going after wealthy New Yorker's who avoided paying taxes. But, as the saying goes, ‘If you can’t beat them, go on Fox News and call them a genius". Giuliani, a Trump surrogate speaker of increasing vicious attacks on Clinton, looked like he had a hot coal up where the sun doesn't shine...
But for the most part, Clinton was making jokes on herself and light digs at Trump, and Trump was his usual mean self. I understand that. People who are internally confident and happy can make jokes about themselves.
Not to say too much about myself in all of this, but I don't find self-humor threatening. I tripped over a cat once while a friend was there, and landed on my hands and knees. My first words were "so this is what it looks like from their point of view".
People like Trump can't laugh at themselves. If one of his staff had written the absolutely funniest self-deprecating joke ever created, Trump would not have used it. It would be against himself, and he can't imagine anyone against him. Because they would simply be "wrong".
My point here, long time in coming, is that Trump can't be President because he lacks the fullness of self-awareness that allows most of us to laugh at ourselves. I had a friend who did the almost slapstick gag of stepping onto a small boat from the pier and fell into the water as the boat moved away.
I laughed my ass off. It was as if you actually saw someone slip on a banana peel. He was livid, angry, enraged... If I had done that myself, I would have keeled over in laughter at myself as I pulled myself onto the boat, and asked if anyone got a picture of it!
Narcissistic megalomaniac bullies cannot laugh at themselves. Most of the rest of us can. At ourselves, and at them...
But basically, all this means that the US Presidential election is decided. Clinton will win; the question is by how much and will she carry the Senate and/or House along with her. For the Democratic party, life looks good for 2 Presidential terms. The interim elections are always iffy. But the gains of the day are sufficient for the day.
I will be glad after election night Nov 8th. No mor3e Trump for a while.
But do you know what is generally annoying? In several places around the US, some people are starting their campaigns for the 2020 Presidential elections...
At least it seems that the decision is no longer in doubt. We will be referring to "Madame President" for the first time ever here, Democrats will have won a 3rd consecutive term controlling the White House since 1940 when Franklin Roosevelt was re-elected to a 3rd personal consecutive term, and (to steal a phrase from an previous generation) a long national nightmare will be over.
The election results will probably give nominal control of the US Senate to the Democrats by a small majority. It is possible that the House of Representatives will become Democratic , but I'm not expecting it today (but who knows what things will look like in 3 weeks)? Trump and the Republicans have the 3 weeks to make things better or worse.
If the Al Smith Foundation Dinner last night was any clue, it will get worse for the Republicans. As background, the Dinner "is an annual white fundraiser in the United States for Catholic charities supporting needy children, held at theWaldorf-Astoria hotel in New York, on the third Thursday of October. It is organized by the Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation in honor of Al Smith the former New York Governor and the first Catholic US Presidential candidate. The dinner is hosted by the Archbishop of New York.
The idea is for the 2 major Presidential candidates to engage in self deprecating humor and some gentle digs at their opponent.
Trump failed at that utterly. That's not just my opinion. He received boos and several points when he just made his regular speech at a few points. Commenters said afterwards that they had never heard boos at the event before.
Apparently, Trump does not understand humor at all. He did have a few funny lines, none of which were aimed at himself, and even as delivered fell flat. I suspect several of them would have gotten laughs if delivered by a professional. Sarcasm can be funny, but not when delivered in anger.
Trumps best joke was when he mentioned 'Michelle Obama made a speech and everyone loved it. It was great. My wife, Melania, made the exact same speech and everyone gets on her case.'
The audience loved it. It is probably the best humor about plagiarism ever! But even THEN, it wasn't aimed at himself.
The crowd stayed with Trump while he ticked down a list of what he called "corny" jokes about being a former Democrat and sarcastically calling himself "modest." And they mostly laughed along when he joked about Clinton accidentally bumping into him back stage and saying "pardon me."
"I very politely replied: Let me talk to you about that after I get into office," Trump landed the punchline. Trumps as said previously that Clinton should be in jail for various reasons. Clinton was seen laughing.
His 20 minutes went downhill rapidly after that.
Clinton, on the other hand went straight to herself for humor. "I took a break from my rigorous nap schedule to be here," Clinton told the audience. And "Usually, I charge a lot for speeches like this."
She got in some rather harsh zingers, but they didn't get boos and there were definitely Trump supporters in the audience. Rudy Giuliani was there and was the subject of one Clinton joke. Clinton mentioned the many dignitaries in the audience positively, and then said "and then there is Rudy Giuliani". Ouch!
“Now, many don’t know this,” Clinton continued, “but Rudy actually got his start as a prosecutor going after wealthy New Yorker's who avoided paying taxes. But, as the saying goes, ‘If you can’t beat them, go on Fox News and call them a genius". Giuliani, a Trump surrogate speaker of increasing vicious attacks on Clinton, looked like he had a hot coal up where the sun doesn't shine...
But for the most part, Clinton was making jokes on herself and light digs at Trump, and Trump was his usual mean self. I understand that. People who are internally confident and happy can make jokes about themselves.
Not to say too much about myself in all of this, but I don't find self-humor threatening. I tripped over a cat once while a friend was there, and landed on my hands and knees. My first words were "so this is what it looks like from their point of view".
People like Trump can't laugh at themselves. If one of his staff had written the absolutely funniest self-deprecating joke ever created, Trump would not have used it. It would be against himself, and he can't imagine anyone against him. Because they would simply be "wrong".
My point here, long time in coming, is that Trump can't be President because he lacks the fullness of self-awareness that allows most of us to laugh at ourselves. I had a friend who did the almost slapstick gag of stepping onto a small boat from the pier and fell into the water as the boat moved away.
I laughed my ass off. It was as if you actually saw someone slip on a banana peel. He was livid, angry, enraged... If I had done that myself, I would have keeled over in laughter at myself as I pulled myself onto the boat, and asked if anyone got a picture of it!
Narcissistic megalomaniac bullies cannot laugh at themselves. Most of the rest of us can. At ourselves, and at them...
But basically, all this means that the US Presidential election is decided. Clinton will win; the question is by how much and will she carry the Senate and/or House along with her. For the Democratic party, life looks good for 2 Presidential terms. The interim elections are always iffy. But the gains of the day are sufficient for the day.
I will be glad after election night Nov 8th. No mor3e Trump for a while.
But do you know what is generally annoying? In several places around the US, some people are starting their campaigns for the 2020 Presidential elections...
Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Yardwork Again
I wasn't sure I was gong to be doing much yardwork the rest of the year. I usually try to do at least one useful thing each day. Sometimes I don't, but that is the goal anyway.
So when I twisted my right knee in early April, and it was difficult to walk the first couple of weeks, I grudgingly waited for it to heal. I do these sorts of injuries every so often but generally heal quickly enough. I'm used to it. You live on your own, you push yourself to do more than you should sometimes, and there is the occasional time your body says hey ease off on me a bit.
It has happened before. 10 years ago, I casually tossed a rock at a squirrel and strained my rotator cuff and I could barely raise my arm over my shoulder for 4 months! But it healed fine and I kind of expect that.
But this time, April rolled into May, and May into June and eventually September and it was better but not normal. Some projects got delayed. I had planned to repaint the bathrooms and kitchen, but crawling all around washing the walls, putting tape along all the edges and then doing the actual painting seemed too awkward. But it could wait.
I had also planned to use my gas-powered weed-whacker with the steel cutters to eliminate the backyard brush and brambles that sprung up after I had a few trees removed several years ago. That didn't happen.
A few weeks ago, my right knee suddenly felt much better. Not perfect, but good enough, and I started some minor yard projects and felt ready to do more. I got some work done. Mostly de-clutterring the basement the computer room, and the cat room.
And then I went and did something to the left knee. No idea what I did. It felt like I had banged it against a door frame, but for 2 weeks, I had 2 bad knees. I was worried I was sufferring some serious problem (like Lyme Disease affects your joints, or longer term problems like arthritis).
But I woke up 2 days ago and the left knee was back to normal and the right knee wasn't bad. I could walk around pretty much normal.
So I had found a sealed bag of grass seed in the basement left over from last year . I mowed the front yard grass very short. Today I raked all the loose grass and dumped it where I plan to put a flowerbed island around a large rock and tree in order to smother the grass and weeds and leave some improved soil. Then I spread the grass weeds all around. And then I spent 90 minutes carefully spraying straight down onto the grass to beat the grass seeds onto the soil surface and give them enough water to germinate.
It is a bit late to do that. But I had the seeds and they won't last another year. And we are having a warm spell, so the seeds should germinate if they are still viable. There are 2 bare spots, so I will know if they germinate. At least that is SOMETHING done.
And both knees felt just fine after all that. So that's good.
The next things to do are planting Daffodils in mid November, tilling some dead areas of the flowerbeds, and eliminating weeds in the paths between the framed veggie beds.
Are you familiar with those long strips of brown paper used as packing material? I've been saving the longest strips for several years. The stuff comes all twisted and crinkled, but I untwist it and lay in on the basement floor and use a push broom to flatten it out. That works very well. Then I fold it up in 4' lengths and put a piece of plywood on it to flatten it further and keep it out of the way. I have several hundred linear feet of it now.
It seems like great stuff to put between the framed beds, on top of weedy dead sections of the flowerbeds, and on top of all the Spring bulbs to smother weeds (with shredded bark on top). It will probably decompose by Spring, and in not, it will certainly be easy to pull up at planting time.
It may not kill all the weeds, but it sure won't do them any good. I am reminded of a W C Fields vaudeville joke where he says he swallowed a few moths and said he swallowed a couple of mothballs to get rid of them. The sidekick asks if it did any good. Fields says "well it sure couldn't have helped them any". (Do not do this at home, mothballs are toxic).
My point is that the brown paper cover is worth trying. If it works, GREAT! If not, it is easy to remove and will make good compostable material after 5 months exposure to rain and melting snow all Winter and early Spring.
Gardeners might object that covers the soil gives voles safe space to run around under. I did cover part of my flowerbeds with black plastic 10 years ago, and they did love it. They ate every tulip bulb, safe from predators. But this time, there won't be anything for them to eat. Well, the weeds, and if they want to eat the roots of those, they are not welcome, I encourage them. Otherwise, they don't touch Daffodils or Daylilies (toxic to mammals), the Tulips and Hyacinths are in wire cages they can't get into, and the seeds from the birdfeeder will be on top of the paper where they waill actually have trouble getting to the spilled seeds. EVIL LOL!
So I am getting into the yardwork late, but not impossibly late. The last project, which is to plant specimen trees that won't grow tall enough to shade my garden and flowerbeds is still in reach. By "specimen trees", I mean Korean Dogwoods, Sourwoods, Wisteria shrubs, and Star Magnolias. Those will shade out the brush and brambles like the taller trees used to do, but not cause shade problems across the yard.
I will surround the new trees with used carpeting. That has really worked well for me over the years. Rain soaks right through, but weeds won't grow up through it. And it it is usually free. Just look for some place being renovated and ask for the old carpet. They will usually just give it away.
OK, I'm off to buy some specimen tree saplings...
Back, I ordered 3 Sourwood trees and 2 Korean Dogwoods. Sourwood trees are great in Fall. They have small grapelike clusters of yellow berries and burgundy leaves and grow to about 25'. The Korean Dogwoods are great in Springs, don't have the same disease problems as American Dogwoods, and spread sideways. I have one on the shady side of the house that has been happily existing for 25 years at 20 feet, and I will take some tip cuttings next June. It has pink flowers. The dogwoods I ordered have white flowers, so that will make a nice change.
I also filled in all the screw and nail holes in the main bathroom a week ago
So when I twisted my right knee in early April, and it was difficult to walk the first couple of weeks, I grudgingly waited for it to heal. I do these sorts of injuries every so often but generally heal quickly enough. I'm used to it. You live on your own, you push yourself to do more than you should sometimes, and there is the occasional time your body says hey ease off on me a bit.
It has happened before. 10 years ago, I casually tossed a rock at a squirrel and strained my rotator cuff and I could barely raise my arm over my shoulder for 4 months! But it healed fine and I kind of expect that.
But this time, April rolled into May, and May into June and eventually September and it was better but not normal. Some projects got delayed. I had planned to repaint the bathrooms and kitchen, but crawling all around washing the walls, putting tape along all the edges and then doing the actual painting seemed too awkward. But it could wait.
I had also planned to use my gas-powered weed-whacker with the steel cutters to eliminate the backyard brush and brambles that sprung up after I had a few trees removed several years ago. That didn't happen.
A few weeks ago, my right knee suddenly felt much better. Not perfect, but good enough, and I started some minor yard projects and felt ready to do more. I got some work done. Mostly de-clutterring the basement the computer room, and the cat room.
And then I went and did something to the left knee. No idea what I did. It felt like I had banged it against a door frame, but for 2 weeks, I had 2 bad knees. I was worried I was sufferring some serious problem (like Lyme Disease affects your joints, or longer term problems like arthritis).
But I woke up 2 days ago and the left knee was back to normal and the right knee wasn't bad. I could walk around pretty much normal.
So I had found a sealed bag of grass seed in the basement left over from last year . I mowed the front yard grass very short. Today I raked all the loose grass and dumped it where I plan to put a flowerbed island around a large rock and tree in order to smother the grass and weeds and leave some improved soil. Then I spread the grass weeds all around. And then I spent 90 minutes carefully spraying straight down onto the grass to beat the grass seeds onto the soil surface and give them enough water to germinate.
It is a bit late to do that. But I had the seeds and they won't last another year. And we are having a warm spell, so the seeds should germinate if they are still viable. There are 2 bare spots, so I will know if they germinate. At least that is SOMETHING done.
And both knees felt just fine after all that. So that's good.
The next things to do are planting Daffodils in mid November, tilling some dead areas of the flowerbeds, and eliminating weeds in the paths between the framed veggie beds.
Are you familiar with those long strips of brown paper used as packing material? I've been saving the longest strips for several years. The stuff comes all twisted and crinkled, but I untwist it and lay in on the basement floor and use a push broom to flatten it out. That works very well. Then I fold it up in 4' lengths and put a piece of plywood on it to flatten it further and keep it out of the way. I have several hundred linear feet of it now.
It seems like great stuff to put between the framed beds, on top of weedy dead sections of the flowerbeds, and on top of all the Spring bulbs to smother weeds (with shredded bark on top). It will probably decompose by Spring, and in not, it will certainly be easy to pull up at planting time.
It may not kill all the weeds, but it sure won't do them any good. I am reminded of a W C Fields vaudeville joke where he says he swallowed a few moths and said he swallowed a couple of mothballs to get rid of them. The sidekick asks if it did any good. Fields says "well it sure couldn't have helped them any". (Do not do this at home, mothballs are toxic).
My point is that the brown paper cover is worth trying. If it works, GREAT! If not, it is easy to remove and will make good compostable material after 5 months exposure to rain and melting snow all Winter and early Spring.
Gardeners might object that covers the soil gives voles safe space to run around under. I did cover part of my flowerbeds with black plastic 10 years ago, and they did love it. They ate every tulip bulb, safe from predators. But this time, there won't be anything for them to eat. Well, the weeds, and if they want to eat the roots of those, they are not welcome, I encourage them. Otherwise, they don't touch Daffodils or Daylilies (toxic to mammals), the Tulips and Hyacinths are in wire cages they can't get into, and the seeds from the birdfeeder will be on top of the paper where they waill actually have trouble getting to the spilled seeds. EVIL LOL!
So I am getting into the yardwork late, but not impossibly late. The last project, which is to plant specimen trees that won't grow tall enough to shade my garden and flowerbeds is still in reach. By "specimen trees", I mean Korean Dogwoods, Sourwoods, Wisteria shrubs, and Star Magnolias. Those will shade out the brush and brambles like the taller trees used to do, but not cause shade problems across the yard.
I will surround the new trees with used carpeting. That has really worked well for me over the years. Rain soaks right through, but weeds won't grow up through it. And it it is usually free. Just look for some place being renovated and ask for the old carpet. They will usually just give it away.
OK, I'm off to buy some specimen tree saplings...
Back, I ordered 3 Sourwood trees and 2 Korean Dogwoods. Sourwood trees are great in Fall. They have small grapelike clusters of yellow berries and burgundy leaves and grow to about 25'. The Korean Dogwoods are great in Springs, don't have the same disease problems as American Dogwoods, and spread sideways. I have one on the shady side of the house that has been happily existing for 25 years at 20 feet, and I will take some tip cuttings next June. It has pink flowers. The dogwoods I ordered have white flowers, so that will make a nice change.
I also filled in all the screw and nail holes in the main bathroom a week ago
Saturday, October 15, 2016
Odd Connections
Last night, I was thinking about a couple of songs that run through my head. One is "Maria" from West Side Story. I had read that the central syllable was a "dishordant" note. So I brought it up to hear.
Apparently, I don't know music. It sounded fine to me. But the lovely sweet song 'Maria' was followed by 'America', a joyful contratemps song where the boys expressed having to fight there way into NYC society and the girls expressed how much better life was for them even in the slums.
And I thought of the current times, where things are so much better for their children, but not yet equal for all.
And then I thought of the current election.
Where some people do not want "others" to join in our grand US adventure. Where some are afraid of change and "others".
I was an "other" once, or at least my ancestors were. Everyone here is "other" except Native Americans. My English and French forced their way here and decided THEY were the new native people. When Germans came here later, my ancestors decided "they" were too strange and didn't belong.
A few generations later, when the Germans were part of the culture, the Irish came, and they were treated like dirt. But they became part of the culture. Do even the most fanatical "nativists" now think Germans and Irish people living here aren't part of "us"?
Then the Italians and Eastern Europeans came. They moved into the slums and worked their way out of them. After couple of generations, they lost their language (but added some to ours) . Can you tell who of us it from those places anymore?
And other people came here. Chinese who built the railroads, Russians fleeing the Czarist monarchies and the Soviets, Jews, fleeing from everywhere, and people from all over.
Can you tell who's ancestor was Russian or Polish now? I can't and it doesn't matter. My BI is half Korean and one of the finest people I ever met. I can't guess at the ancestry of my youngest sister's life partner,.
I might be surprised at my own. I bet I come from all over Europe and given my maternal Canadian French ancestry, there might well be some Native American there too. It doesn't matter! I'm proud of everyone in my past and present.
So there is this loudmouthed, boastful, lying, deceitful, cheating, groping, hate-filled nativist asshole demanding MY vote, as an American, to keep other hard-working people out of this country.
This country, where people dream of a better life not for themselves but for their children, this land where the best and the hardest-working people come to work and prosper, this land where we have a statue holding a shining beacon to the world saying all you who are willing to try your best, "come here, come here, our golden light shine bright", join us, become one of us, make our land a better place...
And this demogogue, this would be dictator, who feeds on fear says NO! Stay away, leave us alone, we don't want new people and new ideas, DARES to want to become our President.
There are always frightened people fearing for their routine life, afraid of "others". They forget that their grandparents or great-grandparents were "others" once. They forget what makes us strong.
We grow and thrive in diversity. New thoughts match to old habits, and better things come from that. New ideas lead to new ways, new thoughts, new discoveries; a continuing change, a look toward the future.
The German Chancellor Bismark once said that America is fortunate to have friendly neighbors North and South, and oceans East and West. But he only saw a part of it. The people matter more.
In 1860, before our massive Civil War, people said "the United States "are"; after it, they said "the United States "is". That was a profound difference. The war was fought between some States against the Government. When it was over, there was a Nation.
And it was a "Nation" for the first time. Nebraska farmoys and Massachussets fisherman boys met for the first time. Alabama cotton growers and Virginia tobacco boys met for the first time. None had ever had a sense on the whole place as a "nation" before. By the end of the Civil War, they did.
And now we have the party of Abraham Lincoln and General Grant living in the South in fear.
Shame, I say SHAME on you Republicans for claiming Lincoln as your birthright and denying his ideals!
Nations come and Nations go. All that is required is the failure to to keep striving toward democracy. Let the first little dictator in, and others will follow One just a little worse than the last. Like a frog in a heating pan.
The time to act is not the next election; the time to act is NOW. We have to choose the President who will keep to the ideals of Democracy, not the one who says "trust me I will figure it all out myself and tell you what to think"...
That is how democracy ends, in dibs and drabs,
Apparently, I don't know music. It sounded fine to me. But the lovely sweet song 'Maria' was followed by 'America', a joyful contratemps song where the boys expressed having to fight there way into NYC society and the girls expressed how much better life was for them even in the slums.
And I thought of the current times, where things are so much better for their children, but not yet equal for all.
And then I thought of the current election.
Where some people do not want "others" to join in our grand US adventure. Where some are afraid of change and "others".
I was an "other" once, or at least my ancestors were. Everyone here is "other" except Native Americans. My English and French forced their way here and decided THEY were the new native people. When Germans came here later, my ancestors decided "they" were too strange and didn't belong.
A few generations later, when the Germans were part of the culture, the Irish came, and they were treated like dirt. But they became part of the culture. Do even the most fanatical "nativists" now think Germans and Irish people living here aren't part of "us"?
Then the Italians and Eastern Europeans came. They moved into the slums and worked their way out of them. After couple of generations, they lost their language (but added some to ours) . Can you tell who of us it from those places anymore?
And other people came here. Chinese who built the railroads, Russians fleeing the Czarist monarchies and the Soviets, Jews, fleeing from everywhere, and people from all over.
Can you tell who's ancestor was Russian or Polish now? I can't and it doesn't matter. My BI is half Korean and one of the finest people I ever met. I can't guess at the ancestry of my youngest sister's life partner,.
I might be surprised at my own. I bet I come from all over Europe and given my maternal Canadian French ancestry, there might well be some Native American there too. It doesn't matter! I'm proud of everyone in my past and present.
So there is this loudmouthed, boastful, lying, deceitful, cheating, groping, hate-filled nativist asshole demanding MY vote, as an American, to keep other hard-working people out of this country.
This country, where people dream of a better life not for themselves but for their children, this land where the best and the hardest-working people come to work and prosper, this land where we have a statue holding a shining beacon to the world saying all you who are willing to try your best, "come here, come here, our golden light shine bright", join us, become one of us, make our land a better place...
And this demogogue, this would be dictator, who feeds on fear says NO! Stay away, leave us alone, we don't want new people and new ideas, DARES to want to become our President.
There are always frightened people fearing for their routine life, afraid of "others". They forget that their grandparents or great-grandparents were "others" once. They forget what makes us strong.
We grow and thrive in diversity. New thoughts match to old habits, and better things come from that. New ideas lead to new ways, new thoughts, new discoveries; a continuing change, a look toward the future.
The German Chancellor Bismark once said that America is fortunate to have friendly neighbors North and South, and oceans East and West. But he only saw a part of it. The people matter more.
In 1860, before our massive Civil War, people said "the United States "are"; after it, they said "the United States "is". That was a profound difference. The war was fought between some States against the Government. When it was over, there was a Nation.
And it was a "Nation" for the first time. Nebraska farmoys and Massachussets fisherman boys met for the first time. Alabama cotton growers and Virginia tobacco boys met for the first time. None had ever had a sense on the whole place as a "nation" before. By the end of the Civil War, they did.
And now we have the party of Abraham Lincoln and General Grant living in the South in fear.
Shame, I say SHAME on you Republicans for claiming Lincoln as your birthright and denying his ideals!
Nations come and Nations go. All that is required is the failure to to keep striving toward democracy. Let the first little dictator in, and others will follow One just a little worse than the last. Like a frog in a heating pan.
The time to act is not the next election; the time to act is NOW. We have to choose the President who will keep to the ideals of Democracy, not the one who says "trust me I will figure it all out myself and tell you what to think"...
That is how democracy ends, in dibs and drabs,
OUCH!
I messed up my right knee in April. It still bothers me. But I know what caused it.
Last night. I did something that messed up my left knee. It is as if I hit it on a door frame. But I didn't. Can't think of anything I did to cause it. Damn...
I guess I'm going to have to see a doctor... I used to just heal in a week from these sorts of problems. But not any more. Getting old is really annoying.
Last night. I did something that messed up my left knee. It is as if I hit it on a door frame. But I didn't. Can't think of anything I did to cause it. Damn...
I guess I'm going to have to see a doctor... I used to just heal in a week from these sorts of problems. But not any more. Getting old is really annoying.
Tuesday, October 11, 2016
Angry Voters
I have been hard on Donald Trump (and rightly so). But I haven't discussed his supporters much.
I sort of understand them. They are angry. They are desperate. They aren't living the life their parents enjoyed.
In a general sense, we all know that some people succeed in life better than others. And the others don't. The reasons are not my point here. My point is that they know the world is somehow passing them by, they are not succeeding, and they are angry. There are few emotions stronger than anger.
Hate is usually directed, anger is diffuse.
Trump has activated the angry people. He wouldn't have gotten the Republican nomination for President if anger and fear wasn't a real thing in significant part of the population.
I do not fear Trump. He will go down into crushing defeat on Election Day. It is the angry people who concern me. Their anger is justified. They used to have decent-paying jobs putting headlights on cars, collecting coins from parking meters, loading luggage on airplanes, etc. There used to be jobs you could just learn to DO without having to work on a computer, make decisions, or attend meetings and argue with people. Some people are just not good at those things. And they have fewer places to do work now.
And I understand because in the 1st 10 years of my adult life, I had cruddy jobs too. I pushed a lawn mower in the hot sun for 2 Summers on an Army Base. I spent 2 Summers pumping gas at a full service station where the owner dipped his sticky fingers into the till and charged us workers for the "losses".
I worked at minimum wage in several department stores while the rent went up faster than my wages. I even got to where I was in charge of a 1/4 of the department store and my hourly pay was 25 cents above minimum wage. And the store managers cheated us every chance they could get because every dime they took out of our pocket went into theirs!
But I took a competitive exam for Government work and scored 100% in 5 categories of jobs. That was because *I* spent my time in high school studying while "other" kids were goofing off. I learned "stuff". I practiced general skills. I did well. I was promoted regularly. I retired well.
But not much better than the middle class in the US did in the 50s and 60s. The high point of the US economy was when unions were strong (but not overly strong), when the percentage of the total wealth held by the top 1% was low, and when a college education for children was withing reach of most middle class families.
There was a chart in Scientific American magazine a month ago that showed the percentage of national wealth held by the top 1% of Americans.
In the 1920s, it rose to 20%. At the end of The Great Depression, it was down to 15%, and the end of WWII, it was down to 10%.
In 1970, it was down to 8%. After the Republican Tax Reform act of 1986, it rose rather suddenly to 16%, and after the 2000 Bush Administration, it went back up to 18%. That is wrong. The trickle down theory of wealth only means every one below the top 1% gets peed on.
The Republicans are doing it very very wrong, in pay to their super-rich supporters. But the Democrats are doing things a whole lot better.
What we need is a Centrist-Union party dedicated to recreating the middle class. No industrialized nation can survive without a strong middle class. That is what makes democracy work.
Democracy works best when the poor have a path up, the middle class has some basic stability in life, and the rich are accepting a lower level than "outrageously fabulous".
I'll give a sports example...
Say you are a farmkid in Kansas and you have a choice between driving a tractor around cornfields for $20K a year vs earning $100K a year catching balls in the outfield. Of course you would take the $100K. But is it worth $50M. No, you would do it for $100K. It is idiodically super-rich people playing their own game, competing with each other.
If they weren't, the seats would cost $10 and they would all still make a fine profit. THat's what a generally middle-class world would look like...
I sort of understand them. They are angry. They are desperate. They aren't living the life their parents enjoyed.
In a general sense, we all know that some people succeed in life better than others. And the others don't. The reasons are not my point here. My point is that they know the world is somehow passing them by, they are not succeeding, and they are angry. There are few emotions stronger than anger.
Hate is usually directed, anger is diffuse.
Trump has activated the angry people. He wouldn't have gotten the Republican nomination for President if anger and fear wasn't a real thing in significant part of the population.
I do not fear Trump. He will go down into crushing defeat on Election Day. It is the angry people who concern me. Their anger is justified. They used to have decent-paying jobs putting headlights on cars, collecting coins from parking meters, loading luggage on airplanes, etc. There used to be jobs you could just learn to DO without having to work on a computer, make decisions, or attend meetings and argue with people. Some people are just not good at those things. And they have fewer places to do work now.
And I understand because in the 1st 10 years of my adult life, I had cruddy jobs too. I pushed a lawn mower in the hot sun for 2 Summers on an Army Base. I spent 2 Summers pumping gas at a full service station where the owner dipped his sticky fingers into the till and charged us workers for the "losses".
I worked at minimum wage in several department stores while the rent went up faster than my wages. I even got to where I was in charge of a 1/4 of the department store and my hourly pay was 25 cents above minimum wage. And the store managers cheated us every chance they could get because every dime they took out of our pocket went into theirs!
But I took a competitive exam for Government work and scored 100% in 5 categories of jobs. That was because *I* spent my time in high school studying while "other" kids were goofing off. I learned "stuff". I practiced general skills. I did well. I was promoted regularly. I retired well.
But not much better than the middle class in the US did in the 50s and 60s. The high point of the US economy was when unions were strong (but not overly strong), when the percentage of the total wealth held by the top 1% was low, and when a college education for children was withing reach of most middle class families.
There was a chart in Scientific American magazine a month ago that showed the percentage of national wealth held by the top 1% of Americans.
In the 1920s, it rose to 20%. At the end of The Great Depression, it was down to 15%, and the end of WWII, it was down to 10%.
In 1970, it was down to 8%. After the Republican Tax Reform act of 1986, it rose rather suddenly to 16%, and after the 2000 Bush Administration, it went back up to 18%. That is wrong. The trickle down theory of wealth only means every one below the top 1% gets peed on.
The Republicans are doing it very very wrong, in pay to their super-rich supporters. But the Democrats are doing things a whole lot better.
What we need is a Centrist-Union party dedicated to recreating the middle class. No industrialized nation can survive without a strong middle class. That is what makes democracy work.
Democracy works best when the poor have a path up, the middle class has some basic stability in life, and the rich are accepting a lower level than "outrageously fabulous".
I'll give a sports example...
Say you are a farmkid in Kansas and you have a choice between driving a tractor around cornfields for $20K a year vs earning $100K a year catching balls in the outfield. Of course you would take the $100K. But is it worth $50M. No, you would do it for $100K. It is idiodically super-rich people playing their own game, competing with each other.
If they weren't, the seats would cost $10 and they would all still make a fine profit. THat's what a generally middle-class world would look like...
Monday, October 10, 2016
Annoying Commercials
I have a love/hate relationship with TV commercials. I love humorous ones and hate annoying ones. Dad used to mute commercials, but I always found the deafening silence more annoying than the commercial themselves. So I grew pretty immune to them.
That doesn't mean I didn't hear what they said. The mind just filters out the brand names And sometimes there is a new product that will actually draw my interest in the general product. Then I research similar products that do the same work better. Then I sometimes find stuff that really works.
And they have learned a couple of new tricks this year. In the first, they repeat the same commercial the 1st and 3rd time in a single station break. In the second, they have the same commercial played on related channels at the same time. So if you are watching the Science channel and an annoying commercial comes and you switch to the History channel, you are likely to see the same commercial.
But, my favorite disliked commercials...
1. Some allergy medication that says their competitor treats 1 problem and they treat 6 AND 6 IS GREATER THAN 1. Was 6 being greater than 1 supposed to be a revelation to me?
2. A car insurance company that criticizes a competitor for telling a customer they should have bought "full replacement insurance" and says the customer should have researched that company better. And then offers to sell you "full replacement insurance". Just like they criticized the competitor for doing.
3. I'll name names for this one. For several years, Comcast has been comparing its cable service speed to Verizons DSL service saying "we are 5x faster". I don't know if you remember what DSL is, but it stands for "Digital Subscriber Service". DSL is about 40 years old technology. It worked over old twisted copper wire telephone lines that were basically cleaned of static so that 9600 kbs could be transmitted over old-fashioned telephone lines.
Its like comparing a 1940s Oldsmobile car to a 2016 Mercedes Benz in terms of spped, safety, and features. And you only know Comcast is comparing their current service to DSL if you listen the the fast-talk and the very end on the commercial.
4. All the car insurance companies who claim to have better rates than the others... Every insurance company has slightly different rates for coverage and cost. Everyone has SOME combination where they are cheaper than the others. They can all prove they are better than the others at SOME specific coverage even if that coverage combination is so limited and bizarre that almost no one would choose it.
5. Another one I dislike is a medication that says ours can start working in 30 minutes while out competitor's can take up to 24 hours. I get such a kick out of that. From what little I can discover, they are the same chemical. Medication tests show a range of response times to the medications. For the same medication, some people respond very quickly and some respond very slowly.
So a particular medication may work very quickly on some people and very slowly on others. There are many causes for that, but don't worry about that. What Company "A is saying is that SOME test subjects self-reported an effect in 30 minutes. And that SOME of Company X's test subjects reported irt took 24 hours. What they are NOT telling you (because they don't have to" as that some of THEIR test subjects took 24 hours to respond and some of the Competitor test subjects took only 30 minutes.
In other words, they were identical. One company took the absolute lowest response time and compared it to the other company's longest response time.
-----------------------
It can be hard to stay ahead of the advertizing.
Rule 1 is to look for hidden insults. Advertisers assume everyone is stupid and gullible. "6 is greater than 1" is the best example I have seen of that in many years.
Rule 2 is to think about the assumptions. Is a car showing it being driven at 120 mph better than a car being driven at 60? How often do you drive at 120?
Rule 3 is to read the fine print at the bottom of the screen at the end of the commercial. Puse it or record it. That's were ALL the truth is.
Rule 4 is to turn off the sound and look at the commercial without the expensive talented narrator.
Rule 5 is to do the opposite. Close your eyes and listen to the narrator. Sometimes what he or she says doesn't actually make much sense.
Rule 6 is to apply some basic knowledge. All through history, people have claimed benefits from and sold common or bizarre substances. Most people are basically honest. They have to be to keep the respect of family and friends and neighbors. Salesmen don't!
If anyone says "Scientists (or Doctors) Don't Want You To Know This", that's because the claim IS NOT TRUE. Wearing copper bracelets or moving "special" magnets over your joints does not work. Otherwise, doctors would be doing that! Any doctor who could show by patient recovery that some odd idea worked would become FAMOUS.
Rule 7 is that "If it seems to be too good to be true, then it isn't true". Ideas that are good generally don't need much advertising. There isn't a lot of business advertising telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables. There ARE a lot telling you to eat more Toaster Sugar Blasts and Chocolate-Frosted Sugar-Bomb cereal. Because YOU KNOW that fresh fruits and vegetables and "some" meat is good for you and eating a pound of sugar a day isn't and they have to work hard to convince you to buy their sugar/fat products.
And since the sugar/fat foods, copper bracelets, magnets, etc, etc, etc are their only way to make a fortune, they try it. And when it works, they are gleeful. They think it is sure better than having a REAL job...
That doesn't mean I didn't hear what they said. The mind just filters out the brand names And sometimes there is a new product that will actually draw my interest in the general product. Then I research similar products that do the same work better. Then I sometimes find stuff that really works.
And they have learned a couple of new tricks this year. In the first, they repeat the same commercial the 1st and 3rd time in a single station break. In the second, they have the same commercial played on related channels at the same time. So if you are watching the Science channel and an annoying commercial comes and you switch to the History channel, you are likely to see the same commercial.
But, my favorite disliked commercials...
1. Some allergy medication that says their competitor treats 1 problem and they treat 6 AND 6 IS GREATER THAN 1. Was 6 being greater than 1 supposed to be a revelation to me?
2. A car insurance company that criticizes a competitor for telling a customer they should have bought "full replacement insurance" and says the customer should have researched that company better. And then offers to sell you "full replacement insurance". Just like they criticized the competitor for doing.
3. I'll name names for this one. For several years, Comcast has been comparing its cable service speed to Verizons DSL service saying "we are 5x faster". I don't know if you remember what DSL is, but it stands for "Digital Subscriber Service". DSL is about 40 years old technology. It worked over old twisted copper wire telephone lines that were basically cleaned of static so that 9600 kbs could be transmitted over old-fashioned telephone lines.
Its like comparing a 1940s Oldsmobile car to a 2016 Mercedes Benz in terms of spped, safety, and features. And you only know Comcast is comparing their current service to DSL if you listen the the fast-talk and the very end on the commercial.
4. All the car insurance companies who claim to have better rates than the others... Every insurance company has slightly different rates for coverage and cost. Everyone has SOME combination where they are cheaper than the others. They can all prove they are better than the others at SOME specific coverage even if that coverage combination is so limited and bizarre that almost no one would choose it.
5. Another one I dislike is a medication that says ours can start working in 30 minutes while out competitor's can take up to 24 hours. I get such a kick out of that. From what little I can discover, they are the same chemical. Medication tests show a range of response times to the medications. For the same medication, some people respond very quickly and some respond very slowly.
So a particular medication may work very quickly on some people and very slowly on others. There are many causes for that, but don't worry about that. What Company "A is saying is that SOME test subjects self-reported an effect in 30 minutes. And that SOME of Company X's test subjects reported irt took 24 hours. What they are NOT telling you (because they don't have to" as that some of THEIR test subjects took 24 hours to respond and some of the Competitor test subjects took only 30 minutes.
In other words, they were identical. One company took the absolute lowest response time and compared it to the other company's longest response time.
-----------------------
It can be hard to stay ahead of the advertizing.
Rule 1 is to look for hidden insults. Advertisers assume everyone is stupid and gullible. "6 is greater than 1" is the best example I have seen of that in many years.
Rule 2 is to think about the assumptions. Is a car showing it being driven at 120 mph better than a car being driven at 60? How often do you drive at 120?
Rule 3 is to read the fine print at the bottom of the screen at the end of the commercial. Puse it or record it. That's were ALL the truth is.
Rule 4 is to turn off the sound and look at the commercial without the expensive talented narrator.
Rule 5 is to do the opposite. Close your eyes and listen to the narrator. Sometimes what he or she says doesn't actually make much sense.
Rule 6 is to apply some basic knowledge. All through history, people have claimed benefits from and sold common or bizarre substances. Most people are basically honest. They have to be to keep the respect of family and friends and neighbors. Salesmen don't!
If anyone says "Scientists (or Doctors) Don't Want You To Know This", that's because the claim IS NOT TRUE. Wearing copper bracelets or moving "special" magnets over your joints does not work. Otherwise, doctors would be doing that! Any doctor who could show by patient recovery that some odd idea worked would become FAMOUS.
Rule 7 is that "If it seems to be too good to be true, then it isn't true". Ideas that are good generally don't need much advertising. There isn't a lot of business advertising telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables. There ARE a lot telling you to eat more Toaster Sugar Blasts and Chocolate-Frosted Sugar-Bomb cereal. Because YOU KNOW that fresh fruits and vegetables and "some" meat is good for you and eating a pound of sugar a day isn't and they have to work hard to convince you to buy their sugar/fat products.
And since the sugar/fat foods, copper bracelets, magnets, etc, etc, etc are their only way to make a fortune, they try it. And when it works, they are gleeful. They think it is sure better than having a REAL job...
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Trump's Commennts About Women
I am posting this Saturday evening, before any new news about the Presidential debate or further news discussion about Trump's comments about how he views or has treated women comes out.
So this is general. You know I don't like Trump. He lies. He lies about what he said years ago and he lies about what he said yesterday. There is nearly no position that Trump has ever claimed that he has not denied afterwards.
My point here is not to list them. Professional journalists and fact-checkers have done that before and found/proved him to be a pathological liar about almost everything. That is what he is. You can accept him for that or deny it, but he is that so frequently proven.
My concern today is the video of his comments about women. Trump was politically-fatally damaged by the video. Trump will never be a President of the US.
What I want to discuss is his justification for the comments. His claim was they were locker room comments. I've been in locker rooms. I played soccer in high school and that was a rough bunch. And we often shared locker room time with the football players and they tend toward crudeness. Comments about cheerleaders, comments about fans in the stands. Never in any locker room did I hear statements like Trump made.
In college, I tried rugby for a few months, and never did I hear such comments there.
And let me try to explain it. In the locker room, some guys talked about expectations of having sex with their girlfriends. Some talked about about going out to a local bar and trying to hook up with "fangirls".
Those were mostly established monogomous relationships or just plain fantasies. There is a difference!
That isn't what Trump was talking about. He was talking about outright predatory sexual assault, he was talking about using a position of power and influence to get unwilling sex, he was talking about taking advantage of fear of retribution and career destruction to have sex with women. He wasn't talking about vague "desires". He was talking about actual factual experiences in his life and the expectation that they would continue. That is a VERY different thing.
The terms "creep, "vile", and "predator", come to mind.
His apologies are insipid, deceitful, and vapid! His first response was "I apologize if anyone was offended". Now THAT is a standard political trick. He isn't apologizing for what he SAID or DID, he is expressing some vague regret that OTHERS were upset by what he said or did which he considers perfectly OK. In other words " You are an overly-sensitive, politically-correct annoying twit who doesn't understand reality". That isn't an apology; that's an insult.
An apology is a clear unambiguous statement that you were wrong by all social standards, that you wish you had never said or done the thing, and that it was a strange inexplicable action that was totally out of character. Allowable reasons are things like utterly mis-speaking, medication effects, typos on your notes, etc.
When you say you can get away with things like that when you are famous, you can't even apologize at all. It is just "who you are"! And that IS who he IS!
So, Trump is no longer viable as President of the US in any consideration. That is simply an "absolute". I don't care what any supporter thinks of his general political views, I don't care what his supporters think of his list of Supreme Court nominees, I don't even care if he COULD improve the economy (which he wouldn't). That no longer matters.
Donald Trump must NOT ever be President of the US...
So this is general. You know I don't like Trump. He lies. He lies about what he said years ago and he lies about what he said yesterday. There is nearly no position that Trump has ever claimed that he has not denied afterwards.
My point here is not to list them. Professional journalists and fact-checkers have done that before and found/proved him to be a pathological liar about almost everything. That is what he is. You can accept him for that or deny it, but he is that so frequently proven.
My concern today is the video of his comments about women. Trump was politically-fatally damaged by the video. Trump will never be a President of the US.
What I want to discuss is his justification for the comments. His claim was they were locker room comments. I've been in locker rooms. I played soccer in high school and that was a rough bunch. And we often shared locker room time with the football players and they tend toward crudeness. Comments about cheerleaders, comments about fans in the stands. Never in any locker room did I hear statements like Trump made.
In college, I tried rugby for a few months, and never did I hear such comments there.
And let me try to explain it. In the locker room, some guys talked about expectations of having sex with their girlfriends. Some talked about about going out to a local bar and trying to hook up with "fangirls".
Those were mostly established monogomous relationships or just plain fantasies. There is a difference!
That isn't what Trump was talking about. He was talking about outright predatory sexual assault, he was talking about using a position of power and influence to get unwilling sex, he was talking about taking advantage of fear of retribution and career destruction to have sex with women. He wasn't talking about vague "desires". He was talking about actual factual experiences in his life and the expectation that they would continue. That is a VERY different thing.
The terms "creep, "vile", and "predator", come to mind.
His apologies are insipid, deceitful, and vapid! His first response was "I apologize if anyone was offended". Now THAT is a standard political trick. He isn't apologizing for what he SAID or DID, he is expressing some vague regret that OTHERS were upset by what he said or did which he considers perfectly OK. In other words " You are an overly-sensitive, politically-correct annoying twit who doesn't understand reality". That isn't an apology; that's an insult.
An apology is a clear unambiguous statement that you were wrong by all social standards, that you wish you had never said or done the thing, and that it was a strange inexplicable action that was totally out of character. Allowable reasons are things like utterly mis-speaking, medication effects, typos on your notes, etc.
When you say you can get away with things like that when you are famous, you can't even apologize at all. It is just "who you are"! And that IS who he IS!
So, Trump is no longer viable as President of the US in any consideration. That is simply an "absolute". I don't care what any supporter thinks of his general political views, I don't care what his supporters think of his list of Supreme Court nominees, I don't even care if he COULD improve the economy (which he wouldn't). That no longer matters.
Donald Trump must NOT ever be President of the US...
Saturday, October 8, 2016
Recent Posts and Comments
First, thank you to everyone who commented about my recent house searches. The comments all made good sense (and they were easy to agree with since I was coming to that understanding myself). I have MUCH to like about my current house and LESS than I imagined to dislike. After enough years, you have everything where you want it. Minor problems seem larger than they really are. Sometimes it seems easier to escape them than just fix them.
I argue with myself about many things. I see both sides of issues and that can really make decision-making difficult. I've had friends for whom any question gave them an immediate answer which they acted upon with no further concerns. Personally, I thought they tended to make bad decisions sometimes, but at least they were never tortured by doubt.
But thinking too much about everything can lead to "analysis-paralysis" and that can be just as big a problem. You get to a close decision and you are STUCK in between. I recently saw a TV ad that used the term "FOBO" (Fear Of Better Options). I get that.
2 years ago, I looked at houses with County water and sewage and cable and large open yards with sunlight for gardening. Last year, I looked at rural lots of converted farmland that I could build a new home on. Starting from scratch in the yard and a new house that would outlast me seemed good. But all the lots I could find were surrounded by working farmland with overpowering fertilizer smells and I never found the open house structure I could afford (like 100'x50' for one-level living and a workshop attached and a garage. This year, I looked at large Ramblers about the size of my current size over a large open basement large enough for my woodworking equipment, and had a 2 car garage (one car, one boat).
The good house was on a lawn dome that fell off into ravines in back and the large side, the house with the good yard had crumbling foundations and obvious water problems in the basement, and the last one had a good yard but was smaller than my current house and, even filtered and softened, the water tasted bad. And was $150,000 more than my house is estimated
So I have decided to remain here for a while. Perhaps in a few years County water and sewage will be installed in more rural areas, the cable companies will expand, solar panels will become cheaper and more efficient, etc. But that time is not now.
There isn't a whole lot I can do about my lack of gardening sunlight, though some ideas occur to me. Putting up silver-painted sheet metal on the shady side would reflect a fair amount of sunlight back into the garden, for example.
There isn't much I can do about the trees. They are tall and narrow. It's not the overhanging branches; it is their sheer height. And it has been years since I asked about removing them. Perhaps paying to have them professionally removed and replacing them with flowering trees like dogwoods would work. I'll at least ask again.
And if that doesn't work, I do have the right to cut out all roots invading my soil. Since they are so close to the property line, that might kill them. And THEN I can offer them lower growing flowering trees that won't cause me problems. From the shade angles, all I need is that trees be not more than 20' high. The current ones are 50 to 75'.
As far as the house itself goes, most of the things that bother me are fixable through my own or contractor efforts. The basement bathroom I installed myself 20 years ago was a mistake, but it can also be removed. I've never used it except for storage. It goes back to when I paneled 3/4 of the basement and carpeted the area thinking I would have parties. I didn't throw parties and tore out the carpet in favor of a wood-working area, but the bathroom remains as dead space. The ancient refrigerator can go, in favor of a medium chest freezer in the cat room upstairs.
I have 3 rooms with original 30 year old carpeting. The master bedroom carpet is still oddly good (it gets so little use), but the other 2 are trashable and I'm thinking linoleum for the computer room (getting rid of the annoying chair mats) and tight pile carpet for the cat room).
I have new shingles on the roof, a new deck, new siding, and I have raised the front lawn to solve drainage problems. The asphalt driveway is deteriorating gradually; that can be removed and replaced with concrete.
My 25 year old perennial beds have less in them than my pictures show these days (which is why you have been seeing more pictures of potted deck plants this year). I can dig up the good plants, rototill the areas, replant the good ones and add more. But that is what I would be doing in a new place anyway, and with greater effort.
I could go on, but you get the idea. I was desiring to escape redoing and fixing things and just starting over. Starting over is neat and clean. Summer's Mom mentioned that HER passion was big beautiful houses and those are what she wants to spend her time and effort on. I when I lie in bed at night, thinking about what's not perfect about my house, my thoughts are on doing work to make it better.
I have reasons to want to move, but less than I thought a month ago. I'm staying. And if you are the kind of person who remembers things like this and I mention moving again next year, remind me about the past 3 years of searches. LOL!
I argue with myself about many things. I see both sides of issues and that can really make decision-making difficult. I've had friends for whom any question gave them an immediate answer which they acted upon with no further concerns. Personally, I thought they tended to make bad decisions sometimes, but at least they were never tortured by doubt.
But thinking too much about everything can lead to "analysis-paralysis" and that can be just as big a problem. You get to a close decision and you are STUCK in between. I recently saw a TV ad that used the term "FOBO" (Fear Of Better Options). I get that.
2 years ago, I looked at houses with County water and sewage and cable and large open yards with sunlight for gardening. Last year, I looked at rural lots of converted farmland that I could build a new home on. Starting from scratch in the yard and a new house that would outlast me seemed good. But all the lots I could find were surrounded by working farmland with overpowering fertilizer smells and I never found the open house structure I could afford (like 100'x50' for one-level living and a workshop attached and a garage. This year, I looked at large Ramblers about the size of my current size over a large open basement large enough for my woodworking equipment, and had a 2 car garage (one car, one boat).
The good house was on a lawn dome that fell off into ravines in back and the large side, the house with the good yard had crumbling foundations and obvious water problems in the basement, and the last one had a good yard but was smaller than my current house and, even filtered and softened, the water tasted bad. And was $150,000 more than my house is estimated
So I have decided to remain here for a while. Perhaps in a few years County water and sewage will be installed in more rural areas, the cable companies will expand, solar panels will become cheaper and more efficient, etc. But that time is not now.
There isn't a whole lot I can do about my lack of gardening sunlight, though some ideas occur to me. Putting up silver-painted sheet metal on the shady side would reflect a fair amount of sunlight back into the garden, for example.
There isn't much I can do about the trees. They are tall and narrow. It's not the overhanging branches; it is their sheer height. And it has been years since I asked about removing them. Perhaps paying to have them professionally removed and replacing them with flowering trees like dogwoods would work. I'll at least ask again.
And if that doesn't work, I do have the right to cut out all roots invading my soil. Since they are so close to the property line, that might kill them. And THEN I can offer them lower growing flowering trees that won't cause me problems. From the shade angles, all I need is that trees be not more than 20' high. The current ones are 50 to 75'.
As far as the house itself goes, most of the things that bother me are fixable through my own or contractor efforts. The basement bathroom I installed myself 20 years ago was a mistake, but it can also be removed. I've never used it except for storage. It goes back to when I paneled 3/4 of the basement and carpeted the area thinking I would have parties. I didn't throw parties and tore out the carpet in favor of a wood-working area, but the bathroom remains as dead space. The ancient refrigerator can go, in favor of a medium chest freezer in the cat room upstairs.
I have 3 rooms with original 30 year old carpeting. The master bedroom carpet is still oddly good (it gets so little use), but the other 2 are trashable and I'm thinking linoleum for the computer room (getting rid of the annoying chair mats) and tight pile carpet for the cat room).
I have new shingles on the roof, a new deck, new siding, and I have raised the front lawn to solve drainage problems. The asphalt driveway is deteriorating gradually; that can be removed and replaced with concrete.
My 25 year old perennial beds have less in them than my pictures show these days (which is why you have been seeing more pictures of potted deck plants this year). I can dig up the good plants, rototill the areas, replant the good ones and add more. But that is what I would be doing in a new place anyway, and with greater effort.
I could go on, but you get the idea. I was desiring to escape redoing and fixing things and just starting over. Starting over is neat and clean. Summer's Mom mentioned that HER passion was big beautiful houses and those are what she wants to spend her time and effort on. I when I lie in bed at night, thinking about what's not perfect about my house, my thoughts are on doing work to make it better.
I have reasons to want to move, but less than I thought a month ago. I'm staying. And if you are the kind of person who remembers things like this and I mention moving again next year, remind me about the past 3 years of searches. LOL!
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Houses Again
I visited another house today. This one was listed a shade over $400k, but I could tell they would accept a lower offer. The elderly lady and her son seemed to want to leave ASAP.
The house is nice. 3 decent bedrooms, 3 baths, large kitchen, combined dining/living room, 2 car garage, decent basement (divided into several rooms but they didn't seem to be structural so they could be removed). Large front lawn, backyard sunny enough for gardening, and the place comes with a separate deed for 20 surrounding wooded acres. I could probably sell a few acres and even make a profit on the cost of the house.
I discussed the purchase procedure with the agent and suggested starting the paperwork. I could afford the new place, and what is the point of dying wealthy when you have no descendants?
There were some negatives. The place is on well water and a septic tank. The direct water is OK for washing and showering etc, but not for drinking. Even filtered and softened, the water tasted terrible (the agent looked at the system and said better ones are available). I would need to build a 300' fence around the backyard to protect the cats from neighborhood dogs and the garden from deer. I would have to have a large toolshed added. I would have to remove interior basement walls. The deck was tiny and I would want a much larger one.
But those are problems that can be overcome. The problem is ME! I sat down after I returned home and thought about it. Then I looked around the house and yard and realized I JUST COULDN'T GET MYSELF TO MOVE! I have become part of the property. I'm rooted, affixed, nailed down. I don't want to change, I don't want to learn a new house, I like the taste of the water here, etc, etc, etc. I have never lived in "someone else's" house before
For possibly the 1st time, I understand both sets of grandparents. All 4 died "oldish" in the houses they moved into in their late 20s. They had become part of their houses. Or their houses had become their larger "skin". My house and yard are part of me, and I can't shake that feeling. Everything in the house is exactly where I want it to be. The yard needs work, but that is always an ongoing process. If I moved, I would feel like I abandoned a friend in need of assistance and care.
I don't need to move for a new job or anything.
For what it is worth, I can easily afford to buy the new house outright, empty the current one, and then have it professionally cleaned before selling it afterwards. I could even sell the current place "as is" and not even bother with making the kinds of repairs that 30 years of living have inflicted.
Has my train gotten completely de-railed here? Am I talking myself out of a good life decision? Have you faced a similar uncertainty of moving, and if so, what decision did you make?
The house is nice. 3 decent bedrooms, 3 baths, large kitchen, combined dining/living room, 2 car garage, decent basement (divided into several rooms but they didn't seem to be structural so they could be removed). Large front lawn, backyard sunny enough for gardening, and the place comes with a separate deed for 20 surrounding wooded acres. I could probably sell a few acres and even make a profit on the cost of the house.
I discussed the purchase procedure with the agent and suggested starting the paperwork. I could afford the new place, and what is the point of dying wealthy when you have no descendants?
There were some negatives. The place is on well water and a septic tank. The direct water is OK for washing and showering etc, but not for drinking. Even filtered and softened, the water tasted terrible (the agent looked at the system and said better ones are available). I would need to build a 300' fence around the backyard to protect the cats from neighborhood dogs and the garden from deer. I would have to have a large toolshed added. I would have to remove interior basement walls. The deck was tiny and I would want a much larger one.
But those are problems that can be overcome. The problem is ME! I sat down after I returned home and thought about it. Then I looked around the house and yard and realized I JUST COULDN'T GET MYSELF TO MOVE! I have become part of the property. I'm rooted, affixed, nailed down. I don't want to change, I don't want to learn a new house, I like the taste of the water here, etc, etc, etc. I have never lived in "someone else's" house before
For possibly the 1st time, I understand both sets of grandparents. All 4 died "oldish" in the houses they moved into in their late 20s. They had become part of their houses. Or their houses had become their larger "skin". My house and yard are part of me, and I can't shake that feeling. Everything in the house is exactly where I want it to be. The yard needs work, but that is always an ongoing process. If I moved, I would feel like I abandoned a friend in need of assistance and care.
I don't need to move for a new job or anything.
For what it is worth, I can easily afford to buy the new house outright, empty the current one, and then have it professionally cleaned before selling it afterwards. I could even sell the current place "as is" and not even bother with making the kinds of repairs that 30 years of living have inflicted.
Has my train gotten completely de-railed here? Am I talking myself out of a good life decision? Have you faced a similar uncertainty of moving, and if so, what decision did you make?
Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Annoyed
Well, I'm a bit depressed today. I've lived here 30 years, improved the property, improved my gardening area, and I gain NOTHING! Because every year, the neighbors' trees bordering my property grow taller and cut out more sunlight.
If I had known those trash saplings of 2 feet 30 years ago would grow to massive shady sunlight-sucking monsters 50' tall by now, I would have mowed them dead! I have asked the neighbors' if I could pay to have the tall trees replaced with fancy flowering smaller ones. They say "no" because they like the shade. Hint, hint; on the east and south sides THEY DON'T GET ANY SHADE FROM THOSE TREES! But they are oblivious to that. "Just saying NO" is easier.
So last year, after the gardening season was over, I looked at new homes on the internet. I would like an open house layout with rooms defined vaguely by 30" high walls (all the better to put plants on). and a large enough property so that trees can't block the sunlight in some 40'x40' garden.
I visited some open lands. They were all corners of farmland being sold off for cash, with working farmland next door. Well, if you don't know what farmland fertilizer and/or a horse stable smells like all Spring and Summer; *I* do!
So that idea was a failure.
Last week, I looked for existing houses on 1-3 acres of rural land away from farms. I found 5 that looked good. Within a day, I learned that 2 were under contract for sale, 1 had a fussy homeowners association controlling almost anything you can image, and 2 were still available.
I visited those 2 houses with a realtor agent today. Gosh, photographs can be deceptive. Both were 3 bedroom/2 baths and 3-5 acres.
The first, pictured here, was great inside. Lots of great features inside, nice interior, high wood beam ceilings, a kitchen island with an induction cooktop, granite counters, large rooms, 2 car garage (in my case that would be 1 car and 1 boat), dual fireplaces (right in the center of the house), etc. The basement was chopped into small rooms ( I want a workshop). But mostly, the back 2 acres fell right into a ravine practically straight out the back door. No chance for gardening there. The house is basically like a Monopoly Hotel sitting on a baseball cap (good front visor, nothing behind).
So we went to the other house. An acre wide and 5 acres deep. The backyard was sunny ("gardeny"). And it was flat further back, so I could get for open space cutting down some trees. Nice toolshed. The upper interior was cramped but more space than I have now. The basement was large; plenty of room for woodworking equipment.
But it stank of mildew and showed water damage. The reason was obvious when I looked under the deck. The foundation is crumbling from long-term rain exposure. The backyard drains TOWARD the house. Whoever leveled the terrain originally should be drawn and quartered! There were chunks of foundation spalled off from water damage. Looking back into the basement, it became obvious the basement had been routinely flooded and the owners had tried a cheap paint job to cover it up.
Both properties were being sold for $350,000 in a rural area with well water and septic fields.
The realtor pair with me had never shown the properties previously and were dismayed by the problems I pointed out. They seemed genuinely upset. To the point were they took pictures of the problem areas and even noted some they found themselves ( a water-stained ceiling tile, for example).
I'm sure that won't stop them from selling either place to anyone who wants them; that IS their job. But they WERE surprised at what they saw. I'll bet both places drop below $300,000 very soon.
For someone who never bought a used house (and only my current one new-built) I sem to have a knack for discovering evidence of problems. I noticed some other tricks the homeowners tried. One front door rubbed hard on the carpet, yet there was no wear showing. That meant the carpet was new. So when I rapped on the carpet, the subfloor didn't sound solid. That meant rain-damage through the roof. Sure enough, there was discoloration in the ceiling above. It had been re-painted and poorly, so you could see the spot if you knew to look.
So my search continues. A rambler on a basement on an open yard. That's all I ask. Looks like I will be staying here another year, though I will continue to check the listing "just in case".
Bad as my sunlight is, I refuse to move in the middle of Winter or in the middle of gardening season.
My plan is to buy a house, move, then clean/repaint/renovate the existing house. I can have 2 for a few months because the current one is paid off so there is no expense holding it for sales prep.
But I'm sure not going to move unless I like the house better and I can garden better!!!
If I had known those trash saplings of 2 feet 30 years ago would grow to massive shady sunlight-sucking monsters 50' tall by now, I would have mowed them dead! I have asked the neighbors' if I could pay to have the tall trees replaced with fancy flowering smaller ones. They say "no" because they like the shade. Hint, hint; on the east and south sides THEY DON'T GET ANY SHADE FROM THOSE TREES! But they are oblivious to that. "Just saying NO" is easier.
So last year, after the gardening season was over, I looked at new homes on the internet. I would like an open house layout with rooms defined vaguely by 30" high walls (all the better to put plants on). and a large enough property so that trees can't block the sunlight in some 40'x40' garden.
I visited some open lands. They were all corners of farmland being sold off for cash, with working farmland next door. Well, if you don't know what farmland fertilizer and/or a horse stable smells like all Spring and Summer; *I* do!
So that idea was a failure.
Last week, I looked for existing houses on 1-3 acres of rural land away from farms. I found 5 that looked good. Within a day, I learned that 2 were under contract for sale, 1 had a fussy homeowners association controlling almost anything you can image, and 2 were still available.
I visited those 2 houses with a realtor agent today. Gosh, photographs can be deceptive. Both were 3 bedroom/2 baths and 3-5 acres.
The first, pictured here, was great inside. Lots of great features inside, nice interior, high wood beam ceilings, a kitchen island with an induction cooktop, granite counters, large rooms, 2 car garage (in my case that would be 1 car and 1 boat), dual fireplaces (right in the center of the house), etc. The basement was chopped into small rooms ( I want a workshop). But mostly, the back 2 acres fell right into a ravine practically straight out the back door. No chance for gardening there. The house is basically like a Monopoly Hotel sitting on a baseball cap (good front visor, nothing behind).
Both properties were being sold for $350,000 in a rural area with well water and septic fields.
The realtor pair with me had never shown the properties previously and were dismayed by the problems I pointed out. They seemed genuinely upset. To the point were they took pictures of the problem areas and even noted some they found themselves ( a water-stained ceiling tile, for example).
I'm sure that won't stop them from selling either place to anyone who wants them; that IS their job. But they WERE surprised at what they saw. I'll bet both places drop below $300,000 very soon.
For someone who never bought a used house (and only my current one new-built) I sem to have a knack for discovering evidence of problems. I noticed some other tricks the homeowners tried. One front door rubbed hard on the carpet, yet there was no wear showing. That meant the carpet was new. So when I rapped on the carpet, the subfloor didn't sound solid. That meant rain-damage through the roof. Sure enough, there was discoloration in the ceiling above. It had been re-painted and poorly, so you could see the spot if you knew to look.
So my search continues. A rambler on a basement on an open yard. That's all I ask. Looks like I will be staying here another year, though I will continue to check the listing "just in case".
Bad as my sunlight is, I refuse to move in the middle of Winter or in the middle of gardening season.
My plan is to buy a house, move, then clean/repaint/renovate the existing house. I can have 2 for a few months because the current one is paid off so there is no expense holding it for sales prep.
But I'm sure not going to move unless I like the house better and I can garden better!!!
VP Debate
The VPs had one job in their debate; defend their Presidential candidates.
My initial thoughts (listening to it on radio twice) is that Pence defending Trump and Kaine did a good job defending Clinton and got some jabs in on his own. Kaine came out ahead.
Pence mainly denied things that Trump had said, while Kaine kept pointing those things out. That made it hard for Pence, who doesn't really support most of Trump's opinions. But given that, Pence did the best he could, and in a technical sense, skillfully. He has set himself up as the top contender for the Republican nominee in 2020.
But he will face most of the losing Republican candidates of 2016 , so it will be another crowded field.
Kaine did a good job of defending Clinton, Obama, and Democratic positions in general in general, so he has a future also. Whether an elected VP, or the losing one, he did well enough to establish himself as a leader in the party. Obviously, being a winning VP will be better than a losing one, but either way, he is "noticed".
If Trump wins and fails at leadership, the 2020 election could well match Pence and Kaine and I'm sure they are both planning for that. Or if Clinton wins, as seems likely, Kaine will bide his time as VP and go for the Presidency in 2014.
But overall, Kaine won because he supported the likely next President and Pence won because he represented the conservatives who hate Trump.
This election might be the last of the Boomers, with Clinton. The next might be even more contentious.
My initial thoughts (listening to it on radio twice) is that Pence defending Trump and Kaine did a good job defending Clinton and got some jabs in on his own. Kaine came out ahead.
Pence mainly denied things that Trump had said, while Kaine kept pointing those things out. That made it hard for Pence, who doesn't really support most of Trump's opinions. But given that, Pence did the best he could, and in a technical sense, skillfully. He has set himself up as the top contender for the Republican nominee in 2020.
But he will face most of the losing Republican candidates of 2016 , so it will be another crowded field.
Kaine did a good job of defending Clinton, Obama, and Democratic positions in general in general, so he has a future also. Whether an elected VP, or the losing one, he did well enough to establish himself as a leader in the party. Obviously, being a winning VP will be better than a losing one, but either way, he is "noticed".
If Trump wins and fails at leadership, the 2020 election could well match Pence and Kaine and I'm sure they are both planning for that. Or if Clinton wins, as seems likely, Kaine will bide his time as VP and go for the Presidency in 2014.
But overall, Kaine won because he supported the likely next President and Pence won because he represented the conservatives who hate Trump.
This election might be the last of the Boomers, with Clinton. The next might be even more contentious.
Saturday, October 1, 2016
Trump/Clinton Presidential Debate
I just can't help responding to the Trump/Clinton Debate as it was just so odd. In my 48 years of watching presidential debates, I have never seen anything like it.
Right after the debate, Trump tweeted that the Moderator was very good and that he (Trump) had clearly won. Then, after a few hours, Trump learned that he had not done so well in the debate, and suddenly the Moderator was merely "OK". The next day, when the first polls came out showing that Trump had lost the debate in the opinion of the viewing public, he decided that the Moderator had been really tricky and against him personally.
Since when does the Moderator's performance change over time as one's ratings of the debate performance go down and it is not your fault?
I'm not claiming that Trump lost the debate because polls said so. I'm not claiming that Trump lost the debate because CNN said so. I'm claiming that Trump lost the debate because even Fox News admits it!
And it gets worse for Trump. He jumped at a Clinton suggestion that Trump paid no taxes like most of us have to, saying "I'm smart not to". Well, maybe that is good for his business, but it means he can't claim to support our military forces, our economy, or domestic security groups.
He lost the rest of the debate by constantly making snide remarks during Clinton's turn to speak and insulting groups of voters in his turn to speak.
Then he attacked a former Miss Universe ( a business he controlled at the time) saying she was "too fat". Have you seen pictures? She was as forced-self-starved as all beauty-pageant contestants are. As I understand it, she gained a few pounds after the contest, and that was probably good for her health.
And Trump couldn't let it go about her. I tweeted several times after midnight to dawn about her. Really? How wants a President how fixates on irrelevant issues in the middle of the night?
Trump claimed that "polls" suggested he won. Yeah, those were the kinds of online surveys where people can set up their computer to vote repeatedly. The real polls, conducted by professionals say he lost the debate about 55% to 25% (the rest unsure).
I wish Trump would discuss some details of his plans to defeat ISIS, solve US poverty, reduce crime in cities, and apportion our tax dollars among problems like infrastructure rebuilding, military training and equipment, tax reform, rebuilding the middle class, education, etc. But he just won't discuss those things beyond "I'll Make America Great Again". Good, tell me how you'll do that!
I want to hear details. Blind assurances do not move me. Clinton gives details.
I read an fairly neutral analysis that Trump stated a positive lie every 3 minutes 15 seconds as he spoke (12). They caught Clinton on 1 (about a trade agreement staement). I can accept a few deceptions for "Reasons of State", but a 12 to 1 ratio does not encourage me to support Trump. Most of his lies don't even make sense!
And then there were a couple interviews with the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. What a sad joke. He didn't know what or where Aleppo was. And then couldn't name a single world leader he admired. A smarter person, blanking on names might have said he didn't admire any of them. But that wasn't his problem. He actually didn't know any names.
Seriously, *I* could have come up with Merkel, Cameron (only recently out of office), and Hollande, and I don't keep track of foreign leaders (paying more attention to places as nations).
His VP candidate tried to mention former President Vincente Fox of Mexico, but I haven't liked him since he referred to the illegal hispanic migration into the Southern US as "The Reconquista".
So Trump is an unqualified habitual liar and ignorant of world affairs, Johnson is just ignorant and ignorant of world affairs, and Clinton is telented at dealing with world leaders, nuanced and thoughtful.
That's a contest?
Right after the debate, Trump tweeted that the Moderator was very good and that he (Trump) had clearly won. Then, after a few hours, Trump learned that he had not done so well in the debate, and suddenly the Moderator was merely "OK". The next day, when the first polls came out showing that Trump had lost the debate in the opinion of the viewing public, he decided that the Moderator had been really tricky and against him personally.
Since when does the Moderator's performance change over time as one's ratings of the debate performance go down and it is not your fault?
I'm not claiming that Trump lost the debate because polls said so. I'm not claiming that Trump lost the debate because CNN said so. I'm claiming that Trump lost the debate because even Fox News admits it!
And it gets worse for Trump. He jumped at a Clinton suggestion that Trump paid no taxes like most of us have to, saying "I'm smart not to". Well, maybe that is good for his business, but it means he can't claim to support our military forces, our economy, or domestic security groups.
He lost the rest of the debate by constantly making snide remarks during Clinton's turn to speak and insulting groups of voters in his turn to speak.
Then he attacked a former Miss Universe ( a business he controlled at the time) saying she was "too fat". Have you seen pictures? She was as forced-self-starved as all beauty-pageant contestants are. As I understand it, she gained a few pounds after the contest, and that was probably good for her health.
And Trump couldn't let it go about her. I tweeted several times after midnight to dawn about her. Really? How wants a President how fixates on irrelevant issues in the middle of the night?
Trump claimed that "polls" suggested he won. Yeah, those were the kinds of online surveys where people can set up their computer to vote repeatedly. The real polls, conducted by professionals say he lost the debate about 55% to 25% (the rest unsure).
I wish Trump would discuss some details of his plans to defeat ISIS, solve US poverty, reduce crime in cities, and apportion our tax dollars among problems like infrastructure rebuilding, military training and equipment, tax reform, rebuilding the middle class, education, etc. But he just won't discuss those things beyond "I'll Make America Great Again". Good, tell me how you'll do that!
I want to hear details. Blind assurances do not move me. Clinton gives details.
I read an fairly neutral analysis that Trump stated a positive lie every 3 minutes 15 seconds as he spoke (12). They caught Clinton on 1 (about a trade agreement staement). I can accept a few deceptions for "Reasons of State", but a 12 to 1 ratio does not encourage me to support Trump. Most of his lies don't even make sense!
And then there were a couple interviews with the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. What a sad joke. He didn't know what or where Aleppo was. And then couldn't name a single world leader he admired. A smarter person, blanking on names might have said he didn't admire any of them. But that wasn't his problem. He actually didn't know any names.
Seriously, *I* could have come up with Merkel, Cameron (only recently out of office), and Hollande, and I don't keep track of foreign leaders (paying more attention to places as nations).
His VP candidate tried to mention former President Vincente Fox of Mexico, but I haven't liked him since he referred to the illegal hispanic migration into the Southern US as "The Reconquista".
So Trump is an unqualified habitual liar and ignorant of world affairs, Johnson is just ignorant and ignorant of world affairs, and Clinton is telented at dealing with world leaders, nuanced and thoughtful.
That's a contest?
Sunday, September 25, 2016
The Clinton/Trump Debate Tomorrow
I'm worried about the debate. Clinton has to show great command of all national and international issues (and she will). She probably has to know the Minister of Finance of Slovakia and the exchange rate of Dollars to Laotion Kips (and she probably does).
All Trump has to do is not pull down his pants and moon the audience...
And then too many people will think him "presidential" for restraining himself.
If there was ever a difference in expectations between 2 people in a debate, this is it. And it is not fair. I grew up taught that knowledge, experience, and nuance matters in life and leadership. I went through my career that way and I have lived my life that way.
If Trump becomes our President, my brain will just EXPLODE. And not because he is, but because enough Americans thought he should be. It will be a society I no longer want to be part of.
I live in Maryland. Maryland is not a contested State. Maryland will go for Clinton without any doubt. It is some of the other States I worry about. Personal opinion of States that go for Trump; they are obviously insane.
I read a very interesting book decades ago (and re-read it sometimes) called 'They Also Ran' by Irving Stone. It details the losers in presidential elections, why they lost and what kind of presidents the losers would have made. Stone's general view is that the American voters have generally made good decisions, but sometimes really made bad ones. His judgements on the elections seem sound.
As he said in his epilogue, the American People have made the better choice rejecting Hayes for Tilden (the election was crooked in Florida and Hayes was chosen badly), Douglas for Lincoln, Blaine for Cleveland, Landon/Wilkie/Dewey in favor of Franklin Roosevelt, Dewey over Truman, Nixon over Kennedy, and Goldwater against Johnson.
We erred grievously choosing Taylor over Cass, Grant over Seymour, Coolidge over Davis, Eisenhower over Stevenson, and Nixon over Humphrey
We made a difficult choice between Smith/Hoover between equally good candidates.
The rest of the elections seem to have been the better choices.
Let's hope this election doesn't go down in history as the worst decision the voters have even made...
All Trump has to do is not pull down his pants and moon the audience...
And then too many people will think him "presidential" for restraining himself.
If there was ever a difference in expectations between 2 people in a debate, this is it. And it is not fair. I grew up taught that knowledge, experience, and nuance matters in life and leadership. I went through my career that way and I have lived my life that way.
If Trump becomes our President, my brain will just EXPLODE. And not because he is, but because enough Americans thought he should be. It will be a society I no longer want to be part of.
I live in Maryland. Maryland is not a contested State. Maryland will go for Clinton without any doubt. It is some of the other States I worry about. Personal opinion of States that go for Trump; they are obviously insane.
I read a very interesting book decades ago (and re-read it sometimes) called 'They Also Ran' by Irving Stone. It details the losers in presidential elections, why they lost and what kind of presidents the losers would have made. Stone's general view is that the American voters have generally made good decisions, but sometimes really made bad ones. His judgements on the elections seem sound.
As he said in his epilogue, the American People have made the better choice rejecting Hayes for Tilden (the election was crooked in Florida and Hayes was chosen badly), Douglas for Lincoln, Blaine for Cleveland, Landon/Wilkie/Dewey in favor of Franklin Roosevelt, Dewey over Truman, Nixon over Kennedy, and Goldwater against Johnson.
We erred grievously choosing Taylor over Cass, Grant over Seymour, Coolidge over Davis, Eisenhower over Stevenson, and Nixon over Humphrey
We made a difficult choice between Smith/Hoover between equally good candidates.
The rest of the elections seem to have been the better choices.
Let's hope this election doesn't go down in history as the worst decision the voters have even made...
Saturday, September 17, 2016
Groundhog
I have a particularly wary groundhog this year. I set out my live cage trap but it wont go in. I've named it Radar.
It is unusually observant. And, apparently, groundhogs have great long-distance vision and hearing. Radar creeps out of the backyard underbrush (which I really ought to get out and cut down) slowly. To the extent that it can think, it might call ME Radar too.
Radar can see at least 200 feet and can tell if I so much as slowly poke my head over a windowsill. If I do, he stands up, looks straight at me and runs away. On the other hand, he cannot creep out into my wildflower garden (which must seem like a Eden of food to him). I know every stem as well as HE does and he can't hide his little head whenever I look out the window.
I see him as well as he sees me. I've been kind. As long as he eats the clover in the lawn, I don't mind. And my garden is covered with chicken wire he can't get into so far. If he would stick to the lawn clover, I wouldn't mind.
But he has a natural taste for the wildflowers I am trying to grow in a patch for the cats to prowl through, and when it comes to the cats desires to prowl seeking mice and voles vs the groundhog's eating habits, Radar has to go.
I have tried to scare him away. I have tried to just discourage him when he wants to eat the wildflowers I'm, trying to grow. No success on that.
So I will have to set up the Hav-A-Hart live trap cage again. I set it up in years past when I had groundhogs and caught them right away. Radar is more cautious. I read that covering the cage with long grasses is good for suspicious groundhogs, even draping it with landscape fabric is good.
I don't want intelligent cage-wary groundhogs around. From my point of view, stupid and catchable is better. The websites say that cantelopes and peaches are the best cage bait. I have a honeydew melon bigger than I will eat, so I will try some of that. Radars predecesors ate my honeydews last year before I finished enclosing my garden are last year, so that should work.
I'll hang a slice from inside the top of the cage (because otherwise the ants just eat them).
It is unusually observant. And, apparently, groundhogs have great long-distance vision and hearing. Radar creeps out of the backyard underbrush (which I really ought to get out and cut down) slowly. To the extent that it can think, it might call ME Radar too.
Radar can see at least 200 feet and can tell if I so much as slowly poke my head over a windowsill. If I do, he stands up, looks straight at me and runs away. On the other hand, he cannot creep out into my wildflower garden (which must seem like a Eden of food to him). I know every stem as well as HE does and he can't hide his little head whenever I look out the window.
I see him as well as he sees me. I've been kind. As long as he eats the clover in the lawn, I don't mind. And my garden is covered with chicken wire he can't get into so far. If he would stick to the lawn clover, I wouldn't mind.
But he has a natural taste for the wildflowers I am trying to grow in a patch for the cats to prowl through, and when it comes to the cats desires to prowl seeking mice and voles vs the groundhog's eating habits, Radar has to go.
I have tried to scare him away. I have tried to just discourage him when he wants to eat the wildflowers I'm, trying to grow. No success on that.
So I will have to set up the Hav-A-Hart live trap cage again. I set it up in years past when I had groundhogs and caught them right away. Radar is more cautious. I read that covering the cage with long grasses is good for suspicious groundhogs, even draping it with landscape fabric is good.
I don't want intelligent cage-wary groundhogs around. From my point of view, stupid and catchable is better. The websites say that cantelopes and peaches are the best cage bait. I have a honeydew melon bigger than I will eat, so I will try some of that. Radars predecesors ate my honeydews last year before I finished enclosing my garden are last year, so that should work.
I'll hang a slice from inside the top of the cage (because otherwise the ants just eat them).
Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Apple Intrusions
I had an annoying incident today. I decided to download a new version of MacKeeper, some protection software.
Usually, you just press a few buttons to download a program. Instead, I got a live Apple Helper. Who took over my screen... I won't tolerate that from anyone. THEY TOOK OVER MY COMPUTER!!! For all I know, they still have control of it. I'm uninstalling the program (but who knows if that actually works).
When that is done, I will use a few anti-virus, anti-intrusion programs NOT from Apple.
But this really bothered me. I might have to consider Windows again.
Usually, you just press a few buttons to download a program. Instead, I got a live Apple Helper. Who took over my screen... I won't tolerate that from anyone. THEY TOOK OVER MY COMPUTER!!! For all I know, they still have control of it. I'm uninstalling the program (but who knows if that actually works).
When that is done, I will use a few anti-virus, anti-intrusion programs NOT from Apple.
But this really bothered me. I might have to consider Windows again.
Sunday, September 11, 2016
September 11, 2016
Bitter is the memory and unforgiving is the anger. It will not fade in my lifetime...
To the innocents ON the planes and IN the buildings, to those who tried to save lives and lost their own... To those who sufferred from the attempts and lived in hardship after..
Retribution will come eventually... BY humans ON humans. Guilt will be found out some bright day.
To the innocents ON the planes and IN the buildings, to those who tried to save lives and lost their own... To those who sufferred from the attempts and lived in hardship after..
Retribution will come eventually... BY humans ON humans. Guilt will be found out some bright day.
Monday, September 5, 2016
Previous Cars
"15&Meowing" posted about the car they would like to have. And as I commented, I relized that what I wanted to say was too long. So here is the long version. Thank you, 15&Meowing!
My first car was a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. The convertible top was HYDROLIC. Push a button and it opened or closed without effort. It was 4 years old, a 20th birthday gift from my parents. I adored it. I added a removable (for security) 8-Track player under the dashboard. I learned the back seat side panels could be removed so I added inset speakers there. I was working at an auto-aftermarket part of a department store at the time, and one day they sent us a gadget called "Quadraphone". Basically, that let you send the music to four speakers, front left speaker and back right, and right front speaker and back left. It was cool at the time.
But I didn't know anything about car engines. Dad wasn't big on teaching. I learned decades later that he really believed if you wanted to know something, you asked, and if you didn't ask you didn't want to know. I'm not an "asker". So I didn't know about changing oil and stuff like that.
From lack of maintenence, the engine was destroyed and when I asked for money to fix it, Dad said that was my problem. The car sat in the apartment parking lot and they hauled it away before I could afford to repair it.
After I gave enough horrible stories of trying to bus 15 miles each way to and from work, walking 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop, transferring 3 times and being penalized for lateness when traffic was bad, Dad bought me another car. He chose the ugliest cheapest car , a purple clunker Chrysler New Yorker ($800). I saw a beautiful 4-year old 1970 tan Monte Carlo with a brown pebble roof and a sporty extended hood($1200). And it wasn't that he was poor. I could say "cheap", but he would have said "thrifty".
For the first time since I was a child before Christmas, I begged. I argued gas milage. I argued "2 years newer - better value". Dad was buying from a hunting buddy, so he knew he would get the best deal possible. He fussed and hesitated.
But he bought me the Monte Carlo... I was so proud to drive that around. And while we didn't know then, it had speakers in the back. Great sounds. I loved that car!
By then, I had learned about basic car maintenance. I kept good care of it. But it had a bad engine from the previous owner and the engine locked up one day. It gets a little strange here. My sister was married to a car fanatic. He used to take his engine apart for fun, clean everything and put it back together.
I couldn't repair a toaster at the time, so that seemed really impressive. He said it was the same engine as a Chevelle, and he had one and would be happy to replace mine wit it for free and get the Monte Carlo engine and repair IT and use that somewhere.
Dream come true, and he didn't even want my help (as if I could have given any). Dad thought tat a good deal and drove the 60 miles to me with a car towing device. We hooked it up, and drove off, whereupon Dad decided that he wanted to buy a cigar so we stopped at a strip mall.
He mistakenly put the car in nuetral, aimed downhill and we stepped out. When I saw the cars moving forward, I jumped back into the passenger seat and hit the brakes. Dad was frozen in place outside the car. The front bumper on MY car was slightly bent and Dad went ballistic!
Hey, I saved a store-front crash and it was MY car that was only minorly damaged in the bumper. And Dad was angry at ME. The trip went seriously downhill and very quiet from there.
Yeah, I know he was embarassed. I reacted fast when he didn't. And he was "the Dad" so he should have. But I didn't blame him. I was just nearest and acted faster. He said I should have pushed on the brakes slowly to not damage MY car's bumper.
I understood he was embarassed by leaving the car in neutral (it was a habit of his generation of stick-shift parking using the parking brake). I understood that he was embarrassed he hadn't reacted
faster. I didn't blame him, but he blamed me.
I suppose that was the first time I ever realized that Dad was just another person struggling to maintain a self-image. And while I had caught Dad in some minor errors in life (and trust me, not very many), that one was the first where he totally lost it...
I'm guessing I was 25 at the time, underemployed at minimum wage n a department store, sharing an apartment with 4 other guys. And realizing that *I* did something right and Dad failed and that just because blame was ascribed didn't mean it was right or fail.
Dad complained to Mom tht I had damaged my car. When I explained it to Mom later, she merely said, "Oh dear",.
I think that was the day I actually became an adult.
As it turned out, the Chevelle engine didn't seem to fit, the Monte Carlo carcass was sold cheap to someone who did know how to restore it. And I never asked my parents for any help except once and that was a loan for a house purchase I they made me pay full interests on (so that they wouldn't lose a dime).
I struggled to buy a Chevy Hatchback that lasted 5 years or so. It had a horrible reputation but I got away with it. Then, not knowing anything about buying new cars, I went to a chevy dealership and said show me the cheapest car on the lot.
In my ignorance, and with a more knowledgeable "friend" with me, I paid full price on credit. My "friend" told me later that he was amazed I paid full price. But I brought him along because he had bought cars before and he was a negotiator in his business.
I went off with a Chevette Scooter, which was about the least car you could legally drive on the road at the time. I got away with that one for 8 years.
He said it wasn't his business to intrude with advise to me on purchases. Um, isn't that what friends are for? I gave him advice on some purchases whenever I had information. He appreciated that. But woudn't do it for me. I think he liked seeing other people make poor decisions.
It was the start of a long 30 year road downhill for us (and no, there was no "relationship"). Just a long one-way friendship that finally ended after 41 years.
But I wouldn't want THAT car again...
My next car was researched. I had learned a few things about buying cars. I carpooled ans towed a boat. The Ford Taurus Station Wagon was perfect. The front seats were split, the back bench seats were rated "very comfortable". I cared about that. My carpool LOVED the car.
And it was the first time I ever really negotiated a deal. I had info on the dealer's costs for all the options from Consumer Reports. The salesman, in 1988 hated it. He tried to dismiss it it. He tried to deny it. He said they lied...
But eventually, I got the car for $300 over their real cost, it lasted 10 years and I sold it back to the dealership for $3,000. I loved that car, but it wasn't my favorite.
A member of my carpool had a Dodge Charger and I liked it. So I checked Consumer Reports magazine about it. Turned out there was a family of it, the Dodge, a Chrysler, and the Eagle Vision (being the top of the line). And when I checked all the features I wanted (nothing too fancy), the Eagle came standard with those at a lower price! The basic Eagle I wanted was cheaper than the other brands with options.
I had Consumer Reports car info on that one too, but I paid $500 above their true cost. It was in slightly more demand, and I wanted it more.
So I bought one. My carpool member immediately bought a fancier car (and admitted why - there are crazy people all over the place, which is why they are always broke). I kept that one going for 10 years until there was an engine problem the mechanics couldn't get fixed right.
One problem with the low-profile Eagle Vision was that I was commuting on back roads and crowded traffic. I got SO tired of the new bright headlights in my face. When The Eagle died, and I was hauling the boat and a trailer more often, I bought a 2005 Toyota Highlander SUV new.
I had researched THAT on Consumers Report magazine too, but I didn't get the best deal. They were simply too much in demand. One problem was that they weren't being built in the US at the time, so the only ones available came "as is" and most came with features I didn't want. So the ones I did want were selling about as fast as they arrived.
Sometimes ya just have to bite the bullet. But it has been a fine car for 11 years. and only 26K miles (I REALLY don't drive much)
So what car would I like to have of all the cars before (restored)? BTW, how do you like my choice of cars over the years?
1. 1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
2. 1970 Monte Carlo
3. 1986 Eagle Vision
4. 2005 Toyota Highlander
5. 1978 Trans-Am with the Eagle decal on the hood (that I lusted for but never owned)
Well, in order...
1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
1986 Eagle Vision
1970 Monte Carlo
Not the Trans-Am. I gazed in wonder, but that wasn't my style. Speed Kills! And the Highlander is my style, but not my desire.
The 1966 Pontiac Bonneville is my first and true desire... The Eagle Vision is still too recent in memory.
My first car was a 1966 Pontiac Bonneville convertible. The convertible top was HYDROLIC. Push a button and it opened or closed without effort. It was 4 years old, a 20th birthday gift from my parents. I adored it. I added a removable (for security) 8-Track player under the dashboard. I learned the back seat side panels could be removed so I added inset speakers there. I was working at an auto-aftermarket part of a department store at the time, and one day they sent us a gadget called "Quadraphone". Basically, that let you send the music to four speakers, front left speaker and back right, and right front speaker and back left. It was cool at the time.
But I didn't know anything about car engines. Dad wasn't big on teaching. I learned decades later that he really believed if you wanted to know something, you asked, and if you didn't ask you didn't want to know. I'm not an "asker". So I didn't know about changing oil and stuff like that.
From lack of maintenence, the engine was destroyed and when I asked for money to fix it, Dad said that was my problem. The car sat in the apartment parking lot and they hauled it away before I could afford to repair it.
After I gave enough horrible stories of trying to bus 15 miles each way to and from work, walking 3/4 of a mile to the bus stop, transferring 3 times and being penalized for lateness when traffic was bad, Dad bought me another car. He chose the ugliest cheapest car , a purple clunker Chrysler New Yorker ($800). I saw a beautiful 4-year old 1970 tan Monte Carlo with a brown pebble roof and a sporty extended hood($1200). And it wasn't that he was poor. I could say "cheap", but he would have said "thrifty".
For the first time since I was a child before Christmas, I begged. I argued gas milage. I argued "2 years newer - better value". Dad was buying from a hunting buddy, so he knew he would get the best deal possible. He fussed and hesitated.
But he bought me the Monte Carlo... I was so proud to drive that around. And while we didn't know then, it had speakers in the back. Great sounds. I loved that car!
By then, I had learned about basic car maintenance. I kept good care of it. But it had a bad engine from the previous owner and the engine locked up one day. It gets a little strange here. My sister was married to a car fanatic. He used to take his engine apart for fun, clean everything and put it back together.
I couldn't repair a toaster at the time, so that seemed really impressive. He said it was the same engine as a Chevelle, and he had one and would be happy to replace mine wit it for free and get the Monte Carlo engine and repair IT and use that somewhere.
Dream come true, and he didn't even want my help (as if I could have given any). Dad thought tat a good deal and drove the 60 miles to me with a car towing device. We hooked it up, and drove off, whereupon Dad decided that he wanted to buy a cigar so we stopped at a strip mall.
He mistakenly put the car in nuetral, aimed downhill and we stepped out. When I saw the cars moving forward, I jumped back into the passenger seat and hit the brakes. Dad was frozen in place outside the car. The front bumper on MY car was slightly bent and Dad went ballistic!
Hey, I saved a store-front crash and it was MY car that was only minorly damaged in the bumper. And Dad was angry at ME. The trip went seriously downhill and very quiet from there.
Yeah, I know he was embarassed. I reacted fast when he didn't. And he was "the Dad" so he should have. But I didn't blame him. I was just nearest and acted faster. He said I should have pushed on the brakes slowly to not damage MY car's bumper.
I understood he was embarassed by leaving the car in neutral (it was a habit of his generation of stick-shift parking using the parking brake). I understood that he was embarrassed he hadn't reacted
faster. I didn't blame him, but he blamed me.
I suppose that was the first time I ever realized that Dad was just another person struggling to maintain a self-image. And while I had caught Dad in some minor errors in life (and trust me, not very many), that one was the first where he totally lost it...
I'm guessing I was 25 at the time, underemployed at minimum wage n a department store, sharing an apartment with 4 other guys. And realizing that *I* did something right and Dad failed and that just because blame was ascribed didn't mean it was right or fail.
Dad complained to Mom tht I had damaged my car. When I explained it to Mom later, she merely said, "Oh dear",.
I think that was the day I actually became an adult.
As it turned out, the Chevelle engine didn't seem to fit, the Monte Carlo carcass was sold cheap to someone who did know how to restore it. And I never asked my parents for any help except once and that was a loan for a house purchase I they made me pay full interests on (so that they wouldn't lose a dime).
I struggled to buy a Chevy Hatchback that lasted 5 years or so. It had a horrible reputation but I got away with it. Then, not knowing anything about buying new cars, I went to a chevy dealership and said show me the cheapest car on the lot.
In my ignorance, and with a more knowledgeable "friend" with me, I paid full price on credit. My "friend" told me later that he was amazed I paid full price. But I brought him along because he had bought cars before and he was a negotiator in his business.
I went off with a Chevette Scooter, which was about the least car you could legally drive on the road at the time. I got away with that one for 8 years.
He said it wasn't his business to intrude with advise to me on purchases. Um, isn't that what friends are for? I gave him advice on some purchases whenever I had information. He appreciated that. But woudn't do it for me. I think he liked seeing other people make poor decisions.
It was the start of a long 30 year road downhill for us (and no, there was no "relationship"). Just a long one-way friendship that finally ended after 41 years.
But I wouldn't want THAT car again...
My next car was researched. I had learned a few things about buying cars. I carpooled ans towed a boat. The Ford Taurus Station Wagon was perfect. The front seats were split, the back bench seats were rated "very comfortable". I cared about that. My carpool LOVED the car.
And it was the first time I ever really negotiated a deal. I had info on the dealer's costs for all the options from Consumer Reports. The salesman, in 1988 hated it. He tried to dismiss it it. He tried to deny it. He said they lied...
But eventually, I got the car for $300 over their real cost, it lasted 10 years and I sold it back to the dealership for $3,000. I loved that car, but it wasn't my favorite.
A member of my carpool had a Dodge Charger and I liked it. So I checked Consumer Reports magazine about it. Turned out there was a family of it, the Dodge, a Chrysler, and the Eagle Vision (being the top of the line). And when I checked all the features I wanted (nothing too fancy), the Eagle came standard with those at a lower price! The basic Eagle I wanted was cheaper than the other brands with options.
I had Consumer Reports car info on that one too, but I paid $500 above their true cost. It was in slightly more demand, and I wanted it more.
So I bought one. My carpool member immediately bought a fancier car (and admitted why - there are crazy people all over the place, which is why they are always broke). I kept that one going for 10 years until there was an engine problem the mechanics couldn't get fixed right.
One problem with the low-profile Eagle Vision was that I was commuting on back roads and crowded traffic. I got SO tired of the new bright headlights in my face. When The Eagle died, and I was hauling the boat and a trailer more often, I bought a 2005 Toyota Highlander SUV new.
I had researched THAT on Consumers Report magazine too, but I didn't get the best deal. They were simply too much in demand. One problem was that they weren't being built in the US at the time, so the only ones available came "as is" and most came with features I didn't want. So the ones I did want were selling about as fast as they arrived.
Sometimes ya just have to bite the bullet. But it has been a fine car for 11 years. and only 26K miles (I REALLY don't drive much)
So what car would I like to have of all the cars before (restored)? BTW, how do you like my choice of cars over the years?
1. 1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
2. 1970 Monte Carlo
3. 1986 Eagle Vision
4. 2005 Toyota Highlander
5. 1978 Trans-Am with the Eagle decal on the hood (that I lusted for but never owned)
Well, in order...
1966 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
1986 Eagle Vision
1970 Monte Carlo
Not the Trans-Am. I gazed in wonder, but that wasn't my style. Speed Kills! And the Highlander is my style, but not my desire.
The 1966 Pontiac Bonneville is my first and true desire... The Eagle Vision is still too recent in memory.
Saturday, September 3, 2016
Another Anniversary
This week, 30 years ago, 1986, I moved into this house. I don't have the exact date because the legal purchase date and the move-in date aren't the same. And it took a week to move everything. But basically, around Labor Day, I moved into my own house. No roommates, just me and Mean Old Tinkerbelle the cat (who I loved dearly in spite of the name).
It doesn't feel like all that many years, but it is...
It was a "starter house". I guess I'm still starting... I look at this place on Google Earth about once a month. The pictures changes sometimes. But the house doesn't really. I know every blade of grass and garden weed. I can walk around in the total darkness of the middle of the night and know exactly where I am (shuffling my feet carefully to avoid stepping on a cat of course - because THEY move).
If the power went out, in the middle of the night, it wouldn't matter until it got hot or cold. I know every creak of floorboard, every sticky cabinet door, and every pipe noise. In fact, I didn't hear a familiar sound last Spring and went down to check. Sure enough, the A/C condensation reservoir was blocked by some surprise algae growth blocking the disposal pump overflowing onto the basement floor.
I know when the aquarium needs more water from the sound of the pump. In my sleep.
It is unlikely that anyone will ever know this house like I do. I was the 3rd person to build on my street and the other 2 left a decade ago.
I know every cat sound and if one jumps onto a kitchen counter, I know which one it is. They hate that.
And I want it to stay that way for a long long time more!
Wish me a happy 30th in my home...
Mark and the Mews in The Green House, Maryland, United States, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Virgo Supercluster, and we aren't sure beyond that.
It doesn't feel like all that many years, but it is...
It was a "starter house". I guess I'm still starting... I look at this place on Google Earth about once a month. The pictures changes sometimes. But the house doesn't really. I know every blade of grass and garden weed. I can walk around in the total darkness of the middle of the night and know exactly where I am (shuffling my feet carefully to avoid stepping on a cat of course - because THEY move).
If the power went out, in the middle of the night, it wouldn't matter until it got hot or cold. I know every creak of floorboard, every sticky cabinet door, and every pipe noise. In fact, I didn't hear a familiar sound last Spring and went down to check. Sure enough, the A/C condensation reservoir was blocked by some surprise algae growth blocking the disposal pump overflowing onto the basement floor.
I know when the aquarium needs more water from the sound of the pump. In my sleep.
It is unlikely that anyone will ever know this house like I do. I was the 3rd person to build on my street and the other 2 left a decade ago.
I know every cat sound and if one jumps onto a kitchen counter, I know which one it is. They hate that.
And I want it to stay that way for a long long time more!
Wish me a happy 30th in my home...
Mark and the Mews in The Green House, Maryland, United States, Earth, Solar System, Milky Way Galaxy, Virgo Supercluster, and we aren't sure beyond that.
Thursday, September 1, 2016
Chess game
Friends, for those of you who can read chess notation, I present you with what MUST be the ugliest win ever against a computer...
The computer game was set for looking 3 moves ahead because I can't do more more than 2 myself anymore...
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Catching Up With Weeds
I guess I haven't posted in a while. I guess I haven't done much to mention. Who gets excited reading that you watered the garden and routine stuff like that? But such things do need to get done and in August, sometimes just keeping up with watering the garden and flowers is plenty. Never mind all the inside work which I had gotten behind on as well.
So we had a couple relatively cooler days (meaning 90 instead of 100F) and I took a look around for other things needing attention outside. Weeds are insidious! They look about the same one day to another but after a few weeks have gone from a few innocent inches high to 2' high (some straight up, some spreading out sideways).
You may (or not, LOL!) remember that I set up 3 roundish prepared edged planting beds last Fall.
The far one was for wildflowers and I scattered 2 pounds of wildflower seeds there. A little thin for the space, but I figured I would add transplants into the area later. I have native flowers growing in a few areas and would add them to places without flowers. The results have been rather "less than mediocre". May have been 2 dozen blooms in the whole area. But most were perennials and they don't bloom the first year much, so I will add more seeds and some transplants this Fall and hope for better next year.
The middle area was going to be for Lysimachia, which has lovely purple foliage and small yellow flowers, but it is invasive. So I thought putting it were I could mow around would control that. Alas, I discovered that it is also called Loosestrife and if you look at the common name "loose" and "strife", you can tell it is a problem plant. I found it growing in several places on its own and I am trying to pull them all up! Now I am thinking several dwarf butterfly bushes intermixed with Knockout roses which are generally pest-free and self-dead-heading. They have no fragrance, but you can't have everything. I will add a few oriental lilies for some fragrance.
The near area is for color. I planted 100 or so tulips and another 100 hyacinths in mesh cages (protection from the voles) and a couple of hundred daffodils straight in the ground as they need no protection). I'll be adding another couple hundred daffodils in early November.
The hyacinths never came up last Spring, and I figured I planted too late. But as I was digging around, I found one of the cages and opened the top and pulled out a few bulbs. To my surprize, they were all solid and had some roots! They didn't get enough chill time to bloom last year but they seem firm and healthy, and I expect them to come up gloriously in Spring! And if not, I will dig the cages up and try again. And if they don't grow next Spring, I will dig the cages up and plant more tulips!
This Spring, I took divisions of standard daylilies (as odd as it might seem, I had a couple dozen 6" pots of daylilies just sitting around existing on rainfall for 2 years) and planted them between the tulip
and hyacinth cages.
There's a reason for that; the tulip/hyacinth bulbs like to be dry in Summer, and lilies have tuberous roots that store water so they don't need watering in Summer (much). They make a good combination. I think I will add some Sedum 'Dark Magic' as they are about a foot high and drought tolerant as well as blooming in Fall. A drought tolerant threesome in Spring Summer And Fall would be awesome.
But the near spot looked terrible when I paid attention to it last week. Grasses were growing up all over and spreading weeds below them.
So I took care of the tall ones first. Well, there are only 2 good times to weed. The first is when the soil is soaked. The weed roots can't hold on to the loose wet soil. The other time is when the soil is bone dry (unless it is clay). In good soil the roots come up like they were growing in powder.
So I pulled up all the tall ones in bone dry soil. I left that one small pile to show them pulled up. Actually, I filled a trashcan with them. Not that I would trash them; the nutrients are free and they are great compost after being heated up by sunlight in the closed trashcan for a couple days to kill any seeds. They look like cooked spinach afterwards. And then straight into the compost pile they go...
I have some annuals around the outer front edge just for some color this first year. Being downslope, I can water them enough to keep them happy without soaking the tulip bulbs that don't want to see water until Spring.
And I'm putting up with the orange landscaping flags this year. Some mark the small newly-planted daylillies (so that I don't pull them up thinking they are grass weeds - because they sure look a lot alike when you are tired) and some mark the tulip and hyacinth cages (so I don't plant anything on top of them).
Next, now that the tall weeds are gone, I can get at the low-growing weeds.
So we had a couple relatively cooler days (meaning 90 instead of 100F) and I took a look around for other things needing attention outside. Weeds are insidious! They look about the same one day to another but after a few weeks have gone from a few innocent inches high to 2' high (some straight up, some spreading out sideways).
You may (or not, LOL!) remember that I set up 3 roundish prepared edged planting beds last Fall.
The middle area was going to be for Lysimachia, which has lovely purple foliage and small yellow flowers, but it is invasive. So I thought putting it were I could mow around would control that. Alas, I discovered that it is also called Loosestrife and if you look at the common name "loose" and "strife", you can tell it is a problem plant. I found it growing in several places on its own and I am trying to pull them all up! Now I am thinking several dwarf butterfly bushes intermixed with Knockout roses which are generally pest-free and self-dead-heading. They have no fragrance, but you can't have everything. I will add a few oriental lilies for some fragrance.
The near area is for color. I planted 100 or so tulips and another 100 hyacinths in mesh cages (protection from the voles) and a couple of hundred daffodils straight in the ground as they need no protection). I'll be adding another couple hundred daffodils in early November.
The hyacinths never came up last Spring, and I figured I planted too late. But as I was digging around, I found one of the cages and opened the top and pulled out a few bulbs. To my surprize, they were all solid and had some roots! They didn't get enough chill time to bloom last year but they seem firm and healthy, and I expect them to come up gloriously in Spring! And if not, I will dig the cages up and try again. And if they don't grow next Spring, I will dig the cages up and plant more tulips!
This Spring, I took divisions of standard daylilies (as odd as it might seem, I had a couple dozen 6" pots of daylilies just sitting around existing on rainfall for 2 years) and planted them between the tulip
and hyacinth cages.
There's a reason for that; the tulip/hyacinth bulbs like to be dry in Summer, and lilies have tuberous roots that store water so they don't need watering in Summer (much). They make a good combination. I think I will add some Sedum 'Dark Magic' as they are about a foot high and drought tolerant as well as blooming in Fall. A drought tolerant threesome in Spring Summer And Fall would be awesome.
But the near spot looked terrible when I paid attention to it last week. Grasses were growing up all over and spreading weeds below them.
So I pulled up all the tall ones in bone dry soil. I left that one small pile to show them pulled up. Actually, I filled a trashcan with them. Not that I would trash them; the nutrients are free and they are great compost after being heated up by sunlight in the closed trashcan for a couple days to kill any seeds. They look like cooked spinach afterwards. And then straight into the compost pile they go...
And I'm putting up with the orange landscaping flags this year. Some mark the small newly-planted daylillies (so that I don't pull them up thinking they are grass weeds - because they sure look a lot alike when you are tired) and some mark the tulip and hyacinth cages (so I don't plant anything on top of them).
Next, now that the tall weeds are gone, I can get at the low-growing weeds.
Friday, August 19, 2016
Cmputer Updates
Well, I defeated Apple. Sort of... One of the good thing I have is called 'Time Machine'. I may not use it the way Apple intended. I have it set up as an external drive. I'm sure I'm not the only one. But it does mean that I can restore my Mac to previously saved times. I did that last night and today. It took about 7 hours and I'm glad I did it.
Everything works the way it did before and the way I liked it. iPhotos shows the file names again, the graphics aren't annoying-looking, and the help bar actually answers questions.
I may have to upgrade to the newest Apple OSX someday, but it will not be this day.
I will not go to the iCloud this day, I will not be forced onto Facetime this day, I will not accept the loss of features I valued on this day. Apple can be slipped around on its plans again on this day!
I have taken back my computer to when it worked for me, and that is all that matters to me.
And I will hope that when my last program will no longer function, that Apple or Microsoft will have finally solved their problems and made things that are user-friendlyagain.
Because if they don't, someone else will.
Everything works the way it did before and the way I liked it. iPhotos shows the file names again, the graphics aren't annoying-looking, and the help bar actually answers questions.
I may have to upgrade to the newest Apple OSX someday, but it will not be this day.
I will not go to the iCloud this day, I will not be forced onto Facetime this day, I will not accept the loss of features I valued on this day. Apple can be slipped around on its plans again on this day!
I have taken back my computer to when it worked for me, and that is all that matters to me.
And I will hope that when my last program will no longer function, that Apple or Microsoft will have finally solved their problems and made things that are user-friendlyagain.
Because if they don't, someone else will.
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Random Thoughts
1. It doesn't look like my neighbor is coming back to cut down that tree shading my flowerbed. He has a trailer still sitting by the street that I know he wants to retreive. So if it is gone one day and the tree is still there, I'll know I'm out of luck. I dare not cut down the tree without permission.
2. I had the sharpest lightening strike ever two nights ago. There was NO gap between the lightening flash and the thunder. And the thunderclap was SO loud and sharp it physically staggered me. The cats vanished.
I was sure a neighboring house had been struck, but went I went out and flashed a light around, I couldn't see any damage. Not that I could see very well. The torrent of rain was so strong and the wind swirling around so much that I was drenched instantly looking out both the front door and the back.
3. I finally had to update my Mac operating system. It gets to where some programs just won't work anymore. I hate that. It USED to be that system upgrades added features and security. Now they seem to restrict them. Apple seems to be trying to force me in certain directions they think are socially sharing and beneficial. *I* think they want to deliberately create a society where everything is shared with everyone else and there is no privacy.
I've read some dys-utopian sci-fi books like that and that is not the world I want to live in. I left Microsoft Windows 8 years ago because it crashed all the time and required a lot of serious security software. But I've read recently that Microsoft is a lot more stable and Apple viruses starting to spread around. It might be time to consider changing...
The general problem is that Apple is becoming more and more "control freak oriented".
4. The specific irritation (and a good general example) is with the changes to Apple iPhotos. For a decade, my camera has provided sequential file names to each picture (IMG 5223.jpg, IMG 5224.jpg, etc and iPhotos accepted them as titles. No more. They want me to give specific names to each pictures, plus locations, face names, and general subjects. Like I have time for THAT? And they are making it hard to not save my files of "the cloud". I know what that is, I just don't trust them with that kind of access and control.
But what is driving me crazy right now? The iPhoto program no longer shows the file name of each picture. I have to go through a couple of menu actions to get that. And I like having the main toolbar above the window. It used to just stay there. Now it won't. I spent 1.5 hours today trying to find out how to get it to stay.
I used to be able to look at the top bar and see the day/date/time, now I have to deliberately go look for it. Sure, I can stick a calendar and a clock next to the computer and check my watch for the time. But wasn't that one of those things the computer was supposed to free you from?
What's next? When I change an autocorrect spelling, will it argue with me? Will it tell me I am making an unwise statement in an email or blog comment? Will it refuse to allow me to post a comment Apple does not agree with?
I wonder when the monitor screen will become a camera that watches me as I post, to judge my sanity and mood. 1984, anyone?
2. I had the sharpest lightening strike ever two nights ago. There was NO gap between the lightening flash and the thunder. And the thunderclap was SO loud and sharp it physically staggered me. The cats vanished.
I was sure a neighboring house had been struck, but went I went out and flashed a light around, I couldn't see any damage. Not that I could see very well. The torrent of rain was so strong and the wind swirling around so much that I was drenched instantly looking out both the front door and the back.
3. I finally had to update my Mac operating system. It gets to where some programs just won't work anymore. I hate that. It USED to be that system upgrades added features and security. Now they seem to restrict them. Apple seems to be trying to force me in certain directions they think are socially sharing and beneficial. *I* think they want to deliberately create a society where everything is shared with everyone else and there is no privacy.
I've read some dys-utopian sci-fi books like that and that is not the world I want to live in. I left Microsoft Windows 8 years ago because it crashed all the time and required a lot of serious security software. But I've read recently that Microsoft is a lot more stable and Apple viruses starting to spread around. It might be time to consider changing...
The general problem is that Apple is becoming more and more "control freak oriented".
4. The specific irritation (and a good general example) is with the changes to Apple iPhotos. For a decade, my camera has provided sequential file names to each picture (IMG 5223.jpg, IMG 5224.jpg, etc and iPhotos accepted them as titles. No more. They want me to give specific names to each pictures, plus locations, face names, and general subjects. Like I have time for THAT? And they are making it hard to not save my files of "the cloud". I know what that is, I just don't trust them with that kind of access and control.
But what is driving me crazy right now? The iPhoto program no longer shows the file name of each picture. I have to go through a couple of menu actions to get that. And I like having the main toolbar above the window. It used to just stay there. Now it won't. I spent 1.5 hours today trying to find out how to get it to stay.
I used to be able to look at the top bar and see the day/date/time, now I have to deliberately go look for it. Sure, I can stick a calendar and a clock next to the computer and check my watch for the time. But wasn't that one of those things the computer was supposed to free you from?
What's next? When I change an autocorrect spelling, will it argue with me? Will it tell me I am making an unwise statement in an email or blog comment? Will it refuse to allow me to post a comment Apple does not agree with?
I wonder when the monitor screen will become a camera that watches me as I post, to judge my sanity and mood. 1984, anyone?
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Are You Not Moving?
Are you sure?
As you sit unmoving in a chair, you are probably moving about 750 miles per hour as the Earth rotates. More if you are near the equator, less if you are closer to the poles.
But then the Earth is in orbit around the Sun. That has you moving at about 67,000 miles per hour.
The sun is part of The Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way rotates at about 540,000 miles per hour in the main body of stars.
Our Milky Way galaxy is part of a local cluster of galaxies moving generally along together at higher speeds, and the local cluster is part of a supercluster moving faster than the local cluster, etc.
You are moving at something like a million miles per hour. It gets worse than THAT but I'll spare you... And you feel like you are sitting still. That's what gravity does.
And yet gravity is weak. You can easily lift a brick against the full force of the gravity of the entire planet! The human record seems to be 1,102.3 pounds of deadlift (just off the floor).
So gravity is weak, and we are moving at about 1 million miles per hour... Ever wonder what keeps us on the Erth surface and just not jumping away? LOL!
As you sit unmoving in a chair, you are probably moving about 750 miles per hour as the Earth rotates. More if you are near the equator, less if you are closer to the poles.
But then the Earth is in orbit around the Sun. That has you moving at about 67,000 miles per hour.
The sun is part of The Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way rotates at about 540,000 miles per hour in the main body of stars.
Our Milky Way galaxy is part of a local cluster of galaxies moving generally along together at higher speeds, and the local cluster is part of a supercluster moving faster than the local cluster, etc.
You are moving at something like a million miles per hour. It gets worse than THAT but I'll spare you... And you feel like you are sitting still. That's what gravity does.
And yet gravity is weak. You can easily lift a brick against the full force of the gravity of the entire planet! The human record seems to be 1,102.3 pounds of deadlift (just off the floor).
So gravity is weak, and we are moving at about 1 million miles per hour... Ever wonder what keeps us on the Erth surface and just not jumping away? LOL!
Friday, August 12, 2016
Legal Property Ownership
Its maddening, utterly maddening. Insane and Inane! Completely beyond any failure of any system of records I ever knew in my career in government! OH MY GOD, the dimmest nitwit I ever met in Federal Government was a FREAKING GENIUS compared to the State Government.
There does not appear to be ANYONE IN THE UNIVERSE who actually knows who LEGALLY OWNS THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR TO ME! NO ONE!
I have spent 5 days calling various banks, real estate organizations, and local government offices and searching websites following all possible leads to offices seemingly connected with property ownership. Not one single person in any office can actually say for SURE who owns the property
No one knows but everyone thinks they know who SHOULD! I have talked to 100 offices and EVERYONE is truly sympathetic and really helpful, and has an idea who I should call next! Even when I tell them that's the office that sent me to THEM!
OK, look, I spent years of my Federal Government career in "Administrative Services", the catchall Division of the catchall Office of the catchall Agency. We were the office where questions were sent that no one else could answer, and I was the best at it.
So the idea that "Who Owns That Property?" being unanswerable drove me completely NUTS!
Fanning myself down....................
Oh dang, apparently, no one actually DOES know who owns the property. It has to be SOMEONE SOMEWHERE of course, but no one seems to actually know. It is as if they had a stolen artwork and cannot admit it.
The resident has abandoned the property, some sites have notices that it was sold at auction June 14th, local newspapers won't claim to find any legal notice of the sale, no real estate agent can find a listing for it. It is as if the property doesn't exist.
And that has got me royally upset! How can you buy a property when you can't find out who OWNS it!?
There does not appear to be ANYONE IN THE UNIVERSE who actually knows who LEGALLY OWNS THE PROPERTY NEXT DOOR TO ME! NO ONE!
I have spent 5 days calling various banks, real estate organizations, and local government offices and searching websites following all possible leads to offices seemingly connected with property ownership. Not one single person in any office can actually say for SURE who owns the property
No one knows but everyone thinks they know who SHOULD! I have talked to 100 offices and EVERYONE is truly sympathetic and really helpful, and has an idea who I should call next! Even when I tell them that's the office that sent me to THEM!
OK, look, I spent years of my Federal Government career in "Administrative Services", the catchall Division of the catchall Office of the catchall Agency. We were the office where questions were sent that no one else could answer, and I was the best at it.
So the idea that "Who Owns That Property?" being unanswerable drove me completely NUTS!
Fanning myself down....................
Oh dang, apparently, no one actually DOES know who owns the property. It has to be SOMEONE SOMEWHERE of course, but no one seems to actually know. It is as if they had a stolen artwork and cannot admit it.
The resident has abandoned the property, some sites have notices that it was sold at auction June 14th, local newspapers won't claim to find any legal notice of the sale, no real estate agent can find a listing for it. It is as if the property doesn't exist.
And that has got me royally upset! How can you buy a property when you can't find out who OWNS it!?
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I think I have it figured out now. I needed basic frame strength (cubes) plus top support (arches with a ridgepole) for shedding rain and s... -
I like to plant Pansies in the Fall. I replace the dead Tomatos and deck pot flowers with them most years. Best deal I found was 12-packs ...