Music on TV

I was channel surfing for something to watch while I had a snack, and discovered http://www.pbs.org/live-from-lincoln-center/home/ on PBS.  I had seen it advertised earlier, but it did not really catch my eye.  However, I did watch the last half of New York Philharmonic New Year's Eve: La Vie Parisienne
Thursday, December 31 at 9 PM (8 PM Central.)  It was good timing.  I heard a rendition of Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose  http://www.metrolyrics.com/la-vie-en-rose-lyrics-edith-piaf.html and Ravel's Pavane  Pour Une Infante Defunte       http://www.classicfm.com/composers/ravel/music/maurice-ravel-pavane-pour-une-infante-defunte/#qFgI9OsFv8AbY9rP.97. Both are songs I like very much, so my timing was good.  Now I will go back to reading. 

New Year's Eve Tradition

Fireworks are okay, and I thought I heard some earlier, but they usually go off closer to midnight.  With the snow, I am not sure how much business the fireworks stands have done.  But people are determined.  And will probably think that with all the snow around, the fire danger is minimized.

My two traditions are black eye peas, a nod to the South http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/blackeye.html, and pickled herring (Sledzie) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickled_herring, which the Polish eat at Christmas or Easter.  I have morphed it into a New Years tradition for myself.  And, if true Sledzie is available in Lubbock, I would not know it.  So, I buy a commercial product that is herring in wine sauce (still a pickled brine.) I usually eat about half of a small jar, and then it sits, often until Easter.  (Pickled herring does not seem to go bad quickly.) 

I rarely go out. I often have champagne, and start my "midnight celebration" at 11 PM.  Often, this is one night of the year I do not make it to midnight.  One of the big reasons for that is the State of Texas gives us the day off. So, unlike a regular work day, I often rise very early, and by early evening, I am tired. I did so today.  The weather was too cold to sit out, but if I do, being in the fresh air helps me to sleep better, and sooner, also.  But, if I make it to midnight, central time, I toast the New Year in a second time. 

I tend not to do resolutions. 

In 2014, I set out to read a book a week, a goal I accomplished.  I did not have a goal for 2015.  And, I am not imaginative enough to come up with a goal for 2016 (the book a week was a goal one of the book club members had for 2013.  She shared it, accomplished it, and it sounded like fun.) It was.

I am trying to read more non-fiction. But do not have a specific plan for that.

I am enjoying a quiet night. TV off and on.  No vested interest in any sports tonight. 

A good book will do.

Killing Patton

I am reading Killing Patton by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard   https://www.billoreilly.com/killing-patton.  Some of the reviews of this book are not favorable.  I have just started it today, and it reads like non-fiction, although it is historical.

Gen. Patton is a figure in history I find fascinating.  I guess in part because his ego was larger than life.  In part he was a paradox of a man:  he was a horseman, and helped to save the Lipizzan Stallions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipizzan but was noted for the poor treatment of the concentration camp survivors, especially the Jewish people https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-partisan/wp/2014/10/06/bill-oreillys-lame-excuse-for-his-awful-killing-patton-blunder/.  He had a superego, but in large part, his soldiers admired him because he was often seen at or near the front.  He infamously slapped soldiers whom he branded as cowards https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_S._Patton_slapping_incidents.  And he comes across as mixed regarding the use of Black soldiers https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/761st_Tank_Battalion_(United_States), mostly accepting them out of dire necessity, but once preventing a lynching in El Paso. 

I think Gen. Patton is a complex man, and like many figures in history, is not all good or all bad.  It will be interesting to finish the book.

The Winter Storm

The winter storm is long gone, but the snow remains.  Although Monday and Tuesday were beautifully sunny, little melting occurred, and the residential streets are still a mess, even today, but now passable. 

Today, it was above freezing, but grey, overcast. That is probably good.  If it were warm and sunny, the snow would melt so fast there would be some flooding.  A slower melt is actually better.  We have had some light dusting of snow, but no accumulations and the wind has not been so bad.

The big problem is that it freezes overnight, so what melted during the day freezes at night creating large patches of frozen slush and black ice.  This is dangerous.  And, it takes until mid or late morning until the melting occurs again.  Fortunately, I do not have to get out tomorrow.  

We may get some freezing drizzle over night, but it  should be sunny tomorrow,

I will plan to go to the Texas Tech men's basketball game (complementary tickets from work) Saturday afternoon, and add a trip to the library before that. I did my weekly shopping today, though in anticipation that if there is another storm, I am not unprepared.

Sports

This is a Texas Tech http://www.texastech.com/gameday/ sports day.  This afternoon, the Texas Tech Red Raiders are playing basketball against Richmond.  The Red Raiders are winning but there is still plenty of time in the second half.   I wonder when Richmond came into town.  Travel has been bad, and there are a few spectators at the game, but travel in Lubbock is still very dangerous due to the winter storm we have experienced.

Later tonight the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team will be playing against Louisiana State University http://www.lsu.edu/ in the Advocare VI00 Texas Bowl http://www.advocaretexasbowl.com/. 

Tomorrow night, the Texas Tech Lady Raiders will play TCU http://www.tcu.edu/ which is a Big 12 Conference Game http://www.big12sports.com/.   I doubt I will go.  The weather has been bad, and unless tomorrow really warms up and the snow and ice melts off the streets in a big way, it will more treacherous driving than I want to do.  But, I will watch the game on TV.  I wonder how TCU will get into Lubbock, with travel being as spotty as it has been because of the snow storm that hit Texas this week.  Hmm.

It Was a Stroke of Luck, Not Planning

On December 21, 2015, Monday, after work, I went to Wal-Mart http://www.walmart.com/ ostensibly to pick up a few items.  By the time I got into the store, I decided to do what amounted to my weekly shopping for non-perishables that I would normally do on 12/26/15.  Because I did not want to be in the store on Saturday the day after Christmas. 

Saturday, the 26th, I stopped at Market Street http://www.marketstreetunited.com/ to pick up a few items.  The lines were horrible.  All of Lubbock turns out to the grocery stores when a storm is predicted, and of course, one was predicted for that night and the next day. 

It was a piece of luck, not planning or genius, that I had done my regular shopping on a Monday night, well in advance. 

Here it is, Tuesday a week later, and I am well situated for most everything.  And there is nothing essential that I do not have.  

That was a piece of luck.

Power Outages

We are having a winter storm in Lubbock, and one of the absurdities of the situation is what is being broadcast on TV.  People are being instructed, on TV to contact Lubbock Power and Light http://www.lpandl.com/ if they are experiencing power outages. This is ludicrous.  I understand that some people may be able to access this information on their smart phones, by accessing the TV channel apps, but what about the people who do not have smart phones, and do not have power?  How are they supposed to contact Lubbock Power and Light? Come on, this is not a sane instruction for people who have power outages. Let's face it, if they do not have power, are they going to be able to watch TV?  Duh!  LP& L needs to be a lot more responsible than this.

Snowbound December 2015

So, with ample warning, we knew the snow would start late Saturday night, December 26, 2015, decrease Sunday early, then ramp up Sunday afternoon.  Lubbock City has been declared a disaster area http://www.kcbd.com/story/30836950/mayor-robertson-declares-state-of-disaster-for-city-of-lubbock. And, Lubbock County http://www.kcbd.com/story/30839065/lubbock-county-declares-state-of-emergency has done the same, to enable the access to state resources to assist with recovery efforts. The major roads, loop, interstate, and state roads are cleared first, but the residential streets are rarely plowed, the snow and ice is just allowed to melt. This makes travel dangerous.

My work was cancelled today, and as of a few minutes ago, we have been directed to arrive late tomorrow, 11 AM, to allow for improved driving conditions.  In the past, if I thought the emergency did not warrant the changes in work times, I have ignored them.  I will do the same this week.  I will also change my work times, if I think the official warnings and changes do not reflect my sense of safety.  I hate to not report to work, but I will not endanger myself for official reporting times. 

I hope everyone exercises good judgment and stays safe during the storm.

The Winter Storm

The winter storm started as predicted on Saturday night, December 26, 2015.  It started with sleet and freezing rain, but progressed to snow.  There was a lot of wind.  Overnight, it was tough, but not awful. It subsided Sunday morning, but by late Sunday morning, the sleet and rain started, and later, the snow began. The wind was of blizzard proportions.

I work for Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, at the John T. Montford Prison, TDCJ.  Tonight, at about 5:00 PM, the emergency alert system sent out the notice that the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center will be closed, due to the storm on, December 28, 2015.  This means, as a social worker at the Montford Prison, I am not required to report to work, as social workers are not essential personnel.  This is a blessing.

I am sorry for the officers and nurses who have to report as essential personnel.  I hope all of them traverse the roads safely and report to work in one piece. But I am thankful I do not have to traverse the treacherous roads during this winter storm.  I am thankful that the administration at TTUHSC has a compassionate understanding of taking care of their staff

Safety first.

The Sleeting Rain Has Started

A while ago, I saw some lightning.  The sleeting rain has started, about 940 PM.  We can expect the weather to get worse, not better. 

I will continue to watch the weather. 

Taki was unnerved by the sound of the weather  After a brief time in my lap, she decided she was okay.

There are already delays and closings in businesses and government offices. This is wise.

It is amazing.  What a storm.

Winter Weather

We are anticipating a winter storm this weekend.  The worst front was supposed to hit about 6 PM.  But mid-morning, the temperatures dipped slightly.  And stayed down.  The wind blew in and has continued to blow hard all day.  It is very cold out, with the ambient temperature, before windchill, at 32°. The snow has not started, and is predicted to start about midnight, slow in the morning, and get heavy in the afternoon.  We will keep an eye on the weather. 

This will be an interesting situation.

My New Shredder

I have a little shredder.  I have been trying to get caught up with the shredding that I needed to do, and this poor little shredder kept conking out.  To the point that I gave up on shredding. I was beginning to feel like a hoarder, with the collection of paperwork that I had, waiting to be shredded.  It was oppressive.

Today, as a Christmas presents to me, I purchased a larger, much better shredder.  I have been shredding tonight.  What would have taken me many shredding sessions over weeks has been shredded into micro bits in the course of a couple of hours, during commercials, while I am watching TV.  It is like a weight has been lifted from me.  This is a blessing.

A Christmas Moon

This is not the thing I would normally pay attention to, but I became curious.  It seemed to me I could not remember remarking when the full moon was on Christmas.  And, really that is because it does not occur all that often:  http://www.space.com/31471-rare-christmas-full-moon-guide.html. 

I was out last night, and the moon looked full to me.  I will have to be sure to step out to night and watch it.  Or at least look out the east facing window, as I usually have a good view of the moon rising through that window.  

New Traditions

Some friends of mine are in transition and decided to start a new tradition for Christmas Eve.  Their grown children may or may not be around; the extended family they usually spend Christmas Eve with have changed.  They had a small party for friends and neighbors, and I was invited.  In years past, I might have declined. I do not do well in social situations.  My house is not well kept these days, so I cannot reciprocate.  But I went anyway.  I had planned to stay an hour. I stayed 3. The hosts are people I enjoy.  There were people I knew, and people I had met before.  It was a nice outing.

Thank you for this blessing.

The Sound of Music - Sing Along

One of my most favorite movies is The Sound of Music.  As with so many of my favorite movies, I know the words to the songs and much of the dialogue.  Well, tonight, ABC is doing something different.  They are airing The Sound of Music http://abc.go.com/shows/movies-and-specials/listings/the-sound-of-music-singalong as a sing along.  That's right, they are airing the movie, and they are showing the words on of the songs on the screen so viewers can sing along.  This is wonderful!  What a delightful way to show a musical.  I hope ABC does this again with other musicals.

The All Region High School Band Concert

The son of a friend of mine is a freshman in high school, and has achieved wonderful accomplishments in the high school and regional bands.

Today was the "All Regional High School Band Concert for Region XVI" for the Texas Music Educators Association  http://www.tmea.org/. I went to the concerts:  There was the TMEA Region 16 Freshman Band, the TMEA Region 16 Symphonic Band, and the TMEA Region 16 Honor Band.

They were wonderful performances.  The concerts were brief, less than 30 minutes. They started practicing on Friday morning.  What they accomplished in that short period of time was amazing!

There were three conductors:  Dr. Brandon Houghtalen, from Abilene Christian University who conducted the TMEA Region 16 Freshman Band, Eric Rath, from the Canyon Middle School who conducted the TMEA Region 16 Symphonic Band, and the final conductor, for the TMEA Region 16 Honor Band, was Brian Britt, University of Oklahoma.

Mr. Houghtalen talked about the financial assistance that is available at universities for music majors.  Mr. Rath talked about the opportunity to work with students, and share his compositions (which were wonderful!). Mr. Britt said it was unfortunate that there was no news media present, to record the positive accomplishments of these students.  I agree.

This was a wonderful experience. 

A Storm is Moving In

It was a grey morning, and a windy afternoon.  This evening, as I sat at the computer, facing  north, I saw some lightning, and heard some thunder.

It was supposed to be cold today, but that did not happen.  It is supposed to be cold tonight and tomorrow, we will see.

There are winter storm warnings and advisories in the area, but not in Lubbock.  We shall see what happens.

No Wonder!

It was one of those days.  I was racing all day, trying to get too much done, and feeling overwhelmed.  Then, I was given a large chore to do. 

I stayed late at work, and then ran an errand before coming home.

When I got home, I was upset with myself that I had forgotten that the Lady Raiders and Red Raiders http://www.texastech.com/index-main.html had a double header basketball game tonight.  I looked on TV and on the radio, and just could not find the game.  I gave up.

Just a few minutes ago,  I got on line to check the scores. And lo and behold, the games are not until tomorrow night!  Well, no wonder I could not find them on TV or the radio.

Changing Feeding Habits

I have changed my habits for feeding Haiku and Taki.  They get the dry treats they want, and then, depending upon their demeanor, and my schedule, I feed.  So, for example in the morning before I go to work, I feed moist food, human tuna, and liver for Haiku.  At night, they get dry treats, and when they ask for something else, I try one food after another, for Haiku starting with smashed liver, and both get moist food, and human tuna.   Sometimes, I will add deli sliced turkey or chicken.  On the weekends, as I am around, I do the same.  I am not trying to deny them food, but I think because I was giving them so many choices, they just did not decide what they wanted.

Additionally, they have three kinds of dry food available at will: Indoor Friskies; Hairball Meow Mix, and Special Kitty Gourmet (which Sake really liked.)

Operator Error, Once Again

So, one of my TVs had stopped working: it turned itself on and off at will.  It was time to upgrade.  I did some searching for a new TV stand.  When I realized how low weight the smart TVs are, I did not want to put such a TV on the TV stand I had, because the cats could easily bowl it over.

I did order and get a TV stand that I thought might be adequate. It is a stand that has a mount for the TV, vs. a "table top stand." I picked that up Sunday. So, I assembled the stand.  The next day, I purchased the TV.  The clerk was sure I could set up the connections as needed.  I had some trouble mounting the TV to the stand, but two trips to Home Depot on Monday night made the mounting adequate.  (I actually went back a third time on Tuesday to get what I really needed.) 

I connected the TV Monday night, and was able to get just one channel. No matter what I did.  I sent a request to Samsung http://www.samsung.com/us/ (the brand of the TV I purchased) for help, but they are not available 24/7.  Incidentally, I did not receive a response the next business day, as I expected. I purchased a Samsung based on the advice of a trusted Wal-Mart employee who knows her electronics. 

I called Suddenlink http://home.suddenlink.net/ , and the technician I connected with went out of his way to try to help me to figure out why I was not getting channels from the cable connection. I was double sure that I had made the correct connections, and he and I reviewed that several times.  Our interaction took almost 2 hours. Can you imagine. It is not even a part of his job! He was wonderful.

So, I thought I would wait to hear from Samsung, but that did not happen, so I decided I would upgrade my set top box to access High Definition TV, from Suddenlink. (I had this plan in the back of my mind, anyway.) I did the latter, and when I turned in my old box, the technician thought I could not access anything because I was using the TV remote vs. the set top box remote.  Dah, that made so much sense.  So, I traded boxes at Suddenlink, and went home, and after remounting the TV, I connected everything, and using the Suddenlink remote, I had access to the cable channels I should have had access to.  Yeah!  I felt so dumb.  But the good news is that although I was not originally motivated to get a new cable box that would give me High Definition access, with the connection problems I had, and accessing the new box, I did get HD!  I am paying for it, so you know what, I should get it.  Yeah!

The Blue Bloods

I like the TV Series The Blue Bloods http://www.cbs.com/shows/blue_bloods/.   It is the story of an Irish America family that has 3 generations of Irish American cops, 2 became police commissioners, one child is an assistant district attorney, one child a detective, one a beat cop who went through law school, and one child a cop who died on the job.

It is a story of good down home family values, and the stories of people who face and deal with the hard decisions of command, policing, and family.  It is also a story about how family values can help people do the right thing, or if not, couch the wrong thing in the right reasons.

The Patriots Vs. The Broncos

Okay, so tonight the New England Patriots are playing the Denver Broncos in Denver, Colorado  http://espn.go.com/nfl/schedule.  As the game is progressing, the weather is getting worse, with light snow to now heavier snow. It can be said that the weather conditions cannot really favor either team.  They both play in winter weather venues.  Perhaps the Denver elevation might make an impact. 

It Was an Ice Storm Weekend

The weather on Thanksgiving Day was not bad.  But Friday, it started off rainy and changed to icy.  Saturday continued icy.  I ran errands early Friday morning, before the cold front moved in, but sheltered in place after that.  This afternoon, I did all the errands I would have spread out over two days of a typical weekend.

I enjoyed having a stay at home, quiet weekend.  I had thought to rake leaves but not in this weather.

I am thankful for a day above freezing, so I could run errands.  Most importantly, I went to the library. The other stuff was incidental. 

Ice Storm Moving In?

Today was a very mild day, but somewhat cloudy.  As I drove to eat lunch with friends, there were minor sprinkles on the windshield of my car.

The weather forecasters are predicting wintry mix or icy conditions from Thursday midnight or later till Sunday morning http://www.kcbd.com/weather. 

As I sit in my computer room, I could watch the clouds move in from the north.  In fact, at one point, the sky to the north was dark, and the sky to the south was sunny.

I am hoping the weather forecasters get it wrong. My biggest concern is a power outage.  My contingency plan is that I will do my weekly shopping on Sunday, when the temperatures are predicted to be above freezing.

We will do what we need to do to stay safe. 

Edith Piaf

I just finished watching the DVD Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397094/.  I have been a fan of the song "La Vie en Rose" since first watching the movie Sabrina http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0397094/  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047437/. Sabrina is one of my all time favorite movies.  And, I think it is the movie that introduced me to "La Vie en Rose." 

This is the most haunting of melodies.  And, I think, the life of Edith Piaf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89dith_Piaf is a most haunting story.  I think I will find more media about her to learn more about her.

Secret Santa

I have heard about this Secret Santa before. I thought that this approach was a wonderful way to help people and to help the reputation of law enforcement.  It is a good story. Pass it on!

https://www.facebook.com/CBSEveningNews/videos/10153003404704073/?fref=nf

People Who Cry

I have not always been an easy crier, but for most of my life, I have been.  But mostly it was tears of sadness, or anger relating to my own personal life.   But in the last 5 or 6 years, my crying has changed.  I find I cry tears of joy more and more often, I cry tears of sorrow and sadness and pain, not personal pain, but pain for human tragedy. My tears are often bittersweet.  My tears are an expression of joy for others.  My tears are deep felt emotions for expressions of patriotism, expressions of concern for human kind, expressions of elation at the triumph of humanity over depravity, of right over wrong, of good over bad. 

I thought this article on crying was interesting. http://www.lifehack.org/333775/8-reasons-why-people-who-cry-often-are-actually-mentally-stronger?dgs=1

How Does Taki Do It?

About an hour ago, Taki came into the computer room to check things out. She chose not to stay, and was lounging on the bed.  Until about 15 minutes ago, I pulled out my knitting. She raced into the computer room and wanted to play with the yarn.  I put it up.

But how does she do this?  How does she know when I have yarn and knitting out?  The rustle of the bag the yarn is in? The rustle of the yarn?  I did not even  have knitting needles out when she showed up.  I have not even started the project. 

Oh well, we had some quality time until starting grabbing at me too hard.  She still does not have that figured out.

Little Houses for Haiku and Taki

I keep the house cool during the day.  Sake liked it cool.  Haiku does not.  She used to get under the covers and sleep on the warm water bed mattress. She does not often get under the covers on the bed with the regular mattress. She and Taki sleep on the beds and can lay in sun spots coming through the south facing windows, for part of the day.

Today, when the mailman came through, Haiku was very disturbed. She raced around and raced around and cried. She went to the back door.  It was closed.  I usually leave it open if the sun is out, because it helps to warm the house to let the sun in. Finally, Haiku came to rest on the bed and I lay with her and Taki in the sun.  It decided me. 

Well, I had already decided I was going to find them little fluff houses or cubes and have been looking for them when I go to stores where they might be sold. Had not seen any.  I just made a special trip to PetSmart http://www.petsmart.com/ today to get them little houses. They are like oval domes with soft insides.

Haiku got in hers and got in and out this afternoon.  Taki sniffed at hers but did not get in it.  She does not seem to be so bothered by the cool.

I put one on my bed and one on the floor in the computer room, where I had had a basked with a towel that all the cats liked to sleep in (not at the same time.)  The basket was pretty well torn up and went away today. The house was moved around the floor in the computer room.  Hmmm. That is interesting.

My pillow ended up on the floor next to my computer chair, and Taki has been sleeping on it. So, I put the other little house where the pillow was, and returned the pillow back to the sofa.

Maybe the kitties will use the houses, maybe not. We shall see.

Reach Out to France - Updated

We are saddened and shocked at the killings in Paris by ISIS http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/16/us-france-shooting-idUSKCN0T22IU20151116#aUdSsHG2hFY7YAcr.97.  The violence in the world is needless and insane.  That the world can be held at bay, as fear hostages, by ISIS is a little insane.  There have been so many terrorist attacks and to what end? The radicalized Muslims give the real religion of Islam a black eye.  Like "Christian radicals" who belong(ed) to the Klu Klux Klan, these radicals do not represent religion.  They represent bigotry, hate mongering, greed, lust for power, lust for domination over people who are unable to protect themselves.

That the world has not been able to eradicate ISIS demonstrates the weakness of the political position of failure to commit.  I do not believe in violence and war, but I am not sure how else ISIS can be fought.  My wish would be that Western and Middle Eastern Countries alike would unite for their own safety and security, demonstrate a united front and destroy ISIS.

Meanwhile, we must reach out to France. We must let the French people know that we stand with them, support them in their adversity, and support their efforts to take back their lives.  We do this with prayers, vigils, and support of their efforts to help the Syrian refugees and fight ISIS.

We must let the French people know that we will not forget their suffering on 11/13/15, that we will not forget the fatalities, the other victims, the survivors of the acts of terror on this date. Because the French people truly are survivors.

November 20, 2015 on the news, we learned that Parisians were in the streets en masse and at the exact time of the first shots of the disaster, a large noise was made, and lights came on, and the French people told ISIS that they will be STRONG!

Hurrah for the people of Paris!  Hurrah for the people of France!

Syrian Refugees

This is what I posted on Facebook last night...

This is not a yes or no situation. It has to be dealt with on a case by case basis, which I believe our country is doing right now. I do not want a terrorist next door, but let's face it, they are there. There was a kidnapping of a Texas Tech student last night. The perp was not a political terrorist, but a terrorist never the less. We cannot make people suffer because of fear of someone they are not. I am not a practicing Catholic, but I am still ashamed of the way the Catholic Church behaved during World War II. Gov. Abbott declared today Texas would not take in Syrian refugees, and Catholic Charities of Dallas basically said they will not help Syrian immigrants in deference to his policies.

I wonder what Christ would do? I think he would take people very much on face value, and offer solace to the refugees. I think our country should help the refugees monetarily in other parts of the world, while continuing to vet Syrian immigrants who apply for refuge in the United States. I am not naive, but Christ said to love one another. He did not say love one another but only if your politics agree. I do not want us to let in terrorists, but people born in this country are being radicalized, so the ideas are not being kept out. I think it takes true Christian love to open our lives to the misery the Syrian refugees are experiencing.

My Cats in the Morning

I am not sure where my cats sleep over night.  I know that sometimes, they are on my bed, but sometimes, they are not.  But about an hour before the alarm goes off on my alarm clock, they congregate on my bed.  Their behaviors vary.  Sometimes, Haiku slaps at my nose, which I assume is to get my attention. Other days, she snuggles next to me and seems to want to just be warm.  Taki likes to get on me and knead my body.  But some days, she scratches me to wake me up or at least get me going or get my attention.

Lately, on the weekends, the cats have allowed me to sleep in. While this delays their preferred breakfast, they have plenty of other food set out for them to eat.

Noise in My Brain

The last few days, I have been hearing the theme song from the movie The Longest Day  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056197/  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Longest_Day_(film) in my brain.  I do not think I know the tune, but as I get to the end of one segment, my brain tells me what the next segment of the song is. This is weird.

The first couple of times I saw this film, I thought it was all Hollywood. But as I grew older and learned more about D-Day, I discovered that there are some vignettes that are very accurate for a small piece of what happened on D-Day.

Of course it is not 100% accurate, but it is a very good depiction of many of the highlights of D-Day. 

The cast of the movie is "all star."  That is amazing to me also. 

If you like World War II movies, this is a must.

Veteran's Day

At work today, I saw a co-worker who wore a red white and blue flag motif tie. It was in honor of Veterans Day.  We chatted briefly: he was not a veteran, but had uncles who had been in World War II.  I shared that I had a paternal uncle who was in the Navy during World War II. When we asked my uncle what he did in the war, his stock answer was that he went to England. If you pressed him further, he would also say he went to San Diego. After this uncle died, in his effects, was a letter from Admiral Nimitz regarding his participation in D Day. My uncle never said anything about that.

I remember that I had maternal uncles who were in the military.  My recollection was that they served in Korea, but I could be wrong about this.  I know that one or more of my maternal uncles were in the military. Somewhere.

My father had polio as a child so had a medical deferment during World War II. He also worked in the electric power generation industry during World War II so would have probably had a deferment based on is profession.

My oldest brother was not drafted during the Vietnam War.  My younger brother's life was in between conflicts or war.

None of my female relatives were in the military, except the wife of one of my maternal uncles either during World War II or the Korean Conflict.

My first ex-husband was in the Marines.  His brother was in the Army, and served in Viet Nam. My first ex-husband said he was beaten and generally castigated because he did not go to Viet Nam. At first, I did not believe him, but years later, I do. 

I think the military services in the United States have some very barbaric and out-dated training and induction rituals that serve no purpose. I believe things have improved, and the racial discrimination has diminished but is not gone. I think the sexual harassment culture has decreased but has not been eliminated.

I think the reality is that women may not be able to do all of the physical things that men can do.  I also believe that women can do many things that they are believed not able to do, if they are only given a chance.

I recently watched a movie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Men_of_Honor  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203019/   about Carl Brashear https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Brashear who became the first African-American Master Diver in the United States Navy.  The movie depicts the great odds and horrible discrimination he had to overcome to become a Navy diver, and to continue to be a Navy diver after he was seriously injured in service to his country. 

This movie is an eye opener about how racial integration in the military did not occur smoothly. It is a compelling story, and the racial factor adds to it.

I live in hope that we have moved beyond those racial discrimination lines, but I am not always sure about that.

But I can hope.

Philosophers and Welders

I did not watch the Republican Presidential Candidates debate last night, but evidently Marco Rubio talked about if you don't honor philosophers or welders, society will suffer.  I think I know where that comes from.  Years ago, I had a poster, and I cannot remember the exact wording but it was something like this:

The society that exalts philosophers for being a glorified profession, and disparages plumbers for being a humble profession, will neither have good philosophers nor good plumbers. 

In other words, neither its theories nor its pipes will hold water.

A Cat Scare, Or Taki in the Garage

When I arrived home Friday night, and opened the garage door, unfortunately, I saw the door to the house open, and Taki standing in the garage, facing the door.  Taki is always hesitant to go through a door that opens and closes. That, to me, is good.  I do not want her to be the escape artist Sake was and Haiku still is sometimes.  But this time, she was hesitant to return to the house.  I could see her start towards the door, then back up.  I  am sure the noise of the garage door lifting startled her, also.

I stopped the car before I got too far into the garage, and by the time I could get out and into the garage, Taki did go into the house.  I checked, and Haiku was in the house also. So, all was well. 

I need to double check when I leave, to be sure I have closed that door securely.

My ISP and SPAM

A couple of months ago, I noticed that I was not getting my online ebill for my AT&T credit card.  I have had this card for years, but do not use it much.  But occasionally, I do.  And, I know when I do.  I check my bills paid online a few times each month, and noticed that I did not pay AT&T one month. So I checked the website, and sure enough I had an amount due.  I checked back through my email, and could not find the ebill.  Well, I made the payment in time not to owe a finance charge, and thought nothing of it.  Then. Until, next month the same thing happened.  What the heck was going on?

Well, this past Saturday night, I sent myself a picture from my IPhone http://www.apple.com/iphone/.  I have done this before, and have noticed a delay in the email showing up on my computer.  But by Sunday morning, there was no picture.  I tried sending the picture again.  Multiple times. But it did not show up. 

I checked the phone user's guide, and learned that it might be my Internet Service Provider (ISP) blocking the photos.  Grrrr.  I went to the Suddenlink http://home.suddenlink.net/ email online website, and checked the settings.  I changed a few, including the one that said to dispose of SPAM and not show it to me.

The photos showed up shortly after I made those changes.

Well, lo and behold, I had no idea how much SPAM Suddenlink was filtering out from my email inbox.  And, I am glad that is happening.  But today, as I was browsing through the SPAM, there was my AT&T bill!  What the heck was going on?  I am not sure, but I sent the email to my inbox, and had my bill.

I have since added that email address to my contact list, in hopes that the future ebills will once again show up in my inbox, and not my SPAM box!

M. C. Escher

My best friend from college introduced me to M. C. Escher http://www.mcescher.com/. I was hooked. It was amazing and fascinating.   Tonight, I watched a DVD The Amazing World of M.C. Escher. Some of the premise of this DVD was the mathematical constructs used by M. C. Escher. What an amazing artist. 

Bacon Jerky

I occasionally buy beef jerky as a snack food. I have also found it is a good travel food, whether travelling by bus, auto, or plane.  This past weekend, I was intrigued by Oberto All Natural Applewood Smoked Bacon Jerky http://www.Osbert.com/products/#Applewood_Bacon, so I purchased some.  I noshed for dinner tonight, and decided some bacon jerky sounded good.

Haiku decided it smelled good, too. She ate several pieces.  That is okay with me.  Both she and Taki have been very picky about what they have been eating lately. They turn their nose up at foods they used to like, including some "treats."  They used to both like human tuna, and now Haiku shuns it more often than she eats it.  She eats some cooked smashed chicken liver, but very little.  Taki eschews it. 

I am less worried about Taki being so picky about eating because she can stand to lose several pounds. But Haiku cannot. I will remember about bacon jerky for Haiku.

Opiod Induced Constipation -Get Real

So, I am hearing this TV  commercial for Movantik https://www.movantikhcp.com/, which is prescribed to relieve opiod induced constipation.  Get real guys. 

I had surgery in July and was prescribed some pain medications after surgery. I was told to get a stool softener to help with constipation. The friend who drove me home from the hospital, and I talked about stopping at a store to get the stool softener, but we were so busy talking, we forgot to do that. I got home, and thought about it and decided I could use mineral oil, which I kept on hand for the cats, if they had constipation. 

So, that is what I used.  It worked very well. It did not taste good, but it is simple, inexpensive and easy to use.

Why would anyone want to use an expensive medicine for a common problem, when something simple like mineral oil works. Granted, it does not taste good.  But consider the cost/benefit.  I will go with mineral oil any time.

Not Our Routine

I have taken to leaving the front door closed.  Tonight, I have it open, anticipating there will be trick or treaters.  I plan to sit outside on the front porch, eliminating knocking and door bell wringing, which bothers the cats.  But this is out of the ordinary for the cats, and Haiku gets really upset when the routine changes.  She just cries and cries.

When I wash linens, and the bed is left unmade, that bothers Haiku.  If I feed early or late, that upsets her, even though I leave dry food out all the time, both cats are not happy with me.

I am a creature of habit, so I can appreciate how disconcerting it is when our routines are disturbed. 

Hallmark Reminder Service

For years, I have relied on the Hallmark reminder service http://www.hallmark.com/ to remind me about birthdays, anniversaries, and other events.  Today, at work, during a meeting, I realized that I was not reminded about a co-worker's birthday. I had a suitable card at work, and collected signatures, but was confused about what had happened.

Tonight, in my emails, I received a notification from Hallmark that they have discontinued their reminder service, but I could download my events, which I did. What was distressing to me is that they discontinued their reminder service as of October 12, 2015.  And they are just now informing their customers. 

I can understand that Hallmark discontinued the service.  I suspect that many people like myself used the reminder service, but did not buy products from Hallmark to commemorate the event.

The email also said the events in our calendars could be downloaded to other calendars, including Microsoft Outlook, which would be my calendar of choice.  When I tried to do that, I was forced into accepting an option of downloading my calendar entries to a Microsoft Excel program.  I did so, and will manually load the entries onto my Microsoft Outlook Calendar.

This is just an example of corporate America ditching services that are helpful but not profitable.  I suppose I should have expected it sooner than later. 

Memorial Gifts

I often do memorial gifts for someone who has died.  Or if someone I know has lost a pet.  Or in honor of someone.  When my parents were alive, in their later years, I sent them a small Christmas gift, but sent a gift in their honor to their church.

So, I also appreciate when someone does a memorial gift on my behalf.

But there is a catch to this.  Because when you send to a charity, you usually get put on their mailing list.  And, you receive endless solicitations from the charity requesting additional donations.  I understand that for the charity the cost for the request is minimal vs. the hoped for gain. But I hate getting all of that mail.

I have several charities to which I donate regularly, and if I am going to donate on an ongoing basis, it will be to those select charities.  I only do memorial or honoring gifts to select entities, and for specific reasons.  I have actually asked some of the charities or organizations I receive mail from to take me off their mailing list. 

I am not trying to be unaltruistic, but my ongoing charitable dollars are intended for specific charities. Period.

Walking

I have been doing a lot of sessions at the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx pool, doing the physical therapy routines.  I did three days in a row, and my skin was really dry and itchy tonight.  My eczema has started up again.  I have cream for it, but I decided I needed a chlorine holiday. Also, I wanted to go to the library tonight, and I was not sure how long that would take.

So, I did go to the library. I spent about 45 minutes looking for books.  Then went on to the Lifestyle Center, planning to walk.  I could have gotten into the pool in time to do a physical therapy routine, but I kept with the walking plan.  I have not walked like this in years! It was great.  I got a good cardio work out, a good burn, and a good breathing workout. I suspect I was also producing endorphins in my brain.  The night air was crisp, and the moon was full!  And, although it was dark outside, the track was lit, and I was in as safe an environment as I could be!

The PT routine is good for strengthening my back, but the walking is much more to my liking. I need to remember that. When I walk in the park, I cannot get this umph, mostly because the terrain is uneven enough, and I am still unsteady on uneven ground and steps (curbs up and down) that I cannot get this feeling.  Tonight was good. This is why I like to walk.

I also like to walk for leisure and destination.  But when I want a good work out, this is the kind of walk I like!

It Is Autumn in West Texas

So this is the time of year when the days grow shorter.  And the overnight temperatures can dip into the 30s.  But the bright daytime sunshine can yield temperatures of 80s and 90s.  It is a good time to be in West Texas.  Rain is not uncommon, the wind is not bad, but the allergens are abundant.

It is still a good time to be in West Texas.

Air Freshener, Incense, or Candle?

So on Facebook I took this quiz, "How Hippie Are You?" http://quizdoo.com/how-hippie-are-you/.  I scored 62%.  I would have scored higher, but some of my habits have changed over the last few years.

One of the questions had to do with odor elimination.  The question was would you use air freshener, candle or incense.  I realized my preference is incense, but for convenience I often use air freshener. 

I love candles, but I realized that incense is more effective, and less dangerous, especially with my cats, who bump into candles and set their tales on fire (put out by dragging my hand on the flaming tail before it got to skin,) and knock them over (imagine burning wax spreading on a surface, which did not happen).  Also, consider my absent-mindedness, which allows a 30 hour candle to burn all night while I am in bed (I now only burn candles on the stove top where the cats do not go.)  Or imagine my absent-mindedness and I am melting down a candle on the stove to recycle the wax and I set the stove top on fire and unaware, walk into the kitchen and douse the flame with my ample supply of baking soda, on hand for a stove top fire emergency!

I realize the incense really is better for odor elimination, and it does not involve an open flame and burns itself out faster than a candle.  So it really is safer, as well as more effective.

A Bit of Baseball History

I learned a little bit about baseball history from reading the Mickey Rawlings mystery series written by Troy Soos https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troy_Soos. Mostly the information I learn from these series was about individual old time players, or something about their ballparks. 

But a really interesting bit I learned had to do with the baseball clubs and teams.  As he explained it, baseball clubs would be formed in communities.  These clubs were generally membered by business  men and other upper class individuals in the communities.  The clubs were social clubs, much like a country club today associated with a gold course.  The clubs would field and own baseball teams, and as often as not, the baseball players were not members of the club, but paid to play on the baseball team. Which would explain to me why the baseball locker room is called a clubhouse!

The American League Championship Series

So, I did not watch all of the games between the Kansas City Royals http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=kc&tcid=mm_mlb_sitelist and the Toronto Blue Jays http://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tor.  I would have preferred that the Blue Jays won, but it was not the case.

I was watching the celebration on the field (while the team locker room or clubhouse was being prepared for the champagne celebration). The thing that impressed me the most was that how many small children were present with their fathers during the celebration. That was so impressive. I think it says something about the values of the team members.

It was a good series.  It was a good game. 

My Hair

My hair was always straight and thin.  My mother used to make me get permanents until I was old enough to put an end to that.  But I liked my hair long, and it was thin and stringy. 

At the age of 19, I started having gray hair.  It did not really fully change until the late 1980s, or another 10 years later.  I was told by a hair dresser that it was not gray, but a combination of blond and gray.  Some people thought  I was a blond. I thought my brown hair had turned to gray.  I never put any color on it, and rarely use conditioner, just shampoo.

I wore my hair long and stringy for a long time, usually with a center part.  In the early1990's I cut my hair short, with a blunt cut, and went to a side part. Some time after 2007, my hair started being wavy. I said it was my mother doing that.  My mother died in 2007.  My hair became coarser, and was wavy.  Under the top layer of gray or blond, there was still some dark hair.  I changed my hair style to include some tapering in the back, and eventually some layering on the sides. That gave me the opportunity to not have to do anything with the waves, and let everything be natural.  So parts of my hair might stick out, and other parts curl up or down.  But that was as it should be.  I just do not want to have to style my hair. Wash, comb and let it dry.

This past week, it feels like my hair has become fine again.  It won't hold a part. I have always tried to have a straight part.  It drives me nuts that my hair won't hold a part.  I am not sure what to do about it, but comb it and let it be.

Chronic pain

I hope this link gets to the picture I saw:  https://www.facebook.com/Inspiredotcom/photos/a.10152309729980361.927615.130380575360/10155061821775361/?type=3&theater

 

Before I had back surgery, I would sometimes think to myself "I'm not clinically depressed, but why did I not want to go anywhere, do anything, hide at home, not care about doing things around the house, drag myself to work, drag myself home, not want to go out with friends, and my social world became more and more restricted." I was not sad, hopeless, or feeling helpless. I was just in pain.

I was fortunate. I was stubborn about getting treatment for my chronic pain, but finally, I did get treatment, and ultimately, I did get relief. I know others are not as fortunate.

Chronic pain can also mean chronic life changes that are not positive.  Support people in chronic pain, and encourage them to continue to interact with life.

 

Taking My Pills

I am on medication that I am supposed to take morning and night. Well, I have some, but little trouble remembering to take my morning medications.  But my night time medications have baffled me. I finally set a reminder on the computer to prompt me to take the night time medication. That has really helped me.  Tonight, for the very first time, I remembered to take my night time medication before the reminder prompted me. I am a slow learner, but I can learn.

Video Problems Persist

The video problems persist with my laptop.  I know how to correct it, every time it occurs: I go the Power Options panel, and choose "When to turn off the display."  The option is "never."  Then I have to restart the computer.  This is laborious, cumbersome, and inconvenient.  But, is it worth doing vs. paying someone to fix my computer?  At this point in time, yes.  Maybe in the future, no.  But for now I will limp along like this.

Woodlawn

I was looking for a movie to attend this past weekend, and I saw the icon for Woodlawn http://woodlawnmovie.com/, a football player standing in the end of a tunnel leading to a football field.  I like sports movies, so I did some checking.  It turned out that Woodlawn was less a sports movie, and more a Christian movie. So, as I was poking around looking at trailers for the movie, I stumbled upon the Liberty University Convocation http://www.liberty.edu/news/index.cfm?PID=18495&MID=168708 with Sean Astin and other members of the cast and  crew of Woodlawn. And, uncharacteristically for me, I watched it.  And liked what I saw.

I like sports movies. I appreciate movies about the civil rights movement and the efforts to bring segregation and equal rights to the minority groups in the United States (which we have not done very well, by the way.)  So this movie hit home for me on two levels.  I tend to shy away from "Christian" events, because they sometimes have a feel of fanaticism, and fanaticism scares me.  But as I listened to the Convocation, and to Sean Astin, I realized that I was very much like him.  I tend to be judgmental of "evangelism" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evangelism. And, sometimes, evangelism is not inappropriate. 

I tend to think that people who spout the word of God and give endless testimony to Him are just wordsmiths, and except for working in their church, are not very Christian in their approach to every day life.  They may not walk their talk outside of their church, in other words.  But, then I think, do I?

I am unchurched.  I try to conduct myself in a Christian way when dealing with people in my life, whether it is friends, co-workers, colleagues, or acquaintances.  I am not always successful. I am imperfect and always need help to be better. At work, I often find myself facing an enigma posed by a patient, and a deep breath, and a moment to reflect often gives me an inspiration that I believe comes from God.  I am not that wise or well educated.

I am an introvert, and sometimes in public situations, I wilt rather than do the right thing. Or call up my indignation and rant and rave instead of being calm and collected.  (I am getting better at that.) 

Woodlawn was about all of that. About learning to face our challenges. Learning to face our fears. Learning to face the difficulties we have in our lives.  And learning that we can be good Christians while engaging in secular lives.  On so may levels.

I would very much encourage you to go to see this movie.

Licorce

When I was growing up, my favorite uncle, Joe Wojnar, loved old world licorice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liquorice_(confectionery).  And he shared his licorice with me. And I loved licorice. Years ago, I was in Houston, and we were at a novelty shopping area, and I found a store that sold old world licorice.  That was great!  But for years, I did not have licorice.

I have recently found some licorice at, of all places, The Dollar Store http://deals.dollartree.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=315338.  This is very much like old world licorice.  I am so pleased to have found licorice again.  Just one or two places usually satisfies my desire for licorice. But it is really good. 

Taki and the Yarn

I do not knit much any more.  I have a hard time convincing Taki that when I am knitting, the yarn I am using is not her play thing.  She has this special sense and knows when I am knitting, and joins me, trying to play with and chew on the yarn.  I have tried "time out" several times, but that only works for a few days, and then she is interested in my yarn again.

Well, this weekend, I did want to do some knitting.   I gathered my supplies and started knitting while sitting in the computer room, watching TV. Sure enough, Taki joined me and tried to get at the yarn.  I stopped knitting, and found two samples of "her yarn."  We played for a while with that yarn, and then Taki scampered away. A few minutes later, she scampered back and immediately attacked the knitting bag. It was like it was planned.  Very often, Taki seems to be developmentally disabled, but her plan to attack the yarn I was trying to knit with seemed to be very point on. 

I was able to re-direct Taki.  Later, when Haiku came into the computer room, she also played with the "cat" yarn.  That was good. She was not interested in the yarn I was knitting with. 

Later, when I had my knitting project bag out, Taki sought out the yarn that I was using, once again. It is like she has this homing device directed to the yarn I am using for my  yarn project.

Helping the People Who are Homeless

So the mayor of Albuquerque started a program that offered employment to people who are homeless but want to work.  Granted, $9 an hour is not a living wage, and 5.5 hours a day, with no benefits does not provide a living wage.  It is more than what that person who is homeless had.  And, if someone is homeless and on Supplemental Security Income (SSI) through the Social Security Administration, because of a disability, as so many people who are homeless are, it probably does not mean they will lose all of their SSI benefits. So, maybe this is a good program.  It is certainly innovative, and if it stops the city from writing citations on people who are homeless, it is probably well worth it.

http://www.upworthy.com/the-mayor-of-albuquerque-saw-a-homeless-man-with-a-will-work-sign-it-gave-him-a-great-idea?c=ufb1&g=2

Good Deeds

This news article showed up in the Austin Statesman today.  It is about Concord, Ma. police issuing "good behavior" coupons to people, which they can exchange for ice cream.  How fun.

http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/top-news/massachusetts-town-issues-citations-for-good-behav/nn475/
 
Concord is just outside of Boston.  In fact, when you get to Concord from the west, you do not know when one city ends and the next begins. 

I grew up in Western Massachusetts, near Greenfield http://www.townofgreenfield.org/Pages/index.  When I was growing up, Greenfield had a summer program which stopped out of state cars (as per license plates) and offered tourists free accommodations and I think meals in Greenfield, as a ploy to get tourists to stop and stay in Greenfield. I am not sure, but I remember that the last couple years I heard about the program before I left Western Massachusetts, there were complaints from people about being stopped inappropriately, and the emotional distress it caused. I suspect that changed or stopped the program.

I hope the Concord Police Department get the desired results.

Marching Contest

The son of my friend and co-worker is in the Lubbock High School Marching Band. We went today to see the Region XVI North Zone Marching Contest http://www.abernathyband.com/uploads/3/8/0/9/3809659/schedule_nz_marching_2015.pdf at Lowery Field.  I could not find an online results page.

The bands were good. It was a lot of fun.  It was interesting to me that the 5A schools relied heavily on props, but the 6A schools had few props, and relied heavily on band performance. To be honest, that is probably as it should be.  

My Audience

Once again, I am watching my statistics on my blog.  I do not get very many hits.  And once again, the predominant origin of my hits is Russia.  I am not sure what I am posting the somebodies in Russia like.  But it is something.  I think it mucstbe some sort of search program, because each post is only viewed once. Someone is randomly checking me out.  Hmmmm. I cannot imagine what they find interesting.  I am not controversial or divisive.  

Video problems again

Well, last night, I started having video problems again on my computer.  It extended to the DVD player not working. Well, I poked around and looked for trouble shooting.  I am not sure where I went, but I found a Toshiba user's guide, and found a way to correct the video problem.  But it still would not play the DVD, which is from Netflix. It is an Acorn Media DVD https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acorn_DVD.  It might be a faulty DVD.  I loaded one of my own that I know works, and it worked.  I wonder if this was just a coincidence, or maybe not?

I like it when I am smarter than my computer!

Hitting the Wall

I did a lot of walking at work today. Not more than usual, but a lot.  I ended my day sorting papers at a spare desk in my office.  Doing this, because of the height of the desk, I stood at a slightly stooped angle.  I know better. That will set off a burn in certain muscles in my lower back.  I have had this problem since the mid-1980s. 

The truth be known, when this has happened over the last year or so, a session in the pool at the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/ took care of it.  Well, the pool is closed for cleaning and maintenance.  My next best option was a walk, which I took.  I felt like I was struggling, even though before I went for this walk, I put an analgesic patch on my back.  With immediate relief. But, I finished my walk.  I had some errands to run, and got Chinese food take out from the Fortune Cookie http://lubbockfortunecookie.com/. 

The muscles in my back are still burning.  And, when I got home from errands and getting dinner, I was pretty well worn out. I am just waiting for my brain to catch up with being tired. My brain is always less tired than is my body. We will get there soon.

Soccer Moms

So, I don't get it.  I went for a walk tonight, and my route took me by the park in my neighborhood.  At that time of day, during this time of year, there are lots of children in the park, practicing soccer.  They mark off the field and goal with cones.  The cars line the park.  As I went by the cars, in almost every other car, a mom or a mom and her friend were sitting: texting, talking, but not watching their children.  It was a little warm out, and the park does not have benches where the children practice, but there were plenty of parents and siblings near the practice field supporting the soccer players. What's wrong with these moms?  Don't they care how and what their children are doing?

I have to excuse one person.  She was obviously studying from a text book.  If she is the mother of small children, the time at soccer practice is probably the only quiet early evening time she has to study.  I get that. 

But the other mothers?  Get involved!  You could have paid a taxi to take your child to and from soccer practice. 

Tap Dancing

Call me corny, I don't care, but I love to watch tap dancing.  When I was little, I don't know what age, my mother enrolled me and siblings in tap dancing classes. We did not persist, and I believe I did not make it to the recital. (I think I hated it.)

As an adult, I have grown to admire tap dancing.  Even in the old Lawrence Welk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lawrence_Welk_Show TV shows.

Tonight I was watching the Stephen Colbert Show http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/, and he had a guest who was a tap dancer, Michelle Dorrance http://www.dancespirit.com/news/michelle-dorrance-to-appear-on-the-late-show-tonight/.  Colbert and Dorrance performed together, and Colbert admitted he had practiced before the show.  They did good.

I like tap dance. I am glad to see it is not dead.  Thank you, Stephen Colbert.

Thank You Governor Abbot - Not!

Okay, so I am a baseball fan. I am not a Texas Rangers http://texas.rangers.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=tex fan or a Houston Astros http://houston.astros.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=hou fan, but living in Texas, I would have liked to see the Rangers and Astros play each other in the American League Championship Series. Especially since the New York Yankees http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=nyy and Boston Red Sox http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=bos were out of it.

Well what happened was that Gregg Abbot, the Texas Governor's verified Twitter account http://www.wfaa.com/story/sports/mlb/rangers/2015/10/12/did-gov-abbotts-office-jinx-2-texas-mlb-teams-one-tweet/73839364/ prematurely congratulated the Astros on a win against the Kansas City Royals http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/index.jsp?c_id=kc on October 12, 2015. The tweet was attributed to a staff member, but it does not matter. Any baseball fan knows that "it ain't over till it's over" http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34324865  http://www.yogi-berra.com/ . That jinxed not only the Astros, but the Rangers as well. There was to be no all Texas ALCS. I strongly believe that!  I am not superstitious, I do not believe in the occult, but I do believe in Karma. And I think presumption and arrogance, like pride, goeth before a fall.

My biggest hope about this is that Texans everywhere will realize what an arrogant, presumptuous governor has been elected in Texas, and maybe, in the future, a more real, down to earth, in touch with the people governor will be elected. Can sports influence politics, I hope so! 

The First Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate 2015

I wanted to watch the Democratic Presidential Candidate Debate on CNN http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/13/politics/democratic-debate-updates/ tonight, (After all, I have watched two Republican Presidential Candidate Debates this year.) but I also wanted to go to the pool to exercise.  I have two very old TVs, one with a built in VCR recorder that no longer works, and another without. I do not have DVR or TIVO or anything like that, although I am moving closer to the point where that will happen.

So, I decided the debate would continue until after I returned home from the pool, and I was correct.  I enjoyed what I saw of the debate.  The best thing is what some of the participants themselves said:  It was substantive and addressed issues, instead of being full of hate, personal criticisms, and personal attacks.  It really made the Democrats look like the finer statespersons.

I hope as the campaign progresses, the Democrats remember that: The substantive issues vs. the personal attacks really are what the voters of the United States want to hear. 

Campbell's Advertisement

So, I am very bad about not watching advertisements. Tonight, I was watching Stephen Colbert http://www.cbs.com/shows/the-late-show-with-stephen-colbert/.  He did a piece on a Campbell's soup advertisement http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/newsroom/news/2015/10/05/campbells-new-portfolio-advertising-campaign-celebrates-real-life-moments/.  Specifically, he showed the advertisement of a gay couple feeding their son Star Wars Soup.  This advertisement was being protested by One Million Moms http://onemillionmoms.com/. 

Colbert made the point that if the One Million Moms group had not made such a big deal about the ad, most of the rest of us would not have thought much about it.  On the other hand, now Campbell's is getting free advertising, and the One Million Moms group are looking like the haters they are! 

Toshiba Updates

I updated my Tobisha http://us.toshiba.com/computers/laptops laptop a while back.  I had been ignoring the notice for a while, because my past experience with Windows updates http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ has usually not been good.  I was disappointed after I did it.  It was blocking some of my videos in Facebook, and elsewhere.  You Tube posted a notice I could pay $59.xxx (I can't remember the cents) to see the videos. With the three  position cents, I felt that was a bogus site anyway! But that was weird and wild, and of course, I could have cared less. I just decided I would live without those videos.  And I did.

Last night, after ignoring it for a couple of days, I clicked on another Toshiba update. Specifically, I was hoping they would correct their previous screw up.  Guess what?  They did!  They must have gotten a lot of complaints for this correction to come out this quickly!