Crashed with Trash

Taki is an interesting cat. She likes the trash can in the computer room.  This is a basket that I line with a bag from the grocery store.  She likes to dig into the trash can. She puts her head in the trash can.  Earlier this evening, she took a nap with her head in the trash can. I tried to take a picture of her and could not remember how to do that. So, later, I took a picture of her with the trash

She is something else. She took all of the trash out of the basket.  So funny.  I wish I was more capable with my IPhone because that would have been a funny video.

Lunar Eclipse 2015

My computer room has an east facing window.  So I often am privy to beautiful and even spectacular views of the moon.  Tonight, I had a wonderful view of the lunar eclipse http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2015-september-28 from the comfort of my computer room.  It was amazing!

Emailing an Author

I am on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/, and decided to email Troy Soos about the Mickey  Rawlings series.  The response I received was very quick, and I suspected it was "canned."  Well, I sent a very different message to Troy Soos today, and I received the same exact response very quickly after the email was sent. My suspicion was confirmed.  That is really, really cheesy, Troy Soos.

re: The Mickey Rawlings Series
message:	I'm delighted that you're enjoying my books, Joyce! Thanks so much for letting me know. Best regards, Troy

Double Entry

I do not usually post on Facebook, but many more people read my Facebook page than my blog.  So, if I say something on my blog that I want to get out, I am posting it on my Facebook, also.

That is okay.  My blog contains a lot a drivel, day to day stuff, and inconsequential writings. It is dry, with little humor.  I just do not write humor.  That is not me.  I write what I think.  I do not think humor. I think intense, serious, concerned, and pragmatic.

Cut and paste is easy.

Why We Must Listen to Pope Francis

If you have not guessed, I am currently supporting Bernie Sanders.  An open letter, "Why We Must Listen to the Pope" http://www.democraticunderground.com/128054679 is a good indicator of why.

There is not much more for me to add.

Reading "Hanging Curve"

I am now reading Hanging Curve, by Troy Soos. The East St. Louis race riots of 1917 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_St._Louis_riot   http://www.blackpast.org/aah/east-st-louis-race-riot-july-2-1917  were neglected in my education about American history.  In general, I have known about the racial violence between Afro Americans and Northern and Mid-Western whites, and about Jim Crow laws. The acute awareness of race riots 100 years ago certainly gives an additional perspective on the events in St. Louis the past year or more. Personalizing it makes it so much more horrific.

It is sad that I have to say thank you to Troy Soos for increasing my awareness and giving me much more sensitivity to the history of race relations in St. Louis.

I am enjoying the book for its entertainment value, but appreciate the social value.

Pride

I just watched Pride http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3169706/ a movie about lesbians and gays supporting the Welsh miners in their strike in 1984.  This is a feel good movie.  I love a movie about underdogs, solidarity, and good endings.  This movie had it all, including some bad times and harsh feelings. 

This is a piece of fairly recent history about which I was not familiar. It is a good story.  When you think about it, if you mix gays and lesbians, miners and the Welsh, you might not know what you will get.

In this story, you get a really heartwarming and positive story, with plenty of struggle mixed in. 

I stumbled onto this movie while mining Netflix http://dvd.netflix.com/MemberHome. 

Yogi Berra on Charlie Rose

I was just flipping channels to night and caught the Charlie Rose Show http://www.charlierose.com/.  He was airing clips of the several interviews he did with Yogi Berra.  Great fun.  Great tribute.  Yogi Berra, a great man!

Yogi Berra Died 9/22/2105

Yogi Berra died 9/22/2015 http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/sports/yankees-hall-of-fame-catcher-yogi-berra-dies-at-90/nnk9S/.  It is sad.  His history in baseball is legend.  He was an amazing baseball player and champion.  But his Yogi-isms http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/top-news/some-of-the-more-widely-quoted-philosophy-of-yogi-/nnk9Z/ add another realm to his legend.  He was a great man, and a great baseball player. 

His passing is being noted in many ways.  Thank you, Yogi Berra for all you gave to us in baseball, and in life!

Taki - The Lap Kitty

So Taki was not raised as a lap kitty.  From an early age, she has enjoyed sitting at my feet when I am on the computer.  Most recently, though, she has started sitting with me when I am sitting on the sofa.  When she was little, she used to like to get on the back of the sofa and eat my hair!  What was that?  I don't know.

But recently, Taki has started sitting on the arm of the sofa.  Sometimes, she will climb on the back, and even sometimes she will eat my hair again.  I discourage this practice.  In the last few weeks, she has started sitting on my lap while I am reading. But she extends her claws and digs into my abdomen or legs.

Tonight, she did something that I find amazing. Taki has not learned to keep her claws in.  But tonight, as I was sitting at the computer, Taki crawled up onto my lap without the use of her claws.  She sat on my lap for more than 40 minutes.  A couple of times she would grab or nibble my hands, but she only scratched me once.  That was truly amazing.  How neat!

David Ortiz, Yeah Big Papi

So the very few regular readers I have know that I am a New York Yankee fan and a Boston Red Sox fan  http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp.  I am, in addition, a David Ortiz fan.  Big Papi is an icon and an idol in New England. Most recently, he was heralded for getting his 500th home run http://m.mlb.com/video/v493709683/tbbos-red-sox-honor-ortiz-for-500th-career-home-run/?player_id=120074.  Congratulations Big Papi! Well deserved honors.

Big Papi said it like it was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGMJeVHXsL0 during the ceremony at the first game at Fenway Park after the Boston Marathon Bombing http://www.history.com/topics/boston-marathon-bombings. And the great thing was that the head of the Federal Communication Commission, Julius Genachowski 
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/21/us/massachusetts-fcc-ortiz/index.html did not disagree.

Big Papi "gets it."  Yeah, Big Papi!

So I Don't Subscribe to HBO

So, I don't subscribe to HBO, and I never saw the documentary Nine Innings from Ground Zero: The 2001 World Series.  Recently, as I was watching a New York Yankees game http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/ticketing/singlegame.jsp?c_id=nyy&y=2015&mlbkw=ma-x-89ZWEQd8 the sportscasters talked about this documentary. I put it on my Netflix http://dvd.netflix.com/MemberHome queue.

Tonight, I watched the video.

It was very moving, and very emotional.  It took me back to 2001, when patriotism in our country was overwhelming.

If you have not seen this, watch it.  It will remind you of the values we all acknowledged after 2001.  We forget about these values.  We need to remember. 

The Weather Front is Moving In

There is a weather front moving in.  We were told about this by the local weather forecasters. We are expecting it.  With the front is the possibility of rain and electric storms. I think it is interesting, that locally they still call them thunder storms. But the thunder is not a danger, the lightning is.

As I sit at my computer, behind a north facing window, I have seen the lightning increase, and am hearing the thunder. I have not checked the weather radar, so do not know how close these storms are.

I just know they are approaching.

In Support of Bernie Sanders

I have to promote this http://reverbpress.com/politics/biblical-argument-for-bernie-sanders/ a religious conservative being a political liberal supporting Bernie Sanders. He is right, Bernie Sanders is declaring justice for the poor, and good news for the least among us.  This is great. This is what we are all called to do. 

Reactionary: Is it Right?

Is this what we have become and who we are as a nation?  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/us/texas-student-is-under-police-investigation-for-building-a-clock.html?emc=edit_th_20150917&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=40853516&_r=0

Ahmed Mohamed worked on what was a science project, and when he brought it to school, he was detained and suspended.

Do you think the same thing would have happened if he was Anglo? I do not care what the authorities say, I do not think an Anglo student would have been treated the same way.  His family had a cool response. I am glad the President Obama invited him to the White House.

I know people are afraid of Muslim fanatics. But can we afford to live in fear of every law abiding Muslim who lives in this country?  Why would we want to?

Let's think about it.  We have a lot of other fanatics in the country, whose fanaticism is based on Christianity:  The Ku Klux Klan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ku_Klux_Klan for one.  I chose the Wikipedia article over a first source article because I did not want the source article on my computer.

Another group is the Fundamentalist Ladder Day Saints.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamentalist_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-Day_Saints  Again, I chose the Wikipedia article because I did not want the source article on my computer.

Yet another group is the Skinheads https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skinhead.

What about the Aryan Brotherhood https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_Brotherhood or the Aryan Circle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryan_Circle?

How would we treat members of these groups in a situation similar to Ahmed Mohamed's?  The sad reality is that the members of some of these other groups that I have mentioned would probably get a pass.

Is that what you want the United States of America to stand for?  We have finally shut down the Jim Crow laws that discriminated against Afro-Americans.  Our civil rights laws and equal opportunity laws should protect other minorities.  But is that happening? There is still discrimination in this country.  It is subtle. It is not sanctioned by formal government. But it still occurs.

We are getting better. But we are not there yet.

The Recalcitrant Dishwasher

So, I ran my dishwasher Tuesday night. And Wednesday morning, I could not open it.  I tried several things, and nothing worked.  I decided I could not deal with it before work, and went to work. I told a co-worker about it. She said another co-worker does appliance installation and repair on the side.  He suggested what I had thought to do: run the cycle again.

Running the cycle did not work last night.  Tonight, I unplugged the dishwasher for a while, plugged it back in, then ran the cycle again. That did not work. The co-worker said if that did not work, he would check his troubleshooting guide.

I do not use a lot of dishes each day, but I am mostly frustrated that I do not have access to what is in the dishwasher.  Oh well.  The worst that can happen is that I will need a new dishwasher. This one is about 11 years old, which is not old for a dishwasher, but given the very hard water in Lubbock, is also not a bad age for a water related appliance.

A Visit From the Pope

Don't you just love it.  This is a description of the visits that Pope Francis will make during his trip to the United States http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/nyregion/pope-to-meet-prisoners-and-the-meek-during-east-coast-visit.html?emc=edit_th_20150917&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=40853516.  He will not only be seeing dignitaries and government leaders, he will be seeing the common folk.  This is his hallmark. He is a humble man who emphasizes acts of Christian Charity, and forgiveness. He is the Pope we needed for this time in history.

Thank you, Pope Francis.

It Is A No Noise Night

I could not find anything I wanted to watch on TV.  There is a Texas Rangers game, and when I want noise, the patter and pace of a baseball game is really soothing to me.  But tonight, I am enjoying no noise.  I have not even put on a Gregorian Chant https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_chant. I have several CDs of Gregorian Chants, and they are very soothing to me. But as I typed this, and Googled Gregorian Chant, I found this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ElL8hdQD_4, which is now playing.

Also, sometimes, I like to listen to The Ultimate Bolero http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ravels-greatest-hit-the-ultimate-bolero/8887077 by Ravel.  That did not really appeal to me tonight. 

But the Gregorian Chants did.  So soothing. My brain is frazzled, and no noise, or this noise is what I need.

The Innards of a Kitty Sandwich

I had a restless night last night.  I could tell because the comforter ended up on the floor.  I have had several restless night lately.  This will pass, and it really does not bother me.  I think it bothers the kitties because they like to join me in bed off and on during the night, and especially in the early morning right before the alarm goes off. And if I am having a restless night, I am not sure what happens, but they may get bumped or popped unintentionally.

I am convinced that the cats do not like the alarm, and they can tell from the display on the clock when it is close to time for the alarm to go off.  So, they get in bed and wake me up first.

But not this morning.  This morning, I woke up to being the innards of a kitty sandwich: Haiku was laying up against my back, and Taki was up against my abdomen.  It was warm, and fuzzy and oh so sweet!  It did not last long, but it lasted long enough to make an impression on my brain. 

We have been going through some serious stuff at work, and throughout the day, the memory of being the innards of a kitty sandwich really soothed me today.  I am so lucky to have such sweet kitties.

Go Fund Me

Have you heard this, that someone has founded a "Go Fund Me https://www.gofundme.com/" account? We hear it a lot on the local news.  It used to be that people opened accounts at local banks when they were trying to raise funds for people in need.  Now, the accounts are on line, and people can reach out via the Internet to people far and near who might be interested in helping people in need.

This might be a good thing. I think a lot of people have been helped by this.

Progressive Christianity

Someone I know and love has promulgated the benefits of Progressive Christianity http://progressivechristianity.org/.  It sounds good. But I am a skeptic regarding beliefs, faith, and how people define Christianity.

I shy away from judgementalism, holier than thouism, conservative ideology, fanaticism, and any belief system that is exclusionary and hateful.

I need to explore Progressive Christianity more.

Netflix

Years ago, one of my nieces convinced me to join Netflix http://dvd.netflix.com/MemberHome?lnkctr=mhbwse.  Well, I kept it for quite sometime, but did not feel like I got my money's worth: I just did not watch the DVDs in a timely way.

A few months ago, some of my co-workers suggested some movies I might want to watch, and they were right, and Netflix seemed to be a way to do that. So I rejoined. But I did not watch the movies I subscribed to regularly, and was not sure I wanted to keep Netflix.  I did enjoy having it when I was homebound in July.  But then, I did not watch anything in August. What a waste of my resources.  But maybe if I am more careful about what DVDs I pick, and I am more self-disciplined, I can get benefit from subscribing to Netflix. 

Football

So, I did watch  some of the Giants vs. Cowboys football game http://www.nfl.com/.  Even though I do not like the Giants right now, I definitely do not like the Cowboys.  So, the first half of the game has been fun for me to watch. Especially because the defense of the Giants has been so instrumental in the Giants good fortune. But ultimately, the Cowboys won. It was crazy.  Oh well. 

Weather

We are not forecast to have rain today (10% chance.)  Mid-afternoon, I noticed some clouds building, and the sky has become overcast.  The Weather Channel http://www.weather.com/radar shows some isolated storms to the northwest.  I do not believe that they will reach Lubbock.  Maybe. We shall see.

Lost

This is a little embarrassing, but mostly funny.  I got lost in the parking garage at the Lifestyle Center http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx yesterday.  I just took a wrong turn, and could not figure out why I was going the wrong way and could not get out.  Well, following the signs solved THAT problem.

Today, I ran an errand at the Mall http://southplainsmall.com/.   Yes, I know, on a weekend, the Mall. But I accomplished what I wanted to do very quickly. But when I left the store and went into the parking lot, I thought I knew exactly where I parked my car.  I was wrong. Again, a little disoriented.  Hmmmm.

I saw the football game advertised for tonight:  The New York Giants vs. The Dallas Cowboys http://www.nfl.com/.  I watched the New England Patriots win against the Pittsburg Steelers Thursday night. As with baseball, I like the Patriots, and for years I have been a sort of Giants fan.  I decided to turn the game on tonight, and when I did, remembered why I do not like the Giants right now.  I do not like Eli Manning.  Oh well, there was nothing else I wanted to watch on TV.  I will probably start reading shortly.

9-11

I did not intentionally do much to commemorate the 14th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 terrorist attacks. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/on-sept-11-anniversary-appeals-to-remember-as-time-passes/ar-AAeap4l?li=AAa0dzB?ocid=ansmsnnews11  I started the day very conscious of the anniversary, and did put my flag out. At the football game the team's uniforms honored the living and dead first responders, veterans, and military members.  But that was it.

But I often think about how 9/11 changed us.  Our nation's citizens had rights curtailed by virtue of the Patriot Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act which allowed The Department of Homeland Security http://www.dhs.gov/ and other government agencies extensive liberties in surveillance, wiretapping, data mining, and invasions of privacy in the name of looking for terrorists or terroristic activity.

Our language has change: 9/11; ground zero; first responders (which was used previous to that attack, but not as prevalently as after); Homeland Security, to mention a few.

Our way of looking at things has changed.  First responders are more recognized as heroes.  Or at least, people who put their life on the line.  The members of the military are honored, and it is not uncommon for someone to approach a person in uniform, and to say "Thank you for your service."

In my way of thinking, we as a country are more leery about immigrants and refugees. Yet, I think some people have gone out of their way to be more aware of diversity and learn about different cultures, countries, religions.   

I also wonder if some of the police on citizen violence does not hearken back to the changes caused by 9/11.  First responders were given more authority by virtue of the need to seek out terrorists.  But when someone is given more authority, it is easy to generalize that to any or every situation. And, minority profiling, whether intentional, by policy, or unintentional, does occur.  So it became easier for someone so inclined to abuse their authority in certain situations.  We know this has happened for years.  I don't know if it has become worse recently, or we are just more aware of it, attuned to it, and seeing more unbiased evidentiary reports about it.

Of course, security at airports and the borders, even with our neighbor to the north, Canada, and to the south, Mexico, has increased. 

I wonder what exactly Al Qaeda https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Qaeda hoped to accomplish by these attacks.  To bring the United States down, in some way, shape, or form.  To my thinking, these attacks made our country stronger.  It started with Flight 93, when people did what they could.  Instead of being helpless victims on a skyjacked plane, they fought back, realizing they might not live, anyway. I think in many ways even though we have a lot of divisiveness in the country, we as a citizenry will rally together against any outside attach.

I think the public response to the Boston Marathon bombers, Boston Strong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Strong, was a symbol of how the people of this country come together against outside attacks.

I personally am not sure how 9/11 changed me.  I have reflected that in the last few years, I am more conscious of thanking members of the military and first responders. I attend memorial services, and find myself tearing up when I hear patriotic music. I have passively accepted "security measures" while wondering if I should oppose the infringements on my rights. I feel stronger about wanting to defend my country. I feel stronger about wanting the wrongs in my country to be righted.

I fly very little, but do not find the impositions of searches and security measures that intrusive, partly, I think, because I work on a prison and search and investigation of personal effects is a regular experience. Except that the searches add so much time to the flight. But, I would rather drive so I can throw whatever into the car, even if I end up not needing it. Internet security is a problem, but it always was.

I think we have just settled into the "new normal" without realizing what we have lost or gained.   And that is the worst outcome of 9/11. Not being aware of what he have lost or gained.

Christian Authors

When I was at the Fall Festival today, there were two authors who advertised themselves as Christian authors. One author said he was a mystery writer, and when he has to "bump people off" he does it in a nice way. He said his books had no racy scenes, no vulgar language, and no gore.  I almost bought a book.  I did not.  I do not object to the "cleaner" writing, although I can handle a certain amount of blood, guts and gore.  I do not like graphic killing scenes, nor violence against children and animals. I do not like a book that has a theme of domestic violence. 

What kept me from going back and purchasing a book was the second author I spoke to. She wore her Christian writing like a badge.  It made me decide that I did not want to support anything that even hinted at the conservative Christian right.  I do not mind Christians, but so many of the conservative Christian right are so conservative, they are very rigid, inhumane, unforgiving and judgmental.  So, I am writing about being judgmental of them.  I just do not want to support that brand of conservatism.

Fall Festival

Today was the Fall Arts Festival http://www.mylubbock.us/departmental-websites/departments/garden-arts-center/news-item-2/2015/09/12/default-calendar/43rd-annual-fall-festival at the Garden Arts Center, in Lubbock.  We had talked about it at work yesterday, but I forgot about it this morning, till my hairdresser mentioned it.

I had nothing else to do that was pressing, so I went after getting  my hair cut.  There was a good crowd. There was a good number of booths.  The live entertainment was okay.  Some years, there are a lot of food vendors, but not this year. 

Some years there seems to be a "theme" to the wares.  This year, not so much. One thing that I found interesting was that there were 2 authors there.  Both informed me that their books were Christian books without a steamy or vulgar language. There were home made food booths, soap, woodworking articles, creams and lotions, jewelry, accessories quilting items, the Iris Club was selling irises, some art booths, and other handicrafts, including knitting.  Usually seeing the knitting inspires me, not this year.

It was a cool morning, but when I got to the Festival, the temperature was starting to heat up.  But, I enjoyed the Fall Arts Festival. I am glad I went.

The Lifestyle Center

Today was a particularly stressful day at work. 

Because I had my time in by mid-afternoon, and due to circumstances at work that prevented me from being very productive, I left.

I went home, and visited with my cats, but when I am very distressed, they are distressed, and we feed off of each others discomfort. They are very sensitive that way.  Some people say cats can soothe you, but mine are not like that. They really like it when I am mellow and we all just kind of chill.  I know pets are supposed to help de-stress people, but it does not work that way in my house. If I am stressed, my cats are stressed.  I wonder if that is why Taki was so distressed earlier this week that she did not come out from hiding. Because this has been a stressful week for me.

So, when I went home early from work, I decided that going to the Lifestyle Center at Covenant http://www.covenanthealth.org/Our-Services/LifeStyle-Centre.aspx was just the ticket.  And it was. It was not really busy, and the people there were people I knew. We exercised and visited and it was very relaxing and very social.  I so appreciate that experience. I wish I could carry the calmness of that experience over to the rest of my life. I can work on it.

Lubbock High School Westerner Football and Band, Part 2

My friend and co-worker and I again went to the Lubbock High Westerner Football game to watch and support her son, who is in the band:

 
Actually her son is, in her words, the shortest one in the band:

 

 

I last heard the band two weeks ago.  I was impressed at how much better they sounded tonight than they did two weeks ago. They pretty much seem to have the marching down, but their first performance was pretty weak.  We stayed after the game and listened to the band director's comments. I thought she was spot on:  encouraging but corrective; acknowledging the much improved performance; reminding about procedures.

 

The Lubbock Westerners Football team wore uniforms meant to commemorate the survivors and victims of 9/11/2001

 

http://www.kcbd.com/clip/11838371/lubbock-high-wearing-special-uniforms-for-911

 

You cannot see the uniforms very well in my picture, but you can in the clip.

 

Before the game, I had the chance to go to the Lifestyle Center. One of the regulars was at the pool, and he is a long time teacher and former coach for the Lubbock Independent School District http://www.lubbockisd.org/pages/Lubbock_ISD__TX.  His take on the new uniforms was that the school district purchased them, including with donations from him and many other people, for the schools in the district to use them this year and in the future, rotating between the schools in the district, depending upon who had a game on or close to 9/11.  That is a really good idea, I think. 

 

 

 

Mosquitos

I stepped out briefly last night, just to sample the night air. And in less that 5 minutes, more like 2 or 3 minutes, I got two mosquito bites!  They bothered me a little today, but sitting at the computer tonight, they really started to itch.  Guess what?  I got out the meat tenderizer again. Yeah! meat tenderizer.

I Hope Taki is OK

Usually when I get home, one or both cats comes to greet me.  Tonight, Haiku greeted me from atop the cat tree, a favorite perch of hers.  She also came to sit with me in the computer room. 

But I did not see or hear from Taki.  Usually, if I am in the computer room for any period of time, she visits.  And, I warmed up some dinner, and she did not come out to the kitchen looking for a handout.  That concerned me, so I went looking, and found her in the spare bedroom, sleeping in her crinkly tunnel.  She likes this tunnel, and often sleeps on one end or the other, but this time, she was totally in the tunnel.  When I turned the light on, and went into the room, she came out slowly, let me pet her, and just sat there. She did not come out of the spare room. She must have been really sleeping soundly.

Just a few minutes ago, she did come to the kitchen while I was in it.  The only thing I can think of, if she is feeling okay, is that I have only one television on, and it is fairly soft, so soft, I cannot hear it in the kitchen. Maybe there just was not enough noise to rouse her tonight.  After she had a snack in the kitchen, she came to join Haiku and me in the computer room.

Meat Tenderizer

I  keep meat tenderizer in my medicine cabinet.  This is a hold over from a former life when I spent a lot of time in the great outdoors.  Meat tenderizer really helps if you have an insect bite that is inflamed and itchy.   I sat outside the other night.  The air was just beautiful. I lit a couple of citronella candles, but did not get the Off Clip On Mosquito Repellent http://www.off.com/en-US/Products/Pages/off-clip-on.aspx?cid=SEM_B_off%20clip%20on_off-us-spr14&sid=SEM_B_289.kw107481e#off-clip-on-mosquito-repellent-refills device out. Mistake.  I had one mosquito bite on my right forearm.  And it has been really bothering me. Tonight, it continued to be really red, looking inflamed, and very itchy.  I went to the medicine cabinet, got out the meat tenderizer, made a paste, and applied it to my arm.  Wow, it seems miraculously, the itching stopped and the redness disappeared. I have flakes of salt on my arm. But that is a small price to pay for the relief I felt immediately!  Duh!

Ahsoken Farewell

I love this piece of music, Ashoken Farewell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashokan_Farewell, used in the Ken Burns documentary The Civil War http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/civil-war/.  I have a version of this on a CD by The Prairie Heirs of the Palo Duro http://amarillo.com/stories/050699/ent_briefs.shtml#.Ve-j_KTlu1s.  I do not believe that this group is still in existence. I really enjoy the music on their CD and find Ashokan Farewell to be very haunting.  When I heard this piece, I thought it was a traditional piece, not one written in 1982. It is beautiful music.  Very evocative.

The History of the United States

I am so sad tonight.  I know about all of the discriminatory and duplicity in history of the United States of America: the poor treatment of the First Americans, including the failure to abide by treaties made with these peoples and the other abysmal treatments of these peoples.  Slavery.  Jim Crow Laws. The incarceration of Japanese in camps during World War II. I had not heard about this one: The Deportation of Mexicans and Mexcian-Americans who were US citizens during the Great Depression http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2015/09/08/437579834/mass-deportation-may-sound-unlikely-but-its-happened-before.  Segregation, which was separate and not equal. The violation of rights in the Patriot Act https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act. The incarcerations at Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_detention_camp.

I believe I am missing some other grievous human rights violations. I am not touching on the violations by private industry over the years. 

So, this is so sad that the United States has such a checkered past, yet sets itself out in the international community as a "holier than thou" nation.  It is not wrong that we are, as a nation, helping other peoples and other nations to improve their human rights records. But shouldn't we be doing it from a "learn from us" stance in learn from our mistakes? vs. This is how good a nation we are.  Because, frankly, we are not. 

The current unrest and animosity between citizens and  police is a perfect example of that:  People are being killed when in the custody or in contention with law enforcement professionals under questionable circumstances. Law enforcement officials are being ambushed simply because they are law enforcement officials.  I think this country is embroiled in a war of right vs. might. No clearly defined lines. No us against them, because the lines change depending upon the circumstances.  Who is right? Who has the might?  Who is Us? Who is Them?

Ken Burns

I have watched some of the documentaries of Ken Burns http://kenburns.com/the-films/ in part or all. I think his filming making is genius. Tonight, I am watching a re-run of The Civil War first aired in 1990. I was shocked when PBS announced it was the 25th anniversary of its first airing. I think of all the things that have intervened in the last 25 years of my life.  But it does not seem possible that it was first aired 25 years ago.  I guess, perhaps, because I have seen it more than once.  And perhaps because the film is timeless.

"A Walk in the Woods" A Movie

Some years ago, I read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson http://www.billbryson.co.uk/index.php/books/. The reason I read it was because I read an article in the newspaper about Robert Redford making it into a movie. The book sounded good. I did not know about it before then.  The movie came out this month, and I went to see it http://www.walkinthewoodsmovie.com/. It was an okay movie, it was very funny, and only partly accurate with the book.  But it got several messages across.

I have read several of Bill Bryson's books, and plan to read more. If any of them are made into movies, I will go to see them.

"Ancient" Fenway Park

I am watching ESPN http://espn.go.com/ today.  The Yankees are playing the Orioles in New York City.  Because the Red Sox are playing the Blue Jays, who are leading the division, and the Yankees are close behind them, the announcers are giving updates about that game http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/standings/index.jsp.  Not just today, but the ESPN announcer has referred to Fenway Park https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fenway_Park, http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/bos/ballpark/index.jsp as "ancient" many times this season.

Well, we all know that Fenway Park is 103 years old.  It has been updated over and over again, but the basic structure is old. Is 103 ancient for a building? Maybe for a baseball park it is. In this country, it sort of is, but there are a lot of other buildings that are older, dating back to colonial times, Spanish settlement times, and Native American times. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_oldest_buildings_in_the_United_States.

I think, if the ESPN announcer wants to comment on Fenway Park's age, there is another term he might use:  Venerable. For those of us who like Fenway Park, venerable works better than ancient.

Haiku Chews

Haiku likes to chew on things:  Corners of papers and envelopes. She also likes to lick the glue on an envelop flap.  That I get.  It has a bit of a flavor in it.  Pen and pencils, especially when I am writing, which I get, because the object is moving.  The corner of my cell phone. Maybe this makes sense, because salt from my hands my be on the case. Today, the end of the antenna for my wireless mouse.  Which I don't get at all.  The corner of the laptop.  Again, maybe salt from my hands on the laptop? 

She does not do this a lot, but when she wants my attention, it seems.  Hmmmm.  Thoughts?

NASCAR

There was a time in my life when I was a diehard NASCAR fan.  I recorded races if I could not watch them live. I adjusted my schedule around NASCAR races, and I watched NASCAR racing shows when I could find them.

That has changed.  In part, it changed because NASCAR changed.  They took races away from some of the romantic short tracks like Hickory, and moved races to cookie-cutter tracks in Chicago, Las Vegas, Kansas.  They raced on Mother's Day weekend which never happened before. They took the Southern 500 away from Darlington on Labor Day.  They developed a "Chase" format in an attempt to make the championship more exciting. But they had to create their own hype to make the championship exciting.  They did all kinds of things to make sure the winners were the eventual champion, when all they needed to do was give major points to each race winner.  They could not figure that out!  Duh!  So simple.  NASCAR became such a business they forgot their roots.

They are making some changes to get back to the sport they once were.  They will never return to the NASCAR of old, but one change they made was to return the Southern 500 to Darlington, but on Labor Day http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2015/09/04/darlington-return-lady-in-black-back-on-labor-day/.

Maybe I can become a NASCAR fan again.

I Want Something to Eat ...

But I don't know what I want.  This is a common complaint from my cats. When they are hungry, and I am home, they come to me to tell me they are hungry, rather than check out what is in their food dishes.  I leave dry food out so they can eat at will. I feed other food twice a day.

Tonight Haiku came to me because she wanted something to eat.  When we got to the kitchen she found there was food out, already, that she wanted to eat!  That is often the case.

I don't mind.  I just wish I could tell what they want.

Marriage License? vs Criminal Record?

I have been following the struggle of Kentucky Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis and her refusal to issue marriage licenses to gay couples http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-peron/stupidity-not-religion-pu_b_8086824.html?ncid=fcbklnkushpmg00000063.  For me, this article is a good description of what she has done.

Her mother was county clerk before her, and she knew the duties of the job when she was elected http://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2015/09/03/judge-clerk-in-marriage-case-dealt-with-nepotism-charges.  Frankly, if I was a voter in Rowan County, I would be calling for her impeachment.  As a voter, I would have elected her to do her job, and spending time in jail,  and preventing her staff from doing their jobs is not the reason she was elected. If she is earning wages while she is not doing her job, frankly, that is theft from the State of Kentucky, and the taxpayers of Kentucky. 

I know that it is said that for every quote we recite from the Bible, in favor of our perspective, someone else will find a verse that supports their perspective. But I think Jesus was pretty clear in  Mark 12:17 when he said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."  To me, this is a directive from the Bible to Ms. Davis that if she is the County Clerk of Rowan County, she has an obligation to comply with the laws that Rowan County are compelled to follow, even if and especially if, handed down from the Supreme Court of the United States. If she wants to serve God, then she should go to work for her church. Or, at the very least, she should not take money from an entity that has tenets and values that differ from her religion, saying she is working for the entity, when she is not.  That is very deceitful!  And very unchristian.

I understand that very religious people are often called upon to reconcile their religious beliefs with laws and government.  I applaud someone who maintains the courage of their convictions, and does the right thing.  In this case, the right thing for Ms. Davis is to acknowledge that her religious beliefs are in conflict with the instructions of her employer, and she should not in good conscience continue to be employed by that employer, and take money for a job she cannot fulfill.  This then frees her up to campaign against same sex marriage freely, on her own time, and on her own dime, not that of the taxpayer.

Indeed, ultimately by fighting this law as a government employee, she has shattered the separation between church and state that our forefathers guaranteed us http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights_transcript.html in the Bill of Rights, or the First Ten Amendments to the United States Constitution http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html. Because, as a government employee, she is forcing her religious beliefs upon others in Rowan County, and the first amendment basically says the government cannot do that.

Well, I am not a religious scholar, a legal scholar, and most certainly, not a Constitutional scholar. This is my humble opinion.

Help for Substance Abusers and Police Departments

I watched this video and cried https://www.facebook.com/Upworthy/videos/1084264371614420/?fref=nf.  It is about the Gloucester, Massachusetts, Police Department helping drug addicts to get rehabilitation services instead of being arrested.

Why can't we do that everywhere?  The money spent to incarcerate people would also pay for substance abuse treatment.

Why are we not thinking that way?  What is wrong with us?

Drum Line

I love a marching band.  I love a college or high school marching band. I love a brass band. I love a Drum Corp International band.  I love a drum line.  This drum line is phenomenal https://www.facebook.com/disturbreality/videos/1036266483084095/?fref=nf. 

Treat Me, Treat Me

I was late getting home after work, because I had an errand I wanted to accomplish.  But not that late:  6 PM compared to 5:20 PM.  And, as always when I get home and it is cat feeding time, that was the priority.

But, I went out and returned home about 2.25 hours later.  The cats thought they needed to be fed again.  I did give them treats.

So, about 11 PM, the cats said again that it was treat time.  I gave them a different treat. At first, they were not happy, but each cat did chow down within minutes of being offered the different treat.

I know I should not give in to their requests for treats. They have free access to two varieties of canned food, which I change out morning and night. They have free access to three varieties of dry food (a "gourmet" mix; a hairball mix; and an "indoor mix.")  They are also offered "treats" at least twice a day, even if they do not ask for them (they usually ask.)  I think I spoil my cats too much.

The Poetry of Robert Frost

A short while ago, I do not recall when, I heard some lines from Robert Frost's poem "Stopping By Woods on A Snow Evening" http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/171621.   I do not remember the context I heard these lines, but I recall thinking that the context was a little incongruent with Frost's poem. I do know it was a commercial venture of some sort.

Tonight, I heard another Robert Frost poem "The Road Not Taken"  http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/173536.  I paid attention this time. Two Robert Frost poems used for incongruent commercial advertising.  The advertisement using the "The Road Not Taken" was a gloom and doom, doomsday type movie advertisement.  Way out of context for Robert Frost.

So, what is it about Robert Frost's poetry that all of a sudden has made it so popular. And so badly used?

I am a traditionalist when it comes to poetry. I want it used in the context it was meant. Which, if you read Robert Frost, his poems are bucolic and idyllic.  Not the commercial, violent context as portrayed tonight. How does this happen?

And yet, would he say that maybe his words can be used to challenge?