How The Wolves Changed Yellowston

Have you seen this before?  I have. It is not new.  But it is amazing. It is a short piece about how the wolves changed Yellowstone Park.  It is amazing. 

https://weloveanimals.me/released-14-wolves-park-no-one-prepared-unbelievable-nature11/I

Several years ago, at the Texas Tech Museum, there was an exhibit about Yellowstone to Yukon. https://y2y.net.  The idea is to work to develop lands between the Yellowstone, and the areas in the Yukon that also protect the wildlife species so they can migrate between the two areas, and interbreed, and keep the species strong and healthy.  Makes sense to me.

West Texas Wind

Well, today was a typical West Texas Spring day, but a little early in the season.  It was warm and the winds were so strong that we had a lot of blowing dust.  Blowing dust gets into my office at work, and I cough a lot. Blowing dust is the reason I use the recycle air option in my vehicle.  I dislike blowing dust. I like the warm weather.

So, I Don't Get This

Haiku and Taki like to sit on the office chairs in the computer room.  And tonight, when I went into the computer room to do some computering, they were each in an office chair.  So, I moved the wireless laptop to a TV tray and sat on the lounge chair. No big deal.  Taki jumped down to the floor, and kept nattering at Haiku in her office chair.  Haiku finally had enough, and left. Taki jumped into the chair in which Haiku had been sleeping, and ate from the cat food dish, then returned to the floor. Haiku returned, and jumped on the chair that Taki had been using. So I returned to the chair at the computer desk where Haiku had been originally, and plugged the laptop in again, for charging and printing purposes.  Musical cat chairs.

Bagpipes

Several years ago, I went looking for bagpipes CDs and found one: the Spirit of the Glen by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Royal-Scots-Dragoon-Guards/dp/B000WSRPOO .  It is wonderful, and I play it often.  Since then, they have produced several other CDs, but repeating many of the same songs, and there are other CDs out there.  That is good.  I love dramatic bagpipe music.

The Last of the Mohicans

I have a CD of bagpipe music, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guard Spirit of the Glen https://www.amazon.com/Spirit-Royal-Scots-Dragoon-Guards/dp/B000WSRPOO/ref=pd_sbs_15_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZPKVRCTKDZ1Y7V3R5PE4 and one of the songs on it is "The Last of the Mohicans."  It is an earthy, guttural, visceral, throbbing song.  And one I remembered from watching the movie "The Last of the Mohicans" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104691/.  I have watched the movie in its entirety maybe once.  I have watched parts of it many times.  Most recently, I turned it on while I was engaged in a project, and mostly just listened to the music, but occasionally tuned into the story.  So, I had a 30% off coupon from Barnes and Noble for Presidents Day, and went on line to try to purchase the sound track. They were going to charge me $10 for shipping.  Well, I went to my local Barnes and Nobel store, and as luck woud have it, they had the sound track, http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1170605/a/last+of+the+mohicans.HTML which I purchased with the 30% discount and my member discount. 

This is great music.  Just great. 

Half Time Shows

When I was at the Lady Raider basketball game a couple of weekends ago, I thoroughly enjoyed the half-time entertainment, of quick change artists. This was obviously a professional show.  The Red Raider game started a couple of hours after the Lady Raider game ended, and although I could have stayed for the game, I did not want to spend that time waiting. But as I watched the game on TV, they showed part of the half time show, the same quick change artists.  I figured that the Athletic Department paid for a professional show since they could entertain two audiences.  I also figured that this show was "making the circuit" and doing shows at Texas Tech fit into the schedule.

This past weekend, at the Lady Raider game, the Olate Dogs, Winners of America's Got Talent http://olatedogs.com/ were the half time entertainment.  I figured that since the men had played earlier in the day, Tech sprung for a professional half time show again to entertain two audiences.  And, I figured they were making the rounds in the area.

Tonight, I watched the Boston Celtics win against the Dallas Mavericks, and caught a glimpse of the half time show. It was the same show that was in Lubbock. So I suspect that I was right about this show making the rounds in the area. But it was a great show!

Basketball weekend, basketball night

This past Saturday the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the Lady Raiders played basketball.  I listened to the men's game and attended the women's game.  Both teams played hard but lost.  Tonight, another Red Raider game against 4th ranked Baylor, and it is a good game.  The Red Raiders have a chance to win if they do not defeat themselves http://www.texastech.com/#headlines.   So, I am listening to the game again.

Tonight, the Boston Celtics play the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas http://www.nba.com/.  The game is in progress and I will watch it after the Texas Tech game is done.  I have been known to watch a game on TV and listen to a different game on the radio, but the Tech game is too exciting to be distracted by that.

The Tech game is close, but Tech is having trouble defending against Baylor, although Baylor's big scorer fouled out.  Just seconds left to go and it is a close game.  Tech is up by 7 with 26 seconds left.  Now it is a 4 point game with 15 seconds left, and Tech is shooting free throws.  Now it is a 6 point game.  With 3 seconds left, Tech is fouled.  Tech won the game, the students stormed the floor.   Go Tech.

Recess

I watched the early morning news and the NBC political show Meet the Press http://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press this morning. Then, I turned off all news media and even shut the TV off this afternoon in favor of a book. I did watch the late news on the local NBC affiliate KCBD http://www.kcbd.com/. 

I needed the break from the news, especially the political news. It is too head bending to comprehend sometimes.  I needed a recess.

Ethics Violation by Kellanne Conway

Kellyanne Conway, Counselor to the President, blatantly promoted Ivanka Trump's fashion line from The White House https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/09/us/politics/kellyanne-conway-ivanka-trump-ethics.html?_r=0.  That is so in violation of the code of ethical conduct, and Ms. Conway was "counseled" about that.  This is leading the Trump administration down the "slippery slope."  We saw what happened when Charles Colson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Colson acted above the law.  It eventually brought down President Nixon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Nixon. Hmmm. What else is not right in the Trump Administration?

The Bowling Green Massacre

Kellyane Conway, advisor to President Trump, recently referred to the Bowling Green Massacre.  She later said it was a slip of the tongue, misspoken, but she has previously referred to the non-existent Bowling Green Massacre https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/02/06/kellyanne-conways-bowling-green-massacre-wasnt-a-slip-of-the-tongue-shes-said-it-before/?utm_term=.855fb9ecea35.
The really sad part about this is that the Trump camp believes "the alternative facts" are perfectly acceptable. 

The problem is, with enough misspoken information, the credibility of this Presidency will go right down the tubes.  I remember during the Vietnam War Era Credibility Gap https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credibility_gap that tore this nation apart.

I, for one, do not already believe what the Presidential administration is publicizing.  I have tried to see when it has been reasonable.  But it makes my head spin to try. I cannot keep putting myself through that.

The Presidential Honeymoon Period

Usually the President of the United States is offered a honeymoon period https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-honeymoon-period-presidents-395739.  But I have not heard anything said about a honeymoon period for President Trump.  Currently the approval rating is for President Trump is very low https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/02/06/its-not-unusual-that-trumps-approval-ratings-sagged-its-unusual-that-theyre-this-low/?utm_term=.535ee5032440.  The one thing about this article is that it says the Trump hates polls. That is not exactly true: when he comes out ahead in a poll, he likes the poll.

But what does it say about President Trump and his relationship with the American press and American people that he does not have a honeymoon period. 

Musical Chairs

Musical chairs might better be called musical cat chairs.  I have two office chairs in the computer room, and a lounge chair.  The cats tend to prefer the office chairs.  I am not sure why, but one reason might be that if I have the space heater on, they are closer to the space heater, but the heat does impact the rest of the room, if I close the door, at least part way.  So, often, one or both office chairs are occupied by a cat.  If one office chair is occupied by a cat, and that is at the desk, I move the chairs around so I can have the vacant chair at the desk.  Taki does not mind this, it seems. But it used to be if Haiku was on a chair, and I moved it, she immediately jumped off.  This no longer happens.  If both office chairs are occupied by a cat, because I have a wireless router, I just move the laptop to a TV tray and use the lounge chair. Or, I sit in the lounge chair and watch TV. Or read a book.

Well, It Almost Happened Again

I did my weekly shopping yesterday, and at the check out line, the person behind me started to unload her shopping cart.  But she did not put the items on the conveyor belt, just on the end of the counter.  And, when  separator was not available, after I was at the check out stand, she asked for one.

Even the President Has to Follow the Constitution

President Trump in effect put a ban on Muslims coming from seven nations: Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Syria, Iran, Iraq  This is religious discrimination. This is unconstitutional.  And a Federal judge, US  District Senior  Judge James Robart of Seattle, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/02/03/report-federal-judge-refuses-block-trump-immigration-ban/97466178/ appointed by President Bush in 2003, declared that Trump's executive order is unconstitutional.  So for now, the affected persons can now enter the United States if they have proper documentation. Of course, the Trump administration plans to appeal the ruling http://nypost.com/2017/02/04/justice-department-files-appeal-to-overturn-judges-travel-ban-ruling/.

Even the President has to follow the Constitution!