This column is of serious tone, and is in recognition of all those caught in storms. I survive my own storms by energizing through humor, "a gift of the Gods" when we can embrace it. Today I will examine a piece of the world stage. Bear with me?
The news on every level seems to be 'bad to worse'. Weather is wreaking havoc on people everywhere, jobs are disappearing in massive numbers, folks are cracking under the strain the same as the trees under the burden of ice.
If I look at the trees - again I see the human condition reflected in it. The economy is being hit with an ice-storm, but it's man-made (and I will also suggest unnecessary) with global impact. Comparing these two is an exercise in extending momentarily beyond one's own situation. The ice starts as rain, builds up, both gradually and rapidly, depending on where you are; economically, if you manage to avoid the worst of it, you feel lucky. If you're in the thick of it, it's a paralyzing task of survival and struggle.
The trees, or people with jobs and homes and families, get bent to the ground, branches begin breaking, and collapse under the weight; the people are being bent, smashed, and broken economically. 'Power lines', or the energy flow that sustains the economy, are ripped out in one area and affect everything 'further down the line'.
Transportation, or economic transaction, is severely crippled, and there isn't much that can be done "until the ice melts". Repair crews are struggling to patch things, and is that the highway department and electrical companies, or the infusion of 'bail-outs' in a feeble attempt to pretend we have the monetary system under control? As fast as the repairs are being made, more outages are occuring "until the storms pass".
We can more easily understand a storm created by nature than we can a storm created by man. After the ice storm passes, power will be restored to communities and homes, but the landscape has changed permanently in a short period of time. Shattered stumps, damaged homes, the climbing tree gone - there's a loss of what we used to know, and too often didn't notice or appreciate much before the storm. We can rebuild, and trees will regrow - it will take time.
But how do we fix people? How do we undo the hurting, create a place for all people to work and live within our society, and stop the economic ice storm raging around the globe?
Many folks are isolated by Nature's storm, struggling to survive as best they can in their own dwelling, focused on their own necessities - not able to assist even neighbors much. Usually 'we want the power back on in our neighborhood first', though we're loathe to admit it. The economic storm has also forced many into isolated struggles.
Lay-offs, pink slips, foreclosures, tent cities; it's hard for a single individual to care 'why' this storm is occurring when they're in the thick of it. Our main priority, for each of us, is our own neck. This is the same isolation and survival of the natural ice-storm; we can't help rebuild others' houses when our own is breaking. What is a community composed of?
Economically, we're falling individually and collectively. As we go down, we take others with us, the same as trees on power lines and homes. This storm, however, is relentless, and all the 'repairs' that have been offered don't address the cause of it. We will continue suffering then, individually and collectively as it ripples and clobbers through our society, claiming more victims that support the very core of the storm that is breaking us apart. That's the irony - it's man-made and collectively, we could change it, but instead we're individually at its mercy.
And it has no mercy.
What IS it then? What is breaking? How'd it get this way? Why haven't we been able to see it? Once again, we've had limited vision; we believed what we were taught about our economic system, we've accepted the beliefs as ours, and we're loathe to change our thinking if it will disrupt our individual expectations. "We want our power on first," and as long as there's a trickle coming down the line, it's disturbing to figure out this 'very thing' is sucking the life out of us. We can give lip-service to all the misery on the human stage and how to fix it, but we won't easily examine it up-close and personal in our lives; it makes us nervous and we're quick to deny there's a connection.
It's breaking all around us, and of the two storms, the consequences of the economic one is much more fierce, deadly, and destructive. We don't see the source of it, and therefore we cannot correct it. This is true of most of our politicians, communities, neighbors, and in our own homes. We can't fix it until we see it. That is pure logic.
On the upside, as soon as we can collectively see it, the change will occur swiftly and a burst of laughter at our own deception will burst apart this storm. The Emperor is parading around naked, the people are being taxed beyond means to provide 'more cloth', and no one dares say "he's naked". The cloth-seller laughs at both the gullibility of the people and the Emperor himself as he makes another deposit to his private account.
The Emperor is the American government, "We the People" support it, and the cloth-seller is the Federal Reserve generating 'nothing' by our consent while draining our economy of its worth and assets. As soon as we sold the creation of money to private banking, we began going in debt to an entity outside 'our system'. We're not taught this; we're taught the "Federal Reserve" is American and necessary. It's not.
Constitutionally, our government is supposed to issue its own currency, and as such, 'could not be in debt to itself'. But we can be in debt to outside entity, and we are, because we have allowed it. Every dollar in your pocket says "Federal Reserve Note" - it's not federal, there is no reserve (beyond being backed by our government), and 'note' is banker's terms for 'loan'.
Ergo, every dollar issued is controlled by this outside entity as a loan with interest, and they're the only ones with the right to create it. Ergo, we're spiraling in debt with a compounding nature that can never be resolved from within the very system that allows it to exist. Ergo, the economic storm rages.
What happens when we dare collectively call the Emperor naked? The Emperor has a choice of two: deny it and enforce continuing taxation, thereby sacrificing its own people, or recognize the truth of it and get back to the business of making 'its own cloth' for society. The unique feature of America is the government is supposed to work for and answer to the People, not the reverse. If this is to survive 'the naked truth', then it must implement the proper changes upon recognizing the deception of the last century.
I have two questions: When? And will We the People unite in common cause, or fall further down the spiraling collapse, drowning each other in a panic for self-survival?
We'd give of ourselves to assist others through nature's ice storm, dare we unite to address the economic storm? Everyone's on their own to answer that one, I'm just speaking from the heart for all those that are suffering. We are capable of so much more, and yet the weight presses down on all of us.
It takes the court jester to gently poke at the insanities of the court, and in doing so, truths are revealed - often to our own embarrassment. There's either a celebration coming or devastation, and I hesitate to contemplate the latter one.
http://economictree.blogspot.com/2008/11/column-86-playing-poker-federal-reserve.html
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
My true age revealed...
I was sitting in thought, trying to justify a reason for 'calling it a day' despite an assignment due, when I realized I was eating a Tootsie-pop while watching UFO hunters with Ghost-hunters as the alternative channel. (History and Sci-Fi channels, respectively.) There's a general concensus amongst folks that I've never left my first childhood, so I can't be entering my second. I was suddenly flummoxed by wondering how old I was, and I had no good answer.
For the jumpy-type people out there, about the meanest thing you can do to them (after telling horror stories of the economy) is watch a scary movie late at night - The Exorcist has seen its day, but you get the drift. Sneak someone under the bed, and once they settle in the dark... start shaking it. Some have even lifted it a bit. Like I said, this is about the meanest thing you can do to someone. Expect repercussions if you do this, and once again remember I said not to try anything in these blogs (accept the next thing).
Reading Glasses: 1) I have them 2) I realized my eyes are fine, what's causing it is the world shrinking sporadically in a warped fashion. 3) I haven't figured out a way to unwarp the world.
But I did learn a very handy method to deal with "don't have glasses" when I need to read a piece of text - menus, price tags, etc. I curl up my index finger, making a very tiny 'spot' hole with it. It's the strangest thing, but you can 'adjust' this scope to bring things into focus that you can't see clearly otherwise! So I was told I looked a bit strange doing this in public - as if that is going to concern me (not an iota, truth of it). Being able to read something without having to fetch 'cheaters' with, or asking perfect strangers "...can you read this for me?" which seems a case of illiteracy and then I have to add an explanation for my request --- they're both annoying. I generally always have my finger with me. :)
I told you that was a 'handy' tip.
I also suggest if manufacturers have to use print so damned small we need a magnifying glass - what's that about? A pill bottle for seniors has directions on it in a size a sharp-shooter couldn't read, and to really make them question their abilities, the directions are no longer clear-cut: "Take 2 every 4 hours." That we can deal with, but instead there's this itty-bitty print across the whole bottle that drops in helpful things like "don't take if you're pregnant" (okay, most seniors qualify) or if your uncle had nosebleeds or if you may have problems with dizziness (do they mean regular stuff like the merry-go-round, or the fuzzy feeling of having run into yourself recently?) but otherwise if you're over age 3 (okay, got that) you may take One. But if you're over the age of twelve, you may take Two. But only take two once, then take One four hours later (unless you're in school, because if you have an aspirin with, you could be expelled for drugs) and if your ears start ringing (is that the usual hum-type ringing, or is it more like the after-effects of a huge crash ringing?) contact your doctor (which will be after clinic hours by the second dose, so good luck on that). You may take two twice, four hours apart, but no more than five in a day, unless otherwise specified by your doctor (which one - your general, your heart, or the one that asked you to read the eye chart when you had a metal sliver in it? -- okay, the last one didn't seem too bright, so check with one of the others). Now, I've been standing in the aisle reading this bottle repeatedly for 45 minutes, and I still don't know if I dare take it, or how many, and my head is pounding worse than ever, so I decide to risk it when I look at the price and realize -- for $10, my head isn't hurting that bad anyway, and there's a good chance it's a lack of caffeine so I go get a chocolate bar and wash it down with coffee.
WHICH IS WHY... I saw on the web that coffee may help prevent dementia in seniors. Trying to read the pill bottles would eventually cause anyone to be a bit unhinged, and those that just go off seeking a hot cup are bound to thrive better. They proved it.
Any questions?
For the jumpy-type people out there, about the meanest thing you can do to them (after telling horror stories of the economy) is watch a scary movie late at night - The Exorcist has seen its day, but you get the drift. Sneak someone under the bed, and once they settle in the dark... start shaking it. Some have even lifted it a bit. Like I said, this is about the meanest thing you can do to someone. Expect repercussions if you do this, and once again remember I said not to try anything in these blogs (accept the next thing).
Reading Glasses: 1) I have them 2) I realized my eyes are fine, what's causing it is the world shrinking sporadically in a warped fashion. 3) I haven't figured out a way to unwarp the world.
But I did learn a very handy method to deal with "don't have glasses" when I need to read a piece of text - menus, price tags, etc. I curl up my index finger, making a very tiny 'spot' hole with it. It's the strangest thing, but you can 'adjust' this scope to bring things into focus that you can't see clearly otherwise! So I was told I looked a bit strange doing this in public - as if that is going to concern me (not an iota, truth of it). Being able to read something without having to fetch 'cheaters' with, or asking perfect strangers "...can you read this for me?" which seems a case of illiteracy and then I have to add an explanation for my request --- they're both annoying. I generally always have my finger with me. :)
I told you that was a 'handy' tip.
I also suggest if manufacturers have to use print so damned small we need a magnifying glass - what's that about? A pill bottle for seniors has directions on it in a size a sharp-shooter couldn't read, and to really make them question their abilities, the directions are no longer clear-cut: "Take 2 every 4 hours." That we can deal with, but instead there's this itty-bitty print across the whole bottle that drops in helpful things like "don't take if you're pregnant" (okay, most seniors qualify) or if your uncle had nosebleeds or if you may have problems with dizziness (do they mean regular stuff like the merry-go-round, or the fuzzy feeling of having run into yourself recently?) but otherwise if you're over age 3 (okay, got that) you may take One. But if you're over the age of twelve, you may take Two. But only take two once, then take One four hours later (unless you're in school, because if you have an aspirin with, you could be expelled for drugs) and if your ears start ringing (is that the usual hum-type ringing, or is it more like the after-effects of a huge crash ringing?) contact your doctor (which will be after clinic hours by the second dose, so good luck on that). You may take two twice, four hours apart, but no more than five in a day, unless otherwise specified by your doctor (which one - your general, your heart, or the one that asked you to read the eye chart when you had a metal sliver in it? -- okay, the last one didn't seem too bright, so check with one of the others). Now, I've been standing in the aisle reading this bottle repeatedly for 45 minutes, and I still don't know if I dare take it, or how many, and my head is pounding worse than ever, so I decide to risk it when I look at the price and realize -- for $10, my head isn't hurting that bad anyway, and there's a good chance it's a lack of caffeine so I go get a chocolate bar and wash it down with coffee.
WHICH IS WHY... I saw on the web that coffee may help prevent dementia in seniors. Trying to read the pill bottles would eventually cause anyone to be a bit unhinged, and those that just go off seeking a hot cup are bound to thrive better. They proved it.
Any questions?
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Generational connections
First, notice the GREEN. I am eagerly awaiting the changing of the seasons, and if I had my way, I'd have a dome in the yard with underground heat and artificial sunlight and I'd sit in it as therapy. :)Okay, it's -15 (F.) right now and January has seen a lot of subzero temps here. Green is my favorite color for a reason. This is the granddaughter that wept in winters past: "I miss summer...." Child, me too!
This pic was also taken the day before school started last fall. They were assigned a book to read over summer vacation, and she thought she should get started. I'd heard her mom mention this about 100 times in the last two months of vacation, but -- "she had things to do." There may be a reason she's become a fast reader - she needs to be?
I'd love to deny this trait may be inherited, but I tend to get my assignments done within the last hours or minutes of the deadline: "I'm busy." It also looks like we both seek personal comfort in our space; it explains the pillow she chose to use for a cushion and the obviously-comfortable attire. This poor tree is about worn out from her years of activity on it; sometimes a foolish person will say "you should cut it down," not understanding 'this is Val's tree'.
Trees I have known... That is a pretty long list and started in my childhood. We had about 30 acres of trees to explore on the farm, and a person can learn a lot about life up a tree.
Do you remember doing this? The trees sway, leaves rustle, the air is alive, and you're in the midst of it.There is a kink in perspective that happens when you're off the ground in nature. "That stuff" is down there, and you're part of something else until you swing down again.
Jim, this may be part of "how multiple universes could occupy our space without our noticing them." If another 'you' was sitting in a tree and this 'you' is focused on ground-level stuff, you probably would never meet. And if you did meet you, I bet it'd be a fuzzy, disorienting feeling as the two of you passed through each other. :)
That's a thought, a bunch of me's zipping around feeling dizzy as they crash up. Rather glad we can't view this, because a hundred Valleri's in motion boggles the mind. 50 Road-Runner cartoons, played in fast forward - try to keep up with her! At least I'm more Bugs Bunny speed?
One of my favorite movies is "Now What the Bleep Do We Know?" It helps explain why I never seem to really know what's going on or where I am too solidly... Solid is a perception. :)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Comment Posting, and random thoughts on society
Posting comments can be a little tricky here. If you follow through to the 'preview' link underneath, what it's trying to do is verify you're a person. It'll take you to a pop-up to do this, and provide an ounce of security. - thought you may want to know!
Here's a question to help determine if you should continue reading this blog:
Would you rather be a gypsy or an accountant?
Everyone who said gypsy - meet me 'round the fire!
I combined both in my life, but accounting frowns on creativity, it's fairly secure, and a lot of dull. (No offense to accountants, but there's a lack of excitement in the field.) Gypsy-mentality wants color and fire and never-no-mind to being socially proper, gold is for bangles that sing with the dance - not to stick in a vault somewhere and guarded.
If I had to choose, I'd rather have a gypsy befriending me than an accountant (though both is best). Accountant-mentality tends to frown at my improper ways and correct me... I've known several, and couldn't stay in their box for long.
How does one crunch a celebration of life into black and white numbers that 'balance out' without reducing 'the gypsy fire'?
HEY - I just realized - those of you who received a notice from me for this blog -- you all got gypsy streaks in you! :)
Wonder if this is why I named a goldfish 'Gypsy' in the last month: a recognition of my own spirit? Few gypsy folks would claim me either, but it's the approach towards life 'outside the box'. Val's a gypsy spirit too, and tough on adults while being sharp as a tack. I hate to see this spirit in her being overridden in her middlin' years. Conforming is fine when you know why and what you're doing, but don't embrace it thoughtlessly. "Think, dammit, think!" :)
This should be passed to our offspring - think for yourself, if it's in conflict with what's being presented, examine it deeply to see where the errors lie. Don't assume 99 out of 100 people must be right, otherwise you join the witch-hunters and flat-world thinkers that still exist.
(Addition - in case folks thinks this may be tapping on the 'offensive' list and someone may be shocked... Good lord, do they watch TV and the commercials that are on it? I'll assume there's unmentionables, yet these are so prevalent in society 'not-mentioning' the insanity appears to be our failure.)
I gotta carry this on to one of my pet peeve's, no offense to anyone. A few years ago, they came out with 'a water-filled bra', for that 'natural' feel. Sorry, that's exactly what was displayed on the commercials. Hello, in the most basic image, it's a bit like water balloons weighing down one's chest, in order to look seductive and 'feel natural'. Why would anyone want to do this? (Only time it seemed it may be worth considering would be filling with cold water on a hot day.) If 'he' really enjoys the feel of water balloons, then I suggest we create a line especially for him to wear. 'He' can delight in it all he wants and eliminate the middle-person. Any person who thinks these were a good idea does not belong in "Elaine's World" - please leave the premises now! (Now then, as secret stashes for arsenic and poisoned hat pins and vodka... "date control"? -- now it's practical!)
If mentioning this unmentionable is problematic, then -- what are we saying about the world we live in?
Sorry, that one irks me to no end. The message we're giving our daughters is to deceive in appearance, that you're not okay as you are, and you should bear the weight of these 'personal lacks' --- what??? The language that comes to mind is inappropiate here, suffice it to say our daughters deserve better, and better men wouldn't ask this, anyway. Anyone that endures an 18-hour style -- that's too damn long (really, leaves 6 hours for 'without'). If they were so great, men would be wearing them - that's why jeans happened. Let's free our daughters from social distortion and extortion. Life's tough enough without these personal insults.
It's getting worse - men are no longer okay either. "Trim your nose and ear hair, tidy your eyebrows" -- Christ wouldn't have been crucified if he'd tidied up his appearance and turned his voice down... MEN: you're okay, just keep personal hygiene on a tolerable level and replace a worn-out t-shirt that could be mistaken for an oil rag regularly. That we're in a society that would make an individual feel 'less than okay' by the hair on his head (or lack thereof) instead of the brains within it is a judgment on society.
Okay, so one man told me my greatest attraction was my hair. Not my brain - which would have elevated him in my opinion. Another didn't know if he wanted to meet me again "because he hadn't seen me with my coat off". Rest assured, I didn't want to see him again. He'd displayed a serious lack of brain matter and my interest was below zero.
That this is all socially-acceptable proves my point that society is the one that's warped, not the 1 in a 100 willing to question it. That's all I've got to say on this - for now. Terribly improper, ain't I, and plan to stay this way!
"Think, dammit, think!"
Here's a question to help determine if you should continue reading this blog:
Would you rather be a gypsy or an accountant?
Everyone who said gypsy - meet me 'round the fire!
I combined both in my life, but accounting frowns on creativity, it's fairly secure, and a lot of dull. (No offense to accountants, but there's a lack of excitement in the field.) Gypsy-mentality wants color and fire and never-no-mind to being socially proper, gold is for bangles that sing with the dance - not to stick in a vault somewhere and guarded.
If I had to choose, I'd rather have a gypsy befriending me than an accountant (though both is best). Accountant-mentality tends to frown at my improper ways and correct me... I've known several, and couldn't stay in their box for long.
How does one crunch a celebration of life into black and white numbers that 'balance out' without reducing 'the gypsy fire'?
HEY - I just realized - those of you who received a notice from me for this blog -- you all got gypsy streaks in you! :)
Wonder if this is why I named a goldfish 'Gypsy' in the last month: a recognition of my own spirit? Few gypsy folks would claim me either, but it's the approach towards life 'outside the box'. Val's a gypsy spirit too, and tough on adults while being sharp as a tack. I hate to see this spirit in her being overridden in her middlin' years. Conforming is fine when you know why and what you're doing, but don't embrace it thoughtlessly. "Think, dammit, think!" :)
This should be passed to our offspring - think for yourself, if it's in conflict with what's being presented, examine it deeply to see where the errors lie. Don't assume 99 out of 100 people must be right, otherwise you join the witch-hunters and flat-world thinkers that still exist.
(Addition - in case folks thinks this may be tapping on the 'offensive' list and someone may be shocked... Good lord, do they watch TV and the commercials that are on it? I'll assume there's unmentionables, yet these are so prevalent in society 'not-mentioning' the insanity appears to be our failure.)
I gotta carry this on to one of my pet peeve's, no offense to anyone. A few years ago, they came out with 'a water-filled bra', for that 'natural' feel. Sorry, that's exactly what was displayed on the commercials. Hello, in the most basic image, it's a bit like water balloons weighing down one's chest, in order to look seductive and 'feel natural'. Why would anyone want to do this? (Only time it seemed it may be worth considering would be filling with cold water on a hot day.) If 'he' really enjoys the feel of water balloons, then I suggest we create a line especially for him to wear. 'He' can delight in it all he wants and eliminate the middle-person. Any person who thinks these were a good idea does not belong in "Elaine's World" - please leave the premises now! (Now then, as secret stashes for arsenic and poisoned hat pins and vodka... "date control"? -- now it's practical!)
If mentioning this unmentionable is problematic, then -- what are we saying about the world we live in?
Sorry, that one irks me to no end. The message we're giving our daughters is to deceive in appearance, that you're not okay as you are, and you should bear the weight of these 'personal lacks' --- what??? The language that comes to mind is inappropiate here, suffice it to say our daughters deserve better, and better men wouldn't ask this, anyway. Anyone that endures an 18-hour style -- that's too damn long (really, leaves 6 hours for 'without'). If they were so great, men would be wearing them - that's why jeans happened. Let's free our daughters from social distortion and extortion. Life's tough enough without these personal insults.
It's getting worse - men are no longer okay either. "Trim your nose and ear hair, tidy your eyebrows" -- Christ wouldn't have been crucified if he'd tidied up his appearance and turned his voice down... MEN: you're okay, just keep personal hygiene on a tolerable level and replace a worn-out t-shirt that could be mistaken for an oil rag regularly. That we're in a society that would make an individual feel 'less than okay' by the hair on his head (or lack thereof) instead of the brains within it is a judgment on society.
Okay, so one man told me my greatest attraction was my hair. Not my brain - which would have elevated him in my opinion. Another didn't know if he wanted to meet me again "because he hadn't seen me with my coat off". Rest assured, I didn't want to see him again. He'd displayed a serious lack of brain matter and my interest was below zero.
That this is all socially-acceptable proves my point that society is the one that's warped, not the 1 in a 100 willing to question it. That's all I've got to say on this - for now. Terribly improper, ain't I, and plan to stay this way!
"Think, dammit, think!"
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Day 18,518 give or take a few
For those of you who wonder 'now what the heck is she up to?' - this blog's for you! I've been time-challenged on emails, and if you know me, you know they get a bit bizarre (for anyone with two feet on the planet, anyway). This way, you can check in when you have a moment or when your life is ho-hum, and soon be glad "you're not here."
What am I up to? Well, I'm thinking I should psyche myself up and mail out the seasonal (approximately, tend to miss a few years between) letter I wrote. I optimistically purchased stamps before Christmas, but "life got busy". It would have been an A+ on my personal score if they were mailed in 2008, I figure I rank a B if they're out before February, a C if anyone receives them in March... and after that, they're out of date, anyway, and I may as well wait for the few months until Christmas comes again. (For a few of my relatives, I'll keep trying - could happen yet.)
I'm trying to remember what Life got Busy With - aside from snow, cold, classes, dogs, getting a few goldfish, bringing home a tub to redo the bathroom (again) one day in the future, and the usual. Living does seem to take most of my time. Trying to stay that way takes the rest of it?
Like having a small heater under my computer by the cold outer wall that I turn on and off, but the last time something went 'clink' and something smelled 'hot' so I turned it off and now wonder - should I turn it on again? Keep in mind, if it blows the breaker, my computer will lose whatever I haven't saved... I suppose I could circumvent this by simply plugging the heat-pad in under my feet. :)
Non-critical elements will be part of this blog as I figure out my own answers. It'd be rather a nuisance if I burned the house down right now - "I'm busy."
I have to explain my grocery list for this weekend (I don't 'have' to, but I will anyway) - apologies to my veg-friends for the bologna, but I did grow up on a beef farm for some years; I had to 'make peace' with my dinner at an early age. I don't normally bother with much meat - takes too long to cook, and peanut butter is protein. And I did buy tea, if that helps balance the junk. Mostly I went to the store to buy dog rawhides to keep them busy while Sera & Val are in the cities. They took one dog with them, so I have 3 large ones hanging out with me.
I've been challenging the computer for hours on end the last few weeks, and managed to "not" get my assignments done? - I was working on a bigger picture associated to the assignments, but not sure that qualifies. Soon... I'll have this major project done - then on to the next, whatever It may consist of. That It rather worries me, as if I should start high-dosing on mega-vitamins, because I haven't torn out any ceilings yet or moved a wall lately.
I did get the sigh of a leak in my room again, part of the lack-of-slope on the addition combined with poor insulation, no air space, and ice buildup (gads, I'm learning more than I ever wanted to know about this stuff). The repair last year was intended to keep it from falling in, and since this is where I live, seemed like a good idea. I didn't have time to do much more on this portion... If the universe opens up a source of good-wood, one never knows what I may do with it! I can't put a deck on, in that it might be frowned upon, but if I just happen to sit on 'a flat roof' I defy anyone to tell me it's not a roof. :)
Anyway... took me a fair amount of effort to chisel off the ice. About 3 feet wide, 2 - 4 inches thick, and despite this seemingly piddly amount --. While I was up there chuck-chuck-chuck-crunk-ing with the ice chisel (for those who want a visual, it's about 5 feet long, heavy wood handle, and beats using the butcher knife), I felt an insane kindred spirit with an Eskimo named Next-Time-I'm-Reincarnated-It'll-Be-Someplace-Warm, but I also sensed NTIRIBSW laughing at me. Sheer desperation, my brain went off to calculate my progress, rather than listen to the whining of my arms and back. As in, 20 feet long by 3 feet wide for 4 hours, or if one wants to simplify, that'd be 5 feet long by 3 feet per hour, which is 15 square feet (correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd appreciate it more if you just brought a chisel over) which neatly fits into an hour and led me to conclude it was taking me about 4 minutes per square foot. Chuck-chuck-chuck-chink, chuck-chuck-chuck-chink. That was after I shoveled the whole thing off - guess the universe figured I needed fresh air and exercise.
If the small leak had been on the porch, I could have easily ignored it for now. But it was dangerously close to my computer and panic set in. I already know leaks appear in one place, but it doesn't mean that's where water is entering the roof - it's sneaky that way. ONCE I was about 3/4 done, I realized I could have simply put an umbrella up over my computer and called it a day. On the plus side, at least these two days were over 25 degrees out! We're back in the -20's now, and Death is, like, 2 feet away from me on the other side of the wall. (Think spring, think spring, think spring -- I hear it's worse in Alaska?)
My days just happen that way. I planned to sweep the floor, take a shower, and get on schoolwork, but between 'sweep' and 'shower' I chiseled instead. I can't explain the craving for ice cream then - maybe it takes the place of heat-producing blubber in other cultures? If I start craving anti-freeze, I'll seek professional help.
Now we all understand why I haven't emailed recently, right? Not quite, hmm? Then I'll add few more unsavory details, like the less-bright dog that decided to eat some carpeting on the porch - seriously not good for their guts. I called the vet, and learned: for a large dog, a few tablespooons of hydrogen peroxide (I had syringes for refilling printer ink, so used one of them minus needle) will cause them to regurgitate. Works quickly, and that's all I have to say about that! The other not-so-bright one then chewed on my pin cushion, but luckily I caught him at it in time. Same one who seemed to have injured his tail shortly thereafter, but it's okay, too. Did I mention Val broke her toe last month? It's totally normal here!
What I want to know is - are all cells about the same size? Do elephants have cells about the size of ours, just more of them, or are they larger? And vice versa, do mosquitoes have cells the same size as ours, just fewer, or are they smaller? For some reason, I was thinking about a mosquito dining on a red blood cell, and wondered if their cells were smaller. If anyone has ideas on this, share. It's just another one of those useless things I like to know and obviously not critical to my well-being.
Truth of it, I was thinking about all the space between atoms and protons and such, and quantum physics, and pondered if all time and space weren't neatly arranged in these (multiple universes, too). It'd be like those 3-D pics with different pictures, depending on where you were looking from. (There's a thought to contemplate!) It'd explain the quantum question of "where" things are when they're "not here" - they're here, just not in our view. I won't share how far down this rabbit-hole one can travel. Now I'm trying to literally be 'beside myself'. :)
Hey, if I can figure that one out, then I'm going to try for Mexico next 'while I'm still here'. :)
There is method to my madness, you just can't see it head-on. You have to kind of twist sideways for it to make perfect sense. "Humans are the biggest threat to humans", and that's what worries me. I think we're designed for so much more, if we just 'knock off the nit-picking' as my dad used to say to us kids. (okay, so who was picking nits, anyway, and doesn't this saying kind of remind you of the monkey-clan?)
I know... I could have been doing school work, but my brain is obviously dysfunctional right now.
End -- Day 18,518 give or take a few
What am I up to? Well, I'm thinking I should psyche myself up and mail out the seasonal (approximately, tend to miss a few years between) letter I wrote. I optimistically purchased stamps before Christmas, but "life got busy". It would have been an A+ on my personal score if they were mailed in 2008, I figure I rank a B if they're out before February, a C if anyone receives them in March... and after that, they're out of date, anyway, and I may as well wait for the few months until Christmas comes again. (For a few of my relatives, I'll keep trying - could happen yet.)
I'm trying to remember what Life got Busy With - aside from snow, cold, classes, dogs, getting a few goldfish, bringing home a tub to redo the bathroom (again) one day in the future, and the usual. Living does seem to take most of my time. Trying to stay that way takes the rest of it?
Like having a small heater under my computer by the cold outer wall that I turn on and off, but the last time something went 'clink' and something smelled 'hot' so I turned it off and now wonder - should I turn it on again? Keep in mind, if it blows the breaker, my computer will lose whatever I haven't saved... I suppose I could circumvent this by simply plugging the heat-pad in under my feet. :)
Non-critical elements will be part of this blog as I figure out my own answers. It'd be rather a nuisance if I burned the house down right now - "I'm busy."
I have to explain my grocery list for this weekend (I don't 'have' to, but I will anyway) - apologies to my veg-friends for the bologna, but I did grow up on a beef farm for some years; I had to 'make peace' with my dinner at an early age. I don't normally bother with much meat - takes too long to cook, and peanut butter is protein. And I did buy tea, if that helps balance the junk. Mostly I went to the store to buy dog rawhides to keep them busy while Sera & Val are in the cities. They took one dog with them, so I have 3 large ones hanging out with me.
I've been challenging the computer for hours on end the last few weeks, and managed to "not" get my assignments done? - I was working on a bigger picture associated to the assignments, but not sure that qualifies. Soon... I'll have this major project done - then on to the next, whatever It may consist of. That It rather worries me, as if I should start high-dosing on mega-vitamins, because I haven't torn out any ceilings yet or moved a wall lately.
I did get the sigh of a leak in my room again, part of the lack-of-slope on the addition combined with poor insulation, no air space, and ice buildup (gads, I'm learning more than I ever wanted to know about this stuff). The repair last year was intended to keep it from falling in, and since this is where I live, seemed like a good idea. I didn't have time to do much more on this portion... If the universe opens up a source of good-wood, one never knows what I may do with it! I can't put a deck on, in that it might be frowned upon, but if I just happen to sit on 'a flat roof' I defy anyone to tell me it's not a roof. :)
Anyway... took me a fair amount of effort to chisel off the ice. About 3 feet wide, 2 - 4 inches thick, and despite this seemingly piddly amount --. While I was up there chuck-chuck-chuck-crunk-ing with the ice chisel (for those who want a visual, it's about 5 feet long, heavy wood handle, and beats using the butcher knife), I felt an insane kindred spirit with an Eskimo named Next-Time-I'm-Reincarnated-It'll-Be-Someplace-Warm, but I also sensed NTIRIBSW laughing at me. Sheer desperation, my brain went off to calculate my progress, rather than listen to the whining of my arms and back. As in, 20 feet long by 3 feet wide for 4 hours, or if one wants to simplify, that'd be 5 feet long by 3 feet per hour, which is 15 square feet (correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd appreciate it more if you just brought a chisel over) which neatly fits into an hour and led me to conclude it was taking me about 4 minutes per square foot. Chuck-chuck-chuck-chink, chuck-chuck-chuck-chink. That was after I shoveled the whole thing off - guess the universe figured I needed fresh air and exercise.
If the small leak had been on the porch, I could have easily ignored it for now. But it was dangerously close to my computer and panic set in. I already know leaks appear in one place, but it doesn't mean that's where water is entering the roof - it's sneaky that way. ONCE I was about 3/4 done, I realized I could have simply put an umbrella up over my computer and called it a day. On the plus side, at least these two days were over 25 degrees out! We're back in the -20's now, and Death is, like, 2 feet away from me on the other side of the wall. (Think spring, think spring, think spring -- I hear it's worse in Alaska?)
My days just happen that way. I planned to sweep the floor, take a shower, and get on schoolwork, but between 'sweep' and 'shower' I chiseled instead. I can't explain the craving for ice cream then - maybe it takes the place of heat-producing blubber in other cultures? If I start craving anti-freeze, I'll seek professional help.
Now we all understand why I haven't emailed recently, right? Not quite, hmm? Then I'll add few more unsavory details, like the less-bright dog that decided to eat some carpeting on the porch - seriously not good for their guts. I called the vet, and learned: for a large dog, a few tablespooons of hydrogen peroxide (I had syringes for refilling printer ink, so used one of them minus needle) will cause them to regurgitate. Works quickly, and that's all I have to say about that! The other not-so-bright one then chewed on my pin cushion, but luckily I caught him at it in time. Same one who seemed to have injured his tail shortly thereafter, but it's okay, too. Did I mention Val broke her toe last month? It's totally normal here!
What I want to know is - are all cells about the same size? Do elephants have cells about the size of ours, just more of them, or are they larger? And vice versa, do mosquitoes have cells the same size as ours, just fewer, or are they smaller? For some reason, I was thinking about a mosquito dining on a red blood cell, and wondered if their cells were smaller. If anyone has ideas on this, share. It's just another one of those useless things I like to know and obviously not critical to my well-being.
Truth of it, I was thinking about all the space between atoms and protons and such, and quantum physics, and pondered if all time and space weren't neatly arranged in these (multiple universes, too). It'd be like those 3-D pics with different pictures, depending on where you were looking from. (There's a thought to contemplate!) It'd explain the quantum question of "where" things are when they're "not here" - they're here, just not in our view. I won't share how far down this rabbit-hole one can travel. Now I'm trying to literally be 'beside myself'. :)
Hey, if I can figure that one out, then I'm going to try for Mexico next 'while I'm still here'. :)
There is method to my madness, you just can't see it head-on. You have to kind of twist sideways for it to make perfect sense. "Humans are the biggest threat to humans", and that's what worries me. I think we're designed for so much more, if we just 'knock off the nit-picking' as my dad used to say to us kids. (okay, so who was picking nits, anyway, and doesn't this saying kind of remind you of the monkey-clan?)
I know... I could have been doing school work, but my brain is obviously dysfunctional right now.
End -- Day 18,518 give or take a few
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