Last Night...

"Get with the Lord or drive a Ford" ?!?! ROFL

Just Catching Up

(or is that up catching?) Got my first set of new work shirts today. They fit well and seem very durable. Counting down the days, 34 to be exact.

From the track: I am torn between which is worse, being near someone whose personal hygiene is, shall we say less than adequate, or someone who has over-perfumed themselves and everything they are wearing? In the first instance there are those moments when someone comes near me or even just enters the office that my nose hurts, my eyes water and the stench lingers in the air and my throat after they are gone. In the second when I stop to pick up a juice drink after working out as I open the door of the quick stop and enter I am often nearly knocked down by the overwhelming stench of the assorted after-shaves, body-sprays, colognes, fabric softeners and other artificial fragrances. And yet while sharing the track in the mornings with a dozen or so others, all of us sweating and working hard, there are no offending odors as we pass each other.

I have had two Dreams since I last wrote. In the first the Stalker has returned and now he was killing people around me. I can barely remember the second, it was disturbing and vague.

Wow

ZeroHedge was hopping this week:

"Moral cowards always have the ability to ignore anything that would force them to grow some balls." CD

"An individual with integrity assumes, to his disadvantage, that other individuals will acknowledge the most obvious of circumstances." WW

"God it's like warning people to not swallow a handful of stupid." CPL

"Don't tell me you have never seen an oversold short-covering dead cat bounce." CR

Now to enjoy the weekend. :)

I Dreamed

again last night. In my dream I had been driving my truck and was stopped. A man got in and smiled at me and said, "I didn't think I'd see you again." His face was perfectly clear to me, and it was the face of a stranger and totally familiar at the same time. I think I know what his name was, but was it the name of the "familiar" or of the "stranger"?

In Conclusion...

"We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." 4 July, 1776

Things Life Has Taught Me 3.

Whichever side of a closed door a cat is on is the wrong side.

View of...

I have been following the news online today, and seeing the pictures out of Toronto is making me so sad and ill. For what purpose? Do their actions truly reflect their ideas? My beautiful city is being injured and marred by people who claim one philosophy in their words both written and spoken. But their bodies in motion tell of a different ideal.

Things Life Has Taught Me 2.

When you put on a uniform there are people who seem to think it is OK to try to kill you.

Picture

Just for fun I took a picture of my bathroom at dusk.

I Remember

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me." Is. 49:15,16

Google Voice Strikes Again!

lol:

Voicemail from: (870) XXX-XXXX at 7:07 PM

"Yes, Lisa, This is SXXXX from the smoke shop back with store and my husband's laptop computers that a real bad virus, and I just got your number from Cherie us, so I thought I'd call and see if you could work on it or if you want me to bring an end the war or if you can give us a call back at XXX-XXXX. Thank you. Bye."

So, now my computer skills can end wars? Wow! Good thing I really know who and what this is about. :)

Security

The weakest link in any security plan is human. A misunderstanding of privacy leads to a lack of security. And yet, the best security system relies on humans.

Pogo said it best.

Sheep, LEDs and music...

I am nearly speechless. Should I admit that some of my ancestors came from Wales?

DEBKAHfiles

DEBKAH

So Wrong

Usually the arrival of a package from ThinkGeek is a happy time at the office. Goodies and tech equipment and a cool new catalogue for hours of fun. But the latest catalogue has a highly disturbing item in it. On page 3 is featured a new item entitled "Tell Me Your Secrets Bear" complete with an icon to "see the video" and a seal proclaiming "invented at thinkgeek." The blurb says: "Sweet, cuddly, and a spy for mom & dad. Records your child's secrets and uploads them via WiFi for your review." This is so wrong. So wrong. If your child did not trust enough before to tell you his or her secrets, what will happen when they figure out you duped them with a toy? The level of betrayal here is mind-boggling.

in-ter-es-ting:

(in'tri-sting) adj. 1.capable of holding one's attention. 2.arousing a feeling of interest. 3.oh God, oh God, we're all going to die.

heh. Thank you thinkgeek.

sigh. Tomorrow I will have to spend time in the company of a person who does not want to be with me. At least, that is what I can presume from his extreme reluctance to call me. I have an intern/apprentice/sidekick who has worked out just fine. Since March I have been begged by various grandmothers, uncles, fathers et c. to please let their grandson/nephew/son/whatever come and work with me. I ended up with the one that I have because he was the only one who showed up! Relatives can try to arrange opportunities for someone, but unless the person wants to engage in the activity it is not going to happen. The father in this case kept showing up at my office and calling and says that he will be sure his son (stepson actually) shows up tomorrow. I can only imagine that if he shows up this will be painful at best. Well, I have jobs scheduled and just want to get through the day.

I Love My iPod

wallpaper on my iPod:
"Things to do today:
1. get up
2. survive
3. go back to bed"

Evening

Last night was the new moon so the planets were easily seen. The most delicate sliver of the new moon hangs below Venus in the western sky in the band of turquoise light that is the lat sign of the sun. I learned a long time ago to mark the days beginning at sunset and the turning of the year at the full moon after the autumnal equinox. There is a natural ease and logic to this arrangement, so right now, from my point of view it is Monday. :)

Abuse is defined as:1. Improper treatment or usage.

To wit: Real men don't need to drive over-sized over-accessorized trucks. When I see one of those chromed, color-coordinated, decal-laden, vehicles in such pretty colors I really better see a girl stepping down out of it.

A Word

I have been informed that the word that I was looking for is "nexus:"
1. a means of connection between members of a group or things in a series; link; bond
2. a connected group or series
3. the core or center
[from Latin: a binding together, from nectere to bind]

What a lovely word, I believe that she is correct.

addendum: from chat -
R: heehee -- you know what happens when you put a nexus and a catalyst together, yes?
me: what do you get when you put tog nex and cat? (and am I afraid to see the answer?)
R: Things Go Boom! Usually in epic fashion
me: LOL

A View From the Track

This week's morning work-outs have been as varied as the days of the week. Monday the whole area was littered with garbage left from last Friday's Relay for Life event. Wednesday I tried ankle weights. After about a quarter of a mile I could feel it. On Thursday I saw that someone has bulldozed down large stretches of trees that bordered the park on the east side, so now we can get hit with the hot rising sun earlier in the day. Friday it threatened rain, and it broke when I was about 2/10 of mile from the end of my workout. Got into the truck quite wet. But all in all I kept my times even all week, which is a pretty good achievement.

Dreaming

I dreamed again last night. I was safe.

Things Life Has Taught Me 1.

Whichever side of a closed door a cat is on is the wrong side.

Things My Father Taught Me 3.

Every person who operates a motor vehicle should know how to check the engine fluid levels and do it.

Concert Redux

Tonight in one hour.

The Internet has broken the political system. One can only hope.

Looking For A Word

I have looked at the words "fate," "providence," "coincidence," "serendipity," and even "nemesis" trying to find just the right one to describe so much that happens to me. Serendipity is just plain goofy, nemesis has a negative connotation, and I have said that I do not believe in coincidences. I still do not. Maybe I am just seeing the connections. More than one person has told me that I think too much.

Here is a recent example:

I understand the operation of the gasoline powered internal combusion engine, and had heard of Nicholas Otto. But when I asked guys about diesel engines I could not get a clear explanation of diesel compression ignition from anyone, so started learning for myself.

Found this cool video on youtube: Perkins Diesel Engine Animation, I suggest turning down the sound after the video starts if you would like to watch it, the music is awful.

When I first found the video, however it had this music with it:
Otto's Daughter - Mars which to be honest made it great fun to watch over and over, and which I thought was very clever to match to an engine video. But probably some copyright/ip thing happened and the good music was removed and replaced with ick.

So since I missed the music I bought a copy in iTunes and loaded it onto my iPod.

Most evenings after work I go to the pond and feed the fish, listen to tunes and unwind the day.

One day last week I was there feeding the fish, listening to "Mars." I looked out across the pond and saw that the water at the far shore seemed to be boiling. Huge bubble were rising and bursting. I thought, "That is weird. How can a pond boil?" Then it seemed that the boiling area was growing and spreading toward the center of the pond. At that moment the refrain started playing which includes the line: "It's coming closer, closer, closer." Finally as the bubbles kept coming closer to where I was standing I could see that it was caused by very large dispersed rain drops hitting the water at high velocity. And she kept singing "closer, closer, closer."

About then I realized that I was going to get soaked on the walk back to the house, but didn't mind too much because my mind had already gone back over all that had gone into making that event happen just the way it did. Who knew that because no man would intelligently discuss compression ignition with me I would end up with my own personal sound track to a natural event?

Yep, I think too much and I think the word I want is "connections."

Yay!

Well! Today is National Donut Day! I feel better.

Try Again

Rehearsal last night because we are going to try to present our tornado-interrupted concert again on Saturday night. We keep joking that if the weather is at all bad, they may never ask us to sing there in the future! lol. However due to the amount of damage from the trip to the cellar on April 30 I have to buy new shoes and hose before the concert, and should have had my skirt dry-cleaned, so will probably had to buy a new black skirt also. I really do not like shopping on a time deadline.

Hiding In Plain Sight

"The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem." Milton Friedman

Had a service call in Salem yesterday. It was interesting. As people prepare for what is coming, the manner in which they do it is as varied as they are.

Sometimes it is good to see what others are doing, and how it sounds when they try to explain the why and what. Just a note, we are all staying registered active voters. We vote, we read about the candidates, we are engaged citizens, and we will continue to be until the rules change to deliberately exclude us.

Privacy Thought

Some people are terribly worried about having their cellphone numbers showing on facebook. I put mine on my account over a year ago and have never received a "weird" phone call. Of course I do get lots of wrong numbers looking for "Jenny" or "Tanya." But I suspect that has more to do with the fact that my business card is all over the county, and probably by now the surrounding locations.

Survival Plans

Awhile ago I wrote about a plan to eat from the garden and hunting. It sounds like such a good idea, but what people tend to forget is the fact that very few people each just plain vegetables and fruit. Most people add at least salt and pepper to food. These are easy staples to stock up on and store, but what about the other stuff you add to veggies? Most people around here would never serve green beans without bacon grease in them. Or don't you usually put butter on potatoes? Even most of the fruit that I see has been cooked with sugar. While the plain produce is very good for you, it is the stuff that you add to it that makes it so good to eat. The problem here is foods like butter are hard and time consuming to make and will not last long without refrigeration. Shortening which can be stored longer at a warmer temperature is also beyond the ability of most people to produce at home, let alone in a survival situation.

In most lives today we just eat whatever suits our fancy at the moment. I do indeed go to the store every other day to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and even in this tiny rural location always have a large and varied selection from which to choose. If I were depending totally on what I was growing I would be eating according to the season and weather. And lettuces and greens are lovely, when they are in full production the weather is still usually cold and no amount of that vegetation will satisfy hunger born of cold wind. And so in the height of summer around here the gardens are hibernating or only turning out tomatoes. The work of skinning, gutting and butchering even a small deer in the heat of summer could induce heat stroke. And no one is going to have a cold drink in the frig or cooler to offer relief.

All this could sound pessimistic but it is not. It is part of a well thought out plan, because the more that is at stake the more careful and detailed the planning must be.

Email Account

Found an old email account that I had forgotten about and it was still active! Cool, logged in and sent out a test message. Now I can check 8 different email accounts each day. :)

Wrong Message

"Do as I say, not as I do."

I got behind a truck yesterday that was wearing a large sticker proclaiming using a particular version of the Bible as a guide for life. In the few miles I was behind it the driver ran two stop signs, failed to use direction signals at all, crossed the double yellow line, and failed to observe the speed limit. Makes you wonder.

Fun

Test drove a 2010 Dodge Challenger SE yesterday. And it was fun. The drivetrain is clearly 21st century, the completely electronic entry and ignition system was impressive. The speedometer registers up to 140 mph and I do believe it is capable of that speed easily. But the truly funny thing was the fact that the vehicle handled exactly like my 1993 Dodge Dakota. lol. I guess a Dodge is a Dodge.

Things My Father Taught Me 2.

Stones in the treads will damage your tires. There is a blade on your pocketknife that will remove them. Use it.

Today's Stuff

I am uneasy, just feeling unsettled. Today was very quiet and ordinary. Worked for a few hours nicely uninterrupted and rather productive. Seems I qualified for a PELL Grant for the Fall Semester. Got in a couple of miles in at the track and got my hair cut. Rachel did a great job again! Spent a few minutes hanging out with the girl who cleans at work, just a mellow sort of day. And yet my sense of "something wrong" has been growing since mid-day. I know I had a dream, but can't remember it now. I wish I knew where to look for what is wrong, keep waiting for the phone to ring, or something to show up on a news site. Of course, nothing might happened today. The last time it took almost three weeks to manifest. The warning I got before the tornado in 2008 was about two weeks, so today might just be the forerunner of the event. Guess we will see when we see.

Work Thoughts

If you buy and use a computer without reinstall media of some kind it is like buying and operating a vehicle with no registration and insurance. You will get by for a while, maybe even long enough to wear it out and replace it, but you risk losing everything if there is an accident.

Things My Father Taught Me 1.

Do not ever aim a weapon at anything you do not fully intend to kill.

A Bad Thing

A smug self-righteous attitude on the part of a person who attends a church is a detestable thing. They think because they are sitting in a church pew on Sunday morning that they are better than someone who isn't.

In My World

"Einstein argued that [...] God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer." ~ Brooks

A funny and true story that illustrates how things go in my life. First for those who do not know, I cannot eat meat, that includes seafood, pork, beef, any of those fine foods that add so much to life.

A few years ago we went to Blanchard Springs with some of my family that was visiting. We took the long walk through the caverns and were back in the park ready for lunch. As we were making sandwiches and getting food ready at the picnic table I was making a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I had just spread peanut butter on a slice of bread when there was a noise above the table in a tree. The next thing we saw was a beautiful bright green cicada leg drop directly onto the bread and stick in the peanut butter. My Uncle Woods could not stop laughing, and I just sat there and stared at it, trying to comprehend what was contaminating my lunch. As my mother said, things like that only happened to me. I believe she has a long list of such events since infancy and I can only say that in the face of such life-long adversity it is a wonder sometimes that I get up in the morning. Truly my life is built of the moments of which you must say, "You have to laugh, because if you don't you would cry."

And so with Einstein's quote in mind, since these events are not capricious or arbitrary, into what am I being forged?

Today

Had another one of those experiences today where I did something I normally would not do, but listened to the quiet voice and obeyed. Within less than an hour it became clear what I had done was the right thing. I had no idea who I would meet where but someone I did not expect showed up and I was prepared.

Days like this keep me from doubting what I do, even the things seem odd to other people.

Typical Day at Work

A customer calls and says, "My computer/laptop/CPU/modem won't turn on/turn off/do anything." When I arrive on location or they bring the unit to me, the reason for the problem usually becomes clear. And these units come from houses that are clean. The problem lies in the nature of electrical current. The entire inside of a computer is seething with electrons going about to allow the user to make calculations, view videos, sent messages, et c. The air in houses is filled with dust, hair, pollen, cat fuzz, carpet fuzz, smoke, and all other pollutants which are drawn into the computer's main body through the fans. Once near the loose electrons everything airborne sticks to the surfaces. Pretty soon, heat builds up, gears clog, thermal grease melts (as in the picture), and general failure is the result.

It always happens this way...

I spent six hours yesterday detailing the Buick and the Dodge. It rained last night.

Reflection

This week marks one year since several events occurred which each by itself seemed innocuous enough, but combined have permanently altered my life to a point where it is nearly unrecognizable. Over the course of the last four years there have been three major disasters that have reshaped my life large steps at a time, this last year feels more like a fine grade of sand paper beginning to polish the surface. If you had said to me last year that in one year X, Y, & Z would be true I could not have believed it.

My Own Progress

Last week I basically gave up my lovely customized home desktop computer. It was tough. I sacrificed it to become the media center. My morning schedule has been disrupted more than I realized. I usually pack away my laptop before I try to sleep so that I don't have to do it in the morning before leaving for work, so I wake up and no email or no checking the news online. And no TV either. Because this week to finish what I started I terminated my DishNetwork service. I could get online and go to a station and check their streaming video for news. It is so much easier to just click a remote and get instant on so now instead of mindlessly and out of boredom turning on noise I have to think and deliberately choose what I listen to or watch.

It is always scary to take steps that bring you so far outside your comfort zone, but really felt it was needed. We now have one less bill each month and one less outside influence upon which we are emotionally dependent. And you want to know something? It hardly even hurt. We still watch DVDs and hulu.com works perfectly. Of course we also have hours of non-electric sound, listening instead to birds, wind, crickets, frogs, rain, whatever nature has to offer at that moment. It forces me to explore other options for everything. For example as I write I am using an app on iPod called 5-0 Radio, listening to a Fire and EMS scanner channel from a nearby city. We still have not replaced any sort of radio since the tornado. Might have to do that.

Not sure what my next step will be. For now I will just adjust to where I am.

A Friend's Plan

A friend said that he only needs enough stuff stored to eat until the garden comes in. This is basically sound, but overlooks an important fact. I have experimented with eating only garden produce for a day at a time. The first time or two isn't bad, but by the third time in one week the fault of this plan begins to show. Even I, who do moderate level work was starving and exhausted by early afternoon. I had been eating as much as I could since morning and even threw in some exotics such as bananas and avocados which will not grow here, consumed my regular caffeine and vitamins. What would it be like to do hard work like digging a garden or cutting wood on this diet?

Some of the men talk of eating fish and game, but we will figure that by now in the scenario there is no electricity, so no refrigeration. You will have at best forty-eight hours to consume whatever you kill, so add hunting to the physical work on a regular basis. Of course growing grains might yield a small crop but is more likely to bring the game animals to you. So for a few weeks you have meat, but after that the grain crop has been consumed without harvest and the animals are gone to look for other food.

So there must be another way found for people to survive the collapse of the economic/societal system on which they are depending today. Adam Smith wrote about the answer over two hundred years ago, we might need to revisit his work and begin to apply it to our plans for survival.

This Week's Achievment

On a whim I submitted a photo to TechRepublic's call for an Image Gallery entitled Cluttered Workspaces. lol, see if you can recognize my desk.

Talismans

Talisman -
1. An object marked with magic signs and believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection.
2. Something that apparently has magic power.

A Bible is not a talisman. Church membership is not one either. There is no object on the face of the planet that can protect you magically, supernaturally or in any other way. I see the sad condition of people clinging to an object, particularly a Bible somehow wishing, hoping that it will keep bad things or events away from them. This makes me feel that memorization is a good thing. If you have the words locked in your head you do not need the object. I am sometimes tempted to take the book away from such a person and ask them to quote me some passage from it. That would be rather mean, but I know that they could not, except maybe John 3:16, and that sentence is rather impractical.

There is a great deal of practical wisdom to be found in a Bible but most of it is not the out-of-context feel-good bits that superstitious people like. If you want to use a Bible, well good, use it. Read it. Learn what is in it. It will be a whole lot harder than you think it will be, but you will gain from the effort. If you do not want to read, do not carry it, you look foolish.

If you do not like what I have just said, I would refer you to Proverbs 26:7.

Know Yourself

Do you know your own weaknesses? The main reason for years that the military and intelligence communities did not allow homosexuals to serve was the threat of blackmail by enemy agents. It was a vulnerability that could be leveraged against the person making them a security risk. What in your life could someone use against you if they controlled your access to it? Can you wake up in the morning and start your day without a specific type and amount of coffee at a set time? Do you get upset if your favorite TV show is not on? How addicted are you to tobacco products? What about another substance such as a prescription drug or a particular brand of food? Never assume that just because you can easily obtain something today that you will have the same access tomorrow. Analyze honestly your routine, you don't have to change anything today, but just aware of what you are doing and why. Know yourself.

Survivors' Club

I think that everyone knows about the 80/20 rule, the principle that 20 percent of something always are responsible for 80 percent of the results (Pareto's Principle.) This applies to work, wealth, elections, almost everything that happens. I had recently heard the fact that faced with a true disaster (tornado, volcano, flood, war) 80 percent of people go into denial as a defense mechanism, because we don't want to have something bad happen, and that the other 20 percent splits into two groups. The first group of the 20 percent sees what is coming and makes correct and logical decisions and responds in a way that they survive. The second half of the 20 percent sees what is coming and actively and almost angrily denies it to the point of accusing the "survivors" of creating the situation or worse taking advantage of it to hurt the 80 percent who are in deer-in-the-headlights mode. Much of the loss of life in the aftermath of some catastrophe is the result of the tension and fighting between the two active groups, normally precipitated by the Angry Deniers.

Think of a tsunami. Some people see the warning signs and starting heading inland, telling others as they go to get away from the water. The deniers start accusing them of scaring people and might even confront them physically. Most of the people like sheep begin to stare at the water as it moves out, collects and rushes back in and over them and do not begin moving until swept away.

I know that I am a survivor. I have dealt with many tragedies in my life and always knew what to do and when. When I stood in the door of the storm shelter in February of 2008 watching a mile and half wide wall of black, roaring destruction bearing down on us, with debris flying at me, I remember thinking "This is not going to end well." It didn't. I never doubted for a second my decision for the first and only time in my life going to the shelter and was already planning what would need to be done when we came out again.

The first rule of survival is "know yourself." Are you a survivor? Or a denier? Or are you waiting to see what the survivors do?

Stupidity

"He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever." - Chinese Proverb

Ignorance plus arrogance equals stupidity. Ignorance is not a choice, it is a condition which can be corrected. Stupidity is a choice, which by giving up arrogance, humbling yourself can be corrected.

And More Thoughts

As I browse my network, sort of retrieving my files from the old desktop I noticed one too many nodes. I can account for the names that I have assigned, everyone who should be here is, but there is also a mystery entry "SKY-PC" Don't recognize, can see the "users" share on it, and after walking around the house several times cannot see anything that looks like a random computer. Very odd.

lol, I feel like the guy on #bash who states that he has physically lost a unit, it answers pings, but he just cannot figure out which unit in his apartment it was.

Saturday thoughts

Today I gave up my desktop computer to allow it to become the media center for the house. My desk is gone, my mother has the monitor, and I am typing this on my laptop sitting on an ironing board in my bedroom.

I also replaced the air filters on the Buick and Dodge today with K & N products. The Dodge took about two minutes, the Buick nearly required surgery. I don't understand designing something that is meant to be opened without an obvious way to open it.

Choices

The world is divided into two kinds of people: those who have tattoos, and those who are afraid of people with tattoos. ~Author Unknown

The choice to have body art is personal. People get tattoos for various reasons, probably each is as different as the art that is chosen. When you make the decision to get inked you need to consider many things. Why am I getting this mark on my body? Does the design I have chosen truly reflect what I am trying to say? How will this look in 10, 20 or 30 years from now? The choice of artist is whole other set of considerations.

Everything we do in life has consequences, some are immediately evident, some will not come to light for years. We cannot see every change that will come our way, but a there a few things on which we can count. In relation to body art, we can be certain that other people will have a reaction to it. If I choose to wear a permanent piece of art on my skin and I choose to have it in a place where clothing will not cover it, this sends a rather more aggressive message to those around me than if I choose something that is covered, hidden and private. And one thing is certain, if I choose to be bold and public with my statement, I should not be surprised if potential employers and social contacts have a negative reaction.

Really, an employer does have to right to say to someone applying to join their organization "We need you to show up on time each day." or "We are pretty casual here, show up when you like, just get your work done." Those within the team know better than an outsider what is required to keep things moving in the chosen direction (despite what sports commentators believe about their own wisdom.) If the employer knows that an aggressive attitude will not blend with the team, can I expect them to upset everyone else just accommodate me who is not even on the team yet?

If you choose tattoos, do not be surprised or bitter because there are opportunities that are no longer available to you. Conversely, if you meet someone who is different than you be as respectful of their life choices as you want them to be of yours.

Friday

Shakespeare said, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorn'd" but a woman's open anger is nothing compared to the actions of a man who has had his path crossed. There is no limit to which he will not go, no deceit to which he will not stoop in an effort to soothe his bruised ego. Of course, Shakespeare also said the "men are deceivers ever" so I think he really knew where the fault lay.

Financial Note

If you are still in the stock market, now would be a good time to rethink your planning.

Dreams

I had a horrifying dream on Saturday night. God forbid that it should come to be. Each night since then I have had dreams that are confusing and ugly. Last night was the weirdest of all, I was experiencing the storyline, and it was literally a scripted play. The scenery kept going from "real" to "stage" and there was a stage manager showing up with a script in his hand, watching us, prompting us and signaling cues. So what was the dream? The action that was occurring or the fact that I was acting in a play?

Musical thoughts

I believe that my iPod is the definition of random. Currently on it is music from Beethoven, Willie Nelson, Band of Skulls, Rammstein, Phil Collins, Fleetwood Mac, Moby, Alabama 3, Atticus Ross, The Chemical Brothers, Ramin Djawadi, John Fogerty, Falco, Nickelback, Johnny Cash, The Clash, Don Henley, Mannheim Steamroller, Band from TV, Rascal Flatts, Spinnerette, Santana and assorted other artists and composers. I suspect that my taste in music might be different than some other peoples' because I am a musician; I play and sing in front of audiences. When I hear music I am listening to the different parts and mentally playing the various instruments, analyzing the harmonies and rhythms, and writing the score in my mind. I don't care who does the piece, if it has musical interest I listen to it.

Maybe a bad idea

The FDA plans to limit salt in food:

Washington Time

The salt industry answers:

An Opposing View

Last week I was called "gorgeous," "beautiful thing," and "red-hot mama." lol, I really think it is the hormones. In a few weeks I'll probably look normal again.

Random Thoughts on a Subject

"They'se men in this here country[0] that'd lie for 50 cents, when the truth'd get 'em a dollar." R.T. Johnson

[0] He was referring to northern Arkansas.

When Raybourne had known me for a few years, he felt he needed to tell me that because he had come to realize that I am a truthful person. That I would tell the truth to people and still thought that they were being honest with me. He was worried that I would be hurt by the habit of his neighbors. At first I did not quite know how to take what he was telling me. It took some time to learn it but, he gave me clues to open my eyes.

"We see things not as as they are, but as we are."

I have chosen to remain honest with those around me. Lately I have had to make some hard decisions in my business dealings. Honesty will cost me money day to day, but in the long run I am hoping that my customers will accept my integrity. When I have to turn down a request that I know is not on the up and up some people think that I am just holding out for more money. I'm not.

"Just saying it doesn't make it so."

I do not understand the psychology of lying. There are three basic ways to lie, first, to tell something you know to be untrue. This is the most blatant and the first step on a long slippery slope. The why of this is different for each person. Maybe they feel that by controlling the other person they are more likely to get the results they want. Maybe they don't feel the person to whom they are speaking is worthy of the truth. Maybe they do it out of spite to hurt someone. Even wishful thinking can be lying.

"Beware those who would deny you Information. For in their heart they dream themselves your master."

The second way to lie is to know that someone has misunderstood what was said and to not correct the situation. Probably for the same reasons.

"Half of writing history is hiding the truth."

These two behaviors often lead to the third, someone repeats something they believe to be true, but it is not. An innocent victim of other people's bad behavior is left with a bad reputation and confused hurt when the truth does come to light.

I have heard it said that the only thing that liars gain in the long run is to never be believed. Does a person who has a habit of lying really think that the people around them can't tell? Because everyone lies at some time in their lives we can have a small glimpse into the why, but there is a world of difference between being someone else's unwitting dupe and plotting mischief against other people. The saddest of all, is the person who indulges in both the first and second methods of lying to manipulate the actions and thoughts of others. Old joke: "How can you tell when a politician is lying? When his lips move." We feel the same way about the used car salesman. Is this really how a person wants to be viewed?

One of the most interesting aspects of the alpha male is the fact that he is often not aware of it, hardly conscience of his status. He just is. A man who thinks he is the leader or alpha and is always trying to assert himself is not. He is only a wannabe.

Another thing is because he is unaware of part of his nature he sometimes cannot explain why he feels the way he does. An alpha male in decline cannot tolerate the presence of an alpha in ascendancy; the 60 year old who hates the 20 year old, for no reason he can discern.

Nephalum, for Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Flag Day:

War Torn Soldier

caffeine note: Sugar Free Crunk 16 oz, Valero, $2.29, 200mg for 10 calories.

I cannot for the life of me understand why someone would do this:

Using Augmented Reality To Treat Cockroach Phobia

Fear of cockroaches is a healthy normal response to something horrible. I feel that my response to these creatures is exactly what is should be; kill them. Now.

I bought a new laptop last December and am completely satisfied with it. However, when I read reviews of laptops on any tech magazine site nothing from that line is ever included. Mine is perfectly functional, does everything I ask of a work unit and sure didn't cost anything like $1,400.00 that most of the "general purpose" laptops that they show do. So I wonder, did I get the only good unit from this company or do they have to pay for product placement on a supposedly neutral list?

The home desktop model that I am writing this on has a very few issues, but initially cost less than $400.00 including a very nice 24" screen. I have since maxed the RAM and added a 1GB video card, upgrades that cost less than $200.00. Again, this model is never on a "Top Desktop List" with anybody, did I get lucky twice, or is there something not quite kosher about those review lists?

India's "tamper-proof" voting machines hacked:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=10/05/10/0342218

"They sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind. The stalk has no head; it will produce no flour. Were it to yield grain, foreigners would swallow it up"
Hosea 8:7

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=532771

"Meanwhile, In Nashville" an excellent commentary on media bias.

Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.
Do not say to your neighbor, "Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow" when you now have it with you.
 Proverbs 3:27, 28

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?"
"I don't know," he replied, "Am I my brother's keeper?"
The LORD said, "What have you done? Listen! Your brother's blood cries out to me from the ground."
Genesis 4:9, 10

 

18 October 1787

To the Citizens of the State of New York

"...It is proper here to remark, that the authority to lay and collect taxes is the most important of any power that can be granted; it connects with it almost all other powers, or at least will in process of time draw all other after it; it is the great means of protection, security, and defence, in a good government, and the great engine of oppression and tyranny in a bad one." "Brutus" Essay I pp9

These essays appeared in the New York Journal as part of the Constitutional Convention Debates.

When the coyotes bark, the dogs answer; when the wolf howls, the dogs hide.

Perhaps I should change my handle to "Cassandra." I want to tell what I saw, but who will believe me? For weeks now I have been disturbed by the idea of a disaster, a river, and the city of Nashville. I did not see the Cumberland specifically, or a date or anything like that, but enough that I was unhappy. Last Thursday I posted on facebook that within 24 hours something would happen that would have consequences. I knew that someone was going to make a wrong decision after dark on Friday, and that the event would be east of where I was. But if I had tried to ask the persons I know in Nashville, "Are you ready? Are you prepared?" They could rightly ask "for what?" and "when?" and I would have to answer "something bad" and "don't know when." Well, who would pay attention to such a weak warning? So, I said nothing. And if someone has suffered because of my lack of warning, I am unhappy.

This in not the first time in my life that such a similar thing has happened. Sometimes I have tried to warn people, sometimes I have doubted myself. You know the sort of thing, "It must have been something I ate before bed," "It is just a case of nerves." "You have been reading/watching too many scary stories." Or the worse of all, "Just wishful thinking." I am not any good at that "intuition" thing at which so many women excel. But I dream dreams and feel the "something" in the wind. Not always, not continually, sometimes years elapse between events and I begin to believe it was just coincidence. And then one day, like the change of seasons, the air around me stirs and I know.

I truly believe that I am not the only one who experiences this, but I wonder how others deal with it. And for the record I don't trust any of the "Psychics" who prey on people. I cannot tell the future, cannot call up spirits, or divine events. I am perhaps just sensitive to the Hand of God, Who loves all men, chooses to share with us from time to time something of Himself. 

"What is sauce for the goose, is sauce for the gander."

tee hee

18 October 1787

To the Citizens of the State of New York

"...But remember, when the people once part with power, they can seldom or never resume it again but by force." "Brutus" Essay I pp 5

These essays appeared in the New York Journal as part of the Constitutional Convention Debates.

If I always do my duty, if I follow the orders set before me, if I am obedient to my commander, what will be the outcome? There is no guarantee that I will retire peacefully, I might be ordered to sacrifice my life in the line of duty. Whatever my orders, they are my orders and must be obeyed. What my commander sends another unit to do is not my concern, nor are my orders for them to question.

I have with my waking eyes seen demons. I have sensed the presence of a guardian angel, as I stood and looked at a situation that would certainly have resulted in my death. Then one day I looked into a pair of eyes as my hand was held and wondered who this was that was there for me. I might have seen that angel, but I really don't believe that they interfere often in the lives of people.