Wineberries

It's berry pickin' time here in ol' Virginia. The wineberries in particular are ripe, with the blackberries not far behind.

Wineberries (Rubus phoenicolasius), are an invasive species here. They are native to Asia but have found their way into the hearts of us Appalachians. With their vibrant red hue, delicate structure, and unique flavor, wineberries are a true treasure in the botanical kingdom.

The berries are part of the raspberry family. Wineberries are not purple, however. They are deep red in color, resembling a fine red wine (hence the name).

The taste of wineberries is a harmonious blend of sweet and tangy. Their flavor profile is often described as reminiscent of raspberries with a hint of wine-like complexity, hence their name. This unique taste makes wineberries a popular choice for jams, jellies, pies, and other culinary delights.

Wineberries also offer a range of health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, which contribute to overall well-being. These berries are known to boost the immune system, improve cardiovascular health, and enhance cognitive function. Additionally, their high fiber content promotes digestive health and aids in weight management.

We have only a few here, and I didn't risk the poison oak that was all around them to fetch the ones remaining. The birds and squirrels are already making off with them as quickly as they ripen.

I have always liked how the berry/flower leaves a star shape after the berry's been picked.

This about the extent of our wineberry patch.

Nonexistent

Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time. It's the fear of failure, but no urge to be productive. It's wanting friends but hating to socialize. It's wanting to be alone, but not wanting to be lonely.  

It's feeling everything at once, then feeling paralyzingly numb.

                                        -- Found on Facebook under "Nonexistent"

I ran across this paragraph on Facebook the other day, and I saved it because it resonated with me.

Actually, it rang about 10,000 bells, and I had to stop and admit to myself that this is it. Even though I tell myself all the time that I'm not anxious and I am not depressed, I am.

It's painful to admit but I have always felt this way. Maybe when I was born I did not, but I do not ever remember a time when I was not depressed. Not just sad, but depressed. Not just scared, but hopeless, for the most part.

And always anxious. Always insecure. Always sure that I am the alien who landed on the wrong planet, but I don't know where home is, or how to get back there.

What I feel daily feels like walking through molasses every single minute of every hour of the day. One foot up, plop it back down into the molasses. A big deep hole filled with molasses, one that I can never swim out of, because I can't see a top, or feel a bottom, or see a shoreline.

There is a story that comes to me occasionally about a donkey that fell into a deep hole. The farmer couldn't figure out how to pull the donkey out, so he decided just to bury the donkey alive. The donkey, seeing the dirt fall, climbed atop each pile of dirt as it fell until it hopped out of the hole.

If only it were that easy. If only the hole full of molasses had an end, a beginning, a middle, instead of just being always there.

If only somebody could tell me where to find the dirt that would take away the molasses and leave me on solid ground. But there are no answers. I've had 100s of hours of therapy and read 100s of books, and there are no answers. Not for me, anyway.

People don't see it, I guess. Some do if they're paying close attention. But I've always felt like the person who didn't belong, the unwanted one, the unwelcomed one, the needy, obsolete, imperfect one. The one who couldn't do it right no matter how hard the trying. Always wrong, never correct, never good enough, never perfect enough.

I suspect I know where that comes from. I imagine you know where it comes from, too, because I don't think we're born feeling imperfect, unless maybe you weren't wanted to begin with, and those feelings seeped on into your DNA as you were a fetus being formed in the womb. 

Some days I consider it a win if I get up, dress, do the laundry, the dishes, and make the bed. This, I know, is more than many people with depression can manage. I function, so what am I complaining about? I have always functioned. I have never let this emotional angst take me completely, but it's been a long and tiring fight. A constant struggle to stay above the molasses.

There are days when I feel l'appel du vide - the call of the void - so strongly that it's a wonder I don't get in the car and drive it off a bridge somewhere. But I do not do that. 

Before I had my gallbladder removed and chronic pain in my abdomen took my life away from me, I fought it better. I could fill my days easier, because I didn't also have to account for the pain. I liked deadlines and I needed - and still need - external pushes, like expectations from someone else - to get things accomplished.

The pain brought a different kind of time suck as I maneuvered through the health care system, trusted that eventually physical therapy would fix me (after 10 years I know that's not happening), and hoped up until I was about 55 that my 50s would be better than the rest of my life. That was what I'd been counting on - a good decade. That was all I wanted, was one good decade out of a lifetime.

But my 50s sucked. And now I'm 60, and I don't see how to change things, to make things different, to bring myself out of the hole and send the molasses down the sink drain so that my 60s don't suck. Because right now, they don't look any different and the horizon hasn't changed.

After 60 years of fighting it, I have to wonder if it's simply time to accept that this is how I am, this is my personality trait, this is my failure. I'm simply not capable of anything more. I always thought I was made of sterner stuff, stronger stuff, but I guess not. 

Or maybe I am, in fact, incredibly strong, and the fact that I've survived these 60 years is really a testament to strength, to resiliency, to some inner something that keeps a person still standing up even as the molasses goes over her head.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. If your house was on fire, which three items would you save?

A. That's a tough question. I'd probably grab my external hard drive, the folder with all of my ID and important papers in it (along with my husband's), and my purse, if I had time. However, the most important thing is to get yourself out of a burning house and not worry about anything else. You can replace stuff, but you can't replace your life.

2. What is the strangest or most awkward date you’ve ever been on?

A. I haven't been on a date in 40 years. I don't remember.

3. What are your biggest fears?

A. Being alone and penniless, not living up to my potential (which seems to be exactly what I am doing), and snakes.

4. How do you spend your time when you are procrastinating?

A. The computer is a time suck for me. I also read, clean the house, talk on the phone, and do most anything else except the thing I know I should be doing.

5. What has been your most memorable birthday so far, and why?

A. My husband threw me a nice surprise party when I turned 50. I was surprised at all the people who came.

6. What is your favorite snack?

A. At the moment it's yogurt-covered pretzels. It changes.

7. What was your first pet?

A. I am not sure they were the first, but we had a pair of Dalmation dogs named Prince and Princess. Those are the first animals I remember. I watched them both get run over by the milk truck.

8. What’s your favorite city in your country?

A. I don't have one. I don't like cities. I wouldn't mind a visit to D.C. sometime, but who knows when that would happen.

9. Do you have a garden?

A. I do! We hadn't had one for four years, but this year we have one with tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumbers, radishes, watermelon, kale, and lettuce. The lettuce is the only thing that didn't do well.

10. What is your favorite thing about your hometown?

A. I don't have a hometown. I have a county. My favorite thing about it is its rural nature and the fact that I belong here.

11. What was the last book you read?

A. I just finished Plum Spooky, by Janet Evanovich.

12. What is the best book you have ever read?

A. I don't know. That's such a subjective question. Anne of Green Gables ranks pretty high up on my list, but I daresay it's not a book most people would choose.

13. Who is your favorite author?

A. I don't have one. I like a lot of authors - Janet Evanovich, Kristin Hannah, Nora Roberts, David Sedaris, David Baldacci, Louise Penny, Sue Grafton, Naomi Novik, Laini Taylor, Ray Bradbury, Debbie Macomber, Melissa Caruso, etc.

14. Is there a food that you hate?

A. Coconut. I refuse to eat anything with coconut in it.

15. Do you get along with your neighbors?

A. Yes, I do. 

16. Do you have any tattoos or piercings?

A. I have a piercing in each ear, but that's it.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: Over There

 Saturday 9: Over There (1942)

. . . because it's the 4th of July weekend. 

Unfamiliar with this rendition? Hear it here.

1) George M. Cohan wrote this song in 1917, inspired by our country's entry into WWI. It was not only popular with the young men who enlisted, it was reassuring to their families. Tell us about a time when music was a comfort to you.

A. Music has long been a comfort to me. When I play my guitar, I'm in the moment (practicing mindfulness without realizing it since 1974!) and it helps take my blues away. I'm fairly sure that all of my time playing music has kept me somewhat sane.

2) "Over There" was revived at the start of WWII, and President Franklin Roosevelt cited this song specifically when he awarded Cohan with the Congressional Gold Medal. What's your favorite patriotic song?

A. This Land is Your Land.

3) This rendition of the song is from the 1942 film, Yankee Doodle Dandy. James Cagney won an Oscar for his performance as George M. Cohan. Also nominated that year was Gary Cooper, who portrayed a different Yankee, Lou Gehrig, in Pride of the Yankees. Tell us about a movie biography you have enjoyed.

A. Does The Blind Side count? I like that movie.

4) Cagney had a rebellious streak. His boss, studio head Jack Warner, nicknamed Cagney, "The Professional Againster." Cagney joked that he was proud of the title. How about you? Are you rebellious?

A. I used to be. When I wrote for the newspaper, my middle name was "Trouble." The county administrator would see me, and he always said, "Here comes Trouble." Now I'm just old.

5) In the clip linked above, a woman sings with Cagney. Her name was Frances Langford, nicknamed the "GI Nightingale" because during WWII she performed for the troops at bases throughout Europe, North Africa and the South Pacific. Do you have any nicknames?

A. Trouble, as stated above, and a nickname my father gave me when I was born that I do not like for others to use.

6) In 1942, when audiences were enjoying this performance of "Over There" in movie theaters, the fashion trend was for mothers and their young daughters to wear identical dresses. Moms would buy lots of fabric and patterns for the same casual day dress in both their own sizes and their little girls'. Can you sew?

A. I can sew on a button and hem pants, but that's about it.

7) The Fourth of July means we're in the middle of summer. Are you careful about applying sunscreen?

A. I generally don't go out to sunbathe, so it's not foremost on my mind. 

8) Mosquito bites can be a major summer annoyance. Are you scratching any itches right now?

A. I have a new little set of moles on my thigh that itch. Eventually they will stop but new moles itch like crazy when they first come on.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will you be eating this 4th of July? 

A. I don't know right now. I'm not sure we will be doing anything special.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

Fly Away

Yesterday as I was talking on the phone with a friend, I heard a "bam" against the front door.

I looked out and saw a bird fluttering on the porch. It looked dazed and confused.

The air was full of tree swallows, and they swirled around the hurt little bird, flying quickly in circles over it, so many that I could not count them. They flew fast and furiously, and my presence at the window did not deter them.

It was a magical site to see these beautiful blueish birds flying as if caught in a little tornado, round and round, over the head of the injured one.

I watched to see if the bird on the ground was simply dazed or hurt. It began fluttering and moving about, finally tumbling the inch from the porch onto the grass. I hung up the phone, and when I turned back, the birds were no longer flying around.

When I stepped outside to check, the one that banged into the door was gone. It had flown off to join the others.

It was pretty cool to see. It happened to fast I didn't get video or anything, but it really was a great moment with nature.

Thursday Thirteen

I was pondering ethical/moral dilemmas recently. There are a lot of them, and I suspect most of us face some kind of moral or ethical issue almost every day. For example, simply posting on social medial might be a moral or ethical decision - do I really need to state my opinion here? That one causes me a lot of angst sometimes (so I mostly just don't post on social media). But there are lots of these types of questions.

1. Should a person speak up when they feel strongly about something, even if speaking up brings on the possibility of harm (to a job, personal harm, reputation, etc.), or stay quiet?

2. If a news media person saw a house on fire, should they go save the people or do his/her job and stand back and take photographs?

3. Should one respect a loved one's privacy on social media, or check on it to see if they are doing anything risky or harmful (especially with younger people)?

4. If one wants to end a relationship, should you end a relationship by ignoring the other person completely (ghosting) or by communicating your reasons and feelings honestly?

5. Should a person claim the credit for a project that was done by someone else or acknowledge their contribution and share the recognition?

6. Should someone sell a product that is of poor quality or defective to a client who trusts him/her, or inform the client of the problem and lose the sale?

7. Should someone use confidential or privileged information for financial gain or respect the rules of fair competition and disclosure?

8. Should a person exaggerate skills, experience, or qualifications to get a job, or be honest and risk losing the opportunity even though the person is qualified for the position?

9. Should someone report a colleague who is breaking the rules, cheating, stealing, harassing, or abusing someone or keep silent and avoid conflict or retaliation?

10. Should a person expose illegal, unethical, or harmful practices that he/she witnesses in his/her organization or stay loyal and protect his/her reputation and career?

11. Should people donate their organs after death to save the lives of others or respect their religious beliefs or personal preferences that prohibit organ donation?

12. Should society support the right of a terminally ill person to end their life with dignity and avoid suffering or respect the sanctity of life and oppose assisted suicide?

13. Should a person trap mice with spring traps that kill them, or use humane traps and release the mouse?

Bing AI helped with some of these moral issues and created the images.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 814th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Another "Objectionable" Book

Will Grayson, Will Grayson

By John Green & David Levithan

Audiobook 8 hrs

Copyright 2011

YA, ages 14 & up

One thing the folks who are objecting to homosexual books in the local library have done is to get me to read books I otherwise would have overlooked. I don't read a lot of YA unless it's fantasy.

This book was one of the books they challenged, and when it came up as available while I was skimming for something new to listen to, I chose it.

It's not great literature, but I also didn't find anything objectionable about it. There were curse words, and yes, young men fell in love, they masturbated, they kissed. I was more upset with the fat shaming in the book than I was with anything else. One of the main characters, Tiny, is a huge overweight fellow and his size is commented on frequently. He is also a flamboyant homosexual who writes a play.

I found the book rather sweet in that most of the youth were accepting of these characters (some were not, but they weren't overly hateful), and it had a rather unrealistic but loving ending. If only people really were so accepting of one another.

In this story, two young men are both named Will Grayson. They do not know each other but eventually meet. They are quite different people. One Will Grayson is Tiny's best friend; later, the other Will Grayson becomes Tiny's boyfriend, though not for very long.

 

The story revolves around the growing up of these young men and how they handle themselves and deal with those around them. Neither is a jock, class clown, or superstar, but Will (1) has a better grasp on himself, his life, and his family than the other. He comes from an upper middle-class family. Will (2) lives with his mother and suffers from depression. The family is not poor but not middle class, either. He has no friends except for a person he has met online and a girl he doesn't want to talk to.

When Will (2) ventures into Chicago to meet his online friend, he instead meets Will (1) and discovers his cyber friend is not who he claimed to be. 

Throughout the story, Tiny's efforts to write a musical play and stage it forms a backdrop. The play is about love and acceptance.

Since I listened to this instead of reading it, I can't address issues I saw in some of the Amazon reviews about sentence grammar and such. I know there is a lot of instant messaging, chatroom talk, and emails in the book, which at times were hard to follow while I was listening. On the page they may not be so bad. I cannot address that aside from noting that it didn't take away from the story.

I do not set out to read books about homosexuality. It is not my thing. However, I also do not find it distasteful, sinful, abhorrent or anything else. What people do is their own business, and these books serve as an introduction to a lifestyle with which I am not familiar. They have, if anything, made me more aware of what the folks are dealing with and going through, and have made me more empathetic towards them. 

More accepting, even.

Maybe that's what the objection is: some people don't want others to be accepted.

Timber!

Over the last several years, as the ash borer beetle made its way through here, we have lost numerous trees. They died seemingly overnight. One year they were fine, the next, they were dead.

While most of these were ash, we have also lost a few red oak trees. This may have been because of something called oak wilt, which can cause red oaks to die in weeks. It is a disease spread by beetles, so perhaps it is no coincidence that these trees are dying or have died around the same time.

We have removed most of the dead trees around the house, but a giant red oak just over our property line remained. It was on my husband's mother's property.

We finally had it removed this weekend.

You'd think out of the 30,000 photos I have there would be a picture of this tree before it died, and there probably is, but I couldn't find it.

This is what it looked like before it was cut. Imagine it all nice and green, blocking the sky.

Tree before it was cut, next to an 8 x 10 shed.

Sorry to see you go, old friend.

The view after the tree was cut.

Compare the stump to the size of the guys.

My husband said it was about 3 feet across the stump. The tree wasn't hollow, either.

When the poison oak has died out in the fall, I may go down and see if I can count the tree rings. I'd like to know how old it was.

Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing

1. Would you rather ride a bike, ride a horse, or drive a car?

A. The appropriate ecological answer would be ride a bike or a horse, but I haven't been on a horse in 50 years, and I haven't been on a bike in about 40.

2. Who is your favorite author?

A. I don't have a favorite. I like different authors for different reasons. 

3. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why?

A. I would rather vacation in Hawaii, because it would be warmer there (probably too warm for me) and there is lots to see that I haven't seen.

4. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to?

A. I would go back and watch the founding fathers write the U.S. Constitution so I could come back and explain what the 2nd Amendment is really supposed to mean, since no one seems to understand it.

5. What's your favorite zoo animal?

A. I don't have a favorite "zoo" animal. I like the exotic animals - lions, elephants, tigers - if they're not going to eat me.

6. What's the tallest building you've been to the top of?

A. Good question. I don't know the answer. It might be the local hospital. I have been to New York City and to Paris, but I didn't go to any tall buildings in either one that I recall. I know I didn't go up in the Eiffel Tower; it was pouring rain the day we were supposed to do that with my group, and no one wanted to do it so we went back to the Louvre instead. I am fairly sure I haven't been in the Empire State Building, but not 100%. I was there when I was 14 but I don't remember what all we did.

7. How often do you buy clothes?

A. Maybe once or twice a year, if that. 

8. What was the last thing you recorded on TV?

A. My husband records car shows. I don't remember the last thing I personally recorded. Maybe Everything Everywhere All At Once. I haven't watched it yet.

9. What was the last book you read?

A. The Summer I Turned Pretty, by Jenny Han, was the last audiobook I listened to. The last book I read was The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. I am currently listening to Will Grayson, Will Grayson, by John Green (it's on the banned book list, I am working my way down them), and I am reading Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

10. What's your favorite type of foreign food?

A. Chinese, I guess, although I strongly suspect what passes for Chinese food around here is quite Americanized.

11. What kitchen appliance do you use every day?

A. The refrigerator and the microwave.

12. How old were you when you learned Santa wasn't real? How did you find out?

A. I was 5 when I found out. I was dusting for my mother and ran across a dish full of 50 cent pieces. The tooth fairy had just brought me a 50-cent piece for a tooth that I'd knocked out of my head in a fall. I quickly deduced that the tooth fairy money came from this dish, and that this dish belonged to my parents. From there it was a quick leap to knowing that my parents were the tooth fairy, and also the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus. I confronted my parents, who admitted such to me, but asked me to pretend for my brother. This I did, and I think he was close to 9 or 10 before he realized Santa did not exist.

13. What was your favorite subject in school?

A. English, although I also enjoyed history, civics (which given the state of things must not be taught anymore), and science. About the only thing I didn't like was phys ed.

14. What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten?

A. Escargot. Or maybe a random bug.

15. What's your favorite family recipe?

A. Chocolate Lush.

__________

I encourage you to visit other participants in Sunday Stealing posts and leave a comment. Cheers to all us thieves who love memes, however we come by them.

Saturday 9: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Saturday 9: It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over (1991)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) In this song, Lenny Kravitz sings about all the tears he's cried over this relationship. Scientists theorize that human tears fall into two categories: emotional and irritant. "Emotional tears" are most often shed over physical pain, empathy, compassion, depression, and anger/frustration. Think about the last time you cried. What triggered your tears?

A. I was upset because someone had insulted me.

2) We also cry "irritant tears," which means we well up when a foreign particle gets in our eye. Over-the-counter drops can help. What's the last thing you bought at the drugstore? Was it a medication (OTC or prescription) or something else entirely?

A. I bought medication and gum.

3) TV actresses have played a big part in Lenny Kravitz' life. His mother was Roxie Roker, who played the neighbor Helen on The Jeffersons. His wife (and the inspiration for this song) was Lisa Bonet, who played one of the daughters on The Cosby Show. Their daughter, Zoe Kravitz, appeared in the HBO series Big Little Lies. What TV series do you never tire of, and could watch again and again? 

A. We rewatch The Big Bang Theory a lot. I also could watch MASH, Gilligan's Island, Little House on the Prairie, and Band of Brothers multiple times. I'm sure there are others but those are the ones that come to mind.

4) Thinking of Big Little Lies . . . Zoe Kravitz co-starred with Nicole Kidman. Shortly after Kidman divorced Tom Cruise, she dated Lenny Kravitz. Have you ever been curious about a partner's past love?

A. I'm on my 40th year of marriage. That is all that matters.

5) Lenny Kravitz and Today Show weatherman Al Roker are second cousins (their grandfathers were brothers). Do you turn to a TV weatherman for the forecast? Or do you check a website or app?

A. We watch Brent Watts on WDBJ7, mostly, or WDBJ7 weather/news. Sometimes we compare predictions, but not often.

6) Also a talented photographer, Lenny's work has been displayed at the Leica Gallery in Wetzlar, Germany. What's the most recent photo you took?

A. 

My brother and his girlfriend.

7) In 1991, when this song was popular, Murray Bicycles were the top seller among younger set. Popularity is fleeting, though. By 2004, the company filed for bankruptcy and no longer produces bicycles. Was your bike a big part of your summer when you were a kid?

A. Yes. We rode them all over the place. We stayed with my grandmother in the summers until I was 12. Up the block from her, the National Park Service had a small acreage filled with pine trees, and we made paths all through them. We were pirates, detectives, superheroes, cowboys and Indians, and anything else we could think of in that little patch of trees.

8) Also in 1991, Gene Roddenberry died. Mr. Roddenberry is best known as the creator of Star Trek. Who's your favorite Star Trek character?

A. Captain Kathryn Janeway, from Star Trek: Voyager. 

9) Random Question: How do you think your high school classmates remember you?

A. It depends on the classmate, I imagine. Some may remember me fondly, others not so much. Some may not remember me at all. I was quiet but also a little wild at times, so some may remember me as a bit unpredictable.

_______________

I encourage you to visit the posts of other participants in Saturday 9 and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.  

We Have a News Vacuum

Nature abhors a vacuum, and the vacuum left by the loss of good media coverage is rapidly showing itself locally as well as nationally.

One side of the vacuum is attempting to be filled by what I shall gracefully call "misinformation monsters" who whine, moan, complain, ad nauseum, about every little thing the local government does. There is about as much truth in what they whine and complain about as is in the tiny little tip of my little finger, and the rest is conjecture, conspiracy crap, and fascist bigotry.

The other side is filled with, well, next to nothing, unfortunately. The local newspapers - the daily and the weekly - are not covering the county government in depth and detail. I know because that's what I used to do. I still do it with an online news outlet that I write for, but those stories do not have puppy dogs on them and aren't widely read. The online news outlet gets better hits from stories about kitty cats, trucks that get stuck in town trying to make turns on narrow streets, and other things that in the long term don't matter.

The county, in an effort to fill this vacuum, has created a "facts4u" page. They see the misinformation monsters on social media doing what they do best and try to correct the record. This is admirable, but it's not working well. The misinformation monsters are like the people the former guy could shoot on 5th Avenue. They'd go out bleeding to death and admiring his aim with their last gasp. They'd never believe he actually shot them.

This is a national problem. People are getting their "news" from opinions, from their friends, from, well, anything but an actual news source, apparently. And the news sources tend to grab a headline and beat it until something else catches their attention. (The recent unfortunate sinking of the Titan as it went to view the Titanic being a case in point. I am sorry those folks died, but I was sick of hearing about it. There are other things going on in the world. I mean, about 500 other people died in a Greek shipping incident at the same time, but they were immigrants, so I suppose they weren't worth as much coverage as the lives of billionaires.)

The local papers can't do what they need to do because they're understaffed. But even if they weren't, I have to wonder, now that we have all become social media junkies and everyone's a scientist, an expert on book banning, or an experienced pilot even if they've never been behind the controls of a plane, if it would make any difference. If the local media printed stories that covered topics in depth and explained what is going on with growth, economic development, the school system, book banning, etc., would the stories reach the people they need to reach?

I think not. Those people are no longer reachable by anything that does not echo in their brains as a compliant agreement with what they are already thinking. They seem unable to synthesize new information unless it agrees with their worldview.

Battling social media misinformation is an ongoing problem that needs to be addressed. The main way I deal with it is (a) I go slow and do not share information unless I have fact checked it myself. (The way I know most of the local misinformation is misinformation is because I have listened to and/or attended meetings, or talked to a primary source, not a secondary one.) and (b) I am skeptical of everything I read unless or until I have verified it. Many things do not interest me, so I ignore those. I certainly don't share them. If I have interest in something, I fact check it before I share.

I think before I post. I wish others would.

  Yale offers up these six ways to deal with misinformation:

 1. Trust the source, not the sharer.  A recent study found that in deciding what to trust and share on social media, individuals were more attentive to the sharer than to the original source of an article.  This is a mistake.  Reputable news sources have fact checkers and strong incentives to report facts accurately; they also have editorial practices that allow them to correct their own errors.  They are, for the most part, trustworthy.  Confused about a current event?  See what the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, or the Washington Post says.

2. Remember that your reaction to an event isn’t the only one.  In response to a political or social event, you might find yourself surrounded by a storm of outrage, or a warm glow of approval on social media.  Researchers have found that networks of retweets and interaction about moral content on Twitter are highly segregated by political affiliation.  These researchers also found that people are generally more likely to share emotional content.  For this reason, social media is inadvertently selecting for the content that most drives polarization.  Be wary when friends share highly emotional moral content, and remember that elsewhere in the social network, other perspectives are likely being shared and you are not seeing them. 

3. Fight confirmation bias.  People tend to trust evidence that confirms beliefs they already hold and ignore evidence that pushes against these beliefs.  If you find yourself only trusting and sharing things that you already believed, you may be falling into the confirmation bias trap.  Along these lines, be wary of articles that report on a controversial topic, but where it is entirely unclear why anyone would hold the other position in the controversy.  Such articles are designed to get clicks and shares by appealing to confirmation biases.

4. Watch out for surprising scientific findings.  In general, people have a bias towards novelty.  We are fascinated by things that are surprising or new.  This translates into likes, click-throughs, and shares on social media.  And this means that journalists are incentivized to cover the surprising and novel, including in coverage about science. But in science, surprising findings are also often wrong or misleading.  Not every study reflects a true effect, and some studies fail to replicate. Studies that fail to replicate, though, are more likely to be reported on, and more like to be shared on social media, presumably because they are more surprising.  This unfortunately means that if you’ve heard about a scientific finding on social media, it is more likely to be false than one you haven’t heard of.

5. Read and share science journalism that covers a whole literature, not a single study.  One solution is to read, trust, and share scientific articles that report results from an entire literature, rather than focusing on a single study. Because scientific evidence is probabilistic, any individual study can be misleading. But an entire body of evidence, gathered by many scientists, replicated, and critiqued within a scientific community is less likely to mislead. Ignore sensationalizing articles about one study.  (And no, wine isn’t better than exercise for your health.)

6. Remember, the agents of unfriendly nations are out there. We are unfortunately in a media environment where we are regularly brought into contact with content created and spread by foreign actors trying to manipulate public beliefs. These agents are extremely savvy about what will be shared and liked. One major goal seems to be to polarize and divide the US electorate and to erode trust in the US democracy. For this reason, it is not safe to assume content created by sources you have never heard of is safe or reliable—even (or especially) if it tends to support beliefs or positions you already accept. Cultivate a skeptical attitude towards social media content, and use verified sources to check scientific and political facts before trusting, liking, and sharing.

I don't know what one does about people who pay no attention to this because it comes from a higher education source, or those who mistrust trustworthy sources.

*Bing images.

Thursday Thirteen

1. My lack of empathy is showing. I have no particular feelings about the people missing in the Titan, the little explorer that 4 people paid anywhere from $40,000 to $250,000 to take a seat in, only to go down to see the wreckage of the Titanic. Now the Titan is lost, and the U.S. Coast Guard, ships from Canada, and another from France, are searching for the missing.

2. People like those lost in the Titan - sightseers who aren't doing anything that contributes to the value of society - put others at risk. Now all of those folks out searching for them are endangered. Boats sink. The average base salary for a member of the U.S. Coast Guard is $84,000 annually. Do you think they could afford to ride in the vessel they're searching for?

3. This lack of empathy is coming, I imagine, from being married to a firefighter. He put his life in jeopardy numerous times to save others. He was trained to do this, so he was able to remain (mostly) unharmed during his long tenure with the fire department. Most of the time, his work was unavoidable - houses go up in flames, people have car wrecks, stuff just happens. But sometimes you have someone with grandiose ideas who thinks they can scale a 10-story building (and then get stuck) or something. It's rather like driving your car through deep water or kayaking during a flood. It's a stupid thing to do and it puts other people at risk.

4. The good thing about this thing with the Titan is that it shows we still value human lives. Even I, dismissive as I am, would not leave the folks in the Titan to die if I had some capability to help. However, I do not, so I can sit back and be a keyboard judger. I should be more empathetic about the plight of these souls. They have people who love them, just like I do. I know I'm wrong to feel this way. Knowing that, I now must find the reasons why I am wrong and reverse course to retain my empathy towards others.

5. Here's why we save people*: human life possesses intrinsic worth and dignity, regardless of individual characteristics, accomplishments, or circumstances. Recognizing and honoring this value promotes a just and compassionate society.

6. Additionally, respecting and preserving human life acknowledges an individual's right to make choices, pursue goals, and experience a range of human experiences. By saving lives, we ensure that individuals have the opportunity to exercise their autonomy.

7. Saving human lives helps prevent unnecessary pain, suffering, and premature loss. Each life saved can potentially alleviate immeasurable grief for families and loved ones.

8. Honoring human life contributes to the pursuit of justice, fairness, and equality. Treating all lives as valuable ensures that each person has an equal opportunity to thrive and fulfill their potential.

9. By honoring and saving human lives, we set a moral precedent for others to do the same. We create a culture that values and protects life, fostering a society built on empathy, compassion, and cooperation.

10. Human life is intricately interconnected, and preserving it strengthens the fabric of society. Each life saved can contribute to the well-being and progress of communities, creating a positive ripple effect.

11. We have a duty to preserve and protect the lives of others. Acknowledging this responsibility implies a commitment to uphold the fundamental right to life for all individuals.

12. Every human life holds untapped potential and unique contributions that can enrich the world. By saving lives, we preserve the chance for individuals to make positive impacts, foster innovation, and create a better future.

13. Valuing and saving human life ensures the preservation of diverse cultures, traditions, values, etc. of other cultures and ensures the broad range of the human experience remains available to everyone. We live in a deeply interconnected world. Saving human lives contributes to the well-being of society as a whole, fostering social stability, harmony, and progress.

Just an FYI: this is how I learn and reinforce a value. I value empathy, I realized I was lacking it in this particular instance, I went searching for reasons to confirm not that I should lack it, but why I should instead feel more compassion toward the people in the Titan.

*ChatGPT helped.

Thursday Thirteen is played by lots of people; there is a list here if you want to read other Thursday Thirteens and/or play along. I've been playing for a while, and this is my 813th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.

Insides of a Septic System

My husband retired from the fire department to install septic tanks, which was a second job he worked with his father until his father passed away.

These are photos of the insides of a septic system. Or some of it, anyway. The tanks are not shown; they're already buried. City dwellers have no clue about such things, but they're common out here in the sticks.

My Mother's Birthday

She would have been 79 years old today.

She died when she was 56 on August 24, 2000.

Mom about 1994

1966, with my brother

My mother and father, about 1996

Mom about 1950+

Mom in 1981. This is my immediate family
at my wedding. Mom, Dad, me, my brother.