Saturday 9: My Favorite Things (2018)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
(This is a beefed up version of the Julie Andrews tune.)
1) This week's artist, Jennie Abrahamson, is very happy living in Stockholm, but she refers to Paris as "a flirt." She enjoys her time there so much she always wants to return. Is there a place you've visited that tugs at your heart and imagination, tempting you to return?
A. I'm happy where I am. No place I have visited has ever been like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home . . . there's no place like home . . .
2) Jennie has said her music has been heavily influenced by 80s pop, which was popular in her early teen years. Are your favorite songs the ones you listened to when you were growing up?
A. My favorite songs are from the 1970s and early 1980s, with the exception of Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crowe, both of whom captured my heart in the 1990s.
3) "My Favorite Things" is from The Sound of Music. Crazy Sam's high school claim to fame was playing Sister Margaretta in the senior class production. Though not a big part, her performance lives on because relatives love embarrassing her with pictures of her in an especially unflattering nun's habit. Who took an embarrassing photo of you? What were you doing?
A. I had an embarrassing photo of me in big hair holding a fish I caught; I'm not sure who took it but it must have been in the late 1980s. I tore the photo up.
4) The lyrics celebrate "brown paper packages tied up in strings." What was in the last box you received in the mail?
A. A copy of my blog. Every four months I go to blog2print.com and have a copy of the last four months made into a softbound book. Right now all of those copies take up about 14" of shelf space. At least if my blog ever dies, I will have my words and photos. Someday someone will buy them in my estate auction, or they will find their way into a recycling bin and the paper will be shredded. Hopefully I won't be around to see either.
5) It mentions doorbells and sleighbells. What's the most recent bell or alarm that you heard?
A. Alexa woke me up this morning at 6:15 a.m.
6) This song has nice things to say about cold weather, specifically snowflakes and mittens. What do you like about winter?
A. When it is snowing, and all is quiet and still, it is as if the Universe has inhaled and is holding its breath.
7) Dog bites and bee stings are singled out as things that can leave us feeling sad. What's most recently given you the blues?
A. My house re-renovations. We had the kitchen floor redone in October, and now it's being torn up again and put back down because the first tile installers were absolutely the worst workers ever. After some back and forth with the flooring company, we finally convinced them to replace the floor. My house is wrecked. The tilers broke the glass on my 32-year-old Jenn-Air oven door, so I can't cook anything, either. I'm feeling a bit stressed.
8) In 2018, when this song was released, Roger Federer won the Australian Open. Are you good with a racket?
A. No ma'am, I am not.
9) Random question -- Your local zoo announced the hatching of three snowy owlets. All males. You won the honor of naming them. Go ahead.
A. Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
Flooring Update
Here's a flooring update.
The old tile was removed in about an hour. This should have taken all day, but the initial tile was so poorly installed that if we hadn't had it taken up within a few months we would have started noticing cracks and tiles breaking.
Essentially the only thing holding the tile to the floor was the grout.
Now the new tile is down, and as best we can tell, it has no raised corners to stumble over. We could also tell it was put down with a much better quality of workmanship by a man who takes pride in his work.
Hopefully in 10 days or so my life will be restored to some semblance of normal. In the meantime, I'm trying not to stress over things. However, I'm the kind of girl who worries about everything, so of course I'm stressing over all of this.
But it is what it is.
The old tile was removed in about an hour. This should have taken all day, but the initial tile was so poorly installed that if we hadn't had it taken up within a few months we would have started noticing cracks and tiles breaking.
Essentially the only thing holding the tile to the floor was the grout.
Now the new tile is down, and as best we can tell, it has no raised corners to stumble over. We could also tell it was put down with a much better quality of workmanship by a man who takes pride in his work.
 |
| This still needs to be grouted. The area by the door with the blue specks are tiles that were installed this morning. |
 |
| After the kitchen is grouted and that is dry, then we will move all the stuff piled in the living room into the kitchen, and tear up the carpet and install hardwood flooring. |
Hopefully in 10 days or so my life will be restored to some semblance of normal. In the meantime, I'm trying not to stress over things. However, I'm the kind of girl who worries about everything, so of course I'm stressing over all of this.
But it is what it is.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Thursday Thirteen
1. Living in a home during renovations is like suddenly moving into a tiny house, because suddenly my living space has been reduced by half.
2. Keep looking toward the end goal, my husband says. In a few weeks it will all be over.
3. I've never been able to see the end of long projects. I strongly suspect this has something to do with my inability to commit to writing a novel.
4. Writing articles has a foreseeable end, even if it's an article that takes me a month to work on. Of course, if I'm doing something like that I'm being paid for it and I have a deadline.
5. Deadlines are not bad things. I never minded deadlines when I wrote steadily for newspapers, because they forced me to do the work.
6. Organization was also important to deadlines. Deadlines kept me organized and in control.
7. School afforded me deadlines, too, and I was able to write longer pieces when I was taking writing courses. I had to turn something in, and it had to be good. I was always an "A" student and I wasn't going to screw that up.
8. However, setting deadlines for myself doesn't work, because I let them pass. No self discipline?
9. Maybe it is the lack of the carrot on the end of the stick, i.e., the paycheck or the "A" that makes self-imposed deadlines easy to bypass.
10. Lots of things have deadlines; dinner, for example. We try to eat before 6 p.m. because we both have indigestion if we eat later. Laundry has less of a deadline, although the dwindling pile of towels and underwear suggests I need to find access to a washer and dryer soon. (Mine is currently unhooked and sitting idle in the garage.)
11. The workers who are making improvements to my home have deadlines, too. Those are imposed by money, as in, the longer they stay on the job the less an hour they are making, because they are being paid by the job and not for their time. Working faster is better for them.
12. What other things have deadlines? Bills. Appointments. Bedtime is a deadline, isn't it? Projects of all sorts. What are the things that you have deadlines for?
13. Some people don't understand deadlines. I call those people politicians. ☺
----------------------------
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 588th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
2. Keep looking toward the end goal, my husband says. In a few weeks it will all be over.
3. I've never been able to see the end of long projects. I strongly suspect this has something to do with my inability to commit to writing a novel.
4. Writing articles has a foreseeable end, even if it's an article that takes me a month to work on. Of course, if I'm doing something like that I'm being paid for it and I have a deadline.
5. Deadlines are not bad things. I never minded deadlines when I wrote steadily for newspapers, because they forced me to do the work.
6. Organization was also important to deadlines. Deadlines kept me organized and in control.
7. School afforded me deadlines, too, and I was able to write longer pieces when I was taking writing courses. I had to turn something in, and it had to be good. I was always an "A" student and I wasn't going to screw that up.
8. However, setting deadlines for myself doesn't work, because I let them pass. No self discipline?
9. Maybe it is the lack of the carrot on the end of the stick, i.e., the paycheck or the "A" that makes self-imposed deadlines easy to bypass.
10. Lots of things have deadlines; dinner, for example. We try to eat before 6 p.m. because we both have indigestion if we eat later. Laundry has less of a deadline, although the dwindling pile of towels and underwear suggests I need to find access to a washer and dryer soon. (Mine is currently unhooked and sitting idle in the garage.)
11. The workers who are making improvements to my home have deadlines, too. Those are imposed by money, as in, the longer they stay on the job the less an hour they are making, because they are being paid by the job and not for their time. Working faster is better for them.
12. What other things have deadlines? Bills. Appointments. Bedtime is a deadline, isn't it? Projects of all sorts. What are the things that you have deadlines for?
13. Some people don't understand deadlines. I call those people politicians. ☺
----------------------------
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 588th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
They Broke the Oven
As we continue with the flooring saga, I offer up the rather devastating news that somehow one of the tile men broke the glass on my oven.
My oven is a Jenn-Air, and it was expensive when we purchased it about 30 years ago. I don't know how it was broken as I wasn't here, and I don't know if there is other damage to the oven. The tile man has managed to locate the only single existing piece of glass for this oven door in the entire United States and is having it shipped here, but that doesn't relieve my anxiety about whether or not the door seals have been compromised.
A new Jenn-Air is expensive - about $3,500, actually. So I am guessing the tile man is hoping this piece of glass he's ordered really does fix things. Otherwise someone's insurance will be buying me a new stove. I have no issues with my oven so I don't know whether to hope the glass fits or not. I had no plans to replace my oven. It has worked just fine all of this time and if it isn't broke I don't replace things simply to replace them.
In the meantime, the old tile that was laid in early October came up incredibly easy, almost by hand, because the first tile-layers did such a crappy job. My husband said the only thing holding the tile down was the grout, basically. That turned out to be good because no jackhammers or other heavy equipment was necessary to get the tile out, and it mostly came up in single pieces. These will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for reuse in someone else's home, according to the tile contractor, since they are in good shape.
The other trauma that happened yesterday involved some adhesive crap that the tile people spread all over the cement. I don't know why my husband didn't stop them, because it smells and everyone has been told 100 times that I am sensitive to chemical odors and have asthma. Nevertheless, this stuff was put down.
It smells terrible and after a little while my lips started tingling and swelling, which is where I tend to react to things. We left for a while to eat dinner and go to Lowes, and it was still stinking when we returned, so we left the windows open and the furnace on (our light bill will be hideous this month) and left to spend the night at my mother-in-law's house.
We came back early this morning (around 6:15 a.m.) and have been trying to air out the house so it doesn't smell so. James is hoping that once the tile is over the stinky stuff the odor will dissipate even more. The odor isn't bothering me quite so much but I am staying back in my office with the door shut and I also have taken extra allergy medication.
This adventure living during a renovation is not for me, I have to say.
My oven is a Jenn-Air, and it was expensive when we purchased it about 30 years ago. I don't know how it was broken as I wasn't here, and I don't know if there is other damage to the oven. The tile man has managed to locate the only single existing piece of glass for this oven door in the entire United States and is having it shipped here, but that doesn't relieve my anxiety about whether or not the door seals have been compromised.
A new Jenn-Air is expensive - about $3,500, actually. So I am guessing the tile man is hoping this piece of glass he's ordered really does fix things. Otherwise someone's insurance will be buying me a new stove. I have no issues with my oven so I don't know whether to hope the glass fits or not. I had no plans to replace my oven. It has worked just fine all of this time and if it isn't broke I don't replace things simply to replace them.
In the meantime, the old tile that was laid in early October came up incredibly easy, almost by hand, because the first tile-layers did such a crappy job. My husband said the only thing holding the tile down was the grout, basically. That turned out to be good because no jackhammers or other heavy equipment was necessary to get the tile out, and it mostly came up in single pieces. These will be donated to Habitat for Humanity for reuse in someone else's home, according to the tile contractor, since they are in good shape.
The other trauma that happened yesterday involved some adhesive crap that the tile people spread all over the cement. I don't know why my husband didn't stop them, because it smells and everyone has been told 100 times that I am sensitive to chemical odors and have asthma. Nevertheless, this stuff was put down.
It smells terrible and after a little while my lips started tingling and swelling, which is where I tend to react to things. We left for a while to eat dinner and go to Lowes, and it was still stinking when we returned, so we left the windows open and the furnace on (our light bill will be hideous this month) and left to spend the night at my mother-in-law's house.
We came back early this morning (around 6:15 a.m.) and have been trying to air out the house so it doesn't smell so. James is hoping that once the tile is over the stinky stuff the odor will dissipate even more. The odor isn't bothering me quite so much but I am staying back in my office with the door shut and I also have taken extra allergy medication.
This adventure living during a renovation is not for me, I have to say.
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
The Floor Saga Continues
So now we come once again to flooring.
My parquet floors in August had to be replaced because of a dishwasher malfunction.
In early October, men came and put in tile.
It was a horrible, awful job, although initially we thought it was ok. You can't really tell until it's done, after all, because you can't walk on it and stuff is wet and you think it going to dry a different color.
However, after they were through we realized that the grout changed color halfway through, the tiles are not lined up straight, and they are not flat. You can trip over this floor without even thinking about it.
After much back and forth with the flooring company, they have agreed to replace the tile floor. This entails jackhammers and sledge hammers and other equipment that I don't even want to think about being in my home.
I am leaving as soon as they arrive, and leaving this part to my husband to supervise.
As it is, we've had to remove everything not just in the kitchen but also in the living room, because of the anticipated dust that we have been told this will create. That is also another reason for me to leave, as I have asthma.
Here is what my house looks like now:
This has been very stressful. The tile does not look bad to just look at it, but it is wavy and a nightmare to walk on. My husband was determined it was going to be made right, and so hopefully it shall be.
The new tile installer is a "certified tile installer," which is supposed to mean something. Anyway, the flooring people took this fellow's word that the job was poor. They initially brought him out to prove it was "acceptably poor" but he said it wasn't and it all needed to come up. That was when they finally agreed to pay to replace it.
I will be out all day and I'm not really well enough to be out for long periods. Fortunately I will be able to meet a friend for lunch, so that will be a nice long break.
Wish me luck, with all of it.
My parquet floors in August had to be replaced because of a dishwasher malfunction.
In early October, men came and put in tile.
It was a horrible, awful job, although initially we thought it was ok. You can't really tell until it's done, after all, because you can't walk on it and stuff is wet and you think it going to dry a different color.
However, after they were through we realized that the grout changed color halfway through, the tiles are not lined up straight, and they are not flat. You can trip over this floor without even thinking about it.
After much back and forth with the flooring company, they have agreed to replace the tile floor. This entails jackhammers and sledge hammers and other equipment that I don't even want to think about being in my home.
I am leaving as soon as they arrive, and leaving this part to my husband to supervise.
As it is, we've had to remove everything not just in the kitchen but also in the living room, because of the anticipated dust that we have been told this will create. That is also another reason for me to leave, as I have asthma.
Here is what my house looks like now:
 |
| We need some help with the cabinets; the tile men will have to help us move some things. |
 |
| Yep, my refrigerator is in my living room. |
This has been very stressful. The tile does not look bad to just look at it, but it is wavy and a nightmare to walk on. My husband was determined it was going to be made right, and so hopefully it shall be.
The new tile installer is a "certified tile installer," which is supposed to mean something. Anyway, the flooring people took this fellow's word that the job was poor. They initially brought him out to prove it was "acceptably poor" but he said it wasn't and it all needed to come up. That was when they finally agreed to pay to replace it.
I will be out all day and I'm not really well enough to be out for long periods. Fortunately I will be able to meet a friend for lunch, so that will be a nice long break.
Wish me luck, with all of it.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Lunar Eclipse of the Supermoon Wolf Moon
We set an alarm for 11 p.m. and I took these shots between 11:10 p.m. and midnight last night.
And these are photos of the Supermoon Wolf Moon setting over the mountain on Monday morning.
And these are photos of the Supermoon Wolf Moon setting over the mountain on Monday morning.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. Do you have a passion project? What is it?
A. I must not since I'm not sure what that is.
2. How many languages can you speak?
A. I can speak a wee bit of Spanish along with my native English (American version).
3. What was the last book you read?
A. The Book of Life, by Deborah Harkness
4. Where in the world would you most like to visit?
A. New Zealand.
5. Top 5 fictional characters?
A. Jo from Little Women, Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Kinsey Milhone (Sue Grafton's heroine in her alphabet mysteries series), Xena, from Xena: Warrior Princess. I'd put something from Lord of the Rings in there but I thought I'd go with an all female list and let's face it, Tolkien was sexist. Aside from Eowyn, there aren't many women of note in his books.
6. Something you miss from your childhood?
A. I didn't particularly like my childhood.
7. What skill do you wish you had?
A. The ability to travel through time.
8. Tell us an interesting fact.
A. There are more lifeforms living on your skin than there are people on the planet.
9. What was your favourite subject in school?
A. English.
10. Favorite planet?
A. Saturn.
11. Which historical figure fascinates you and why?
A. Mary, Queen of Scots, because she was tough and I bet she was going "nyah nyah" at Queen Elizabeth even as her head was being chopped off.
12. Favorite mythical creature?
A. The Goddess Freyja and her Valkery warriors
13. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?
A. Which kind of conspiracy theory? The "I think #45 was colluding with Russia" or the "they are holding aliens at Area 51" kind?
14. What is your favourite word?
A. Serendipity
15. Do you have any obsessions right now?
A. I'm obsessed with not getting my taxes done, because apparently I simply don't want to work on the damned things.
16. Do you play any instruments?
A. I play guitar. In the past I have played ukelele, guitalele, dobro, dulcimer, saxophone, flute, piccolo, piano, organ, harpsichord, accordian, harmonica, tamborine, recorder, bass guitar and probably a few others I've forgotten.
17. What’s your worst habit?
A. It's a tie between eating too much and chewing my finger nails.
18. Do you have a collection of anything?
A. I have a collection of Christmas mice and a lot of books.
19. What’s your biggest ‘what if’?
A. What if the apocolypse comes tomorrow and I don't have enough toilet paper?
20. What is your favourite fairy tale?
A. Snow White and Rose Red. Didn't we just have this question?
21. Have you ever dyed your hair? Is there a colour you’d like to dye it?
A. I have never dyed my hair. I had it highlighted a few times but I became allergic to the coloring. So I don't dye my hair and there is no color I would dye my hair. I have earned the gray.
22. If you could learn one language overnight, which would you choose?
A. French.
23. What’s the most useless thing you know how to do?
A. Procrastinate. I'm a master at it and it's very unproductive.
24. What’s the most important change that should be made to your country’s education system?
A. It would be nice if they taught civics again, and parents should stand behind the teachers, not their kids, when things go awry.
__________
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.
1. Do you have a passion project? What is it?
A. I must not since I'm not sure what that is.
2. How many languages can you speak?
A. I can speak a wee bit of Spanish along with my native English (American version).
3. What was the last book you read?
A. The Book of Life, by Deborah Harkness
4. Where in the world would you most like to visit?
A. New Zealand.
5. Top 5 fictional characters?
A. Jo from Little Women, Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, Buffy Summers (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Kinsey Milhone (Sue Grafton's heroine in her alphabet mysteries series), Xena, from Xena: Warrior Princess. I'd put something from Lord of the Rings in there but I thought I'd go with an all female list and let's face it, Tolkien was sexist. Aside from Eowyn, there aren't many women of note in his books.
6. Something you miss from your childhood?
A. I didn't particularly like my childhood.
7. What skill do you wish you had?
A. The ability to travel through time.
8. Tell us an interesting fact.
A. There are more lifeforms living on your skin than there are people on the planet.
9. What was your favourite subject in school?
A. English.
10. Favorite planet?
A. Saturn.
11. Which historical figure fascinates you and why?
A. Mary, Queen of Scots, because she was tough and I bet she was going "nyah nyah" at Queen Elizabeth even as her head was being chopped off.
12. Favorite mythical creature?
A. The Goddess Freyja and her Valkery warriors
13. Do you believe in any conspiracy theories?
A. Which kind of conspiracy theory? The "I think #45 was colluding with Russia" or the "they are holding aliens at Area 51" kind?
14. What is your favourite word?
A. Serendipity
15. Do you have any obsessions right now?
A. I'm obsessed with not getting my taxes done, because apparently I simply don't want to work on the damned things.
16. Do you play any instruments?
A. I play guitar. In the past I have played ukelele, guitalele, dobro, dulcimer, saxophone, flute, piccolo, piano, organ, harpsichord, accordian, harmonica, tamborine, recorder, bass guitar and probably a few others I've forgotten.
17. What’s your worst habit?
A. It's a tie between eating too much and chewing my finger nails.
18. Do you have a collection of anything?
A. I have a collection of Christmas mice and a lot of books.
19. What’s your biggest ‘what if’?
A. What if the apocolypse comes tomorrow and I don't have enough toilet paper?
20. What is your favourite fairy tale?
A. Snow White and Rose Red. Didn't we just have this question?
21. Have you ever dyed your hair? Is there a colour you’d like to dye it?
A. I have never dyed my hair. I had it highlighted a few times but I became allergic to the coloring. So I don't dye my hair and there is no color I would dye my hair. I have earned the gray.
22. If you could learn one language overnight, which would you choose?
A. French.
23. What’s the most useless thing you know how to do?
A. Procrastinate. I'm a master at it and it's very unproductive.
24. What’s the most important change that should be made to your country’s education system?
A. It would be nice if they taught civics again, and parents should stand behind the teachers, not their kids, when things go awry.
__________
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, January 19, 2019
Saturday 9: Love Affair
Saturday 9: '65 Love Affair (1977)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The first line of this song is, "I was a car hop." Car hops used to take orders and bring diners food to eat in their cars. Today, the drive through lane has pretty much replaced car hops. Think about the last time you went to a fast food restaurant. Did you order at the counter or at the drive through window?
A. Actually, I phone it in and go in and pick it up.
2) Mr. Davis sings that his girlfriend was "bad with her pom-poms." Presumably she was a cheerleader. Share one of your school's cheers.
A. We're Cavalier born and Cavalier bred and when we die we'll be Cavaliers yet! So rah rah for Cavaliers! Rah rah for Cavaliers! Rah rah for Cavaliers!
3) The lyrics tell us he believes that if he could go back in time, his girl would still be his. If you could travel back in time to your high school years, what would you enjoy doing again? What would you do differently?
A. I would enjoy learning and visiting the library, which I did and would do again. I would try to be calmer. I was not a very calm teenager on the inside, though I was generally quiet and unnoticed.
4) During his performing days, Paul Davis sported a full beard and flowing hair. We're using that to check your powers of observation and recollection. Think of the last man you spoke to. Who was he? Describe his hair, and tell us whether he was clean shaven.
A. The last man I spoke to was my husband. He's balding with gray hair on the sides, and he had a 5 o'clock shadow because it was late in the day. He looked tired.
5) Paul Davis was born in Meridian, MS, and that's where he returned to when he went into semi-retirement in 1982. Meridian's biggest employer is the Naval Air Station in Meridian. Do you know anyone who is currently in, or employed by, the military?
A. I have an uncle who was in the Air Force and then retired and went back as a civilian worker. He's some kind of high tech airplane mechanic.
6) He was a pool player and a golfer. Which sport are you better at?
A. Pool. I used to shoot a mean game of pool back in the day.
7) Sadly, he died in 2008, on the day after his 60th birthday. His best friend remembers him as "a homebody," who enjoyed staying up long into the night with his friends, playing and listening to music. Describe your perfect way to spend an evening.
A. Staying in with my husband, with his hand in mind, and a good back in my lap, while he watches TV.
8) The publishing rights to "'65 Love Affair," as well as Paul Davis' bigger hits ("Cool Night" and "I Go Crazy"), are owned by another Paul -- Paul McCartney. Sir Paul's MPL Publishing Company has made him a very rich man, and Paul says that's because he chose to invest in music, something he loves. What about you? If you were to invest in a business or industry you love, which would you choose?
A. I would invest in publishing, although I don't think that is very lucrative right now. Perhaps I'd have to do something digital.
9) Random question --You're at a party and one of your host's best friends is a real egghead who tries to draw you into a conversation about paradigmatic counter existentialism. Would you: a) just listen politely while letting your mind wander; b) admit you don't know what the hell he's talking about; c) explain why you personally feel that the counter existential paradigm just adds unnecessary complexity to the individual's search for meaning?
A. Oh, my. I would be totally into this conversation. So I guess c), but I'd have to add that absurdist existentialism has merit as well, and that in all honesty, the universe really doesn't give a damn what we all do, and the search for meaning is in and of itself an absurdly pointless exercise, and thus the entire conversation was in and of itself useless.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) The first line of this song is, "I was a car hop." Car hops used to take orders and bring diners food to eat in their cars. Today, the drive through lane has pretty much replaced car hops. Think about the last time you went to a fast food restaurant. Did you order at the counter or at the drive through window?
A. Actually, I phone it in and go in and pick it up.
2) Mr. Davis sings that his girlfriend was "bad with her pom-poms." Presumably she was a cheerleader. Share one of your school's cheers.
A. We're Cavalier born and Cavalier bred and when we die we'll be Cavaliers yet! So rah rah for Cavaliers! Rah rah for Cavaliers! Rah rah for Cavaliers!
3) The lyrics tell us he believes that if he could go back in time, his girl would still be his. If you could travel back in time to your high school years, what would you enjoy doing again? What would you do differently?
A. I would enjoy learning and visiting the library, which I did and would do again. I would try to be calmer. I was not a very calm teenager on the inside, though I was generally quiet and unnoticed.
4) During his performing days, Paul Davis sported a full beard and flowing hair. We're using that to check your powers of observation and recollection. Think of the last man you spoke to. Who was he? Describe his hair, and tell us whether he was clean shaven.
A. The last man I spoke to was my husband. He's balding with gray hair on the sides, and he had a 5 o'clock shadow because it was late in the day. He looked tired.
5) Paul Davis was born in Meridian, MS, and that's where he returned to when he went into semi-retirement in 1982. Meridian's biggest employer is the Naval Air Station in Meridian. Do you know anyone who is currently in, or employed by, the military?
A. I have an uncle who was in the Air Force and then retired and went back as a civilian worker. He's some kind of high tech airplane mechanic.
6) He was a pool player and a golfer. Which sport are you better at?
A. Pool. I used to shoot a mean game of pool back in the day.
7) Sadly, he died in 2008, on the day after his 60th birthday. His best friend remembers him as "a homebody," who enjoyed staying up long into the night with his friends, playing and listening to music. Describe your perfect way to spend an evening.
A. Staying in with my husband, with his hand in mind, and a good back in my lap, while he watches TV.
8) The publishing rights to "'65 Love Affair," as well as Paul Davis' bigger hits ("Cool Night" and "I Go Crazy"), are owned by another Paul -- Paul McCartney. Sir Paul's MPL Publishing Company has made him a very rich man, and Paul says that's because he chose to invest in music, something he loves. What about you? If you were to invest in a business or industry you love, which would you choose?
A. I would invest in publishing, although I don't think that is very lucrative right now. Perhaps I'd have to do something digital.
9) Random question --You're at a party and one of your host's best friends is a real egghead who tries to draw you into a conversation about paradigmatic counter existentialism. Would you: a) just listen politely while letting your mind wander; b) admit you don't know what the hell he's talking about; c) explain why you personally feel that the counter existential paradigm just adds unnecessary complexity to the individual's search for meaning?
A. Oh, my. I would be totally into this conversation. So I guess c), but I'd have to add that absurdist existentialism has merit as well, and that in all honesty, the universe really doesn't give a damn what we all do, and the search for meaning is in and of itself an absurdly pointless exercise, and thus the entire conversation was in and of itself useless.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Thursday 13
1. Today I am thinking about the word "trust."
2. Trust is defined as a relationship between two people, generally.
3. But it can also be a relationship with an animal, or a thing - like corporations or governments.
4. I am trusting you, my dear reader, to not use my words or photos in some nefarious manner when I place them upon a blog page. Not that I write things that are bad, or take naughty pictures, but you never know what people will do with things once they are on the Internet. So I must trust that you - someone I likely do not know - will honor the implicit contract of reader and writer and not steal my words or take them for your own (copyright violation).
5. Trust plays a big role in society. Could society function without trust? Let's think about it.
6. If we didn't have an implied trust that people will obey laws, would we ever leave our houses? Would we drive on the road? Would we trust the clerk at the grocery store not to steal from us?
7. Bad things happen that break these societal trusts. People steal credit card numbers. This is a breakdown of societal trust. When you're afraid to use a credit card online, you've lost your trust in the system.
8. Some corporations are trusted more than others. I trust Coca-Cola, for example, to sell me a product that tastes like it is supposed to. I trust Del Monte to sell me good-tasting canned vegetables. I trust Microsoft not to screw me over with its operating systems (might have to rethink that one, we'll see). What corporations do you trust, and why?
9. I trust my friends to have my back. Sometimes that means they call and check on me. Sometimes it means I call and check on them. Sometimes it means we help each other out with visits, chicken soup, or whatever is required at a specific time.
10. Family comes with an implied trust. Society on the whole insists that family members should be trusted and families themselves are a microcosm of society in many instances. Families break down, though - through divorce, drug use, alcoholism, bigamy, adultery, abuse, and multiple other reasons. Other families, though, are consistently true and there for each other.
11. We also trust the government - or did. Once we trusted them to ensure that our drugs were safe. We trusted to them to ensure the quality of our food. We trusted them to keep our National Parks safe and to keep our heritage available through museums. We trust the government to wisely use our taxes. We trust the government to keep us safe from enemies. (I don't trust the government anymore.)
12. We trust people all the time and don't even think about it. We trust the airline pilot to fly the plane. We trust the bus drivers, teachers, principals, etc. with our children. That's why it makes news when that trust is violated, when a bus driver wrecks or hurts a child, or whatever. That trust has been broken.
13. Broken trusts serve as warning signs. The more trust is broken, the worse the relationship, whether that's a one-on-one with a spouse, friend, or family member, or a relationship with a corporation or government. Waning trust signals a breakdown of society.
Do you think society is broken?
----------------------------
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 587th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
2. Trust is defined as a relationship between two people, generally.
3. But it can also be a relationship with an animal, or a thing - like corporations or governments.
4. I am trusting you, my dear reader, to not use my words or photos in some nefarious manner when I place them upon a blog page. Not that I write things that are bad, or take naughty pictures, but you never know what people will do with things once they are on the Internet. So I must trust that you - someone I likely do not know - will honor the implicit contract of reader and writer and not steal my words or take them for your own (copyright violation).
5. Trust plays a big role in society. Could society function without trust? Let's think about it.
6. If we didn't have an implied trust that people will obey laws, would we ever leave our houses? Would we drive on the road? Would we trust the clerk at the grocery store not to steal from us?
7. Bad things happen that break these societal trusts. People steal credit card numbers. This is a breakdown of societal trust. When you're afraid to use a credit card online, you've lost your trust in the system.
8. Some corporations are trusted more than others. I trust Coca-Cola, for example, to sell me a product that tastes like it is supposed to. I trust Del Monte to sell me good-tasting canned vegetables. I trust Microsoft not to screw me over with its operating systems (might have to rethink that one, we'll see). What corporations do you trust, and why?
9. I trust my friends to have my back. Sometimes that means they call and check on me. Sometimes it means I call and check on them. Sometimes it means we help each other out with visits, chicken soup, or whatever is required at a specific time.
10. Family comes with an implied trust. Society on the whole insists that family members should be trusted and families themselves are a microcosm of society in many instances. Families break down, though - through divorce, drug use, alcoholism, bigamy, adultery, abuse, and multiple other reasons. Other families, though, are consistently true and there for each other.
11. We also trust the government - or did. Once we trusted them to ensure that our drugs were safe. We trusted to them to ensure the quality of our food. We trusted them to keep our National Parks safe and to keep our heritage available through museums. We trust the government to wisely use our taxes. We trust the government to keep us safe from enemies. (I don't trust the government anymore.)
12. We trust people all the time and don't even think about it. We trust the airline pilot to fly the plane. We trust the bus drivers, teachers, principals, etc. with our children. That's why it makes news when that trust is violated, when a bus driver wrecks or hurts a child, or whatever. That trust has been broken.
13. Broken trusts serve as warning signs. The more trust is broken, the worse the relationship, whether that's a one-on-one with a spouse, friend, or family member, or a relationship with a corporation or government. Waning trust signals a breakdown of society.
Do you think society is broken?
----------------------------
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 587th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
Monday, January 14, 2019
Getting to the Point
The circular route around a topic is frequently the easiest for me. Sometimes I can write around and around and around and maybe at some point I reach the crucial words.
But not always. Sometimes I never find the crucial point.
This is especially true when I am writing about topics that require me to have an absolute unequivocal opinion. Or perhaps I should say things that I should have an opinion on but for whatever reason I pussyfoot around it.
This is particularly true about politics. I spent years not having an opinion about politics because I covered politics, and I wanted to be fair. So I bit my lip and never wrote something like, "Today the supervisors passed the most idiotic legislation I've ever seen."
I felt like writing that many times, I have to say. Over the 30 years I covered government, I saw a lot of stupid pass before my eyes.
Then there is national politics. Because I'm a reporter, still, I try to keep my thoughts to myself on that, but sometimes I just want to scream it out. I want to scream it out straight and get straight to the point.
But I don't. I learned a long time ago not to have an opinion. I learned that even before I was a writer, because when I had opinions, I found trouble.
Or trouble found me. My own opinions could often be used against me.
So best to keep my mouth shut.
But here I am with a blog that's been in existence for 12 years, and anyone who reads it ought to know by now where I stand on certain things. So for once, I'm going to get to the point.
I think #45 is a terrible person. He's a bully, he's loud, he's egotistical, he's arrogant, he's mean, he's a liar, he's a bigot, and he does not deserve to sit in the oval office.
People should not be used as pawns and keeping the government closed is immoral and sinful.
Walls are meant for houses and cover, not for separating nations.
Those are my points for today.
But not always. Sometimes I never find the crucial point.
This is especially true when I am writing about topics that require me to have an absolute unequivocal opinion. Or perhaps I should say things that I should have an opinion on but for whatever reason I pussyfoot around it.
This is particularly true about politics. I spent years not having an opinion about politics because I covered politics, and I wanted to be fair. So I bit my lip and never wrote something like, "Today the supervisors passed the most idiotic legislation I've ever seen."
I felt like writing that many times, I have to say. Over the 30 years I covered government, I saw a lot of stupid pass before my eyes.
Then there is national politics. Because I'm a reporter, still, I try to keep my thoughts to myself on that, but sometimes I just want to scream it out. I want to scream it out straight and get straight to the point.
But I don't. I learned a long time ago not to have an opinion. I learned that even before I was a writer, because when I had opinions, I found trouble.
Or trouble found me. My own opinions could often be used against me.
So best to keep my mouth shut.
But here I am with a blog that's been in existence for 12 years, and anyone who reads it ought to know by now where I stand on certain things. So for once, I'm going to get to the point.
I think #45 is a terrible person. He's a bully, he's loud, he's egotistical, he's arrogant, he's mean, he's a liar, he's a bigot, and he does not deserve to sit in the oval office.
People should not be used as pawns and keeping the government closed is immoral and sinful.
Walls are meant for houses and cover, not for separating nations.
Those are my points for today.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. Name the strangest place you've ever been.
A. When I was 12 we traveled across the country in a van. Somewhere out west we went into a very deep cave, one that had an elevator. It was very deep, so deep that animals that had found their way into it had petrified and looked like they did when they died. It was also so deep that no germs could live there. When I came out, my allergies/cold was all better.
2. What are unusual food combinations you enjoy?
A. I am pretty mundane when it comes to food. My husband likes peanut butter and mayonnaise, and potato chips and ketchup. I'm not that adventurous.
3. What is your best cure for hiccups?
A. Hold your breath and count to 10. If that doesn't work, put a pencil sideways in your mouth and drink 10 gulps of water.
4. Name something you have never done but would like to try.
A. I would like to fly an airplane. I'd also like to go on a cruise.
5. What is a routine you do every day without fail?
A. I get up and make tea.
6. Name something new you've recently learned.
A. I learned that declaring a "national emergency" gives the president of the United States enhanced powers and the ability to do a variety of things, including taking farmland. There are 136 statutory powers that come into play when the president declares a national emergency. A lot of these powers pertain to the military but others involve health care, imposition of fees on agricultural commodities, and the FCC can waive licenses for broadcasters. You can see a list of them all here. Boring reading, but also a little eyebrow-raising.
7. What is your keenest sense?
A. I can smell and hear things that other people cannot. For example, I can smell snakes. Black snakes smell like cucumber. Rattlesnakes smell like overturned earth. I have walked by trees and then stopped and told people to back away because I smelled a snake, and sure enough, there was a snake. My in-laws once had a TV with a terrible high-pitched squeal that no one else could hear but me. The thing eventually went bad and I was so glad because I couldn't stand to go over there because of that racket.
8. Do you prefer cooking or cleaning up?
A. I prefer eating out.
9. Where were you the last time you saw the sun rise?
A. Thursday morning I saw the sun rise as I stood in my kitchen.
10. Recall a recent time you were embarrassed.
A. I was embarrassed when I was talking to a person on the phone about an issue with our flooring and I started to cry because I felt overwhelmed by the discussion.
11. What is an everyday sound that delights you.
A. The sound of my husband's voice.
12. Tell about the last conversation you had with a stranger.
A. The checkout clerk at Kroger gave me a description of the "new construction" the store is doing, which actually more of a basic painting and sprucing up, with some much-needed restoration of 20-year-old restrooms. The store does need attention, but I think it needs a bit more attention than it's getting.
__________
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.
1. Name the strangest place you've ever been.
A. When I was 12 we traveled across the country in a van. Somewhere out west we went into a very deep cave, one that had an elevator. It was very deep, so deep that animals that had found their way into it had petrified and looked like they did when they died. It was also so deep that no germs could live there. When I came out, my allergies/cold was all better.
2. What are unusual food combinations you enjoy?
A. I am pretty mundane when it comes to food. My husband likes peanut butter and mayonnaise, and potato chips and ketchup. I'm not that adventurous.
3. What is your best cure for hiccups?
A. Hold your breath and count to 10. If that doesn't work, put a pencil sideways in your mouth and drink 10 gulps of water.
4. Name something you have never done but would like to try.
A. I would like to fly an airplane. I'd also like to go on a cruise.
5. What is a routine you do every day without fail?
A. I get up and make tea.
6. Name something new you've recently learned.
A. I learned that declaring a "national emergency" gives the president of the United States enhanced powers and the ability to do a variety of things, including taking farmland. There are 136 statutory powers that come into play when the president declares a national emergency. A lot of these powers pertain to the military but others involve health care, imposition of fees on agricultural commodities, and the FCC can waive licenses for broadcasters. You can see a list of them all here. Boring reading, but also a little eyebrow-raising.
7. What is your keenest sense?
A. I can smell and hear things that other people cannot. For example, I can smell snakes. Black snakes smell like cucumber. Rattlesnakes smell like overturned earth. I have walked by trees and then stopped and told people to back away because I smelled a snake, and sure enough, there was a snake. My in-laws once had a TV with a terrible high-pitched squeal that no one else could hear but me. The thing eventually went bad and I was so glad because I couldn't stand to go over there because of that racket.
8. Do you prefer cooking or cleaning up?
A. I prefer eating out.
9. Where were you the last time you saw the sun rise?
A. Thursday morning I saw the sun rise as I stood in my kitchen.
10. Recall a recent time you were embarrassed.
A. I was embarrassed when I was talking to a person on the phone about an issue with our flooring and I started to cry because I felt overwhelmed by the discussion.
11. What is an everyday sound that delights you.
A. The sound of my husband's voice.
12. Tell about the last conversation you had with a stranger.
A. The checkout clerk at Kroger gave me a description of the "new construction" the store is doing, which actually more of a basic painting and sprucing up, with some much-needed restoration of 20-year-old restrooms. The store does need attention, but I think it needs a bit more attention than it's getting.
__________
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, January 12, 2019
Saturday 9: Remember
Saturday 9: I Forgot to Remember to Forget (1955)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
In honor of Elvis' birthday (January 8.)
1) Elvis sings that he thinks about this girl all the time. What person or topic is on your mind this Saturday?
A. My husband. He has to work at the fire station today and we are expecting snow at any moment. He will probably have a long night. People really should stay home when the weather is bad. The snow is also on my mind because I need to dress and run to the store before the flakes fall.
2) He wants to forget the day he met his girl, but simply can't. Think about someone very important in your life. Did you know right away that they were going to be influential?
A. I am thinking of two people. One is the former editor of the newspaper for whom I did most of my freelancing. He was very influential and I think I knew that right away he would be even though I met him over 30 years. The other is a friend that I knew would be my friend the moment our eyes locked. Old souls.
Since this week's song is about memories, let's check on how well you recall events in your own life.
3) What was the first concert you ever attended?
A. I think my parents took me to a Loretta Lynn concert when I was small. The first concert I attended alone (not with parents but friends) was The Commodores.
4) Where did you get your first piercing? (Not only where on your body, but who did the deed and where did they do it?)
A. I had my ears done when I was in my early 20s. My parents wouldn't let me have piercings and I waited until after I was married. My hair dresser, Rhonda, did it, in her beauty salon.
5) What's the name of the bank where you had your first checking account?
A. First Federal Savings & Loan. It went under in 1990 or thereabouts.
6) Tell us about your first bicycle.
A. My first bicycle was a blue Schwinn, and it came to me when I was five years old at Christmas. It was under the tree as a Santa gift and had a Batgirl doll sitting on the seat. It came with training wheels that my father removed after I learned to ride. I rode it until I was about 10, and then my father backed over it with his truck. I did not leave it behind his truck, my brother did, but I was spanked for not taking care of my things even though I had no idea my brother was out riding my bike.
7) Who received the first text you ever sent?
A. Hmm. My friend Brenda, I think.
8) What had you been drinking when you suffered your first hangover?
A. Mad Dog 20-20.
9) Whose was the first wedding you ever attended?
A. I don't remember this for certain, but I am going to guess one of my mother's brother's weddings, or perhaps her sister. I am not a big wedding person and frequently don't go when I am invited. I will send a gift but I don't go the weddings, usually.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
In honor of Elvis' birthday (January 8.)
1) Elvis sings that he thinks about this girl all the time. What person or topic is on your mind this Saturday?
A. My husband. He has to work at the fire station today and we are expecting snow at any moment. He will probably have a long night. People really should stay home when the weather is bad. The snow is also on my mind because I need to dress and run to the store before the flakes fall.
2) He wants to forget the day he met his girl, but simply can't. Think about someone very important in your life. Did you know right away that they were going to be influential?
A. I am thinking of two people. One is the former editor of the newspaper for whom I did most of my freelancing. He was very influential and I think I knew that right away he would be even though I met him over 30 years. The other is a friend that I knew would be my friend the moment our eyes locked. Old souls.
Since this week's song is about memories, let's check on how well you recall events in your own life.
3) What was the first concert you ever attended?
A. I think my parents took me to a Loretta Lynn concert when I was small. The first concert I attended alone (not with parents but friends) was The Commodores.
4) Where did you get your first piercing? (Not only where on your body, but who did the deed and where did they do it?)
A. I had my ears done when I was in my early 20s. My parents wouldn't let me have piercings and I waited until after I was married. My hair dresser, Rhonda, did it, in her beauty salon.
5) What's the name of the bank where you had your first checking account?
A. First Federal Savings & Loan. It went under in 1990 or thereabouts.
6) Tell us about your first bicycle.
A. My first bicycle was a blue Schwinn, and it came to me when I was five years old at Christmas. It was under the tree as a Santa gift and had a Batgirl doll sitting on the seat. It came with training wheels that my father removed after I learned to ride. I rode it until I was about 10, and then my father backed over it with his truck. I did not leave it behind his truck, my brother did, but I was spanked for not taking care of my things even though I had no idea my brother was out riding my bike.
7) Who received the first text you ever sent?
A. Hmm. My friend Brenda, I think.
8) What had you been drinking when you suffered your first hangover?
A. Mad Dog 20-20.
9) Whose was the first wedding you ever attended?
A. I don't remember this for certain, but I am going to guess one of my mother's brother's weddings, or perhaps her sister. I am not a big wedding person and frequently don't go when I am invited. I will send a gift but I don't go the weddings, usually.
___________
I encourage you to visit other participants in Saturday 9 posts and leave a comment. Because there are no rules, it is your choice. Saturday 9 players hate rules. We love memes, however.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Thursday Thirteen
The holidays are over, and this time of year lots of folks are sad. So here are some facts about depression.
1. Depression is a whole body illness that affects a person's physical health as well as how he or she feels, thinks, and behaves towards others. In addition, a person who suffers from this disorder may have problems eating, sleeping, working, and getting along with his/her friends.
2. Specifically, clinical depression is a persistent, depressed mood that is often characterized by feelings of sadness or emptiness. People who have depression, or more formally, Major Depressive Disorder, experience at least five of the following symptoms, nearly every day, for a period of at least two weeks: Sad, low, empty, depressed mood; Loss of interest of pleasure in nearly all activities; Feelings of worthlessness, or guilt; Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions;
Decreased energy, fatigue,and feeling "slowed down"; Changes in appetite and/orweight; Oversleeping,early-morning awakening, or insomnia; Thoughts of death,suicide, plans or attempts
3. These episodes are also accompanied by clinically significant distress, or impairment (interference) in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. If impairment is severe, the person might lose the ability to function socially or occupationally.
4. Of the estimated 17.5 million Americans who are affected by some form of depression, 9.2million have major or clinical depression.
5. Two-thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek necessary treatment
6. 80% of all people with clinical depression who have received treatment significantly improve their lives.
7. The economic cost of depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated.
8. Women experience depression about twice as often as men.
9. By the year 2020,the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression will be the number two cause of "lost years of healthy life" worldwide.
10. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the ninth leading cause of death in the United States in 1996. Today, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
11. Major Depression is 1.5-3.0 times more common among first-degree biological relatives of those with the disorder than among the general population.
12. In established market economies such as the United States, depression is the leading form of mental illness.
13. People with depression are five times more likely to have a breathing-related sleep disorder than non-depressed people.
If you or someone you love is having problems, talk to your doctor for guidance. They may offer you medication, send you to talk therapy, or suggest some other method of assistance. You can also seek out resources online such as:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
Psychology Today
GoodTherapy.org
----------------------------
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 586th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
1. Depression is a whole body illness that affects a person's physical health as well as how he or she feels, thinks, and behaves towards others. In addition, a person who suffers from this disorder may have problems eating, sleeping, working, and getting along with his/her friends.
2. Specifically, clinical depression is a persistent, depressed mood that is often characterized by feelings of sadness or emptiness. People who have depression, or more formally, Major Depressive Disorder, experience at least five of the following symptoms, nearly every day, for a period of at least two weeks: Sad, low, empty, depressed mood; Loss of interest of pleasure in nearly all activities; Feelings of worthlessness, or guilt; Difficulty thinking, concentrating, or making decisions;
Decreased energy, fatigue,and feeling "slowed down"; Changes in appetite and/orweight; Oversleeping,early-morning awakening, or insomnia; Thoughts of death,suicide, plans or attempts
3. These episodes are also accompanied by clinically significant distress, or impairment (interference) in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. If impairment is severe, the person might lose the ability to function socially or occupationally.
4. Of the estimated 17.5 million Americans who are affected by some form of depression, 9.2million have major or clinical depression.
5. Two-thirds of people suffering from depression do not seek necessary treatment
6. 80% of all people with clinical depression who have received treatment significantly improve their lives.
7. The economic cost of depression is estimated at $30.4 billion a year but the cost in human suffering cannot be estimated.
8. Women experience depression about twice as often as men.
9. By the year 2020,the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that depression will be the number two cause of "lost years of healthy life" worldwide.
10. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide was the ninth leading cause of death in the United States in 1996. Today, suicide is the second leading cause of death in the world for those aged 15-24 years. Depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide.
11. Major Depression is 1.5-3.0 times more common among first-degree biological relatives of those with the disorder than among the general population.
12. In established market economies such as the United States, depression is the leading form of mental illness.
13. People with depression are five times more likely to have a breathing-related sleep disorder than non-depressed people.
If you or someone you love is having problems, talk to your doctor for guidance. They may offer you medication, send you to talk therapy, or suggest some other method of assistance. You can also seek out resources online such as:
----------------------------
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 586th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
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