Do you think of yourself as a creative person? Do you sometimes find your creativity is, well, dry or suffering from lack of attention?
Being creative all the time takes a little work. Sometimes we are in the zone and we forget to look around us. Sometimes that zone goes and I'm stuck wondering what the heck happened to my ability to write lively, sparkly words.
Here are some ways to work around a rough period, or to strengthen the creative process.
1. Learn something new. Nothing can trigger an episode of raging creativity like trying to do something you haven't done before.
2. Work with someone else. Having the inspiration from a partner, editor, or just another commentary on your work can help you slip over from "okay" to "great" when you're working on a project.
3. Be curious. Be intrigued by everything around you. Who built that building? Why is the weather weird? What type of bird did you just see? Look up stuff and see what you will find.
4. Read. A lot. Reading makes you think and comprehend things in different contexts. Read experts on something you're interested in. Or read fiction just to take a break and to get the feel for a different rhythm of words.
5. Do what you love to do. Maybe you've been hacking away at some paid project. Stop and go play the guitar, or work on a project that you're interested in (maybe that secret novel in the drawer). Step back. Make sure your life is balanced between work and play.
6. Look in other artistic areas for inspiration. If you write short stories, read some poetry. Visit a museum and look at painting. Check out pottery or textile arts.
7. Don't do anything. This sounds like a strange one, doesn't it? But sometimes the best way to get your groove back is to stop. Stop thinking about it, stop worrying over it. The best ideas will come when you're in the shower or visitng a friend or something. And make sure you are getting enough sleep. Sleep is important. (Last night I dreamed we had a tiny little cow loose in the house. I was chasing that thing everywhere, yelling "Shut the door, I don't want it to poop all over the place.")
8. Take a walk. Get out in nature. Examine a tree, look at an ant colony, see how moss looks. Feel the dirt, scrape a cobweb from your face. Watch a squirrel eat a nut.
9. Make sure your workspace is what you need. Maybe you need more music, or less. Maybe you need a different kind of music for a day if you listen to the same thing over and over. Maybe you've got a lot of clutter that needs to go. Or maybe you need more clutter. Whatever works for you.
10. Ask for help, advice, or feedback. Let someone else look at your work. See what they say. It's advice, remember. You don't have to take it. But maybe they see something you're missing.
11. Think of the worst idea you've ever had. Now try to make it work. It's like solving a puzzle. Work out why the idea is terrible. What would make it work? Could you make it work? Could you take this terrible, awful idea and turn it into something grand?
12. Become an expert on the subject you're working on. Drawing a picture to demonstrate societal change? Learn about that. Become a social scientist. Writing a poem about war? Learn about war. Which war? And why are you writing about that, or any other topic? You don't have to to write or create only what you know. Go learn about something and write about that.
13. Give yourself a treat for success, and don't define success as finishing. Success could be simply being curious, or taking the first step, or making a list. You're not indulging yourself by being creative, you're being human. Humans - all of us - are creative for a reason. It's how we got to space or designed computers or cars. (Just don't reward yourself with food.) Maybe your reward is . . . more time for creativity.
___________________
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 615th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Thursday, August 01, 2019
Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Dang Blood Clot
I went back to the doctor today to see about this lovely knot on the calf of my left leg.
The blood clot is not going away. There is still swelling, though not as bad. There is not a lot of redness, and no heat. The doctor looked it over closely and decided to do some kind of blood test that I expect is expensive, because they had me sign a paper that I would pay for it. It apparently determines how well your blood clots. Or not.
At any rate, the results of this test will determine the next steps. If the result is not good, then I will need to go have an ultrasound to check for a deeper clot and to see how the veins are in my leg. If the results are good, then I just need to continue to put heat on it, elevate it, and allow time to do its thing.
Blood clots ache. I had no idea they hurt so bad. No wonder people with varicose veins have surgery to remove them. I don't have too many varicose veins; I have a few tiny little ones but they've never given me any problem. I have noticed in the last month or so that I seem to have more little red spider veins that I did.
I am purposefully not looking up information on these SVTs because I don't want to scare myself. I already made that mistake once - the first place I looked said that while it was rare, blood clots could be a result of pancreatic cancer. My mother died of pancreatic cancer so of course that was a high red flag. Good grief.
So I haven't read much about this and am relying on my doctor instead.
My grandmother had varicose veins and according to my aunt, she experienced these superficial venous thrombosis things. It's probably hereditary.
In the meantime, it's stormed and we had hay down, so it's wet and pretty much a loss. One of the perils of farming. It is thundering now as I speak, which means it is probably time to shut down this ol' computer and go read a book.
****
Update: Friday I received the blood work back and it's not a DVT. Just something that is going to be painful and a problem for a while longer. I've decided it's probably a Hershey's Kiss stuck in there.
The blood clot is not going away. There is still swelling, though not as bad. There is not a lot of redness, and no heat. The doctor looked it over closely and decided to do some kind of blood test that I expect is expensive, because they had me sign a paper that I would pay for it. It apparently determines how well your blood clots. Or not.
At any rate, the results of this test will determine the next steps. If the result is not good, then I will need to go have an ultrasound to check for a deeper clot and to see how the veins are in my leg. If the results are good, then I just need to continue to put heat on it, elevate it, and allow time to do its thing.
Blood clots ache. I had no idea they hurt so bad. No wonder people with varicose veins have surgery to remove them. I don't have too many varicose veins; I have a few tiny little ones but they've never given me any problem. I have noticed in the last month or so that I seem to have more little red spider veins that I did.
I am purposefully not looking up information on these SVTs because I don't want to scare myself. I already made that mistake once - the first place I looked said that while it was rare, blood clots could be a result of pancreatic cancer. My mother died of pancreatic cancer so of course that was a high red flag. Good grief.
So I haven't read much about this and am relying on my doctor instead.
My grandmother had varicose veins and according to my aunt, she experienced these superficial venous thrombosis things. It's probably hereditary.
In the meantime, it's stormed and we had hay down, so it's wet and pretty much a loss. One of the perils of farming. It is thundering now as I speak, which means it is probably time to shut down this ol' computer and go read a book.
****
Update: Friday I received the blood work back and it's not a DVT. Just something that is going to be painful and a problem for a while longer. I've decided it's probably a Hershey's Kiss stuck in there.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Yes, I Play Video Games
Yesterday during a conversation, I was asked what I did for stress relief. I mentioned reading, coloring, playing guitar, and video games.
You'd have thought I'd said I walked to the moon every morning.
"You play video games? At your age? And you're a woman!"
Neither of those facts have escaped me. However, I know a lot of folks my age who play video games. Whether they own up to it or not is another matter. I do because I don't care what people think of the fact that I play video games.
The fact that I am a woman - that too did not surprise me that it surprised her. There is this conventional misconception that women don't play video games. But a lot of women play video games. They may not be the shoot 'em up and leave 'em bloody kind of video games, but they are video games.
Pew Research says that 31% of women in my age bracket play video games. That's almost 1/3 of us. So why is it surprising that I play?
I play a lot of puzzle games, and those are popular with folks who have at least a bachelor's degree. I like the challenge of them. I play city-building games because they're kind of a puzzle - how do you fit this building here and get the population correct and all of that. Lots of math involved (which should make my friend Tina very happy, so I won't tell her that these days I just call out, "Alexa, what's Q x X" or whatever I need), as well as thinking and contemplating. It's a lot better than worrying about politics, I'll tell you that.
My video game playing began with pinball when I was a wee lass, and progressed from there. I thought Pong was the greatest thing ever. I loved Centipede in the arcade. I thought a weird game called Area 51 was great. I liked to play games by Apogee (and if you don't know that name, you weren't gaming in the 1990s), like Duke Nukem, Rise of the Triad, and Commander Keen.
I also loved Bethesda's Elder Scroll series and played those, too. Skyrim was the last one they put out before moving to multi-player online games. I don't like multi-player games - too much drama involved with other people - so I stick to Skyrim, which I still play every now and then. It can be time consuming and involved so I generally don't play it unless I've got a lot of downtime.
And then there was the Sims. I loved the first incarnations of the Sims; wasn't too fond of the Sims III and haven't played since. There is a Sims Freeplay app game that I play sometimes on my Kindle, but it freezes up a lot so I don't mess with it often.
Playing video games gives my brain a pause. Well, not a big pause because there is a lot of thinking involved in these games but it gives it a rest from worrying. I can't worry if I'm focusing on beating a level or finding the next treasure or whatever.
So yes, I play video games. It beats smoking, drinking, running around with men, and going wild.
You'd have thought I'd said I walked to the moon every morning.
"You play video games? At your age? And you're a woman!"
Neither of those facts have escaped me. However, I know a lot of folks my age who play video games. Whether they own up to it or not is another matter. I do because I don't care what people think of the fact that I play video games.
The fact that I am a woman - that too did not surprise me that it surprised her. There is this conventional misconception that women don't play video games. But a lot of women play video games. They may not be the shoot 'em up and leave 'em bloody kind of video games, but they are video games.
Pew Research says that 31% of women in my age bracket play video games. That's almost 1/3 of us. So why is it surprising that I play?
I play a lot of puzzle games, and those are popular with folks who have at least a bachelor's degree. I like the challenge of them. I play city-building games because they're kind of a puzzle - how do you fit this building here and get the population correct and all of that. Lots of math involved (which should make my friend Tina very happy, so I won't tell her that these days I just call out, "Alexa, what's Q x X" or whatever I need), as well as thinking and contemplating. It's a lot better than worrying about politics, I'll tell you that.
My video game playing began with pinball when I was a wee lass, and progressed from there. I thought Pong was the greatest thing ever. I loved Centipede in the arcade. I thought a weird game called Area 51 was great. I liked to play games by Apogee (and if you don't know that name, you weren't gaming in the 1990s), like Duke Nukem, Rise of the Triad, and Commander Keen.
I also loved Bethesda's Elder Scroll series and played those, too. Skyrim was the last one they put out before moving to multi-player online games. I don't like multi-player games - too much drama involved with other people - so I stick to Skyrim, which I still play every now and then. It can be time consuming and involved so I generally don't play it unless I've got a lot of downtime.
And then there was the Sims. I loved the first incarnations of the Sims; wasn't too fond of the Sims III and haven't played since. There is a Sims Freeplay app game that I play sometimes on my Kindle, but it freezes up a lot so I don't mess with it often.
Playing video games gives my brain a pause. Well, not a big pause because there is a lot of thinking involved in these games but it gives it a rest from worrying. I can't worry if I'm focusing on beating a level or finding the next treasure or whatever.
So yes, I play video games. It beats smoking, drinking, running around with men, and going wild.
Monday, July 29, 2019
A Word About My Grandfather
My maternal grandfather's birthday was July 24. I thought it was today. Oops.
I called him Granddaddy but his name was Claude Lewis Harris, Sr. He was born in 1918 in Botetourt County, VA, to James Thomas Harris and Sarah Newton Painter. He was one of seven children.
Grandpa and Grandma married on September 16, 1942, when he was 24 years old. For a while they lived in an apartment above a store on Front Street in Salem.
Here's a Google street view:
My grandfather worked for Kroger in its Salem warehouse until he died on January 2, 1976. He was 57 years old when he had a heart attack. I'm not sure what the deal was with him and his pension, but for some reason Kroger refused to pay my grandmother whatever it was she thought they owed her. Nobody in the family shopped at Kroger for a very long time after my grandfather passed away.
He smoked cigarettes, and worked on television sets in the basement. He had a workshop where we were never supposed to go (of course we did), and we definitely were not to mess with his tools (we generally did not). I remember him as being mostly rather gruff, probably wondering who these kids were that were at his house all the time.
He always drove a big white Ford car with a blue interior. Occasionally he took us on day trips to Hillsville, where there was a big store called Hills there that had all sorts of trinkets, and to a place called Sunset or Sunnybrook or something like that up near Floyd. That store also had all sorts of intriguing items.
Once he raced us kids in a foot race, I remember, laughing all the time he was running. He also, after I reached about the age of 9 or 10, let us mow the yard. At the time he still had two boys at home - my uncles, one who is four years older than I am and the other who is a year younger than I am. He'd pay us each a quarter and we'd split the yard-mowing up for the privilege of earning that quarter.
Then, quarter in hand, we'd race off to Orange Market on Apperson Drive to purchase comic books, candy, and a soda (yes, a long time ago, you could buy all of that for a quarter. Or maybe we put our quarters together, I don't really remember).
Granddaddy came home from work every day at 4 p.m., and we ate dinner when I was there at 4:15 p.m. My mother worked about a block away, so if I stayed home from school because I was sick, I stayed with Grandma, and by the time Mom left work at 5 p.m. I was fed and she could take me home to Botetourt and put me to bed.
I have a single photo of my grandfather here somewhere, but I can't find it to show it to you. The family wasn't big on pictures so I don't think there were very many photos of him around.
I called him Granddaddy but his name was Claude Lewis Harris, Sr. He was born in 1918 in Botetourt County, VA, to James Thomas Harris and Sarah Newton Painter. He was one of seven children.
Grandpa and Grandma married on September 16, 1942, when he was 24 years old. For a while they lived in an apartment above a store on Front Street in Salem.
Here's a Google street view:
My mother was born in the upstairs apartment, or so I was always told. Later, I'm not exactly sure when, my grandfather purchased this home on East River Side Drive in Salem. It is one of the few still standing along that area, which tends to flood. It looks very small now, but when I was a child it seemed plenty big.
My grandfather worked for Kroger in its Salem warehouse until he died on January 2, 1976. He was 57 years old when he had a heart attack. I'm not sure what the deal was with him and his pension, but for some reason Kroger refused to pay my grandmother whatever it was she thought they owed her. Nobody in the family shopped at Kroger for a very long time after my grandfather passed away.
He smoked cigarettes, and worked on television sets in the basement. He had a workshop where we were never supposed to go (of course we did), and we definitely were not to mess with his tools (we generally did not). I remember him as being mostly rather gruff, probably wondering who these kids were that were at his house all the time.
He always drove a big white Ford car with a blue interior. Occasionally he took us on day trips to Hillsville, where there was a big store called Hills there that had all sorts of trinkets, and to a place called Sunset or Sunnybrook or something like that up near Floyd. That store also had all sorts of intriguing items.
Once he raced us kids in a foot race, I remember, laughing all the time he was running. He also, after I reached about the age of 9 or 10, let us mow the yard. At the time he still had two boys at home - my uncles, one who is four years older than I am and the other who is a year younger than I am. He'd pay us each a quarter and we'd split the yard-mowing up for the privilege of earning that quarter.
Then, quarter in hand, we'd race off to Orange Market on Apperson Drive to purchase comic books, candy, and a soda (yes, a long time ago, you could buy all of that for a quarter. Or maybe we put our quarters together, I don't really remember).
Granddaddy came home from work every day at 4 p.m., and we ate dinner when I was there at 4:15 p.m. My mother worked about a block away, so if I stayed home from school because I was sick, I stayed with Grandma, and by the time Mom left work at 5 p.m. I was fed and she could take me home to Botetourt and put me to bed.
I have a single photo of my grandfather here somewhere, but I can't find it to show it to you. The family wasn't big on pictures so I don't think there were very many photos of him around.
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. What is the nearest book to you? Your Kindle does not count.
A. Buchanan, Virginia: Gateway to the Southwest, by Harry Fulwiler, Jr. It's for research for a big writing project.
2. When was the last time you took a "me" vacation?
A. I haven't been on any kind of vacation in two years.
3. How many telephone numbers do you have?
A. Two.
4. If you could fix one thing in the public school system, what is the one thing you would do immediately?
A. Fund it appropriately.
5. Are you a big tipper?
A. I try to tip at least 20%.
6. Do you watch reality shows?
A. I watch Survivor and Deadliest Catch. I think those are the only two. I have occasionally caught an episode of Naked and Afraid.
7. Who is your favorite sports team player?
A. Um. I don't have one. I don't follow sports.
8. If you could travel in a spaceship to any planet, which planet would you like to visit and why?
A. I would like to go to a planet that we don't know about yet, because, well, we don't know about it, so I could learn what was there. Hopefully it would be a Class M planet and I wouldn't have to wear a space suit. And maybe they'd be cool beings, with lots of interesting technology.
9. When was the last time you sat in a church?
A. It's been a while since I was in a "church" but I practice spirituality as it pertains to myself everyday.
10. Are there any aspects of blogging that annoy you?
A. Spam comments.
11. When someone follows you on their blog or subscribes to your Facebook page, do you automatically follow and subscribe back?
A. I used to. I don't anymore.
__________
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. What is the nearest book to you? Your Kindle does not count.
A. Buchanan, Virginia: Gateway to the Southwest, by Harry Fulwiler, Jr. It's for research for a big writing project.
2. When was the last time you took a "me" vacation?
A. I haven't been on any kind of vacation in two years.
3. How many telephone numbers do you have?
A. Two.
4. If you could fix one thing in the public school system, what is the one thing you would do immediately?
A. Fund it appropriately.
5. Are you a big tipper?
A. I try to tip at least 20%.
6. Do you watch reality shows?
A. I watch Survivor and Deadliest Catch. I think those are the only two. I have occasionally caught an episode of Naked and Afraid.
7. Who is your favorite sports team player?
A. Um. I don't have one. I don't follow sports.
8. If you could travel in a spaceship to any planet, which planet would you like to visit and why?
A. I would like to go to a planet that we don't know about yet, because, well, we don't know about it, so I could learn what was there. Hopefully it would be a Class M planet and I wouldn't have to wear a space suit. And maybe they'd be cool beings, with lots of interesting technology.
9. When was the last time you sat in a church?
A. It's been a while since I was in a "church" but I practice spirituality as it pertains to myself everyday.
10. Are there any aspects of blogging that annoy you?
A. Spam comments.
11. When someone follows you on their blog or subscribes to your Facebook page, do you automatically follow and subscribe back?
A. I used to. I don't anymore.
__________
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, July 27, 2019
Saturday 9: Come Knock on Our Door
Saturday 9: Come and Knock on Our Door (1976)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) This week's song was the theme to Three's Company, a sitcom that ran for eight seasons. Were you a fan?
A. I watched it. I believe when that show ran I could only get two channels and it was on one of them.
2) The Three's Company theme was composed by Joe Raposo, who also wrote the theme to Sesame Street. Can you recall any of the lyrics to the Sesame Street song?
A. "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" That's all I know.
3) The lyrics to this song invite you to "come and knock on our door." What's the last door you knocked on (or the most recent doorbell your rang)?
A. I guess that would have been my mother-in-law's door. My husband doesn't knock, he just goes on in, but I knock.
4) Three's Company was about three roommates who live together platonically, sharing a two bedroom apartment. Tell us about a roommate who shared your living quarters.
A. Other than my immediate family, I have only lived with my husband. He is a man's man, strong, brave, quiet, and stubborn. He had a full head of reddish brown hair when we married nearly 36 years ago, but now he is mostly bald with sides of grey. He is 6' 1" tall (I'm 5' 2" tall) and strong. He enjoys the outdoors and life on the farm suits him. He would much rather be outside doing something than sitting at a desk. He works three jobs and always has - he is battalion chief with the city fire department, he farms, and he installs septic tanks. He likes to snuggle and he's very gentle with me. He says I am his sweetie pie.
5) Each of the roommates has a profession: Jack is a cook, Chrissy is a secretary (aka administrative assistant) and Janet is a florist. When did you last buy flowers?
A. I suppose I sent some to a funeral home somewhere but I can't remember when or who passed away. I'm at that age where people seem to be dying quite often. Not the same people, of course. Different people.
6) They often meet their neighbor, Larry, at a nearby bar called The Regal Beagle. What's the name of the establishment where you most recently enjoyed an adult beverage?
A. I don't drink. The last time I ate out, we went to Cracker Barrel.
7) Their meddling landlord was Mr. Roper. He was cheap, nosy, and very talented at fixing things around the building. How much are you like Mr. Roper? Are you frugal? Nosy? A handy do-it-yourselfer?
A. I am frugal. I don't think I am nosy although I suppose since I was a news writer I must have a little of that in me, just not in the "need something to gossip about" way. I do a lot of things myself, mostly because I have to, but generally nothing complicated.
8) Three's Company was controversial again, more than 15 years after it ceased production. In March 2001, Nick at Nite re-edited an episode after a viewer called, alerting the network that a bit too much of John Ritter was visible in his blue boxer shorts. Have you ever called, emailed or written to, a TV station to complain?
A. I wrote to keep Cagney & Lacey on the air a very long time ago, but that wasn't to complain except for the cancellation part. I once called the local station about its tendency to increase the volume during commercials, although of course they said they don't do that (they do).
9) Random question -- Is the screen on your cellphone cracked?
A. No, and I have a protective glass covering over it, one that was advertised as military grade.
___________
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) This week's song was the theme to Three's Company, a sitcom that ran for eight seasons. Were you a fan?
A. I watched it. I believe when that show ran I could only get two channels and it was on one of them.
2) The Three's Company theme was composed by Joe Raposo, who also wrote the theme to Sesame Street. Can you recall any of the lyrics to the Sesame Street song?
A. "Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street?" That's all I know.
3) The lyrics to this song invite you to "come and knock on our door." What's the last door you knocked on (or the most recent doorbell your rang)?
A. I guess that would have been my mother-in-law's door. My husband doesn't knock, he just goes on in, but I knock.
4) Three's Company was about three roommates who live together platonically, sharing a two bedroom apartment. Tell us about a roommate who shared your living quarters.
A. Other than my immediate family, I have only lived with my husband. He is a man's man, strong, brave, quiet, and stubborn. He had a full head of reddish brown hair when we married nearly 36 years ago, but now he is mostly bald with sides of grey. He is 6' 1" tall (I'm 5' 2" tall) and strong. He enjoys the outdoors and life on the farm suits him. He would much rather be outside doing something than sitting at a desk. He works three jobs and always has - he is battalion chief with the city fire department, he farms, and he installs septic tanks. He likes to snuggle and he's very gentle with me. He says I am his sweetie pie.
5) Each of the roommates has a profession: Jack is a cook, Chrissy is a secretary (aka administrative assistant) and Janet is a florist. When did you last buy flowers?
A. I suppose I sent some to a funeral home somewhere but I can't remember when or who passed away. I'm at that age where people seem to be dying quite often. Not the same people, of course. Different people.
6) They often meet their neighbor, Larry, at a nearby bar called The Regal Beagle. What's the name of the establishment where you most recently enjoyed an adult beverage?
A. I don't drink. The last time I ate out, we went to Cracker Barrel.
7) Their meddling landlord was Mr. Roper. He was cheap, nosy, and very talented at fixing things around the building. How much are you like Mr. Roper? Are you frugal? Nosy? A handy do-it-yourselfer?
A. I am frugal. I don't think I am nosy although I suppose since I was a news writer I must have a little of that in me, just not in the "need something to gossip about" way. I do a lot of things myself, mostly because I have to, but generally nothing complicated.
8) Three's Company was controversial again, more than 15 years after it ceased production. In March 2001, Nick at Nite re-edited an episode after a viewer called, alerting the network that a bit too much of John Ritter was visible in his blue boxer shorts. Have you ever called, emailed or written to, a TV station to complain?
A. I wrote to keep Cagney & Lacey on the air a very long time ago, but that wasn't to complain except for the cancellation part. I once called the local station about its tendency to increase the volume during commercials, although of course they said they don't do that (they do).
9) Random question -- Is the screen on your cellphone cracked?
A. No, and I have a protective glass covering over it, one that was advertised as military grade.
___________
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, July 25, 2019
Thursday Thirteen
1. It almost happened. I almost missed my first Thursday 13 in over 600 weeks. But here I am! And it's still Thursday.
2. My morning started out badly and went rolling on down the hill from there. What happened? Nothing, really - nothing earth-shattering. Just a lot of stress. And I still have a blood clot in my leg, darn it.
3. I was thinking about quality earlier, when I was making the bed. My bedroom furniture is not yet an antique - we've had it about 25 years - but it is well-made. It was made by Virginia House before it became one of the piece mill furniture makers in the area. At the time it made quality furniture. You can see the dovetails in the drawers. No staples.
4. Today, antiques have little value. Nobody wants the old furniture from grandma and grandpa. They want the stuff they have to put together that comes from Walmart.
5. I was thinking about this change of attitude, remembering how when I was a young girl there was a store that had wonderful items, located near where WDBJ7 is now, called Best's or something like that (someone correct me if you remember that store). It had upscale items in it, classy stuff. If you wanted nice things, you went to some place like that or Grand Piano. You went to Woolworth's when you wanted cheaper items.
6. Now everything, though, is of Woolworth quality, although Woolworth's doesn't exist anymore and most of that stuff is now purchased at another company whose name also starts with a "W."
7. My first refrigerator, received in 1983, died around 2007. The refrigerator I replaced it with lasted about 4 years. I'm on my third one now. That first refrigerator was quality. These last two refrigerators? Not so much.
8. My office desk is one of those put-together things, a Sauder (?) brand, I think. It's heavy laminated wood and it weighs several hundred pounds. I could not move it if I had to. It's a corner desk, and my husband put it together for me. One of the drawers is lopsided. It has always been lopsided. It was made that way.
9. I wanted a really nice desk, but we couldn't afford it at the time. This desk may have been cheap, and not well-made, but has held up. I think we bought it around 1998. So it's 21 years old. (Dang, I feel positively ancient!)
10. This is the result of a throw-away society, where things aren't made to last, where nothing is good unless it is new. I wonder, though, if another generation will come to appreciate the ever-lasting nature of some of the old goods. Will they wish, at some point, that they had grandma's feather bed? (But not the feathers, of course.)
11. Economists and others call this "planned obsolescence" and the technology industry has perfected it. Why else must we purchase a new computer every three-five years?
12. Planned obsolescence has been around since the beginning of the 20th century, alas. It started with the light bulb.
13. After all, if my refrigerator from 1983 was still working, I wouldn't have bought two more of them since 2007, now would I?
___________________
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 614th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
2. My morning started out badly and went rolling on down the hill from there. What happened? Nothing, really - nothing earth-shattering. Just a lot of stress. And I still have a blood clot in my leg, darn it.
3. I was thinking about quality earlier, when I was making the bed. My bedroom furniture is not yet an antique - we've had it about 25 years - but it is well-made. It was made by Virginia House before it became one of the piece mill furniture makers in the area. At the time it made quality furniture. You can see the dovetails in the drawers. No staples.
4. Today, antiques have little value. Nobody wants the old furniture from grandma and grandpa. They want the stuff they have to put together that comes from Walmart.
5. I was thinking about this change of attitude, remembering how when I was a young girl there was a store that had wonderful items, located near where WDBJ7 is now, called Best's or something like that (someone correct me if you remember that store). It had upscale items in it, classy stuff. If you wanted nice things, you went to some place like that or Grand Piano. You went to Woolworth's when you wanted cheaper items.
6. Now everything, though, is of Woolworth quality, although Woolworth's doesn't exist anymore and most of that stuff is now purchased at another company whose name also starts with a "W."
7. My first refrigerator, received in 1983, died around 2007. The refrigerator I replaced it with lasted about 4 years. I'm on my third one now. That first refrigerator was quality. These last two refrigerators? Not so much.
8. My office desk is one of those put-together things, a Sauder (?) brand, I think. It's heavy laminated wood and it weighs several hundred pounds. I could not move it if I had to. It's a corner desk, and my husband put it together for me. One of the drawers is lopsided. It has always been lopsided. It was made that way.
9. I wanted a really nice desk, but we couldn't afford it at the time. This desk may have been cheap, and not well-made, but has held up. I think we bought it around 1998. So it's 21 years old. (Dang, I feel positively ancient!)
10. This is the result of a throw-away society, where things aren't made to last, where nothing is good unless it is new. I wonder, though, if another generation will come to appreciate the ever-lasting nature of some of the old goods. Will they wish, at some point, that they had grandma's feather bed? (But not the feathers, of course.)
11. Economists and others call this "planned obsolescence" and the technology industry has perfected it. Why else must we purchase a new computer every three-five years?
12. Planned obsolescence has been around since the beginning of the 20th century, alas. It started with the light bulb.
13. After all, if my refrigerator from 1983 was still working, I wouldn't have bought two more of them since 2007, now would I?
___________________
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 614th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing: The Book of Questions
Oh! I actually have this book. It's rather old, copyright 1987. But it sits on my "reach immediately" shelf by my desk. It's by Gregory Stock. I didn't know there was an updated version. Might have to order that.
1. Do you think the world will be a better or worse place 100 years from now?
A. I think it will be worse, depending upon perspective. If humanity destroys itself, which I think will happen, Gaia will give a mighty sigh and start all over again in her search for a sentient being to transcend that which we reject. If humanity does not destroy itself, I expect endless wars, battles over resources, climate disturbances, and many sad, ill, hungry, neglected, depressed and unsettled people, all of whom will still be arguing with one another over whether or not the earth is flat.
2. Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country and never set foot in it again?
A. I don't know. Ten years ago I would have said no, but I'm not so sure about that now.
3. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30 year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A. I would want the body, because having bad physical health sucks. I will have to hope my mind holds out.
4. What would constitute a “perfect” evening for you?
A. A lot of attention from my husband, with him fixing dinner, and a cuddle on the sofa while we watch a good movie, and then when he falls asleep (as he is wont to do), I will read.
5. Whom do you admire most? In what way does that person inspire you?
A. I admire women who are strong and who have persevered and overcome what life has thrown at them. I know some of them personally and there are many in the world who fit that description.
6. Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?
A. I prefer to be around women and my closest friends, aside from my husband and brother, are women.
7. If you could use a voodoo doll to hurt anyone you chose, would you?
A. Oh Jeez. My better angel says no. My little devil says yes. With that kind of power, one could change the world.
8. What is your most treasured memory?
A. Honestly, it is a time when my brother told me he wouldn't want to live without me. I have mentioned it before. We were quite young - around 11 and 8, I think.
9. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? Is there anything you hope to do that is even better? (Let’s exclude raising children, if you have them.)
A. My greatest accomplishment, aside from my marriage, is obtaining a good education, followed by putting it to use in writing for the local newspapers. I know I never reached the heights of greatness with my work, but I was happy.
10. If you went to a dinner party and were offered a dish you had never tried, would you want to taste it, even if it sounded strange and not very appealing?
A. After I asked about the ingredients, I would taste it if there was nothing I am allergic to in it.
11. Do your close friends tend to be older or younger than you?
A. My close friends tend to be a few years older than I. Actually most of them are, even now.
12. How do you feel when people sing Happy Birthday to you in a restaurant?
A. Luckily, it doesn't happen.
13. When you tell a story, do you often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?
A. It depends on the audience. If I am trying to hold the attention of children, I might add embellishment.
14. If a friend were almost always late, would you resent it or simply allow for it? Can you be allowed to be on time?
A. I have a friend who is frequently late, and once I realized it was a pattern, I simply planned it into the time frame. I don't understand the last part of the question. Of course you can be allowed to be on time.
15. If you could have free, unlimited service for five years from an extremely good cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, or personal secretary, which would you choose?
A. I would have a personal secretary who had a secondary attribute of being a personal trainer and a third attribute of being able to cook. Actually, what is being described is a wife. I could use a wife. My husband has one and it doesn't seem fair that I don't have one, too.
__________
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.
Oh! I actually have this book. It's rather old, copyright 1987. But it sits on my "reach immediately" shelf by my desk. It's by Gregory Stock. I didn't know there was an updated version. Might have to order that.
1. Do you think the world will be a better or worse place 100 years from now?
A. I think it will be worse, depending upon perspective. If humanity destroys itself, which I think will happen, Gaia will give a mighty sigh and start all over again in her search for a sentient being to transcend that which we reject. If humanity does not destroy itself, I expect endless wars, battles over resources, climate disturbances, and many sad, ill, hungry, neglected, depressed and unsettled people, all of whom will still be arguing with one another over whether or not the earth is flat.
2. Would you accept $1,000,000 to leave the country and never set foot in it again?
A. I don't know. Ten years ago I would have said no, but I'm not so sure about that now.
3. If you were able to live to the age of 90 and retain either the body or the mind of a 30 year old for the last 60 years of your life, which would you want?
A. I would want the body, because having bad physical health sucks. I will have to hope my mind holds out.
4. What would constitute a “perfect” evening for you?
A. A lot of attention from my husband, with him fixing dinner, and a cuddle on the sofa while we watch a good movie, and then when he falls asleep (as he is wont to do), I will read.
5. Whom do you admire most? In what way does that person inspire you?
A. I admire women who are strong and who have persevered and overcome what life has thrown at them. I know some of them personally and there are many in the world who fit that description.
6. Do you prefer being around men or women? Do your closest friends tend to be men or women?
A. I prefer to be around women and my closest friends, aside from my husband and brother, are women.
7. If you could use a voodoo doll to hurt anyone you chose, would you?
A. Oh Jeez. My better angel says no. My little devil says yes. With that kind of power, one could change the world.
8. What is your most treasured memory?
A. Honestly, it is a time when my brother told me he wouldn't want to live without me. I have mentioned it before. We were quite young - around 11 and 8, I think.
9. What is the greatest accomplishment of your life? Is there anything you hope to do that is even better? (Let’s exclude raising children, if you have them.)
A. My greatest accomplishment, aside from my marriage, is obtaining a good education, followed by putting it to use in writing for the local newspapers. I know I never reached the heights of greatness with my work, but I was happy.
10. If you went to a dinner party and were offered a dish you had never tried, would you want to taste it, even if it sounded strange and not very appealing?
A. After I asked about the ingredients, I would taste it if there was nothing I am allergic to in it.
11. Do your close friends tend to be older or younger than you?
A. My close friends tend to be a few years older than I. Actually most of them are, even now.
12. How do you feel when people sing Happy Birthday to you in a restaurant?
A. Luckily, it doesn't happen.
13. When you tell a story, do you often exaggerate or embellish it? If so, why?
A. It depends on the audience. If I am trying to hold the attention of children, I might add embellishment.
14. If a friend were almost always late, would you resent it or simply allow for it? Can you be allowed to be on time?
A. I have a friend who is frequently late, and once I realized it was a pattern, I simply planned it into the time frame. I don't understand the last part of the question. Of course you can be allowed to be on time.
15. If you could have free, unlimited service for five years from an extremely good cook, chauffeur, housekeeper, or personal secretary, which would you choose?
A. I would have a personal secretary who had a secondary attribute of being a personal trainer and a third attribute of being able to cook. Actually, what is being described is a wife. I could use a wife. My husband has one and it doesn't seem fair that I don't have one, too.
__________
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, July 20, 2019
Saturday 9: Secret Agent Man
Saturday 9: Secret Agent Man
Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme of a TV show that ran on CBS from 1964-1967. The series was produced, and originally aired, in England. The BBC has shared many shows with American audiences over the years. Can you name another?
A. Downton Abby. Dr. Who. Gentleman Jack.
2) The show is about John Drake, a special agent dedicated to exposing plots that threaten world peace. A quick check of Netflix and Goodreads reveals that spy stories are just as popular today. Is espionage a genre you enjoy? Do you read books, or watch shows and movies, about spies?
A. If Kinsey Milhone (the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton) and Stephanie Plum (the series by Janet Evanovich) count, then I read those books. I also like the King & Maxwell books by David Baldacci. But I don't watch shows about spies, although I was a big fan of the original Charlie's Angels.
3) The lyrics tell us Drake travels from the Riviera to Bombay. Where were you when you last spent the night away from home? Why were you there (vacation, business, international intrigue)?
A. The last time I spent the night away from home, the power was out and I refused to stay here without electricity.
4) The refrain states, "They've given you a number and taken away your name." In today's digital world, that could now be said of all of us. Are you good at remembering your computer passwords?
A. My passwords are terribly complex and I use a different one for every single account. I keep them separate from the computer in a Roladex, if you know what that is.
5) Patrick McGoohan, who played Agent Drake, went from being a good guy to appearing as a murderer on Columbo four times. Were you a fan of Columbo?
A. Not really.
6) Born John Ramistella, this week's featured artist, Johnny Rivers, grew up in Louisiana. He took "Rivers" as his stage name because he grew up along the Mighty Mississippi. If you were to change your last name based on the geography of the area where you grew up, how would you be known?
A. Queen of the Rolling Mountains
7) In 1966, when this song was popular, Jacqueline Kennedy was the woman most Americans admired. What famous woman do you admire most? (She doesn't have to be American.)
A. I admire Queen Elizabeth (the current one), and I also admire Queen Victoria. Additionally, I am a fan of Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
8) 1966 also found another Jacqueline was in the news. Jacqueline Susann's first novel, Valley of the Dolls, was atop the best seller lists, even though it was savaged by the critics. What's your guilty pleasure? What book, movie, TV show, or song do you enjoy, even though you know it has little artistic merit?
A. Actually I don't think there is such a thing as "little artistic merit" except for pornography. Artistic merit is in the eye of the beholder, although some things are truly great and some things are not-so-great. I thought Valley of the Dolls was a decent book though I was very young when I read it and may not think so now; never saw the movie. I am not sure I have an answer for this question, although maybe the aforementioned Janet Evanovich books could be considered as having "little artistic merit."
9) Random question: Imagine you've been stranded alone in the woods for 10 days. No companionship, no internet or phone or TV. You have been sleeping in the dirt, living on berries and river water. Your rescuers drive you to a hotel. Upon check-in, what's the first thing you do?
A. I would call my husband if I hadn't already, and take a shower. Then I'd eat. Then I'd probably need a doctor.
___________
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 song? Hear it here.
1) This is the theme of a TV show that ran on CBS from 1964-1967. The series was produced, and originally aired, in England. The BBC has shared many shows with American audiences over the years. Can you name another?
A. Downton Abby. Dr. Who. Gentleman Jack.
2) The show is about John Drake, a special agent dedicated to exposing plots that threaten world peace. A quick check of Netflix and Goodreads reveals that spy stories are just as popular today. Is espionage a genre you enjoy? Do you read books, or watch shows and movies, about spies?
A. If Kinsey Milhone (the Alphabet Mysteries by Sue Grafton) and Stephanie Plum (the series by Janet Evanovich) count, then I read those books. I also like the King & Maxwell books by David Baldacci. But I don't watch shows about spies, although I was a big fan of the original Charlie's Angels.
3) The lyrics tell us Drake travels from the Riviera to Bombay. Where were you when you last spent the night away from home? Why were you there (vacation, business, international intrigue)?
A. The last time I spent the night away from home, the power was out and I refused to stay here without electricity.
4) The refrain states, "They've given you a number and taken away your name." In today's digital world, that could now be said of all of us. Are you good at remembering your computer passwords?
A. My passwords are terribly complex and I use a different one for every single account. I keep them separate from the computer in a Roladex, if you know what that is.
5) Patrick McGoohan, who played Agent Drake, went from being a good guy to appearing as a murderer on Columbo four times. Were you a fan of Columbo?
A. Not really.
6) Born John Ramistella, this week's featured artist, Johnny Rivers, grew up in Louisiana. He took "Rivers" as his stage name because he grew up along the Mighty Mississippi. If you were to change your last name based on the geography of the area where you grew up, how would you be known?
A. Queen of the Rolling Mountains
7) In 1966, when this song was popular, Jacqueline Kennedy was the woman most Americans admired. What famous woman do you admire most? (She doesn't have to be American.)
A. I admire Queen Elizabeth (the current one), and I also admire Queen Victoria. Additionally, I am a fan of Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Hillary Clinton, and Eleanor Roosevelt.
8) 1966 also found another Jacqueline was in the news. Jacqueline Susann's first novel, Valley of the Dolls, was atop the best seller lists, even though it was savaged by the critics. What's your guilty pleasure? What book, movie, TV show, or song do you enjoy, even though you know it has little artistic merit?
A. Actually I don't think there is such a thing as "little artistic merit" except for pornography. Artistic merit is in the eye of the beholder, although some things are truly great and some things are not-so-great. I thought Valley of the Dolls was a decent book though I was very young when I read it and may not think so now; never saw the movie. I am not sure I have an answer for this question, although maybe the aforementioned Janet Evanovich books could be considered as having "little artistic merit."
9) Random question: Imagine you've been stranded alone in the woods for 10 days. No companionship, no internet or phone or TV. You have been sleeping in the dirt, living on berries and river water. Your rescuers drive you to a hotel. Upon check-in, what's the first thing you do?
A. I would call my husband if I hadn't already, and take a shower. Then I'd eat. Then I'd probably need a doctor.
___________
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.
Friday, July 19, 2019
I Don't Live in the Virgin Isles
Today I received a notice from Barnes & Noble that several of the books I'd ordered were cancelled, because I live in the Virgin Isles.
I'm not sure when Virginia picked up and moved to the Virgin Isles, but there you go. I really wanted those books, too.
Note that two of the books have shipped. Apparently someone someplace knows that Virginia is not the Virgin Isles.
In a chat, a B&N customer service rep apologized, blamed "the carrier," and sent me a 15% off coupon for one item. I was told to order again.
I don't want to place another $35 order to get free shipping with B&N. I was trying to use up a gift card.
Not a happy customer. It is no wonder B&N is having problems, if this is their solution. They should have reinstituted the order so I wouldn't have to deal with the shipping fees, etc.
I really want to support B&N, honestly I do. But I can't get around the store at the moment and I just wanted some new things to read. I can download zillions of things on my Kindle for free. I can't do that with my Nook.
Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and give in, I guess.
I'm not sure when Virginia picked up and moved to the Virgin Isles, but there you go. I really wanted those books, too.
Note that two of the books have shipped. Apparently someone someplace knows that Virginia is not the Virgin Isles.
In a chat, a B&N customer service rep apologized, blamed "the carrier," and sent me a 15% off coupon for one item. I was told to order again.
I don't want to place another $35 order to get free shipping with B&N. I was trying to use up a gift card.
Not a happy customer. It is no wonder B&N is having problems, if this is their solution. They should have reinstituted the order so I wouldn't have to deal with the shipping fees, etc.
I really want to support B&N, honestly I do. But I can't get around the store at the moment and I just wanted some new things to read. I can download zillions of things on my Kindle for free. I can't do that with my Nook.
Sometimes you just have to throw up your hands and give in, I guess.
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Thursday Thirteen
1. So far this summer I've had an ear infection, strep throat, and now I have a blood clot in my leg. It's throbbing while I have it bent down to write this. Throb. Throb. Throb.
2. Writing at the computer is difficult if one is supposed to keep the leg elevated.
3. I have a laptop but I don't like writing on a laptop. I'm not even sure why I bought another laptop; I seldom use them. Mostly I just wanted to have something here as a back-up in case my desktop goes down. My last laptop had Windows Vista on it. It was old but my new laptop isn't any faster and nothing about it cries out to me, "use me, I'm the best!" That's probably because I bought the cheapest Dell I could find.
4. With Windows 10, one never knows when another update is coming, so I feel like the probability of a crash is always imminent.
5. I back everything up to a second hard drive, and sometimes if I'm working on something important, I send the file to myself in gmail.
6. I have tried to use OneDrive but apparently the Cloud is beyond my comprehension. I can't get the thing to upload. I don't blink my eyes in the proper sequence or something.
7. I'm still using MS Word 2007. I don't want to have to pay a monthly or yearly fee to Microsoft to use its products. I think you should only have to pay for it once and be done with it. It's not a visit to the doctor for an annual physical.
8. I believe that the cracks of our democracy are widening every day. When the earthquake comes, what will be left standing?
9. No wonder dystopian literature is popular. It is hard to imagine a utopian one. Human nature bends toward the dysfunctional.
10. I am feeling my age and feeling sad today, though I couldn't tell you why. It is a day to celebrate - 50 years ago we landed on the moon! And then we defunded the space program and lost all hope. Instead of reaching for the stars we reached for dollar bills and quarters. Watch the shiny nickel and dimes rain down. Enthralled by the chains of capitalism, we let our hearts and souls be derailed.
11. I like trains. Even the ones that jump the tracks.
12. In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gandolf gives his life so others may move forward. "You shall not pass!" he cries to the evil Balrog as the rest of the fellowship try to escape the mines of Moria. I wonder where our Gandolfs are today. Who will stop the Balrog? (Who gets to define what a Balrog is in today's world?) Who stole our better angels?
13. Gentleman may cry peace, peace, but there is no peace. Is life so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? - Ah, but hasn't it been purchased? Aren't most of us playing with bread and circuses, slaving at our corporate jobs, not living our best lives because we don't even know what that is anymore? When up is down and sideways is straight, who can tell what is good, what is evil, what is bad, what is moral? Where will we go to find answers? We must look within, and if the answer is not there, then we must look to the past for wisdom. Not the Bible - but the past. Look at what has been, and swear it will not be again.
___________________
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 613th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
2. Writing at the computer is difficult if one is supposed to keep the leg elevated.
3. I have a laptop but I don't like writing on a laptop. I'm not even sure why I bought another laptop; I seldom use them. Mostly I just wanted to have something here as a back-up in case my desktop goes down. My last laptop had Windows Vista on it. It was old but my new laptop isn't any faster and nothing about it cries out to me, "use me, I'm the best!" That's probably because I bought the cheapest Dell I could find.
4. With Windows 10, one never knows when another update is coming, so I feel like the probability of a crash is always imminent.
5. I back everything up to a second hard drive, and sometimes if I'm working on something important, I send the file to myself in gmail.
6. I have tried to use OneDrive but apparently the Cloud is beyond my comprehension. I can't get the thing to upload. I don't blink my eyes in the proper sequence or something.
7. I'm still using MS Word 2007. I don't want to have to pay a monthly or yearly fee to Microsoft to use its products. I think you should only have to pay for it once and be done with it. It's not a visit to the doctor for an annual physical.
8. I believe that the cracks of our democracy are widening every day. When the earthquake comes, what will be left standing?
9. No wonder dystopian literature is popular. It is hard to imagine a utopian one. Human nature bends toward the dysfunctional.
10. I am feeling my age and feeling sad today, though I couldn't tell you why. It is a day to celebrate - 50 years ago we landed on the moon! And then we defunded the space program and lost all hope. Instead of reaching for the stars we reached for dollar bills and quarters. Watch the shiny nickel and dimes rain down. Enthralled by the chains of capitalism, we let our hearts and souls be derailed.
11. I like trains. Even the ones that jump the tracks.
12. In The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gandolf gives his life so others may move forward. "You shall not pass!" he cries to the evil Balrog as the rest of the fellowship try to escape the mines of Moria. I wonder where our Gandolfs are today. Who will stop the Balrog? (Who gets to define what a Balrog is in today's world?) Who stole our better angels?
13. Gentleman may cry peace, peace, but there is no peace. Is life so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? - Ah, but hasn't it been purchased? Aren't most of us playing with bread and circuses, slaving at our corporate jobs, not living our best lives because we don't even know what that is anymore? When up is down and sideways is straight, who can tell what is good, what is evil, what is bad, what is moral? Where will we go to find answers? We must look within, and if the answer is not there, then we must look to the past for wisdom. Not the Bible - but the past. Look at what has been, and swear it will not be again.
___________________
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 613th time to do a list of 13 on a Thursday. Or so sayth the Blogger counter, anyway.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
The Trio
I took these with my iPhone, which, I must say, seems to be taking worse photos than ever since an update. I wish these companies would leave well enough alone. I probably have some setting on the camera incorrect now and haven't had time to fiddle with it. So these are not the best.
We ran across these three fawns in my father's driveway the other night. There were two does nearby, though they ran and hid as we drove up the driveway.
We ran across these three fawns in my father's driveway the other night. There were two does nearby, though they ran and hid as we drove up the driveway.
Tuesday, July 16, 2019
When One Doesn't See Color
A very long time ago, I had the best third-grade teacher ever.
Her name was Mrs. Fairfax. Mrs. Fairfax was black, but I did not notice that. I only knew that she was my teacher. My beloved, teacher, actually, and as I generally was, I was a teacher's pet.
She was kind, gentle, good to me, understood that I was sick a great deal, and new who my friends were and where I should and should not sit in the classroom because I couldn't see the blackboard. She applauded me, lauded me, and gave me courage to speak in front of the classroom. She was good for me and to me. I thought she was terrific.
She wasn't a black person to me. She was just a person. The fact that she was black completely escaped my attention.
Black people, as I had learned through osmosis or general local attitudes or whatever, apparently were not nice - or so I thought at that age. They would steal from you, they were different, they weren't people I was supposed to associate with, and they certainly weren't supposed to be teachers. Those were the things I'd picked up on as a child.
Mrs. Fairfax was a teacher and she was terrific. So in my mind she wasn't black.
Today I know better and have a completely different outlook toward people who are different from me. I outgrew or somehow or another have basically managed to eradicate that kind of thinking, as best as I can. I try very hard. I am human, though, and I'm sure I have messed it up somewhere along the way.
I bring this up because I still don't often see color. When someone recently mentioned that Senator Kamila Harris is black, I was surprised. When my husband pointed out that Natasha Trethewey, a Hollins poet and former Poet Laurate of the United States is black (she's half black and half white, I think), I was surprised. (We'd gone to hear her read her work at Hollins.)
And when #45 recently tweeted his racists rant to the freshman ladies of Congress who are persons of color, I had to stop and think about it. I had not given any thought to their origins or their color. I was listening to their ideas, to their language, to the things they were saying about the world, and their visions for this nation.
I wasn't paying attention to their color. Or the length of their hair. Or the shape of their noses, or anything else physical about them, aside from gender. I knew they were women.
It was a while before I realized Barrack Obama was black, too. I was listening to his speeches and reading his words and ideas, not looking at the color of his skin.
The color of skin doesn't negate the things coming from the heart, soul, and mind.
We seem to be a divided country. I'm certainly not going to fix it with a blog post that says, "Don't be racist." Nor am I going to say "I'm not a racist" because I think everyone has issues with people who are different, whether they know it or not. If I've ever offended anyone, I would like to apologize. I'd do it in person if I were aware of it.
I live in a county that's 96% white. People of color are not dominate. We're not exactly the most diverse area in the country. Most crime here is committed by white people - because we're a community of mostly white people. But no one wants to see that, just like they don't see that it's mostly white people who are using Social Services and receiving financial assistance from the government.
Preconceptions are hard to fight. Misinformation is hard to eradicate. Life's a bitch sometimes. All I know is that underneath the skin we're all the same. We have bones, and we bleed.
I want a happy world for everyone.
I don't live in a happy world. When I look around me, I see sad, angry people.
I am so sorry that is what we have become.
Her name was Mrs. Fairfax. Mrs. Fairfax was black, but I did not notice that. I only knew that she was my teacher. My beloved, teacher, actually, and as I generally was, I was a teacher's pet.
She was kind, gentle, good to me, understood that I was sick a great deal, and new who my friends were and where I should and should not sit in the classroom because I couldn't see the blackboard. She applauded me, lauded me, and gave me courage to speak in front of the classroom. She was good for me and to me. I thought she was terrific.
She wasn't a black person to me. She was just a person. The fact that she was black completely escaped my attention.
Black people, as I had learned through osmosis or general local attitudes or whatever, apparently were not nice - or so I thought at that age. They would steal from you, they were different, they weren't people I was supposed to associate with, and they certainly weren't supposed to be teachers. Those were the things I'd picked up on as a child.
Mrs. Fairfax was a teacher and she was terrific. So in my mind she wasn't black.
Today I know better and have a completely different outlook toward people who are different from me. I outgrew or somehow or another have basically managed to eradicate that kind of thinking, as best as I can. I try very hard. I am human, though, and I'm sure I have messed it up somewhere along the way.
I bring this up because I still don't often see color. When someone recently mentioned that Senator Kamila Harris is black, I was surprised. When my husband pointed out that Natasha Trethewey, a Hollins poet and former Poet Laurate of the United States is black (she's half black and half white, I think), I was surprised. (We'd gone to hear her read her work at Hollins.)
And when #45 recently tweeted his racists rant to the freshman ladies of Congress who are persons of color, I had to stop and think about it. I had not given any thought to their origins or their color. I was listening to their ideas, to their language, to the things they were saying about the world, and their visions for this nation.
I wasn't paying attention to their color. Or the length of their hair. Or the shape of their noses, or anything else physical about them, aside from gender. I knew they were women.
It was a while before I realized Barrack Obama was black, too. I was listening to his speeches and reading his words and ideas, not looking at the color of his skin.
The color of skin doesn't negate the things coming from the heart, soul, and mind.
We seem to be a divided country. I'm certainly not going to fix it with a blog post that says, "Don't be racist." Nor am I going to say "I'm not a racist" because I think everyone has issues with people who are different, whether they know it or not. If I've ever offended anyone, I would like to apologize. I'd do it in person if I were aware of it.
I live in a county that's 96% white. People of color are not dominate. We're not exactly the most diverse area in the country. Most crime here is committed by white people - because we're a community of mostly white people. But no one wants to see that, just like they don't see that it's mostly white people who are using Social Services and receiving financial assistance from the government.
Preconceptions are hard to fight. Misinformation is hard to eradicate. Life's a bitch sometimes. All I know is that underneath the skin we're all the same. We have bones, and we bleed.
I want a happy world for everyone.
I don't live in a happy world. When I look around me, I see sad, angry people.
I am so sorry that is what we have become.
Monday, July 15, 2019
Speaking Your Mind
We have many cherished rights in the United States, and one of them is the "freedom of speech."
This is derived from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states:
But what does this mean, particularly the "freedom of speech" part? Does it mean you can say anything you want, have any opinion you want, be as racist, bigoted, idiotic, stupid or whatever as you want, and not suffer consequences?
No. It does not mean that.
If you grew up when I did, if you said "shit" or "fuck" in front of your mom, your ass was red for quite a long time afterwards, or maybe you ate soap. I don't know what parents do these days about such language. Maybe nothing.
I bring this up because so many people seem confused and think that "freedom of speech" means they have the right to say whatever they want to and suffer no consequences.
Maybe they want to leave me ill-thought comments on my blog. Do they have that right? No. This is my blog and if I want to delete a comment, I will delete it. There is no law that says I have to leave it. There is no law that says anyone has to read my blog, either.
Same goes with Facebook or any other social media (unless you're the President of the United States, according to a recently SCOTUS ruling) - if you're writing stuff on your wall and I find it offensive, I can block you. If you write things on my wall, and I find it offensive, I can delete it. There's no "freedom of speech" where individuals are concerned (unless you're POTUS), nor is there freedom from the consequences of said speech.
(Every POTUS has suffered consequences from speech, by the way. Just look at the way the press went after Bill Clinton for saying "it depends on what the meaning of "is" is," or George W. Bush for his comments about the government's clean-up of Katrin, or Barack Obama's comments about "you didn't do it own your own," said right here at a rally in Roanoke, or the weird stuff that comes out of #45's twitter feed. Covfefe, anyone? However, the POTUS is the government and thus should be critiqued and reviewed.).
If you post on your Facebook page things that are racist and your employer finds out and fires you for it, the employer is within its right to do that.
You're not free from the consequences of the things you say or write.
The First Amendment is about the government and what it can and cannot do, not about your friends, family, readers, or whomever.
Basically, the First Amendment means that the government may not jail, fine, or impose civil liability on people or organizations based on what they say or write, except in exceptional circumstances. The Supreme Court has broadly interpreted "government" to mean any elected official, all the way down to your town council representative.
The First Amendment does not protect writers, speakers, or demonstrators from private individuals or organizations, such as non-governmental employers, private colleges, or private landowners. The First Amendment restrains only the government.
Yesterday I was reading someone's blog and she wrote a diatribe against another blogger, and then felt upset about the pushback from that blogger's friends, but she let everything stand, because, "free speech, you know." Well, no. She could say what she wanted and the blogger's friends could say what they wanted, but she did not have to let any of it stand. She could delete the entire post if she wanted, including the comments.
Actions have consequences, as do spoken words and writing. I have long been keenly aware of this as a former news writer. I did not write articles for 35 years and not occasionally have issues with readers or people I quoted. Actually, I frequently had issues with readers or people I quoted. People do not remember what they say, particularly if they say things in the heat of the moment, as sometimes happens at Board of Supervisors meetings. People also often misread things, seeing what they want to see in a news article and not what is actually there.
So they came after me. The stuff was under my byline, after all. I learned early on that a tape recorder was my best friend - if I could play back to someone exactly what they said, they shut up because they couldn't deny it.
Generally I wrote articles using my notes but I taped things "just in case." I have an entire shed full of "just in case" tapes out back. I think I have 20 years worth of meetings and interviews rotting there. I don't need them anymore, as the statute of limitations for libel or defamation or anything else someone might have wanted to do to me is over for most things, but I also don't go into the shed because I suspect it is full of snakes and bees, so there they sit - my "gotcha" tapes for the folks who couldn't keep their mouths shut and then had fits when their words showed up in print.
Freedom of speech has been broadly interpreted by the high court to include talking, writing, and printing, of course. However, they also apply it to broadcasting, the Internet, and many other forms of expression. The court considers symbolic expression to be a freedom of speech issue, including displaying flags, burning flags, wearing armbands, burning crosses, etc. (I assume "taking a knee" during The Pledge of Allegiance falls under this, as does not saluting, the middle finger, and saying "fuck the White House" if you're a soccer player, although private entities can still take action against such expressions.) Read more about this here if you want.
The Supreme Court also has ruled that "freedom of speech" is limited. One cannot use action, speech, or writing to:
To incite actions that would harm others (e.g., “[S]hout[ing] ‘fire’ in a crowded theater.”). Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919).
To make or distribute obscene materials. Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957).
To burn draft cards as an anti-war protest. United States v. O’Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968).
To permit students to print articles in a school newspaper over the objections of the school administration. Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988).
Of students to make an obscene speech at a school-sponsored event. Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser, 478 U.S. 675 (1986).
Of students to advocate illegal drug use at a school-sponsored event. Morse v. Frederick, __ U.S. __ (2007).
Link to that is here if it is wanted.
So, to wrap this up - as a member of the press, if someone said something stupid in a government meeting, I had the right to print it. Generally, in private interviews if people said really stupid things, I refrained from printing those words (and sometimes I was chastised for that if it didn't go into the article, because people didn't know how stupid they sounded, but oh well). My job was not to make people look bad, after all, unless the things they said needed to be "out there" to make some specific point or teach a specific lesson.
If someone wants to disagree with my blog post, said person can do so, but I also can delete the comment if I want. If someone wants to rant and rave on Facebook, they should not be upset and cry "freedom of speech" when they're fired for it, or their friends distance themselves, or whatever.
Say what you want. Express yourself, sure. But remember, as when you were 10 and your mom forced soap down your throat, there are consequences in the real world where government is not involved.
Sometimes a secret notebook (made of paper), tucked in a corner where no one else will ever see it, is the best place to put down some of those really nasty thoughts.
Some people might want to give that a go instead of posting or tweeting everything that crosses their mind.
This is derived from the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
But what does this mean, particularly the "freedom of speech" part? Does it mean you can say anything you want, have any opinion you want, be as racist, bigoted, idiotic, stupid or whatever as you want, and not suffer consequences?
No. It does not mean that.
If you grew up when I did, if you said "shit" or "fuck" in front of your mom, your ass was red for quite a long time afterwards, or maybe you ate soap. I don't know what parents do these days about such language. Maybe nothing.
I bring this up because so many people seem confused and think that "freedom of speech" means they have the right to say whatever they want to and suffer no consequences.
Maybe they want to leave me ill-thought comments on my blog. Do they have that right? No. This is my blog and if I want to delete a comment, I will delete it. There is no law that says I have to leave it. There is no law that says anyone has to read my blog, either.
Same goes with Facebook or any other social media (unless you're the President of the United States, according to a recently SCOTUS ruling) - if you're writing stuff on your wall and I find it offensive, I can block you. If you write things on my wall, and I find it offensive, I can delete it. There's no "freedom of speech" where individuals are concerned (unless you're POTUS), nor is there freedom from the consequences of said speech.
(Every POTUS has suffered consequences from speech, by the way. Just look at the way the press went after Bill Clinton for saying "it depends on what the meaning of "is" is," or George W. Bush for his comments about the government's clean-up of Katrin, or Barack Obama's comments about "you didn't do it own your own," said right here at a rally in Roanoke, or the weird stuff that comes out of #45's twitter feed. Covfefe, anyone? However, the POTUS is the government and thus should be critiqued and reviewed.).
If you post on your Facebook page things that are racist and your employer finds out and fires you for it, the employer is within its right to do that.
You're not free from the consequences of the things you say or write.
The First Amendment is about the government and what it can and cannot do, not about your friends, family, readers, or whomever.
Basically, the First Amendment means that the government may not jail, fine, or impose civil liability on people or organizations based on what they say or write, except in exceptional circumstances. The Supreme Court has broadly interpreted "government" to mean any elected official, all the way down to your town council representative.
The First Amendment does not protect writers, speakers, or demonstrators from private individuals or organizations, such as non-governmental employers, private colleges, or private landowners. The First Amendment restrains only the government.
Yesterday I was reading someone's blog and she wrote a diatribe against another blogger, and then felt upset about the pushback from that blogger's friends, but she let everything stand, because, "free speech, you know." Well, no. She could say what she wanted and the blogger's friends could say what they wanted, but she did not have to let any of it stand. She could delete the entire post if she wanted, including the comments.
Actions have consequences, as do spoken words and writing. I have long been keenly aware of this as a former news writer. I did not write articles for 35 years and not occasionally have issues with readers or people I quoted. Actually, I frequently had issues with readers or people I quoted. People do not remember what they say, particularly if they say things in the heat of the moment, as sometimes happens at Board of Supervisors meetings. People also often misread things, seeing what they want to see in a news article and not what is actually there.
So they came after me. The stuff was under my byline, after all. I learned early on that a tape recorder was my best friend - if I could play back to someone exactly what they said, they shut up because they couldn't deny it.
Generally I wrote articles using my notes but I taped things "just in case." I have an entire shed full of "just in case" tapes out back. I think I have 20 years worth of meetings and interviews rotting there. I don't need them anymore, as the statute of limitations for libel or defamation or anything else someone might have wanted to do to me is over for most things, but I also don't go into the shed because I suspect it is full of snakes and bees, so there they sit - my "gotcha" tapes for the folks who couldn't keep their mouths shut and then had fits when their words showed up in print.
Freedom of speech has been broadly interpreted by the high court to include talking, writing, and printing, of course. However, they also apply it to broadcasting, the Internet, and many other forms of expression. The court considers symbolic expression to be a freedom of speech issue, including displaying flags, burning flags, wearing armbands, burning crosses, etc. (I assume "taking a knee" during The Pledge of Allegiance falls under this, as does not saluting, the middle finger, and saying "fuck the White House" if you're a soccer player, although private entities can still take action against such expressions.) Read more about this here if you want.
The Supreme Court also has ruled that "freedom of speech" is limited. One cannot use action, speech, or writing to:
Link to that is here if it is wanted.
So, to wrap this up - as a member of the press, if someone said something stupid in a government meeting, I had the right to print it. Generally, in private interviews if people said really stupid things, I refrained from printing those words (and sometimes I was chastised for that if it didn't go into the article, because people didn't know how stupid they sounded, but oh well). My job was not to make people look bad, after all, unless the things they said needed to be "out there" to make some specific point or teach a specific lesson.
If someone wants to disagree with my blog post, said person can do so, but I also can delete the comment if I want. If someone wants to rant and rave on Facebook, they should not be upset and cry "freedom of speech" when they're fired for it, or their friends distance themselves, or whatever.
Say what you want. Express yourself, sure. But remember, as when you were 10 and your mom forced soap down your throat, there are consequences in the real world where government is not involved.
Sometimes a secret notebook (made of paper), tucked in a corner where no one else will ever see it, is the best place to put down some of those really nasty thoughts.
Some people might want to give that a go instead of posting or tweeting everything that crosses their mind.
Sunday, July 14, 2019
Sunday Stealing
Sunday Stealing
1. Have you ever been teased because of the things you like?
A. Yes. I have always been a nerd and liked things like computers, fantasy, comic books, etc. I'm like Leonard on The Big Bang Theory but in female form. I remember crying to my mother in about the fourth grade because I had a grasp on things that most of my classmates did not, especially mythology and how it related to the Bible. This is big Christian country around here and that did not go over well.
2. Do you hold grudges?
A. Probably, but at the moment I can't think of any.
3. Were there any classes you enjoyed because of the teacher?
A. Almost all of my English classes were better because I had good teachers, and I did very well in my high school Algebra I, II and Trig classes because of a teacher whom I still see to this day (Hi Tina, I know you're reading!). I'd have probably never made it through those courses if she hadn't been the one teaching me.
4. Was there a dress code at your school?
A. I went to high school in the late 1970s in a rural area. We wore jeans and flannel, and our pants did not ride down around our ankles. If there was a dress code I was unaware of it, but I suspect there was one.
5. Have you ever been a bad friend?
A. Not intentionally. I am, however, only human and so I am sure I've missed cues of need or desperation or something. People are bad about asking for help, too, and expect you to guess when they need it. I try very hard to be empathetic and sympathetic but that doesn't mean I always get it right.
6. Has a friend ever replaced you with somebody else?
A. Yes, many times.
7. Have you ever disliked something just because it was popular?
A. Nothing comes to mind. However, I don't go out of my way to look into things simply because they are popular.
8. Have you ever watched a movie just because it starred an actor you liked?
A. Yes. I watched Kingdom of Heaven, I think it was, because it had Orlando Bloom in it. Terrible movie.
9. Are there actors/musicians you have met?
A. No one overly famous. Local folks.
10. Do you ever judge people based on the music they listen to?
A. No.
11. What about your top five music albums?
A. The Dance, by Fleetwood Mac, Croonin' by Anne Murray, C'mon C'mon, by Sheryl Crow, Your Little Secret, by Melissa Etheridge, and Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrissett.
12. Do you remember the first album you ever owned?
A. We had children's albums that I don't know the name of. I think the first album I "owned" was by The Archies, followed by the soundtrack from Grease.
13. Do you still use an mp3 player, or just your phone?
A. I listen to music on Alexa, mostly.
14. Do you like Elton John?
A. Yes.
15. Have any celebrity deaths hit you hard? Which one(s)?
A. People die. It's the way of the world. I was sad when Patrick Swayze passed away because he died of the same thing my mother did: pancreatic cancer, but it didn't "hit" me hard. I remember my mother was all tore up over Princess Diana's death.
__________
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. Have you ever been teased because of the things you like?
A. Yes. I have always been a nerd and liked things like computers, fantasy, comic books, etc. I'm like Leonard on The Big Bang Theory but in female form. I remember crying to my mother in about the fourth grade because I had a grasp on things that most of my classmates did not, especially mythology and how it related to the Bible. This is big Christian country around here and that did not go over well.
2. Do you hold grudges?
A. Probably, but at the moment I can't think of any.
3. Were there any classes you enjoyed because of the teacher?
A. Almost all of my English classes were better because I had good teachers, and I did very well in my high school Algebra I, II and Trig classes because of a teacher whom I still see to this day (Hi Tina, I know you're reading!). I'd have probably never made it through those courses if she hadn't been the one teaching me.
4. Was there a dress code at your school?
A. I went to high school in the late 1970s in a rural area. We wore jeans and flannel, and our pants did not ride down around our ankles. If there was a dress code I was unaware of it, but I suspect there was one.
5. Have you ever been a bad friend?
A. Not intentionally. I am, however, only human and so I am sure I've missed cues of need or desperation or something. People are bad about asking for help, too, and expect you to guess when they need it. I try very hard to be empathetic and sympathetic but that doesn't mean I always get it right.
6. Has a friend ever replaced you with somebody else?
A. Yes, many times.
7. Have you ever disliked something just because it was popular?
A. Nothing comes to mind. However, I don't go out of my way to look into things simply because they are popular.
8. Have you ever watched a movie just because it starred an actor you liked?
A. Yes. I watched Kingdom of Heaven, I think it was, because it had Orlando Bloom in it. Terrible movie.
9. Are there actors/musicians you have met?
A. No one overly famous. Local folks.
10. Do you ever judge people based on the music they listen to?
A. No.
11. What about your top five music albums?
A. The Dance, by Fleetwood Mac, Croonin' by Anne Murray, C'mon C'mon, by Sheryl Crow, Your Little Secret, by Melissa Etheridge, and Jagged Little Pill by Alanis Morrissett.
12. Do you remember the first album you ever owned?
A. We had children's albums that I don't know the name of. I think the first album I "owned" was by The Archies, followed by the soundtrack from Grease.
13. Do you still use an mp3 player, or just your phone?
A. I listen to music on Alexa, mostly.
14. Do you like Elton John?
A. Yes.
15. Have any celebrity deaths hit you hard? Which one(s)?
A. People die. It's the way of the world. I was sad when Patrick Swayze passed away because he died of the same thing my mother did: pancreatic cancer, but it didn't "hit" me hard. I remember my mother was all tore up over Princess Diana's death.
__________
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.
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