goodbye 2016 hello 2017

 

....Old Year!  upon the stage of Time

You stand to bow your last adieu;

A moment, and the prompter's chime

Will ring the curtain down on you.

Your mien is sad, your step is slow;

You falter as a Sage in pain;

Yet turn, Old Year, before you go,

And face your audience again.

             Robert Service

 

    



Christmas

......Some say that ever, 'gainst that season comes

Wherein our Saviour's birth is celebrated, 

The bird of dawning singeth all night long;

And then, they say, no spirit dare stir abroad,

The nights are wholesome, then no planets strike,

No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,

So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.

 

Shakespeare - Hamlet

 

 

Knights, Knaves and Trumps by KimB

Soon We The People will have another president, one unlike those from modern memory. Our country and the world will have yet another perspective on what Makes America Great. The question yet to be answered is: Great for Whom?

Our new President-Elect has been holding court in his New York skyscraper receiving all manner of visitors and suitors for various positions within the soon-to-be new government. Our President Elect is a very smart guy, by his own admission. He said he would get the smartest people he can find to run the country for him. One can guess that will leave him more time for golf.

So how does a Smart Guy, actually find other Smart Folks to run the country?

First you start with :

What qualifies one to be a Smart Person?

The answer is:

You find the richest person willing to take the job.

The 99% doesn't qualify by definition. The 99% are not rich by anyone's definition including their own.

The 1% doesn't qualify either. Most of these are "single digit millionaires" and are barely tolerated by the truly rich.

The truly rich are the .1%. They qualify as potential Smart Folks, because their wealth is in the billions and billions and billions.

Ability is a secondary or a non-existent concern. The theory being, that if you were clever enough to amass billions and billions and billions you are certainly clever enough to run the government.

So from among the many Smart Folks, as defined by their income statements or Forbes rankings, who are looking for government privileges (or advantages), how can you tell one from another? After all, a few billion here and a few billion there with a few billion stashed in Panama or the Turks and Caicos, there isn't much of a yardstick left.

LOGIC

Pure and simple.

LOGIC

Our President Elect must have an highly enhanced ability to use logic. Our first indication of his ability to use logic is his reaction to the now Not Daily Security Briefings. As he has said, he doesn't need to hear the same thing 7 days a week:

• Russia yadayadayada: check.
• China yadayadayada: check.
• NEXT!

The consternation this has caused in the halls of the mighty security services can be heard and explained from our old friend: General Michael Hayden. General Hayden laments at the loss of position/power that the security services have enjoyed for some years now.

A while back I wrote about the logic fallacy of the commonly held mantra used anyone wishing to justify anything they want to do, especially if those items are illegal or were illegal at the time they did them and now that they have the ability to do them legally, they still want to be able to use the same old mantra ad nauseam. While it takes several posts to step through the entire logic flaw sequence it appears our new President Elect has Got it in One.

There were no WMDs. None. There never were.

So we have two important indicators that our incoming President has superb logic and can tell a knight from a knave. Which brings us back to how to tell one wise person from another? It's a logic puzzle called The King's Wise Men.

The story goes as follows:

The King has to pick a new wise person to be his advisor.

He has called the 3 wisest people to his court. He places a hat on each of their heads. The King tells the three wise candidates that the hats are either White or Blue. Each of the candidates can only see the other 2 candidates hats and but they cannot their own hat.

The King tells the wise candidates that at least 1 hat is blue. The King also states that the contest will be fair to all three of them.

The King says that the first person to stand up and correctly state the color of their own hat, will be the new advisor.

After a while, one of the candidates stands up and correctly declares the color of their own hat.

I believe our new President takes groups of billionaire candidates into one of the sumptuous rooms of his skyscraper, sits them down, and places a sorting hat on their heads. If one of the candidates is as smart as our new President, they will know the answer straight off.

But just about anyone can learn how to solve a logic puzzle and should one of the 99% get invited to the Presidential sorting process here is the answer.


The King's Wise Men

Rule 1: It is fair to all
Rule 2: There is a at least 1 blue hat

There are 3 candidates and 3 hats. You can see 2 of the 3 hats but not your own.

There are 4 scenarios.

Case 1.
There are 3 white hats.

This violates Rule 2: at least 1 hat is blue.

Case 2.
There are 2 white hats and 1 blue hat.

If you saw 2 white hats, you would know yours is the blue one (Rule 2) and you would stand up right away. But since no one stands up right away then no one sees 2 white hats.

Since no one sees 2 whites hats and stands up, that means there are at least 2 blue hats.

Case 3.
There is 1 white hat and 2 blue hats.

Each candidate wearing a blue hat would see the other competitors as wearing a 1 white hat and 1 blue hat. The candidate wearing a white hat would see 2 blue hats. But again, no one stands up.

The candidate who sees 2 blue hats cannot determine the color of the hat s/he is wearing, a violation of Rule 1: that the selection is fair. Additionally, provided they have figured out there are at least 2 blue hats from Case 2, those members seeing 1 white and 1 blue hat would stand up right away knowing their own hat is blue. They don't because this is not what they see.

Case 4.
There are 3 blue hats and no white hats.

Each person is wearing a blue hat. They each see the other two with blue hats. Because Case 2 and Case 3 already fail, it can be induced that everyone is wearing a blue hat.

The solution is:

One of our wiser candidates starts working the puzzle with the possibility that s/he is wearing a white hat and sees the other 2 candidates wearing blue hats. If so, one of the other candidates would see 1 white + 1 blue hat and knowing that there are at least 2 blue hats, they would stand up right away, claiming victory.

Because no other candidate stands up right away, the solution is: everyone has a blue hat and our wiser candidate stands up to win.

It should be noted that the rules can change so pay close attention to rules as they are given or alternatively have the NSA/FBI/CIA send you a silent text message with the answer.

References:

1. Michael Hayden and the One Question by KimB
2. The Answer Is.... by KimB
3. Michael Hayden's Dictionary by KimB
4. The OH SHYTE Presidential moment by KimB

Seed garden

I've started a new avocado seed garden.  Avocadoes were on sale at the market for one dollar a bag, with 8 or 9 avocadoes in each.  Now I have enough guacamole to feed Cox's army, and enough seeds to start a small forest.  By spring the seeds should be rooted and I'll put them outdoors.  After trimming the stem back from time to time, they branch out into very pretty house plants.  I never know how many will root, but its a fun gardening project in the middle of winter.

My Christmas cactus is beginning to bloom.  The flowers are double with a second one shooting out from the center of the first.  Its a beautiful addition the holiday decorations.  One of the orchid plants that has been outdoors most of the year started to bloom and I brought it indoors to enjoy during the holidays.  It has a spray of 8 flowers in the shape of an exquisitely colored half-insect-half-butterfly that would fit in the palm of my hand.

Its such a busy time of the year, its nice to take a moment to experience the pleasure plants give us.  No wonder people started decorating trees with poems, and eventually, decorating them with holiday ornaments.   

December 7, 2016

December 7, 2016
the 75th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks



National WWII Museum
the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor

Our Privacy Policy Update 2017: You Have None

[note: Editor's Post]

It's time, once again, to update our privacy policy. In short: Nothing has changed on our end. Unfortunately that doesn't mean things haven't changed in the Surveillance Capitalism ¹ market.

So here are some of the ways in which you get tracked, harvested, packaged and resold.

note: References at the bottom of the post.

Smartphones: Trackers on steroids

By now, nearly everyone will have recognized that their smartphones do two things:

1. It tracks and stores unlimited amounts of data about what you do, when you do it, where you go and it gathers unlimited amounts of data about the people you go with or hang around and gives that data it to people you don't know and that you have no idea what those people are doing with it.
    
   Of course the apps all say that the ever trustworthy Google or Apple will protect you ... yeah, right ... exactly.
    
2. It's an advertising delivery device. Sure it looks like it's making phone calls to your nearest and dearest but it primarily shovels up ads about stuff it thinks you would like to purchase. Whether you actually purchase the items touted or not, that information goes into that never ending squirrel cage of data about you.
    
   More of Number 1 recycled back into Number 2: Infinite Loop. ²

Biometrics: Gathering the sheep...

Finger Print Readers: Press for Success

Many new smartphones and other devices are chiming on about all their "new security" features like fingerprint readers that will unlock your phone with a well, your finger print. In the old days, it took warrants to get a person to put their fingerprint On File but today lots of places would really like you to put it on your record (see Number 1) by simply asking you to "press here".

Face Recognition: We see you now...

These programs are now "the rage" and your phone and friends are most helpful with all those selfies and group shots where you tag (ID) your friends for the ginormous mug shot databases (see Number 1). Partial Face Recognition systems claim they can spot you in the background or while wearing that kewl Halloween mask. Are you faced away from the camera? No problemo there - they can shovel up the ad of what you are looking at just fine.

Emotional Face Printing: We feel what you feel..

Are you POed at something? Maybe you just won the lottery or Super Bowl office pool? Well, don't bother tying to blend in with the masses, the Emotional Face Printing ³ folks are looking at your face and determining your emotional and stress levels by ... looking at your face. There are a ways of categorizing your expression ⁴ into pigeon holes that allow systems to define your emotional response to things. If you are looking in a shop window and see something you like, your face lights up like "It's a Nimbus 2000!!!". If you see something you don't like, disgust creeps right in there for the shop cameras to capture and analyze.

ID Chips: Not just for pets anymore

RFID chips ⁵ are great for tagging stuff. They help stores track inventory. Helps them watch when you pick up an item. They can track when you put it in your shopping cart and when you either hit the checkout stand (WIN) or drop it off in another part of the store (LOSE).

They are great at helping find lost pets. A quick scan at a Vets and if the chip is registered a loved pet is returned or an abandoned one can find a new home.

Now you too can have your very own Microchip Implant! ⁶ With a simple swipe of your hand you can open doors and verify who you are to ... well, those who want to know who you are.

Web Beacons: Crashing on the rocks

Web beacons ⁷ are now, oh so, passé, but they are everywhere. These are tiny "spots" inserted into the background of every web page, email, eBook and document. A given page may have A LOT of them. They have a simple trigger mechanism that shoots off a data message: Kilroy Was Here ⁸, to the people who put them on the page. ⁹ By using that dirty word: MATH, the placers of these beacons can tell how much of the page you read, how long it took you to read it and if you spent more time looking at .. oh... THE AD!!!

There are variations on the theme but this is the mechanism that lets Amazon know how much of a book you read and how long it will take for you to finish it. They also use it to determine if you stopped reading the eBook and if you picked it up again later. Some clever authors of eBooks selling under a scheme at Amazon ¹⁰ used this to their advantage. If the reader made it to The End, the author got more money, so the authors put their Table of Contents at the end of the book... Et Voilà!!

Remote Activation: On Camera!

While it may not seem to be the nice thing to do, smartphones, web cameras, microphones and speakers that have connections to each other can be turned on and off ... not just by you though. If you think your phone is Off.. maybe.. but likely it isn't. The phone may appear to be dormant but it may in fact continue to track and record your activities without any indications that the systems are in use. The little LED lights that normally indicate something is happening are just a convenience for you but not to others, so they don't turn them on. Your phone has the ability to cross connect these, like using the speaker/ear buds as a microphone. Off doesn't mean Off.

In many cases, the owner has granted this permission to an app for personal reasons but other people may not really appreciate being filmed and live streamed in the internet equivalent of Smile! You're on Candid Camera! ¹¹

Moving Forward ... maybe

So now, you get the picture or the web beacon has triggered, that there are a lot of ways that you can be tracked.. Oh Ho Hum... There are some newer things coming your way and some are here now.

Internet of Things (IoT): aka IDIOT devices.

Just when you thought you had your surveillance options under control here comes IoT ¹² to make sure you don't. In theory, IoTs will link all your desired items into one ginormous network controllable from your smartphone or computer. If there's an App for It, you probably got an IDIOT device. Handy for turning on/off the lights from across town. Opening garage doors from miles away. Turning up the heat when no one is home so that it will be warmer when you walk in and the utility company will get to collect extra loot for heating an empty house. Those pennies all add up, just ask a bank if they will share a few...

So, IoTs have ... how can one describe this politely...

NO .... SECRUITY

OK, whew.. so what?

So, just about anyone and his dog, can open your garage door, or turn on/off your lights. Turn up/down the thermostat. Water your lawn for hours and hours. The basic security for the vast majority of IoTs consist of the most common passwords like:

• 0000
• 1234
• Password
• Admin
• Administrator

There are about 51+ variations of these and it turns out human beings just suck at making up passwords, but you already knew that.

We also use the same password over and over, but you knew that too.

Well IoTs are designed by the same sort of smart human beings; hence, less than 10 seconds after you plug in your IoT device a bad-dudette from the internet is going to take control of it and use to ... access YOUR internet connections.

What they do with it can be interesting. They may not be interested in you directly but the power of lots of these devices linked together can make a big dent in things.

In 2016, a botnet ¹³ linkage of IoTs using Mirai malware ¹⁴ was used to impact a large portion ¹⁵ of the internet. While initial reports claimed millions of devices were linked together for the attack ¹⁶ , in fact, only a few hundred thousand were needed in relayed attacks. IDIOTS are SMART

Oh.. did I mention? If you have an IDIOT device and you didn't change the password before you installed it, well... the only thing you can do is unplug it because there is no way to remove the malware(s) installed.

So, now consider how such a IoT botnet might be directed internally at you. As all these devices want access to the internet via your cable/Wi-Fi router. Once they have a linkage, the data feeding frenzy can happen at any time.

SIRI ¹⁷: So sorry we listened

IPA (aka Intelligent personal assistant) ¹⁸ is just another word for eavesdropping. Except mostly you agree to it or think it's a great deal. There are several aspects of this that may not be what you intended to happen. Voice capture has been around since dictation ¹⁹ and Dictaphones ²⁰. Essentially we want to capture what was said and do something with it like: place an order... oh, oh, those ads again!

New electronic versions of this can be in your smartphone or sitting on your living room table to control your TV/Cable channels.

They basically LISTEN.
They listen to EVERYTHING.
They listen to everything ALL THE TIME.

Sometimes they pretend to answer you ²¹ or do what you request like change the channel. Sometimes we pretend that they are just dumb machines when there are really people listening for command words and who then remotely punch the channel changer for you. Sometimes there really isn't anyone there at all, it's just a computer chat bot programmed to reply in a generalized fashion ²².

So the latest ones sit in your home listening to everything going on. They are connected to your IDIOT devices and your smartphones and in a way travel with you everywhere you go.

And where is all that information going?
Why back to Number 1 and flowing into Number 2.

There are two basic aspects of voice control devices:

1. IDing the Command ²³
2. IDing the Speaker ²⁴

The more expensive listening bugs you buy and install yourself can do both. They know what you say and they know who is saying it. They need, or rather want, to know both of these because, well it tells them a lot about what you do and when you do it. They know who in the house wants to watch the sport channel and which members watch the morning cartoons. They want to know where you are in the room, so they listen to your heartbeat. As nearly everyone has a slight difference in heartbeats, the device can know where you are by listening to your heartbeat in relation to other sounds. The devices can do pretty good job of triangulation ²⁵. If you have guests, you can "introduce" them to the eavesdropping device and then your guests' voice and other biometrics can be uploaded too. Just another free hop on the gravy train for the ad agencies: Google/Apple/Facebook et al.

Don't burn the bacon!

Ultrasound: It's not a medical procedure

So far, some of these things don't appear to be linked like: your smartphone, your TV habits and your thermostat however, things are going to get more interesting and it's already happening.

Inside your smartphone are 3 types of communication systems; there are actually a LOT more ²⁶ but to simplify we can use just 3:

• Cellular Connection
• Wifi Connection
• Bluetooth Connection

So, while you think your phone is sleeping all these systems are active. They have various mechanisms for connecting to other devices but generically your smartphone is shouting: HI!!! I'm a BIG MOUTH FROG ²⁷ waiting for something to answer.

And guess what? Yeah not too hard to guess... LOTS of things answer and not everything is what you really would want to answer.

The Ad Dudettes, have figured ways to capture all of these as you move around ²⁸: you can be in an open space or in a mall, in your living room or bathroom, garage or sports arena. It's easier to find you in some areas than others but the Ad Chappies want to know what you are doing and they will do just about anything to locate you to find out. They use your phone's Hi!!! I'm a BIG MOUTH FROG beacons to know within a very short distance where you are. If you also help them out with one of the fitness tracker wrist bands beaconing your heartbeat, health and precise GPS coordinates, they can find where you are pretty darn fast.

But it's not enough to just locate you, they want to:

Know You Better Than You Know Yourself ²⁹

Remember it's about Number 1 and Number 2.

The major consumer benefit of indoor positioning is the expansion of location-aware mobile computing indoors. As mobile devices become ubiquitous, contextual awareness for applications has become a priority for developers.

Wikipedia Indoor Positioning System ³⁰

One can safely say: no developer ever gave a R-A unless there was money involved. Money comes from ... well... SURPRISE! The Big Dog Ad Agencies. So finding you is a PRIORITY FOR ADVERTISING. CONTEXTUAL AWARENESS is EAVESDROPPING; they want to know what you are doing every minute and every second of the day.

It's not like there's a lot of variation though. Most folks are pretty regular in their habits.

• You wake up; go to the bathroom.
• You eat breakfast; go to the bathroom
• You go to work; go to the bathroom
• You eat lunch; go to the bathroom
• You work more; go to the bathroom
• You go home; go to the bathroom
• You eat dinner; go to the bathroom
• You watch TV; go to the bathroom
• You go to sleep; go to the bathroom as needed during the night
• REPEAT

Once in a while there is some variation in the list. You might go on vacation. You might go visit relatives or friends. You might go to the park. The variations you select say a lot about you and help the Addie Chappies select what to pitch to you. The latest attempt to reduce your privacy to NONE is Ultrasonic Cross Device Tracking. ³¹

... enables tracking of users across multiple devices, such as televisions, smartphones, and personal computers. Tracking users across multiple devices is made possible using inaudible sounds made by one device and picked up by the microphone of another device; these inaudible sounds are called "audio beacons".

Wikipedia Cross Device Tracking ³¹

Here's how it works....

1. Everyone (except you) has to be ON the bandwagon. Phone makers, Hardware makers, OS makers, App makers, TV makers, IoT makers... basically EVERYONE who wants to SELL YOU SOMETHING
2. These chaps will embed 2 types of systems in EVERYTHING.
1. a listening system and
2. a recording/reply system.
3. They then embed a signal that triggers EVERY DEVICE in range to shout their I'M A BIG MOUTH FROG reply or to respond with a customized I'M A BIGGER MOUTH FROG reply.

• Oh did the part about INAUDIBLE get missed?
  Yeah, YOU CANNOT HEAR IT.
• Oh did the part about PRE-INSTALLED get missed?
  Yeah, YOU CANNOT OPT OUT.
• Oh did the part about getting A RESPONSE from ANYTHING in the area get missed?
  Oh Yeah, it gets EVERYTHING.

Watching TV at home? All your IDIOT devices, pcs, smartphones, routers, water timers, thermostats, garage door openers, lights and your door locks will barf up their BIG MOUTH FROG details.

Watching TV at the sports bar? All the patrons of the bar will have their devices barf up their BIG MOUTH FROG details.

Taking a stroll around the block? If you pass by a storefront, street light, stop signal or even a waste bin, your device(s) will barf up their details to all those UN-HEARABLE sounds broadcasting on the Twilight Zone Channel. ³²

These audio beacons can be embedded in nearly anything ³³ that runs computer code: web pages, videos, newspapers, eBooks and lots more. The horizon is endless where information can be plucked from the air ³⁴ not just about you but plucked from all those around you and plucked from all those things around you too.

Still planning on buying that App Controlled Personal Massage Device? Hmmm....

So, while the options for data harvesting are nearly endless, there are some mitigations. You will have to dig to find them but there are many things you can do to slow it down. Here are 2 ezpz things you can do to start:

1. Change your passwords to be unique ³⁵
2. Leave your smart phone at home or in the trunk of your car.³⁶

In summary:

WE DO NOT TRACK YOU.
THEY DO.



Kilroy was here
WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.

References

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infinite_loop
3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emotion#Basic_emotions
4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contrasting_and_categorization_of_emotions
5 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Frequency_Identification
6 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microchip_implant_(human)
7 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_beacon
8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilroy_was_here
9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook_Beacon
10 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindle_Direct_Publishing
11 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candid_Camera
12 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_of_things
13 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botnet
14 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirai_(malware)
15 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyn_(company)
16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_Dyn_cyberattack
17 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siri
18 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_personal_assistant
19 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictation_(exercise)
20 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dictaphone
21 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatterbot
22 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA
23 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_recognition
24 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_recognition
25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triangulation
26 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_smartphones#Networks_and_connectivity
27 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Types_of_beacons
28 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_personal_area_network
29 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultrasound_Identification
30 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indoor_positioning_system
31 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-device_tracking
32 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twilight_Zone
33 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SilverPush
34 http://boingboing.net/2016/10/30/sneaky-ultrasonic-adware-makes.html
35 https://theintercept.com/2015/03/26/passphrases-can-memorize-attackers-cant-guess/
36 https://theintercept.com/2016/11/12/surveillance-self-defense-against-the-trump-administration/

Happy Thanksgiving

I have many happy memories of Thanksgiving, dating from my childhood days to the years when I took delight in planning and serving the family's Thanksgiving dinner at my house.  The menu always consisted of roast turkey with all the trimmings, mashed potatoes and gravy, two kinds of cranberries, relish and sauce, candied yams with red-hots and marshmallows, a choice of pie, pumpkin, apple or berry. There were vegetables galore along with numerous condiments and sparkling cider to wash it all down. 

Back in the days , when we lived on the asparagus farm, dinner was cooked on a big cast iron stove with water reservoirs on each side, a huge oven and a warming tray along the top.  There were four lids that could be opened when we added either coal or wood fuel, and there was a large flat grill for baking pancakes.  The oven was large enough to bake three cake layers at once or several loaves of bread plus a pan of cinnamon rolls.  The aroma of baking bread is one of life's pleasures and as children, we enjoyed the aroma several time a week when Mom made bread. 

As the years passed, the family spread across the country, but I was fortunate in having many members near enough to attend my turkey dinners.  I spent more time setting the table than I did baking the turkey and preparing the rest of the dinner.  I had a table with leaves that could turn it into a banquet table.  I liked to decorate it with a white cloth with matching napkins, my best set of dishes, sterling silverware and novel centerpieces. 

For the last several years I've shared the day with my son who lives nearby.  We have a traditional meal with choices of desserts and watch TV parades and games.  I look forward to the day and count my blessings.  I hope those reading this blog, will have a great day too.  Happy Thanksgiving!           

Melting Glaciers

A few days ago, while surfing TV stations, I chose to watch a National Geographic documentary released in 2012 called Chasing Ice. It was filmed by James Balog, and directed by Jeff Orloski. Its a multi-year, time-lapsed evidence of glaciers calving at an astonishing rate.

Difficulties encountered while filming this project were so enormous, they almost prevented the achievement of simultaneously recording frozen water of the glacier turning into a slushy tsunami, and landscapes that no longer exist, except on film. The difficulty of setting numerous cameras in dangerous areas that required the exertion of mountain climbers with gear to scale ice mountains. A season of filming was lost because high-tech cameras failed and had to be replaced with those of a simpler circuitry. James Balog, who had filmed glaciers around the world, had knee surgery during the multi-year project in order to continue his dedicated work.

Watching the time compressed calving of a glacier is a mesmerizing experience. As the glacier collapses, ice mountains crumble and cascade into a roiling, churning mass. As the camera pans the thousands of cracks and holes made by melting ice, to focus on the tsunami pouring over and around jagged points of glacier, one suddenly realizes what is actually taking place. Watching an area the size of Manhattan collapse is so shocking, it makes one stop and think.

I've heard about global warming; it was even mentioned in the presidential campaigns, but I must confess, combating global warming didn't really register with me. I thought of it being something politicians would eventually get around to. After watching Chasing Ice, I have a better understanding of what global warming means.

While we concern ourselves with things that won't make a difference a hundred years from now, our planet is changing. The glacial balance of melting, freezing, melting and refreezing is rapidly becoming unbalanced. Perhaps before the point of no return is reached, we can take measures to prevent it.

About the video:

This rare footage has gone on record as the largest glacier calving event ever captured on film, by the 2016 Guiness Book of World Records.

On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed a historic breakup at the Ilulissat Glacier in Western Greenland. The calving event lasted for 75 minutes and the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The height of the ice is about 3,000 feet, 300-400 feet above water and the rest below water.

Footage produced by James Balog and the Extreme Ice Survey

Talking Heads

The talking heads are at it again.  As a species unto themselves, they are in shock.  Throughout the presidential campaign, the 24/7 parroting of each other, the collective and continuous touting of Hillary for president, which was disguised as analysis, they kept singing.....

"she'll be driving six white horses when she comes".....
"we'll all have chicken and dumplings when she comes"....

Now the talking heads are trying to figure out what happened.  They just forgot....

"The best laid plans of mice and men oft go awry".

Election Day

Its election day   Que sera, sera ......

Story Writing

Recently someone sent me information about the National Novel Writing Month, an annual internet-based creative writing project. It was suggested I look into it and write something. Its wonderful when someone thinks me capable of such accomplishments, but I know my own limitations. I love reading novels, and I read a lot of them, but writing one has never been on my agenda. I gave a derisive laugh and discounted the continuing suggestions. Finally, out of curiosity, I scrolled the internet on how to write a mystery. There were many pointers on how to make a mystery really mysterious, and I learned that writing the ending was the best way to begin. So, I wrote a sentence.

Day 1:

The sun was setting as she parked the car under the giant Sequoia at the side of the cabin.

She parked the car at the side of the cabin just as the sun was setting.

The sequoia at the side of the cabin shaded the car as she parked it.

She heaved a sigh of relief as she parked the car under the Sequoia tree.

She locked the car door, relieved to park before the sun set.

I kept changing the sentence, but couldn't come up with one that satisfied me, so I decided to let a few days go by before trying again.

Days later:

As she parked the car under the Sequoia, she noticed the vehicle following her slow down as it passed her driveway entrance, but it continued on.

That is about as far as my ability to write a mystery goes. I'll leave mystery writing to guys like Grisham.

Casey-Twenty Years Later

The Bugville Team was surely up against a rocky game;
The chances were they'd win defeat and undying fame;
Three men were hurt and two were benched; the score stood six to four.
They had to make three hard-earned runs in just two innings more.
" It can't be done," The captain said, a pallor on his face;
"I've got two pitchers in the field, a mutt on second base;
And should another man get spiked or crippled in some way,
The team would sure be down and out, with eight men left to play.

"We're up against it anyhow as far as I can see;
My boys ain't hitting like they should and that's what worries me;
The luck is with the other side, no pennant will we win;
It's mighty tough, but we must take our medicine and grin."
The eighth round opened; one, two, three; the enemy went down;
The Bugville boys went out the same, the captain wore a frown;
The first half of the ninth came round, two men had been called out,
When Bugville's catcher broke a thumb and could not go that route.

A deathly silence settled o'er the crowd assembled there.
Defeat would be allotted them; they felt it in the air;
With only eight men in the field 'twould be a gruesome fray,
Small wonder that the captain cursed the day he learned to play.
"Lend me a man to finish with," he begged the other team;
"Lend you a man?" the foe replied;  "My boy, you're in a dream;
We want to win the pennant too-that's what we're doing here,
There's only one thing you can do-call for a volunteer."

The captain stood and pondered in a listless sort of way;
He never was a quitter and would not be today!
"Is there within the grandstand here"-his voice rang loud and clear-
"A man who has the sporting blood to be a volunteer?"
Again that awful silence settled o'er the multitude;
Was there a man among them with such recklessness imbued?
The captain stood with cap in hand, while hopeless was his glance,
And then a short and stocky man cried out, "I'll take a chance."

Into the field he bounded with a step both firm and light;
"Give me the mask and mitt," he said, "let's finish up the fight.
The game is now beyond recall, I'll last at least a round;
Although I'm ancient you will find me muscular and sound."
His hair was sprinkled here and there with little streaks of gray;
Around his eyes and on his brow a bunch of wrinkles lay.
The captain smiled despairingly and slowly turned away.
"Why, he's all right," one rooter yelled.  Another, "Let him play/"

"All right, go on," the captain sighed; the stranger turned around,
Took off his coat and collar, too, and threw them on the ground.
The humor of the situation seemed to hit them all,
And as he donned the mask and mitt, the umpire called, "Play ball!"
Three balls the pitcher at him hurled, three balls of lightning speed;
The stranger caught them all with ease and did not seem to heed.
Each ball had been pronounced a strike, the side had been put out,
And as he walked in towards the bench, he heard the rooters shout.

One Bugville boy went out on strikes, and one was killed at first;
The captain saw his awkward pose, and gnashed his teeth and cursed.
The third man smashed a double and the fourth man swatted clear,
Then, in a thunder of applause, up came the volunteer.
His feet were planted in the earth, he swung a warlike club;
The captain saw his awkward pose and softly whispered, "Dub!"
The pitcher looked at him and grinned, then heaved a might ball;
The echo of that fearful swat still lingers with us all.

High, fast and far that spheroid flew; it sailed and sailed away;
It ne'er was found, so it's supposed it still floats on today.
Three runs came in, the pennant would be Bugville's for a year;
The fans and players gathered round to cheer the volunteer.
"What is your name," the captain asked? "Tell us your name," cried all,
As down his cheeks great tears were seen to run and fall.
For one brief moment he was still, then murmured soft and low;
"I'm might Casey who struck out just twenty years ago."

S.P. Clarence McDonald
1908 The San Francisco Examiner

Casey's Revenge

There were saddened hearts in Mudville for a week or even more;
There were muttered oaths and curses-every fan in town was sore.
"Just think," said one, "how soft it looked with Casey at the bat!
And then to think he'd go and spring a bush-league trick like that."

All his past fame was forgotten; he was now a hopeless "shine,"
They called him "Strike-out Casey" from the mayor down the line,
And as he came to bat each day his bosom heaved a sigh,
While a look of hopeless fury shone in mighty Casey's eye.

The lane is long, someone has said, that never turns again,
And Fate, though fickle, often gives another chance to men,
And Casey smiled-his rugged face no longer wore a frown;
The pitcher who had started all the trouble came to town.

All Mudville had assembled; ten thousand fans had come
To see the twirler who had put big Casey on the bum;
And when he stepped into the box the multitude went wild.
He doffed his cap in proud disdain-but Casey only smiled.

"Play ball!" the umpire's voice rang out, and then the game began;
But in that throng of thousands there was not a single fan
Who thought that Mudville had a chance; and with the setting sun
Their hopes sank low-the rival team was leading "four to one."

The last half of the ninth came round, with no change in the score;
But when the first man up hit safe the crowed began to roar.
The din increased, the echo of ten thousand shouts was heard
When the pitcher hit the second and gave "four balls" to the third.

Three men on base-nobody out-three runs to tie the game!
A triple meant the highest niche in Mudville's hall of fame;
But here the rally ended and the gloom was deep as night
When the fourth one "fouled to catcher" and the fifth "flew out to right."

A dismal groan in chorus came-a scowl was on each face-
When Casey walked up, bat in hand, and slowly took his place;
His bloodshot eyes in fury gleamed; his teeth were clinched in hate;
He gave his cap a vicious hook and pounded on the plate.

But fame is fleeting as the wind, and glory fades away;
There were no wild and woolly cheers, no glad acclaim this day.
They hissed and groaned and hooted as they clamored, "Strike him out!"
But Casey gave no outward sign that he had heard this shout.

The pitcher smiled and cut one loose; across the plate it spread;
Another hiss, another groan, "Strike one!" the umpire said.
Zip! Like a shot, the second curve broke just below his knee-
"Strike two!" the umpire roared aloud; but Casey made no plea.

No roasting for the umpire now-his was an easy lot;
But here the pitcher whirled again-was that a rifle shot?
A whack! a crack! and out through space the leather pellet flew,
A blot against the distant sky, a speck against the blue..

Above the fence in center field, in rapid whirling flight,
The sphere sailed on; the blot grew dim and then was lost to sight.
Ten thousand hats were thrown in air, ten thousand threw a fit;
But no one ever found the ball that mighty Casey hit!

Oh, somewhere in this favored land dark clouds may hide the sun,
And somewhere bands no longer play and children have no fun;
And somewhere over blighted lives there hangs a heavy pall;
But Mudville hearts are happy now-for Casey hit the ball!

James Wilson 1907
(pseudonym of Grantland Rice)

Casey At The Bat

It looked extremely rocky for the Mudville nine that day;
The score stood two to four, with but an inning left to play.
So, when Cooney died at second, and Burrow did the same,
A pallor wreathed the features of the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go, leaving there the rest,
with that hope which springs eternal within the human breast.
For they thought: ""If only Casey could get a whack at that,"
They'd put even money now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, and likewise so did Blake,
And the former was a pudd'n and the latter was a fake.
So on that stricken multitude a deathlike silence sat;
For there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a "single," to the wonderment of all.
And the much-despised Blakey "tore the cover off the ball."
And when the dust had lifted, and they saw what had occurred,
There was Blakey safe at second, and Flynn a-huggin' third.

Then from the gladdened multitude went up a joyous yell'_
It rumbled in the mountaintops, it rattled in the dell;
It struck upon the hillside and rebounded on the flat;
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place,
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face;
And when responding to the cheers he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt,
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then when the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance glanced in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped;
"That ain't my style," said Casey.  "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm waves on the stern and distant shore.
"Kill him!  kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult, he made the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
But Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said, "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and the echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed;
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let the ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lips, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel vengeance his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville:  Mighty Casey has struck out.

Casey At The Bat by
Ernest Lawrence Thayer 1888

World Series

Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians are the teams playing this year. It has been 108 years since the Cubs made it to the Series and 68 years for the Indians. Of course there is lots of national interest, and truth be told, a wonderful break from the calamitous 24/7 hour presidential campaigns.

The song, 'Take Me Out To The Ball Game' was written by Jack Norworth and Albert von Tilzer, who had not seen a ball game prior to writing the song. Referred to as a Tin Pan Alley song because it was published by one of the popular music companies between New York's West 28th Street and 6th Ave, the area where the sound of so many cheap pianos being played sounded like the banging of pans.

The 1908 version is no longer sung, but the chorus is still popular and is traditionally sung during the middle of the 7th inning. Fans usually join in.

Chorus
Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd;
Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,
I don't care if I never get back.
Let me root, root, root for the home team,
If they don't win its a shame.
For its one, two, three strikes you're out,
At the old ball game.

Dictionary Definitions

Once upon a time, when I was in the fourth grade, the teacher taught the class how to use the dictionary, and we were allowed to leave our seats without permission when ever we needed to look up the meaning of a word.  The dictionary was a heavy, thick book on a stand across the room from my desk, alongside the wall of windows where play grounds and recess areas were visible.

I think I used the freedom of going to the dictionary more than any other classmate, making numerous trips per day.  I actually did look up the meanings of words, but I also took sneaky peaks out the windows to see what was happening outside.  Sometimes it really did take a while to leaf thru pages and scroll thru the alphabet to find the word I was looking for. You would think with all that effort, I might have learned to spell. 

Some words I've recently checked in the dictionary:

Deception: act of deceiving, state of being deceived, trick, stratagem, ruse, hoax, fraud, artifice
Artifice:  a clever trick or stratagem, crafty, expedient, wile, cunning, contrivance, subterfuge
Subterfuge: deception to achieve an end, a stratagem employed to conceal or evade, an expedient used to evade a rule or escape consequences

Election Stress Disorder

I'm suffering from election stress disorder from the, "he said", "she said" stuff in the campaign speeches of the two most disliked nominees in history; both wanting to be president.  After listening to their last scheduled debate, my stress level has skyrocketed!

Where did we go wrong?

Bring me a person to match my mountains.
Bring me a person to match my plains.
A person with empires in their purpose and new eras in their brains.

paraphrased quote of Sam Walter Foss

Undercover Boss

In the television program, Undercover Boss, CEO's of companies that depend on the satisfaction of the public they serve, disguise themselves and work incognito along side employees to see for themselves just how well the company is doing.  After working in several  capacities and at various company locations for a week or more, they report back to the executives at the home office.  The CEO then invites the employees that he worked with to come to the home office where they learn about the deception.  Of course the employees are surprised.  After their conduct is discussed, the episode ends on a high note; some get compliments and a raise, some get bonuses, and some get an all expense paid vacation to a place of their choice. 

During the episode that highlighted White Castle hamburgers, I was reminded of the many vacation trips when the family  traveled from the Midwest thru southern states to visit relatives.  On one of the trips we discovered a White Castle.  It was a new experience for us.  The town we lived in did not have a hamburger stand. We did have two lunch cafes that listed hamburgers on the menu, but they primarily sold things like hot beef sandwiches.  One of the cafes did a big business selling milk shakes, fried ham sandwiches and coca cola.  This was long before McDonalds or Burger King. 

We were delighted to find White Castles and we looked for them as we drove from town to town.  Looking for them became a game second only to stamping white horses every time you saw one in a field as we drove by. To stamp a white horse, you moistened the tip of your thumb, tapped it on the palm of your hand, then tapped the palm with a closed fist to seal the stamp. 

It has been many years since I ate a White Castle burger.  I don't remember what towns they were in, but as Undercover Boss filmed the one in Covington, Kentucky, I like to think we might have stopped there for burgers on our way to Louisville, Kentucky, our primary vacation destination.   

Will He or Will She?

When I was growing up and became upset over some trifle, my grandmother would tell me, "in a hundred years it won't make any difference". It annoyed me no end when she would say it, but I would grudgingly realize I was probably creating a tempest in a teapot. Now I've decided to apply her advice to the campaigns being run by the two people running for president of the United States.

I've stopped listening to the coverage of the campaigns since it has been reduced to an endless recitation of the insults nominees hurl at each other. Instead, I've turned my attention to reading about a long ago city with a population of 40,000 that existed in the Mississippi valley more than a 1000 years before European contact. Cahokia, a pre-Columbian Native American City, was located directly across the Mississippi river at St Louis, Missouri.

Cahokia was a complex and sophisticated society sustained by a three fold agriculture, corn, beans and squash. It was larger than London in 1250. The people of Cahokia began mound building sometime around the 9th century. The original site contained 120 earthen mounds over an area of 6 sq. miles, but only 89 remain. Many of them destroyed by later farming. To achieve this, thousands of workers, over decades, moved an estimated 55 million cubic ft. of earth in woven baskets, creating a network of mounds and plazas that covered 14 acres and topped by a massive 5000 sq. ft. building 50 ft. high. A mound called Monk Mound has 4 terraces and is 951 ft. long, 836 ft. wide and covers 13.8 acres. It contains 814,000 cu yard of earth.

Anthropologists think the original idea, that Cahokia may have had a warrior-male structure, is a misunderstanding. New discoveries in Mound 72 the highly decorated grave site may have clues to the politics and culture. Cahokia was abandoned around 1300 and not re-occupied by indigenous tribes. The fate of the people remains a mystery. The site may have become unhealthy with polluted water ways, over hunting, deforestation and flooding. In 2015, evidence was found of two severe floods occurring: one in 1100 and one in 1260.

Cahokia is a UNESSCO Heritage Site. The Illinois State Historical Site maintains the park along with the Cahokia Preservation Agency. It's open to the public with tours and events listed on the Illinois web page.

Kokopelli

I'm late to the party....I only recently learned about Kokopelli.  I had admired a beautiful shirt my son was wearing.  The fabric had an unusual repeating design that my son said was the mythical Hopi music god, Kokopelli.  Of course I was off to the internet to find out more about this Hopi god. 

Kokopelli is the only anthropomorphic petroglyph to have a name, an identity and an established gender.  Depicted as a hunch-backed playing a flute, Kokopelli is a symbol of fertility, music, art, healer and story teller.  The images of Kokopelli are derived from ancient Anasazi glyphs found throughout the American southwest.  They appear on Hohokam pottery, but petroglyph carvings precede the Hohokam, dating back 3000years,

The god has always been a source of music, dancing and spreading joy to those around him.  He carries a bag of unborn babies which he gives to women wanting a baby, and he also carries seeds for planting.  He brings rain for successful harvests.  Traveling from village to village, playing his flute to announce his arrival, he trades old songs for new ones, and the nights are spent dancing. 

Due to Catholic missionaries influence, the image of Kokopelli was 'cleaned up' and the emasculated version has been adopted as a broader symbol.  Modern images of Kokopelli always show him with a flute and a bag, which makes him look hunched-back. 

Kokopelli history, photos of petroglyphs and art work can be found on the internet.  I discovered that his image is a popular decoration , especially on men and women's clothing, dishware, coffee mugs, bedding, pillows and towels.

Castles

Castles come in all sizes, shapes and forms.  They are spectacular structures, some remembered for historical reasons, some remembered from fairytale stories about castles and knights.  But the castles I find most astonishing are castles, also known as human towers.

I had never heard of them.  It never even crossed my mind that anyone would have considered such a feat as building a human tower.  Oh, the little circus pyramids with a few people standing on the shoulders of one another... ok, but a tower?  It just goes to show you how far some people will go to try and prove something. 

I learned about human towers while watching a PBS program about the forces of nature.  Gravity, being a force of nature, is a factor in building these cultural phenomenon, particular to Catalonia, which are called Castells.  The tradition originated at the end of the 18th century when rival groups of people began to construct different kinds of human towers.

A castle has three definite parts: pinya (base), tronc (trunk), and pom de dalt (crown).  All the accumulated weight rests on the horizontal base, which stabilizes and strengthens the erected structure- and also softens the fall of climbers if a break in the tower causes it to collapse.  The trunk is crowned by children, who are more agile and light-footed.  The youngsters are in charge of climbing to the top, raising an arm and saluting the public.

There can  be several levels of supporting structures, each being added in a precise order with an allotted station for everyone within the group.  Building the tower is accompanied by special music as the last climber crowns the tower and raises an arm in salute.  The job is not finished with the crowning.  It has to be brought down safely to be considered completed.

Towers of 8 story were built in the '80s, but in 1995 a 9 story castle was given the name Cathedral due to overcoming the great difficulty when built and successfully completed.  On April 11,2012, China attempted to build the tallest 9 story castle, but failed when it collapsed.  India is also very active in building castles. 

Originally they were only built on Sundays, but over time they have become so popular that they are constructed on any day of the week, at festivals and at competitions in other countries.  Its fascinating to watch the many attempts on YouTube, and even more so watching the videos on how the base is constructed.  Its truly a heart pounding experience to watch a very small child climb a tower, crown it, then scramble back down to safety.   

Marathons

I just did a marathon.  Not the running kind.  A television replay of the series, Downton Abby, which aired for 6 seasons from 2011-2016 on PBS.  It was a take off on the famous Up Stairs, Down Stairs, a story about how the landed gentry of England lived in contrast to the servants that catered to them. 

Downton Abby depicts the years between 1912 and 1925, years before and after the first world war.  Relationships, behavior and hierarchy delineated what was acceptable and what was not.  Conventions, rigid rules and traditions comprised the structure of society, but the ride of the working class changed the stability of the aristocracy. 

Melodramatic emphasis on weddings and deaths (discord and intrigue in between), elaborate rituals of dining with glittering silver and glistening wine glasses, appropriate attire for men and a stunning array of women's fashion, helped build the theme of Downton Abby.  Written by Julian Fellowes, Downton Abby is not an historical film, but much of the filming was done with an eye to authenticity.  It was amusing when the script introduced 'modern ' conveniences like the telephone and radio, but even during my childhood, those conveniences were still relatively new to our daily lives.

My family had one of he few telephones in town.  Back in those days, it was common for families with a phone to receive calls from people out of the area, or in another state, trying to reach a neighbor with important news. Someone would run to fetch the neighbor and to come as fast as possible.  We also used the phone as a news service. When the town fire whistle sounded at any time other than its usual Friday 12 O'clock test time, we knew there was a fire in town and we used the phone to ask a telephone operator where it was.

Until the invention of automatic toasters, forgetting to turn the slice of bread so it would toast on the other side, always burned the bread and smoked up the place.  One of our earliest radios had a huge horn that funneled the sound.  Then radios became more box like with dials and a built in sound system.  Radios along with newspapers kept us informed of world events.  Today, radios are so common, its hard to imagine an auto without one.

King Cobra

The other evening during the National News broadcast, a reporter told of an escaped King Cobra in Needville, Texas.  The 23 year old owner, who holds all the proper permits allowing him to keep venomous snakes, discovered it was missing about 7 in the morning.  He told authorities that he takes care to securely lock all the cages, and he doesn't know how the Cobra escaped. 

The venom from a single bite could kill an elephant, or 20 men.  A Dr. toxicologist in Houston, Texas was notified and an intense search for the Cobra began.  During the search, a Sheriff's  deputy shot and killed a  snake that turned out to be a Cottonmouth.  After 9 hours of searching, the Cobra was found and captured by a snake wrangler.

When this story aired, several of us started telling our own snake stories.  I do not like these slithery critters and make every effort never to come in contact with one.  At one point I would not even touch a magazine page if there was a picture of a snake on it.  When I was in high school, Biology was my favorite subject and I thought of becoming a Biology teacher, but I could never get pass the fact that I would have to be more knowledgeable about snakes....even having to touch one.

Years passed with my avoidance of same until I moved to Texas.  Then I came to the realization that I had to overcome my fear, at least to the point of not panicking at the sight of one.  Eventually I did reach a point where I only reacted with a moment of fright if I unexpectedly came across one.

At that time my parents and I lived in houses on either side of a long driveway.  On my parents side of the driveway were huge, ancient Oak trees.  On my side of the driveway were huge Pecan trees.  There was a footpath leading from my kitchen porch, crossing the driveway, to my parents kitchen porch.  The path was shaded by a long, upper branch of an Oak tree. 

From time to time we knew that snakes were in the trees after bird eggs when we heard birds screeching and flitting about as squirrels squawked.  One day we a snake that had staked out territory along the branch right above the pathway,  We could see it move in and out of a hollow hole in a side branch, but generally stretched out along the branch above the path. 

I had heard of snakes falling on people and I didn't like the idea of it possibly falling on me as I walked the pathway.  I telephoned the city hall where all the town officials had offices and asked for someone to come and shoot it.  They explained that it was illegal to shoot a gun within city limits, but they would see what they could do.  The next day one of the men that worked in the water department came with his gun and said he had been chosen to shoot the snake because he was known to be the best shot. 

He could see the head of the snake and said it would be a very difficult shot, but he'd try.  We all gathered around and were very quiet as he walked around to get the best view.  He said it would have to be shot on the first try because the snake would move back into the hole and he'd not get another chance.  When he finally aimed the gun, he just held the position for what seemed a long, long time.  We all held our breath, not daring to breath a sound.. Suddenly, there was an ear splitting gunshot and we saw the snake fall to the ground.  Afterward the shooter told us it had been an almost impossible shot, and that he was just lucky.  We knew he was being modest, but in truth, it was an exceptional accomplishment!  

Games

Games are such an important part of our lives, we must have a game gene.  we even start playing games within hours of being born; our fist game is called peek-a-boo.  During the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, 28 different games were played.  An additional 5 games will be included in the 2020 Summer games.

Each Olympic game is represented by an International governing body or Federation and the International Olympic Committee determines which games will be included in the events.  For any game to be part of the Olympics, they must be widely practiced in at least 75 countries, spread over 4 continents.

All sports are considered games, but not all games are sport.  The difference being sports have an athletic or physical element.  While I watched the various Olympic events, I realized many of our favorite games include playing with a ball.  There are probably more, but here are some I thought of:

baseball, soccer, basketball, football, golf, tennis, ping pong, catch, doge ball, jacks, bowling, jai alai, croquet, billiards, soft ball, la cross, cricket, field hockey, and water polo.  One thing leads to another and I thought about how we use sticks to play:  golf, fishing, baseball........ENOUGH  ALREADY  !!!!!

My Latest

My latest food fad is Mediterranean pita bread.  I get the pita rolls from a restaurant that bakes there own.  The round flat rolls are larger than a saucer, and have to be cut open for filling.  They are so good I often eat them without cutting them open and stuffing them with left-overs.

My latest preferred TV commercials are the Lincoln ads with Matthew McCaughey telling his dogs they can't have barbeque for supper, and the Capitol One ad with Samuel L. Jackson.

My latest read is a book by Laura Bates, Shakespeare Saved My Life.  Its a memoir reflecting the author's recollections of her experience teaching Shakespeare to prisoners in solitary confinement for a period of ten years.  She describes how the prisoners lives were changed and how her life was affected thru working with prisoners. 

The author completed her PhD at University of Chicago.  Although her academic training was Shakespeare, she taught introductory level classes in English Literature to inmates in a maximum security prison in Chicago. Earning a reputation for her work with prisoners, the Indiana State University Correction Education program arranged for her to teach Shakespeare to prisoners in solitary confinement in the maximum security unit at Wabash Valley, Indiana.  The 2 hour class was held one evening a week.

The prisoners, ages between 20 and 35, were locked in individual cells.  The doors had waist high apertures for passing food and handcuffing.  Voices could be heard, but their faces were only partially visible if they crouched down at the aperture.  During the class, Laura sat alone on an improvised chair in the corridor, the prisoners in cells on each side of the corridor.  The prisoners, considered the 'worst of the worst' had been in solitary  for various lengths of time; one had been in solitary for ten years. 

Amazingly, the prisoners  were attentive and always polite as they shared opinions and carried on discussions about  the emotions characters in the plays experienced, especially those in Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello.  They told how they related to Shakespeare as the author and the various characters.  They analyzed their own lives and even translated the plays into their street language.

Championships

I've been watching Olympic games. Only the worlds best athletes compete for Gold, Silver or Bronze medals. The games are very exciting to watch, and one has to admire the ability of the participants even when they lose. The contestants determination to win, plus rivalry between countries create nail biting moments in each sporting event.

There is another Olympiad where 'Mental Athletes' also compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. Set up as a sporting event, the tournament consists of memorizing exercises in individual competitions. The top 8 contestants go on to the championship round.

The American Memory Championship was started in 1997 by Tony Dottino, president of Dottino Consulting Group after he met Tony Buzan, a British educator who started the first Memory Championship in London in 1991. There are now established championships in a dozen countries, including China, So Africa and Mexico.

There are two kinds of memory. Internal, the kind we are born with, and External, the memory stored outside our brains. Medieval scholars memorized sermons and plays; Roman Senators memorized speeches. After Gutenberg invented books, we supplanted our own natural memory with an elaborate external system of preserving everything we consider valuable such as literature, music, law, politics, science and math. It was no longer necessary to practice memorizing. Its more important to know where and how to find history stored in books, photos, museums, digital media, etc.

Memorizing has become a curiosity trick, but Championship tournaments are rescuing the ancient art of using mnemonics in memory exercises that anyone with an average memory ability can practice. There are many web sites on the net that teach and explain how to practice mnemonic techniques. Journalist Josh Foer in his book, "Moonlighting With Einstein" tells in some detail how to create a Memory Palace, an imagined space wherein strings with elaborate encoding are imprinted on one's memory simply by engaging one's spatial memory in the act of remembering. A string of numbers, a shopping list or a long poem are retrieved as visual images that had been arranged in the imagined space.

The 19th USA Championship was held May 7th, 2016 in Hershey Pa. There were 3 events.

1. Spoken Words. Contestants had 15 minutes to memorize 200 words organized numerically in 5 columns, with 20 words per column on 2 pages. Starting with number 1, remember as many as possible consecutively. 15 seconds to answer.
2. Three Strikes You're Out. contestants had 15 minutes to listen and review written facts about 6 different people, their names, date of birth, where they lived, their pet, favorite 3 hobbies, favorite car, favorite 3 foods. After retention period, 15 seconds to answer.
3. Double Decks O'cards. Contestants had 5 minutes to memorize 2 decks of 52 playing cards, identical, previously arranged in the same exact order, but not mixed and with different colored backs. After the memorizing period, there was a 2 minute hiatus prior to recall, and 15 seconds to answer.

Dancing

Well!  What do you know?  I'm learning to samba.  Well....not really...just the basic steps...so far.  During the Olympics when the samba was introduced, I was amazed when the camera focused on a very young boy dancing the samba.  His footwork was remarkable, and from time to time, the camera focused on him would breakaway and pan the stadium to highlight various dancers, many of them doing very fast advanced steps.

I thought physical agility was required to do the dance, but the body movements seem to flow naturally once you learn to bounce and move the hips as one's weight is shifted. The dance steps look complex, but its easy to learn the basic steps.  I went to a web site teaching 'samba in 4 minutes'. 

Samba music is very fast, and it takes practice to do the steps fast.  Good samba dancers do the advanced steps and can twirl and strut without missing a beat.  I have no illusions about my becoming a good samba dancer.  I'll probably never get much further than the basics, but I'll have fun practicing.  And, who knows, maybe if anyone reading this is interested, they too can learn to samba from a YouTube.

Home Made

An acquaintance recently brought me a big pot of gumbo.  My friend is from Louisiana where they make the world's best gumbo.  When I suggested she could make some real money selling her gumbo to local catering services, she laughed and told me her Mother's gumbo is even better than hers.  I encouraged to think about it seriously as a side line to her regular accounting work. 

I told her about Mom's success at selling something home made.  It had come about quite by accident.  Mom had b baked a pie for someone.  A day or so later, a woman, who had eaten a slice of the pie, came to Mom and asked her to bake one for her. The woman was giving a special dinner and wanted to serve a pie like the one she had eaten and would gladly pay for it.  Mom agreed and the woman arranged to pick it up on her way home from work.  The next day she phoned Mom and said how everyone raved about the pie and would Mom bake another.  Within a couple of days, Mom was taking orders from several of the woman's friends. 

Requests for different pies, apple, berry and cream pies began to keep Mom busy in the kitchen and Dad began to help her.  It wasn't long before half the morning was used in baking pies.  Mom was so pleased to know that people liked her baked pies, and,  she liked having the extra spending money.  The word spread and orders for Mom's fresh baked pies increased.  The hours of baking started earlier and earlier each day and began stretching well into the afternoons. 

It wasn't long before baked pies covered the kitchen counters, the dining table and some makeshift counter space,  The baking of pies became labor intensive and I stepped in to help.  At each days end, after all the pies had been picked up, Mom, Dad and I would heave a sigh of relief and complement each other on how well the day had gone.  But, eventually, we began making off-hand remarks to each other that selling pies wasn't as much fun as it had been in the beginning.  Mom began having second thoughts about running a pie business, and decided to close up shop,  She stopped taking orders. 

Before the pie business started, she and Dad had been talking about taking a trip with Aunt Bessie.  After closing the pie business, they did take the trip.  Mom, Dad and Aunt Bessie drove from California to Florida.

Olympics

I'm looking forward to watching various athletic competitions in Rio, and I anticipate a spectacular opening of the games.  The traditional torch lighting and the parade of contestants is always exciting.  I find some of the sports more interesting than others.  Synchronized diving, swimming races and diving contests are my favorites.  I like curling, but it seems to take a back seat when more dominate sports take center stage. 

Recently PBS showcased the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany.  As a child, the only thing I knew about the Olympics was that Jesse Owens won a gold medal which annoyed Hitler, who believed the superiority of Germans would excel.  I learned from the PBS program the detailed history of agreements and plans for the games in Berlin, including the proposed agreement that Jews would  be prevented from participating.  Eventually, after threatening to cancel the games, Hitler allowed one, a German woman to be part of the German fencing team.

Hitler used the games politically to foster his ideology of German superiority.  The stadium was the largest ever built for the games and the opening ceremonies more spectacular than those of previous games.  Ever since the 1936 games, each host country has emulated Hitler by building bigger and better facilities, and presenting grander openings; each succeeding one more awesome than the last.

Political Conventions

One down and one to go.  The Republicans had their convention in Cleveland, Ohio, and the Democrats will have theirs in Philadelphia, Pa.  Being a political junkie, I watch television coverage from beginning to end, and listen to all the speeches.  When panels of political experts with opposing views argue the pros and cons, I listen.  Aside from the political views, I pay attention to body language and how speakers appear on camera. 

There is a marked difference between how men and women give their speeches.  Women wear their hair in the latest fashion that often covers their face when turning their head, distracting viewers from the point they are trying to make.  They could take a tip from the Queen of England who never lets her hats, or other clothing prevent the public from seeing her face.

As I watch and listen to speakers, I become critical of men and women who constantly wave their hands and bounce their heads in attempt to illustrate their point.  Women tend to talk with their hands more than men do.  The sound of a speakers voice is also something I note.  Some women speakers have a shrill voice which becomes a screech when reinforcing a point of view or when an argument gets hot and heated.

I take notice of the suits and neckties men wear.  Tailoring and choice of tie gets my attention.  I compare fabric designs as well as color when several men are on camera.  I'm less critical of women if they look 'professional' meaning they are appropriately dressed and not looing as if they are dining out on a date.

My critical evaluattions of speakers won't stop me from watching all the political speeches.  I'll be sitting thru the Democratic convention just as avidly as I did the Republican one.  And when the conventions are over, there will be several months of debates and speeches to listen to.  Of course we won't know the outcome until November when a final vote decides who our next president will be.

E Gads!

Has the country gone to Hell in a hand basket?  There's trouble in river city.  What to do Percy?  What to do?
It seems as if everyone in the country is angry over something.  We are in the middle of a presidential election year.  The campaigns of the two opposing parties, seeking to win the election, highlight all the social ills of the country, and blame each other for having created them. 

As if that rhetoric and emotional turmoil wasn't enough, two separate incidents of police killing a black man, once again brought wide spread protests.  Whether or not, the killings were justified, emotions reached a fever pitch when protests against police escalated into ambushed killings of police officers. 

This country has faced many challenges and will undoubtedly continue to do so, but this challenge of racial intolerance is going to require a lot of talking and understanding to arrive at a peaceful and respectful relationship. 

Reading upside down update

I've finished Alexander McCall Smith's book, 'In The Company Of Cheerful Ladies'.  I still have to spell and sound out some words, but its getting easier.  I have trouble deciphering names of people and towns and have to peek at the words to verify the meaning.  This has been a 'pick up' task I gave myself, and I did keep a steady move forward.

Although I had read this book in2004, I was surprised to find myself looking forward to the next page.  The chapter endings didn't continue in the beginning of the next chapter.  In my memory, the story unfolds in a continuous fashion, but in reading it again, I discovered that it took little jigs and jags as details of location, new characters and traditions were added to the story. 

I found the book just as charming this time around as it was the first time I read it.  It was slow reading,, and I noticed that when I had to peek at a word, I had trouble finding my place again.  But constantly finding my place further down the page than I thought, I realized that my reading pace was picking up.

I've chosen a mystery for my second read.  'Hard Christmas' by Barbara D'Amato.  There are 30 chapters and 282 pages.  It may well be Christmas before I finish.  Reading upside down is a brain game and I plan on continuing the game.  Incidentally, two acquaintances have started reading upside down since they learned about my project.  I'll report my progress and update it from time to time. 

Empires

Empires come and Empires go.  I've witnessed the disintegration of one such during my life.  At one time, the sun never set on the English Empire, but with the loss of India, the 'Jewell in the Crown' as Queen Victoria called it, the Empire was diminished.  Now, since the United Kingdom's Brexit (shorthand for Britain and exit) vote to leave the European Union, its highly likely that Scotland will vote for a second Independent referendum, and Northern Ireland will be able to vote on reunification. 

The European Union is an economic and political partnership involving 28 European countries.  It was started after WII on the premise that trading countries would avoid going to war with each other,  It has grown to such an extent that it has its own parliament setting rules for environment, transport and consumer rights, including such things as mobile phone charges.  No one knows how the vote will affect treaties and trade deals.  These agreements are so tangled; merging and re-merging in a way that leaving the EU will affect the rise and fall of global currencies. 

When the dust settles, there may be a smaller England, but we have to remember history repeats itself.  Empires fall and new ones appear on the scene.  When I visited Italy, I had a moment of 'history enlightenment' when I walked among the fallen marble columns where the Roman Forum used to be.  I had never cared much for history, thinking it dull and boring, but after seeing the Roman Forum, history has been my favorite reading material.  

We may not like the results of the UK vote and the changes it will bring, but there's no denying that we'll be watching history in the making.   

My New Favorites

My new favorite hot-weather drink is Jamaica.  I first learned about this refreshing drink when I visited Mexico. Jamaica is made with dried Hibiscus flowers, brewed like tea leaves.  Its a beautiful ruby red color, sweetened to taste, and often spiced with a cinnamon stick and a few slices of ginger.  Sometimes a splash of lime juice is added or a fizzy drink which makes a bubbly version.

As the years passed, I brewed it less and less frequently, but when the daytime temperature reached 100 degrees, and the forecasts of 100 plus degrees days were soon to follow, I began thinking of chilled lemonades and iced teas.  Then out of the blue, I remembered Jamaica.  Instead of making only a glass at a time like I used to, I now keep a jar of concentrated Jamaica in the fridge and dilute it with chilled water. 

Another new favorite is an old favorite once remembered, Key Lime Pie.  A restaurant here specializes in Key Lime Pie and a serving lasts me four days!  The graham cracker crust is so thick, its a dessert by its self.  The pie is served with a huge tea cup size strawberry, with its stem still attached,  on the plate.  It definitely requires a take out box to bring home.

My new favorite comedian is Kate Mc Kinnon of Saturday Night Live.  Her satirical portrait of Hillary Clinton is priceless!  I like the other characters that she plays, but her 'Hillary' is worth a 24 carat gold star!

My new favorite book is by Michael Sims.  Its a collection of Victorian Detective Stories.  The title, The Dead Witness, is taken from the title of a story in the book.  The collection depicts the evolving character of a detective from the first detective story published in 1837, the year Victoria became Queen, to the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle's famous Sherlock.

Carpet of Flowers

The other day while I was looking at some 'step by step' photos on how to make a Decahedron Himmeli Mobile, I scrolled down the page and became fascinated with a photo that didn't have anything to do with Decahedron mobiles.  It was a photo of a flower carpet in Brussels on the Grand-Place.  The huge, brilliant colored design was awesome, and seemed to be on a higher level than the ground people walking on.  Of course my attention was diverted from mobiles to what and how this display was created.

The photo led me to Brussels official web site where I learned the following about the flower carpet, its history and how its construction.  There is also a webcam focused on the Grand-Place which I plan to watch when the 2016 carpet is laid in August.

Every two years the Grand-Place of Brussels is covered with a carpet of begonias for only 1 weekend free to the public.
The first carpet was in 1971 on the Grand-Place.  It was the work of landscape architect E. Stautemans who was inspired by other carpets in diverse Flemish cities.  The peculiarity of the Brussels flower carpet is its place on the Grand-Place. It measures 77 meters by 24 meters. 

The carpet is planned one year in advance.  A committee of non-profit illustrators, graphic designers and landscape architects plan each edition around a theme.  Scale reproductions of the subject is realized in several project stages.  Quantity and number of flowers, and combinations of color are determined.  Shapes and colors of cut flowers are calculated in the hundreds and thousands and reserved long in advance.  A life size drawing is put on a transparent plastic sheet. 

On the day before opening, the spaces between flower motifs are filled in with rolls of sod.  When the carpet is laid, 120 volunteers install the million begonias within 4 hours.  Each edition has a composed musical theme and concerts are played every evening, accompanied by a light show and fireworks. 

The fragrant tuberous begonias used in the display are native from the West Indies and resistant to all weather conditions, intense sun, violent winds, rain, and cold.  The colors range from vivid to delicate pastels.  When the carpet is made, they are placed close together, (300 per square meter) to prevent then from being blown away.  They create their own micro-climate.  If there is a heat wave, the sod is watered to prevent wilting.  If the weather is too wet, the grass grows 4 to 5 centimeters within 3 days and the flowers remain fresh, preserving their splendor during the 4 days of display. 

The 20th edition in 2016 is scheduled for Friday August 12 to Monday August 15.  It will celebrate 150 years of diplomatic relations and friendship with Japan.  Brussels Grand-Place is considered the most beautiful central square in the world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Its construction commenced in the 15th century.  It was razed after 3 full days of bombardment by the French Army in 1695, but was rebuilt in less than 5 years later.