MARIO Day 2012

Today is MARIO Day again.  (Yes.. that's Mar. 10th for those folks who aren't aware of that famous holiday).. Today, we are all supposed to eat spaghetti or lasagna.. with plenty, plenty, plenty of garlic.. that magic herb.  Some years ago, when my grandchildren would stay overnight, we would celebrate MARIO Day (even if the month wasn't March) by cooking up "Garlic Eggs".. (with or without spaghetti).. some of my grandkids still think of "Garlic Eggs" as Prepop's delicious "soul food."

 Who you callin' fat?

Boston University biochemist Barbara Corkey says that she doesn't believe that overeating causes obesity or diabetes!

According to Bostonia Magazine, Barbara Corkey has five decades of metabolism research experience. She is Boston University's School of Medicine's Zoltan Kohn Professor in Medicine and is a much respected diabetes researcher.. one of her many recent awards was the Banting Medal for Scientific Achievement, the American Diabetes Association's highest honors.  

So.. Barbara knows whereof she speaks, and her utterances on the subject of obesity and diabetes deserve investigation.  She suspects that food additives (like emulsifiers and saccharin) as well as environmental factors (perhaps pesticides, arsenic poisoning, smoke) are involved in the development of obesity and Type Two diabetes. 

http://www.baderc.org/members/BarbaraCorkey.html


Incidentally, Barbara loves gourmet food and fine wine.. if you follow her on Twitter, you could get some tips on how to fill your life with "good taste."

Now this guy is just plain "fat".. at least above his shoulders.. in my humble opinion.

On the surface, Rush doesn't seem too worried about the reaction to his outbursts about Ms.  Fluke. However, under the surface he must be worried.. because he continues to lose sponsors.. I believe he has already lost Allstate Insurance, J.C. Penney, Sears, Bonobos Mens Clothes, AOL and Tax Resolution Services. I have a few questions to ask:

Why did Allstate and Sears and other national companies endorse Rush in the first place?

Why haven't American women recognised before now that they can have an enormous effect on American businesses?   Perhaps they have, but have not used their influence very often until now.

What will American women do, now that they are "on a roll" to get groups consisting of all men from deciding on things that affect women's lives? (Remember Lysistrata by Aristophanes!)

I saw a cartoon somewhere that showed someone looking like Rick Santorum being asked by a reporter: "How will women react to your views in the upcoming election?"  Rick's answer: "What!  When did women get the "vote?"   This is, of course, a silly joke.. but sometimes I think that we would do better if more women would get together and use their voting power to elect persons who have the best interests of all American people foremost, rather than keeping the "rich old boys club" status quo.

Loss of a genius!

I was saddened to read that Steve Bridges was found dead at his Los Angeles home last week.  He was only 48 years old.  Most people remember him for his wonderful impressions of George W. Bush.  A New York Times article mentions that it took make-up artist, Mari Enyart three hours to get Steve looking like "W."    He also did TV spots made up as Presidents Obama and Clinton.  Steve was also good at voice impersonations.. including  the aforementioned Rush Limbaugh.  His humor will be greatly missed. 

Isn't this for the birds?

I just got through filling our sunflow seed feeder and am watching little birds happily peck away.  I estimate that there are about 1,000 sunflower seeds left for them to peck.

Meanwhile, I read where the Tate Modern Turbine Hall in London has purchased 8,000,000 of the 100,000,000 porcelain sunflower "seeds" on display in 2010. This was an "artwork" created by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei.  Each of the 100,000,000 "seeds" was individually hand-painted by 1,600 Chinese citizens!  These "seeds" were then spread out all over the floor of the Tate.. and visitors were encouraged to "walk and roll" through the "seeds" to experience the art work on a personal basis.  This didn't last too long, because the "porcelain dust" proved too much for asthmatics and there may also have been lead in the paint that was used. 

The 92,000,000 remaining "seeds" were returned to Mr. Ai.  Tate officials are not revealing what they paid for the 8,000,000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ai_Weiwei

..............................................................................................
Seed you later.
.............................................................................................

Medical Bits for kibitzing on a 70 Degree Day in February 2012

Doctor Vaughan wishes to give you some quick medical information and insights:

1. Diabetes.

Paula Deen, who shows us how to cook up such great southern-style tummy teasers has now joined the ranks of diabetes sufferers.  I guess she has been consuming too much of her delicious carb-filled creations.

2.  Cosmetic Surgery.

A recent Harper's Index indicates that 2,000 "designer vagina" operations were paid for by the British National Health Service last year.

3.  Sickness at Work.

Aaron Karo remarks in his "Ruminations" .."When faking sick to leave work early, I find it necessary to make a sick face until I'm at least a few miles from the office, just in case someone is following me and watching me."

4.  Vitamin Deficiency.

This is from a recent issue of the BBC Music Magazine : "Austrian experts... suggest that Mozart may have died of a lack of vitamin D.  The infections the composer was reported to have suffered from all hint at that deficiency, which would have been exacerbated by the lack of sunlight in the long Viennese winter.  Spookily, Mozart's Requiem is written in the key of, yes, D minor. Maybe he knew?"

5.  Throat Cancer.

Another composer, written about in the BBC Music Magazine by Adrian Mourby was Jean Sibelius. "Sibelius... belonged to a hard-drinking, hard-living set in Helsinki.  After an operation for throat cancer, he made sure there was a box of cigars waiting for him when he came round from the anaesthetic..."


6.  High Blood Pressure.

The world famous Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, was home-base for physiologist Joseph Erlanger's research on the nervous tissue of frogs.  While doing this research, Joe invented the sphygmomanometer which measures blood pressure and has probably helped save the lives of thousands of old dudes like me.  Erlanger was born in 1874 and died in 1965.

7.  Obesity.

Aaron Karo offers an observation on this malady: "I would be far thinner if I didn't have tastebuds."

(This could also be related to item #1 above.)

8.  Brain Malfunction.

Our old friend, Aaron Karo, also points to a malady affecting most of us: "Will I ever reach a point in my life when I won't need to recite the whole alphabet in my head while alphabetizing?"

9.  Pencilectomy.

Chuck Shepherd, was quoted in the recent issue of Funny Times: "The British Medical Journal reported that a 76-year-old woman had been unbothered until recently by the felt-tip pen she accidentally swallowed 25 years earlier.  It was removed without complication, and, though the plastic was flaky, the pen still had an ink supply and was 'usable'."

.................................................................................................

Incidentally, if you would like to read more interesting medical information, try these wonderful sources:

Funny Times newspaper.
News of the Weird by Chuck Shepherd
Harper's Magazine
Ruminations.com by Aaron Karo

All can be readily found online.

........................................................................................................................................

February 5, 2012

Strange weather.. 67 degrees one day, 2 inches of snow the next..  I had a birthday a couple of days ago and I remembered when I lived in Massachusetts..  I always was able to go skating on a local pond on my February birthday.  I've heard that it never gets cold enough to skate there anymore.  Sad.

Our Winter weather here in Maryland is getting a bit warmer now.  In recent years, Winter here has resembled Winter weather in Spartanburg, South Carolina in the 1980's.. requiring only light jackets, and sometimes none. However, it is never warm enough for the shorts and T-shirts that I see lots of teen-aged WalMart customers wearing in January. 

Speaking of WalMart.. I'm not sure if I posted it or not.. one day, at a WalMart near Ocean City, Maryland, Elaine was the only customer who did not sport a tatoo of some kind.. even grammar school kids. However, I can't talk.. I also have a tatoo. (I'll tell you the story someday about how and why I got it, and what it has meant for me over the years.)  But it is a little disconcerting to see an eight-year old with a dragon tatoo on an arm.

Poetry Time

Becky Herman sent out two stanzas of a poem that relates to her email experience. It was written by Mark Eckman and Jerold Zar, and the title of the piece is "Candidate for a Pullet Surprise."

I have a spelling checker
It came with my PC
It plane lee marks for my review
Mistakes I cannot sea.

I ran this poem threw it
I'm sure your pleased to no
Its letter perfect in its weigh
My checker told me sew.

Churches..pay up!

According to Lance Pierson of London, England: "Despite its venerability, the King James Version (of the Bible) remains in copyright, which is renewed on the accession of each monarch.  The Globe Theater found it had a substantial royalty bill to pay this April when its actors recited the whole text..."

Mr. Pierson has a touring acting company that has been exempted from paying royalties by the Crown copyright agents (Cambridge University Press) because they only use 90 minutes worth of the text. 


Party-givers..pay up!

Have you ever wondered why servers at restaurants sing their own versions of Happy Birthday songs?  Yes.. that song is copyrighted and if you sing the song, you are required to pay royalties, no matter where you sing it.

AARP Members..pay up!

At the local AARP Chapter meetings, we usually sing a patriotic song and also "Happy Birthday" and "Happy Anniversary."  We are law-breakers, because we are not paying royalties!

Once, when I was Chapter President, we received a letter from some copyright agent or other (I wish that I had kept the letter).. offering us a "cut-rate" for a number of years, to cover all of our versions of the "Happy Birthday" tune sung or played at our monthly meetings.

Scofflaws..pay up!

Maryland requires all organizations to file an obscure form each year.  Very few organizations have ever heard of the form.. until last year.  Some State worker with nothing much to do, collected the names of all of the Maryland organizations that had not filed the form for a while.  Under normal circumstances, the State would send out reminder notices, and no penalties would apply, unless the organization neglected to submit the form after being noticed..

However, a lawyer with nothing much to do, heard about this and offered to do it for the State and  
relieve the State of the expense of sending the reminders.  He was granted permission and sent out the notices and bills to the "miscreants" for $90 to cover his expenses. The way the notice was worded meant that organizations would have to suffer a State penalty if they did not comply.  To avoid any trouble, one of the organizations I am connected to decided to pay the $90.  I wonder how many others did, and what happened to those organizations that did not contribute to this scam.

(This is my "take" on the situation.  I may have it wrong.  If you know that situation, let me know, so I can make corrections.)

"Hi! I'm dead, but I hope you are having a nice Day!"

I hear that there is now an "app" that allows you to record a message to be posted on Facebook on the day that you die.  Wow! Scary!

This kind of reminds me of the time I went to a wake for a secretary who had worked at the Social Security Administration.  While we were sitting around her body at the funeral parlor, she walked in the door!..  We were really confused until we found out that the deceased had an identical twin.  Nobody at work knew that.. if only her sister had not decided to wear the identical suit as her sister.....

"What is your question, Miss?"

I heard on the radio that when Texas Governor Perry made a campaign stop at the Squat and Gobble Cafe in South Carolina, he called upon a maniken that he thought was a potential voter.

Where did it go?

I also heard on the radio that Samoa completely lost December 30, 2011, when the International Date Line was shifted!

......................................................................................................................................
Enough foolishness!  Auf wiedersehen!
.......................................................................................................................................

More from January 14, 2012

Yesterday, I got so excited about "beer blogging" that my hour was up before I got into any other newspaper subject.  Let's see how far I can go today.

Mascot Bashing

The Carroll County (Maryland) Times has a picture on page one of the Baltimore Raven's football team mascot, Poe, being accosted by elementary school children, most of whom are wearing purple, Raven's color.  Today is when the Ravens get to play an important game, and the whole Baltimore metropolitan area is awash in a purple glow, as everybody waits for their local gladiators to smash the opposition, under the urging of a super enthusiastic Poe.

I remember another time when a team mascot was "accosted" by little kids.  At a church in Reisterstown, dozens of six, seven, and eight-year olds were all excited because the "Oriole Bird" was coming to visit them.  As the front door opened and the "bird" walked in, he was jumped on by all of these yelling and screaming kids.  The parents stood in the background, smiling,  as the "bird" was kicked and punched by these little barbarians. 

"Bird" yelled "Ow!" and "Stop!"  This only made the kids increase their good-natured attack.  Finally, after about 5 minutes of this abuse, the bleeding and crying "bird" said: "To hell with this stupid job!" and rushed out the door, never to be seen again around this area.  Of course, the kids were disappointed, and the parents were irate because their evening's entertainment was cut short. 

I wonder if the Raven's mascot quoteth: "Never more!"

Fun Time in Poe's Town

If you come to Baltimore for the game, remember to visit the "Block" or what's left of it.  (I wonder if Blaze Starr is still in good health.  I hope so.)

Do the Police have it Nailed Down yet?

The paper mentions two incidents of "Nail Gun" violence!  On Friday last, a 35-year old lady was charged with trying to fire a .22 caliber nail gun at two people after an argument.  On the same day, a 23-year-old man was charged with holding an air-powered nail gun to his girl-friend's head.  What is going on in Carroll County?  Are we going to become the "Nail Gun Violence" center of Maryland? 

Need a new knee?

Last December, a Carroll County Orthopedist,  Doctor Jason Hammond, performed the new "Triathalon Custom Fit Knee Procedure" for the first time in the County.  This is a type of "custom fit" knee replacement surgery, which uses 3-D software technology, as well as other "state-of-the-art" tools to make a new knee seem almost exactly like the old knee, minus the pain. 

Doctor Hammond is an interesting guy.   He is probably 6'5" tall and looks like a tough basketball player.  But, instead, he is a gentle, soft-spoken man, who seems to connect with his patients.  If you meet him, ask him to show you a picture of his triplets.. three beautiful little girls.

Elaine has been pleased with the work he did to correct a very bad break of bones in her foot, and would recommend him highly.

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me

I only have a little time left, so I will just mention a few things brought up yesterday on my favorite radio show:

....  Surveys

A new survey reports that Americans are getting tired of surveys.

....  2012 New Hampshire Primary

A guy named Vermin "Love" Supreme was on the ballot:  he has invented a time machine so that we can go back in time to do good things like kill Hitler.  He calls himself a "friendly fascist" and would push for a nation-wide tooth-brush law, and would make sure that every citizen has a Government-provided pony, just as the Founding Fathers wanted.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/01/10/vermin-supreme-the-presidential-candidate-who-promises-free-ponies/


A guy named Bob Ely said that there were two dozen reasons not to vote for him.  See for yourself.

http://www.workmorekeepless.com/


Car Talk

And finally, from Click and Clack (kind of): 

Question:  What do you call a large number of funny birds sitting on a movie marquee?

Answer:  Two kilo mockingbirds.



Gasp!.. Sorry about that.

.......................................................................................................................

A Dios .. probably in 2012.
...................................

January 14, 2012

I haven't added to this blog for over a month, so here goes.

Items poking out at me from the local newspaper.. and a couple blaring at me from the kitchen radio:

Beer, Beer...

I'm pleased to read that the Yuengling Brewery has expanded once again to become the largest American beer maker.  Last year, they began to enter the Ohio market.. and you all know that those Ohio folks love their beer.. especially at the Bratwurst Festival in Bucyrus, Ohio. 

For years, I was a devoted Yuengling Beer fan.  I even made a trip to Pottsville, Pennsylvania to visit their bottling plant.  That was quite a visit.. the plant is on a very slanted street and I slid in just after an ice storm.. in spite of a few spills (of me, not the beer) I spent a pleasant hour walking through beer- sloshed floors, watching the process,  and sampling a lot of their wares.  There was a little gift shop where I purchased some frames with the Yuengling logo.  I used one of those for a neighbor who likes Yuengling beer.  I secretly took his picture and put it into the frame and surprised him with it.  I don't think his wife appreciated my effort.

Kind of like Newt Gingrich, I eventually got bored with old passions and changed my beer allegiance to India Pale Ale (IPA).  My favorites are:  Snake Dog IPA, bottled at the Flying Dog Brewery in nearby Frederick, Maryland;  Yards IPA, bottled at the Yards Brewing Company in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Southampton Publick House IPA, bottled at the Southampton Bottling Company in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

The British invented IPA by adding additional Hops to their beers to keep them from spoiling on the long sea transport from Britain to their troops in India.   If you like beer, try India Pale Ale.. you'll be glad you did.

Beer, Beer, Beer..

I've mentioned this in my blogs before.  I've been asked why I refuse to drink "Lite" alias "Light" beer. One day, visiting a brewery in Pennsylvania, I asked how they made their "Light" beer.  The brewmaster told me that they just add a gallon of water to each gallon of already prepared beer.  In other  words, they water down their beer and then sell it at the same price as their regular beer.  Isn't that another form of a ripoff?

I've heard that the head of an Italian family will usually add water to jugs of wine.. but that is so that more can be drunk without causing people to fall asleep at the supper table.  So, maybe that is why light beer is popular.. people can drink more without becoming drunk too soon.  But, if your desire is to become drunk, why do it slowly. Get with it.. drink vodka or rum.  Why fill yourself up slowly with watery slop to get the same effect? (Oh, I forgot to mention: vodka means "water" in Russian, and it would appear that Russians drink it right down as though it were water.  Most Americans add it to cocktail ingredients and take a longer time to get sloshed.)

Beer, Beer, Beer, Beer..

Back to beer... the best beer that I have ever tasted was sold in Germany and was called Loewenbrau (Lion's Brew) and was a German favorite.  Germans know how to make beer, and they do it using only ingredients prescribed by law since the thirteenth century.. Reinheitsgebot.  When I got back to the United States, I searched until I found a Liquor Store that sold Loewenbrau.  When I tasted it.. I spit it out.  It was not the same.

Somebody told me that they water it down for the US because Americans like lighter beer. I think they have greatly misjudged American beer drinkers and would not have their miserable sales record in the US if they got back to importing their REAL beer.

Beer, Beer, Beer, Beer, Beer..

For several years, I brewed my own beer.  It was never great beer, but it was drinkable.. and definitely not "Lite" beer.  At one time I even brewed Russian beer.. called Kvass.  I made a big mistake.. I brewed it in green beer bottles.  Those bottles have a tendency to explode, as I found out. 

One day, I made a large batch of kvass and put it in green bottles containing grapes (to help with the fermentation).  I placed them to age on shelving in my garage near the garage's rear door.  The garage was warm, the air outside was cold.  I went past the shelving, opened the door, and stepped out for just a quick moment.  When I came back in, all of the bottles had exploded and glass shards were stuck in the walls.  If I had just opened the door and not have gone out, those shards would have been stuck in me.   I stopped brewing kvass and stopped using green bottles.

Well, my hour is up and I never did get past the first item I wanted to talk about... God's gift to mankind: BEER.

Prosit!
.............................................................................................................

Looking Forward to 2012

A Beautiful Day, with Hope for the Formerly Hopeless

Isn't it a wonderful world!  The sun is streaming into the house.  My tummy is full of sausage and eggs.. and a lot of delicious Gevalia coffee.  On the radio, I'm listening to the Diane Rheem Show interviewing a Duke University neurologist who has done experiments with rhesus monkeys that show that thoughts can create motion outside of the body!  He has great hopes that his research will help trigger rehabilitation therapy (cures?) for victims of Parkinsons, and also for persons who suffer paralysis, and other neurological ailments.  His name is Miguel Nicolelis and he has written a book that I can't wait to read:  Beyond Boundaries.

A Beautiful Night, with no Hope for the Continuously Hopeless

Last night, my son and his beautiful wife treated Elaine and me to a great feast at the Texas Roadhouse.  Steak and salmon and ribs..  done just the way we all wanted them to be cooked.  Lots of peanuts to eat.. lots of peanut hulls on the floor.  Lots of fun.

Of course, everyone had to put up with my weird antics.  At one point, I was telling about my laptop recovery activity and as I showed them how I pushed down on the computer's F8 key, I, instead, pushed down on the edge of my fork and thrust it off into the stratosphere, much to the amazement and amusement of everyone in the vicinity.  Luckily, nobody was stabbed. 

In an attempt to regain my composure, I asked the waitress to bring me a frosty mug for my beer. (Apparently, I am the only person in the U.S. that doesn't drink their beer directly out of the bottle.) As I casually poured my beer into the mug, it overflowed before I could do Elaine's trick of sticking a finger in the froth to stop the flow.  Now that I had inundated the table and napkins with Sam Adams Winter Ale, after conducting a  physics experiment with my fork, everyone could relax and enjoy their meals. 

Computer Stuff.. skip it if you don't give a damn

I am typing this on that laptop that I mentioned.  I love the way it works for me.. usually.  But it has this tendency to not recognise certain codes that are generated and passed from module to module.  The first time this happened, I sent the laptop back to Dell and they returned it in workable condition. 

A few months later, it happened again and I found that if I tried the reboot option 20 or more times, it  would apparently say to itself: "The poor chump has given it 20 tries, lets give him a break this time," and the laptop would start working again.   This happened a few times more.

After a year or so of quiescence, recently, it started its antics again.  But this time, no matter how many times I tried to reboot, it still did not recognise the codes necessary to continue properly.  So I tried any number of tests that could be done, including a 12 hour check of all memory and components, with no success.  I even went into "command mode", but could not remember the DOS commands that would be of any help.

Finally, I began to concentrate on the computer's F8 key.  I hoped that this would get me into what us old computer types call "Safe Mode", although I didn't know what that would do.  I tried every combination of F8 pressure.. except one.. with no success.  Finally, in exasperation, I tried the last resort.. I pressed the F8 key and held it down before and during the pressing of the restart button.  It worked!  Now I am back in business and can take a look at the 892 email messages that have built up while I was "computer-less."

OK.. OK.. for those who know me.. yes, I do have other computers.  I have the desktop that I use as the base for my internal network, I have a small notebook computer, I have a clone of the first portable computer ever  made, and I have two cracked screen laptops.  They all work.

If you haven't heard the story of how one of the laptops got its cracked screen, let me know.  It's a great story.  I've told the story somewhere in one of my blogs.

Fly me to the Moon

My son and one of my sons-in-law showed me a remarkable feature on their DROIDs.  Since I also have a DROID, I, of course, wanted that feature.  Besides it is free.   It's called GOOGLE SKY, and my wonderful relatives downloaded the APP (application) for me.  Now, whenever I want to know what that bright light is way up there in the heavens, I can hold my DROID up, pointed to the object, and it will let me know if it is Jupiter, or Saturn, or the Moon, or Sky-Lab. 

It also shows the outlines of the sky features, such as the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) or Cassiopeia.  This is the fantastic product of an amazing computer programmer!  How he or she did this bends my mind.  I love it!

....................................................................................................................

My hour is up..  see ya!

....................................................................................................................

Brain Power

I haven't added to this blog for a while and I know that everybody is wondering why.  (Actually nobody noticed.)

Anyway, today I want to share with you a game that I invented and call "Joe's Triplets."  Many years ago, before the age of cell phones that contained games and other fantastic "apps", I would get bored driving or being driven for long trips.  Looking for license plates from other States quickly loses interest.  Something else was needed.  So, I developed this game:

As you progress through an area with parked or moving cars, check out the first three letters of selected license plates.  Take those three letters and make up words or phrases using those letters, in order.  It's as simple as that, but mind-expanding if you concentrate.   For example, last Tuesday, while walking through the Social Security Headquarters parking lot in Baltimore, I copied down the first three letters from the license plates of some of the cars I passed.  As I did, I made up words and phrases from the letters, and wrote them down as follows: (the parking lot guard watched me very carefully as I did this)

Letters    Phrase or Word Examples

MPW     manpower     moping wimp     lame paws

KPL     Park Place     dark palace     take a pulse

HDR     header     hot dog relish     shade roller

KBF     black buffalo     kick-boxing fighter     pink bifocals

MTF     mountain flower     a minute to five     mouthy fink!

XCZ     excess zest     extra cut zinnias     tax-cut denizens

KHS     pink house     skinheads     thick thumbs

LTL     little     last lamb     Atlanta Lions

WYC  Wayne County     Why complain?     chewy cupcakes

KYH     keyhole     frisky hound     skinny youth

Now I know that some license plates do not start with all letters, so I have developed this variant.  If the first three positions of the plate start with any of the numbers from 1 to 9, change the numbers to the corresponding letters of the alphabet, A through I.  (Zero always counts as the letter O.)

68Z  becomes FHZ  -  fish zipper     fight zone     flashy Amazon

32J  becomes  CBJ  -  Cabin John     I can buy Jello.     Crummy beer joint!

7K6  becomes GKF - aging kinfolk     Go kill the fleas!     eighty kingfishers

I must warn you, this becomes addictive.  I've been doing it for many many years and I can't stop.  However, if you do try this game, in no time at all, you will have stretched and enriched your brain so much that Mr. Alzheimer will be unable to penetrate it.  Soon, you will be as smart as Professor Einstein...

I guarantee it!

Happy New Year 2012!

........................................................................................................................

Cruelty 101.

We've been plagued by field mice invading our garage.  I have been setting traps and have caught and killed 3 of them.  Elaine says that she heard the last trap snap and the little helpless mouse cry "eee"  "eee" for a few minutes.  I wish that she had not told me that.  I will have trouble sleeping tonight.

But apparently I'm not the cruelist American these days.  The Nation magazine for October 17, 2011 has a piece labeled Cruel America.  Let me give you a few excerpts from that article.

Brian Williams asked Texas Governor Rick Perry if the recent execution of 234 people in Texas bothered him.  Rick replied: "If you come into our state... and you kill... one of our citizens... you will be executed." A listening crowd applauded enthusiastically.

A petition signed by more than 600,000 people was presented to the Georgia parole board trying to save Troy Davis from execution.   Mr. Davis was convicted of murder two decades ago and the conviction was rendered doubtful by new evidence, including the recantation of seven of the original nine witnesses.  The parole board ignored the petition and Mr. Davis was executed.

Wolf Blitzer asked Ron Paul what medical response he would recommend if a person who opted not to have health insurance entered into a coma and died.  Ron answered: "That's what freedom is all about: taking your own risks."  So, the man's death was his own problem, and society should let such people die?  Someone yelled: Yeah! and a listening crown cheered.

A few years ago, the Bush administration secretly ordered the torture of terrorism suspects.  Recently, both former President George W. Bush and former Vice-President Dick Cheney publicly endorsed that action.

More than 2 million Americans are incarcerated.  This is the highest proportion per capita in the world!

What the hell is going on in this wonderful Country of mine?

...........................................................................................................................................

The Day after Black Friday 2011

Well, it looks as though people have finally decided that it is useless to save their money in the bank for almost zero interest, and have given it to department stores instead.  Yesterday, at the height of Black Friday, I drove by WalMart, Target, Belk's, Sears, and Kohl's.... all of their parking lots were filled, and this is in Carroll County Maryland, where conservative folks normally are very careful with their spending. 

Or.. maybe, as I mentioned in a prior blog entry, this year, folks believe that the Aztec calendar is right and the world will end in 2012... therefore, they can charge as much as they like now and never have to worry about paying for it.  Whatever is the reason,  I have never seen people so excited.

Carroll County is a great place to live.  Beautiful countryside to enjoy and probably the safest County in Maryland, if not in the Nation.  The people who have lived all their lives here are either devout Conservative Republicans, or Democrats who changed affiliation to allow themselves to be elected to public office in the County, a Republican bastion in Democratic Maryland. 
This may change now that Representative Roscoe Bartlett has seen his district gerrymandered.  Soon, we will probably be represented in Congress by a Democrat.  For one, I will miss listening to Mr. Bartlett make his 5 minute speeches before the Congressional sessions get underway.  I will also miss his Office's notes to me that he is glad that I agree with his point of view.. which I have never done.

In this County there is a great newspaper that I love.  It is the normally quite liberal Carroll County Times.  However, the newspaper does post letters and articles  representing all sides of vital questions, and I find that very refreshing.  As an Independent voter, I want to learn as much as I can about what each side says about an issue. 

So.. having said all that, I now want to gently pick on the Carroll County Times.. but just on page one of their issue for Friday, November 26, 2011.

01.  Weather:  SUNY

I know we are not in New York State so SUNY  does not stand for State University of New York... what does it stand for?  I asked Elaine, and, of course, she knew the answer.  The prediction is for sunny weather, but not too sunny.. rather SUNY.  And the prediction was right.. early this morning, the sun was brightly shining, and it got cloudy as the day went on.  It was SUNY.    I like it!


02.  Beautiful shoppers

The newspaper has an interesting front page color photo by staff photographer, Dave Munch.  It shows three, maybe four, beautiful young ladies with brown coats, grabbing bargain boxes at Target in Westminster, Maryland.  This picture should be picked up by the news services and broadcast around the Nation to show what kind of good-looking folks we have in this County.

I hope that the picture was not staged.. that is,  I hope that Dave did not grab some "upscale" blondes from Reisterstown or Pikesville  and have them pose for his purposes.  Whatever..  I think it is a good advertisement for the "great lifestyle" represented by the beautiful people in Carroll County. 

03.  Poor Bambi!

The headline for a page one article says:  "Deer season off to strong start".  Today starts the two-week deer firearm season.. during which up to 50,000 deer are expected to be ""harvested."  Just today, the toll should reach 15,000 deer killed by rifles and shot guns.. which, Brian Ireyler (Maryland Deer Project Leader) says "...are our most efficient weapons.  They also have the most impact."  (my underlines)

Don't get me wrong, I realize that the deer population is out of control, and they are starting to gobble up home-owners' shrubbery..  I would hope that the meat is made available for eating by the hunter or by the homeless.  Can the meat be eaten if the deer is shot with a shotgun?  Do they just aim to shoot off its head?  I'm sorry, since I have never been a hunter, I am ignorant of all this.

At the age of 16, some of my friends asked me to go "coon hunting" with them.  I had a bad cold and couldn't go.  During the hunt, one of my 16-year old friends accidentally shot and killed another of my 16-year old friends.  I decided that I would not become a hunter.

In a lighter vein, I would like to point to other words attributed in the article to Mr. Ireyler: "This weekend are the biggest days of the year." (my italics)

04.  Happy Anniversary!

In 2011 we are celebrating 100 years of the Carroll County Times.  I don't know what I would do if I didn't have that wonderful newspaper to devour each and every day of my life.  I hope that they stick around for another hundred!



.....................................................................................................................................................

You Turkey!

I've been so busy lately that I haven't been able to post to any of my blogs.   Since I feel an obligation to continually feed my thoughts to thousands of followers (lol as my grandkids say), I will do a quick one today.

01. Thank you, Grover!

As some of us expected, the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reform failed to come up with an agreement to reduce $1.2 trillion in Government spending.  As an Independent, I am free to say anything at all about the two parties.. and it is clear as a bell to me that the Republican Party's unwillingness to compromise on money issues is killing our Country.  The people who are most able to contribute monetarily to government coffers are not paying their fair share, while the rest of us poor slobs slowly lose our savings.

Today, I found out that an IRA of mine matured automatically for the astronomically powerful rate of .0069%  and the teller told me that if the maturity had waited until today, it would have been even lower.  I guess I should be happy that these low rates ensure that we will  not have inflation.

02.  Putty Putty!

Great news!  Do any of you ladies have a flat butt?  Well, if so, there is a person in the Miami area who will fill your buttocks with cement, mineral oil and flat-tire sealant.  And it will only cost $700!

03.  OOPS!

Tom Zirpoli writes a column in the Westminster, Maryland Carroll County Times newspaper.  Today, he mentioned how one of the GOP candidates told a PBS interviewer that the U.S. should take steps to keep China from becoming a nuclear power.  (China "got the bomb" in 1964.)

04.  You go, girl!

A fed-up senior citizen who had waited two hours for an interview with a communications representative, (only to find that he had sneaked out the back door to avoid her).. went home and came back with a hammer and proceded to destroy the office.  She had come in to complain that her new expensive phone service did not work and nobody in the company was listening.

She received a fine and a restraining order... and, I'll bet,  a feeling of satisfaction. 

05.  Shop til you croak!

On the Diane Rehm show today, a large panel of shopping experts and authors talked about the Black Friday phenomena and its impact on our country.   Some stores have moved Black Friday up to Thanksgiving evening at 8PM.  Many feel that this will destroy the Thanksgiving holiday.

My feeling about this is that some people love to shop.  Let them!   Also, some folks lead kind of dull lives and like the excitement of shopping at 3AM for super bargains.. or at least for "loss leaders".. you realize, of course, that this is all designed to get you into the store where you will buy a lot of other stuff you may not need.  This is good for business and our economy.

Some people also believe that some kind of Aztec calendar predicts the demise of the Earth in 2012.. so they may as well chalk up all the debt they can on their Visa cards, since they will not have to pay up when they are dead.

06.  Does a flush beat a full-house?

World Toilet Day took place on November 19, 2011.  Hardly anyone in the US noticed.  However, around the world the toilet situation is very important.  Out of the 8 billion humans on our planet, almost 3 billion do not have any kind of toilet facility.  Try to imagine what life is like in the slums of certain cities with millions of inhabitants.. where the streets run with excrement.  "Gardez l'eau!"

07.   Adopt a Platoon!

Frances Kane, a concerned grandparent of a U.S. Ranger stationed in Afghanistan, has institued a program whereby donations of goods are collected in the Carroll County area and mailed to platoons in war zones, where certain everyday goods are not readily available.  These goods are passed to soldiers who use them for personal necessity, and some is given by the soldiers to Afghan children for goodwill.

The biggest personal need is.. guess what... wet wipes.. Toilet paper is in short supply or not existent in Afghanistan and the soldiers love to get the little packages of wipes that they can easily carry in their backpacks.

08.  While we are still on the subject of toilets..

The Japanese are marketing facilities that combine the functions of a toilet and a bidet.   Perhaps this obviates the necessity for toilet paper.  We'll see.

Did you know that the word bidet comes from the Old French word for "to trot".. and that somehow relates to how you are supposed to straddle a bidet.  Oh.. you didn't know about bidets... sorry.. why don't you visit the following site:

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Bidet

My hour is up.. I hope I haven't shocked anyone's sensibilities.  All of this reminds me of what an engineer once said about the human body:

"How come the Master Engineer decided to locate a place of intense pleasure right next to a waste disposal system?"

...........................................................................................................................

Sunday November 6, 2011

Things have been a little hectic lately, and I haven't been able to do my "quick" online bit.. however, I'll try to catch up... so, now you've been warned.

1.  What's going down, or on?

Like all good senior citizens, the first thing I check in the morning newspaper is the obituary section.  If I don't see my name there, I can relax for another day.   However, today, something is not right.  The paper, which normally lists several deceased Carroll County (Maryland)  people daily, most of whom are usually in their late eighties or nineties,  lists only five persons, and all of them "young"!

The ages for these deceased persons are:  69, 69, 58, 56, and 49.  All of these persons died in Carroll County.  I find this very unusual, and a bit disturbing.

I'm reminded of an interview with an elderly Carroll County resident:

Interviewer:     " How old are you?"
Senior Citizen:  "95."
Interviewer:      "Wow!  Have you lived here all of your life?"
Senior Citizen:  "Not yet."

Now, that Carroll County citizen lived in a Maryland place called Taneytown.   Taneytown, perhaps  named after ill-famed  Supreme Justice Taney, is pronounced TAWNEYTOWN.  Everybody in Carroll County knows that, but out-of-towners don't.

Once I gave my much beloved Aunt Marjorie from Massachusetts a drive through the Carroll County countryside and as we passed through Taneytown,  I told her that we were in Taneytown (tawneytown); she said, "No.  The sign says Taneytown (tayneetown)."  She didn't seem to want to believe me, so I said: "Let's stop at that business over there, and we can ask them to clarify things for you."

We walked into the business, and I asked the young clerk at the counter: "Please tell my Aunt the name of this place."  She immediately replied: "Burger King!"

2.  Andy's gone!

But an older person has passed away and will be missed by millions of Americans.  I've written about him several times in my blogs and have always admired his wit.  I'm talking of course about Andy Rooney, who just retired a month ago at the age of 92.  I was hoping he would reach the magic age of 100, just as other clever  humorists like Bob Hope and George Burns did. To pay homage to Andy, I will search out my copy of a  book he wrote and reread it and think once again about the human condition, as he saw it.

3.  Flee when flu flies!

Could those young deaths that I mentioned above be attributed to the flu?  Probably not.. I don't think that it has appeared in this area yet.  Of course, there are precautions to be taken against getting the flu.. the main one is getting a flu shot.  It amazes me that some young people do not think it is necessary to get the shot.

The Carroll County Times (Maryland) conducted an online poll to see if people plan to get a flu shot.  48% of those polled said they would get the shot;  52% of those polled said that they would not get the shot.  This is unbelievable to me. I'm assuming that the people polled were mostly young persons, because, in my experience, not many Carroll County people aged 70 or older even own a computer or a smart phone, and besides, the young think that they are going to live forever.. I guess that is why I see so many young people smoking. 

Let's hope that another epidemic like the one during World War I, that killed millions, never breaks out.  But, I, myself,  would rather be safe than sorry, so I will continue to get flu shots, and I will strongly suggest to my family members and friends to do the same, because I don't want to see their names in the obituary section when I do my daily checking.

4.  Round and round we go.

There are two musical moments when my bodily control disappears and my tear ducts start to ooze.  One is at the sound of Rodolfo's "MIMI!" at the end of La Boheme; the other is during the singing of "You'll Never Walk Alone" at the end of Carousel. 

I love my Netflix hookup and needing a good cry, I asked them to send me a disk of the movie version of the musical comedy Carousel.  They also sent me a separate disk of related information, in which I was surprised to find out that the musical was based on a work by the Hungarian  dramatist and novelist, Franz Molnar (Ferenc Neumann) 1878-1952.  On the separate disk was a copy of Liliom, a 1934 film version of the 1909 Molnar play, by the same name.  Carousel's story line adhered mainly to that of the movie, which was in French, and starred, of all people, Charles Boyer, as Liliom, the character that became Billy Bigelow.  The movie had Boyer singing a little, but it was not a musical like Carousel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liliom

I highly recommend this two disk set of Carousel and it's related material.  Or, if you don't want to cry, just find and listen to the soundtrack and the great Rodgers and Hammerstein music.  Enjoy!

October 26, 2011

This will have to be a really quick hour.  Lots of stuff to do.

1.  A Piece of the Pie

Diane Rehm says that polls now show that more people like Occupy Wall Street than the Tea Party.  Both "movements" developed, in my opinion, because of the disasters imposed on the people of the United States by past-President George W. Bush.    Argue with me about that, please.

2. A Meeting of the Minds?

I thought that I would never  know a time when a couple of my fellow Social Security retirees would agree on something.  John Culleton could perhaps be considered an "ultra-liberal" and Bud Nason could  perhaps be considered an "ultra-conservative."   In a letter to the editor of the Carroll County Times (Maryland) last Monday, Bud agreed with John that under the U.S.  Constitution, protection of religious freedom extends to all, and that people should actually read the Constitution, understand it, and "maybe even abide by it." AMEN!

I hope that people read the writings of both Bud and John, and as the Reverend Lou Piel suggested in a recent religious column in the same Carroll County Times, take the time to learn the viewpoints of persons with whom you may not agree.

3.  Rotten Old Tomato Cans?

I'm afraid I raised the hackles of some folks when I mentioned that I thought that the ROTC should not be allowed to operate in schools.  This may be "sour grapes" for me, because I secretly wanted to join the ROTC in High School.  (I had severe "stage fright" and as I worked out on the parallel bars in the gym, I watched some of my fellow students give presentations to their fellow ROTCers on the basketball court.  I envied how well they were doing. )   I also wanted to study Latin and Ancient Greek.

However, being more or less the whole support for an aunt and grand-parents since I was 11 years old, a classical education was not in the cards for me.  Also, a career as an Army officer was just not considered a goal in life for people in  my working-class environment. 

Now, with that out of the way.. I must also say that I have always been a peace-loving person who hates war and military activity, even though I did spend 4 years in the military during the Korean War era.  In my cryptographic job, I was required to keep a "burp gun" nearby and I was ordered to shoot any "commies" who tried to break into the Crypto Van.  Luckily, the "reds" never seemed interested in me or my van, hidden in a forest in Germany.

So.. bottom line.. In spite of what I said, I think that ROTC is ok as long as it isn't required.  If somebody can handle the ROTC duties and not ignore their main studies.. more power to them (so to speak).
We do need educated military leaders. 

I read in the Carroll County Times where the barred ROTC will be coming back to Yale next year.  One guy has already signed up.  Off-campus, three Yale students pursue ROTC.  Even though the program will be opened, campus officials believe that very few students will join in.  (I wonder what their dress parades will look like.. five or six guys and girls in uniforms passing in review?)

The Carroll County Times article also says: "The ROTC program, which was founded in 1916, has 490 host units, most of them concentrated in the South and Midwest.  Students receive scholarship money in return for agreeing to military service after graduation.." 

4.  You've got Mail!

The transcontinental telegraph was completed 150 years ago, near the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. The Associated Press says; "...a primative Internet united the US," and quotes Thomas Jepsen, author of My Sisters Telegraphic: Women In Telegraph Office 1846-1950: "I really see the telegraph as the original technology, the grandfather of all these other technologies that came out of it: the telphone, the teletype, the fax, the Internet"

Something for me to think about as I remember the five irritating telemarketing calls I have received this morning so far, and  the one hundred or so emails that came in over night.

If it wasn't for the telegraph and Morse Code, I would not be hearing dots and dashes all the time in my head because of the years I spent as a radio operator and cryptographer.

dit dah   dit dah dit

...........................................................................................................................................................

October 22, 2011

Our local newspaper, The Carroll County Times, has quite a bit of provocative content today, in my opinion.  Here are my comments on a few of them, and also some other stuff that comes to my mind, such as it is..

1.  Uniform rights

A teen-ager was told that she could not wear a religious scarf while marching in a parade with her fellow ROTCers.  A national Muslim civil rights group has filed suit. 

Although I have no love for the ROTC, and believe that they should not be allowed to operate in our public schools, in this case, I think that the ROTC officers were right.  What kind of military organization would it be if everybody wore a differently styled uniform?  And what about separation of Church and State?

This reminds me of a decision I made when I was a Claims Authorizer for the Social Security Administration.  A beneficiary wrote a letter asking that a religious abreviation be appended to his last name, so that it would appear on his monthly check.  I thought about it, and figured "what harm could that do?"   I made the change.

Letters started to come in from hundreds of other members of his religious sect, and changes were also made  for them because of my precedent-setting decision.  

However, shortly thereafter, hundreds of letters started coming in from members of a rival religious group which had found out about the changes. They wanted similar changes made to reflect their beliefs.  Oh Oh!  I had opened the proverbial "can of worms". Now I was in big trouble... so, a decision was made that all of the name changes already made had to be undone, and no changes of that type be allowed in the future.  Such name change problems should not occur now that (supposedly) all Social Security benefits are deposited electronically to bank accounts.

I wonder what happens to the checks for people who cannot get bank accounts.  Are they deposited in the bank accounts of Representative Payees?


2.  Billionaires' Lament

I read where the rising cost of health care is causing trouble for Walmart and they are about to cut health benefits for some future employees and raise premium costs for others.  The corporation employees a million and a half workers, so their employee costs must be astronomical.. but so are their profits, I've been told.  I've also been told that their dividend rate is very low and profits are instead plowed back into the company. 

Just try to get a parking place at the Westminster, Maryland store.  The lot is always full.  In contrast, the parking  lot at the K-Mart in nearby Eldersburg, Maryland is almost empty, almost all of the time.  Walmart has got to be making lots of money.  Therefore, it seems to me that Walmart can well afford to "eat" the rise in the price of health care for their employees and should stop their complaining.

To be fair, I did visit the local Walmart recently and some charitable information was posted near the rest rooms, where all should be able to read it.   It said that in 2010:

Walmart donated $19,299,556.00 within the State of Maryland.
Walmart donated $1,000.00 to each of these Carroll County entities:
     Carroll County Public Library
     Mission of Mercy
     Literary Council
Walmart donated $467,000,000.00 in cash or in kind within the USA.
Walmart donated 99,000,000  meals within the USA.
Walmart employees contributed 1,500,000 volunteer hours within the USA.

3.  Listen up!

Reverend Lou Piel has a solution for some of the ugly devisiveness that is presently plaguing our country.  In his Column this week he makes a very powerful point:  "... Knowing what I believe but being open to the thoughts of others creates a more healthy society.  Good dialogue tends to break down the walls that we ourselves have created."

4.  At last.. a raise!

It has just been announced that there will be an increase in Social Security benefits in January.  A cost of living 3.6% increase is supposed to take place then.  Of course, this also means that rents for the elderly will also rise.  Where is President Nixon when we need him?  Old Tricky Dick did a lot of bad things, but he also put a cap on prices for a while, to let people take a breath of fresh air and keep a few bucks for themselves.

5.  Label Names

Since I have always loved junk mail, I have always gotten lots of it.  For the past few years, I have tried to keep it confined by renting a post office box, but it still shows up at my home each day.  Have you ever looked at your name on these mailings?  Sometimes they get quite creative, at least for me.

For instance, at some long-ago point of time, I replied to a survey.  Whoever ran the survey sent me a "thank you", addressed to Josurv Vaughan.  The surveyer sold my name to mailers and now every few days I get junk mail with that name.

Yesterday, I got a piece of mail from the Learning Company.  It was addressed to Joseph Called Vaughan.  Since I don't have a middle name, I appreciate their gift to me.  (I did call their 800 # once.)

(I gave a speech once at a Toastmasters Club meeting in which I told everyone about my love of junk mail.  At the next meeting, I was presented with a massive pile of junk mail the other members had saved up for me. )

....................................................................................................................

My hour is up.  See ya!

October 19, 2011

A very tough day.  Now, I'm waiting for some dark clothes to run through the washing machine and have an hour to spend on my hobby.. which is bugging people with my take on the current "scene".

1.  A Fishy Story

I've been told that the Bonneville Fish Hatchery in Oregon has a celebrity.  Herman the Sturgeon is 11 feet long and 500 pounds.  He is also 70 years old!  If you get out to the West Coast, take a look.

2.  Cowboy Dick

No, it's not Rick Perry of Texas. It's Richard Rothschild of Carroll County Maryland, one of our five Commissioners.  Apparently, he carries an "unconcealed" weapon.  He has a permit to carry it, but I wonder why he has to, in the safest County in Maryland, and perhaps in the whole United States.  I'm told that he can be found on You-Tube.  I hope none of the other four Commissioners get him "riled up."

3.  Joe?

Our local Jiffy Mart has an ad in the local paper: "Remember when 'a cup of joe and a paper' were only $1.00?"  They are offering a cup of coffee and a newspaper for a dollar for a little while.

Hell! I can remember when a cup of coffee was a nickel and a newspaper was a penny!  Coffee stayed at that price until suddenly newspapers reported that coffee was scarse and the price of a cup would have to go up... and up... and up...

At that time, I had a problem with caffeine and was drinking Postum, the cereal drink developed by Mr. Post and the trigger for the Post Cereal empire and Marjorie Merriwether Post and Dena Merrill.  (You can visit the Merriwether Post mansion complex in DC.. a very interesting place, where you can see all kinds of Russian treasures purchased by Marjorie when Russia was divesting itself of items that recalled it's csarist days.)

Anyway, Postum was not coffee, but guess what... it's price  went way up, just as coffee's did.. what a rip off!  Good bye Postum!

Now, I subscribe to Gevalia, which supplies me with pretty good coffee every couple of months.  I drink six cups of six ounce caffeine free coffee each day, and I look forward to it.  If I slip up and drink caffeinated coffee by mistake, I can kiss sleep goodbye that night. 

4.  Elaine's Experience

Elaine has to have antibiotics pumped into her through an IV, so she has to spend some time in a nursing environment where we live.  Since there was only one bed available, she has been located in a dementia/Alzheimers ward.

The first day she was there, she tried to help a lady who seemed to need assistance.  The lady glared at Elaine and said:  "Go to Haband!"  (Pronounced: Hay Band)  She was probably meaning a subterranean location and not a business out of Pennsylvania.

She also observed an elderly couple (both 90 years old) holding hands and whispering sweet "nothings" in each other's ears.  She has  Alzheimers and he is recuperating from back surgery, but has no mental problems.   They have been married for many years and are still in love. (Remember the movie "The Notebook")   It is very touching. 

I'm  confident that breakthroughs will occur within the next ten years and Alzheimers will be a disease of the past.  Stem cells, my friend, stem cells.

When I visit, there is usually two ladies singing: "He walks with me, and he talks with me.."  They sing it in perfect pitch and harmony.. and they have dementia.  What a weird thing our brains are.

5. Irony?

Harpers magazine reports:  July 13, 2011 was the date that Joe Walsh (R. Ill) said that Washington can't put "one more dollar of debt upon the backs of my kids."

The amount that Harpers says Joe Walsh owes in back child support: $98,422.

.......................................  My hour is up again... see ya!...................................

October 17, 2011

Since my eyes are beginning to focus again after a visit to my Ophthalmologist (who happens to be named Barber), and since I have a little over an hour until I visit with Elaine at the Health Care Center, I will do my fun thing again, namely reveal some of my inmost thoughts to the world.. that is, to the one or two of you who actually read these blog entries.

1.  Stinkies

Our Representative, Roscoe Bartlett (R:Maryland), has managed to garner a grant of money to try to find a way for farmers to rid themselves of the dreaded stinkbug. These odiferous rascals have been causing havoc with Maryland produce this year.  They also killed my squash and cucumber plants.. and feasted on a lot of my tomatoes.  I'm sure that the money that Roscoe has obtained will help our farmers.  Great job, Roscoe!

For many years,  Representative Bartlett has reigned this Republican enclave, in the midst of Democratic Maryland.  I'm not sure about what he has done to be elected every two years for ages, but I guess it must have been of benefit to his constituents.  My only knowledge about his activity in Congress has been listening to some of his one-minute Republican speeches at the beginning of Congressional Sessions. 

I did try to contact him once to tell him I didn't agree with something he had said in Congress.   Someone from his office wrote me that the Congressman was pleased to see that I agreed with him on the issue.. whatever it was that I can't remember.   I guess they sent me a form of the "bedbug letter," hoping that I would give up and not contact him again.  Well, it worked.

I kind of feel sorry for Representative Bartlett now because the Maryland Democrats are about to Gerrymander his district so that he would have powerful Democratic opposition in the next election. 

2.  Hey, Dude!

I've talked a number of times about the phrases that people use in everyday communication, and how some of them clang in my ears.. such as,  "like" and "I mean, you know".  There are other phrases and words that people use that can let others know when they were brought up, such as:

"23 skiddoo!" ..  popular in the 1920's and early 1930's

"Katey, bar the door!" .. popular in the 1930's and 1940's (I have a friend who is in his '80's that still uses that phrase when he is excited by something....which isn't too often)

"Cool!" .. came into usage by musicians in the 1940's.. and resurfaced in the '60's.. and is used even today, mainly by people under 30.  I have heard people in their 50's and 60's using this word and feel that they should let the younger folks use it.

"Dude!" .. Once again, used by musicians many years ago.  I believe that it popped up into common usage in the 1970's.  Besides it's usage by Michael Moore and other celebrities, it is very popular with folks under 30.  (Recently, at the local hospital, Elaine was being transported by a 24 year old guy named Jordan.  Every few feet, someone would yell at him: "Hey, Dude!")

Of course, I could be wrong about all of this.. but as a curmudgeon, I am allowed to comment on everything, even without doing appropriate research.

3. Alzheimers

The Week magazine mentions a new study by the Mayo Clinic that found it is possible to greatly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimers Disease by lifestyle choices.

a. Become more physically active.
b. Treat depression.
c. Stop smoking.
d. Exercise your brain.

4. Pretty Betty

Good news for us old timers:  Betty White topped Kate Middleton and even Oprah to become the most trusted popular celebrity, according to a recent poll.  At 89... she's still going strong.  I'll bet she joins Bob Hope and George Burns in the Comedians' Centenary Club.

5.  Dick's Book

As I've mentioned before, I'm reading Dick Cheney's book: In My Time.  I'm over half way through and have spent a lot of sleep time with the book in my hands.  BORING!  But that is my opinion.  I lived through all of the events and thought about all of the issues he has brought up.  He tells us why he did some of the things he did.. and I still don't agree with him.   However, from his words and his numerous pretty color pictures, he has always been a dedicated family man, when he wasn't working 20 hour days in the West Wing.  He probably would be a nice guy to have a beer with.  But frisk him first.

That's enough, my hour is up.  See ya!

October 15, 2011

Elaine has been in the hospital, so I haven't done any blogging for over a week.  Events are better today, so I submit the following for your perusal.

1.  Pee More Yet

An NPR report this week made me think about something my grandfather told me years ago.  He was president of a club in a small Massachusetts town.  To become a member of this club (restricted to males), one had to be initiated.  The new person had to wear a topcoat and submit to a mask covering his eyes.  The initiation (which they called "Pee More Yet") consisted of every one of the current members urinating in the new person's pockets.

Gross?  Yes!  But I thought that such activity may have to happen on this one airline that has begun charging to use their restrooms.  That same airline is about to eliminate all but one restroom on their planes, to make room for more seats. I hate to wait in long lines..  I'm glad I don't fly anymore.

2.  Ho Hum!

A study has now shown that turtles do not participate in contagious yawning as humans and other primates do.

3.  Hum Hum!

Another (high-priced?) study has now shown that some beetles mate with empty beer bottles.  (I think that this study was conducted by a Nobel awardee.. ?)

4.  I do, but only for a little while.

The Week magazine reports that Mexico City may start allowing couples to set time limits on their marriages.. with some to last as short as two years (which is probably a bit longer than some regular marriages last these days.)  Lawyers would probably make money on the contracts, while losing money on divorces.. so it will all come out equal.   What ever happened to "trial marriages"? 

5.  No more playboys?

The much advertised Playboy Club TV show died a quick death.  Can you remember those clubs back in the late 60's and 70's?  I went to the one in Baltimore once and spent a lot of money and the most boring two hours of my life.  Most men expected centerfold ladies to serve them drinks and sit on their laps.  Dream on, guys. 

6.  Burning Question!

Who is Click and who is Clack?

7.  Big Mama!

To kill some time at night while Elaine is in the hospital, I have been watching some Mae West movies.  A few are wonderful..

Night After Night with George Raft (1932).. a hokie view of Prohibition. 

I'm No Angel with Cary Grant (1933).

My Little Chickadee with the great W. C. Fields (1940)  Filled with ridiculous situations and double entendres. 

Mae West wrote most of the scripts for her movies and one of her lines that I really like was:

"When you're good to mama, mama is good to you!"

........................OK, my hour is up.  See ya!

...................................................................................................

October 2, 2011

Another cold rainy day in Maryland. Lots of little sparrows chewing at the seeds of the purple flowers outside of our windows.  I wonder why they are doing that instead of eating the bird seed I provide in three (count 'em) feeders.   I guess purple flower seeds are tastier.

Here is the main headline in our local newspaper for today:

RAINS CAUSE SURGE IN FUNGI

While we wait for Governor Christie to decide whether he is going to get into the Presidential race, I will purge my mouse pad of remaining notes.

1.  Postal Service?

We are waiting to learn if we will have 5-day mail service.  Meanwhile, Germany has privatized their Postal Service.. and this has been followed by a first-class stamp increase to what would be for us: 68 cents.  Be prepared.

2.  Handy Andy

I just learned that the first TV work by the now retiring Andy Rooney was titled:  An Essay on Doors.

3.  Gas attacks? Gas, a tax.

DC papers report an exploding toilet.  No details available as yet.   Meanwhile, even as we speak, the WAMU Cojo Show is having a debate over whether a rise in the Federal Gas Tax is needed.  Most of the local bridges were constructed around 50 years ago and that is the average lifespan for a roadspan.  Right now, 40 to 50 cents of each gallon of gas we buy goes to State or Federal Highway Funds.

Elaine says that there is a fantastic solution to all kinds of money problems in the DC and Baltimore areas.. just make the Baltimore and Washington Beltways toll roads, in the manner that some North-South Highway Toll Booths are set up.  When you get off, drop a quarter in the pot.  Millions of cars use these beltways each day. 

4.  Whew! Or as we used to say: P U!

XM Radio has a Doctors Channel.. where people can call in and have their questions answered by Doctors who are experts in their fields.  Yesterday, a Doctor who has spent 20 years studying body odor was on call.  I could not believe the different types of odor problems that people can have.

One youngster has had bad breath since she was a baby.  The problem may be that certain bacteria are living a good life on the back of her tongue.  They need to be dislodged from their happy home.  This is usually a hereditary condition passed on from family member to family member.. in this case, the grandmother, who has always had fetid breath liked to kiss her granddaughter quite a bit when she was a new-born, and in that way, probably shared those bacteria.

Armpit smell is also probably caused by a specific set of bacteria.  I think the Doctor said it is curable.

Meanwhile, check out an amazing article on the billions of bacteria that live upon and inside of us.  The article is in an equally amazing new magazine:  ID (Ideas and Discoveries) dated October 2011.  A newer issuance of the magazine comes out on October 12, 2011.

5. New Laws in Maryland

Effective on October 1st, 2011:

a.  No READING of text messages in a car, whether driving or stopped at a light.  Sending is already outlawed.

b.  Fortune tellers can now legally receive money for telling fortunes.

c.  No funeral protests can be staged within 500 feet of the place where the funeral is taking place. !!

d.  Carroll County Commissioners can serve for 4 years, followed by another 4 years, if reelected.

6.  Good news for retired Presidents!

You don't have to be dead now, to be honored on a US stamp!

...............................................................................

September 30, 2011

A beautiful, coolish, sunny day in Carroll County Maryland.  Lots of little problems to fix this A.M., such as:  the medical technician lost my urine sample..  !?  I had even drawn a smiley face on the container....  also:  oh..never mind.  It's all unimportant in the scheme of things.

1. "Power corrupts.. etc."

Four out of the five (count 'em) Commissioners for Carroll County have voted to extend the contract for a Conservative Media Consuting Service (consisting of one person, named Simpson, I believe... no.. it couldn't be, could it?)  When a Carroll County Times reporter tried to discuss this contract with him, he refused.

Haven Shoemaker, the dissenting Commissioner said, and I quote from the CC Times: "This notion of having a person specifically dedicated... to handling media seems to me to be a frill..."  I agree, Haven. However, it could become less of a "frill" if the Commissioners would see fit to paying me the paltry sum of  $500 per month (instead of the $6,000 that Simpson is getting) to see that all of the Maryland newspapers and magazines receive news items and articles that would make Carroll County shine forth as a tourist heaven (Haven) and a place where all business money, not just for Conservative businesses, could find a good home.  What other "access" is needed, Commissioner Rothschild?

I must repeat again, that closed administration sessions (like the one in July, where the Commissioners decided on Mr. Simpson) generate a false and dangerous feeling of power.. a feeling that certain activity does not need oversight by the public..  in my humble opinion.  We will be hearing a lot more about this shortly in letters to the editor of the CC Times.

2.  Druggies?

The Carroll County Times also reports that a pair of persons has allegedly robbed a victim of some Oxycontin while trying to sell him some of theirs.  The female part of the pair may have even threatened the victim with a knife.  In Westminster!?.. by all reports, the least crime-ridden place east of the Chesapeake Bay.

This reminds me of the time when I was browsing at a used furniture store in Westminster.  Seated in front of the store were two of the workers, resting after lifting a heavy bureau.  A friend walked up and asked them if they needed something to get their breath back.  They thought that would be a good idea.

The friend reached into his pocket and brought out a prescription bottle, opened it, and offered a few pills, which were accepted.  The friend said to them: "This is good stuff, I got it from my doctor yesterday and it's already making me feel good."  I don't have the faintest idea what the medication was, but it doesn't matter.  I hope they all survived.

3.  More druggies?

I heard an NPR report preceded by a warning... it concerned six bodyless heads that were found in Acapulco, Mexico.  Do any Americans vacation in Mexico any more?

I constantly hear from Massachusetts relatives that they would definitely not want to visit Baltimore because of the crime and violence.  It doesn't help for them to watch TV shows like Homicide and The Wire.  I try to tell them that the Baltimore area is a great place to live.  Of course, there are parts of the city and county that you must avoid to stay alive.. or at least connected with your pocketbook.  But on the whole.....

There are horror stories.. such as, my fellow worker, Lou, who got lost in the city and when he asked for directions, was badly beaten up and robbed.  However, once my car broke down in a very "bad" part of town.  I expected trouble, but instead, people came right over and helped me get fixed up and going again.

4.  Optimism after pessimism

Robert Wack once again wrote an interesting column in the CC Times today, about our current "tough times."  If I might, I would like to quote part of his final paragraph, which, as usual, "nails it."

"...Things will eventually get better, but perhaps not before they get a lot worse.  Which way they go depends mainly on what we hope for and are willing to work toward."

5.  One can't always be "The Best"... why not?

Sadly, the 2011 Carroll County's Best award for a Continuing Care Community went to Fairhaven, in Sykesville, rather than Carroll  Lutheran Village,  (where I live)  which only got "honorable mention."  I guess we will just have to try harder next year.

6.  More Good news for Dick Tracy!

The October 3, 2011 issue of that bastion for truth, the Sun magazine, published by American Media, Inc reports that scientists have  now been able to fuse the genes from goats and spiders, to make bulletproof skin for our policemen, soldiers and heads of state to wear instead of those bulky bulletproof vests that they are used to.