2018 Winter January 31 Wednesday

52 degrees this morning, walk 34:38 minutes

About the coldest 52 degrees I have ever experienced!  It may be I dressed a little too lightly, expecting 52 degrees to be “warm”.  

The wind was also a little more nasty than usual, I was wearing my gloves and I frequently don’t wear them in much cooler temperatures.  

As I mentioned the wind was a little more nasty than usual, or it could be I felt it because I may have dressed too lightly.  

The last day of January of 2018.  The year is already 1/12 over!  

The walk this morning reinforced my looking forward to the “vacation” from the cold in a few weeks!  Then March will arrive and essentially Spring is here! and Summer will follow!

I learned that using the # tag to help store and recover items on the internet has it’s limitations.  i tried using the #Articles, to save some articles. Until I tried to retrieve them I didn’t realize how many people use the same # tag and of course people who try to use numerous # tags (some completely unrelated to their post) to attract as many readers as possible. 

I don’t really care, I just want to be able to retrieve it myself when I need it!  So I am using more unique # tags.

One of the traits I learned about “Grant” while listening to his biography this morning is that he was a horrible organizer, as far as filing paperwork. 

Of closure, the whole reason for organization (or a primary reason anyway) is to be about to find something when you want it, and not have to spend time looking for it!  

In “Grant”, the action is now right at the start of the Civil War,, and Grant’s genius is just starting to be recognized.  

I have been thinking some more about “things” having a conscious and how this conscious is formed, at the particle level (with each particle having a conscious) or at a more complex.

I would have to argue that (assuming particle have a conscious and I’m don’t know what to think, I am simply presenting the point), the consciousness is at the particle level and each particle influences the the other particles.  

So I would say that a spoon may have a conscious, but the conscious is different since each particle influences each other particle.  The spoon may have a much different conscious than a fork, since each particle is different and influences each other particle different.  

That’s it for now, Wednesday, January 31, 2018 

2018 Winter January 30 Tuesday

32 degrees this morning (feels like 22), walk 34:34 minutes

Sometimes the “idea” of waling in the cold is a lot worse than the actuality. Especially since I dress for the cold in “layers” and although I  may feel a little cool at first, my internal furnace takes over.  

It is probably the continual temperature where 32 degrees is “normal” as much as anything.  Anyway, one more day towards Summer is complete!

Today my walk time was exactly the same time as yesterday.  The odds against that happening two days in a row is probably very high!  

I recently read an article about how there is a growing trend of belief that “things” have some form of consciousness (panpsychism)

One example was a “spoon” has a form of consciousness.  I wonder if (assuming a spoon has a consciousness) if when the consciousness is different when it is a the raw plastic (or even the petroleum that makes the plastic) and when it is a plastic spoon?  

It seems i would have to be different, maybe it would assimilate all of the previous “consciousnesses” into one “unique” (for lack of a better word) conscious.  

The general feeling (this is from a very small amount of information) seems to be that each particle may have some form of consciousness and when it is formed together, it forms a different conscious.  

I also wonder is the owner of a “thing” such as a desk etc. influences  the “thing’ and the “thing” carries the influence of the owner for it’s lifetime.

I was thinking earlier about my Dad’s dresser.  It is kind of a unique dresser (it may be the wrong term), it has three large drawers on the bottom, two smaller drawers at the top and a large “box” type opening along side the smaller dressers. 

Anyway, when I was a child, we were absolutely forbidden to touch, much less open a drawer etc. of my Dad’s dresser.  Of course that meant we snuck in and looked at it at every opportunity.  

Anyway, even today, I sometimes feel a little sense of unease when I open my Dad’s dresser.  (We still refer to it as “Daddy’s dresser”, not mine, although I really feel I am just a custodian of it during my lifetime.)  

Anyway, I kind of wonder if some essence of my Dad is not in the dresser and I am picking up on it.  Not that it is negative necessarily, I’m sure it is just my natural reaction.

Aliene also has some furniture she refers to as “Granny’s”, so I don’t feel too abnormal.  

Kind of like in small towns where a House is called (for example), the “Jones House”, long after anyone named Jones ever lived there!.

Office day today.  That is one thing I really like about my job, it is never the same old routine, but there is enough of a routine to provide a comfort zone that I step out of frequently, but it is still there.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, January 30, 2018.

2018 Winter January 29 Monday

2018 Winter January 29 Monday

29 degrees this morning (felt like 17 degrees), walk 34:34 minutes 

Temperature during my walk this morning was definitely nippy.  Even a little colder than I expected, but my “internal furnace” took over after a short bit and I didn’t even really think about the cold again.  

I did need to wear gloves this morning, which is how I define “cold”!   Actually the wind was the main reason it felt so much colder this morning.  

Miss knowing my “pace”, heart bpm, and my exact distance, hopefully the Apple Watch will be replaced soon.  

Today is “Kansas Day”,  the day Kansas became a state.  Oddly enough “Kansas Day” as such was actually created in 1877 by a group of school children in Paola, Kansas.  I don’t know the entire story.  

I guess I got it ingrained in me from growing up in Kansas about “Kansas Day” being a day to observe, I always think about it on January 29, no matter where I am or what I am doing.  

Hopefully Kansas can recover from the antics of the current Governor and his destruction of the Kansas economy and the social and economic destruction created by the kook brothers. 

Listening to the biography on “Grant” and this is exactly the point in the book where I am now.  Lincoln was just elected and it is in the period between his election and his taking office.

Another dream that really was intense::

First part I was sitting at a “student” dest type desk (the old wooden type).  I as in a group, I believe I was in an office in the dream.

My  iPad alarm went off.  I couldn’t get it shut off and it kept blaring out.  

Everyone ignored it at First, and then they said someone was coming (like a Commissioner or Mayor etc. it never really was said).

The alarm kept going and people started getting restless.

Someone finally told me I was going to have to take it out to the car if I couldn’t get it shut off.  

I stood up and then realized it was my iPhone alarm, not my iPad alarm the was going off.  I turned dow the sound to where it couldn’t be heard 

I woke up.  This dream appeared to be in a city where I was in high school.  

The next stage involved going to a conference..  Not sure what conference. but we were staying like at a house in the woods, although the scene reminded me of downtown Kansas City Missouri.

I walked a long way to someplace where we stayed,.

The people with me got in the car to go back and I realized I had forgotten to put my shoes on.

They drove me back and then when I walked outside, they had left me.  

I walked back to a store where we  had ordered t-shirts.  I picked them up.

I don’t recall anything else , but it did strongly represent down town Kansas City, at least as I  remember it.  

Very strange dreams The people involved were people I used to work with.  

Kept wanting to go back to sleep and finish the dream even nodded off a little while writing this and  the dream continued.

A really weird dream.  the people I used to work with were (in real life) “problem children” in reality, so I won’t name any names!  

That’s it for now, Monday, January 29, 2018.

2018 Winter January 28 Sunday

28 degrees this morning, Walk 34:52 minutes 

While I don’t like the cold, I have learned to dress for it so at least it is bearable, even if I don’t really like.  No wind this morning.

Supposed to get up to the 70’s today.

Working on taxes, one of the “priority” projects.  While I kind of enjoy the process, I don’t like what I see when I see what our taxes are going to be and think of the “gift” of trillions of dollars to big corporations and donors.

“Trumpeconomics”  stealing from the poor and giving to the rich and then giving a small portion back to the poor and trying to tell you it is a gift!

What really made me angry is reading that the kook brothers and associated criminals and perverts who are making billions form the reduced taxes, “government contracts with inflated profits”, and elimination of regulations protecting workers and the public  are spending millions to run ads to tell us how the theft of tax dollars is “good” for the common people as they probably refer to us.  Sicko’s.

Meanwhile, of course, the real criminal actions continue with perverted incompetent  criminals like pruitt, de vice (and other of the appointed incompetent criminals) “eliminating regulations” that protect workers from on the job injuries and deaths, environmental pollution (allowing their “owners” the fossil fuel industry to pollute at will and make billions more in profit) and eliminating consumer protections so the criminals can cheat and steal from consumers at will.  

I remember reading about how de vice had approved contracts involved student loans (or something like that) to companies she had an ownership interest in and the contracts were “worth hundreds of millions of dollars” in profits.  Why is a government contact ever provided without bidding etc. that is “worth hundreds of millions of dollars” in profits?  

I don’t disagree that there may be too many regulations, but the lying perverted coward lunatic and his incompetent appointees elimination of regulations without considering the public benefit is aimed at costing the public and benefiting their donors.

Sometimes I think I need to just quit reading and watching about the “news”, but that would be giving in.  At some point I need to get involved, in at least a small way, although I haven’t decided how yet.  

Listening to the biography of “Grant” on my walk.  Right now, it is in the period of his life when life was really hard for him and his family.  The one thing that makes it better is know that eventually things worked out for him.  

Kind of like a reverse of the play “Out Town”, which I always found depressing to read, and I assume you were meant to be depressed by it.

That’s it for now, Sunday, January 28, 2018.

2018 Winter January 27 Saturday

45 degrees this morning, walk 35:24 minutes.

Weather was about what I would expect of 45 degrees, maybe a little cooler  than I expected.  

Another weekend here already, and the first month of January is almost over!  It is good to think that there is basically one more month of possible severe weather and then (almost as bad unfortunately) the lingering coolness of March, April and the first part of May.  However the coolness is offset by the sporadic warm weather, the new flowers, green grass and leaves growing on trees!

Still have not replaced Apple Watch, I really miss having it. I am especially looking forward to the “interval training”.  I also really like have the gps and the “pace” calculator.  

Listening to the new biography of  “Grant”.  Many biographies go into minute detail on the early lives and become rather boring at times.  In this case, the author keeps it interesting and emphasizes some of the experiences and how they affected him later.

In some cases, experiences that seemed disastrous at the time, in the retrospect of what happened, were actually positive for his life.  I expect that happens in everyone’s life, and probably vice-versa.

Trying out reading different “fiction”.  Some of the fiction I used to read was becoming “same old” stuff and I was getting restless.  

I found that fiction i like is limited.  Actually I like some somewhat trashy fiction occasionally, but again I get tired of it fast if it becomes a matter of the same old plot and frequently the characters, the names may change but they are the same old characters.  

I tried several fiction authors recently.  One was just too involved.  I saw it was recommended by “experts” and readers alike, but I think it just got too involved for me to keep interested.  

Then I started one that showed a little promise, although ti was out of my normal realm.  It concerned the world being taken over by aliens who took over human beings.  Kind of a modern “Invasion of the Body Snatchers”.  That was movie I loved, especially the ending!  

Anyway, I saw a lot of promise but the book quickly became too “far out” and I probably am going to quit reading it.

It is kind of an uneasy feeling.  I have always enjoyed reading, sometimes up to a book a day when I was younger, or on vacations etc.  so I am rather uneasy about not finding fiction I really like, the type that grabs you and makes you want to  read all night.  Not that I want to stay up all night reading but I like the idea of finding a book I look forward to retuning too.

That’s it for now, Saturday, January 27, 2018

2018 Winter January 26 Friday

50 degrees this morning, walk 34:26 minutes

Wind this morning.  It seemed a lot colder than 50 degrees when the wind is blowing 23 mph!  Overall, it wasn’t that bad, I have a light exercise jacket that repels the wind.  Actually I  wear it from 0 degrees (and less) to about 68 degrees as an outer garment, with, of course, varying layers underneath.  

Still haven’t gotten a replacement Apple Watch.  I really miss it, although I enjoy wearing some of my other watches.  

I noted the new Apple Watch has “interval training”  (maybe an upgrade for the earlier watches, I’m not sure), which I think will help a lot.  I like having the GPS, the “pace” and the heart beats per minute etc. 

I was thinking this morning that we really haven’t had any “bad” weather as far as ice or snow this weather. 

I had that irrational thought that I shouldn’t think about it, it may cause bad weather to mention how there hasn’t really been any “bad” snow or ice, like I could control the weather!  

I am sure “weather” will be weather regardless of what I say or think, so I think I can safety say it has been a good winter as far as no ice or snow without causing ice and snow!

When I thought about that it reminded me of a story I heard about a “utopia” that existed where everyone was happy etc.  The deep dark secret was that (I may have this incorrect in the actual particulars) all of this happiness depending the a young boy being miserable and in prison or something like that.  I don’t remember all the details, but I’ll have to research it.

I mentioned the recycling cart the other day.  Oddly enough, the “regular” trash cart is green, the “recycling” cart is blue, although it does have a green top.

I thought about this since I am scheming how to maximize the capacity of the recycling cart.  As I mentioned it is only picked up every other week and we are having a hard time with getting all of our recycling into it.

For some odd reason, I enjoy tearing down boxes.  I especially like trying to get as much waste cardboard as possible into a cart without overfilling it.  I’m not sure why I enjoy cutting down cardboard boxes, but I do.

Actually when I was in college I had a part time job that included cutting down boxes to minimize the cost of picking up trash since if they weren’t cut down, they would cost a lot more to dispose of.  

Every time I think about that job, I think about the toilet seat that was clear plastic and had actually money encased in it (probably just $1.00 and $5.00 bills and change, I don’t really recall).  (Absolute truth).  It cost, for the time, some astounding amount, like $200 just for the lid.  I never knew if anyone actually bought one.

That’s it for now, Friday, January 26, 2018.

2018 Winter January 25 Thursday

44 degrees this morning no walk (schedule)

Almost a balmy day yesterday here.  One of those perfect days that forecast Spring.  A little cool, but nice.  Hopefully today will be the same.

I recently heard that the daylight is already 30 minutes more than it was at the start of Winter, which is encouraging.  

It is always a little strange that in the dead of Winter, Summer is starting, (longer days) and in the height of Summer, Winter is starting (shorter days).  

I think it is an indication that “in the midst of charge, there is change”, or something like that.  Even though I am enjoying Summer, there is the realization that Winter is coming and while I an enduring Winter, I realize Summer is coming!

I will definitely be ready for a break from Winter weather in several weeks!

Speaking of change, it is approaching time for me to buy new walking shoes for my walk again.  I use one set of walking shoes only for my daily walk until the mileage reaches the lifetime of the shoe. 

In addition to the mileage (I take the “lifetime mileage with a grain of salt), I also try to evaluate the condition of the shoe.  Actually the mileage (depending on the shoe from 250 to 350 miles) is usually an accurate indication.  The last shoes I took to 400 miles and that was too far.  

Anyway, the decision is important to me since I realize I have to live with the shoe for at least 300 miles.   After I “retire” the shoe from walking every day, I use it for causal use until they start to feel uncomfortable.  

I have learned my lesson and I am taking care of my feet!  While the shoes are more expensive, it is a lot cheaper than foot problems and foot surgery!  

On another subject, our “recycling” has gotten to the point that we are filling up a 90 gallon container every pickup (every other week) and are now having to “stage” recycling  since we have more recycling  material than the capacity available  I don’t know if that is good or bad!

If I can ever transition myself off of physical newspapers, it will probably save us a lot of recycling, but why stop something you enjoy?  

I really find I just don’t read the on-line newspapers as throughly or on a regular basis like I do a physical newspaper.  I like  most of the on-line newspapers, I just psychologically don’t always read them on a regular basis. 

A physical newspaper sits there and guilts you to read it, an on-line newspaper quietly disappears .

 Both have their advantages, but I expect that the physical newspapers are on their way out.  I can’t imagine reading the Sunday New York Times on line, but ….

I had a short dream this morning that I hit a curb while driving.  Probably that is a result of all of the big concrete dividers around here. 

Years ago, I realized the fallacy of the concrete dividers versus simple paint schemes.  Actually, most people follow the paint schemes (turn lanes etc.) and more accidents are caused by people hiding the hideous concrete dividers than people not following the paint schemes.   

If I wanted to be negative, I would note that concrete dividers provide a lot more profit to the engineers and construction companies! 

That’s it for now, Thursday, January 25, 2018.

22018 Winter January 24 Wednesday

28 degrees this morning, walk 35:44 minutes 

Definitely cool this morning, although I forget about it once I get going and my internal engine heats me up!  I basically  wear 3 layers of clothing, which does a good job of helping keep me warm.

Every morning I usually look forward to writing this journal with anticipation, even when I have no idea what I am going to say.  It is always better to have something in mind before I start, but it is also nice to just start and see what  develops.  

For years, I could usually forecast stock market tops and bottoms by a Business Week cover.  When a cover finally came out that basically said the “structure has changed” and the current stock market is the “new structure” it is time to sell or buy, as the case may be.  

One cover, at a market bottom was “The Death of Equities”.  Shortly after that the market  reversed. 

That was when I knew the market was going to change and it was either a market top or  bottom.  Unfortunately, I never acted on this knowledge, but I at least felt like I know an indicator.  

I thought of this because Jim Cramer (Mad Money) just said that “this time, it (the Stock Market) really is different”.  

Of course, the lying coward lunatic, in addition to embarrassing us, is now paying off his donors in the coal industry by using tariffs to try to destroy the solar industry and revert back 100 years to coal.  

I expect the lunatic will end up destroying the excellent economy he inherited with his stupidity and his inability to take advice from anyone but sycophants who flatter him, “the empire’s clothes” type of situation  

Listening the Grant’s biography.  As I mentioned previously I have learned a lot about him that I didn’t know before.

He apparently had a lot of compassion and this was even mentioned in letters home from Army personnel who served with him  

On the other hand, he was lauded for his ability to maintain cool under pressure (in the case the pressure of battle).  

One thing we share is our dislike for “bullfighting”. When I was in Spain, I went to a bullfight and my reaction was that I never wanted to attend one again, it was simply cruelty to the bull. Grant wrote that he was really repelled by bullfighting .  

I had the same reaction to “professional wrestling”, I was not only appalled by the injuries to the wrestlers (which are real, not fake), but even more the reaction of the crowd.  I lefty halfway through and never went back. (At least the wrestlers have a choice, the bull doesn’t.)

Not that I have anything agains wrestling as such, if people enjoy it, that is fine with me.  As I have mentioned before, I enjoy some boxing, especially the ones that are the “Saturday night” variety rather than the heavily promoted ones.  I sure some people find boxing boring or cruel also.)

That’s it for now. Wednesday, January 24, 2018.

2018 Winter January 23 Tuesday

35 degrees this morning, (feels like 26), walk 34:45 minutes 

Cool walk this morning, but no wind.  If the wind had been blowing like yesterday it would have been unbearable!

First day in over a week that I have followed by regular morning exercise routine (walk, sit-ups and weight lifting (dumbbells and barbell bench press).  I am going to add “interval” training, which I feel will be really valuable as well as some other light machine or weight training.  

I realize I need to somehow fit this into my schedule and I just need to start!  Our HOA has a small workout equipment area only a block from our house, so rather than try to travel to a gym, I plan on starting to use that.  The equipment is  pretty limited, but at least it will be a start.  

Listening to the biography on Grant.  I don’t know how some people can write in such an interesting manner, but (Ron Chernow) really makes it fascinating.  I have read several biographies on Grant, but still find this fascinating.  I am going to find other books he has written.  

No “pace” time until I get my Apple watch back.  Somehow the Apple Watch became somewhat of an essential part of my life, both for exercise, communication, appointments etc. as well as just the addiction (in a positive way) of instant communication with the weather and my location, 

Waiting to see what is going to happen with the Apple Watch. Probably positive but I’ll wait to see.

Medical test this morning, something I hate but obviously is necessary.  Nothing serious (no invasive testing etc.).  

Another dream that was really intense.

Dreamed I was parked on an area overlooking either an ocean, a large boy or water or a valley (I never did look, it was just a presence).

At first, I was parked and a car parked beside.  Several children got out and were taken somewhere.  

Then (I not sure how the transition happened) there was a car parked right next to a concrete wall.  A person was on the ground, partially under the car wearing shoes that looked like what is commonly considered women’s tennis shoes.

There was a large bunch of blankets or other material covering the person.  

At first I kind of looked in amazement. They for some reason I thought it might be Aliene and I grabbed and started taking off the blankets.

It wasn’t Aliene, but a women who acted as if she wasn’t totally conscious.   

I took out my cell phone to call, but found a part of my cell phone was gone, and it twirled around and around so I had a hard time getting it to to stop ao  I could call 9-1-1.  

I started thinking I had to take it to the Apple store so I could get it fixed.  It was twirling around so I knew I had to keep it together.

I thought of the woman again and asked her if she wanted me to call 9-1-1.  She muttered a little, but didn’t really respond.

Two children came back and I realized they were her children.  I said “I’m calling 9-1-1” and woke up in a cold sweat (figuratively)  It stuck with me for a long time.  I wasn’t going to write it down because it was so unpleasant but decided too after it stuck with me so long.

That’s it for now, Tuesday, January 23, 2018.