Fall 2013 November 10 Friday

48 degrees.  

Middle of a 3 day weekend, which is always nice.  For some reason, I overslept a bit this morning.  I normally wake up without any kind of alarm clock.  Today was one of those weird days when I looked at the clock and thought it said "2:56 a.m.".  I got dressed to walk, looked at the living room clock and it said "1:00 a.m."!  (I hadn't seen the  12, but had seen the 2).  Of course, I went back to bed, but overslept about 20 minutes, which sets my whole schedule back, although on Sunday I can adjust for it.

I haven't used Google+ that much and will need to look at it some more.  I have avoided using it a lot, because (like for having this post automatically posted to Google+ like I do to Tumblr, I would have to to through all kinds of gyrations.  Kind of like Amazon, they seem to want to control your entire life. I am always surprised when Amazon "recommends" items they seem to think I would be interested in.  They are almost never right, they are assuming too much.  

I think one reason I like walking and bicycle riding it is time when I can think (even while listening to a book or music, I still can think without interruption etc.) I can frequently "write a memo" or decide on an action while walking or riding a bike because it seems the lack of intrusions and interruptions provide me a chance to consider all the alternatives and possible consequences etc.

I've been thinking about the persons who live a 'minimalist" life style and don't let "things" control them.  (I am listening to a book that says the urge to own and attachment to things you own is a basic instinct in humans)  I am also reading (slowly but surely), the book "The Laws of Subtraction" and also listen to the Steve Jobs biography who lived somewhat of a minimalist life style and whose Apple products reflect that (sometimes a little too much!).

I have been trying to "unpile" my life, but even books I haven't thought about reading/rereading for years and never well are almost impossible to get rid of.  Of course information I "may" use is even more difficult to get rid of.  Sometimes I wonder if it would be easier to select the "best" of what I want and make the selection that way.  Somewhere I read about someone who puts everything he owns into two suitcases and throws everything else.  I don't know about just two suitcases, but I could, for example, have seveal large boxes and put all the books I want in the boxes and give away everything else.

I also have noted, it is much easier to get rid of stuff if you think it is going to a "good home" and is for someone who actually wants/needs it and will read it or take care of it.  To a small degree, it is easier to recycle something than simply trash it.

I get rid of newspapers and magazines by simply throwing out the old one when the new one comes (actually, I recyle newspapers and give the magazines to the library, as I do the books.  We try to give all clothes etc. that have some life left to the Disable Veterans who come around once a month or so.

Fall 2013 November 9 Saturday

39 degrees this morning.  Didn't seem to be that cold.

Saturday morning on a three-day weekend!  I like looking ahead and seeing a clean slate for several days!  The possibilities are unlimited!  (so to speak!)

I have started watching a recording of "Mad Money" in the morning.  While I don't pay as much attention to it as I probably should, it is probably better for me than watching music videos (and almost as entertaining!)  I used to try to watch the news in the morning, but I prefer "hard" news and not the talking heads trying to tell me what to think or slanting the "news" so much it is it just their opinion.  

I still get most of my news from the Newspapers (either printed or electronic).  Probably one reason is I don't have the patience to watch long winded reports or even videos (I "read" the on-line USA today every day, I think it is a great format, but I never watch the videos since they take too much time to convey the information.  Saying that, I do watch (several days a week)  a recording of the national news (NBC and ABC) so I can speed through any boring reports or the "feel good" (or bad) reports they fill their time with.  We also watch a recording of several of the Sunday morning shows (Meet the Press, Face the Nation, This Week, 60 minutes) with the remote in hand ready to speed through some of the more bland or the bizarre behavior by the "guests" when they yell over each other.  I don't know what the host doesn't keep them in line.

Watching some of the early music videos I am always stuck by how the singers have noticeably aged through the years (just like me!).  Nothing wrong with it, it is just a fact of life, but the change is rather startling. I expect I would see the same thing in movies and tv shows if I watched them.  

The last "regular" tv show I watched was "Hill Street Blues" so it has been a while since I watched a tv show.  Just a matter of time and quite frankly, priorities for the use of my time.  Aliene likes to watch "CSI" tv shows when I am at work.  Maybe some day I will get on Netflix or Hula and watch an entire series in one day!  Probably after I retire, which I hope is a long time off and I hope I don't have the time after I retire either!

Summer 2013 September 1

82/81 degrees this morning.  Actually felt cooler today than lower temperatures earlier this week.  (This was at 3 a.m.)  Right now (about 6:30 a.m.) it is cloudy and a light breeze makes it seem even cooler as I sit on may patio in the waning days of Summer.

The middle of a wonderful 3-day weekend, the start of September.  

While I enjoy using Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter etc., I am increasingly put off and irritated by the irresponsible abuse of their attempts at adversing, forcing objectable blogs on users et., hiding the fact that much of the information is advertising.  I make a deliberate effort to avoid purchasing anything that is advertised in that manner.  

I don't think they fully have a grasp of the technology and go back to the TV and radio ways of attempting to intimidate the users with advertising.  I greatly reduced my use of twitter when they started their abusive advertising and the Facebook started inserting their junk advertising into the "timeline', I just quit looking at it and use the messaging feature.  Tumblr keeps throwing objectable "blogs" (read, heavy handed advertising) at me and it is impossible to delete it. All of them try to trick you into clicking on it so they can charge the advertisers for another click.  I expect their behavior will come back to haunt them.  It is about like the political candidates who trash up the neighborhood with their signs-enough if enough.

Aliene shopped for a dress for her Grandson's wedding yesterday.  She is actually relatively efficient as a shopper.  

Listening to "The Willpower Instinct" for a second time.  This morning I listened to the part about where the expectation of pleasure is more powerful than pleasure itself for some people and the "expectation" that you will do good in the future will lead one to negative behavior today.  (For example, we think there is always more time in the future, so we put off doing things we need to do "until we have time".  

What really surprised me was that "doing good" (for example driving a high gas mileage/low polluting car) could lead to excessive behavior in other ways, and a small selection of "healthy food" just being available could lead to unhealthy eating.  In one case, persons who thought about a previous contribution to charity gave 60% less etc.   

Looking forward to catching up on some work and personal stuff today.  

Summer 2013 August 31

79/80 degrees this morning.  A little muggy. 

Last day of August of 2013.  To say the year has flown by would be to minimize it.

The early morning has it's own little world, and I am both a participant and an observer in it.  Almost every morning I wave to the newspaper carrier, the Walgreens truck driver (they apparently change at this Walgreens at the time I ride my bike by) and, of course, the other persons who work out what could be considered early (in the 4 a.m. to 5 .am. range).  

When I think about it, there are a lot of little subcultures we exist in daily, from our drive to work, have coffee at Starbucks on Saturday morning and breakfast at Steak n Shake on Sunday morning.  We get to "know" people and then wonder what happened when they disappear and never return.  Since in most cases we never know their names, or frequently even their occupations, just that they occupy that little subculture and we meet daily or weekly or even monthly or several times a year (in the case of the Hampton Inn we stay at on the way to OKC where they recognize us by name as we walk in the door, and ditto with the Hilton Garden Inn in OKC) where we truly minor actors in their stage of life.

The wonderful start of a 3-day weekend!  I love it!  The empty slate lies before me, although I know I won't get close to getting done what I plan!

Went to a new restaurant last night "Jacksons on the Square", a wonderful place.  Service was excellent and some of the best blackened catfish (with crab on top) that I have ever had!  It was a truly wonderful experience and it wasn't all that expensive.  Certainly not cheap, but affordable for an occasional meal.