Spring 2014 April 21 Monday

61 degrees this morning.  Warm is getting here!

Interesting story about "bots" (as bots on the Internet, Facebook, Twitter etc.).  I was aware of them before and aware that a large amount of people on social media are actually "bots", but I was surprised at how widespread the story said they are.  For example for a nominal amount you could "buy" 10,000 "friends" on Facebook, or 10,000 followers on Twitter etc.  

The story also mentioned that many "bots" are not programed to have names like people (John Doe, rather than "Doe 4y199yy98" and "speak" like humans and also shut down for "sleep" periods etc.  I almost never "talk" with a person (or a bot) on the the internet I don't know or for business reasons, but I expect even then I may have "talked" with a bot, which is strange feeling.  I can see where a bot could be used to increase business and fake "clicks" on ads etc.  A different world.  

Good day yesterday, we had dinner at a friends house and it was a beautiful day.  

We may finalize a purchase contract on the house today.  If we do, closing is still so far off (in late June) that it appears an unreality.  We wanted to maintain flexibility depending on where I might end up with a job etc.  In any event, we want to get out of a "no-service, 'none city" city that Lakeland has turned into, even if we just move across the street to Memphis.  We absolutely love the house and hate to leave.

The forest in back of our house gets greener every day.  It is a wonderful sight to see.

I like to tape the "Formula One" race and watch it early in the morning.  I like the fact it isn't a super long race, and I love the announcers!  They are so human in their announcing and throw an entire new light into the race. The race yesterday was in Shanglai, but if they hadn't told me, I would never have known it (other than some China flags flying).

The start of a new week.  I love to monitor the stock market, and I have ever since I was in the 8th grade.  It is difficult not to have CNBC on all the time!  

I am looking forward to the Tennessee City Managers Association (TCMA) conference, they are having a session on "Leadership Lessons from Lincoln" based on President Lincoln.  I have read a lot about Lincoln, so I am looking forward to the sessions.  It will be a good review.

Approaching some major decisions in the next several months.  One of those moments in life when you make a decision for better or worse and live with it, or not.

That's it for now.

Spring 2014 April 18 Friday

55 degrees this morning.  

ATC Fitness was light this morning, probably due to Good Friday and Easter Weekend, but I have noticed that Friday is always a really slow day.  Saturday and Sunday I am frequently the only one there (at the time I go) while Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I expect there are at least 30 people there exercising.  Monday is kind of a mixed day, but Friday is always light.

Hockey and boxing are two sports I rarely watch, but I like when I do watch.  (I also like stock car racing but rarely watch it due to the time involved.  Formula one is always interesting and short enough I enjoy them.)  Started watching the "St. Louis Blues" and the "Chicago Blackhawks" last night, actually during the first overtime.  I was able to finish watching it this morning.  I think what I like about both boxing and hockey is the intensity involved, especially in the overtime.  In boxing, one mistake and that's it, in overtime hockey, the same thing could happen.  I think that is what i like, even though Hockey is a team sport, there is an intensity it has that I don't see in pro basketball (which i never watch) and pro football.  Anyway, that is my perception.  

I never have liked the "shoot-outs" to decide the game.  It seems rather strange (as well as unfair) to play a game based on one situation and then decide the game based on something completely different.  Of course, I have to remember it is just entertainment, not the real world (although the money is certainly real world!).  

In the game last night, I can imagine the disappointment of the Blackhawks.  I wasn't really for either team (highly unusual for me) since I like both Chicago and St. Louis, and both the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals are my favorite baseball teams.  While I don't watch pro basketball, I really have a lot of respect for the Memphis Grizzles, both as a team and for the players as individuals.  They have a lot of class and contribute a lot to the community.

Catching up on my "Wired" magazines.  Like a lot of magazines I get behind because I want to read them "when I can concentrate on it".  I learned to just do it and not worry about it if I didn't feel I was concentrating on it.  I learn a lot from reading Wired. They also have a lot of junk, but I've learned to skip over that, just like I do in newspapers.   Wired is where i first learned about Twitter, which allowed me to get my own name as a Twitter name etc. 

We should know if we have a contract on the house by today, or being Good Friday, it might be Monday.  We still don't know where we would move, will depend on a number of factors.  We just don't know yet.  

Looks like it will be a great day, high of 70 degrees or so, sunny.

That's it for now.