2016 Winter March 9 Wednesday

50 degrees this morning, walk 36:14 minutes

What an election year the Presidential campaign  is turning out to be!  No matter whom you are for, I marvel at all of the activities, beliefs etc. that mark this election, as well as appalled by much of it.

This isn’t the media I use for personal comments about the election, however a brief review of the on-line Wall Street Journal  indicated the “angry white male” is the strong supporter behind at least two of the candidates, who at first appear to be on opposite ends, but have much in common, just different ways of change.  

Of course, what is so appalling about the election (on almost all sides to some degree, more so for some than others) is the absolute lack of civility and the broadband personal and other attacks and especially the emphasis on specific groups etc. 

Unfortunately, as I noted in the last Lakeland election, lies and smear tactics work, usually to the regret of the voters who were swayed by such tactics.

Back to the “angry white male” voters, I am not surprised.  I won’t go into now but I am not a bit surprised that, especially (I assume) younger males of all demographics are angry, but probably at different things than I am, although it may well be the same things..  (I’ll have to read more about it before I comment further.)

Listening to the “Great Course” about the Civil War.  Hadn’t really thought about it, but I was surprised to learn that “ready to wear” clothing and “right and left shoes” didn’t really exist until the Civil War.  

Prior to the Civic War, clothing and shoes has hand made, either by tailors and shoemakers or by the residents themselves.  

I don’t know why that struck me as so significant, but it was a major cultural change and I expect, eventually ran a lot of tailors and shoemakers out of business or they had to adopt a new business model.

I guess you could say the Civil War was a “disrupting force” for clothes and shoes!

Another dream I wanted to note.  Someday, maybe they’ll make some sense.  

Tuesday, March 8, 2016  Dream

Another strange, very strong dream this morning.  In the dream at last two persons who have worked for for me at a City in the dream appeared in a role in the dream.

The dream took place in an old house, that was apparently fueled by wood chips, or maybe the cooking was by wood chip fuel.  

Eating seemed to play a large role, although I don’t know what.  I can remember skinned potatoes being cooked..I never remember actually eating anything.   

There were a number of other people in the house, although I don’t believe I ever identified them  

The lsat scene I remember was we were getting low on wood chips and we could’t eat and I was trying to figure how how to approach the person responsible for getting the wood chips, as to why the wood chips were running out.  Dream dilemmas, I guess. 

Somehow, in the dream, wood chips were related more  than to just eating.

Again, woke up feeling like the dream was real.

That’s it for now, Wednesday, March 9, 2016.

2016 Winter March 8 Tuesday

60 degrees this morning, Walk 36:42 minutes 

Reminded of the value of all items that contribute to a successful walk this morning.  I have a thin “windbreaker” type of jacket that is made of some type of genius material that is supposed to keep you warm in winter and cool in summer, and also be porous etc.

It works, as I found out when I forgot to put it on this morning!  It is a very thin material, but it is strong and very wind resistant, at least as far as protecting me from the coolness of the wind.  It is also is the “high visible yellow” that appears to be bright green.

I wear it from anywhere below 70 degrees and sometimes even warmer because, in two words “It works”.  

I think that is similar to any organization or project.  Everything and everybody contributes to the success of of a mission.  In my case, I just want to have a safe walk without getting cold.

However, thinking about both current (and past and future) projects and organizations, a lot of “things” and people contribute.

:When I really start to think what it takes for an organization to function, it is amazing sometimes at what gets done.  It is literally a contribution by everyone, regardless of  how little or how much that contributes to success.

Probably I wouldn’t complain about poor service (which is actually relatively rare) and shake my head in wonder at how good of service is provided by many organizations and businesses,especially when you think of what all is involved.

Of course, in most sees, it isn’t just the people in the organizations who are involved, it is many other businesses, suppliers, contractors and even customers.  

Anyway, I plan on concentrate on looking at what makes each organization I come into contact with and admire the fact that it can function, much less provide normally excellent service.

I see it a lot in my work, where a business is almost always open on  time, gets work done and usually provides quality service.  

Part of my thoughts are based on my listening to the “Civil War” history and how supplies etc. and lack of normal commerce had a major factor on the Civil War (or any war or any time actually).  

Listening to my iPod, had to start over again.Somehow I seem to be hitting the “side b” of every album, if you know what I mean.  (Meaning i haven’t heard it before and there is apparently a  reason-it isn’t much good!)

“Sometime’ I need to go through and sort out the sones I don’t like, but I have feeling I will never do it.  

I will be more likely to go through and increase my “playlists” of songs I do like,which is probably more efficient anyway!  i

Also, I never know when a song I din’t like may start to appeal to me and I start to like it!

I am slowly starting to find everything from the move.  It is amazing where I thought to put items when I moved.  I am sure when I put them there I thought how obvious it would be!  

The weather is starting to be “spring like” (i.e. storms).  Now we don’t really know if something is thunder or an earthquake!  

I have only actually felt about four earthquakes, but I will take a severe thunderstorm anytime to an earthquake.  I’m not sure what the difference is, but I know it when I fell it!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, March 8, 2016.

2016 Winter March 7 Monday

62 degrees this morning, no walk (light rain)

Monday already! 

We are starting to notice the grass freeing up, some flowers out.  The Bartlett Pears are blooming in all their glory.  Maybe they will make it this year without a freeze (if I don’t jinx them with this comment!)

The was in the mid 70’s over the weekend.  It is strange how even with the temperature in the mid 70’s, it seems to have a touch of cold in it whereas this summer the same temperature won’t have it.  Or at least it won’t seem to have it.

For some reason this has seemed like an exceptionally long winter.  Of course, actually it has been filed , it just seemed like there wasn’t any breaks.

Working on taxes.  The tax programs (Turbo Tax in my case) have made doing taxes a lot easier.  However, they don’t always explain what is going on.

Yesterday, I did some manual tax preparation because I really didn’t believe TurboTax was correct in how much we owed!  Unfortunately, it was correct.

Since we didn’t own a house the entire year we can’t itemize this year, which means all of the time and paperwork on donations, the home office etc.  were basically for nothing!  I on’t mind the donations so much, at least hopefully they did some good even if we don’t get the deductions.  

Also, it sounds rather strange, but we saved a relatively significant amount of money since in this state, when you build a house, for the first calendar year you pay taxes only on the value of the land, not the house, so we paid very little in property taxes last year.  

I can see the advantages of buying a house versus renting, we are spending about the same amount of monty (excluding repairs etc.) but now can deduct it and basically get a 25-30 % rebate, in essence.  

Like almost everyone else, I wouldn’t mind paying taxes if I really thought they were fair.  Of course I see all the time “special deals” for certain companies or people etc who have enough money to pay off the politicians for special treatment.  

Heavy dream yesterday morning.  I woke up thinking it was real and finally wrote it down.

Dream Sunday,March 6

Dreamed I was in Kansas City.  The dream took place isn he 4th floor of an apartment. 

I don’t know how I knew it was in Kansas City. 

Not sure where Aliene was, but I was in an apartment working and it wasn’t mine!

I seemed to float through the apartment, ignored by apartment residents.  

The apartment was at the top of some old style stairs.

After a while I left for awhile and came back and realized I was in he wrong apartment since none of my stuff (computer, files etc.) was there.    

(I had taken out part of it when I left)

I walked out and realized there was an another apartment but my stuff wasn’t there either.  

I thought about asking the residents where my stuff was.

I asked out and realized there was another apartment, so I went into that apartment.  Again, I seemed to float around the the residents didn’t really pay attention.

Finally I went out and saw the actual apartment, with the door ajar.  

I talked down the stairs and two people, a large man and a woman were coming up.

I thought I could  be arrested for breaking and entering if I went in to get my computer.

Than I woke up, it took me a while to realize it was only a dream!.

That’s it for now, Monday, March 7, 2016. 

2016 Winter March 6 Sunday

55 degrees this morning, walk 37:02 minutes 

Writing this post/journal on a daily basis, I normally have some idea of what I will write, either something I recently read, saw, or was thinking about etc.  

I love the way the words flow, I have always loved to write, it is almost like music when the words flow and the thoughts loom up and I can’t hardly (sometimes I can’t) write fast enough.  

I feel this way even when writing the most menial letter, or an important presentation.  In fact, probably I “feel the flow” most when I am just doing daily and routine writing, although I feel it with all writing.  

I remember having to “write” (with a pen) and then type the words onto the computer or typewriter, or redo the letter to avoid errors et.  

The first computer when I started “writing on the computer” (as opposed to writing it with pen and paper and then typing it in) was literally magic.   

To see your thoughts appear immediately on the screen and ready to be printed out (or e-mailed) is truly magical.  One of the biggest inventions in history if you really think about it! Well, close at least if you like to write!

While “spell check” is sometimes a mixed blessing (and sometimes is not a blessing when it changes words to something you didn’t mean at all), the capacity to  catch at least some of the errors is truly amazing.

I’m not sure when I started “writing” on the computer, but I know it is at least 20 years ago.  How time flies!  I had basically developed the ability to “write” on the typewriter, although errors were a lot more of a problem.

One ability I never developed was dictation.  Probably one reason was I never had to  develop the skill for dictation, but I’m not sure if my pattern of writing would fit the dictation model.  Probably like anything, if I had to learn the skill, I would have learned he skill.

One thing I am thankful for is I always like type.  I took two years in high school when it was uncommon to do so, and sometimes I practiced typing a lot.  Prepared me for the computer age!

Sometimes I wonder if  the ability to dictate over the computer, like your really an now, had been developed fast, if I would have learned that.  

The only real problem I have with speaking my e-mails etc. is that the phones aren’t exactly perfect yet at typing exactly what I said, so it takes time to go back and correct it.

I may   start trying that, dictating my letters and this journal/post and see what happens!  

I expect at some future time we will be able to merely “think” what we want to say and it will bypass the keyboard/muse completely, our thoughts will pop up on the screen or be communicated in real time.

I’m not sure if I’m quite ready for that!

Actually, I kind o expect the technology is available to do that (convert thoughts into written words or send them to another person), it just hasn’t really been developed yet. 

Of closure it may never be.  There are some things we probably will never be able to actually implement, even if we can envision it.  There probably are some limits to technology.

That’s it for now, Sunday, March 6, 2016.

2016 Winter March 5 1012 Saturday

49 degrees this morning, walk 36:20 minutes 

Watched a “Frontline” program on vitamins lest night.  The program offered some possible problems with vitamins as such (especially “megadoses”), but questioned even more if we actually get what we purchase when we purchase vitamins and over the counter drugs.  

Some tests have found as few as 20% of all vitamins really contain what they say they do, or don’t contain other ingredients not listed on the bottle.  

Overall though I feel vitamins are beneficial, although it is always good to question if something can’t be improved or has any unknown side effects.  

I remember the first time a Doctor actually told me to take vitamins, I was surprised that a Medical Doctor actually prescribed vitamins.  

In this case, I was advised to take B-12 for nerve damage to the never in my leg.  He said it could have resulted from loss of weight, or any number of factors.  

Harvard Medical School has a an e-mail newsletter (free) with  information on vitamins etc. that is also a good guide to the use   and misses of vitamins, most vitamins can be very positive for your health.  

One thing I really liked about the article I mentioned several days ago (on “heartburn” or GERD) is it mentions (and I almost hate to use the word, it has become so misused) “natural” ways of  dealing with it.  

The article mentions the dangers of some of the prescription  drugs and I think the article has good points.  

This is the  link to the article, I”m to sure if this will work or not, but it is really a great article.  (if you want, I can forward the link to you if you advise me you’d like to see it.) Or as they say, you can “copy and paste” it.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/03/02/heartburn-treatment.aspx?e_cid=20160302Z1_DNL_art_1&utm_source=dnl&utm_medium=email&utm_content=art1&utm_campaign=20160302Z1&et_cid=DM99199&et_rid=1382790898

The article does mention you should “never” stop prescription drugs for heartburn/GERD “cold turkey” (like I did).  

As a kid, one of our favorite activities was going into abandoned houses (which would be considered “attractive nuisances” now, since they were open).  One house we went into had some old vitamins and the smell of the vitamins was enough to keep me away from vitamins for years until the Doctor advised me to take one!

I accidentally reset the “shuffle function” on my original iPod, so I am starting again to try to listen to all 6,244 tunes on it.  Now might be a good time to put all of my “tuns” on it, if it is large enough to handle all o my “tunes”.

I don’t know if exercise actually benefits me or not, I enjoy it and that is reason enough.  However, I have seen the positive benefits of exercise enough to know the exercise is a good thing, even if it is just a short walk each day..  

Fro some reason I have been having some wild dreams lately, both when I take naps and when I sleep at night. Not really bad.  I haven’t had the chance to document them, I either forget within a short time or it is just inconvenient to document them right then. As they say, by the time I get my computer “the Moment is gone” and I have forgotten most of the dream.  

Somewhere, somehow, I expect they are being recorded and are having an affect on may behavior.  

That’s it for now, Saturday, March 5, 2016

2016 Winter March 4 Friday

39 degrees this morning, Walk 36:23 minutes (estimated) 

Walk time is estimated since I forgot to stop the stop watch as I finished my walk!

We are finding we are recycling about 3x and maybe 4x what we are throwing away. 

We have a “big blue” for trash that is picked up weekly and a “big green” (105 gallons) that is picked up every other week.  We normally have about one bag of trash and almost fill up the “big green” every week.  

We’ll probably have to get another “big green”, or I will just throw away the excess recycling, but I don’t believe I can bring myself to do that.  

Of course, right now recycling isn’t very lucrative.  I doubt it was ever that lucrative but it definitely isn’t a major money maker now due to the low prices of products. 

It does feel good to know we can put almost anything recyclable in the recycling.  In the past city, we couldn’t recycle cardboard or plastic (even if it was designated as recycling) etc.  

Probably that was one reason over 80% of the people recycle in this city (although I’m not sure if I believe it is actually that high on a regular basis) versus 18% in the past City.  

Of course the stupid (to put it bluntly) use of the open bins in an area where the wind blows even the bins off, much less the recycling tends to discourage recycling!  

We are rapidly finding our favorite restaurant may be about a mile from out house!  The food is really good there.  Of course, we have our favorites throughout the area, depending on our mood and who we are eating with. 

On another subject, I recently read that the “toe fungus” drug being peddled so heavily on TV doesn’t mention that the drug costs about $1800 per month and is only about 20% effective after 48 weeks!

Of course, the objective of the ads are to get people to try to get their doctors to prescribe this expensive (and ineffective) drug so they can change insurance companies.  Not to belittle any medical problem (although I”m not eve sure what toe fungus is!), it seems this is an abuse of the system!

I received some excellent information on alternatives to “GERD”, which I have.  (Also known as “heartburn” although I think GERD may be more chronic and serious.  

Many of the drugs are unbelievably expensive (and frequently not approved by insurance companies), but they are also are not designed for normal long-term use.  

I found this out several years ago when I was advised that the medicine I had taken for almost six years (Prevacid) lowered my immune system and had some other undesirable side affects.  I switched, but only after going “cold turkey” and realizing the withdrawal effects.

I have to think that “covering” up the symptoms  like I was having after stopping the drug was hardly good for me, better to treat the causes.

My cousin sent me an excellent link that reviewed the dangers of many of the heartburn drugs (especially when taken for the long term).  I will try some of the alternatives and note the results here, as well as try some behavior modification.

I believe that the GERD may partially be the cause of my coughing that I may be able to reduce by behavior modification and trying some of the “alternative” products available and changes in eating etc.

Getting back into swimming again, hopefully can go again today.  I forgot how enjoyable it is until I start swimming again!

Currently on tune 780 of 6544 on my original iPod. Alan Jackson “Living on Love”.

That’s it for now, Friday, March 4, 2016.

2016 Winter March 3 Thursday

50 degrees this morning, no walk today.

While I wasn’t in the area here during the time a major community leader was the driving force behind many of the major (and I mean majorI) improvements, his death yesterday made me think of how a community develops.

His death (at a relatively young age of 56) shook this community, and even the state.

It demonstrates what one person can do, especially if that person can galvanize other people into working in one direction or at least on major projects.

Years ago, when I first started in City Management, someone made the point at a meeting that, in most cities, there are short periods when  true progress is made, based on either one, or many, visionary community leaders who truly believe in improving the community.  

The point was that you have to be ready when these leaders show up (and they are all types and personalities) because the window of opportunity is short.

This city was fortunate that this leader was the architect and visionary for a wide variety or projects, at a time when the city (and area) was ready for him.

Of course, then I think of the other side.  A city that, in a windy area, still uses recycling “bins” that are open to the wind.  The bins even blew away!  

A city that recycled so few things, it almost wasn’t worth recycling.

Of course, as I have mentioned, a city that has no protection for residents from the enrichment of commercial development and the “profit at all costs” developers and builders who literally destroy the value of residential property with ill-advised commercial development.

Anyway, we don’t live i that city anymore, although we moved only about three miles.

While not perfect, we feel a lot better about the residential protections provided by this city although it is much smaller that the other city.

It basically is what Lakeland was aiming at, but will now never be, due to the incompetence, greed,  and ignorance of the “leaders” elected several years ago.  

Somehow this city has remained on track in it’s residential protections and I intend on becoming involved as necessary to make sure it stays that way!

Have to mention a dream I had yesterday morning. 

3-2-16 Wednesday, dream

Dreamed was in a fairly large hotel type facility, but it was only on one level.  It was by the ocean or a least a large lake.

I kept walking around with a portfolio of papers that I kept misplacing.  

One person was a man who keep coming and going, something about how to pay bills for something or some other task.  He was supposed to advise me of the procedure but he kept coming and going and then I would misplace the papers again.

ON the other hand, I was visiting with my family, kind of a family reunion.  People would come in and out of the dream.

My family kept encouraging me to sit and visit but I was concerned I would miss the person I had been consulting with, so I kept getting up and walking around.

No real ending except I woke up.  

A really strange and varied dream.  

That’s it for now, Thursday, March 3, 2016.

2016 Winter March 2 2016

41 degrees this morning, walk 35:36 minutes

Today, marks 21 months since we moved to this area, 19 months in my job.  

Strange, it is such a relative short time, but it seems like it has been much longer.  Not that it was been bad, on the contrary, basically it has been enjoyable, it just seems like it has been a long time.  

Where we live now has a relatively long “quiet” street that is a main street for the addition, but has relatively little traffic.

This provides me with the opportunity to go on “electric vehicle” mode on the car.  Since it will kick off if I get over 25 mph, I can only do this is no one is behind me! 

Actually, the speed limit is 25 mph, but you know how that goes!

Anyway, I was surprised to find that this tactic (I can use it going out and coming back) has increased my gas milage about 2 miles per gallon, in fact I can’t really figure out the “cost per mile” in my head, but I know if is a very insignificant number.

On the other hand, it is something, and 2 miles per gallon based on the life of the car will be significant (I think!)

No matter, it is fun to try it, kind of like a game!  

Of course, 2 mpg is relatively insignificant 

“Super Tuesday” is over, probably the highest (national) political activity we will see, since I expect the state will be considered as a “safe” state in the general election.  For the short time it lasted, the increased political activity was fun!

I have to admit the Presidential campaign is reinforcing my feelings that the only thing worse than an poor loser is a poor winner who brays about how good they are!

Started swimming again.   It was very nice to get back into swimming again.  Hard to explain why I enjoy it so much, but sometimes, I just enjoy and don’t ask! 

One really good thing, I an get to the swimming poor in about 5 minutes, literally.  It is 1 1/2 mils.  That will be nice also!

Read a thoughtful Newsletter I was e-mailed last night.  I tend to read it first by just reading it, the go back and  review some of the main points.  Hopefully I will be able to discuss the Newsletter points with the person who sent it to me. 

Aa I mentioned on my thoughts on “learning”, I learn something a lot better if I discuss it with someone, or try to pass on my thoughts, either writing about it, or trying to do it.  

I think that was why I liked the 1 to 1 Apple program so well, I could try it before the session, get my questions answered during the session and then apply what I learned. 

Listening to the “Great Book” about the Civil War, I am always amazed at how little i do know!  I really  didn’t realize that Lincoln attempted to start “reconstruction” well before the end of the Civicl War.

Hopefully will get some new accounts at work today.  Either  today or tomorrow.  As I have mentioned before, it is like getting a present!

Mail is still not being forwarded.  I realize now I should have just put a “hold” on it, although I really thought the USPS was more efficient that it has demonstrated in this move.  The fact we are using the same Post Office we had before makes it really strange that it isn’t bing forwarded.

That’s it for now, Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

2016 Winter March 1 Tuesday

59 degrees this morning, walk 36:22 minutes

59 degrees seemed cold this morning!  The wind and moist air made it seem a lot colder!  

Heavy rain and lightning last night, I was surprised I was able to walk this morning!  The forecast was for some rain, but it looked like it had left the area.  

I am glad I am in an area again were every rain doesn’t bring clumps of red mud into the street from uncontrolled construction and builders etc. who don’t do their job.  I have to wonder about the quality of their houses when they skimp on drainage control to “save” money.  

I expect from the house sales they lose due to the extremely dirty and tacky atmosphere it portrays, they aren’t really saving any money as most people assume as I do that if they are that sloppy they aren’t building very good houses either. 

Anyway, I am out of there.

About a week ago, the political ads started on TV and suddenly we could have gone to see any Presidential candidate we wanted to (with one exception, and even that candidate has a famous surrogate we could have seenI).  

I guess that is a small version of what Iowa and some of the other “early” states or the general election “swing” states experience.

Actually it lends a sense of excitement and being part of the bigger picture!  

We “early voted” let week.  While I have “voted early” in Tennessee almost since we moved there, I always feel a slight sense of being somewhat illegal when I “vote early”!  Actually, it makes a lot of sense and of course is completely legal, but….

It is disappointing that almost all of the candidates, except for one or two, have basically lowered themselves into the gutter and are pandering to the lowest common denominator in people.  It that is what it takes, I can’t blame them, but I am still disappointed.  

Of course, I have experienced it before, and it normally leads to low-quality “leadership” later on or a complete lack of any type of statesmanship.

Certainly some of the results of elections, especially local elections, make you wish people would become more informed before they vote.

It feels so good to write “March”, even though it means the time is passing so fast!  Somehow, even though it is the shortest month, February seems so long since I am basically trying to outlast Winter and wait for Spring to get here!

I am looking forward to “Daylight Savings Time” on March 13 and then or course Spring on March 20 at 5:29 p.m. (CDT)!  I am looking forward to it!

The Bartlett Pears are blooming, or at least  struggling to bloom. It probably means there will be one more freeze as a “got you” to the Bartlett Pears, as the freeze will freeze their blooms, which is already such a short time.  

I haven’t seen a crocus bloom yet, but I expect to in the near future.  The grass is already starting to “green up” also.  

It will be interesting to watch how “Super Tuesday” affects the Presidential Election.  Maybe this election year will result in some reforms, but I doubt it.  

On a very positive note, all the garage door openers took (at least 3 off the fourI) is new batteries, and the garage door opens are not programmed into our cars.  All is well!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, March 1, 2016.