2017 Winter February 19 Sunday

53 degrees this morning, walk 34:54 minutes 

Lot of moisture in the air this morning, made it seem cooler and also more coughing.  As usual didn’t know how to dress, so dressed too warm.  

Listening to the book on Alan Turing.  As I’ve noted before there is a lot of detail in the book, which can make it challenging to listen, and probably read.  

However, it also can be highly instructive.  This morning they discussed how internal (I assume) storage was developed in computers, which was rather fascinating.

If I understood it right, the “storage” is created by the “time delay” , the natural delay (although very short, to the whatever of a second, I assume billion or something like that) it takes for an electronic impulse to travel. 

The “storage” is  is created in this time delay!  Don’t ask me how it works, just the theoretical concept boggles my mind.  

Somehow in all of this the length of a “kilobyte” as 1024 bits started.  It is a mind bender for me.  

Of course, they also discussed external storage, and the benefits of each.  

I may need to get this book and read some parts of it!  I expect I could get it from the library and keep it for awhile to get a chance to read it.

Thinking of listening to a “Great Course” on astronomy next.  I know next to nothing about astronomy so I probably could get some questions answered.

One the most intelligent and interesting persons I have even known was an expert (to say the least) in astronomy and it was interesting to hear him discuss some of his theories.  

Working on my presentation on “Urban chickens” or rather why this is not a good idea.  Basically I feel there is a place for chickens and a place for living, and they shouldn’t co-exist, or at least they shouldn’t be allowed near other people who don’t want chickens running around.

Of course, just like a child who promises to take care of a dog or cat, their interest soon wanes,  soon they will lose interest, the coop will not get cleaned, chickens will get out etc. and they will be a neighborhood nuisance.  

It is almost like “bullying” and attacking people with lies etc. to get what you want is becoming part of the American culture.   

Of course when the so called president is a lying bully coward, whose low class gutter behavior allowed him to get rich and even become “president”, I guess you can’t expect it not to spread.  

Of course, the biggest bully’s are the corporations who pay a lot of money to lobbyists to buy legislation that will make them a lot of money. 

A prime example is in this state.  Basically a health plan wants to offer a “limited” health plan which of course will increase rates for all of us who aren’t young and healthy.

So of course the company hires 8…8!!! lobbyists to spread money around and “buy” legislation that will allow them to make a killing at the express of the older and less healthy state employees.  

There has to be an answer to stop this, but I don’t have the answer.

That’s it for now, Sunday, February 19, 2017.

2017 Winter February 18 Saturday

50 degrees this morning, no walk

Looking forward to getting to the point where snow at least is rare. Although I have seen heavy snow even in late March, it is rare.

Reading up on “backyard” chickens, I was stunned to find extreme examples of ordinances allowing “farming” in residential areas, to the point that the ordinance specifically says that “noises, odors etc normally associated with farming” is allowed in small lot residential areas.  

That is scary when bullies who want to impose their living wishes on everyone else are successful. 

Obviously I have nothing against farming but it is scary to think that a bunch of bullies have the power to change ordinances to ruin their neighbors quality of life, to say nothing of housing value.  

Reading “Fatal” by John Lescroart.  Normally not my type of book based on the plot, but it is a fascinating book about how life can change, or perhaps the consequences of obsession or the consequences of not maintaining your values or even how actions truly can change your life.

Normally I probably wouldn’t even have started reading the book after reading the plot but I did and it has been an interesting read.  

The national scene has really gotten scary, a lying bully lunatic as the “so called president” and a bunch of kow towing republicans who are so intent on getting what they want they have no ethics and vote against the voters to support a liar.  

Same with the businesses, they ignore the lies and lunatic behavior, including at least three advisors who are nothing but extremist, racist Nazis who would be laughed out of the room in normal times.  

The business community obviously has no ethics, supporting this lying lunatic so they can get “reduced regulations” that allow them to cheat and steal from the public “legally”.

Nothing against reducing regulations but the “meat ax” approach shows a desperation to “make a show” with no real concern for the consequences.   

Also they feel if they kow tow and lie enough they will get  highly profitable government contracts from someone who is nothing but a lying despot.  

Both groups should be ashamed of themselves and I hope they are held accountable in the future for their cowardly behavior. 

What is really  scary is his advisors are all parrots who support the lying bully’s lies, distortions of reality and obvious delusions of grandeur that he is some sort of dictator and not accountable for this actions to the public.  

Usually extreme actions have a “rubber band” result that the swing is too much to the other side, but the situation has gotten so scary that hopefully some of the republicans and business people will show some courage and say it has to stop.

What really scared me was the lying Nazi  robot storm trooper (Stephen Miller) who appeared on the news shows last Sunday and was obviously a lunatic out of touch with reality. Anywhere else he would not be appearing on behalf of anyone. 

A real sense of unreality went over me as I watched.

When a career criminal who has plundered Oklahoma taxpayers with high cost luxury offices and hiring numerous “attorneys” to file lawsuits for his political cronies in the energy businesses is approved for the EPA, it is even scarier.  Of course, the fact he was even appointed is scary. At least the crook is out of Oklahoma. I don’t think he will last long, even in the current national government  atmospheree. 

I figure it is time to stand up and state the situation even if I can’t do anything about it.

That’s it for now, Saturday, February 18, 2017.

2017 Winter February 17 Friday

50 degrees this morning walk 33:42 minutes

Cold wind this morning although once i got going it wasn’t bad.  Pace this morning was about 15 seconds faster than expectations.  

Hopefully this Spring I will be able to lower the expected “pace” and also slightly increase the distance of my walk.  

Using the “scribble” function on the iWatch.  It is amazingly easy to use and also very effective.  Overall, after about 4 1/2 months using it, I really like it and it is very useful.  As I mentioned, my only regret is I have some other watches I really like and I hate not wearing them, but I don’t really need two watches on my wrists!

I am still learning some of the functions and expect I will continue to be learning them.  

Got my “air buds”, as is frequently my method, I haven’t used them yet, still getting used to them.  I will focus on them soon.  I may need to take them into the Apple store for instruction, which is another reason I like Apple products.

I find it difficult to believe that in two weeks two months of 2017 will be gone!  Can’t say it is bad or good,  it just seems that time flies.  

Although I find how fast time goes somewhat sad, I have to admit I am looking forward to summer arriving with warm weather.  I am very tired of cold weather.  

I think I will start thinking now about someplace warm to escape to next year in February!

The few days of nice weather we had was nice, but hardly enough! 

Watched a short squib on “self driving cars” and how good they actually are.  Maybe soon it will be a reality.  

Thinking about it, the basic car is probably one of the longest inventions that hasn’t really improved in it’s essentials, although it certainly has improved over the years .  However it basically involves a driver having to drive it etc., and handle all aspects of driving.

I know I will never buy a car again without a backup camera, side radar (for backing or for someone in your “blind” spot)  etc.  Although our current cars don’t have it,I won’t buy one without the “lane drift” warning either.  We rented a car with a “drift warning” and it was nice.  

I remember almost 20 years ago,I learned that the  technology was there to allow a person literally to get in a plane and have it automatically take off and fly and land. I wonder why this hasn’t bee perfected and marketed? 

Listening to the book on Alan Turing.  it emphasizes again (as did the books on Tesla and Steve Jobs), that major advances frequently seem to be “in the air” and many people are working (apparently independently) on major advances.  

It is always fascinating to read how some of the technology we take for granted was developed and how just a small change would affect how we do things. 

At least Friday is here and this is a 3 -day weekend.   Unfortunately it is the last holiday until Memorial Day, which seems a long ways off but will be here before we know it!

That’s it for now, Friday, February 17 2017.

2017 Winter February 16 Thursday

37 degrees this morning walk 34:30 minutes

Overall good walk this morning pace was about 4 seconds per mile slower than expectations.  

The shoes are still great, the difference is amazing.  I am not going to let my shoes go for so long again, even if it isn’t damaging my feet, the comfort is worth it.  

I don’t know how you decide at what point the “gradual deterioration” gets to the point you replace them, which is always the question.  I probably will replace them at a lower mileage, especially if it is obvious the “spring” has gone out of the shoe.

Kind of like a tire, when you think you could easily get an additional 1,000 miles or 10,000 or whatever, it just isn’t worth it.

I am always reminded of the story about the test pilots who liked to take chances and “test the edge” of flying.  They said the number of times you could do it was “X+1”, X being the number of times you do it,  with +1 the time you had a crash or got caught doing something in violation of the rules!

Kind of like speeding “X+1” with +1 the time you get the ticket!

Shoes aren’t quite as sudden, with “+1” probably being a matter of miles, not a sudden breakdown, although at some point they are damaging my feet.

It is kind of like deciding when to buy or sell stocks, except that in reality you never have to sell of buy stocks, but there is normally a point you should buy or sell, you just don’t know when until after the fact!

Nice to have my laptop back, although he desktop wasn't bad by any means, in fact I liked it.  I still am surprised that Google Chrome caused he problems, but that explains why it was so erratic.  

Just want to mention that so far we are actually very pleased with our “home warranty” company, Choice Home Warranty.  

They have been very responsive and the contractors they sent out have been very good, in fact we are using them for other projects.

So far we had a furnace blower go out and then last weekend out garbage disposal went out.  In both cases, we got a quick response, the item was replaced without any fuss and  the contractor was very responsive.  At least this year, we more than got out money back.

We originally bought it because, quite frankly, we had a horrible home inspector who was just “for the money” and did less than the minimum required (we aren’t going to use the Realtor who recommended him again either).  Although we hope we never have to worry about buying another house again, we really like his one.  

Also, the house, while not old, (built in 2004 or so), is getting to the point where all of the original equipment will start wearing out or needing repairs.  It is a very well built house and they used quality products (for the most part), so most of the items are still original equipment.  

Anyway, so far we are very pleased with them, if nothing else have a contractor to respond is almost worth the premium.  

Our only real concern is that they don’t always allow enough for “original equipment” to be the replacement part, somewhat like the trick they pull on extended warranties on cars.  

That’s it for now, Thursday, February 16, 2017.

2017 Winter February 15 Wednesday

36 degrees this morning, walk 34:39 minutes 

Winter weather has returned.  Of course, it was raining all day yesterday and if i had been cold, it would have been quite a snow/ice storm, so overall it worked out ok.  I was in the low 40’s, but the rain made it seem very cold.-

Pace this morning was about 15 seconds per mile better than expectations.  I hope I can continue to increase my pace  a little each week, or month or whatever, just as long as there is “continuous improvement”.

“Continuous Improvement”  (I won’t try to spell the Japanese for it) is an interesting concept, I’ve liked it ever since i learned it many years ago.  I still remember when I first learned it, it was one of those “ah ha” or maybe a “thunderbolt” experience.  

Of course, your first thought is it sounds good, but what do you do when continuous improvement may be counter productive or you have reached the “as perfect as you can get” situation?  

I expect books have been written on it, and, as normal, some people have taken it to an extreme.  

I did a quick Google Search and of course found the Harvard Business Review article on “It’s time to rethink continuous improvement”  (I didn’t read it, although I might) and otter hazards of continuous improvement.  

Of course I expect a lot of problems are caused by the “means becoming the end”, where the purpose of continuous improvement becomes an end in itself and not actually “continuous improvement” of an organization, procedure or product.

I still really like the concept, that we can “continuously improve” at least in an incremental way.  

Still, in absolute terms, at some point, I will be as fast as I will ever be at walking.  I guess the point it, like life, you really don't know where that point is.  I assume if I can even improve a second a year, that is improvement and at least keeping me performing at my best.

I doubt that a “second a year” is what continuos improvement is all about!

Got the report on my Macbook Air.  Google Chrome was causing the problem!  Hmmm……  have to wonder about sabotage, since Google and Apple are competitors in so many areas!  I really don’t believe that, although you never know.  

It actually seems that Google would want to excel on  Apple products, just to show off how good they are!

I will be glad to have it back.  The desktop computer is nice, I forgot how nice it is, but a laptop is certainly convenient.  

Hopefully my laptop will last until Apple comes out with a touch screen.  If not, I’ll have to keep my options open, although I can’t imagine switching.

February 15, the second month of the year is already more than half over!  Time does fly!

That’s it for now, Wednesday, February 15, 2017.

2017 Winter February 14 Tuesday

40 degrees this morning.  No walk, rain.

Rained relatively heavy yesterday for the first time in awhile, don’t recall when it last rained.  Light rain this morning.

This is being written on my desktop this morning rather than my laptop.  As a precautionary measure, I took my laptop in for service, it was crashing more often and also appearing to overheat.  

Of course, it only happened on a  sporadic basis.  When that happens, I tend to look at what other factors may have been in play (too may programs up etc.).  Anyway, probably will be without it today and tomorrow morning, hopefully be ready by tomorrow morning.  

Just to continue my thoughts yesterday about “gradual change”, I think one area that is especially important is the “gradual change” in organizations.  

As I mentioned, it seems that change, even sudden change, can suddenly become the “new normal”.  Just like life, it is easy to get caught up in daily activities without consciously being aware of the need to consider actions needed on a longer term basis.

Not being critical here, just commenting, I’m as bad as anyone, getting caught up in “today” and not considering what is needed for the long term enrichment or ability to change. 

An organization I belong to recently begin questioning if we (the members) had slipped from the original purpose of the organization (which could mean getting out of your comfort zone and occasionally challenging yourself in a relatively safe environment) hadn’t lost sight of our main purpose and slipped into more of a social organization.  

Not that that isn't part of it, but if we lose sight of our main purpose, you also lose sight of what makes the organization unique and the reason for joining in the first place.

Worse yet, any organization needs new members, and prospective new members will quickly realize the organization has lost sight of it’s original purpose and join elsewhere, eventually leading to the death of eh organization.   

Definitely different to work on a desktop after working primarily on a laptop for so long.  In my job, I use a tablet, (basically a laptop), although I do have a full-size keyboard for the office.  

I have quickly learned to really like the touchscreen on the tablet.  Enough that I really am not sure if I will purchase another Apple laptop if they don’t have touchscreen.  It only seems logical with phones, iPads etc. all having touch screens that their laptops would have a touchscreen also.

Like I mentioned about organizations causing along and not realizing the “normal” has changed, I think Apple needs to look at their products.  

Actually, I read that their is an iWatch (well, not really, it is a non-Apple product) that has a separate cellular connection.  While at one time I wanted one like that (in an Apple watch), to be honest, I don’t see the point now.  I’m not sure I’d want another connection when the connection with the iPone works so well.

Actually, the only time I don’t have my phone with me is if Im swimming, and the Apple watch works for swimming.   

However, I have worked with touch screens enough to KNOW I want a touch screen!

One of my favorite observances, Valentines day is today..  Wishing everyone a Happy Valentines Day!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, February 14, 2017.

2017 Winter February 13 Monday

44 degrees this morning, walk 34:09 minutes.

Sounded cold this morning (like a wind), but wasn’t really that bad.  Pace was about 3 seconds per mile below (faster) than expectations.  

Went to the “Four Seasons” concert yesterday, the first time I have (to my knowledge) ever hear it “live”.  It was really wonderful, all string instruments, mostly violins, which is my favorite instrument.  

This is the “first” concert by a new group, so it will be interesting to watch it progress.  

I was especially impressed by the size of the crowd, which means they may be around for awhile! 

Shoes felt good again and I again thought about how change becomes “normal” and the dangers of  allowing the “new normal” to be acceptable.  

Since the concept of the “new normal”  became part of my conscious mind yesterday, I have thought about ways the “new normal” could be a problem, even where I can change things, not counting the things I can’t change.  

Just things around the house spring to mind, such as items that could be germ carriers etc.  While it hasn’t been a problem for years (since I use a mechanic who is good at pointing out problems), a car can deteriorate to the point of being dangerous without  you really noticing it etc.  

Years ago, I remember I had some tires that I didn’t realize had gotten so bad until they slid on a wet road and I realized they had gotten almost slick, at least they were dangerous.  

You can say the same thing about clothes, beds with mattresses deteriorating and you “get used to it” until you start having back problems etc.  

Same can happen with relationships etc.  I think it is good to try to look at things with “new eyes” to note any gradual changes etc.

I know when we came back every few months, we would note changes that people who had been living with a gradual change  (people, situations or objects etc.) hadn’t noticed.  

Another dream.  Only remembered the last part, but it was a strange dream.  

2-12-17:

Intense dream.  At the last part I was trying to understand a phone caller and I couldn’t understand what they were asking for and I tried to figure it out since it was important.

I had looked over and saw someone I worked with I hadn’t seen for a long time, while I was talking.

After the call end  (caller sunup in frustration) I looked at saw it as my younger sister not the person who I thought I saw.  

She said something about a  it was a “small office” and I said it was “good enough”.

Than I woke up.  Not sure what job I was working at or the location.  

That’s it for now, Monday, February 13, 2017.  

2017 Winter February 12 Sunday

55 degrees this morning.  Walk 32:31 minutes

Walk this morning was “cold” 55 degrees!  The wind was blowing and it was a cold wind.  At first I didn’t think I had dressed warm enough but it was ok.

My pace was about 45 seconds faster than yesterday.  However, the “minutes walked” is misleading since in a world of my own, I accidentally missed part of my walk, a cove I normally walk through. It wasn’t a lot, about .10 mile, but it made the time walked misleading.  

Purchased some new walking shoes yesterday and I was amazed at the difference.  My “old” walking shoes were a lot more worn out than I realized!

I had forgotten how it can kind of sneak up on you, as you get used to the minute difference each day and start to think of that as “normal”.  

The padding and “spring” of the new shoes was amazing.   I actually bought two pair (one in a black, one in a greyI) and will probably use the black ones for work walking, where I can walk up to five miles a day at times, although it varies a lot.  I also am thinking of switching each day, but I haven’t decided yet.

I am going to start clocking (for mileage) my walking time at work when I work “in the field”.

I think there are a lot of things that we continually get used to a “new normal”.  I recently read something (I don’t necessarily agree with it) that said you should dispose of house slippers after six months, shower bath mats after three months,  towels after a period of time (I believe a year) etc. because of germs and just wear and tear. 

Again, there is the factor that a “new normal” becomes the norm and you accept less than you should.  

I start to look a little suspicious at some moccasins’ I have been wearing (primarily in the winter) for probably 32 years!  Actually I keep thinking I am going to wear them out each winter (meaning something will break etc.), but they make it though each winter.  I am wearing socks with them now, but they survive continual washings and wearing each winter.

I haven’t worn them as much this winter, I think because the house is so much warmer than the other houses have been . 

When a pair of shoes etc. or whatever is beyond even my continuing to use it, I always felt a little guilty about donating it (rather than just throwing it away). 

However, I recently read that “everything” in used clothing is other used by someone else or shipped (probably to the the country it was made in) where it completes a weird cycle as it is either distributed for more wear or “recycled” with all the buttons, zippers, cloth etc. recycled for use in new clothing or other uses.

That made me feel better, since I here to keep contributing to the mound of landfill mountains that I have observed developing over the years.

“A New Normal” really concerns me about politics.  We are developing a political culture where a lying bully who is “supposed to be” a president, routinely lies, lies that everyone knows is lies (and then all the kowtower cowards go along with it), viciously attacks people on a personal basis, blatantly breaks the law continuously, appointed Nazi’s, racists, extortionists  and criminals to key positions and soon it becomes the “new normal”.

What is so bad is that businesses etc. are kow towing cowards, since they figure they will make billions  ripping off consumers and the government again, as well as the cowardly republicans who kow tow and approve his inappropriate appointments, lies and illegal actions in the hopes of ripping off come money or getting  their extreme  beliefs into action and pay not attention to the people they are supposed to be representing.    

Hopefully we will survive until the lying bully is impeached or removed due to his mental illness, although his replacements aren’t much better.  Elections are coming and hopefully it will be the “last term” of all of the cowardly  Congressional representatives in this state.

That’s it for now, Sunday, February 12, 2017.

2017 Winter February 11 Saturday

62 degrees this morning.  Walk 35:21 minutes

Temperature is supposed to get up to 87 degrees today!  Actually, it was a “cool” 62 degrees this morning with a relative high wind.

Pace was about 17 seconds per mile above expectations, about 45 seconds per mile slower than yesterday.  

I’m not sure what all affects my “pace”, I think some of it is if I am conscious of my pace and I know if I listen to fast music I walk a lot faster.  Don’t know if there is any relationship to a book I am listening to or not!

The book on Alan Turing I am listening to is still in the phase of WWII, when Turing worked on both encryption and breaking encryption.  

There is some interesting fact about encryption, although there is a lot more detail then I really care about, so it is challenging to pay attention.  

One interesting fact mentioned is that “speech” conveys so much more than the written word.  They mention that speech may include background noises, intonations, etc. that you don’t get in the written word, so the spoken word (if you are trying to “break” the message) is a lot easier than the written word.

I think that is certainly true in any aspect, maybe a primary reason for the popularity of video for advertising etc.  

Probably video would be even easier to “break” than the spoken word, since there are so many different inputs involved and almost all of the senses (other than smell and feel) are available.  

Probably that is a reason advertising would love to be able to send “odors” (or maybe I should say “scents”) via the internet.

Of course that is one reason simple Morse Code was used for secret messages, but than they look for repetition or patterns and can concentrate on that.  

I have noticed that in my job.  One requirement of many accounts is that we visit “in person” and I always note how much more I can pick up in person that I can on the phone and certainly more so than e-mail.  

Another dream to report on:

2-10-17;

Dream Aliene and I were in a hotel somewhere in Oklahoma City

We checked in and went to lunch there.  The meal was kind of like a buffet, but not not  a buffet, maybe a cafeteria style.  

Afterwards Aliene went to the room.

I stopped to pick up some stuff we had (for whatever reason) in the restaurant,  I think a pari of shoes, some scandals (sliders) and a warm up suit.  

For some reason, every time I picked them up, someone would say something and I would put them down or lose one of them.

The restaurant was like a partial store with items on the floor etc. except I don’t now that they were for sale and there was all kinds of items on the floor (placed there neatly, like on display)

For some reason Aliene had bought a number of my Hot Wheels” cars and placed them on the floor.  

A man with a scar (or a big birthmark picked one up and asked what it was or perhaps why they were there..  I said it was mine and I could pick them up.  He kind of looked at me and said, no that was ok.

I finally got outside the door and realized I didn’t know our room number and all of the stuff I was carrying I couldn’t reach in my pocket and look for the number.

My phone started raining and I knew it was Aliene calling to ask where I was,  but it turned out it was the alarm I use for naps, so I woke up.

No idea as to hit this dream meant.  

That’s it for now, Saturday, February 11, 2017.