2018 Fall November 20 Tuesday

29 degrees this morning 35;23 minute walk, 87% humidity 

Cold, but overall nice walk this morning.  No wind, obviously dressed for cold.  Some coughing, but controllable by breathing etc.

The moon, almost or actually a full moon, set rapidly in the west as I walked.  It almost became a “harvest moon”  (which I define as a large red moon) as it set beyond the horizon. 

I don’t know if I ever saw the moon set so fast and early, although it is an hour change from last summer.  

Watching “The Wire”, I had to think about about “teaching to the test” in more ways than one.  

In the series, teachers developed a relationship and basically effective teaching to children when they are instructed to “teach to the test”, the statewide tests that almost all states have and are a universal failure of measuring education (in my opinion).  

One of the teachers mentions that “traditional education” (especially teaching to the test) is not effective for these children since there world is completely different from the word the test/textbook writers envision.  

Argue all you want, (and obviously I have absolutely no answers), they have a point.  How is anyone going to learn if the “textbook” doesn’t apply to  your world, whether the child (or adult) is from a low-low-income neighborhood or the backwoods?  

I actually plan on researching more on this, just to see what all is involved in “state-wide” tests.  I think it is an attempt to test something or quantify something that can’t be tested or quantified on standard tests or probably by any means.

From the same series, there is a similar situation, where a detective is ordered not to look for dead bodies he had figured are in abandoned buildings since the dead bodies will “decrease the clearance rate” and made the Police Department look bad.  

I really doubt that that  hiding dead bodies actually happens like “teaching to the test” does,  (at least very much), but it indicates the fallibility of using false tests of effectiveness!  

(In the series, the incoming Mayor is urged to get the bodies out so they can be blamed on the outgoing Mayor and not during his tenure!).  

While the dead body situation is obviously an exaggeration, it does emphasize a real danger in judging performance based on artificial statistics and not what the job really is.  

In my opinion, the job of education is to teach students to effectively deal with their actual lives.  Again, I have no answers, but I think it is good to continue searching for the answers and not set up artificial “tests” of whether students have “learned” certain  artificial goals.  

Same with law enforcement, the goal is to provide a safer environment while protecting people and property, not produce statistics.  

Easy to say, but hard to do!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, November 20, 2018.

2018 Fall November 19 Monday

33 degrees this morning, 73% humidity, no walk

No walk this morning, outdoor temperature plus I have a medical test this morning.  

Yesterday was cold all day, slight freezing drizzle in the early morning.  Winter weather has arrived a lot earlier this year.  Normally  we don’t get weather and temperatures like that here until around  Christmas.  

Three day work week this week, off on Thanksgiving and Friday. I always like Thanksgiving. 

Aliene made fudge yesterday, which means I go to “lick” a lot of pans!  I can testify it is wonderful fudge this year!  We didn’t eat much else other than breakfast and fudge!  

Overall a good weekend, ins spite  of, or maybe because of the weather.  

Realized another advantage (I think) of the “Amazon Echo”  yesterday morning.  A “yellow ring” was occasionally pulsing and I couldn’t figure out why..  So I asked it.  

Apparently when we order something from Amazon, the Echo provides us with a “Notification” when the day it is going to be delivered and also a notification when the package actually arrives!  

We saw the “Amazon Prime” van deliver the item and the driver actually RAN the package to the door and ran back to the van.  We then immediately got  notice that our package was on the porch  

Technology!  

Attended a “Neighborhood Alliance” meeting Thursday, presentation on the “Comprehensive Plan” for the city. 

This week we have the “annual meeting” of the HOA.  Not quite sure why it is on a Friday night, although I guess that does mean there are fewer conflicts since most meetings are on Friday.  

I remember one city I was in, one group started having breakfast meetings since “no other meetings were at this time”.  It worked so well, soon a lot of groups started having morning meetings, meaning there was now conflicts with other meetings! 

Sometimes something can be too successful!

We don’t go to a lot of HOA and Neighborhood Alliance meetings, primarily because they don’t have a lot o freeings and the HOA meetings are frequently on a night where we have a conflict.  

The HOA is responsible for enforcing the covenants etc., so it can be and of a thankless job.   Since the covenants are stricter than city ordinances, it is more difficult to explain to people what the rules are and enforce them.  

It is also a very valuable job, since nothing allows a neighborhood to go down like “exceptions” that get out of hand.  Once a rule isn’t enforced, it is difficult to enforce it at all and then there soon are no rules.  

I was interested in the Neighborhood Alliance because the neighborhood is the basic building block of a city, or community. 

I think this Neighborhood Alliance is oriented to other purposes than many such Neighborhood Alliances are, but then I’m not the one doing all the work! 

That’s it for now, Monday November 19, 2018. 

2018 Fall November 18 Sunday

31 degrees (feels like 20), no walk, 90% humidity 

Planned on walking this morning, but when I saw the wind speed (17 mph) and the “feels like” temperature, I decided to wait!

Yesterday was very nice in the morning (in the 60’s), but rapidly cooled in the afternoon.  

While it is a stretch, when I listen to the “Great Course” on biology, I compare the behavior of “cells” to the behavior of people.  

I use the term “cells” loosely, to illustrate all of the ways of biological change etc.  

One of the terms used was something to the effect of “genetic migration”, where genetic change occurs because of “migration” of cells that have carry (or don’t have) certain characteristics, and so change the entire organism, animal, plant, human being or whatever.   (At the new location.)

I am reading “Boomtown” , the story about the settling (and development through the years) of Oklahoma City.  It is truly an amazing story.  

While recognizing that people are basically the same, and not making any judgements, I think the people who inhabited Oklahoma City,  the very early settlers etc., people who responded to the gold rush, went on the Oregon Trail, migrated from Europe to the United States etc. truly made a change in basic human structure.  

The reason for this would be that people who migrate probably have certain cellular as well as personality traits that are passed on to comprise a different human being, over the long term anyway. 

Of course, the direct change would be further changed by people who migrate later under different circumstances.  

Sometimes I look at the country side, the trees, hills, rivers etc. and I really wonder how people with only wagons etc., could have survived, much less prospered back in the 1800’s etc. I am sure they had characteristics (again, no value judgements) that basically changed the biological structure of humans who migrated.  

Of course, that is assuming our body structure influences our behavior, which I think in some basic way it does.  How, I have no idea, but it just seems logical.  

I have a difficult time focusing on the book as I listen to it, since so many of the concepts are completely new to me (at least on my conscious level).  I remember many of the terms (as an example the “double helix”), but I had no idea of what that meant.  ( still don’t!) 

It is always comfortable to read something I am familiar with, but always interesting to learn something new also and try to relate it to my current knowledge of other fields etc.  I

I am tempted listen to the book again, but 36 hours is a little hard to find!  I still have about 19 hours to go on the existing book!  

It is one of the “Great Courses” that have a pdf study guide, so I need to read it.  The best procedure is read a chapter, listen to the book and and read the chapter again, but “good intentions” are difficult to implement!  

That’s it for now, Sunday, November 18, 2018.

2018 Fall November 17 Saturday

48 degrees this morning, 57% humidity, no walk

No walk this morning in spite of almost perfect weather for this time of year, except the wind was up.  

Pondering on the “early morning” that I experience.  In spite of the amount of time before I go to work (or eat breakfast on a weekend), my morning activities are very structured.  Even ten minutes change can throw off my morning!

I usually start off with noting the temperature etc. on my “notes”, then my walk, (weights on some days).  Then I take my shower etc. 

After that I write this (my journal) which has become the ritual I rarely or literally never miss doing.  

After that, I usually read the papers (both electronic and paper).

Then the best part, my nap(s)! 

This morning I have some early activities, plus it is “that” time of year when I try to avoid a head cold, coughing etc.  

I am always concerned when I can’t/don’t walk for any period of more than a day or so that I will get out of the habit.  

Not likely, but it is the little daily decisions that frequently end up being the big decisions in our lives.  

Suddenly you look back and try to remember when you stopped doing something etc and your realize you made a major decision without any real thought on it.  

Kind of like gaining weight, it is the little eating decisions I make every day that can have a “large’ cumulative effect!

Thinking about my Dad this morning, today is his birthday.  He would have been 112 years old today, or is 112 years old today, depending on how you look at it.  

He tried to be disciplined (and was), and, although he didn’t call it that I expect, he really had a strategic plan for his life.  

I was advised yesterday I was “too healthy” to continue in the medical test (testing a new medicine).  What is bad was I was starting to like the medicine, which of course I have to stop since it is not approved yet and is only in the testing stage. 

I really have thought lately about how time seems to fly.  November just started and it is now over 1/2 over!  

That’s it for now, Saturday, November 17, 2018.

2018 Fall November 16 Friday

38 degrees this morning, walk 34:56 miles, 81% humidity.

Walk this morning was good, not even really that cold, although I dressed for it.  No wind, which helped.  It felt good to start walking again.  

Didn’t have any extreme reaction to the cold air, as far as coughing etc. 

Pace was 16 seconds slower than my goal, which is ok, I was just pleased to finish the walk.

Again, I realized the difference in “quality” walking socks versus cheaper socks.  I use the “walking socks’ only for my walk, although I walk quite a bit during the day on “field days” and I really noticed the difference.  

I  read an article about the hazards of “free” the other day.  The article pointed out that Facebook, Google etc. depend (I believe) about 80% on advertising, while Apple, Netflix etc. depend very little on advertising.  

The article also noted that “free TV” aimed at the lowest level (which may be true, but not 100% or even close) while HBO, Netflix etc. have proven people will pay for quality programming.  

Personally, I don’t care if Facebook and Google use my data (in a general sense) for advertising.  Free is free.  Of course, they also have the obligation to protect the individual data, but it makes just common sense not to put some data.

Of course I realize my demographics don’t attract anyone anyway, other than AARP or Medicare Advantage programs!

I recently fill outed a survey with my correct data and was advised the survey had closed.  I went back and used different demographics and was invited to complete the complete survey!

Speaking of a self fulfilling prophecy!

I was surprised at the articles about “how to quit Facebook” etc.  I never even thought about quitting Facebook or Messenger. 

Basically you pay a price for “free” and I think anyone realizes and accepts this when they  subscribe to a “free” service.  

As I mentioned before, I am trying to keep track of my dreams.  I don’t make any attempt at interpretation, I just  just kind of go with the flow and try to keep track of my dreams.  

This is a small snippet, but wanted to keep track pf all the dreams I can.

Dream 11-14-18

Dreamed on a train ride.  Not sure where or why. 

Switching trains, I bought a bunch of cardboard over the the conductor said no problem with taking the cardboard.  Said he had some type of freight, but it was going to another city.

The train was really dusty and there was a lot of boxes, which hadn’t been crushed, I had cut up mine.  

That’s it for now,, Friday,  11-16-18

2018 Fall November 15 Thursday

28 degrees this morning (feels like 21), no walk, humidity 69%

Got up planning to walk this morning, decided not to, primarily due to the temperature and a busy schedule today. 

Listening to a discussion about the company “Sales Force”.  Nothing against the company as such, but I really get irritated at the concept that has led to the idea of “cross-selling” etc., where if I call into a company, no matter what the reason, I am inundated with sales pitches for products or services I have no interest in.  Of course I can just say “no”, but it wastes my time.  

Nothing is more irritating than to call in for assistance and then get ten sales pitches for junk products or services (and usually high commissions!) from sales people who are more interested in selling you something instead of resolving the issue at hand.  

Of course credit card companies and banks are notorious for this, but it has even extended to the pest control company where some of the pest control people are really sales people in disguise who are more interested is selling “extended services” than doing their job.  

My first (or at least my first conscious) contact with this was Capital One and “cross selling” to any customer who called in.  

I have made a point of avoiding any Capital One product, but the “customer as target” concept has even gotten more out of hand.  As I mentioned, even pest control companies are more interested in selling “enhanced” services than providing a service. 

Of course my defense is I never buy an “enhanced” service when I call in with a problem or question.  I “just say not”.  

A related irritant is the phone calls from people who seem to think I am stupid (or too careless with my money) that I will “give money” to someone who thinks so little of my time they will call me up at any time of the day. Again, I always say “no” as the defense.

E-mail has also gotten out of hand.  I need to keep track, but I don’t want to waste the time, but I expect only about 1 of 25 e-mails is really anything I want or need.  The rest are spam, sales pitches etc.  

I have learned never to fill out a survey or questionnaire unless I use a “junk mail” address that I might check every two weeks.  Again, another example of companies that mis-use your information and are really stealing your e-mail address under the false pretenses that they really care what you say on the survey.  

This morning I even got an e-mail  that had some kind of loud ad on it.  They really think I will buy from someone that does something like that?

Anyway, on a more positive note, it is Thursday and warmer weather is forecast!  I am definitely  really to get back to walking, but the last thing I want to do is trigger something that would start my coughing again.  

I am participating in a study about a new medicine for asthma etc., so it will be interesting to see how that goes!  If nothing else it is interesting to see how such a study works and what all is involved in it.

That’s it for now, Thursday, November 15, 2018.  

2018 Fall November 14 Wednesday

21 degrees this morning, no walk, 87 % humidity 

Temperature remained cold yesterday (in the 20’s much of the day), but warmed enough that most of the snow melted.  

Hopefully it will warm up soon.  

Didn’t walk this morning, primarily due to the cold and it’s effect on my coughing, which I assume is a type of asthma, that reacts to cold weather and exercise, so both factors are there.  

Combine that with some confusion over when i take my inhaler and I decided it was best to skip today.  (Plus any remaining ice that may be on the streets!)

Considering everything, we are discussing pulling the trigger on buying a decent quality treadmill, primarily so we don’t have any excuses not to walk!  We decided by the time we drive someplace to walk, or the walks we miss due to the weather, it will be well worth it.  

As always with any major purchase,  the problem is which treadmill to purchase.  It seems no matter how much you research, there is always an art to purchasing the right model etc.  

It seems that November had just started and now it is already almost the middle of November!  I expect Thanksgiving will fly by, especially since it is next week!  

Participated in the direct form of democracy last night by attending the City Council meeting of the city we live in.  

The primary reason concerned a zoning/planning issue which does not directly affects us, but could have a large impact on us due to traffic etc.  

No matter what the decision, I was pleased (and almost giddy!) to see residents present their perception of how they were affected by the proposal in basic, emotional and rational terms. 

Several people got up and presented detailed analysis of the proposal as they saw it from legal, engineering and planning aspects, which is part of it also.

However, the most effective was several residents who presented how the proposal affected them in their daily life and their investment in their house.  

I think it really really enforced my belief in the importance of local government.  It is the one level where a resident can literally walk to the meeting (well, probably not, but at the most a short drive) to the City Council (or whatever the local governing body is called) and personally express how a project is affecting them or will affect them.  

Compare that to even getting input to your state or national Senator or Representative, much less meeting with the elected officials who make the final decision!  

That’s it for now, Wednesday, November 14, 2018. 

2018 Fall November 13 Tuesday

21 degrees this morning (feels like 10 degrees), no walk, 81% humidity  

For obvious  reasons, didn’t walk this morning, not only the cold but the snow on the ground and possibly ice on the sidewalk/streets!

Snow started early yesterday morning and continued throughout the morning and then cold weather.  

Actually set a “calendar day” (Nov. 12) record here.  .7 “ in some areas, I think we had closer to an inch here.  An inch in this  area in early November is a lot of  snow, or at least a lot of snow this early!

Spent a “snow day” at home yesterday, didn’t even go outside except to pickup the newspapers right as it started snowing.  Don’t do that often, got a book finished and another one started!  

There is a certain aura of the suspension of normal life that occurs when there is a heavy snow, at least if I don’t need to go out in it!  

Normally I would do an “office day’ today, especially since I always have plenty of office work to do, but I have a medical appointment early this morning that I need to get out for.  

One of the aspects of moving and change of jobs is the fact I don’t really  need to go out in bad weather, which takes some fo the sting out of the cold/snowy/icy weather!

One book I was reading yesterday was a book about a person who was involved in the undercover work involved in controlling terrorism (American Radical).  It was interesting, perhaps a little scary.  

The starting three day Veterans Day weekend is over, a 4 day work week this week and than an 3 day work week next week for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  

If I am figuring right, this is the earliest that Thanksgiving can come, unless the first day of November is on November 1st, which is probably true for next year.  

I always like the Thanksgiving Day holiday, I like the concept and the family iteration normally involved.  As I have noted before, some of my earliest memories come from Thanksgiving.  And of course I like the 4 day weekend!

Recently read where it is important to review your dreams.  I haven’t been remembering many of my dreams lately, but idd not a snippet yesterday>

Dream 11-12-18

Dreamed left glasses some place and someone bought them in and they were missing  a lens and one fo the “arms” had fallen off.

Don’t remember much else other than that.  

A second dream was I took the car to get gas.  Somehow in the dream I was waiting without a car fro both our cars to come down to get gassed.  

I’d see what I thought was our car, but it would be another kind of car.  It was an old fashioned service station, not a convenience store/service station.  

I don’t know how I got there without a car, but this was a dream.  

That’s it for now, Tuesday, November 13, 2018. 

2018 Fall November 12 Monday

38 degrees this morning, 88% humidity, light rain, no walk.

Snow forecast today.  With the temperature, it almost seems more likely to get a freezing rain, which is a lot worse than snow!

Veterans Day Holiday today.  Too bad it is bad weather today on a Holiday!  

I may have finally found a good way to take photos of my Hot Wheels, we’ll see.  My plan it to take photos or all the “loose” Hot Wheels and then take pictures of the Hot Wheels still in boxes and then let them loose in the wild, hopefully in time for the great grandchildren to play with them!  Not that they don’t have plenty of Hot Wheels to play with already!  

They are amazingly durable.  Only a few have been damaged to the point to me having to throw them away or even show signs of the rather rough play they get!  

Another sign of “you get what you pay for”.  I bought some cheaper cars (than Hot Wheels) and they are damaged a lot easier plus I don’t think they are as much fun for them to play with.  For the difference in cost, I’d been a lot better off buying Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars.  

I usually only buy the “under $1,00” cars, I don’t really care if they are collectible or not.  If you can’t play with them, why have them!  

Another area of “you get what you pay for” I’ve found is walking shoes.  My feet have thanked me many times in the last four years for buying a better quality walking shoe!  They are more than just a few dollars more expensive, but they are well worth the money.  

I have finally settled on Brooks walking/running shoes as being the best quality shoe for me.

They are especially worth it, since I was facing an operation with 6-8 weeks off my feet if he better quality shoes didn’t work!  Fortunately they did!  

Another item I never really thought about before was socks.  The more expensive “walking socks” are also well worth the extra money (at least to me).  I don’t need them for just causal walking (although I actually have never tried them for causal walking), but they sure make a difference when I exercise walk.

Not being able to walk because of weather, colds etc. happens every winter, but that doesn’t make it any better!  I’ve been trying to decide another place I could walk, but by the time I drive someplace to walk it takes a lot of time.  

Probably a good compromise is a good quality treadmill, something we have discussed and are probably going to get.  I say “quality’ because the last treadmill we had was designed so it was difficult to read while on the treadmill so we didn’t use it that much since there is nothing more boring than walking on a treadmill without something to read or watch.  (The treadmill was so noisy, it was also difficult to watch tv etc. while walking. This was before the time of “streaming” shows.)

  

I could still walk in good weather.  Actually years ago, I started off each morning on the treadmill and than a swim, which is my preferred exercise, but decent swimming pools are rare.

Hopefully it won’t snow or have too much “freezing rain” today! 

That’s it for now, Monday, November 12, 2018.