Times may be a changin'...

I had written a light-hearted blog to post for this week, but I am not feeling particularly light-hearted following the events of this past week in my own Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  So -- with thoughts on the future of our country -- a few words on upcoming decisions and the future of the United States of America.

I am going to vote, once again, for a strong man, one who has not let himself be beaten down by those who have tried to undermine his previous presidency with lies and false accusations, and who now continue their desperate efforts to destroy him --  to try to bankrupt him, imprison him and discredit him with further fear mongering lies.  I am going to vote, once again, for the strong man the current "president" recently suggested should become a "target" - a most unfortunate choice of words - all things considered.  We all saw the attempted assassination. Most of the world saw it. The strong man I am voting for come November is former President... Donald J Trump. 

It seems to me that every single thing the former President has been accused of doing was actually done by the accusers who think they are so special that they can get away with anything. The truth is coming to the surface more and more every day for those who are willing to examine what evidence is seeping to the top of the swamp and oozing its dank, smelly way forward. 

I am going to vote for the man who is for all American people and who has proven himself to be so while in office for four years -- a previous track record. He is a man who gets things done in spite of adversity ... perhaps that is why those who oppose him, hate him. He does in a short time, what they have spent years never accomplishing. Were they even trying?  He is a man who cares more about your freedoms and quality of life than about your pronouns of choice or other woke concerns.

I encourage you to vote for the man who has been there for you, the man who has been shot, knocked down and stood up strong ready to fight for you and for the future of your country.  He can do the job. He has done it before in spite of devious opposition.

A year before the 2016 election I wrote a memo to Donald Trump and posted it as a blog in From Pencilbox to Keyboard.  The memo ended with these words: Please don't become one of "them". Please know that there are those out there in the world who have come to dislike politicians, who have learned to identify and to distrust all the false rhetoric and promises, who are disillusioned and apathetic -- rightfully so.  You, seemingly a non-politician, appear to be asking all the right questions and at the same time making media, government, and some big business edgy and afraid.  Some of us like that a lot and think that their discomfort is way overdue and well-deserved.  Please be the answer for us.  Give us hope. With you, even as arrogant as you are/can be, maybe some of us will become more trusting, less disillusioned and less apathetic.  Maybe we will get to be a part of the new American dream.  ...  Go for it,  Donald. Although you sometimes seem to carry things a bit too far, there are those out here who are watching -- maybe even daring to hope again."

During the past few years, I, among many others, have been thrown into a "basket of deplorables", threatened with interment in a camp for the unvaccinated ... treated like I have cooties because I refused to take an experimental drug.  I am one of many.  Time to let all that slide into the past now and to stand together for a better future for all.  Hopefully we have learned important lessons. Hopefully we will have a strong leader to usher us into that future.  I see that in President Donald J. Trump.  There is a man who commands respect.  We need that in this world.  Look what the weak, wishy-washy and hate filled have brought us. Look how they are now beginning to eat their own to maintain their power over you. Beware of their fear mongering... aren't you tired of it?  I think they do that because they have nothing good to say about themselves or what they have accomplished. Isn't it insulting that 
"they" think you will fall for it again?  Show "them" you will not. Let's move forward together and make a better world for our children and grandchildren.

Wisdom Teeth...

My grandson is scheduled to have his wisdom teeth removed and when talking about it, I  wondered about the origin of the term.  I mean why are they called that?  They obviously don't make you smarter if you keep them or dumber if they are removed. Right?

As often happens with me -- I found that a bit of research was necessary to satisfy my curiosity, and what I found out is not at all exciting.  The term wisdom teeth originates in ancient Greece. Doesn't everything?  It simply means that that they are teeth you get when you are older and supposedly wiser. Really?  You get them usually between the ages of 17 and 25.  I guess in ancient Greece that was quite old considering that life expectancy was 25 during the Roman empire which came after the decline of ancient Greece.  

Get this -- by the middle ages life expectancy rose to 33.  By the early 1900's it was up to 55 and today in the United States life expectancy is almost 80. Wow!  Makes me tired to think about it. My, how things have changed.

I figure at almost 75 I must have moved beyond wise into the next level, at least in the perspective of ancient Greece.  Not sure what that is exactly, but I do know that I will need my glasses to read about it. 

Garage Sale

Anyone who has ever had a garage/yard sale knows that it is a lot of hard work.  There is digging out, sorting, cleaning, pricing, etc. and... the aftermath.

So anyway ... my son, daughter-in-law and I are planning on having such a sale next week while they are "home" for a visit. My daughter's family and other close "partners in crime" are also involved.  It will be a happening.  My son is determined to clear his "stuff" out of my basement.  Just recently six large tubs of Homer Simpson (still in the box) collectibles and a tub of hockey and basketball cards went off with an expert who sells such things online on a commission basis.  Yay!  It's a start.  That leaves odds and ends of his growing up, including his '80's baseball card collection, along with some of my "treasures".  I have an old desk, a mended futon, three of my grandma's dining room chairs, an old trunk that lacks a key at the moment and assorted leftover toys from young grandchildren. I know we will find a ton of other things in the actual garage as well, and ... I need to remember to check my small barn. As for my daughter -- she may have a few things but I think most of her treasures are now to be found in her own basement. Plus she is way better about not hanging onto things "just in case".

Now here's the thing.  I have two rules for garage sales.  First -- nothing comes back into the house.  Nothing.  Second -- there is always a large Free pile that grows toward the end of the sale (that helps with rule number one.)  Here's hoping for a nice weather day or two. We are thinking of running the sale rain or shine next Thursday (11th) and Friday (12th).

I have no idea what I am going to do with an empty basement. About the only things that will be left there are two rocking chairs, wedding dresses, canning jars in waiting for harvest season, two empty bin warehouses, some Christmas decorations, and dog crates for visiting pets. I suppose I could dance there and have room for twirling....  Picture that....  More likely though is that the spiders will just take over in between basement cleanings that are few and far between.  The spiders have been trying for years to claim that area.  I care less and less... may even let them win for a while.

Stop by if you are in the area... maybe bring a truck.

Enough is Enough

 

Didn’t watch any news yesterday, but I imagine the dust is still settling after what I call the debate debacle.   No doubt the dems will find some way to spin it so that the declining Joe will come off sympathetic or something.  They will come up with excuses in an effort to deflect and to keep people from wondering who the hell is running the United States.  I find it so scary really. The America people are sitting ducks for those taking aim at the US … this because of power hungry, despicable people in government and media who place personal power above the welfare of all Americans and of our nation.  No doubt some will make a futile attempt to blame it all on Republicans or Trump --- but this is not about Republicans or Trump; is it? It's all about Biden and those who prop him up.  Questions of the day... Who is running the country?  Who has been running the country? All Americans have the right to know what has been going on.

One further note ... and it is an important one.  My heart goes out to all who have been deceived - Democrat, Republican or whatever.  We are talking about good, honest, intelligent people.  If I were them, I would be more than a little bit angry and want to cry out for justice.  We will see what happens on that front. My suggestion -- let your voice be heard now and in the voting booth. 

Hang on.  "But in the end truth will out."  (William Shakespeare)

Too old for a tree house???

These are stressful times in so many ways. Even though it isn't always easy to do, I do try to concentrate on finding happy things -- things to feel good about... things to make my heart smile and that might spread smiles to others as well.  They are out there ... sometimes closer than you might think. They are around in the small moments often easily overlooked.  I think it boils down to mindfulness... and sometimes to remembering.  

Just the other day I was thinking about growing up and about how much of my life I spent in trees when I was a kid running around in worn out  Keds. I think I have always had the tendency to try to avoid crowds, and there is a lovely peaceful quietness about trees.  I had favorite trees here and there... sturdy friends all. There were some scary moments in the climbing up and down, but the time spent reading while having a snack -- leaning up against the main trunk while high up ... too good to ever pass up... so worth the scratches and bruises.  Fellow tree climbers will understand how the world even sounds different while high up in a tree. It's peaceful and comforting somehow. You never forget the sound and feel of the wind moving through the leaves.

A while back there was a fun television show about tree houses -- adults having remarkable tree houses built -- homes really. I think it was called Treehouse Masters. I loved that show. Wish I could find reruns of it right now. What always concerns me most now though, when thinking about a tree house, is the ups and downs.  I don't even use a step ladder in my own kitchen very often. There was even a period of time that I accused my adult children of hiding my bigger ladders, but then I ran across them in one of the back stalls in my barn and had to apologize for the false accusations ... something I still find amusing in a twisted sort of way.  Anyway --  I think it is time to leave the tree climbing and tree houses to those under the age of almost 75.  I confess I have thought more than once though about having a tree house built in my back pasture.  The trees there are perfect for one, but methinks I missed the age related deadline.

The thing is now may not be the right time for tree climbing (or tree houses) for me, but ... there are the memories of once upon a time.  I will settle for that.  I have good memories of then. Actually I never had a tree house per se; the tree itself was more than good enough.  Now... I do think that I am too old for one. Tree houses rank right there with mini skirts and parachuting.  Life is like that sometimes.  I do, however, have a truly magnificent kite. That is a whole other story yet to be told. 

Laptops and Snapping Turtles

 So many important topics to write about these days:

"Elder Abuse Awareness Day: A commitment to protecting our seniors" was just "celebrated" on June 15th.

 Juneteenth and the meaning thereof...

Hunter's laptop and assorted or perhaps other sordid current events...

The national identity crisis of 2024...

The chaos of the world...

I will leave them all for others.  Today I am thinking about snapping turtles laying eggs in my mulch again, whether or not I should sow wildflower seeds in my entire pasture, and if we will ever have more than two days of low humidity in a row.  The thought has also entered my head wondering if there is anywhere else in the world that you need your furnace in the morning and ac in the evening.   That's all.  Ignoring important topics works for me. Sometimes the little things are also important.  

"In times like these, it helps to recall that there have always been times like these." (Paul Harvey)

I have a question...

Not a fan of self-checkout machines or of any kind of robots in general.  I like people -- most of the time anyway, and ... I always prefer chatting with a clerk to checking myself out or to feeling like I am dealing with a machine. I haven't even used an ATM in years. If I ever even had a debit card, I lost it in a junk drawer long ago. The one exception to this might be my Roomba which, although really stupid, does do a relatively good job of cleaning underneath all the beds, and for that I am thankful.  It doesn't seem to care though. It's not a bit fun -- just sits on the floor charging and waiting. It has no personality at all.  Then there is all the recent hubbub about AI. It is sort of an all of a sudden kind of brouhaha... and probably a bit over the top sort of thing.  We will see. I learned recently that AI has actually been in the making for a long time. I did not know this.

Speculation about Artificial Intelligence doesn't bode well for many though. An unnamed source of a Google search tells me that apparently IBM, for example, will replace some 30% of its "back-office" roles with AI within the next five years, That translates to approximately 7,800 positions.  The phrase "7800 positions" translates to 7800 people losing their jobs. (That is one big "back-office".) IBM has also slowed or stopped hiring for some clerical positions.  Other articles report of thousands of other jobs that have already been lost or are in the process of being eliminated by AI. "Other jobs" also translates to "more people" losing their jobs. Semantics are important.

I suppose that Artificial Intelligence has its place and has its good points.  For example, it can work without stopping 24/7 and some say that it reduces error and increases quality. AI handles data efficiently. The thing is though -- the mere thought of people being replaced by machines is disturbing to me. (I vow to avoid self-checkout if at all possible.) Humans have a way of giving things a nice, creative and lovely "human" touch - mistakes and all. I just hope that Artificial Intelligence doesn't totally eliminate the chance  for humans to communicate directly with one another.  The world would be a sad place without smiles and eye contact. An occasional hug is also a nice thing.

My question is: Who even thinks of this kind of thing? The answer -- the concept was introduced in the 1950's and continues to be explored over the years by many. An MIT computer genius named John McCarthy gave it the name Artificial Intelligence. AI has been coming for a long time. Maybe we will get as used to it as we have become to computers or cell phones. I know I can change.  I distinctly remember thinking that the idea of a microwave oven was ridiculous. I changed that opinion rather rapidly.  We will see.  I figure that human beings can just pull the plug or let the battery run down if AI gets too big for its britches. Hope so, anyway. 

Must mention in parting -- AI and robots, in addition to other concerns, give me the creeps, -- no matter how smart they are or how good of a job they do. 

...