White House Folks; Voting; Bullying; Herr Himmler's Diaries; Forks in the Road

Cloudy and more thunderstorms.  So far, in the last 10 days, we may have had 10 hours of sun. However, when I am up at 4AM, I get a good look at Jupiter, shining away.  Apparently, clouds disperse early in the morning and come back at 8AM.  Odd.

Today, I just want to be Prepop, commenting on the world that interacts with me... or, rather, me interacting with the world.

El Presidente and Friends

I just got very depressed reading about Jared Kushner's financial activity.  There was a long article today in the Washington Post.  If true, there  is a lot of "hanky panky" going on to get his lenders to lower their demands in exchange for access to Mr. Trump and/or things that are happening in the White House.  I hope it is not true... but we'll see.

The newspapers are predicting a "shake up" in the White House.  The main hit will probably be on Mr. Spicer... poor guy... how would you like to answer unanswerable questions by the Press.  Unanswerable because the President keeps changing what he says he has said... and Sean has to try to figure out what the latest Tweet or other utterance means.  Most of the time, what he says is later contradicted  by Donald. And sometimes it is a like. (In my opinion.)   What a job!  However, a "normal" person would probably have quit by now.

And Mr. Pence utters so much dribble that it makes one gasp.  (Again, in my opinion, of course....I wouldn't want the "thought police" to come after me for slandering a Government official.")  Just think of what it will be like when Mr. Pence becomes President.

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Keeping Up With the News

At a function the other night, I was sitting next to a very nice person.  She is a very good Catholic and goes to mass every day.  She mentions that she doesn't watch much TV.  Just the game shows.  And, sometimes, usually once a week, she watches the evening news and that way she knows what is going on in the world.

She voted for Mr. Trump because he was "going to ban abortions."

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Bullying

It stirred my juices to see Mr. Trump push the Prime Minister of Montenegro our of his way so that he could get out front in a "photo op."

I've mentioned this before.  I was a tough but gentle kid.  When I went to Summer Camp I was given the job of beating up bullies. Some of these kids later became my friends and they usually did not display bullying tactics again.  Hurray for me!   Thankfully, I did not become a bully myself.

My juices have always been stirred up when I see people picking on other people.  In school, I made sure that kids being picked on became my friends.   Example:  Courtney Gilbert dressed in his late father's 1930's suits and soft hats.. you know that this made him a prey to bullies. .(This was in grammar school.)  We became friends and nobody picked on him any more.  He was a great person to be friends with.  He's the guy who had a mystery story published in "pulp fiction"... the detective in the story was named "Joe Vaughan."

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Aghast at Ghastly Documents

Das Bild reports that Heinrich Himmler's lost office diaries have been found in Russia.  You remember old Heinrich..  he's the guy responsible for planning the mass killing of millions of Jews. Here are notes for a couple of days in the diaries:

Herr Himmler has a pleasant massage shortly before he had a group of Poles executed and their families sent to a concentration camp.

Herr Himmler watched over the gassing of 400 women and girls, and then dressed for a festive evening function with fellow SS officers.

What a sweetheart!

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A Great Idea!

Charles McGrath writes that British novelist Penelope Lively "is fascinated by contingency .. the idea that an entire life is shaped by small decisions that seem inconsequential at the time."  She wrote a book called "Making It Up" in 2005. In this book she imagined "all the different directions her life might have taken."

I think that it would be fun, imagining how one's life would have turned out if one zigged instead of zagged at that fork in the road.  For instance, for me:

What would have happened if I had chosen the "Classical Course" in High School, in stead of the "Business Course?"  I wanted to study Greek and Latin.. instead, I learned to type.

What would have happened if I had told Walter Wilson that I didn't really want to go for a ride in his "new" old jalopy?  I never would have met the pretty girl who later became my beloved wife and the mother of my three great kids.

What would have happened to me if I hadn't told my Uncle that I wanted to get into the Air Force instead of the Army as my draft letter strongly suggested.  Instead of becoming a cryptographer, I probably would have learned how to shoot a rifle at North Koreans.

What would have happened if I accepted the job of Budget Analyst at Indian Head, Maryland rather than the job of Claims Authorizer at Baltimore, Maryland?  My kids would not have met and married the persons they did meet and marry.

Doesn't this bend your mind!

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Original Piano Playing; Driving Celebrities; Skydiving; Barnacle Bill; Soap; Salt; French Fries; Dessert with the Boss; Ballpark Ashes

The sun shows itself again, after a long absence.

Today, I would like to comment on the craziness of this wonderful world.

Are you musically inclined?  If so, you may be interested in this.

One of the many printed catalogs we get each and every day (Favorites) had the following item for sale.

The Potty Piano 

This is a large printed piano octave that fits around your toilet bowl.  The black and white notes are delineated so that you can depress them independently while you conduct your business.  It comes with a "mini songbook" to help you play 3 songs.  To increase its usefulness, it has an on/off button and "sleep mode."

Or, maybe you are intrigued with powerful people. If so, this may be for you.

Peek-a-boo

The same catalog listed a product that I am tempted to send for.  A removable "photorealistic" image of either President Trump or Queen Elizabeth.  The image is "peel-and-press" and attaches easily to car windows.   As you drive down the street, imagine how envious your friends will be when they see that you are ferrying famous people in your Toyota!

But wait... there is something else in this catalog that I must send for.

The Trump Countdown Clock

This item is embossed with the President's picture and the words:

"Countdown to Trump's Last Day 1.20.21."

The "clock's" screen keeps track of DJT's term of office by days, hours, minutes, and seconds.

Now, that is one hell of a great catalog, in my humble opinion.

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Death Wish?

According to The Week magazine, about a year ago, American skydiver, Luke Atkins jumped out of an airplane at 4 miles above the ground into a "large" net suspended 20 stories high.  But wait, Luke did this without a parachute.  Luke was successful but said that he was a little nervous.  I would say that he was crazy as hell.

Elaine jumped out of a few planes.  A couple of knee operations cured her of that foolishness.  Thank God.

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Barnacle Bill the Sailor

It's only me from over the sea
Said Barnacle Bill the Sailor
I'm all lit up like a Christmas Tree
Said Barnacle Bill the Sailor
I'll sail the sea until I croak
I fight and swear and drink and smoke
But I can't swim a bloody stoke
Said Barnacle Bill the Sailor.

(As recorded by Frank Luther)

My Uncle Allen like this song. His nickname was "Popeye" and he had his own version of the related song: "Popeye the Sailor Man."  I especially like these two lines:

"I like to go swimmin'
With bow-legged women."

As I gaze at my ancient body, I realize that I have now become covered with "old sailor's barnacles."  My GP says that this is just the result of aging and is nothing to worry about.  Small comfort!

I also have a constantly moving array of purple bruises on my arms and hands.  I'm told that this is the result of blood thinning resulting from prescription medicine or aspirin.  Since I take a baby aspirin each day and consume lots of alka seltzer, I guess this is the cause of my disfigurement.  Incidentally, the appearance of black and blue (and purple?) bruises is called:  ecchymoses.

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A Few Items from a Recent Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me Program

Sex Sells

The Dove soap company is now selling bottles of soap shaped like women.

Lazy Shakers

Someone has marketed an electronic salt-shaker called the SMALT.

Edible Utensil?

McDonald's is going to be selling forks made of French Fries. ( Handles with French Fries on the end.)

Dessert with the Boss

Time Magazine supposedly reported that during a recent dinner with "big-shots,"  when dessert was served, everyone got one scoop of ice cream, except Mr. Trump, who got 2 scoops.  Mr. Pence got a fruit cup.

Oy!

The Einstein Bagel Company is marketing a "caffeinated bagel."

Spread the Cremains

A noted plumber died recently and was cremated.  A fellow plumber who knew him well, and knew that he loved baseball, is traveling from ball park to ball park, flushing some of his friend's cremains down a toilet in each one.

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Enough!

New Four Freedoms

Sunny, rainy, stormy, changeable day in Spring.

Four Freedoms

The Mensa Journal  for April/May 2017 published a "new"set of Four Freedoms.  We all are acquainted with the pictures that Norman Rockwell painted based on President Franklin D. Roosevelt;s famous speech in 1941, where he cited "freedom of speech,"  "freedom of religion,"  "freedom from want," and "freedom from fear," as the main needs of the U.S. in time depression and possible world war.

Karl Albrecht wonders if these cultural "icons" will be part of the American psyche fifty years from now. The digital environment is creating the need for new "freedoms," such as:

Freedom From Media\
Freedom from Commerce
Freedom from Politics
Freedom from Religion

Freedom from Media

Having the right to choose when to tune in to the electronic culture and when to shut the damn noise off.  It seems that we are becoming a society "who fear both intimacy and solitude, and who can't find joy in silence?"  Elaine is constantly asking me to shut off the radio or CD player and have a little quiet time.

Karl sez:  (after throwing out his TV)  "...since I got serious about input selection... I've felt that my brain has been cleansed and liberated."

Freedom from Commerce

"...we've evolved into a society in which we as citizens are automatically deemed obligated to produce and consume at the maximum possible rate..."   Buy, Buy, Buy!

Karl sez:  "Each of us can (should) declare our independence from the constant mind programming that urges us to buy more and have more."

Freedom from Politics

Mark Twain said:  "We are discreet sheep; we wait to see how the drove is going, and then we go with the drove."  My grandfather voted as a Democrat and I vote as a democrat, even though I say I am an Independent.  Why do we need parties anyway?

Karl sez;  "We should let go of emotional attachment to any brand name political party ideology, tribe or hero figure."

Freedom from Religion

"Surveys repeatedly indicate that nearly 30 percent of Americans completely reject the scientific concept of species evolution == ranking them 29th world wide in scientific orientation, just ahead of the people in Turkey."

Karl sez:  "Belief in the essential premise of science - that knowledge and understanding are forever evolving = is actually a deeper and more profound 'faith' than worshiping the old white guy with the beard."

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Health Issue

A nice rainy day  My onion sets are crowding each other out and a strange pink flower is growing out of some left over mulch.  Oy! So much rain must be good for all kinds of plants, although the wetness coming into my slippers when I go for the mail and the paper... that can't be too good for me.

Health!

I kept out a copy of Bottom Line Health from March 2015 because I found some of its items interesting and a bit scary, as follows:

Stroke Risk

According to Yasuharu Tabara, PhD, you should check with your doctor if you cannot balance on one leg, unassisted, for 20 seconds.

Prepop sez:  Well, I guess I'd better see my doctor.  The best I could do was 7 or 8 seconds.  I think I will practice this for a while and see if I improve.  Maybe I can't ride a bicycle now because of balance problems.   ( I'm getting depressed.)

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Allergies.

Jack E. Fincham, PhD, RPh, says that one might be shocked to learn about side effects connected to everyday drugs:

Loratadine (Claritin) may trigger drowsiness and depression.

Prepop sez:  (I'm really not getting depressed.)  I take loratadine in the evening because I am afraid that I would have drowsiness during the day.  And, I hope that it will  help me sleep.

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Acid Reflux

Doctor Andrew Rubman, ND says that Tums will quickly neutralize the acid-in-the-throat sensation, but a more natural way to do that is to mix one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda and a pinch of Epsom salts in four ounces of spring water.  When symptoms occur, he suggests sipping this mixture slowly and you should get relief soon.

Prepop sez:  For years I was troubled with acid reflux.  Every night I would chew 8 to 10 roll-aids and Tums.  I finally found out the cause of the acid reflex.  I ate too late at night.  I went to bed before my food had had a chance to digest. (And, of course, I ate and drank too much.)

Now, I try to eat at least 3 or 4 hours before bedtime.  If reflux occurs, I then take an Alka Seltzer, which I hate to say, I am almost addicted to.

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Sleeping.

Anne-Marie Chang, PhD  reports that using electronic devices before sleeping may result in less REM sleep, and therefore one may wake up tired the next morning.  However, reading a regular printed book does not result in the same effect.  Tablets and their like emit blue light directly into the reader's eyes.  This can suppress the sleep hormone melatonin and disrupt the cicadian clock.  In other words, the blue makes you think of the blue sky that you normally see when you are awake.

Prepop sez:  I confess that I am guilty of "blue lighting" before sleep.  I set my Kindle so I can watch Penn and Teller Fool US on YouTube.  I love magic and can watch the same act over and over.  And, of course, that means that I don't get enough REM sleep.  Sorry.

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Bad Mood

Pierce Howard, PhD, has some methods for changing a bad mood into a good mood in just a few minutes.  He tells us to turn on and listen to some minor-key tunes.  Examples:

"Hey Jude" by the Beatles
"Bad Romance" by Lady Gaga
Piano Concerto in A Minor by Edvard Grieg.

If that doesn't work, try some up-tempo music such as:

Aaron Copland
Big Band Music
"Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen.

Prepop sez:  I'm going to stick to Herr Mozart!

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Dieting.

The magazine staff asks the big question:  Where does fat go when one loses weight?

Well, the fat cells shrink and lay in wait for a new infusion of calories. Eventually though, most of fat burned during weight loss eventually becomes carbon dioxide and is exhaled.. the rest becomes water, which you excrete.

Prepop sez:  I've always wondered about that.  I shouldn't reveal this, but I am on a diet... again.  So here is my poem:

My soul is dark with suppressed riot
Directly attributed to diet!

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Bye!

UFO's; Kids; Manly Tips

Spring continues its assault on the senses.  Lush greenness everywhere below; baby blue everywhere above.

Let me talk about some marvelous stuff!

UFO Sickness

MUFON reports in their May 2017 issue that on the same day in December 2016,  a gigantic UFO was witnessed by two observers who were 64 miles apart in the state of Maine.  As this large object sailed effortlessly and noiselessly over their heads, three people and a dog became nauseous.  In one case, the nausea lasted for a couple of days.  The other two had only some hours of discomfort. The dog now refuses to go outside.

One witness reported that "there were an unusual number of ambulance calls in the area for anxiety or heart attacks the following day."

Prepop sez:  The MUFON organization reported out both of these sightings as UNKNOWN.  I have a few questions:

Since these observations were at 4 am, perhaps other folks, like bakers, could have been awake and seen the UFO.  So.. were there other sightings reported to the police in the area?

Did anyone actually tally statistics on the 911 calls and illness reportings for all of the localities between the sightings area, which were 64 miles apart?

I still remember a movie (Star Wars?) in which an alien vessel appeared to take up the whole movie screen as it passed overhead for some time.  That was very impressive to a youngster like me.  Sounds like these sightings.

I've always been interested in the UFO stories and in sci-fi in general.  During the 1950's I had a very large collection of sci-fi books.  I had them stored at my wife's parents' summer cottage.  However, a few years later revealed that these books had apparently beamed themselves up and out of sight.  Two aliens named Lennie and Janine helped with the transfer... or so it was determined.

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Kids!

The New Yorker for April 24, 2017  reported on the effort of a Ph.D candidate to get young Brooklyn kids to become deep thinkers.  When he asked  a six-year old: "What makes me me?"  The kid replied: "Look it up!"

Prepop sez:  That reminds me of the time I visited my daughter Diane's school and observed a class in session.   The teacher asked a question and said "Does anyone know the answer?"

My daughter's hand shot up and she waved it around, so the teacher felt good and said "Yes, Diane."

Diane put her hand down and said: "Ronnie and Jane are playing with pencils!"

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Chinese Logic

Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! mentioned this week that the Chinese have started to put speed bumps in their sidewalks.

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Manly Tips

Reminisce Magazine, during 2009,  reminded old-timers about Merle Housh (also known as Henry Hornsbuckle)..  Merle had a well received radio show where he gave household tips based on letters sent to him  for the show.  Some of these tips were published in 1943 and 1944.  Check these out:

Ironing!

"When you have a large ironing to do, just slip off your shoes and stand on a cushion.  See how much more you can do without getting so tired."

Prepop sez:  Does anyone do ironing today?

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Frying Fish!

"Sprinkle coffee on raw fish to keep the odor from affecting  the ice box.  The coffee is easily washed off and will not discolor the fish."

Prepop sex:  Does anyone fry fish today?  And who has an ice box?

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Feed Sacks!

"When you rip open your feed sacks and flour sacks, save all of the cord and wrap it onto a ball.  This  is far better for patching overalls than the thread you buy and will wear much longer.""

Prepop sez:  Does anyone buy flour  in sacks today?  And overalls..... yes, I admit, I wear them sometimes... they are comfortable.  And remember: Nordstroms is selling muddy jeans for $400.!

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An important social tip that is still good today!

"When you eat onions and have an unexpected date, eat a pinch of celery seed.  It will kill all odors of onion on the breath."

Prepop sez:  Are you listening, Elaine?  Where is the celery seed?

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Ringworm solution!

"Juice from walnut hulls is good when applied to ringworm,."

Prepop sez:  What the hell is ringworm!

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Makeshift Hair Drier!

"For a; home made hair drier... Get a stove pipe elbow and place it over the burner of an oil stove.  Set in front of this and the hair will be dry in a hurry.  You won't have to be afraid to wash your hair in cold weather."

Prepop sez:  Back in my Massachusetts days, when the Winter weather was frigid, I refused to wear an "uncool" hat or cap, and therefore, my hair that I wet profusely when combing, would freeze to ice on top of my head.  Maybe that is why I still have my hair at my "advanced age."

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Finger crime?


"If you have a felon on your finger, wrap a cloth around the finger leaving the end open.  Pour gunpowder in the end and shake it down.  Then keep it moistened with camphor.  In two or there hours the pain will be relieved and a perfect cure will result."

Prepop sez;  A "felon?"  Well, make sure  you don't light a cigarette while the gunpowder is arresting your felon.

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Words of the Day

Nice sunny day. Kind of cool.

Prepop sez: Word of the Day:

On March 31st, I started to post a word of the day to Facebook.  I was hoping that such words might get people thinking about what was taking place in the world, country, county, city or their own backyard.  I've gotten some interesting responses to some of the words.

Here are my words and why I posted them:

March 31  IMMUNITY  General Flynn asked for immunity from prosecution when he testifies about his ties to foreign countries while controlling a large part of Trump's Presidential campaign.

April 1  COLLUSION  Did members of Trump's team work with Russia to destroy Clinton's chances?

April 2  EMOLIENT  Facebook word processing kept changing this word to emollient.  And... I'll be damned if I can remember why I posted it.  I may have mixed it up with emolument.

April 3  FILIBUSTER  The Democrats were getting their filibuster act ready.

April 4  CONFLICTS-OF-INTEREST  The whole Trump family, including the President, seem to not care about this problem.  Watch the world's leaders stay at Trump hotels.

April 5  VINDICATION  President Trump thinks that material he leaked about himself will vindicate him when it comes to his claim about phone-tapping by Mr. Obama.

April 6  INCARCERATION  Many people think that members of Trump's team should be incarcerated because of their actions.

April 7  RETALIATION  Promised in some of Trump's TWEETS.

April 8  DEOPERATIONALIZE  Word used by the Trump team when one of them is removed from the team. (Bannon?)

April 9  DISHEARTENING  Watching our poor attempts at negotiations with other countries.

April 10  APPROPRIATION  Related to soon to be Justice, Gorsuch.

April 11  HOPEFULNESS  This is related to my Daughter Elizabeth and her medical problems.

April 12  MEGALOMANIACAL  Guess who this word is about.

April 13  SINOLOGY  Trump is meeting with the Chinese leader.

April 14  FLIP-FLOP  Wait a minute, the President is about to change his mind again.

April 15  MISDIRECTION  Mr. Trump is great at this.  He'd make a wonderful magician.

April 16  GATEKEEPERS  Who is keeping us safe?

April 17  PROVOCATION  Now we're back to North Korea.

April 18  BEHAVIOR  Still on North Korea.

April 19   PRESUPPOSITIONALISM  What were you taught in Sunday School?

April 20  SCHADENFREUDE  Poor Bill O'Reilly.

April 21  ROLLBACK  President Obama's intelligent executive orders are being rescinded.

April 22  SANCTUARY  No more funds for Sanctuary Cities?

April 23  POSTURING  Kim?  Trump?  Putin?

April 24  PLURALITY  Congressional rules?

April 25  RESTRAINT  Don't let rash actions destroy the world.

April 26  EMOLUMENTS  Some say that this is what may impeach Mr. Trump.

April 27  SKEPTICISM  Hard to believe anything any more.

April 28  SHUTDOWN  A government shutdown is near, if Congress doesn't compromise on $.

April 29  REPRIEVE  No shutdown.  Trump's big $ wants were dropped or tempered.

April 30  PLUTOCRACY  It's true. Billionaires control this country.. or they will as Trump gets his way more and more.

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Is there any hope for the good old U.S. of A?  Or the world!

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