Mr. Trump; Golden Toilet; Ball Pythons; Unattached Brains; Skeleton Grins

Started foggy and cool... now it's 85 again.  But at least it isn't 90 again.

Last night, Elaine finally gave in and watched an old Fred Astaire and Lesley Caron movie:  Daddy Longlegs.  A nice, light, bubbly, Cinemascope flick.  Why watch the current batch of crap... How many times can the world be destroyed? Sorry, I'm old-fashioned.  I like to watch movies that make me laugh or cry.. or both.  Catharsis, mon ami, catharsis!


Politics

I am getting tired of Mr. Trump's ego.  Every day I turn on the morning news to learn what self-admiring idiocy he has spouted.  Oy!

I keep imagining what the first debate will be like.  Should be a lot of fun to watch.

Old Joke comes to Life

Look it up.  A solid gold toilet bowl has been created for an Art Museum in New York City.  You may use it, if you want to pay for the privilege.  Toilet-cleaning ladies do their jobs (no pun intended) every few minutes, all day long.  I'll bet Mr. Trump has one in his penthouse apartment. 

Pssst!  Eve!  Over here!

The New York Post reports that a lady in Augusta, Georgia has lost her 14 snakes.  The had the Ball Pythons in a secure cage.  She suspects someone let them free.  She says that they are very docile, and will roll themselves into a ball if bothered.... that's good to know.

An Unattached Brain

The Science Digest magazine reported back in March 1965, that scientists at Western Reserve University in Cleveland were able to remove the brain of a monkey from its body, and keep it alive for many hours.  Attachments showed that it was still alive and may have been conscious!

(Recently, it has been reported that Chinese scientists are attempting to do brain transplants.)

The Digest writer, Dean E. Wooldridge, asked/implied  some interesting things:

"Could the truly 'detached mind' of the Cleveland monkey really be conscious?  If so, conscious of what?"

"What about sensations like: pleasure, hunger, thirst, anger, etc.  Could the detached brain be experiencing these sensations?"  Electrical prods seemed to indicate that.

Wooldridge mentions Dr. Wilder Penfield and his experimental surgeries.  Check him out in some current best selling books.

Of course, anything written about the brain in 1965 would be hopelessly outdated today.  I am about to listen to a Great Courses set of lessons about the Brain.  I am really looking forward to doing so.

Prediction

Before the end of the 21st century, brain transplants will be viable medical procedures.  Why not? Don't you want to live forever, Dr. Faustus?


Poetry?

I need to end this with a poem written by fellow Illian, Webster Cobbins, as published  in Integra for July/August 2016"

Why Does a Skeleton Grin?

It can't enjoy having no skin,
or returning back into the dust.

One might think it grins to hide secret sins
Embarrassing sins, such as lust.

Why does a skeleton grin?
The real truth is -- that it must.


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Paris View; Superman Dad; Bridget's Cats; Heather's Monster

Coolish day.. nice for the second day of the Maryland Wine Festival.  However, thunderstorms are supposed to be on their way.  Our deck plants need a drink badly.  I'm holding off, counting on their being some showers.

More Fun with my new Scanner

Monsieur Josef a la tour Eiffel in Paris

I hated those terrible French cigarettes, but my buddies thought that I would look more Parisian if I held one in my hand.  Normally, I smoked a pipe... but how Parisian would that look?  Right now I'm trying to find my beret to wear for a Montreal-style dinner next Friday.

Superman Dad

My son, Chris, has always mixed me up with Superman.  I don't know why.  Every time I try to fly I fall off the roof.

Cartoonists in the Family

I've mentioned that I like to do cartoons; my son, Chris is a great cartoonist; my late ex son-in-law, Bob Clark was also a great cartoonist.  So, some of my grandkids like to draw cartoons too.  Here are a couple of examples:

This was from Bridget.  She still likes cats, but has now gotten into Anime.

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Granddaughter Heather drew this monster, and wrote the following story about him:

"The 28-head, 3000 pound monster is a little big.  Well let's just say that he is HUGE!

He likes donuts that weigh 30 pounds, and his giant hand eats them.  He is always watching  you because he has 28 heads, 28 mouths, 28 noses, and 56 eyes.  Don't forget.. he is 3,000 pounds and he's hungry.  Sometimes he doesn't want donuts!

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Red Tie Club; Niemand Associates; Life Philosophy

Cool day. Overcast, but no rain.  Nice day for the Carroll County Wine Festival.

Clubs

It's something I do.  I form clubs.  When I worked at Social Security, I formed quite a few because programmers would get bored waiting for their computer tests to come back.  These genius minded folks needed something to keep their brains agile, and I tried to supply it.

The Red Tie Club

Back in the 1960's, all men wore suits and ties to work.  The Red Tie Club was formed early in that era.  Members were required to wear red ties on Fridays.  Simple.  If somebody forgot, they had to buy coffee for all of the other members.  Some wise guys kept red ties in their desks, but we fined them when we found out.



Also, we had to make a few exceptions.  Bert Mellinger always wore bow ties instead of the long old-fashioned ties that everybody else wore.  Also, we didn't fine those programmers who had to spend all night Thursdays trying to get their computer programs to run. (Not an uncommon situation in those days.)  Some guys liked the club so much, they posted their feelings, just as Bill Cresswell did:

Niemand Associates

I've talked a lot about this club on my blogs.  Some of the folders which we circulated with what we thought were thought-provoking information and quotations.. actually did get read by most of our members.  Here are a few of the quotations:

"Glory to God in the Highest and on earth an honorable, just, and negotiated peace.  Good will toward all men except communists.  Merry Charisma."   Goodman Ace
.........

"Oh wad some Power
     the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see Us!

It wad frae monia a
     blunder free us,
An' foolish notion."    Robert Burns  1786
..........

"Have more than thou showest,
Speak less than thou knowest,
Lend less than thou owest."

King Lear

(I've tried to live by this.)
.........
"The sun shall not be up so soon as I
To test the fair adventure of the day!"

King Harry

(And also by this.  This is why I slept only 4 hours a night for years and couldn't wait to get to work in the morning.)

.........

"I ask of doctors and dock workers
and of whoever stitches up my coat,
things should be done with magnificence.
It is no matter what a thing is,
nothing should be mediocre
down from buildings to pairs of rubber boots.
The mediocre is unnatural.
What is false is not natural.
     Command yourself.
     Be famous.
The lack of greatness is a matter for shame.
They
     shall
          every
               one
                    be
                        great."

Yevgeny Yevtushenko

(And also by this.  And now you know my philosophy of life, and what I have tried to teach my children, friends, co-workers and employees.)

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Courtney; Sport Hunting; Fathers Day; Christmas; Handsome Grandson

Whew!  67 degrees this morning.  Are our 90 degree plus days gone now?

I got my new scanner working and scanned a few things for a test.  Let me show them to you.

My Friend Courtney

My friend Courtney Gilbert was 18 years old in the 8th grade.  This was apparently because of sickness as a child. As you can see in his picture taken at that age in 1948, he liked to dress like Al Capone.  Now, in 1948, the way he dressed was strange and most of the kids made fun of him.  I did not.  I recognized his great brain, and  I was able to keep bullies away from him.

He is the guy who wrote detective stories about a sleuth named Joe Vaughan.  One of his stories was published in a monthly True Detective type magazine.  I was astonished to read it.  And, also amazed that there was a Massachusetts murder case mentioned in the same magazine.  The people in the article looked familiar.. it was his neighbors who lived just downstairs in his house!  I've been trying to find that magazine issue for years, with no luck.

Courtney lived with his mother, but his father must have been a "big shot" somewhere where he owned these suits and hats that Courtney wore all the time.  The father must have also been a photographer, because Courtney's front room (with a locked door) held lots of what looked to me to be very expensive photographic items.

Courtney had his license and drove what must have been his father's gangster-type vehicle, a 12 cylinder automobile, that may have been a 1930 Packard.  I'm not sure.  Courtney and I would drive around the city, visiting his girl friends (yes, he had some).  He was a gentleman with the ladies.  We also spent a lot of time visiting the artistic movie houses in New Bedford.  I still remember seeing "Shark Woman" for the first time and how it affected me.

When it came time for me to go to High School, Courtney decided that he knew enough and decided to quit school, so we lost touch.  He got a job as a soda-jerker, and had flocks of teen-age girls visiting him at the "malt shop."  When I was in the service, someone sent me an article about Courtney.  While "quahoging" (that is, feeling with your feet for large clams in waist high salt water and "harvesting" them), he drowned.   A sad end to an interesting guy.  I'm very glad that I was able to be his friend for a couple of years.  He taught me a lot about life. (I like it!)

Hunting

This article was taken from a Mensa magazine.  If you can read it, you will know my ideas about sport hunting. (I don't like it!)

Fathers' Day

My cartoonist son, Chris, sent me this card on Fathers' Day, a few years ago.  I like it!

Christmas Time

My daughter, Elizabeth, and her family sent me this card. Her late ex-husband, Bob, was also a good cartoonist, as you can see.   I like it!

I hope you can make it out.

Graduation Time

This is a picture of my handsome grandson, Jackson, who graduated from High School in 2014 (as you can see) and who is now in College.  I like it!

Now you can see the fun I'm having with my new scanner.  Stand by for more soon.

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Ebay Deals; New York to Boston Boat Trip

This is supposed to be the last hot day of summer.  I'll believe it when I see it.

Deals from Ebay:

Readers Digest reported on Ebay oddities, as found by pigjockey.com.

Britney Spears' chewing gum ($14,000)
One Brussels sprout ($151)
A cornflake shaped like Illinois ($1,350)

... and best of all:

A partially eaten ten-year-old cheese sandwich, bearing the image of the Virgin Mary ($28,000)

New York to Boston by Boat

I mentioned the old Fall River Line the other day and wondered what it cost to go first class from New  York to Fall River, Massachusetts.  I have since found my ad for the Eastern Steamship Line in 1937.  This was another way to travel from New York City and  this is what the ad says:

$6.50 New low round-trip fare to Boston on the big liners Acadia and Saint John, via Long Island Sound and the Cape Cod Canal.  Sail daily from New York at 5:30 pm. Due in Boston at 8 A.M. the next day.  Roomy staterooms with reading lamps, telephones and hot and cold running water.. from $1 up.   (Personal automobiles cost $12 round trip.)

Wouldn't it be fun to take this trip?

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TRIAD Quarterly Meeting; Run, Hide, Fight; Elderly Sex; Heart Health; Montreal Trip

Not quite so hot.. just in mid 80's.  The weather report says we are about to get a cold wave.  We'll see.

Quite a day today... I need to tell  you about it.  It may bore you, so skip to another day or another blog.

TRIAD

I attended the TRIAD quarterly meeting in Sykesville, Maryland.  I made sure that I got there early so I would get a parking place on top of the hill, instead of huffing and puffing uphill.

My buddy, Bruce Lohr, gave a presentation of how to handle "shooter" incidents.  Both the police officers attending and us "civilians" paid rapt attention.  To see a recap of what you should do in a bad event, check out YOUTUBE video:  Run, Hide, Fight.

If a school, company, or church does not prepare for a "shooter" incident, they may just as well bend over and kiss their asses "goodbye."  People should also always take threats seriously. 

Preparation for something that hopefully will never occur, is good practice.  I mentioned the company boss, who remembered when a plane crashed into a building some years ago, and who, therefore, had all of his World Trade Center workers go through frequent evacuation procedures.  The employees didn't like the practice, but when the planes hit the WTC complex, all of these employees survived.  Unfortunately, the boss decided to go back into the building to see if he could help anyone else, and was killed.

I learned that Maryland County police are creating task forces to counteract an incidence of HIV/AIDS in the senior citizen population.  Some diseased prostitutes are sneaking into senior living buildings and selling their bodies to old widowers.

As the oldest person at this meeting, I felt duty-bound to tell everybody about the city in Italy where 10% of the population reach the age of 100. This longevity is attributed to sex in old age.  My goal was to call the young officers attention to the fact that even though there is snow on the roof, there probably still is fire in the furnace.

Hearty Har Har!

My afternoon was spent at the cardiologists' office.  First, I had an echocardiogram (a sonogram.. a lot like running  a wand over a pregnant lady's belly to find out how the fetus is developing. )  To make sure I wasn't nervous, the nice young operator/analyst kept up a pleasant Carroll County type conversation. 

After the echocardiogram, I had a regular EKG.  I passed both tests.  So, next, at visits by two cardiologists and an intern, I got another session of poking and cold stethescoping...  One Doctor asked me if I noticed a swelling in my breasts... yes, Elaine told me she is thinking about getting me a bra.  I thought this was just a feature of being fat.   Not so, says Doctor Rahmani.  He said that was a common side affect of one of my medications.  So, after a lot of squeezing, it was determined that these were not pecs... Therefore, he changed my medication, and said that my pecs would suddenly reappear.  Good... I sure didn't want to be the Dolly Parton of Carroll Lutheran Village.

Next, Doctor Jerome did some poking and joking.  He always says he is amazed that I am in my 80's.. he says that he thinks I look a lot younger.  Thank you, Doc... you have a nice "bedside manner."  I really like Doctor Jerome... he saved my life when I had a heart attack  back in 2001. 

Montreal Trip

The food folks at Carroll Lutheran Village are having an "imaginary trip" to Montreal, Canada.  I was able to get  Elaine and I signed up for it.   Our entres had to be chosen... Elaine took sole, I took Elk. We usually have a  great time at these functions.  I wonder where I put my beret ?

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9/11 Remembrance; Santa Job Gone; Mensa Puzzle; Snake Protection; Gratitude Journal; Geezerguy

A sad day of remembrance.  So, let me give you some different things to occupy your brain so you won't be too depressed.

Bye Bye Santa

Well, it had to happen sooner or later.  My job as Santa Claus for our local NARFE Chapter is over.  Could it be that I have lost too much weight?  No... the reason is that the club has outgrown funny gift-giving. So, now we will have some kind of religious presentation at our December meeting. Boring, but it's probably what the troops want.

Speaking of "troops"...  what does Mr. Trump think our current Generals will think of him if he becomes president, when he called them a "disastrous mess."   Hasn't Donald read: "How to win Friends and Influence People?"  Having a lot of money, tall buildings, tall hair, a bully's attitude... doesn't win true friends.  Perhaps they might influence some "fair weather friends" like Rudy Giuliani and Chris Christie.  I'm sorry.  In my opinion, he is a "con man".. and a good one at that... but who in their right mind wants another Nixon in the White House?

Mensa Acrostic

The Mensa Bulletin made the following quote from Remote Viewing by D. Morehouse, into an acrostic, as follows:

"Physicist Max Planck said 'A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents eventually die and  a new generation grows up that is familiar with it.'"

Ken Herbert was the "setter," as they say in England.

Smart Lady

The Readers Digest quotes Sharon Boucher:

When a neighbor's home was burglarized, I decided to be more safety conscious.   But my measly front-door lock wasn't going to stop anyone, so I hung this sign outside:  "Nancy, don't come in.  The snake is loose.  Mom."


Gratitude Journal

One of the classes that I once attended for us "old folks" suggested that our lives would be richer if we kept Gratitude Journals.  These are forms allowing for the recording of three good things that happened to a person in one day... the titles were:  What Went Well?  and Why Did this Happen?

I thought this was a good idea, and I tried it for two days... and then gave up.  For whatever it is  worth, here are my entries:

Day 1:  1st good thing:  Elaine really liked Sunday dinner. Pork chops, green beans, and baked potatoes.
Day 1:  Why did this happen?  Elaine coached me.

Day 1:  2nd good thing:  I went through a whole box of "stuff" and pulled out "to do now" things.
Day 1:  Why did this happen?   A sudden spurt of ambition overwhelmed me.

Day 1:  3rd good thing:  I wrote a very good blog entry (no.. it was wonderful!)
Day 1:  Why did this happen?  The muses attacked me.

Day 2:  1st good thing:  I put my autobiographical introduction into Blogger.  The intro is about the Gypsy prediction.
Day 2:  Why did this happen?  I wanted a grabber of an intro for my book.

Day 2: 2nd good thing:  I discovered the interesting Maura Murray Missing Girl Story
Day 2: Why did this happen?   I read about it in the New York Times and put it on my Kindle.

Day 2:  3rd good thing:  I updated two of my suggestion memos for Carroll Lutheran Village and sent them off to management.
Day 2:  Why did this happen?  I love this place, but there are lots of improvements that should be done.  I'm anxious to learn if the CLV management looks at my suggestions.  Probably not.

This last note points to a frustrating feeling that I have sometimes.  As the member of various boards, my suggestions have always been addressed, so, it irritates me that if I make a suggestion to a company or a corporation, I usually get the "bedbug letter."  So be it. 

I gave this Gratitude Journal program up quickly because I could see it occupying all of my free time. Maybe I'll just go on as I have for years and then I might have time  to sit in my rocking chair and relax once in a while, until called forth to fix the world as: .

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