Skydivers over sixty…

Holding my breath!!  Saying a prayer!! I was reliving the moments prior to the launch of the Challenger. I was a secretary, at NASA, at Edwards Air Force Base, California. Gratefully, no loss of life with this SpaceX launch.

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My “old” sprinklers had metal fittings. They fused to the end of the garden hose. The sprinklers were destroyed to remove them…  This time I’ll use “quick-connect” and should be able to shuffle between hand sprinkler and oscillating sprinkler. ~~ “Twice in a while” I accomplish maintenance tasks.

Unusual experience: Texas Driver’s License. My card expired a few weeks ago—on my birthday. I’m “too old” for automatic renewal. We must have an appointment… and this appointment was weeks after I requested it. I was scheduled for 12:20 PM and was seen at 1:30. Gratefully, I was in my car—taking a sigh of relief—at 2:10.  Conservatively, there were fifty or sixty people in the lobby. Observation: “White” is the minority.

Because I was near Walmart, I shopped and it totaled $130.32. Very few groceries, lots of clearance items. Nothing extravagant, nothing expensive. Walmart (cheap) ice cream was my only luxury.

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Wink, wink.

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Couldn’t stop!! I shifted things around in the storage unit and placed more items on the “free” table. Furthermore, things were set aside for donations to Goodwill. No “climbing trees” and limited use of the computer for blog messages and pictures. Eventually, the remnant “free stuff” will be boxed up and taken to Goodwill.

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Old folks—“Mr. Gill” and Lorraine—were visiting on a pleasant–weather afternoon (in front of the carport). Suddenly Mr. Gill suggested he has a Nikon camera he would like to give me “Because you take pictures.”  He went to his trailer… and returned with the new camera. Such an awesome gift!! I’m very grateful!!

My oldest son’s birthday is just around the corner. I haven’t heard from him for an extremely long time. On a whim, I did an Internet search for him (YESTERDAY). I was directed to TruthFinder. I entered all the required information and the wheels started spinning. It appeared there would be a volume of information. Bottom line: Before I could view the information, there was a fee. I’m no closer to knowing if he is dead or alive.

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…dreams thistles.

Yesterday, time was spent in the yard. The first time in two weeks that I’ve been outdoors. I lacked energy so the project was accomplished after several “stop and go.”

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Postscript @10:30 AM: “My trash runneth over.”  That is the second trash can full to the brim, pushed down, overflowing.

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Break time.

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Postscript @12:00 noon: More “yardening”—and I couldn’t seem to find a stopping point.

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Despite my yard being neglected, I’m blessed with a few roses.

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Postscript @1:30 PM: More “yardening”…

Break time.

Taking the Easy Lazy Road becomes Easier

In addition to lapping up propaganda like it is the gospel, fanatical extremists also usually take the easy road in seeking truth.  It makes sense for lazy thinkers to accept propaganda that reinforces their biases.  Why think through issues when getting the “truth” from someone who shares my biases and ignores all other available facts is much easier?  [Ignorance is the act of ignoring.]  However, modern information technology has allowed these folks to increase and amplify their superficial faux understanding of the world with even LESS effort.

I am interested in history, not only in the broad-brush strokes of academic history but also in detailed, personal histories (aka, genealogy.)  The advent of the internet revolutionized genealogy.  In the distant past, genealogy was arcanely practiced with labor-intensive, non-digital tools.  One had to drive to a library, county clerk’s office, or other paper or microfilm repositories to investigate ancestors.  When a significant record was found, it was necessary to pump quarters or dollars into a copy machine.

Over the last 30 years, many genealogical websites and services have sprung up to replace old-fashioned research techniques.  Researchers no longer need to drive anywhere, beg librarians for research materials, or create truckloads of paper research material.  Increasingly, most vital records have been digitized and indexed for easy retrieval, collation, and storage.

These internet-based services have revolutionized genealogical research.  It is now almost effortless to research our ancestors.  It has become so effortless that a lazy researcher can easily accept nonsensical information as accurate. This slipshod research is facilitated by websites that provide “hints” to researchers.  These hints should not be taken at face value, but lazy researchers regularly accept almost all of them as accurate.  It is commonplace to see family trees with great-grandmothers who bore children at age 7 or 70 and ancestors whose occupation was a lawyer in 1860, a bricklayer in 1870, and a farmer in 1880.  Why think for yourself when you can click and accept what the computer suggests or hints?

Likewise, most forms of social media provide easy and equal access to factual information and blatant propaganda.  Since propagandists are likelier to target and attract lazy thinkers, these purportedly “neutral” social media sites reinforce lazy thinking and transmute blatant lies into truth.  Advances in artificial intelligence have allowed and will continue to allow propaganda to become even more effective.

Thanks to my cousin, Leland Vandiver

(In response to my “Almost had a heart attack” blog message.)