tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-127800372024-03-14T00:54:25.013-05:00Frozen Arctic TundraSo 3 Austro-Hungarians walk into a bar: Istvan Tisza, Alois Aehrenthal, and Leopold Berchtold. Who are we kidding? Tisza wouldn’t go in before securing Transylvania and getting veto power on the bar tab.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger529125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-75052793453716865372021-01-22T19:51:00.003-06:002021-01-22T19:51:59.553-06:00Oh Savannah, with a banjo on my knee<p> A week from tomorrow I leave for Savannah GA.</p><p>I will work remote from there, in Savannah's Victorian District for the entire month of February.</p><p>Glorious!</p><p>And it has been put in my mind that I might want to buy a house. And that idea has rumbled in the background for weeks. And now I want to buy a little bungalow. Two bedrooms and 1 bathroom. Small lot. Garage. And have a cash reserve to fix or improve basics (insulation, air conditioning, heating, plumbing, electrics, yard). Hmm.</p><p>Savannah like every city has a broad range of homes and prices. I want to live in the city. More expensive. I want a small - tiny - place. Less expensive.</p><p>And there are lots and lots of hound dogs in the South. I shall get myself a hound once I buy my house.</p><p>The lease expires February 28, 2022. Not so far off - especially if thought in terms of squirrelling away money for moving, house buying expenses.</p><p>Glorious!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-9287395264315530622020-08-05T20:40:00.001-05:002020-08-05T20:40:13.465-05:00How to panic well<div>I like the word panic. I also like that a "k" gets thrown in for the gerund <i>PANICKING</i>.</div><div>And the backstory is fun.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhUq7IQNP6E/XyteTOZhqRI/AAAAAAAAU6o/Q9TLl4FhMfIgWvqZvGb-i3-9N_iMqkoHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s665/Screenshot%2B2020-08-05%2Bat%2B8.32.41%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="665" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LhUq7IQNP6E/XyteTOZhqRI/AAAAAAAAU6o/Q9TLl4FhMfIgWvqZvGb-i3-9N_iMqkoHwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Screenshot%2B2020-08-05%2Bat%2B8.32.41%2BPM.png" width="640" /></a></div>There are some sayings I learned from working in the financial services industry, that in the main have served me well.<div><br /></div><div>No. 1</div><div>He who panics first, panics best.</div><div><br /></div><div>No. 2</div><div>Risk not thy whole wad.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both well-paying and low-paying jobs have been wiped out in the Covid-19 pandemic.</div><div>Congress' Payroll Protection Plan (PPP) stimulus ends September 30 which means even more Americans will be joining the unemployment queues.</div><div>So what do I do if I'm furloughed or laid off?</div><div>First, I greatly widen my salary band because I have got to get employed fast.</div><div>Two, plan on moonlighting.</div><div>Three, identify where I can cut spending. It's 3 areas: rent, parking and discretionary spending.</div><div>Four, cut that spending.</div><div><br /></div><div>I think Pan is enjoying current times a little too much.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V985z4nCx5o/XytfVgvgkXI/AAAAAAAAU60/iD6l-36TOpo4h-0uYR4iVkjQwIMazSMdACLcBGAsYHQ/s749/Pan%252C%2BGreek%2Bgod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V985z4nCx5o/XytfVgvgkXI/AAAAAAAAU60/iD6l-36TOpo4h-0uYR4iVkjQwIMazSMdACLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Pan%252C%2BGreek%2Bgod.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-79519398896571745112020-05-17T09:45:00.001-05:002020-05-17T09:45:22.829-05:00Keep calmWhen one hears of the idiotic things people say and do remember... they're not ones making or influencing policy.<br />
<br />
Just be part of the solution. Avoid those that are part of the problem.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the flailings of those who cry about the way they are treated but can't see how they treat others is in the same vein.<br />
<br />
Curate: pull together, sift through, and select<br />
From Latin <i>cura</i>, careUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-54323448909489651682020-05-14T12:58:00.000-05:002020-05-14T19:11:58.667-05:008 weeks and 3 days of Working from HomeI'm okay. I ate 2 Ghirardelli chocolate bars in the last 12 hours. I don't normally do that so I feel sick to my stomach today. I have some hives on my left leg which is pink from Calamine. The Calamine is working so I am okay.<br />
<br />
I'm not the first one to think of this, but yesterday it occurred to me to use fashion scarfs as masks. Silk, or faux silk, might wear better in summer months.<br />
So, I ordered 4 from Amazon yesterday. And I'll get them in the next few days.<br />
I ordered 3 bandanas from Amazon on April 4. Still waiting. Ugh, these people.<br />
<br />
My neighbor Elwira is furloughed, works as a server at a buffet restaurant, and so is bitterly opposed to Illinois' shelter-in-place. She compares Illinois unfavorably to her native Poland.<br />
Some problems for Elwira there:<br />
#1 Poland is not an example of a well-governed country. Pres Andrezj Duda hero worships Viktor Orban (Hungary), Trump (ugh), and Putin (really, Russia's leader?).<br />
<br />
...<br />
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[Afternoon]<br />
I'm just spent. One symptom is obsessing on the idiotic things said by others. Like not realizing the economy tanked because of the pandemic, not because of shelter-in-place.<br />
And assuming herd immunity can be acquired. This isn't an influenza virus. It's a coronavirus. There are 4 strains of coronavirus that account for 25%-33% of common colds. And we don't acquire immunity from those.<br />
<br />
[Later that same day]<br />
Took the car to Firestone in Tinley Park to get the starter / fuel injection / battery to be looked at.<br />
The car also reeks of gas. The Firestone guy said I have a gas leak. And I have to leave the car because it will take 1-2 days.<br />
So now I have to get back to Rogers Park. From Tinley Park. In a pandemic.<br />
So I fired up the Lyft app. It wanted an authorization code texted. And my phone wasn't taking texts. A little panicky. Tried Uber. Same thing.<br />
Tried to find out when the Pace bus was coming to get to Oak Forest train station. I stepped away from the bus stop to see my phone better.<br />
You know it. A Pace bus blew right by.<br />
So I crossed the street in a dim thought of walking to the train station. I didn't want to walk to the train station. It's 24 blocks (3 miles).<br />
In a stalling tactic I thought I'd linger outside Starbucks to use their wifi to get a Lyft or Uber. Still no luck with the texts. So I checked the Pace website. Another bus in 22 minutes.<br />
So, I recrossed the intersection and sat down on a curb in the McDonald's parking lot because you know, pandemic, and ate the El Famous Burrito chicken burrito I bought before I crossed the intersection the 1st time.<br />
The Pace website said the fare was $2. A miracle - I have $2. Mostly in dimes.<br />
The Pace bus is on time, I board through the back door and... Don't pay the fare. Because of the pandemic buses are still running but you board and disembark through the back door. And the fare box is next to the driver so Pace and CTA aren't charging for the bus rides. OMG<br />
Jump off at Oak Forest train station. Downloaded the Ventra app on the bus and bought a one-way ticket for $6.25 from Oak Forest to LaSalle Street Station.<br />
Only then did I check the schedule. Next inbound train due at 4:46pm. It's 3:20pm. Sweet Jesus.<br />
Check Lyft and Uber again. Got texts!<br />
Lyft is $47 to Rogers Park!<br />
Lyft it is!<br />
Home by 4:30pm.<br />
Now I'm trying not to think about how much the car is going to cost.<br />
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-28833357024972401552020-03-11T19:38:00.000-05:002020-03-11T19:38:08.986-05:00Stalking a virusWednesday, March 11 2020<br />
<br />
3:45pm, getting ready to catch the 4:00pm "B" Shuttle I became aware of my nasal passage and back of the throat. The nasal passages felt... <i>cool</i>. Well, that's not a bad sign, is it? The back of the throat felt dry. That's normal for mid-March in Chicago. The air is dr:y as a bone.<br />
<br />
4:27pm, on the #147 bus heading home. Did I just feel a sore throat? Note to self: I am a hypochrondriac.<br />
<br />
4:31pm Definite dry throat.<br />
<br />
4:37pm Chills. I got them before the 2019 Thanksgiving head cold too. And the left tonsil is making itself known.<br />
<br />
It is still cold/flu/Covid-19 season. From <a href="https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/coronavirus-symptoms-vs-cold" target="_blank">Health:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Common human coronaviruses—not to be confused with the novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, currently circulating—can cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses, like the common cold, per the CDC. In fact, the majority of people will get infected with one or more of these viruses at some point in their lives—according to Marie-Louise Landry, MD, an infectious disease expert at Yale Medicine and the director of the Yale Clinical Virology Laboratory, four common human coronaviruses cause 15-30% of common colds. (Most often, however, the common cold is caused by a rhinoviruses, per the CDC). Their peak season is also winter—aka, the same time as influenza. </blockquote>
4:57pm Left ear is making itself known.<br />
<br />
5:00pm Left nostril feels stressed, and left temple feels pre-headache/migraine.<br />
<br />
Felt better while eating dinner of baked potatoes and rice. Do viruses like starches? Who knows.<br />
<br />
6:47pm Left side of the head hasn't worsened. Hasn't gotten better either.<br />
<br />
7:14pm Left side of throat feeling pre-sore throat. Whatever is going on, it's entered on the left side of the head and consolidating there.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/03/coronavirus-tv-live-audiences" target="_blank">Vanity Fair </a>notes that some TV shows will be forgoing studio audiences beginning Monday, March 13.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Update (March 11, 5:00 P.M. ET): As part of a coordinated break released Wednesday, representatives for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Late Night With Seth Meyers, and The Daily Show with host Trevor Noah, announced those late-night shows will tape without studio audiences starting on Monday on account of the coronavirus outbreak in New York.</blockquote>
Snip of Financial Times headlines at 7:30pm<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QU5-CNg3Cro/XmmCl_TsVAI/AAAAAAAATAA/4Cw3rEra-2Q3y0hJ6qUuGdf3EB8VyQemQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20200311%2BFT%2Bheadlines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="476" data-original-width="791" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QU5-CNg3Cro/XmmCl_TsVAI/AAAAAAAATAA/4Cw3rEra-2Q3y0hJ6qUuGdf3EB8VyQemQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20200311%2BFT%2Bheadlines.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And earlier today... <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/2020-ncaa-tournament-games-to-be-played-without-fans-in-attendance-due-to-threat-of-coronavirus/" target="_blank">NCAA announced March Madness</a> would be played without fans in attendance.<br />
The CBSports headline:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>2020 NCAA Tournament games to be played without fans in attendance due to threat of coronavirus</b></blockquote>
7:33pm I'm thinking of getting some dessert. Compote and Greek yogurt. But I'm a little cold (because the apt is a little cold).<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-39015112207026017882020-03-07T00:39:00.001-06:002020-03-07T00:44:42.114-06:00Covid-19: failure of imaginationCovid-19 is loose in communities globally.<br />
United States still isn't testing the populace at a scale to measure infection rates.<br />
Cruise ships are showing the virus is shockingly contagious.<br />
Countries are quarantining entire towns - not just China, but Italy and others.<br />
Other countries, including United States - are closing schools.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/06/sxsw-cancelled-due-to-coronavirus.html" target="_blank">Austin TX just announced that SXSW is cancelled</a> due to novel coronavirus.<br />
<br />
People are dividing into roughly two camps:<br />
"This thing is <i>OVERBLOWN</i>" - it's no worse than the flu."<br />
Or:<br />
"This is serious and we can't rely on wishful thinking."<br />
<br />
Group 1 has a serious failure of imagination.<br />
Group 2 may have alarmists in it, but the approach is right: we don't know how it's going to play out but no country can adequately handle an epidemic.<br />
<br />
Covid-19 is contagious. We don't know the fatality rate because nowhere near enough people have been tested, including in China which went from ignoring it to locking down cities. Estimated 700 million people were quarantined in China.<br />
<br />
Me? I take the line I used in a #FTOutOfContext tweet on Monday this week:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"this is serious in the sense that we can’t afford not to consider it as a serious".</blockquote>
Another way to put it: it's ridiculous to assert this is no big deal this early in the game.<br />
<br />
The United States had a population of 329 million as of March 2020 (<a href="https://www.census.gov/popclock/" target="_blank">Census Bureau</a>).<br />
If 20% of the populace gets sick, that's 65,800,000 people.<br />
If 0.1% get sick enough for hospitalization, that's 658,000 people.<br />
The US doesn't have enough hospital beds for that many sick people at one time from one cause.<br />
<br />
Let's use the annual flu as a benchmark, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/index.html" target="_blank">from the CDC's numbers</a>:<br />
The 2018/2019 flu season in the US had 35,520,883 (estimated) flu cases. 490,561 (estimated) required hospitalization.<br />
That's a 1.4% rate - 10x greater than my assumption for Covid-19.<br />
<br />
Per the <a href="https://www.aha.org/statistics/fast-facts-us-hospitals" target="_blank">American Hospital Association</a> there are 6146 hospitals.<br />
There are 924,107 staffed beds.<br />
Worse, those beds aren't dispersed in accordance to the population - there are far more in cities, and almost none in rural counties.<br />
If that many people were to get seriously ill their chances for recovery become very dependent on where they live and how many other people are seriously ill.<br />
<br />
There aren't enough beds for flu and Covid-19 patients, let alone for those with other conditions requiring hospitalization.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-89624247997885952622019-09-08T14:46:00.002-05:002019-09-08T14:46:26.935-05:00PMS. Redux.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jJBk8LqRLwk/XXVZhUxBkcI/AAAAAAAAQUU/DSeYWIdxlrYHa5yhLbBJjR-1ZeNtjacwgCLcBGAs/s1600/Clara%2BBow.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="544" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jJBk8LqRLwk/XXVZhUxBkcI/AAAAAAAAQUU/DSeYWIdxlrYHa5yhLbBJjR-1ZeNtjacwgCLcBGAs/s320/Clara%2BBow.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What else could go wrong? I'm going to regret asking that.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In the last 4 days I've had noxious gas - hazmat levels - bad enough to cancel a dinner engagement.<br />
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Back and leg tightness that no matter how much I stretch stays stiff as a board.<br />
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Bloated. And when I say bloated, I mean weight gain.<br />
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Which brings me to: cranky.<br />
<br />
I'd be more irritated but I'm dealing with this too: fatigue. Ugh.<br />
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-38028490943768860092019-08-09T18:20:00.001-05:002019-08-09T18:20:11.913-05:00Oh, say can you see<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Funny thing... It's only now occurring to me... This has been regression tested - right?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-36778072437990080042019-07-24T19:26:00.003-05:002019-07-24T20:00:23.644-05:00Rando bits from a day in the life at the office<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Well, no business sign off this week, either.<br />
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What do you mean we didn't make a backup plan this time?<br />
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No, not moratorium weekend!</blockquote>
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Did everyone see that Security Awareness email I just sent?<br />
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No, this isn't a stand-up standup meeting. Just dial in.<br />
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These are the business requirements?<br />
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<br />
What we all think, especially during conference calls.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-28211450756514470052019-05-04T14:44:00.000-05:002019-05-04T14:44:16.718-05:00More than 400 types of anemia have been identifiedTried to donate blood last week. I needed to have 12.5 or higher. I had 10.6.<br />
From the Mayo Clinic:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Lower than normal hemoglobin levels indicate anemia. The normal hemoglobin range is generally defined as 13.5 to 17.5 grams (g) of hemoglobin per deciliter (dL) of blood for men and 1<b>2.0 to 15.5 g/dL for women</b>.</blockquote>
A day or so later, I looked into what foods boost iron. And saw some effects from low iron such as brain fog. Feeling cold. Oh, great. I feel like that! And most definitely have brain fog. The relapsing remitting kind.<br />
<br />
The recommended list of foods was of no help - I eat most of those regularly.<br />
<br />
Vitamins A, C, and beta-carotene assist in iron absorption. Beta carotene is a precursor of Vitamin C. That clears things up not at all for me.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/iron-deficiency-signs-symptoms#section4" target="_blank">Ten signs of low iron anemia</a><br />
Yes - 1. Unusual tiredness.<br />
Commuting to and from work is brutally hard to stay awake. And if I try to read something - forget it! Knocks me out. Going along with this symptom is feeling cranky, difficulty concentrating, and/or poor productivity.<br />
<br />
No - 2. Paleness.<br />
Only because I tan every week.<br />
<br />
No - 3. Shortness of breath.<br />
I don't have this, but then I don't exert myself either.<br />
<br />
Yes - 4. Headaches and dizziness.<br />
It is frightfully easy to make myself dizzy. Merely look down and turn in a circle. Boom, light-headedness.<br />
<br />
No - 5. Heart palpitations.<br />
I can only recall mild heart racing when I've received anesthesia in my recent dental appointments.<br />
<br />
No - 6. Dry and damaged hair and skin.<br />
I drink lots of water. This might counteract drawbacks in the iron department.<br />
<br />
No - 7. Swelling and soreness of the tongue and mouth.<br />
<br />
Yes - 8. Restless legs.<br />
The urge to move my legs, to get rid of the strange crawling and itchy sensations happens often close to bedtime, and sometimes on commutes to and from work.<br />
<br />
Yes - 9. Brittle or spoon-shaped fingernails.<br />
My nails are excessively brittle, and tear even when I keep them short and filed.<br />
<br />
Yes - 10. Other potential signs.<br />
No - Strange cravings, aka pica.<br />
Yes - Feeling anxious. But that's my default setting without regard to iron levels.<br />
Yes - cold hands and feet. There was a period during menopause with the hot flashes that my feet and hands were never cold. If only I could have had that, without the dreary menopausal stuff.<br />
No - More frequent infections.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-31848687297667699542019-04-07T11:31:00.000-05:002019-04-07T11:31:12.758-05:00Not without mustardAs part of the question to whether Shakespeare really wrote the canonical Shakespeare plays, or not, I'm learning that his contemporaries didn't have a high opinion of him.<br />
<br />
Ben Jonson, for one.<br />
<br />
In writing Every Man Out for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men in 1599, <a href="https://politicworm.com/oxford-shakespeare/to-be-or-not-to-be-shakespeare/why-not-william/the-authorship-question-2/not-without-mustard/" target="_blank">Jonson can’t resist using the story behind William’s crest to amuse the actors</a> and anyone else in the know. Images of beasts were a commonplace on crests, while on the shield, they often appeared as just a head, but certainly never as a headless body. Shall we push the metaphor to its logical conclusion? The body without a head represents the body of Shakespeare’s work minus his head, that is, minus his identity. That Sogliardo/William was feasting off the headless boar, served up as a roast, rounds out the metaphor. The final zinger, satirizing the motto “Not without right “into “<b>not without mustard,</b>” must have sent the actors into hysterics.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-81963023642247259522019-03-14T19:17:00.002-05:002019-03-14T19:17:41.338-05:00Hallmark is missing outHart Crane wrote about love in his epic poem "The Bridge":<br />
<br />
<b>A burnt match skating in a urinal -</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
Yep, Hart was gay. And he cruised for pickups in Brooklyn. A favorite place for hookups was the men's bathroom at the Clarke Street subway station in Brooklyn Heights.<br />
<br />
New York Magazine has that and more on the <a href="http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/03/gay-history-brooklyn.html" target="_blank">(almost) Lost Gay History of Brooklyn</a>.<br />
<br />
Fom the same stanza in "The Bridge":<br />
<b>Somewhere above Fourteenth TAKE THE EXPRESS</b><br />
<br />
That works for Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day, too. Come on, Hallmark - you are missing out!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-76554713108939049852018-10-28T23:23:00.000-05:002018-10-28T23:28:27.804-05:00I'm no scientist, and I've got the grades to prove itSome questions that if attempts to answer honestly are made, could advance the cause to clean up the planet immensely.<br />
<ol>
<li>What are the positive effects of global warming?</li>
<li>How do you know climate change models capture all, or even most, meaningful inputs?</li>
<li>How do you know the climate change models have correct historical data?</li>
<li>How many climate change models are there?</li>
<li>Who or what are behind the climate change models?</li>
<li>How much historical climate data is used in the models versus extrapolated projected data?</li>
<li>What are the best case scenarios in the climate change models?</li>
<li>What is the difference between anthropogenic global warming and the global warming that occurs when an ice age ends?</li>
<li>What about the global warming model predictions proven false?</li>
<ol>
<li>Such as the infamous prediction in March 2000 by Dr David Viner [emphasis mine], <i>senior research scientist at the climactic research unit at University of East Sussex</i>: within a few years winter snowfall will become a very rare and exciting event.</li>
<li>Actual rises in global temperatures falling short of predictions?</li>
</ol>
<li>How are "global temperatures" measured? Do different models measure it differently?</li>
<li>What if the remedies create new, worse problems?</li>
<ol>
<li>Environmental economists note that developed countries' standard of living rose and depend on cheap fuel from coal and oil. Switching to still-expensive green alternatives places a heavier financial burden on poorer households and countries.</li>
<li>Developing nations without cheap sources of fuel will become "energy deserts" and will not be able to lift their populations out of poverty.</li>
</ol>
<li>Advocates of fighting global warming are willing to be progressively taxed how much to subsidize poorer households and countries?</li>
<ol>
<li>30%? 40%? More?</li>
</ol>
</ol>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EmRoVG3AF8g/W9aKw1d8dpI/AAAAAAAANUI/u8JQV8RGuk4yyWJ2HYo7OXh4ngEuUtFDwCLcBGAs/s1600/New%2BYorker%2B-%2BI%2527m%2Bno%2Bscientist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="451" height="310" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EmRoVG3AF8g/W9aKw1d8dpI/AAAAAAAANUI/u8JQV8RGuk4yyWJ2HYo7OXh4ngEuUtFDwCLcBGAs/s320/New%2BYorker%2B-%2BI%2527m%2Bno%2Bscientist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> <b> Courtesy of The New Yorker</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now let's all move to caves and save the planet.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-16869301280633749922018-10-21T07:02:00.000-05:002018-10-21T07:03:10.130-05:00You get 17 days and all you can come up with is this<a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/timeline-saudi-statements-killing-khashoggi-192240235.html?.tsrc=daily_mail&uh_test=2_11" target="_blank">The AP</a> provides a timeline from October 2 to October 19, 2018.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, October 2 2018 Jamal Khashoggi walked into the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul. He never walked out. His fiancee, Hatice Cengiz, called friends and family hours after he was supposed to come out of the consulate to report his disappearance.<br />
<br />
Wednesday, October 3<br />
MbS tells Bloomberg that Khashoggi left the consulate about an hour after arriving.<br />
AP and <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2018/10/techs-favorite-saudi-despot-may-have-finally-crossed-the-line" target="_blank">Vanity Fair</a> quote Mohammed bin Salman "We have nothing to hide. He's a Saudi citizen, and we are very keen to know what happened to him."<br />
<br />
Thursday, October 4<br />
Saudi consulate in Istanbul says they're following up on Khashoggi's disappearance after he left teh building.<br />
<br />
Saturday, October 6<br />
Riyadh dispatches team to investigate and cooperate with Turkey over Khashoggi's case.<br />
<br />
Sunday, October 7<br />
Turkey states Khashoggi was murdered inside the consulate.<br />
Saudi officials claim Turkish claim is baseless.<br />
<br />
Monday, October 9<br />
Turkey announces it will search the consulate.<br />
[Ed. note: Being not sure on what basis Turkey claimed the ability to do so, since the consulate is technically Saudi territory a little more research was required here. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-politics-dissident-consulate/turkey-says-will-search-consulate-where-saudi-journalist-vanished-idUSKCN1MJ1E4" target="_blank">Reuters report from October 9</a> notes the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations allowed for consulates to be searched by authorities of a host country with consent of mission chief. This same Reuters report also says a group of 15 Saudi nationals entered Istanbul in 2 planes, entered the consulate on Oct 2, and left the country the same day.]<br />
<br />
Wednesday, October 11<br />
Turkey agrees to form joint group to investigate with Saudi Arabia.<br />
<br />
Thursday, October 12<br />
Saudi team arrives in Turkey.<br />
<br />
Friday, October 13<br />
Saudi interior minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz denounced claims that there were Saudi orders to kill Khashoggi as lies and baseless allegations. [<a href="http://www.arabnews.com/node/1386846/saudi-arabia" target="_blank">Arab News</a>]<br />
<br />
Saturday, October 14<br />
Turkey still hasn't been given permission to search consulate. Renews calls openly for Saudi Arabia to allow investigators into building.<br />
It's been 12 days since Khashoggi disappeared.<br />
<br />
Monday, October 15<br />
Turkish investigators finally allowed to enter consulate.<br />
Saudi government-owned press says Turkish reports of the 15-member hit squad were in actuality tourists.<br />
<br />
Tuesday, October 16<br />
Saudi consul in Istanbul leaves abruptly for Saudi Arabia. From a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/world/wp/2018/10/19/saudi-government-acknowledges-journalist-jamal-khashaoggi-died-while-in-that-countrys-consulate-in-istanbul/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.f59ea2dc6976" target="_blank">Washington Post report on October 19</a> he is identified as Mohammed al-Otaibi.<br />
<br />
Wednesday, October 17<br />
Turkish authorities search Saudi consul's residence.<br />
<br />
Friday, October 19<br />
<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/10/saudia-arabia-statement-jamal-khashoggi-killing-full-181019231129163.html" target="_blank">Aljazeera</a>: The Saudi Public Prosecution office released this statement:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Preliminary investigations carried out by the Public Prosecution into the disappearance case of citizen Jamal bin Ahmad Khashoggi revealed that the discussions that took place between him and the persons who met him during his attendance in the Kingdom's consulate in Istanbul led to a <b>quarrel </b>and a <b>brawl </b>with the citizen /Jamal Khashoggi, resulted in his death.</blockquote>
Trump says Saudi account is credible. He was offering up a "rogue killers" theory before Riyadh admitted Khashoggi is dead and died in the consulate.<br />
<br />
Many press outlets, such as the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-death-20181019-story.html" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune</a>, are reporting on the Saudi Public Prosecutor arresting 18 Saudis, while another 5 Saudi officials have been fired.<br />
[Ed. note: Good time to remind all sycophants to authoritarian regimes that even when you do exactly what they asked, you will very likely be the subject of the post-op clean-up.]<br />
Five officials fired, so far, are:<br />
Saud al-Qahtani, adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman<br />
Maj Gen Ahmed al-Assiri, deputy intelligence chief<br />
Maj Gen Mohammed bin Saleh al-Rumaih, assistant head of the General Intelligence Directorate<br />
Maj Gen Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Shaya, head of General Intelligence for Human Resources<br />
Gen Rashad bin Hamed al-Mohammad, director of the General Directorate of Security and Protection<br />
<br />
That phrase "18 Saudis" is reminiscent of "19 Saudis" from 9/11. Just what Riyadh wants the world to recollect.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-4071181140963114822018-10-15T17:05:00.001-05:002018-10-15T17:05:52.837-05:00Now it's more than CanadaSaudi Arabia and MbS flipped out when Canada's Foreign Minister called them out on human rights abuses.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.straight.com/news/1112876/canadian-foreign-minister-chrystia-freeland-doubles-down-support-womens-rights-saudi" target="_blank">August 2 2018</a> Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland called out Riyadh for its treatment of women activists. The Canadian ambassador was expelled and Saudi diplomats recalled from Ottawa.<br />
<br />
Then journalist, reporter for Washington Post, and regime critic Jamal Khashoggi walks into the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul on October 2 2018 and never walks out.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Turkey, at odds with Saudi Arabia over a wide range of issues, has been pushing this incident with more fervor than usual. Ankara claims Khashoggi was tortured and murdered within the consulate then his body was dismembered and removed in several bags.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Washington Post has been reporting on this every day, calling for investigations and answers.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Saudi Arabia has been trying to stall out the uproar by not providing answers or cooperation.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Except... MbS* has been trying to integrate Saudi Arabia economically and technologically into the world. There's a Future Investment Initiative, aka <i>Davos of the Desert</i>, scheduled for later this month. Alas for Riyadh their intransigence has resulted in every non-Arab media partner withdrawing. This includes NY Times, Bloomberg, WSJ, and The Financial Times.</div>
<div>
*Mohammed bin Salman</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/5b397578-d077-11e8-a9f2-7574db66bcd5" target="_blank">The Financial Times</a> provides an updated list of drop-outs, as of 1:00pm CT October 15 2018.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan<br />Bill Ford, Chairman of Ford Motor Company<br />Stephen Schwarzman, CEO of Blackstone<br />Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO of BlackRock<br />Arianna Huffington, founder of Thrive Global<br />Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber<br />Lynn Forester de Rothschild, CEO of El Rothschild<br />Sir Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin Group</blockquote>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A petulant Riyadh, through its press organ Al-Aribya and <a href="https://news.vice.com/en_us/article/mbd4my/saudi-arabia-jamal-khashoggi-murder-mohammed-bin-salman" target="_blank">picked up by Vice News</a>:</div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
warned Washington that any sanctions on Riyadh would “stab” the U.S. economy.<br />[General Manager] Aldakhil said the regime would spike oil prices to $200 a barrel, let the Russian military establish a base in the city of Tabuk, and even push Saudi Arabia to forge closer ties with its enemy Iran.</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
Luckily for MbS, the best dealmaker on the planet sits in the White House.</div>
<div>
Trump spoke to MbS and would have left at it except that a bipartisan group of senators triggered the Global Magnitsky Act forcing the White House to begin an investigation.</div>
<div>
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has been dispatched to Riyadh.</div>
<div>
But Trump told the press that "rogue killers" could be responsible and King Salman firmly denied culpability.</div>
<div>
Trump said "We are going to leave nothing uncovered. We're going to try to get to the bottom of it very soon, but his was a flat denial."</div>
<div>
Well, that's that then.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Monitoring the rest of the global scene:</div>
<div>
Russia has not commented on the situation, hoping to avoid siding with Turkey or Saudi Arabia.</div>
<div>
Per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-politics-dissident-iran/iran-says-it-wont-comment-yet-on-missing-journalist-khashoggi-case-tv-idUSKCN1MP0TD" target="_blank">Reuters 2018-10-15</a> Iran too refuses to speculate (on the record) saying they are waiting for more details and facts to be revealed.</div>
<div>
Except <a href="https://www.juancole.com/2018/10/khashoggi-murdered-criticism.html" target="_blank">Juan Cole of Informed Comment</a>, citing the Iranian Ambassador to Britain's tweet of October 12: </div>
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Hamid Baeidinejad, the ambassador to Britain of Iran, complained that Saudi Arabia has been shielded from criticism (he was implicitly blaming the UK and the US), allowing Riyadh to “stoke terrorism” and commit “human rights violations.”<br />Baeidinejad said in a Tweet of 12 October, “For far too long, Saudi Arabia has been shielded from criticism of its breeding of terrorism and grotesque human rights violations . . . Now, it appears that even Saudi critics are murdered – in broad daylight, and abroad.”</blockquote>
</div>
<div>
Now that doesn't sound noncommittal in the least. Tsk, tsk Reuters.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Still trying to find China's position on the Khashoggi Affair.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-59203069391566356962018-10-01T23:14:00.003-05:002018-10-01T23:16:24.105-05:00 hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3XJ_95HI2UU/W7Lptes_BnI/AAAAAAAANLg/8BN2U-iywgwUnUn1la7FCiG7ZSXsvmtCQCLcBGAs/s1600/Greer_20180922_164225775.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3XJ_95HI2UU/W7Lptes_BnI/AAAAAAAANLg/8BN2U-iywgwUnUn1la7FCiG7ZSXsvmtCQCLcBGAs/s320/Greer_20180922_164225775.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Borrowing from Shakespeare's <i>A Midsummer Night's Dream</i>, Act 4 Scene I:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
My hounds are bred out of the Spartan kind,<br />So flewed, so sanded, and their heads are hung<br />With ears that sweep away the morning dew,<br />Crook-kneed, and dew-lapped like Thessalian bulls,</blockquote>
I went to Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago after work on a Friday, September 21. Through a process of elimination I met Greer, a hound mix who bears some resemblance to Redbone Coonhounds.<br />
Greer's about 2 years old, was found alongside a road in Alabama, and was part of a transport that brought her to Chicago.<br />
And now she lives with us in Rogers Park.<br />
And her back legs are so bowed she looks like a cowboy. :)<br />
Oh, and she has double dew-claws. She has something in common with Hemingway's polydactyl cats.<br />
<br />
And this is a picture of a full-bred Redbone Coonhound.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CxGiJk7uFhM/W7Lwic0FxwI/AAAAAAAANLs/VPnmciNLB6YRh2GYdrdiAw5jNX_qArShACLcBGAs/s1600/Redbone-Coonhound-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="800" height="112" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CxGiJk7uFhM/W7Lwic0FxwI/AAAAAAAANLs/VPnmciNLB6YRh2GYdrdiAw5jNX_qArShACLcBGAs/s320/Redbone-Coonhound-final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-60811010322241984292018-07-23T15:50:00.000-05:002018-07-23T15:54:36.064-05:00una sabbatorum malumJust spent an awful 7 days.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQPCIeYAvwU/W1Y_T5hsYZI/AAAAAAAAMvE/_eqzOM7L2rEVXlqmJ_k6J3YC_whEDjqugCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180715_191520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BQPCIeYAvwU/W1Y_T5hsYZI/AAAAAAAAMvE/_eqzOM7L2rEVXlqmJ_k6J3YC_whEDjqugCLcBGAs/s200/IMG_20180715_191520.jpg" width="150" /></a>Tuesday, July 17 2018 my favorite weight-bearing exercise, Molly the Sheltie made her Last Visit To The Vet.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBbzFi6DtO0/W1Y_Tzb8EnI/AAAAAAAAMvA/lxTxSjKUkP8zKbougWxvYoVp240EOCNLACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_20180717_091925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wBbzFi6DtO0/W1Y_Tzb8EnI/AAAAAAAAMvA/lxTxSjKUkP8zKbougWxvYoVp240EOCNLACLcBGAs/s200/IMG_20180717_091925.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Molly was no longer in pain, but mine was just beginning.<br />
<br />
Wednesday, July 18 my neck and shoulders hurt so much I couldn't find a comfortable position standing, sitting, or laying down. I didn't have opiods but I get the addiction risk now.<br />
<br />
Belatedly realized the drug store has entire aisles of products designed to relieve this pain. I got lidocaine for the muscle pains, Aleve for straight-up pain management, Pamprin to address the estrogen-induced pain, Kaopectate for nausea and gas, and more Excedrin Migraine.<br />
<br />
Between Saturday and now the assortment of pills and ointment reduced the pain from a little to almost completely.<br />
<br />
Until today. Migraine. Neck pain. Shoulder pain. Nausea. And none of the pills were working.<br />
And then, at midday, went to the washroom. And there's was the faintest evidence the period was showing up.<br />
Shortly thereafter, the migraine lifted. The stomach calmed down. The neck and shoulder pain subsided to barely register. The head cleared up.<br />
<br />
Hormones, friend and foe.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-8943370989150779412018-06-08T11:21:00.001-05:002018-06-08T11:21:11.913-05:00Homeostasis: believe the hype<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">ho·me·o·sta·sis</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Say the body of homo sapiens sapiens allows the temperature to fluctuate </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">1°F either way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Now say that leeway shrinks imperceptibly over the years until you're north of 40 years old and that leeway might have shrunk to 0</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">.5°F each way. If it raises </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">0.6°F you get hot flashes. It falls </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">0.6°F and you get chills.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">And if you pay attention you find all sorts of things that cause the internal thermostat to spike: caffeine, alcohol, a carb-heavy meal, nervousness, panic, stress - not too mention the outside climate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Deep controlled breathing helps cope with the hot flashes. It might actually help bring the temperature back into the homeostasis zone too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As for the chills? Movement (calling it exercise is a bit of a stretch for what I do) and wearing clothes in layers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">And can both happen in the same day? The better question is can both happen minutes apart?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The answer is yes. Yes they can, and it happens often.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-64332166803918769772018-04-13T20:30:00.001-05:002018-04-13T20:31:49.105-05:00The Axle Powers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Reunited</div>
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I was a fool to ever leave your side</div>
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Me minus you is such a lonely ride</div>
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<br /></div>
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Oh wait. The Paris Peace Accords and the Treaty of San Francisco had something to do with that separation.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But <a href="http://i%20was%20a%20fool%20to%20ever%20leave%20your%20side%20me%20minus%20you%20is%20such%20a%20lonely%20ride/" target="_blank">Will & Grace</a> came back.</div>
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<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/10/opinions/roseanne-exposes-liberal-hypocrisy-richard-morgan-opinion/index.html" target="_blank">Roseanne</a> came back.</div>
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<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/russespinoza/2018/04/06/together-again-candice-bergen-instagrams-first-cast-photo-of-murphy-brown-reboot/#764ca0548bd1" target="_blank">Murphy Brown</a> is coming back.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It's the Return of the Axle Powers!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h550klps5l0/WtFRt8VTXoI/AAAAAAAAMAw/SRAR3d6-pK8PJLrBcZBBCoQAtPFcvRRzgCLcBGAs/s1600/FT_Axle_Powers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="478" height="75" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-h550klps5l0/WtFRt8VTXoI/AAAAAAAAMAw/SRAR3d6-pK8PJLrBcZBBCoQAtPFcvRRzgCLcBGAs/s400/FT_Axle_Powers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-36129077959115100432018-02-16T18:58:00.002-06:002018-02-16T18:58:38.464-06:00Why I try to avoid WebMDBeen feeling a little off my game for the past week or two.<br />
<br />
Today I typed in three generic symptoms expecting UTI to be one of the possibilities.<br />
<br />
It wasn't.<br />
<br />
But <i>intercranial hematoma </i>was an option.<br />
<br />
Now I've got that in the back of my mind. No pun intended.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3zjZ8CJDzoY/Wod-Itop6uI/AAAAAAAALnk/E68dks6E4k8KZlHWa4eadVA2njp5Wd9ngCLcBGAs/s1600/WebMD%2Bpossibilities.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="88" data-original-width="276" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3zjZ8CJDzoY/Wod-Itop6uI/AAAAAAAALnk/E68dks6E4k8KZlHWa4eadVA2njp5Wd9ngCLcBGAs/s1600/WebMD%2Bpossibilities.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soothing words from WebMD</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-964394532780583592017-12-06T12:11:00.001-06:002017-12-06T15:17:43.551-06:00Yesterday, you remember yesterday don't you?Yesterday I took the bus downtown for my annual checkup.<br />
As my stop was approaching I started getting ready to get off the bus, when I discovered I had a giant wet spot on my left thigh.<br />
Where did the water come from? It was water, wasn't it? Please let it be water!<br />
It didn't appear to come from my shoulder bag.<br />
Was it when I put the pan in the sink to soak? Could I have splashed that much water?<br />
<br />
Then I reach for my hair clip and find half of the clip has broken away. What! When did that happen? How did it happen?<br />
<br />
At my checkup I found out I was doing the exact wrong thing for my dry skin. For future reference: do not apply retinol (aka Vitamin A). It <i>DRIES </i>out your skin. Vaseline is better.<br />
<br />
Today I rode the train downtown and during the ride I felt water on my leg. I had a large wet spot on my right thigh. What!<br />
This time I found the culprit: I hadn't closed my water bottle tightly and it had been leaking straight through the shoulder bag onto my leg. There wasn't much water in the bag, and nothing in the bag looked impacted.<br />
<br />
Two days in row. Two. That I failed to close the water bottle tightly enough.<br />
<br />
I had a normal reaction. The water bottle, about 60% full, was tossed - water and all - at the Jackson stop.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-87007021280790607802017-10-13T12:32:00.001-05:002017-10-13T12:36:52.284-05:00My questions on October 13, 2017It's alleged that Russian advertising on social media platforms turned the election for Trump.<br />
The Democratic Party refers to the above as <i>Russian </i><b style="font-style: italic;">hacking</b>.<br />
<br />
Q: What, precisely, did the this amorphous group of Russians do to impact the 2016 election?<br />
Q: How do you know it was Russians?<br />
Q: How did their actions impact vote totals?<br />
Q: Which states were the focus?<br />
Q: If it was the "Russians" and they did it by "advertising", then why was their advertising better than Clinton and the DNC's?<br />
Q: Why didn't Clinton and the DNC's advertising work?<br />
Q: Which group(s) were targeted by the "Russian" advertising?<br />
Q: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/p-g-cuts-more-than-100-million-in-largely-ineffective-digital-ads-1501191104" target="_blank">Proctor & Gamble cut $100mn from digital advertising </a>with zero impact to sales growth. How come the "Russians" are better at digital advertising than P&G?<br />
Q: What foreign agents acted on Clinton and the DNC's behalf during the 2016 election?<br />
Q: How many foreign agents supported Clinton's candidacy?<br />
Q: How effective were their efforts in social media?<br />
Q: How were votes affected by "Russian" advertising quantified?<br />
Q: Who successfully reproduced the vote counts using the methodology?<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0cyg15S9Gc/WeD4l0DyT5I/AAAAAAAAKv4/g87NyzCyP4Ysa8SZSday3OwSAICIGh3bwCLcBGAs/s1600/does-anyone-have-any-questions-for-my-answers-quote-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="620" height="320" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M0cyg15S9Gc/WeD4l0DyT5I/AAAAAAAAKv4/g87NyzCyP4Ysa8SZSday3OwSAICIGh3bwCLcBGAs/s320/does-anyone-have-any-questions-for-my-answers-quote-1.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-20490266054626961832017-08-24T20:17:00.000-05:002017-08-24T20:17:43.386-05:00To the edge and back with my hairMy hair is damaged. The hair at the nape of the neck is fried.<br />
<br />
So, I cancelled plans for a color & highlights.<br />
Realized I may not be getting my hair cut for a few months. It needs to grow a lot before it can be cut.<br />
<br />
And then last Saturday (Aug 19) I opted to deep condition the hair with coconut oil and honey. It worked. It also wouldn't rinse out.<br />
<br />
Monday was awful - it was so greasy and stuck to the sides of my head that I cringed the entire day.<br />
<br />
Monday night I used egg whites and lemon juice to remove excess oil.<br />
It worked, but still didn't get it all.<br />
<br />
Tuesday I washed the hair with sulfate-free shampoo.<br />
That got the rest of it out.<br />
<br />
Wednesday I realized the ends are destroyed - those need the deep conditioning. So I applied a little coconut oil and left it in.<br />
<br />
Today, Thursday, I applied more coconut oil to the ends. They really are a hazmat zone.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FuHWEsKj4VE/WZ96sSovcDI/AAAAAAAAKWE/kRPa2AAZGGIxcudUjjbFy0D0WQ6bCXl5QCLcBGAs/s1600/Cat%2Bbad%2Bhair%2Bday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="437" data-original-width="479" height="291" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FuHWEsKj4VE/WZ96sSovcDI/AAAAAAAAKWE/kRPa2AAZGGIxcudUjjbFy0D0WQ6bCXl5QCLcBGAs/s320/Cat%2Bbad%2Bhair%2Bday.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-14712787937564666962017-07-05T12:54:00.000-05:002017-07-05T12:54:34.100-05:00The operation was a success: the patient didn't die yet.Illinois is on the cusp of passing its first budget since 2015. (Last budget voted on and passed was in 2014, under Gov Quinn.)<br />
<br />
From <a href="http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20170705/BLOGS02/170709993#utm_medium=email&utm_source=ccb-morning10&utm_campaign=ccb-morning10-20170705" target="_blank">Crain's Chicago Business:</a><br />
The House and Senate adopted a $36bn fiscal 2018 budget.<br />
<br />
Gov Rauner vetoed the bills: the <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=9&GAID=14&GA=100&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=98852&SessionID=91" target="_blank">main appropriations bill</a>, separate <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=9&GAID=14&GA=100&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=98852&SessionID=91" target="_blank">measure on revenue</a>, and <a href="http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=42&GAID=14&GA=100&DocTypeID=SB&LegID=98885&SessionID=91" target="_blank">budget implementation bill</a>.<br />
<br />
which the Senate then voted immediately and passed 36-19 to meet the veto override. 1 Republican joined the 35 Democrats in passing that bill.<br />
The House had already adjourned for the 4th of July holiday - they're expected to vote today, 5 July 2017.<br />
<br />
If the House passes the bills to meet the veto threshold, then these are some of the things that will happen:<br />
Mayor Emmanuel gets the OK to refinance pension funds; raise the city's 911 tax by $1.10 to $5.00 per phone line per month; receive $300mn next year for Chicago Public Schools.<br />
<br />
The state will cut back on the share of income tax receipts that go to the CTA and Metra.<br />
<br />
The individual tax rate goes from 3.75% to 4.95% permanently (at least, there is no sunset provision as the last income tax hike had).<br />
The corporate rate goes from 5.25% to 7%.<br />
Both take effect July 1 - but the Dems had wanted it to be retroactive to Jan 1.<br />
The General Assembly expects the hikes to bring in add'l $5bn/year.<br />
<br />
Dropped the idea of extending sales tax to services such as dry cleaning.<br />
<br />
Budget includes a projected sale of the Thompson Bldg for $300mn.<br />
<br />
Operations of most depts will be reduced 5%.<br />
Colleges and universities payouts will be cut 10%.<br />
<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, <a href="http://wolfstreet.com/2017/07/04/us-auto-sales-sag-hyundai-meets-carmageddon/" target="_blank">Wolf Richter at Wolf Street</a> reports on just how well consumers are positioned to absorb the new and bigger cash grabs:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>The average monthly car payment jumped to a record $517/mo in June '17, from $510 in May.</li>
<li>The length of average car loan is now 69.3 months.</li>
<li>Average amount financed jumped by <b>$631</b> from May to June 2017, to now be <b>$30,945</b>.</li>
<li>Car and light truck sales fell 3% YOY, to 1.47mn vehicles</li>
<li>6th consecutive month of YOY declines</li>
<li>Truck and SUV sales rose 4.1% to 933,378 units. But car sales fell 13.2% to 541,982.</li>
<li>Sales to fleet customers fell 7.8% in June</li>
<li>Manufacturers' incentives ranged from 12% of transaction price (GM, Ford, FCA) to 15% (Nissan, Kia)</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12780037.post-19671638097592599142017-06-27T16:58:00.000-05:002017-06-27T16:58:14.627-05:00Mit freundlichen GrüßenDog baths and bras.<br />
Specifically, bras that push them together, not divide and conquer.<br />
Gallia divisa in partes tres, or, the Julius Caesar approach to women's lingerie.<br />
<br />
Things I know:<br />
I like Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples. And only those 2.<br />
I like Twinings Irish Breakfast tea and English Breakfast tea. And rooibos tea. And only those 3.<br />
<br />
I didn't think I liked almond milk, particularly as a substitute for whole milk in lattes, but I came around.<br />
<br />
It's tricky trying to find the right bra. And then find it in the right size. And being sure that you know what size you wear. And hoping the color selection for that bra, in that size, is not crazy.<br />
<br />
Oh, and have significant eye strain in the left eye. It's only a matter of time before the right eye joins in.<br />
<br />
And that does it for today's collection of 1st world problems.<br />
Confused? You won't be after this week's episode of "Soap."<br />
<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0