"Normal" is a relative term

Looks like things are returning to normal here.  Over the past week we buried my 96-year old aunt (on Tuesday) and yesterday we laid to rest my 96-year old step-mom, too.  They both just wore out and died peacefully....they did it right!

Interesting factoid:  If I understood the story correctly, my step-mom invented the "conference call".  It was during WWII and she was working for the Southwestern Bell phone company.

  
She figured out a way to plug in the wires to the switchboard in such a way that she could connect calls from servicemen to multiple people on the other end at the same time, enabling them to all hear their loved one during the very brief calls the soldiers were allowed.  

Later the phone company techies of the day ran with her idea and, in the true spirit of capitalism, perfected a way to charge us extra for it.

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They are officially zero.  I'm talking about the odds that I will ever travel to India.  Before I read today's paper my odds of visiting India were about the same slightly lower than my sweeping Scarlett Johansson off her feet and driving off into the sunset with her beside me in my vintage Ferrari.

It seems in the northern Indian state of Uttar Prapesh the heat spiked to 117 degrees and the power company shut down.  The story said that on a good day power only works for a couple of hours anyway, but now they don't even get that.

And being the super intelligent folks they are, they rioted, took the electric company employees hostage, and burned down the electric substations.  Yeah, that'll show 'em!

So now they have 200,000,000 people (literally) running around without even their usual 2 hours of electric service a day.  And to make matters worse, I'll bet you $100 the stores are all sold out of deodorant, too.  Man, they can't buy a break!

Nope, sorry. No air conditioning, no Scotty boy.  Texas in the summer is bad enough.  I'm not going looking for trouble.

Stay cool everyone.  :)

S

Congratulations France!

Today has been declared a holiday in Pakistan, to be known as the "Day of Love for the Prophet Muhammad".  

As best as I can make out from news reports from the region, the professional rock throwers have been given the day off so they can throw rocks on their own time.  Groups of Pakistani yoots are roaming the streets, yelling "death to the United States and death to the French" in response to the showing of "blasphemous" pictures of Muhammad in those countries.

Congratulations France!  Looks like you've made it to the Big Leagues.

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I love hard work.

I could sit and watch it for hours.

This morning I took Luke the Wonder Dog for a long walk all the way around the nearby construction project.  We sat on a park bench and watched the workers laying brick and stone, the guys up on the roof laying the clay tiles, and the lift truck drivers scurrying back and forth keeping the workers stocked with materials.  It was a very well coordinated operation.  They've obviously done this a time or two.  I'm glad there are still people willing to work that hard.

The park across from the construction site commemorates the "Shawnee Trail", which was apparently a cattle-drive route from further south up to the rail yards and meat packers to the north.  

Our park has this little stream running through it:

I found this spot to be very relaxing, no doubt just the way the Shawnee stone masons intended it. I also found this spot made me want to go to the bathroom.  Luke was already empty by the time we got here, so he was fine with it.

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Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

S

This could be reeeeeeeally BIG!

I love Aspen, Colorado.  It's a great place to visit but a lousy place for anyone but a billionaire to live.  My casual observation is that they seem to have an inordinate number of beautiful young women there accompanied by "more mature gentlemen".  Maybe that's why Aspen Sojourner magazine is suggesting the development of several Aspen-specific iPhone apps such as this:


"The Trophy Wife Locator app....After a few hours of drinking at the Caribou Club, picking out your recently acquired 35-year old blond wife from the others who look just like her can be tricky.  Especially since you're 70.  This app will ensure you head home with the right missus.  Pro Upgrade includes Alimony Calculator."

Isn't money wonderful?  ;)

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Looks like the Greeks are not too keen on a steady diet of dog food, which is what they'll all be eating once the latest austerity measures being imposed on them kick in.  They do, however, have a supply of matches which they're using to burn down their country in protest.  I've never understood that....you get mad, so you burn up your own stuff.  The logic escapes me.


"Hey Nikos.  Whatcha eating?"  


"Dog food."  


"Why are you sitting on the floor?  Where's your stuff?"  


"I burned it up."  


Yeah, that'll show 'em!  Did you know that a third of all Greek workers are employed by the government?  What could they possibly do all day?  Process each other's paperwork?  Oh, wait....I'm beginning to understand.  Government workers....no logic....OK, I get it now.

All our TV stations are on "Storm Watch" mode, with reporters spread out all across 6 counties showing us the falling snow.  And it melting as soon as it hits the ground.  "Look....wet pavement!"  *big yawn*

Happy Valentine's eve, everyone.  Fair warning....  :)

S