16 - Today's Report, Dog Antics, Windows 10 Update

Today's Report

I've been focusing on my writing the last few days, so I've fallen behind in writing for the Pond. One of the things I discovered when I was developing training materials and doing a lot of technical writing/editing, was doing that tended to drain my creativity a bit. I try to strike a balance between the two, and it's easier to do now that I'm semi-fully retired. Tomorrow, however, I've got a lesson plan for the Call Center folks Sandy supervises, so that will take some time to organize.

That said, it's been an interesting few days. I had a follow-up at my doctor's office, and while that might seem as if it's not a lot of fun, Sandy and I have a very good and smart doctor. Going to see her is never an ordeal, and I always learn quite a lot. Every visit is like sitting down with a very knowledgable friend. The focus this time was to test my INR (I'd have to look up what that means, but basically it's to check the thickness of my blood). I take blood thinners because I have AFIB, and my medication occasionally needs to be adjusted based on the results. This time it was borderline on the thick side, so I'm going back in for another follow-up in two weeks. Sandy and I are fairly certain if anything happens which means we'll end up moving, we may have to kidnap our doctor and take her with us.

One of the interesting things about getting older is the number of doctors I get to see, and that runs neck-in-neck with the number of prescriptions I have to take. I can't complain, though. There have been a couple of times when having the right doctor prevented serious complications to my future longevity. If it's been a while since you've been checked over, I strongly suggest making an appointment.

Dog Antics

When Clementine entered our lives, Sandy jokingly said it was her way of keeping me from being lazy. Whether she was serious about that or not, she was right on target. Throughout the day, I find myself yelling, "Clemmie? What are you doing?" or "Clemmie, what are you chewing on?" or the even more serious "CLEMENTINE! COME HERE!" She comes, dutifully wagging her tail and jumping up on my leg so I can rub the sides of her skull. She is slowly wearing me out, but this afternoon she more than made up for it. I saw her stealing an empty bag of fish food from the outside trash, and she immediately ran to the middle of the bag yard to have her way with it. Later in the afternoon, Sandy and watched her stick her head in the bag and get stuck in it. Unfortunately, we'd both left our phones in the house, or you'd see a picture of her wandering around trying to find us so we could rescue her. I know it sounds bad, but it was FUNNY!

Windows 10 Update 

I've talked about my use of the Linux operating system here several times, and I'll probably continue doing it because I really do enjoy it. The fact that it's free, safe from viruses and malware, and pretty good at doing what most people want to do with their home computers is a definite series of pluses. However, I also use Windows to do some things simply because the software is specific to Windows and doesn't work as well in Linux.

However, I'm using Windows 10 because my computer, while only a couple of years old, is not able to run Windows 11 (I've seen something recently that may change that without forcing me to buy a new computer, but we'll save that for later). At any rate, Windows 10 is nearing the end of its support period. Somehow or other, it's getting to be 10 years since it was introduced, so this is not something that is really unusual. It may be time for you to check into upgrading to Windows 11.

If you want to find out if you can upgrade, it's easy. On your computer, click on START, then click on SETTINGS. Select UPDATE & SECURITY, then click on WINDOWS UPDATE. Just follow the directions from there.

That's enough for now.

Take care. Stay safe.

cma 

15 - Daily Report, Genealogy, The Supreme Court, and The Problem with Conservatives

Daily Report

Thunderstorms rolled in during the night. I remember one particularly loud crack of lightning, but it wasn't enough to draw me out of my heavy slumber. I always sleep better in rainy weather. We do, however, have a couple of dogs that are extremely frightened by thunder, and Sandy told me one of them crawled up into the bed with us. I missed that as well, but I wouldn't have minded if I had been aware. Our dogs provide a great deal of pleasure for us. Like many people, we treat them as if they were family, and heaven help anyone who ever causes them harm.

It seems as if I've been doing nothing but laundry lately. One of our dogs was sick a couple of days ago, and he threw up on our blankets and bed sheet. He's okay now, and so are the blankets and bed sheet. The two blankets were too large to go into the washer or the dryer together. The blankets also required two or three turns in the dryer to get completely dry. Thus, I have been moving them about and trying to get them fully ready for use again. I think I'm through now. If only Clementine would quit pulling them off the clothing cart and cuddling up in them.

Genealogy

Sandy has a subscription to Ancester.com, and I've spent a little time here and there researching my family tree. Like all families, you start up one branch, and then it branches out, and that branch splits, and so on, and so on. My dad left when I was ten years old (I never saw him again), and my mother passed away in 1986, so my knowledge of his side of the family has always been limited. I've got first cousins I haven't seen since before my tenth birthday, but thank goodness for Facebook. We've been able to stay in touch now because of its availability. The picture I have included today is of my paternal grandparents: E.P. and Myrtle Adams. She died before I was two years old, so I have no memories of her, and though he passed away when I was old enough to remember him, I don't have any memories of him either. I do, however, have pictures of them, and I've learned a little about them from those pictures.

People posed formally for pictures in those days. This one is unusual because my grandfather tended to show only the left profile in most photographs. He must have believed it was his "good side."

The Supreme Court

It appears the Supreme Court has a serious problem with ethics these days, and it's absolutely inexcusable. I've never been to law school, so I've obviously never been a judge, but my own code of ethics tells me that if I'd ever been placed in that lofty position--a position of high honor and responsibility--I'd know better than to place my honor and respectability at risk. I can only shake my head at the wiggling around they must be doing--not because they have been doing anything wrong, but because they got caught doing something wrong. They are on the highest court in our land! Their ethics should not only be above reproach, they ought to be so lofty no one would ever consider them capable of doing anything unethical. Instead, we get lame excuses like: "Everyone else is doing it" or "We don't have a written code of ethics" or "I see nothing wrong with what I've been doing."

I'm sorry, folks. "Everyone else is doing it" should have been tossed out the window in junior high school. You aren't adolescents. You are adults! You are judges! And who says you need a written code of ethics? You're judges! If you don't know how to behave ethically, why should you be allowed to judge others for their ethics? And if you see nothing wrong with taking hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of gifts from anyone, not just a friend, you should resign immediately for not only a serious lapse of judgment, but from shame.

And Chief Justice Roberts, if you don't do something about this, you ought to step down as well.

The Problem with Conservatives

Okay. Conservatives have a lot of problems. We all do on the face of it, and we certainly need a conservative viewpoint to help balance things when it comes to developing budgets and running the country. Unfortunately, the conservatives of the past who actually were able to play well with others and accomplish good things for America have been shoved out of the way by a pack of unsophisticated hooligans with the temperaments of two-year-olds and the same ability to reason things out.

Not long ago, I read about a fellow who ran a company that generated fake news for profit. He'd create the fake news, and he'd distribute it (usually on Facebook). When asked why he directed that fake news only to conservatives, he said he'd tried to send it to liberals. Liberals, however, researched the "news" he was disseminating. They'd tear it apart with facts, which meant the stories he wrote were never sent further along. They died on the vine. Conservatives, however, never questioned what they saw. It agreed with their positions, and they loved it. They passed those stories along so fast they could have burned up from air friction if they'd been on paper.

So, conservatives. You need to get your act together too. Running this country is not a circus for you to clown around in. You have a responsibility to work together with the rest of us to make this country a beacon of hope for others less fortunate. You need to work with the rest of us to make this country a safe place for everyone to live, and that goes especially for children attending our schools. You need to realize that church and state were separated for good reason. You need to be concerned about facts. Whether you like them or not, they aren't changing. You can't hide your head in the sand and hope the tiger doesn't rip your rear end off because you can't see him. Grow up, guys. 

That's enough for now.

Take care and stay safe.

cma 

 

 

14 - Daily Report, The Importance of Clarity, & False Facts

Daily Report

It's been a couple of days since my last entry, and while there are reasons (maybe excuses) for that, I'm not going to dwell upon them and move on to today's Adams Pond commentary. 

The weather here has been a mixture between delightful and just a bit cool. With the advent of summer lurking in the shadowy future, I'll enjoy the cool rather than complain about it. Today, Sandy and Timmy moved the plants from the corner of our living room to the garden. I have a picture Sandy took to demonstrate their transfer has been successful. The garden looks wonderful once more. What do you think? Can you find the frog?

I spent a little time yesterday working with my Linux laptop. I'm running two different distributions (MX-Linux and Linus Mint). Linux Mint is, by far, my favorite. It does everything I need to do, and it does it in a logical and efficient manner. It's probably one of the best distributions for those who are used to using Windows. MX-Linux is currently one of the most popular distributions, and I installed it to see why so many people were attracted to it. The reason comes down to ease of use. I use a wide-screen TV-Monitor for my primary display, so I keep the laptop closed most of the time. With most Linux distributions (and Windows), getting the system to let you do that without automatically going to sleep is not difficult, but there are three or four settings you have to locate and set just right to accomplish it. MX-Linux simply asked me what I wanted to do when I clicked on the Display setting. I was impressed right away. I'll continue exploring it as time passes.

The Importance of Clarity

Words and the meanings of those words are essential to communication.  When I was in college, one of the classes I was required to take was "History of the English Language." At the time, I considered it to be one of the most tedious classes I'd ever taken, but in retrospect, I have discovered it to be one of the most insightful. Language changes. Meanings change. An example of this is the word "woke."

When you look the definition up online, you receive the following definition: "alert to and concerned about social injustice and discrimination."

So certain folks are trying to insult people who care about justice and discrimination by calling them "woke." Wow! I'm trembling in my boots (I don't wear boots, but you get the point). I'm reminded of the movie "The American President" in which the President of the United States notes that his primary opponent in the upcoming election is deriding him for being a member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). His opponent views that as a terrible thing, yet the President says the entire purpose of the ACLU is to protect Americal liberties based on the Bill of Rights. He ends by asking his opponent why he considers this to be a bad thing, and why he's not a member himself.

I'd be inclined to say the same argument applies to being woke. If being woke means I'm concerned about social injustice and discrimination, I'm proud to be woke. Where is the insult in caring about how people are treated? I might ask the person hurling this sort of "insult" if they're doing so because they believe social injustice and discrimination are good things? The answer is obvious. They believe it's an insult because they consider social injustice and discrimination to be good things because it protects them from having to care about others (unless they like they are, of course). I'm sorry, guys, you can't insult me by saying I care about things worth caring about. You can't insult me by saying I support things that should never exist in a civilized world, and you certainly can't insult me by telling me I'm right.

So, I am WOKE. If you're not, you're standing on the wrong side of human advancement. 

False Facts

Science has put the idea that we only use 10% of our brain to rest. We use it all, folks. That idea is over a hundred years old, and the ability to study the brain, how it works, and how we use it has simply sent that "fact" into the myth category. What's more important as far as I'm concerned, is how we use our brains.

When I first learned to program in BASIC way back in the mid-80s, one of the first things I programmed was:

10 Print "Mike"

20 Goto 10

When I entered the command to run that wonderfully simple program, the screen printed my name over and over until I stopped it manually. It would run in a loop until the power went off if left alone. We do the same sort of thing with our brains. Certain ideas get stuck in them, and we loop those ideas for so long they're no longer ideas. They're facts. 

This sort of thing is great when the results are good. Not so great if the results aren't good. The devilish part is once we're convinced we're right, we rarely step back and examine our beliefs. Thus, anyone who challenges our beliefs is wrong, and we get angry. We exhibit that anger by trying to insult them.

That, my friends, explains a lot about the previous section on being "woke."

That's enough for now.

Take care and stay safe.

cma 

 

 

 

 

 

  

13 - Daily Report and Tornadoes

Daily Report

The weatherman predicted a possibility of severe storms and hail today. Fortunately, they didn't arrive, but last night there were some terrible storms up in Oklahoma. I didn't know about those until I got up this morning to discover a number of my friends had been affected by them. They were okay, but three people were killed, and a great deal of damage occurred. I'll have a section on my own experiences with tornadoes after this.

Today was a good day to spend some time outside. Sandy and my nephew Timmy worked on the pond a while back to repair leaks in the waterfall, but it has apparently decided it wasn't ready to be fixed. The waterfall helps clean the water for the pond, so keeping it running keeps the water clear and makes seeing the fishies much easier. Unfortunately, the leak means more water has to be added regularly. I probably spent two hours today watching the dogs enjoy themselves while I listened to an audiobook, and the hose went about replacing the lost water. Not a bad way to spend time. 

The air conditioning folks came to install the part they'd ordered for our system. The dogs had a great time telling them to go away. Seven dogs--but they've learned to bark in shifts.

Tornadoes

I was born and spent the first 45 years of my life in Southwestern Oklahoma. When spring rolled around, it wasn't a bit unusual to be awakened at three o'clock in the morning by sirens. We'd all get up and put on our clothes so we could go to our neighbor's house and take shelter in their cellar. It wasn't a large cellar. There was an old, World War 2 era cot along one wall, a couple of wooden chairs, some boxes, and some shelves filled with preserves. We'd stay there until the Civil Defense folks blew the all-clear sirens. That procedure would be repeated at least three times each year, and it was almost like a normal way to spend the night. As I grew older, I'd go up to ground level with the man who owned the cellar, and we'd watch the clouds. After a while, I began to know what to look for and whether I needed to be concerned or not.

I remember one night when we were in the cellar, and my brother was sitting on the steps holding onto the rope connected to the door. All of a sudden, we heard a roar. The wall behind me shifted violently as it cracked. My brother, who was taking weight-lifting in high school, grabbed the rope and pulled on it because the suction was trying to rip the door open. We all expected disaster when we went upstairs, but the tornado had passed over us without touching down. A neighbor down the block had the posts holding her porch up pulled loose, and it was hanging downward. My brother and I grabbed the posts and set them back on the concrete to support the porch.

Despite all the tornado warnings and all the visits to that cellar, it was a long time before I actually saw a tornado. One night we had eight or nine tornados in one night. I went a few houses north and looked west toward the edge of town and saw two that were about four miles away. The sirens blew all night that night. At school the next day, everyone took naps (teachers included).

The next time was years later when I was taking care of my mother. The sirens had gone off around seven in the evening. I went to the front porch and looked around. Then I looked up. One was forming right above our house! I helped my mother get into her shoes, and I helped her down the cellar stairs. That tornado took out a power station, so we were out electricity for three days or so, but it didn't damage the town at all. A few years later, the largest tornado I ever saw hit town one Friday afternoon just as I was getting off work. My brother and I were driving home when we saw it about a half mile west of town. My mother was thankfully in the hospital in Oklahoma City at the time, so we went directly to the cellar when we got home. It was an F3 tornado (winds from 150 to over 200 miles per hour). This one passed over us as well, but it did quite a bit of damage to trees and to the Air Force Base east of town.

Years later, when I worked for the Department of Human Services, I was assigned to report to the Civil Defense office when tornado sirens were blown, and then I'd do a survey of an assigned part of the county afterward. Most nights when tornadoes spring up, you lose a lot of sleep. Those nights were no exception.

That's enough for now.

Take care and stay safe.

cma

 

12 - Daily Report, Clarence Thomas, Speeding Along, & The Bobiverse

Daily Report

It's a very breezy, warm afternoon here at Adams Pond. I've watered the garden since we had a slight problem with the hose on the automatic timer for Sandy's garden soaker hoses. I've fixed that. Heck, I'm almost feeling as if I've crossed into handyman territory, except I was never very good at stuff like that. I used to say I understood how to do things, but that knowledge never traveled down my arms to my hands. Maybe they just didn't want to do it. However, most of the time my nephew Timmy does stuff like tightening things and moving heavy objects and well--we try not to wear him out. I've run three loads of laundry so far and have one running to be replaced by the final load of the day, and dinner is thawing on the island. I've reviewed call center phone calls for Sandy, sent the folks there a training lesson to be completed by next Monday, and I've got dishes washing. The dogs are worn out from following me all over the place. 

I'd say it's time for a nap, but I've got a chapter to complete on my novel, and I've yet to develop a timeline for it. 

My new phone arrived today. The FedEx guy was about to leave a sticker on the door when he attracted the attention of the dogs. I saw his shadow through the front door's stained-glass window, so I caught him before he jetted away. 

Now, on to what's happening elsewhere.

 Going on a Cruise

One of my friends on Facebook is also an old friend from my working days back in Oklahoma. She heard me mention we were going on a cruise to Alaska soon, and she said she'd always wanted to go on one but couldn't afford it. Sandy and I try to take one a year. The getting on and getting off process can be a headache, but we always enjoy going off to visit new places and meet people we'd never meet in any other way. My sister goes on a lot of cruises, and she helped us get started. At any rate, I told my friend it was possible to make payments so it's not such a huge expense. I also recommended checking out a website called Vacations to Go. Pull it up on Google. It has lots of bargains and suggestions.

Clarence Thomas

As if Clarence Thomas hasn't been a mess since he was nominated and placed on the Supreme Court, now he's blundered into more problems than declaring his private parts were incredibly long or sexual harassment. Now he's been caught with his pants down (without a view of the aforesaid private parts). He's been accepting free trips from a highly conservative billionaire amounting to over $500,000, and that same "friend" purchased his mother's house and renovated it. He never declared these "gifts," and he sees no problem with them. Naturally, the GOP has no problem with any of it either. After all, it's not unusual for folks to get $500,000 in free vacations. They'll argue this all around and forget that his wife was strongly involved in the January 6, 2021 insurrection. Ethics? "We don't need no stinkin' ethics."

Speeding Along

 When I was in New Mexico, I had to take a safe driver's course online each year so I could drive a State Car. The chart I've included here is one of the takeaways I had from that course. I've found it to be both informative and a bit frightening. I've driven in a lot of places where the speed limit is an accepted starting place for how fast you will drive. When I was taught to drive, I was taught to allow one car length for every ten miles per hour I was driving. Six car lengths if I was driving 60. If you do anything like that in many places, four or five cars will slide into the space you've so nicely provided. They may actually use that space so they can cross two or three lanes of traffic. Note the statement at the top left of this chart: "For every 10 miles per hour over 50 mph, the risk of death in a traffic collision is doubled." So, if you're driving 70, your risk is 4 times higher. At 80, it's 8 times higher. Here in Texas, I have seen people racing along at much higher speeds. This chart also highlights the fact that faster speeds don't really equate to getting somewhere significantly sooner. Slow down. Be safe. Treat the other drivers on the road with respect.

The Bobiverse

German scientists are currently working on ways to reverse death and resurrect human beings. While this has traditionally been the baliwick of science fiction and horror (think Frankenstein), this is a real thing (as reported recently by Popular Mechanics). Here's a quote: "A few of these people just want their brain preserved, thinking their future selves may prefer a new 3D-printed body... or maybe not even a body at all." Scary stuff? Maybe turning people into computer programs will keep the world from over-population...wait, that could be an interesting science fiction story. Don't steal it.

Sandy and I have read a really interesting science fiction series about a fellow named "Bob" who has his brain frozen after death. He awakens a couple of hundred years later to discover he's a computer program. He eventually creates all sorts of replicas (they all act and sound like him, but personalities diverge over time and replication). The stories are entertaining. I highly recommend reading the books. The first in the series is called "We Are Legion, We Are Bob." The author is Dennis E. Taylor. If you do Audible, the performer for the books is outstanding.

That's enough for today. 

Take care and be safe.

cma 

11 - Daily Report, TAX Day, Gun Crazy, & Beer (Again)

Daily Report

It's a wonderful day here at Adams Pond. The wind is blowing, and the air is fresh, cool, and relatively clean (remember there are cows and horses across the street). The dogs have been out for their obligatory barks, and they've all partaken of the Pond's wonderfully delicious waters (I will accept their judgment on that). It is interesting to watch Clementine drink, however. As a basset hound, when she dips low to grab a drink, her ears hang about two inches below the surface. Then she runs over and jumps up to share it with me by flapping her head around my knees.

Sandy and I went to the chiropractor this morning. It's nice to get my back popped on a regular basis. Sometimes he manages to get my neck to pop as well, but not too often.

I've got a new phone arriving today (hopefully). The case is here. My nephew Timmy has already agreed to do the technical work in getting everything from my old one transferred to the new one. It's just occurred to me that I don't know if Sandy arranged for the number to stay the same. I suspect she did, as she always remembers things like that.

Today's picture features Mimibelle and Toby. We got Mimibelle at the dog shelter in Albuquerque. She is probably the most polite dog I have ever had. She will not enter a room before me, for instance. When I feed her a treat, she waits until I hand it to her rather than rushing in to grab it, and she follows most instructions quickly. I believe she must have had some training before we got her. She's now our oldest canine since Bella passed away a few months ago.

Tax Day! 

It's Tax Day! Okay, calm down! It's okay to get excited, but maybe we should ALL just tone things down a bit. After all, this day comes every year. Paying taxes is an obligation for us ALL, and that's not just because it's a law. Paying taxes ensures we have ALL the things we take for granted, and it's certainly not a process that needs to be treated lightly or played with in a game of political brinksmanship. Every decision impacts us ALL to a certain extent. We need to elect representatives on every side whose primary interest is taking care of ALL the people in this country equitably. Equitably means ALL Americans -- not just the ones you like. Right now, we've got a lot of folks who've forgotten they serve ALL the people of this country, and they need to be replaced.

Did you notice the word ALL in caps? There was a reason for that. The Preamble to the Constitution starts out "We, the People," not "We, the folks who agree with me." We ALL need to remember that on this day and every day.

Gun Crazy

We've had two instances lately of people stepping out on their front porch and shooting at people who made the unfortunate mistake of being there. While I can understand the world is not a safe place, I have a problem with people shooting and then asking who they're shooting at. It appears race may have entered into at least one of these incidents. Though I've never been a gun user, I can remember when people focused on gun safety. That's one reason I believe we need to require insurance for gun owners and users. We do it for car owners and drivers. Sadly, statistics are now showing guns are the leading cause of death for children in this country. As voters, we ought to be ashamed if we don't vote for changes that ensure lives aren't at risk because of a political ideology. 

BEER (Again)

Beer is in the news again. At this point, I can't help but wonder if certain members of the GOP aren't secretly getting money to speak out against Anhauser-Busch. Today I read an article about a certain Florida governor who says it's too "woke" for him. As I've said, I don't drink beer (root beer is an exception), but it's beginning to look as if it might be a good idea to buy some stock in the company before the price goes up.

That's enough for now.

Take care and be safe.

cma 

10 - Daily Report, Artificial Intelligence, More on Beer, and What's Better than Chocolate?

Daily Report

I can officially say spring is going strong here at Adams Pond. Sandy and I traveled to Home Depot this morning for the first salvo. Flowers and plants have been purchased along with potting soil. She cleaned up the area around the garden so there is easier access to things, and I helped out by bringing zip ties and helping her move some benches. There's a lot to be done, but it was a good start. The waterfall is running, and it appears there may be a small leak, but it's negligible at this point. We'll see how it goes as time progresses.

Artificial Intelligence

I'm a science fiction fan and writer. In science fiction, artificial intelligence is almost always a bad thing. From the Forbin Project to The Terminator, super-powerful computer intelligences either try to take over the world or they try to destroy humanity and replace it with "perfection." Exceptions include Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation and C3PO in Star Wars. Decades ago, Isaac Asimov created the Three Rules of Robotics to deal with this. If you saw the movie "I Robot", you saw how well that worked out, though the three rules have since become a given in AI development.

Lately, AI has been responsible for the creation of "deep fakes." Basically, deep fakes aren't real people in videos or photographs, but they LOOK real. They hit the news recently when a lot showed up prior to Donald Trump's arraignment in New York City. Today there was a headline about deep fake pornography. Sigh...

One area I've found useful, however, is I now have the ability to use AI technology to create images of the characters in the stories I'm writing. If you're a writer or know one, you may wish to refer them to a website named ARTFLOW. Use Google for the link. ArtFlow AI allows me to describe a person or a place, and the AI then provides four different takes on it. I can choose one or create more. The picture that follows is an example of one I created a few minutes before writing this. All I wrote was "man standing on a balcony overlooking a futuristic city." They haven't started charging yet, but I did a ZOOM session with one of the creators a while back and supported usage fees. Normally I'm fairly cheap about things, but this is extremely easy to use and useful at the same time.

More on Beer

After the attack on Bud Light for endorsing the LGBTQ+ and the subsequent attempts to retract those attacks when the GOP realized that Anhauser Busch was a major contributer, there's a new video out featuring the famed Clydesdale horses. They are amazing horses (I've visited the farm they're kept at in the St. Louis area), and the commercial is pretty good. Not good enough to get me to drink beer, but good enough to watch a couple of times.

 What's Better than Chocolate? 

If you know me, you'll realize that's a question with just one answer. "Nothing." I love chocolate. I also believe white chocolate is an evil plot, but that's beside the point. Just hitting the news is chocolate has a new and quite intriguing competitor.

Marijuana.

Yep. The stigma against marijuana is beginning to fade away, and it's becoming more and more accessible. Laws that have been on the books for decades are being dashed to the rocks as new ones allowing people to obtain it are being made. It's not universally okay everywhere, but I suspect that day is coming. 

I'll stick with my chocolate. I prefer Hershey's. Milk chocolate or dark are equally fine.

That's enough for today.

Take care and stay safe.

cma 

 

 

 

9 - Daily Report, New Mexico, Secrets, and Megaquakes

Daily Report

It's Friday once again, but it's Friday the 14th, so we can all relax and enjoy a day without disasters (I certainly hope that's true). It's cloudy and 64 degrees outside at the moment. The meteorologists say we've got a 1% chance of rain. While I'm sure all the folks who just cut their grass are enjoying that prospect, this area of Texas needs more rain. I plan to water the garden and Sandy's potted plants shortly, which also means the fish will get fed. As a side note, Max and Clemmy now have a competition going to see who gets to eat the fish food I deliberately spill for their enjoyment. Max is an interesting dog. He is obsessed with his toys, and the more they squeak, the more he likes it. Clemmy is still a puppy, but she's presenting new problems for us as she gets bigger. She can now lean against our cabinets and the kitchen island and get things off of them. I was planning to do dishes after lunch, but they're in the dishwasher now after her latest escapade. She's also decided the best things to chew on are cardboard boxes. Little pieces are strewn all over our bathroom after she demolished the puppy pad box. The pads are now sitting on the bathroom cabinet. Puppies are fun, though. They have all the enthusiasm of a whirlwind and almost as much destructive power.

New Mexico

Sandy and I got to spend eight years in New Mexico, and we loved the place. When we moved there, I mentioned that there was something about it that made me think of it as home, even though I spent the first 45 years of my life in Oklahoma. If you've never been there, I highly recommend adding it to your bucket list. They don't call it the "Land of Enchantment" without reason. We lived in Bernalillo, which is just north of Albuquerque off I-25, which means it's only a 35-mile drive to Santa Fe. I worked in Santa Fe on occasion, and I can assure you that drive is not one you want to make during the migration of Albuquerque folks heading North in the morning and heading south for home in the evening. While we were there, we visited all four corners of the state and much of what lay in between. From Carlsbad Caverns to Aztec ruins to desert to forests to magnificent mountains to volcanos to the Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico is a land of beauty and diversity. Facebook has a page dedicated to New Mexico called (amazingly) "Pictures of New Mexico." I highly recommend a visit. Today's picture is from an area close to Farmington, NM, up in the NW corner of the state.

 Secrets

It seems the federal government is not happy when people leak secret information. They've arrested a young man who posted top secret material on Discord (a social media platform for gamers and people far younger than me who can figure it out). He also took them off-base and showed them to his friends. A certain amount of his behavior might be attributed to poor judgment and the desire to look important to his friends (that's how it will probably be portrayed in the inevitable movie-of-the-week/television series, or such), but it appears he was politically motivated. He'll be celebrated as a hero by some, including the ever-so-vocal Marjorie Taylor Green. She's the epitome of the phrase, "Put your brain in gear before engaging your mouth." She's defending him because his actions are very similar to her favorite ex-President. Defending this young man is akin to saying, "Taking federal secrets home with you and showing them off is a normal thing to do." Hopefully this will result in tighter control over access to top secret information.

Megaquake

The other day I mentioned the hole in the bottom of the sea that has scientists concerned about a major earthquake off the northwest coast of America. What's happening is "fault lubricant" from the Cascadia Subduction Zone off Oregon's coast is leaking upward into the ocean. As I understand it, what that means is the stuff that keeps the tectonic plates moving smoothly instead of suddenly jerking this way and that is escaping. It's a little like having an oil leak in your car and not taking care of it before the engine shudders and dies (at least that's how my vast mechanical knowledge relates to it). This has the potential of causing a 9.0 or greater earthquake impacting cities all along the West Coast (think Portland, Seattle, and all the way up to Anchorage). I'm not sure what the solution (if any) may be. In the movies, they always try nuclear bombs on things like this. I think that's not a good idea. What if a bomb makes the hole bigger? They could try filling the hole up, but it is more than a half mile underwater! The Pacific Northwest is a beautiful place, and it already has its share of potential problems with a ring of volcanoes dotting the landscape. Put the two together? Where's Superman when you need him?

That's enough for now.

Take care and stay safe.

cma

8 – Daily Report, Politics, Science, and Disaster

 Daily Report

Wow! Spring is here! Not just officially, it’s HERE. The grass is growing at a phenomenal rate, and I’m thankful Timmy is the one who has to deal with it. He’s heading outside after finishing his lunch to take care of the front and back. The side yard is the larger area, but the grass there is a different variety, so it’s not growing as quickly. Right now, it’s 77 degrees, and the sky is clear. We have zero chance of rain—today—and it’s pretty low for the next week. But April is notorious for thunderstorms, rain, and the opening season for tornados.

The dogs are enjoying being outside. A few of them like to lounge in the sun. A couple like to study our fish while drinking from Adams Pond. Clementine is a basset hound, so she gets the ends of her long, floppy ears soaked when she partakes, but she doesn’t care. Like all dogs, pond water is a special beverage.

Politics

Here’s a sample of today’s headlines without commentary (well, not much):

Both Tennessee Democrats who were expelled for daring to talk out of turn about gun control following a mass murder in their state are now back in office.

A judge has sanctioned Fox News for “misrepresentations” and potentially withholding evidence in the Dominion lawsuit.

Donald Trump is suing his former lawyer for a lot of legal mumbo jumbo that boils down to his old lawyer basically being as greedy and untrustworthy as he is.

Texas has voted to permanently stay on Daylight Savings Time—but they can’t enforce it. Seems the Department of Transportation controls stuff like that. You’d think someone might have researched something like that, but—ah—this is Texas where they like to remind everyone that they used to be a country all on their own. 

A state senator in Missouri says children as young as 12 should be allowed to marry adults. Sounds like an effort to legalize child abuse to me.

Science

Here’s some science news that’s worthy of your consideration:

There is indeed a hole in the bottom of the sea. It’s not just a song from Hans Christian Anderson. Scientists fear it could cause a major shift in the tectonic plates in the Pacific Northwest.

A different group of scientists believe they know why small dogs tend to live longer than large dogs. Large dogs appear to be more susceptible to cancer because they haven’t developed as much resistance to it.

Disaster

And to wrap up today’s disaster waiting in the wings: 

Scientists are concerned that the melting of ice in Antarctica could cause real problems sooner than they originally thought. Major ocean currents could create a disaster within the current century. Whether there’s time to fix this problem is debatable, but they believe if carbon emissions aren’t reduced dramatically, we may see a real-life version of “The Day after Tomorrow.”

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay Safe.

cma

7 – Daily Report, Beer, & the Garden of Eden

 Daily Report

It’s a pleasant 72 degrees this afternoon. I’ve just spent an enjoyable half hour watching the dogs explore the back yard as they alternate between racing suddenly from one side to the other then collapsing for a short nap and following that up with a quick look around to see if there is anything worthy of being barked at. Most of the folks out walking take the street at the front of our house, but they do occasionally take the road on the south side of our property. We’re lucky to have a large corner lot, so the walkers, bicyclers, and vehicles get to pass us on two sides.

A while back, when my Aunt Lou still lived, she gave some of her irises to Sandy, and those irises have traveled with us from Norman, OK, to Lawton, OK, down here to Weatherford, TX, then on to New Mexico, and now they’re back in our garden in Texas once more. They’re blooming quite well right now, and my aunt would be happy to know they’re still around.

The BEER Controversy

I don’t drink beer. I smelled it once and couldn’t help wondering why anyone would put something that smelled that bad into their mouths. Several people have told me it’s an “acquired taste,” but I have decided it is not a taste I’m interested in acquiring.

That said, there’s an interesting thing happening in the beer world lately. Beer now has a gender. It’s been so declared by hard righters like Kid Rick and Marjorie Taylor Green. They say Bud Light has openly supported the LGBTQ+ community, so Bud Light is now the latest incarnation of Satan himself. Under the ever-so-powerful influence of KR & MTG, the far-right folks are now buying Bud Light so they can destroy it—on video, no less. I’m sure the accounting department at Budweiser is chortling with delight as they watch their profits go up. I don’t suspect there are enough people out there following that practice to make much of a difference, but advertising IS advertising. The LGBTQ+ community and its friends may now start buying truckloads of Bud Light.

As a side note, Marjorie Taylor Green personally favors Coors. From what I understand, Coors has a long history of support for the LGBTQ+ folks. She may actually run out of beer she can drink at this rate.

Other Strange Stuff

So, along with buying beer to destroy it, the human race has often provided opportunities for its members to do really strange stuff. For instance, the practice of putting animals on trial was a big thing in medieval Europe for a while. Also prevalent in the Middle Ages was the practice of painting the baby Jesus as a grown man—just smaller. The Catholic Church once designated coffee as “the devil’s cup” as it was an Islamic drink. To top off today’s selection of strange beliefs, there’s a fairly large religious group out there that believes the Garden of Eden is in Missouri. Now, my wife is from Missouri, and I have family that lives there, but they all would look pretty funny wearing fig leaves. (I’ll leave it to you to figure out which religious group I’m talking about.)

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay Safe.

cma

6 – Daily Report, WASPS, & Books

Daily Report

I took a few days off because there were so many other things attracting my attention, including Sandy’s birthday—which went well. I prepared breakfast (I’m slowly mastering the fine art of using my new omelet pan without spilling egg or over-cooking it). I included some sauteed onions and small pieces of spam. We had bacon on the side. It’s the best omelet I’ve made yet with this pan, but it’s not quite there—yet. I have some of the onions and spam left, and I’ll probably use them tomorrow.

Sandy prepared a couple of roasts in the crockpot, and she made a delicious gravy to go with it along with some mashed potatoes. She also baked some Brussel sprouts with parmesan, and they were delightful. There are a few left for a second meal. They were also the largest I’ve ever seen.

The waterfall here at Adams Pond has been leaking badly, so Timmy rearranged rocks, sprayed foam sealant in the known bad spots, and followed Sandy’s directions. He was a little concerned about not being able to get a present for her birthday, but I told him she’d be very happy just to get her waterfall fixed. Unfortunately, we turned it on this morning, and there is still a leak. It’s not a bad one, though I’ve never known a leak of any kind to get better over time.

WASPS

It’s that time of year again. Wasps are building nests around the house in preparation for whatever nefarious deeds they have planned. We have at least three (and possibly more) species of the vile, despicable, evil creatures in our immediate area. I caught one attempting to build a nest at the top of our back door. Sandy got some super-powerful wasp and hornet spray to use on them. I sprayed it—actually, I soaked it. It wiggled around a little. Shook a bit. Then it took a deep breath and returned to its task as if nothing had happened. They must be wearing poison-proof armor these days. Fortunately, they can’t protect themselves from a broom. Not yet.

Books

I wonder if Fahrenheit 451 is on a banned book list. Let me take a look on Google. Yep. It’s banned, but I’ll bet no one involved in banning it recognizes the inherent irony in doing so. They can’t keep it from being read, of course. The book addressed that issue as well, though I doubt the book-banners have bothered to read it.

I’m often reminded of the third Indiana Jones movie (The Last Crusade) when the issue of book banning or burning comes up. You may recall the scene in which Indy and his father travel to Berlin to rescue the Grail Diary from Nazi hands. When he confronts Elsa, who has stolen the diary, she asks why he came back for it. He says it’s because his father didn’t want it incinerated. She is angry, and she says she doesn’t believe in the Swastika. Indiana replies: “You stood up to be counted with the enemies of everything the Grail stands for!” It’s sad to realize the so-called Christians behind such matters have no real comprehension of what Christianity is all about.

And Yet Another Book

I’m not a Catholic. In fact, until my best friend Nick was ordained a Deacon last summer, I’d never attended a Mass in my entire life. That weekend, I attended two, and I’ll readily admit I didn’t have a clue what was going on. It wasn’t important for me to understand it all, of course. I was there to support Nick’s decision and dedication to his faith.

I mentioned not long ago that I was reading a book entitled “The Mystery of Julia Episcopa.” I appreciate the fact that the book is a work of fiction, but it’s caused me to wonder how much of the mystery implied in the title is fiction. For those who don’t speak Latin, “Episcopa” is Latin for Bishop, and the story revolves around a discovery that “Julia” was a bishop ordained by Pope Clement sometime in the first century. I won’t tell the story here, but it is an interesting read, and a quick search of Google shows there may be some historical evidence to support the idea that women were given more responsibility and respect in the early Church.

The book is available on Amazon and Kindle if you’re interested. I found it to be worthy of my time, and it was thought-provoking.

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay Safe.

cma

5 – Daily Report, The Supreme Court, and Protective Armor

 Daily Report

Today has been a good day weatherwise. It’s still cool, but I understand the weather is going to be warmer next week. The wind has dropped considerably, however, and that’s helped. The dogs are enjoying their time outside where they bark, nap, and wake up to bark some more. We’ve got cows across the street along with some horses. Our dogs occasionally forget they’re there, and they delight in barking furiously at them. Our neighbor’s dog tends to walk over the fence to stir them up as it stands there looking bored.

I’m posting a picture today of the trellis Sandy built last weekend. She used broken limbs from the storm that blew through a few weeks ago. They haven’t been picked up yet, but they served Sandy’s purposes well. Timmy broke them to the required length, and she zip-tied them together. I think she did a pretty good job.

The Supreme Court

A lot of federal judges—no—make that a lot of people—are more than a little upset over the latest Clarence Thomas scandal. He’s taken the position there was nothing wrong with what he's been doing for decades, but in my opinion there’s not a lot of difference between evil and the “appearance of evil.” Public servants in general and judges in particular should hold themselves to a higher set of standards simply because of the position of trust that has been placed in them. It doesn't require an official list of bad things to see that you shouldn't do things that look bad—and if you can't see that something that simple is wrong, what else are you failing to see? How can we trust a legal decision by someone who thinks it's okay to accept millions of dollars in luxury travel? How do you go about disbarring a Supreme Court Justice?

Protective Armor

As I exited a local convenience store this morning, I started a conversation with the man who followed me out the door. Like me, he was in the older generation, and we began talking about the fact it was Friday. I observed that it was also “Good Friday,” and I added, “When I worked, I thought every Friday was good.” I asked what he did for a living, and he said he sold military grade protective armor and accessories. He added that he didn’t sell to the general public. He sold only to law enforcement agencies and similar entities. As he walked away, I couldn’t help thinking about how sad it is that bullet-proof backpacks for schoolkids are a thing these days. Sometimes I think they're trying to fix the wrong end of the problem.

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay safe.

cma

4 – Daily Report, Chihuahuas, and Volcano Movies

 What’s Happening Now

A few days ago, our air conditioning was on the fritz, and we were uncomfortable because the house was too warm. That was then. This is now: It’s 57 degrees outside, and it has been windy, so not only has my UFP flag been waving wildly in the breeze, I’ve spent the day trying to decide if it’s time to break out the sweater and gloves once more. When I was younger, cold weather never bothered me. I remember my best friend Nick and I went to visit a friend of his on Halloween night once. The temperature was in the low 70’s when we walked the two miles to his house. After having a good evening’s conversation, we walked outside, and the temperature had dropped dramatically. Neither of us was dressed for the prospect of strong north winds and near-freezing temperatures, but we survived the journey back to our respective homes. Once, while riding my bicycle home after getting out of school (I was in the 10^th grade, so the high school was three miles or so from my house), I was caught in a sleet storm. I had a raincoat, but it didn’t cover my legs. By the time I got home, my pants were semi-frozen, and my legs were very close to that same condition. But I survived. Today, the house got down to 64 degrees, and I was absolutely freezing! My, how things change.

Toby, Our Noisy Chihuahua

No politics today. Instead, I’m going to discuss another form of noise. Toby—our chihuahua. Our first introduction to the little fellow came when we were fostering dogs for a while. At the time, we were living in Bernalillo, NM (it’s just north of Albuquerque on the way to Santa Fe). They found a home for him with an elderly couple, and that lasted a few days. He was just too noisy for them. Thus, he rejoined us, and we ended up adopting him. Sandy has said more than once that he is the cutest dog she’s ever had—when he’s asleep. He may be cute then, but he's rarely completely quiet when he’s asleep. He growls and barks all the time in his sleep. We rarely know what he’s growling or barking at, but he’s determined to make his presence known to the universe. Unlike Stephen Crane’s poem in which the Universe declares it doesn’t care about the state of mankind, I’m quite sure the Universe would be happy if he’d quit barking as well. He’s Sandy’s dog, as are most of them, but he does tolerate me when it’s time for a treat—or his medicine (he gets his pill wrapped up in a bit of cheese).

Chinese Movies

When I was in college, Chinese Kung Fu movies were the rage, and those movies were exhausting. I had no idea Kung Fu included jumping over buildings and hovering in mid-air while having a swordfight with an arm and a leg cut off. The plots were always simple good guys versus bad guys (there were always more bad guys, of course), but the good guys always won.

This afternoon, I watched a Chinese movie named “Skyfire” on HULU. It was reminiscent of “Volcano” with Tommy Lee Jones and “Dante’s Peak” with Pierce Brosnan. Both of those came out in 1998 (I believe). This one was made in 2019, and it was made in both Chinese and English (which means the speaking parts required actors who could do both languages). It was more entertaining than I expected, and it had very good special effects (better than either of the previously mentioned films could do twenty years ago). The story was silly, but that’s not too unusual in disaster movies. What was surprising was a beautiful scene just before the volcano erupts in which a fellow is proposing to his girlfriend underwater! It’s almost like watching a ballet as they swim about (fully clothed, of course). From that moment on, they’re dodging lava bombs, molten lava, explosive gas vents, earthquakes, and pyroclastic flows. Jason Isaacs (Draco Malfoy’s dad in Harry Potter) is the rich guy who decides to build an amusement park on an island with an active volcano (Jurassic World #2 did that one too, but the Chinese did it without dinosaurs). They actually got me to watch the end credits by showing scenes of the filming while a band sang a song I couldn’t understand—it wasn’t done in English. If you’re into disaster movies, this one may suit you tastes.

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay Safe.

cma

3 – Daily Report, Current Events, & Star Trek

What’s Happening Now

It’s 54 degrees outside, and the wind is coming out of the northwest as if getting to where it’s going is a critical mission. Consequently, Adams Pond is going to be observed from inside our nice, comfortable house. The air conditioning is fixed. According to the technician, it was extremely dirty and filled with spiders. That’s comforting news. Here in Texas, fire ants and wasps seem to be attracted to HVAC units. Now we have spiders to contend with. However, what happened to us is indicative of what can happen to anyone who doesn’t have their units serviced regularly.

Barney and Clementine are rough housing in the living room. My mother never understood that my brother and I weren’t fighting when we did it. She’d always get in between us to stop it, and we had to stop because we were afraid we’d hurt her. She didn’t understand we would never get into an actual fight. I could still run in those days, because my brother was strong enough to throw me across the room if he had the desire to do so.

Politics

Following Donald Trump’s arraignment, he promptly went back to Florida to give a speech in which he did exactly what the judge ordered him not to do. At least two major news agencies made the decision to wait until after Trump’s future speeches to determine if they’d air what he said. They’re concerned about their liability if they broadcast known falsehoods live. Considering what’s happening to Fox News right now for deliberately broadcasting lies about Dominion’s voting machines as well as the Great Lie about a stolen election, I don’t blame them for erring on the side of caution.

They had a good voting day in Wisconsin. After fifteen years of total Republican control of the state because of gerrymandering voting districts in their favor, the people of Wisconsin decided they’d had enough and elected a new Supreme Court judge who now gives the Democrats a majority. They have some very important decisions coming up, including redistricting the state’s voting regions to make them fair and representative of the state’s population.

Chicago also elected a progressive Democrat as its mayor. There was a time when that wouldn’t have been an issue because Chicago’s Democratic political machine wouldn’t have allowed anyone other than a Democrat to be elected. That was just as wrong as what we’ve seen happening on the GOP side of things in the last forty years. Fairness in our Democracy must be a reality. In a fair election, you may not like the results, but you can accept them and move on. Hopefully, the majority of the voters in this country will reflect their attitudes at the election booth next time around and thereafter.

Star Trek

I’ve been a fan of Star Trek since the summer before the original series first aired. That summer, the commercials for the new show grabbed my attention, and I couldn’t wait until it showed up in glorious black and white on my television. For the next three years, I followed it faithfully, even when the network tried to kill it and later succumbed to the demands of an orchestrated letter campaign. It wasn’t a perfect show, but it was science fiction! Since those days, they’ve produced a number of movies and additional television shows, and it appears the trend toward more is on-going. Right now, three Star Trek series are active. Star Trek: Discovery is in its last season. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins its second season soon, and they have already started filming season three. Star Trek: Picard was a limited series, and it’s completing its last few episodes this month. The current season has made the first two blush in shame. It’s been really great.

None of that includes the many Star Trek novels, comic books, podcasts, fan-made episodes, and conventions dedicated to Trek.

More Star Trek shows are in the works. I was thirteen when my personal Star Trek adventure started, and I’ll be seventy soon. That’s pretty impressive for any entertainment franchise. Star Trek has been an influence on human culture. There are few places on this planet where it hasn’t shown its collective face.

Last year, I mentioned to Sandy that I’d like to have a United Federation of Planets flag for our front porch. She got me one for Christmas. It’s out there declaring my enjoyment of the series. The fact that it’s blue and flying in a red state hasn’t been lost on me either.

In Star Trek: First Contact, the crew of the Starship Enterprise (Next Generation) went back in time to stop the Borg's attempt to assimilate Earth in 2063. Interestingly enough, that attempt coincided with Zephram Cochran's first attempt to achieve warp power in a makeshift spacecraft. This attempt was noted by a passing alien vessel, and that vessel diverted to Earth to investigate. It marked the first time human beings encountered the Vulcans. That day was April 5, 2063. Just forty years from now. It's celebrated as First Contact Day. Enjoy!

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay Safe.

cma

2 - Purple Flowers, Broken AC, & Harry Potter

What’s Happening Now

It’s 73 degrees outside, and we’ve got a 24% chance of rain. Seems like it may be more than that, as the humidity is 79%. Sandy asked me to water the plants in her outside buckets, and that’s been done along with adding water to Adams Pond. The waterfall is dutifully sending cascades of water down to splash on the fish. They’ve also been fed.

But those were the easy chores. We are having trouble with the air conditioning system, and Sandy’s scheduling a technician to come by and look it over. You may remember I talked about getting your air conditioning system tuned up not long ago. It’s better to get it done before hot weather hits.

I’m including a picture of one of Sandy’s newly blooming plants in today’s entry. She says it’s called Transcendentia. It’s nice to know things like that. Otherwise, I’d just call it purple flower.

Politics

The world of politics continues to revolve around Donald Trump. His arraignment is today, but he’s got other worries down the road. The likelihood of further indictments from both the attempt to falsify voting numbers in Georgia to the insurrection attempt he instigated in Washington on January 6, 2021 are looming on the horizon. He may even get pulled in on the lawsuit moving forward by the Dominion lawsuit against Fox News for their lies about the 2020 election. They’ve all admitted they were lying about the “stolen election” in order to keep their viewers from switching to another ultra-conservative news source. Of course, lies are at the heart of everything GOP these days.

One of the super-conservative counties in Northern California has voted to totally eliminate voting machines based on the Great Lie that the election was stolen. Everything’s going to be done on paper now. Paper ballots only and hand-counting. (Easy to lose ballots you don’t like, and easy to miscount if the numbers are too close. The GOP right-wing has elected to ignore election results if they don’t like them. Their reasons are clear. They can’t win in a fair election.

Okay, that’s all out of my system.

Entertainment

I don’t know about you, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Harry Potter books, and the movies were like icing on the cake as far as I was concerned. I remember waiting in line at Wal-Mart when one of the books was released (there were LOTS of people there). Wal-Mart even had them in a secure location so people couldn’t walk off with them. Then, sitting in the theater as the first movie hit really was like magic unfolding before my eyes.

So, here’s the good news (maybe). HBO plans to adapt the series to television. Eash season will cover a book, and the stories will be told so they include a lot of material that didn’t make the movies. Casting will be difficult, but they did a good job of it in the first. We may have renew our subscription to HBO if this actually occurs.

Books

I’m reading a book now that’s entitled The Mystery of Julia Episcopa. I was drawn to it by an ad on Facebook. The story revolves around a woman who lived in Biblical times. Her name is Julia, and she lives in 57 AD (or CE depending upon which system you adhere to). So far, she has been married, had two girls (much to the serious disappointment of her upwardly mobile Roman soldier husband), and she’s fighting a system that makes women as much like property as slaves. In the last chapter, she’s in Ephesus, and she has met and listened to the Apostle Paul (whose message scares her quite a bit because it goes against everything she’s been brought to believe in life). The other part of the story centers around a serious archeological study to identify her impact (or lack of it) on history. The intimation is made at the very beginning that she eventually becomes a bishop in the Church. The study is funded and overseen by the Catholic Church, but the Cardinal watching over it all doesn’t want to release the results if they are confirmed. I’m a third of the way into it, so it still has a way to go.

That’s enough for now.

Let me know what you think.

Take care. Stay Safe.

cma