Hey Kids,
The flip side to a great weekend is the return to work. My skin still radiates the heat donated from the desert sun, my sleep reserves still register a deficit from full, and my coffers are weighing in a little bit lighter. It would be easy to be lent to disappointment.
But all these things mean, that the weather was so good that sleep and money became irrelevant.
Work is now the vehicle to do it all over again.
Post 3-107
Hey Kids,
Remember when road trips took forever? Whoever thought 55MPH was a good idea, never had to drive across Nevada. Especially between Reno and Salt Lake City. We did it at least once every year.
I-80 was the name of the road, but it wasn’t finished for years. When the Interstate approached the small towns of Lovelock, Winnemucca, Battle Mountain, and Elko; the road ended and all traffic was diverted through the middle of town. In addition to the slower speed limit, these diversions made the trip go even longer. What now takes maybe 8 hours, used to take 12-14 hours.
We covered 300 miles today in 5 hours. Mostly 2 lane roads, some with passing lanes, we still traveled faster than the old 55.
And with air conditioning. Good air conditioning. I’ve crossed that desert a few times without it but I can do without that merit badge.
Traveling has changed a lot in my life time. Some of it I miss, like actually seeing the small towns you zoom pass now, but most of it do not. I think on this subject, progress has served us well.
What’s the line from the Billy Joel song- “The good old days weren’t always that good, and tomorrow isn’t as bad as it seems.”
Because, in the words of another song, but this time by Sammy Hagar; “I can’t drive 55.”
Post 3-106
Hey Kids,
I’m not the most sophisticated guy by far. The things I don’t know outnumber the things that I do, by far.
Art. I really know nothing.
History. I can quote a few dates but nothing to impress.
Music. Unless it’s 80’s music, I’m pretty lacking.
But I know when I hear something that sounds substantial. Today I listened to part of Beethoven’s Symphony 9.
I didn’t know it was Beethoven. Other than the 5th, who of my ilk does? And it’s mostly because of the pop song from the 70’s. Look it up.
So today I saw this video, dug on the sound and found it odd that voices accompanied the orchestra. Apparently, this was a main accomplishment for its time. This accompaniment was the first time voices were used as part of the symphony. And not just any lyrics. The song is adapted from the poem Ode to Joy. I had never heard it before, but I had heard of it.
Armed with this little information, I rewatched the video.
I felt so smart, so informed, and so classically hip.
It’s amazing how YouTube and Wikipedia can make us all blueblood.
Post 3-103
Hey Kids,
You only get one chance at first impressions.
I’ve never flown with United Airlines but seeing the now viral video of the bloodied man wrestled out of his seat and spending two days listening to the bad apologies, I’m pretty sure that won’t change anytime soon.
A quick scan through my G+ feed proved that the United-memes formed the majority. Here’s a few of them:
Everything is Awesome!
Good luck United. You may never be forgotten.
Post 3-102
Hey Kids,
For as long as recent memory serves, the warning sirens have been sounding. It’s a shortage here, water restrictions there, and “one good year does not a drought end” everywhere.
In the western US, water is always a concern; there’s more of us than there is of it. For most of my life, the threat of sudden death (exaggeration) has always been the water forecast it seems. The number of good years are few and far between and the memories faded by endless reports of dead fish, dry swimming pools, and brown lawns.
Stolen from: Friends of Lake Powell
This year is a good year. The reservoirs are full or filling- big Lake Powell has added four feet already; the rivers are flowing to excess, and the snow is still falling in the mountains- nearly two feet of new snow this weekend alone.
There are no reporters talking about new city restrictions, low snow packs, or crops drying in the sun-dried and cracked fields. In fact it seems this year may be one of those years that not only erases a multiple year drought, but postpones the begining of another for a few seasons. My hope is that everyone remains in conservation mode, that we all learned how valuable water is and not to waste it anymore in a year of plenty than in a year of little.
It’s truly a year to savor, void of the water doom and gloom warnings and alarms.
Flooding excluded.
Post 3-099
Hey Kids,
Every once in a while I have a good idea.
Most times I walk around in a complete stupor; void of direction, purpose, and unhelpful thoughts.
But a spark fires, the idea strikes, and I wonder how I ever did not know that thing that now appears so obvious. Epiphany is the word one uses to describe this sudden strike of brilliance.
Almost as often as these moments of brilliance occur I also like to show off that they happen. I wait for the right opportunity, and then spring my genius new idea onto my unsuspecting wife, sure to dazzle her and make her feel amazed to have had the good fortune to be within the glow of such world class savoir-faire.
To which she almost always says, “Yes, you already told me about that.”
That’s when I realize that I had already had that idea before, but had never acted upon it. It doesn’t change the brilliance but it does rob me of showing off, at least any more than once.
This process of this reincarnation of good ideas is what I now call Repiphany.
Post 3-098
Hey Kids,
I hold to the thought that the university where I work, as well as possibly many others, is the biggest collection of educated idiots you will find anywhere. Sometimes the thought process gets a little ahead of themselves.
Today, an official questionnaire was distributed to our department. The first question was “Can you read? (Please circle) Yes or No” I think I’ll urge all to check mark the no answer and skip the rest of the questionnaire.
This same institution has a policy of no potluck functions. This isn’t as obviously dumb as asking an employee who is paralyzed to raise his hand if he wants to request accommodation; but it’s still bad.
The thought behind the potluck band is to limit the spread of illness. If food is to be shared it needs to be purchased from another place of business by other unknown employees who obviously are illness-spreading free. The logic continues that because others will prepare food for other others, in a place of business, it’ll be safer than if one prepared food meant for self-consumption and shared with others.
Breaking bread together is a human trait that dates back a very long time. If you’re willing to share of your own sustenance, you recognize a commonality and will hold less ill-well towards those with whom you shared. Likewise if your enemy will feed you, does it not make that person less an enemy?
We no longer, at modern places of business, engage in lethal clan warfare, but work places can be just as divided as the people of the British Isles. Having meals together, not provided by the company but from the staff’s preparations, breaks down walls between us. If I make a potato salad that gets rave reviews, I will move up a notch in respect. And everyone who compliments said potato salad is now less my antagonist.
Hot dogs and bags of chips will only carry peace so far, but over time and with some frequency, I believe the tribal tradition of hospitality is worth the fear of a shared cold, which actually has value as well, but in the form of shared misery.
Being a rule keeper as I am, I do not condone banned Pot Luck luncheons. A shared lunch, however, a happy staff builds.
Post 3-097
Hey Kids,
To drop off the grid, to end all contact with the outside world, is one wish that many people wish.
But I can attest that as one whose phone stop working altogether when I least could afford it not to be working- it’s not all that it’s built up to be.
The glass on my phone broke some time ago, but when loading the car for our little trip, it broke more. The screen from that point bleed to a dark screen. The phone works but is blind.
For the next few days, it’ll be the mid-90’s all over again.
Post 3-093
Hey Kids,
On the day that featured top stories like NASA released pictures from Jupiter, the UK began its official exit from the European Union, Jeff Bezos became the second richest human, Congress sold out another level of ISP privacy, and CNN fact checks a joke told by the White House Press secretary; it was also announced that Crayola is changing one of the colors of its classic 24 color crayon pack.
But what color?!
Post 3-088
Hey Kids,
The news came out today that my football team, the Oakland Raiders, have received permission to move from the home cradle of Oakland, California to Las Vegas, Nevada. I have mixed feelings.
One one hand, Oakland is the Raiders and the Raiders are from Oakland. It just fits.
On the other hand, I moved. It’s not like I live in Oakland, attend Oakland games, or even contribute to Oakland economics. They have moved before too. I stayed a fan through it all.
On one hand, it’s a crappy thing to do to a loyal fan base.
On the other hand, it’s Raider Nation. Not every team can claim such status. We’re not contained to a local area.
On one hand, the name “Oakland Raiders” has a ring to it. Maybe the Oakland Raiders of Las Vegas?
On the other hand, so does just plain “The Raiders.”
On one hand, it won’t make any difference to the players and coaches and play of the game. The actually team will still have to win games and the “where” you play has nothing to do with that.
On the other hand, it also doesn’t matter to me either. I still have to get up each morning and go to work. And even if they should win it all again one year, I will still need to go to work the next morning.
So whatever. Oakland, I feel for you; I feel betrayed as well. But Las Vegas is actually closer and easier to get to for me and with any luck, I might actually be able to go to a game one day.
Or not.
Post 3-086
Mike M Jensen 