Translate

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

One thing constant is change

And most humans don’t like change. The evidence of that is all about us. Just look at what the environmentalist types tend to do…try to maintain the status quo. Just look at what our politicians tend to do…try to maintain the status quo, at least their status quo. In periods of economic hard times, so many politicians try to maintain the past they were comfortable with. And they may be reflecting their constituents, depending on where one lives and the level of government?

Now most change is gradual, kind of like the idea of Darwin’s evolution. Some change is more quick, like cataclysmic. An era of many volcanoes or many earthquakes provides such an example. Or for we humans, fads tend to be cataclysmic in nature. Certainly a revolution or civil war tends to be an example of a quick human change, vice gradual.

Now most accept gradual change, for whatever reason. An example is the name of the land Greenland. Now most would say it is not so green, now. But it must have been greener some time in our past, even discounting that human “marketer” types probably had something to do with the old time name, too. And at the end of the last ice age, around 10,000 years ago, New York City was maybe ½ mile under the ice. Most would say that the gradual change that has occurred to New York City in this regards is acceptable.

And some change is good, or at least most humans like it. An example is the expansion of public electricity, or the availability of mass communications to many people. Most people like running clean water, waste water methods, police and fire protection, and public schools, when they can get it. Even many USA Americans think running clean water is a right, and after all most have had it all their lives.

And some change is not so good. The widespread availability of food, and salt, in USA America today is causing many medical type problems. And the weather may be doing its periodical warming and cooling, and many that have food today may not have it available for their descendents in the future. Of course this depends on where one lives in this world. Even the “perennial” north and south poles may shift, or shed some of their ice we expect to be a constant. Pandemics are always a worry, too.

Now some change is simply “man-caused”. The reasons are many, but the human tendency to grossly over-generalize is one obvious culprit. For example, all people in Africa are not the same, nor do they think the same. Different cultures and tribes have different values, and some cultures are simply superior to others. The same idea applies everywhere, when one thinks about it. Yet too many human politicians tend to try do a one-size fits all solution to the problems they perceive as having to be solved. Of course some of this is just one group of humans trying to exploit or dominate another group. In either example, this kind of change is usually not so good. And one could lump in human selfishness in this category of man-caused change that is not so good. Exploiting aquifers for water, or other humans for family gain, are such an examples.

Never assume conspiracy (as change) when sheer incompetence will do.

Next for another idea…change can be exploited. In military talk, much change offers “cracks” to be exploited. In this idea, the quicker the speed of change, the more opportunities appear to be exploited by the savvy operator. In this idea, spending time to maintain the status quo is not always wise. Not all humans try to reinforce success, and often reinforce failure.

Now with a wink and a nod… Some things are constant. Examples are death, taxes, and the effects of hormones.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

The clash of cultures

It is so obvious. Many of our Western values are failing. But our Eastern values are also poor. Of course, this is mostly economics. And in the end, it is mostly about we humans. Are we fickle or not? And so also the question comes up, are we too dumb or even selfish?

Now mostly it is about us and our families. That’s a good goal about our future, I think. The main problem I think, is the energy consumption where we live. Now all want to promote their families, and quality of life. And most of we humans like public electricity, and are willing to pay for it.

Now like the Brits and the Russians in an earlier age, some Europeans and the USA are expending their young people and wealth in some effort in the so called Middle East. I prefer to call it the Caucus area, even the trans-caucus area.

So to revert to the basic idea, is there a clash of cultures going on?

Now I do not respect them (our ancestors), kinda. But if they too loved their families and way of life, that is human normal, at least to me. So I think if that made them happy, that is OK with me. Now in 2010 I am supposed to live with their decisions. Now I can talk about friction.

Of course the catch is dealing with the weirdoes. Now I suggest just killing them all.

Some cultures just don’t get along. I suspect it is mostly humans and the values we think well of.

There are some ideas and values worth fighting for.

The main idea, at least to me, is that some ideas and tribes, all human, do better than others. And it is obvious to me to reinforce success, not failure.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

I can recognize change, and say thank you.

We went without public electricity for about 10 minutes around 10 AM local time. The reasons are beyond me. And I consider myself in the middle of no where, as in rural USA.

We are so spoiled, I think. The old standard was 2 or 3 days in my rural area.

For what ever it is worth, I do like public electricity. Mostly because I am a computer nerd. Now having the satellite TV going too also appeals to me.

Now the cell phones and hard wired phones still worked, and I appreciate what so many fellow local Americans have done to keep the system going.

Good on em.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Who wants to be lied to?

Now I think most of us want and expect to be governed. But in the same vein, most of us want to think we know what is going on. The catch is how we humans have evolved, politically at least, and throughout the Earth. And our governments do provide benefits, especially depending on where one lives.

The obvious debate is between the ideas of knowing what is going on vice propaganda. In more USA terms, I think of the idea of really good USA type marketing, which I think is pretty good, especially if you watch TV. Even Google has made this into a good way to make a living. I guess we humans are predictable, as far as marketing goes.

What bothers me in simple terms, is how to interpret those politicians who lie for their own gain. Now that is a moral indignity, at least to me.

So what to think. Most of us expect humans trying to get elected to lie, albeit with some smoothing. But my vote is that we also expect elected rulers to be honest. In this idea is much friction. After all, many politicians at all levels still do their best, which is what most of us count on.

In the meantime, I have to live, to include me and my family.

And in the meantime, I think we will select future politicians who lie less. How about moral standards when ruling us? And all I just want to think about is what is going on. After all, it is me and my family at stake.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The times they are a changing

Some of it was predictable in the USA. Even back two years ago one could confidently think that people wanted change, and a third party in the USA was coming. The normal and usual question to “who were you going to vote for President” was “I wish we had another choice”.

Now we are getting “other” choices thanks to the hard work of so many fellow USA citizens. What I still find astounding is the apparent stupidity of so many fellow Americans who assume the status quo two party national system will go on forever. How typically human. Even more amazing is the idea that some third party must be organized like in the status quo past, and compete as a Party. Maybe it will, but in the meantime, to this citizen, this effort will support any candidate who thinks about priorities like integrity, honesty, and even “the people” and what they think.

Anyway, both present USA national parties have had most of a century to make things better, and use your own judgment as to the results in the USA, to include your school board, your city, your county, your state, and our federal government.

So with all this friction and change in the USA, the world still goes on. And I think our present financial problems will affect the world. Basically that means things will slow down throughout the world. Don’t count European countries out, but don’t also count Asian (in the western term) countries out, either. Now I only mean this idea in the human term, not the nuanced “ USA State Department” kind of term.

Again, much change is coming. And much friction is going to occur for so many reasons, including where you live. It’s a big world, especially when you are a mom or dad.

The really good news is the USA and the New World is still the best hope for we world humans to both survive, and have a Family that will survive and flourish, as in be happy.

For those of us that live here in the still New World, we have a good deal and opportunity. For those motivated to come here, this is probably better than where you live. Of course in the end, it is your decision. Just keep in mind even things are changing here, too.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The pendulum swings, still

For those that have never heard of a pendulum, it is just the weight that swings under old time clocks to help them “keep time”. Now modern quartz type watches and clocks do a much better time keeping job, and are so much better for we “masses” that still like knowing the time. Most of us still like knowing the time, or need to for our job, or so I think. And with GPS and TV and other such things, even the old time short wave broadcast of BBC time hacks seem to be passing.

The idea of the pendulum swinging in colloquial terms to me means the swing of our body politic, in all ideas, mostly societal values.

Hence I enter ideas of the old (before I was even born in the USA in 1948), and after I will die (probably in the USA, maybe Belize). Now I can be prejudiced, too, since I have been around the World and the USA. In other words, I have been exposed to many ideas and values. For example, in the 8th grade my best friend was Mike Lopez, back when southern California grew oranges. Now I live on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in eastern Tennessee, and that obviously influences me, too.

Anyway, as the pendulum swings, here’s what I think and can report.

First the old days.

• An awful lot of eloping went on in the 1930’s
• We had orphanages
• Birth control depended mostly on females
• We had homes for unwed mothers
• We married our relatives (usually distant in family history but still local) more than we do now
• Ideas like ethics and shame were dominant throughout society
• We worked hard, and some did better than others
• As an America, we were isolationist
• As an America, we were rural, mostly
• As an America, we still did not have public electricity, and all the wonderful machines that have come from it.
• We were thinner then, as in less “heavy”. We even walked back then because we had to.

Second the “new” days. Who really knows, and of course it depends on where you live.

• Generational “war” is coming as the recent Western idea of social security to dump our old time relatives on to the government as compared to the old time system of taking care of our old time relatives. Much friction is coming
• Shame and ethics are rebounding in Western societies
• Birth control will revert to females
• What’s wrong with working for a living?
• The age of the modern masses hedonism is coming to an end.
There is “no free lunch”, which most know. Those that do not know will find out when they suffer in their local community. Maybe the adults are in charge in some local communities?
• Going cold and hungry makes a big impact!
• The Western idea of voting is so important. Think about security for our families, clean water, waste water treatment, and educating our children. Now our local leaders can decide, or we, the voters, can. I expect much future friction.
• A small percentage of we humans are criminals. I think we will begin to lock them up more than we have been doing just to protect we humans and our families
• Public health will become a priority. Nobody wants to get Malaria, for example. Now I even read about bed bugs in New York City. In the end I sure hope it is a voter decision, in the end, again. I myself choose DDT, for example.

We reap from what we sow. Is this idea simple enough?

Friday, August 13, 2010

The new world

Let me just add to the email "chatter" here where I live on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee.

The order on this cut and paste is newest to oldest.

I agree, and talk is cheap. So only time will tell.
By the way, there is a Plan B, jail.
And he has reported to me that even in Putnum County Jail in low security, there are more gang members and Negroes than ever. Right or wrong, that is what he reported. And I do not think he liked it, so the idea of avoiding jail time still works in his case, if you believe what he reports.


I think if he gets out of here, dumps the woman he's with, and quits his drug use, there could quite possibly be success for him somewhere. And success isn't hard to achieve. It starts with a job, which is easy to obtain if you put forth just a little effort on your behalf. In all honesty though I'm not sure if Adam knows how to put forth effort, at least in a productive way. My views may seem to be on the pessimistic side but what's sad is that I'm just being a realist.


I agree, and talk is cheap. So only time will tell.
He did bring his present girlfriend and provider of a present roof, the ex-wife of the former Monterey Mayor, with him yesterday late. She and he says she has Type II diabetes, and that probably is correct. Now she is going to have to clean up her act, and I have doubts she can or will do it. She meets the classic old line/joke about being rode hard and put up wet. I think she is about age 40. Worst case, I give her two more years before she loses a leg or two, or goes blind, and then passing on somewhat soon after that. She even says her Cookeville doctor has her on oxycontin (also called oxycodone), which is an addictive pain drug that even made Rush Limbaugh go deaf. I told her that to provide an incentive to her.
Anyway, Type II diabetes is such an infinitely treatable condition, if she cleans up her act, which is pretty much the same as doing whatever the doctor recommends, which is usually conventional wisdom. Now to put things in perspective, having Type I diabetes is really bad because one's body is born without the ability to make insulin, and our bodies need insulin to make our bodies work as God intended.
All this long diatribe is to report Adam was giving her hell while they were here, and I think he was seeking me to just back him up in whatever he is telling her. All this suggests he might still be trying to turn things around for himself, and you know what, he might. Of course he was also here just to borrow some more DVD's, but unlike my relatives, he actually brings them back.
I think I hurt his feelings when I told him he was not welcome to use my tractor anymore. But I did come back immediately with a question as to whether he was trying to kill me, since I needed exercise, too, and doing tractor work was about my speed these days. That seemed to satisfy him, if a big smile is any indication.
He also reported another Monterey drug bust that was big enough to include using the Motel 6 as a processing center. I'll just wait for all this to come out, too, if even half correct.
By the way, if he succeeds?, then he has a good productive time of at least two decades ahead of him. Who knows, he might even become a preacher somewhere?

Hope it works for him. He will have to make some changes in his life for it to completely work.

Some construction project, vice regular job. But he is optimistic. That's all I know from what he has told me.

Some construction project, vice regular job. But he is optimistic. That's all I know from what he has told me.

I think he is the typical case of needing to get the heck out of Monterey.

Thank you. I think I have been hoodwinked. Plus my 2009 Polaris is still down pending one more part showing up via UPS, and then I have to do the work to fix it after it shows up.
In the meantime, I go without the services and machine I paid for, like $11.5 K (as in USD).
Now my personality is still charity oriented, but again I may have failed on Adam Henry. He was and is an OK choice, and compared to his Family, he is the best of the bunch.
In theory he has a new $15/hr job, and I sure count on it.
Meantime, I still go without my Polaris Ranger. And he offered to pay for it all, but of course, he has nothing to pay with.
Now I give him some credit. I think his mom and dad screwed him over when he was growing up, but he has made it worse for himself, I think. Anyway, hanging out with the ex-wife of the old mayor of Monterey says a lot.
And as always, I do wish him luck, which he deserves, I think.

The status report on the pond yesterday was one beer can on the side of the drive by the pond, and a coke bottle floating around the southwestern part of the pond.

Too bad William Henry Harrison's own hubris killed him by giving a 2 hour inaugural address in horrible weather.

Yep, it started out as a campaign song and then morphed into more. Here's a wiki link on all this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tippecanoe_and_Tyler_too

Yeah I've heard it. I always assumed it was their campaign song.

Here's one more question? Have you ever heard the song "Tippacanoe and Tyler Too". I think it came out around 1840!


I'll be a marketing asshole again and ask if you would be able to email the link of my song on Amazon to a lot of folks you know. Maybe they will buy it since it's only 99 cents.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Things in perspective

Let me add this idea to the reader’s bag of tricks. Act, don’t react.

Now this is easier said than done, but again there is a technique, trick if you will, that helps in putting things in perspective when trying to analyze a potential problem. Managers usually learn this idea, though most do have to be taught. It is not a human trait most of us are born with.

Now those in leadership positions often have problems brought to them. Mothers and Fathers know this quite well, I think. My encouragement is to “listen”, then act vice react. And of course don’t do anything for at least a day so you can think about it, and gain the advantage of hearing other courses of action. Now of course some situations demand a quick answer, like siblings fighting each other, and hopefully the “leader, as in mother or father” has thought all this out ahead of time.

Now above the Family level, some problems are bigger than others. The key, at least to this poster, is to put things in perspective. And an honest person will know (or recognize) that they might not know “everything” they wished they could know given enough time.

Now we also know the world is not perfect, so other humans operate with ego and micromanagement ideas that often work for the short term. It is both the long term and human tendencies that tend to balance things out. Nobody, in the long term can dominate humanity, but surely some can in the shorter terms, like a hundred years or less.

And sometimes, “in perspective”, they do an OK job, too...at least during their time and location, like Sri Lanka.

Now I suggest a starting list of “problems” we should put in perspective. I am sure there are many others the reader can add to.
• Global warming. Is it the sun or humans?
• Rural vs. Urban. What does that mean?
• Type of government. And what should public government do? And how should government balance good ideas with resources? How about elections? How about tax methods to pay for all this stuff our government does?
• Public health. To include food, clean water, and waste water treatment.
• Education. Is it teaching all good human things learned before, or more indoctrination of young people?
• Transportation. Is it for the public or business, or both?
• Maintenance. How do we pay to maintain previous generations’ projects, most done with good intentions at the time, I hope? How do we even assign priorities, as in tax more or just let lesser priority projects fail in the long term?
• Locally, whom do I vote for? And why, mostly, if they can balance the competing priorities to my voting satisfaction. Do I think they (our elected leaders) can put things “in perspective”? For example, do we locals and our elected leaders decide to pay to maintain the waste water sewer system set up in the 1960’s? What do we have to give up to pay for this, if anything in the budget?
• Academic vs. real world. Which way do you think we humans will go?

With all the normal turmoil in the World, now is a good time to remind all that putting things in perspective is a good skill for leaders. Again, it is a skill that most must be taught or acquired, but those with this skill can sure help we humans go forward to our future, whatever that will be.

Now I will modify a line from one USA 1970’s movie, Jeremiah Johnson. “Lord knows, I hope it be an experienced person”.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Are not we humans fickle?

Now what is wrong with being fickle? And fickle to me is some combination of high school cliques and wanting to take care of my family, and their families.

Thank goodness it is the summer in the northern hemisphere. When humans get hungry, and “cold” this coming winter in the northern hemisphere, then things will begin to change, or so I predict.

Now nobody wants to die, at least before what they think is their “time”. Now as a heart attack person who died in a USA walmart parking lot (age 60 I recall), and some son of a gun saved my life and brain, and well, I am both thankful, and bitching. After all, I had a perfectly good death which was both quick and painless, and now I have to die again. Bummer. And I can be fickle, too. And I hope the second time will be as quick and painless as the first time.

Unfortunately, many of us know of other circumstances through our relatives. Why can’t we treat our relatives like our pets, for example.

Back to being fickle.

How about let the people decide vice some well intentioned ruling class, like a King and Queen. In this idea I suspect much friction will come. And hopefully present USA national leaders will listen. I myself think they will for all reasons, to include the vote.

And you know what? A lot of Americas live in rural ares, for quality of life reasons, and work in more urban areas, for their family reasons. Having a connection to land comes up a lot. They are making nice families, inspite of drugs, for example.

After all, we humans can be fickle, and vote our instincts which is mostly our family promotion, in our minds.

And my instinct is that much of what has gone on in the last half century is finally catching up through both of the present national parties. Now things are going to change, probably circa 2014, but who knows. And I am thinking locally, of course.

Anyway, I would rather discuss and debate about our elected leaders, what ever economic or human theory they espouse, rather than have a revolution.

Now of course, that is just my opinion.

Sunday, August 08, 2010

Doing things in little pieces

What prompts the title to this post is the basic question about what to do about being in a bad situation. And the overriding concept to this particular human is that complaining does little good unless one can offer alternatives, i.e., solutions. And the idea is talking about politics, not divorce, for example.

And some alternatives are probably better than others, but the voters can decide that. And the idea of a vote is so good when the alternatives affect people’s lives and their families’ lives.

And so one can take the present situation in the USA, which is both enormous, and varied to boot. Now I try to avoid psycho-babble type analyses of what is going on, to include our present political leaders at all levels. Just what to do is what I mean and think about.

The obvious example to me is where I live in Putnum County, Tennessee, which is on the Upper Cumberland Plateau in eastern Tennessee. Now the County has much to do with my quality of life, as well as the State of Tennessee; so the typical reporting that usually tends to focus on the national government, and there is poor reporting even there, in my opinion; then that all needs to be “interpreted” by some local person like me so I can try figure out what is important to me. I can’t imagine someone from even the other side of the State being able to do that OK to where I trust them. Sorry for how convoluted the previous has been, that that is also my convoluted thought.

Now one more thought does come to mind. Many people “worse case” things, and that is often a prudent way to go. Some people “best case” things, and they tend to be disappointed in the long run. Most people think things are seldom black or white, but more typically grey.

I suspect we as a USA are in a grey area, again.

Now here is how I define “grey”. Much change is going on (compared to the last few decades). At the federal level, the USA has a decidedly leftist leadership, both in the Executive and the Legislative. Competency and experience and elitism have been called into question. There is an element of doubt that President Obama may try usurp the federal Legislature using his ancestors Executive authorities.

But the USA world is way past federalism,that is today I think we are still a United States vice one USA country. So the grey area extends to States and Counties that affect our quality of life, and our families’ quality of life.

Here in Putnum County are several hints things are changing already. The County Commissioners, all 24 have been just been changed by 12 new ones. The County Commissioners act like a legislature in my mind. Rather than raise property taxes, the School Board has “found” energy savings. Of course that begs the question, why did this not happen before? And even our County Executive is also a CPA!

Now nothing changes overnight. Here is one local opinion about our taxpayer money, and I also pay. For example they ok'd a 130,000 dollar elevator plan for our County Clerk Wayne Nabors. This elevator is only for his private use. Waste of county money. Also what makes us logical county Democrats and Republicans mad on this 130,000 dollar elevator is if the commisioners are so quick to pass the ok on it why couldn't they have put the money to use in actually bettering the county. My thought is that Wayne payed them under the table, which is what most think. But anyways it's just another political quagmire.

Now all this “grey” area stuff suggests like or similar things are happening all over the USA “in little pieces” from a USA point of view. The astute reader might think the emphasis is on “local” vice “national”, and they would be correct.

Back when our USA federal government began providing block grants of tax money decades ago, I even then thought that was a terrible idea. The obvious objection was that if the federal government had enough money to pass it back to the States, then we were paying too much federal taxes, and the states were not taxing enough. Let the voters decide, I thought. Now this present idea worked for decades, but now the consequences are coming home to roost.

Last, and truly last, the vote will truly correct many things, in my opinion. Mostly it will be the local votes and mostly those about “basic” services like police, fire, water, waste water, and public schools. Now there are so many good and well intentioned ideas, like even a fish ladder on a beach in southern California, but if that trumps public sanitation, for example, then priorities are going to change, again as long as we can vote. It will take new elected leaders.

What’s wrong with elected politicians doing their job? How about determining priorities and using budgets?

So doing things “in little pieces” is what is happening in the USA, anyway. I sure hope this idea extends throughout the world. And I sure applaud and thank all humans that are doing the difficult work to make all this happen today, as it is. They have a lot to be proud of!

Saturday, August 07, 2010

As long as I can vote

Few care what I think.

First for the bad news. Here in the USA there is a pattern of behavior suggesting some evolution to dictatorial or even royalty rule. The really bad news is that this worst case pattern is some combination of the both the present executive and the legislative branches at the federal level.

Second for the good news. Here is the USA this will never happen because of citizen efforts, to include voting. Dictators and kings and queens will just get voted out. God help us if this gets to something else, like a revolution.

As an obvious equal thought, most citizens just don’t even think about all this until they think their lifestyles and families’ futures are threatened. Said another way, most want some way to live and promote their families, and be able to say how that should be.

And the present USA is a good way for humans to assert themselves. Mostly it seems to balance human greed with balance.

Now we always have a Plan B.

And the human world is much bigger than the USA, at least in human numbers.

Now the economics are far different. And we humans both exploit each other, and also need our earth assets.

I just hope in the future we, the voters, the local citizens, can decide.

The alternative is to let others decide.

Friday, August 06, 2010

It is a new world

And it is new because of humans throughout the world. Humans change, and so does the world, mostly because of that. But mother nature, like our sun, also changes and that affects things, too.

Now we humans are usually family and also self interested, to include human greed, so that is not new. The question to so many is what does that imply to our world in our future?

Now I throw in a wild card in my imaginations. Will what happens in the USA affect things a lot. And my answer is “I think so”. I imagine so because so many humans have come here because it is both a new world (compared to our past), and that mostly means family economics, as in jobs, and our children’s future. But also there is an intrinsic idea that we adults control and influence our children’s futures, and that is good.

So are we in the present new world going to revert to our normal human aspects, and fight for our past wherever we live. Or are we going to try for better things, like the right to vote, and then be willing to even win that fight, to include revolution or civil war wherever we live.

Will the old world, because of humanity, overcome the new world?

There are so many historical precedents, to include dictatorships, royalty, and other types, so our past leaders do listen, at least some. And some are better than others, at least as far as history goes. Royalty, War Lords, and Tribal Leaders come to mind.

So is the Western Construct of voting and elected leaders and “power to the people” come to mind. I think so. Our human USA Constitution is pretty good, especially compared to our human past.

In this will be much human friction.

In this idea is there is truly a new world coming? And for those alive it will probably not end in our lifetime. The USA is obvious, but don’t forget so many others, like in China, Japan, the Stan states in the Transcaucasia area, those humans in Africa, and or course, South America. For those who I have left out, I both apologize, and remind all that numbers count, as well as ideas, too.

Now one idea does worry me. If the have nots can vote them selves money from the haves, then probably, that system will collapse.

There has to be a balance, run by the "haves", in my mind.

I,and many do think, that we humans being in charge is a good best given our alternatives. Now just how we pick them in both the old world and the new world is still up for grabs.

Monday, August 02, 2010

We are so spoiled

The way I read history even the kings and queens and royalty lived in nice houses, that were cold in the winter.

Now as an expeditionary Marine I even lived in a tent with a dirt floor in Korea up near the DMZ (for three months). And it was the fall and early winter, and it got cold. Now in fairness, in the last month me or my “roommate” scrounged a broken piece of ¼ inch plywood so we could have a wood floor, which partially covered the dirt. It was OK.

Now let me pile on. This last winter I spoke with a lady who lived on a farm in Nebraska with her husband and daughter. Now the daughter had to go out once a day to chop the ice out of the heated water trough in the barn for the horse. And earlier I knew some New Englanders who just wear more clothes in the winter to stay warm when the thermostat is set down to save money.

For a no no, I underwent heart surgery about two years ago, and bragged initially about going 39 days without a bath to my nurses who asked if I was ready to take a shower. They were not impressed! But loved ones did send me baby wipes to Kuwait, which worked OK for cleaning arm pits and crotches. And of course, if we all smell the same, then most humans don’t notice.

Now with public electricity, even local people in my rural county and city think they need air conditioning to live, and they are being honest. Yet the first time I lived in Okinawa, a semi-tropical land, if I had had a million dollars, I could not have bought an air conditioner if I wanted to. So I learned about fans. As long as we have public electricity, fans are OK.

Now also look around where you live and see how many clothes lines are out in the yards…not many. Most people seem to use public electricity hot air dryers these days, at least in the USA. We are so spoiled! We are living as common citizens better than most of our ancestors. But we do work to buy these things that do benefit ourselves, or so it seems. Now in fairness, one can still go to Amazon.com and find the today versions of clothes lines.

And I all want to do is live until I die.

In the meantime, I think I'll go back to defrosting my old 1928 GE refrigerator, which of course needs defrosting periodically. These days most "modern" refrigerators have an automatic defrost capability, and many don't know how to defrost the old time ways because they don't have to know. We are so spoiled.