Category: Life

S*** happens

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Radiolab – The Cataclysm Sentence

Radiolab is one of my most favorite podcasts. When first I discovered it I went through their archives. I have literally listened to every episode that is available on Stitcher.  A bit of a feat as the podcast has been around a long while. It has been interesting watching the evolution of the show.  The early episodes were nerdy, sciencey, hidden side of things.  The current shows are  still many times that, but they have also branched off into social and philosophical realms.

This week’s episode is titled The Cataclysm Sentence.

The theme of this podcast was if Continue reading “Radiolab – The Cataclysm Sentence”

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Zombie Apocalypse and Silver Linings

In my somewhat long and very circuitous life I have lived through several natural disasters, economic, spiritual and emotional crises. The current one of COVID-19 feels different on so many levels.   With natural disasters and to some extent with economic crises there is something physical to grasp onto, something to see.  Especially with natural crises, there is often something physical you can do.  Our physicality in this crisis is limited to sheltering in place. With a natural disaster you generally have a timeline.  You have an expectation Continue reading “Zombie Apocalypse and Silver Linings”

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Open Letter to My Children and Grandchildren

Dear children, grandchildren and other assorted beings younger than I:

I am requesting that you start addressing me, in person, and in your correspondence (text??) as “Dear Disposable One“.

It will do two things.

First it will ease the transitional phase of my absence from this world of woes to whatever supposed metaphysical state exists thereafter.

Secondly, it will show your support of Donald J. Trump and the GOP as they “restart” the economy.  I am sure the $1000.00 or so you spend on my cremation will be a big help, especially after a long and costly hospitalization paid for with your tax dollars.

Thanking you in advance for doing your part.

With much love,

The soon to be dearly departed.

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Story about my wife’s brother’s family and their struggles with the coronavirus

Here is a link to the story in the  STL Jewish Light:

St. Louis Jewish family grapples with coronavirus

TV News Story about the family

Obviously positive thoughts appreciated.

Amazingly this story has gone viral globally.  I was talking to a lady in Ecuador via Skype and she was telling me about this.  I explained to her it was my brother-in-laws’ family.  After the Skype call, I put the terms Weinhaus coronavirus into a Google search.  It is CRAZY.  Who knew a story in the STL Jewish Light newspaper would have such legs.

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If only…

“And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced. Some met their shadows.

And the people began to think differently.

“And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal.

“And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed.”

~Kitty O’Meara

Who is Kitty O’Meara?

Normally when I use art on my blog I do a Google image search and make sure I grab images that are “free to use and share”.  I took the poem and image off a Facebook posting of a friend who is an artist.  I erroneous made the assumption the art was hers.  I believe the picture is actually the work  of Jessica Boehman.  Here are a couple links for her and her art.  It is a very nice picture, and hopefully Jessica will not be offended by my use of it.

Jessica on Etsy

Jessica Boehman’s blog

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Coronavirus, are we overreacting?

I worked in Information Technology for 30 years.  I was actually on call December 31, 1999.  Remember Y2K?  Lots of folks felt like there had been a tremendous overreaction to this potential problem.  What most people did not see was the 3 years before the change from 1999 to 2000. There was an immense amount of work that went on changing the date routines of uncountable computer programs on mainframe systems.  This is when Indian programmers first started coming to this country in large numbers, to work on the Y2K issue.  The work was done, and there were very few glitches across the computer world. People then had the luxury of making fun of the whole Y2K phenomenon.

What I am trying to figure out is, are we overreacting to the coronavirus pandemic?   The truth is we will not really know until Continue reading “Coronavirus, are we overreacting?”

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Paul H. Carr inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame

My uncle, Paul H. Carr, is a man of legend in my mother’s family.  He was one of 9 surviving children, 8 of whom were girls, with my mother as the youngest.  I don’t know the exact date, but my grandparents divorced, something very unusual for that period of time.  This left my grandmother to raise the last part of the brood by herself.  She did whatever was necessary to keep all fed, housed and clothed. While doing that, she was famous for helping those in need who were not part of her family. It was just who she was.   In many ways my grandmother, aka Mama Carr, is also a family legend.  Proof of this was the summers at Mama Carr’s house where “The Sisters” would faithfully return with their own broods to stay for various lengths of time. I remember that there always seemed to be a gang of cousins there.  I believe “The Sisters” truly revered my grandmother.

Paul H. Carr came of age, and by this I mean he graduated high school, right in the middle of War World II.  He was an only son, he was a farm boy, it would have been easy for him to have gotten a deferment and stay out of the war.  Like so many of his generation he chose not to.  He chose country and patriotism   above all other considerations.  I’m not quite sure why Continue reading “Paul H. Carr inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame”