Tuesday, September 19, 2023

To Do Lists


 Dear you,

My favorite absurd news of the week is the report about Trump using the back of classified documents for to-do lists.  His messiness and disregard for governance gets richer by the minute.  I would love to see the entries on one of those lists.  My recent to-do's (not jotted down on backs of classified docs) have been all about sweating the small stuff.  The small stuff should be easy, right?  Not so much.  I have dealt with some listing epic fails recently:

1. Mitigate mild anxiety by drinking decaf in the morning instead of espresso.  Result:  completely lost in a fog, exhausted, slightly depressed, but still anxious.  Epic fail.  Back to caffeine.

2. Front tires on auto look a bit soft; instead of driving to the oil-change and car-care place, do it yourself at the local gas station. I can do this!  Result:  I couldn't control the air hose and ended up blowing gravel dust all over my face. Epic fail.  Return to the usual dependence upon the kindness of strangers. I begged the station's cashier to help me air up.  She pitied me and did.

3. Print out car insurance renewal card at the library. Result:  the print-out card was not updated to indicate current coverage.  Epic fail. This meant I had to call the company which meant waiting for a call-back from Agent So and So.  Keep in mind I am at the library.  The phone rings, I try to whisper my needs to the agent, but my whispers are like most people's screams.  Angry librarian confronted me and asked that I take the call outside.  She did not pity me.  After an hour of send and resends of the required card via email, I finally received a correctly dated version. That was fun.

4. Drive to Walmart and purchase cigarettes at a bargain price. Result: The liquor store there was out of my brand and the in-store stock was locked inside a glass security case. Key-keeper, somewhere deep in the bowels of Wally, far, far away. Epic fail.  I had to ask an annoyed employee who had better things to do to call for a key carrier. The keeper of the magic key appeared fifteen minutes later.  Once inside the precious case, he found only one pack of my favorite mistakes.  I drove twenty something miles round trip to save $1.50.

5. Keep fighting the idiocy of Governor DeSantis and work for any challenger who might defeat him. (This is far from "small stuff" but it is a daily effort.) Since Dems may have no shot in Florida, who else in the GOP might be better than Ron?  Result:  oh, the horror. I discover the latest potential challenger is Congressman Matt Gaetz. Epic fail indeed. Prescriptive action, just stay Blue and pray for Florida.

Well, that was yesterday.  Time to attend to today's list, wisely jotted on an index card that doesn't have national security secrets written on the back.

Enjoy your to-do's today.

Love, 

Joyce

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Googling the Day Away!

Dear you,

Why the smoking ballerina photo?  Because I like it, I am a bit bored, and Googling can be diverting.  Go search "images" using simple words like "smoking ballerinas" and you'll get fabulous results.  Googling can be fun. Googling can also be instructive.  For example, consider the recent hurricane, Idalia. If you worried about being in her path, all you needed to do was Google this question:  where did The Weather Channel send Jim Cantore?  Yes, he was in Cedar Key, Florida, the big target. When a hurricane looms and you are wondering where to go, ask the machine where Cantore is.  Then run the other way.

Questions.  So many survival questions. What else can I learn from the Google? My findings:

How likely is it that Trump will be reelected?

President Biden and former President Trump have identical ratings in a new WSJ poll.

Why do I dislike children?

Because they are dirty, loud, selfish, stupid, dependent creatures. (Quoting Arianna from the chat site Quora.  Answers from experts suggested something is wrong with me so I am ignoring their assessments.)

How many times can I get Covid?

There's no limit to how many times you can get COVID-19. As the virus continues to mutate, reinfections are on the rise.

How is the liberal brain different from the conservative brain?

From the National Institutes of Health: "We found that greater liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate cortex, whereas greater conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala. These results were replicated in an independent sample of additional participants."

So, is having more gray matter better than having a swollen amygdala?

More gray matter is associated with better cognitive function. Studies have shown that larger amygdala volumes are associated with behavioral disorders.

Why does my fridge make a thud sound like something is falling?

"Check and secure the drain pan."  

What the hell is a drain pan?

The answers were so boring I don't even care.  But now I know I have a drain pan.

What Are the Odds of Living to 100?

Less than 1%.

Final question, directed to self:  What did I learn from all this Googling?  Trump might be reelected, so I need to renew my passport. Children are annoying; it's not just me and I know this because Arianna said so.  Covid is unavoidable and resistance is futile. I have a big, gray brain. My drain pan has insecurity issues. The odds of me living to 100 are pretty slim, so I best be signing off and do something real.

Out!

Joyce

PS - Tropical storm Lee is predicted to become a category 4 hurricane. Find out where Cantore is headed and don't go there. Google it.