HOPE MIDST FEAR -- SHAKER WARNING -- TWILIGHT ZONE

We’re off on another whirlwind year of who knows what in this unpredictable life we lead.  Taking stock of what it looks like for me, I’m just continuing to batten down the hatches, as the saying goes, to stay afloat wherever events lead and hope for the best. 

A review of the recent holiday calm for me included sending and receiving fewer greeting cards than the previous year.   I still enjoy the letters updating past year events, learning of everyone’s well-being and sharing information regarding our families which often include photos. 

Sadly, there are fewer to whom I sent my holiday letter because they departed this life during the preceding year – a major negative about aging.    Now, I’m left to wonder about the status of those who didn’t write with numerous explanations possible.  

Much like the rest of you, I’ve been absorbing what is happening around our world for some hint of what might be expected in 2019.    Economic issues concern us all as we wonder what  might the stock market’s acrobatics portend?   China is exploring the far side of the moon, so what implications might that have?   Then, there are all those other countries I won't name.

Environmental concerns continue with devastating weather conditions uprooting people’s lives, others flee oppression in some countries with resulting challenges for other communities where they seek refuge.  That’s only a smattering of the humanitarian issues too many people face.   We’re not immune in the U.S.A. to nature’s whims or to our own continent’s largely South American refugees seeking asylum in our country.   

Their doing so has been made unbelievably complicated by our Administration whose leader chose, beginning when he was a candidate, to instill in our general population an excessive fear of different others from the traditional ones like him -- as though we did not already have effective protective screening systems in place receiving continuous technological updating for use with those seeking admittance to our country.   

Implying previous security inadequacy to then claim increased terrorist threat has created a divisive political state.   Much more meaningful and unifying would be addressing how best to secure our nation’s border by implementing long ago bipartisan determined actions that also have provisions for using funds in a financially reasonable manner.

Our leader and many of those elected to represent the citizens continue to demonstrate just how out of touch they are with the majority of ordinary people’s wishes, much less their day-to-day financial lives.   These political leaders persist in pursuing further destructive governing actions demonstrated by failure to authorize selected government budgeted department funding.   Consequently, affected government employee wages are withheld though they must continue to work.  

Government legislators and our leaders continue to draw their salaries.   U.S. Senators seem to have abandoned the working population.  They had no problem last year passing tax reductions for the extremely wealthy which includes many of themselves, too.   The President signed that bill from which he, his family, and their businesses profited.  

I would like to see teeth put in Federal legislative deadlines requiring budgets funding be established, passed and signed by the President before any of those responsible for their passage, and their staffs, can receive their salaries each year.   We, the people, should demand our legislators pass such legislation -- NO BUDGET ... NO PAY!

Our leader’s poor judgment evidences no real comprehension of how important timely receipt of a regular paycheck is to most citizens – how their lives are impacted without that regular income.   He has never known what life is like for everyday people so is completely insensitive.

I’m reminded of one of the speakers at a memorial honoring former President G. W. Bush, of whom I was not a major supporter, but I did have some respect for him.  This intimate personal friend of the former President described what insight Bush said he had acquired for the lives of ordinary people to which he had previously been much less aware.    Bush came to realize he had been raised in affluent circumstances with amenities he took for granted that ordinary people did not have.   This knowledge was becoming acquired as his usual daily benefits ceased once he entered the military during WWII.  

Bush has said he acquired increasing insight on this dichotomy during a period of his military service when he was required to review and censor for security purposes letters written by troops to their family members and friends.   He spoke of gaining awareness he previously lacked about the everyday lives, needs, concerns, which would include financial in some instances, of ordinary people that he previously had not had -- and how they differed from his own.  He realized that the vast majority of Americans did not have the benefits he had known from birth, or the given financial security he had throughout his life. 

We have a leader now whose attitudes, behaviors, actions and past life give no indication that he has acquired such insight or ever known anything but affluence from birth – has never had to encounter day-to-day living challenges to budget affording basic needs dependent on receiving a regularly scheduled paycheck.  There has been little demonstration he is capable of being empathetic with others.   

Keeping a roof over his head, putting food on the table, purchasing clothes, paying for health care – not only for himself, but his children and family as most citizens experience has been on an entirely different level far above one of mere subsistence that necessitates budgeting from paycheck to paycheck.  Having fare for a train, bus, cab or buying gas and maintaining a vehicle to even get to work has not been a necessity for him because his paycheck was suddenly being withheld and he had no other funds or family to assist him.  

His pronouncements of government workers endorsing his obstinance in which he refuses to support authorizing budget passage are unsubstantiated and highly suspect.  Who among them would want to speak up in opposition given the leader's penchant for being vindictive toward most anyone whose views differ from his own?   The leader’s rhetoric for what he claims to be doing for our nation’s security is simply puffery he wants to put forth as justifying his actions and to avoid what could and should legitimately be done to prevent this situation. 

California where I live is starting 2019 with a new Governor.  I hope his policies will continue to keep our state in forward motion, maintain the reserve fund our previous Governor built for a rainy day, and not deplete it, insuring we stay within a realistic budget.   I have welcomed not having a showboat Governor and hope our new Governor will be the same, unlike what we’re subjected to at the federal level from the White House.

Term-limited retiring Jerry Brown has been California’s longest serving governor who inherited a seriously indebted state.  Despite our rainy-day fund reserve the public pension funding continues to be an elephant in the room few speak loudly about, but Brown’s other policies have been financially benefiting.   He’s been a strong leader on environmental, climate and health issues among other major matters.  He’s also stirred controversy with promotion of a bullet train and the monies that will require.  How our incoming Governor Gavin Newsom addresses that issue and others remains to be seen.

Earthquake Alert Warning System is finally operative in Los Angeles County only – the first in the United States.   Apps are available for iPhone and Androids. 

You may read about the system at the United StatesGeological Survey site (USGS) here.  You’ll note on the site its operation and current uptodate dissemination of information has been adversely impacted by our government’s failure to pass funding in the current budget situation.

The earthquake warning may only be up to 20 seconds, depending upon the quake epicenter’s distance from the signal’s recipient, but even a few seconds can be time for some safety steps, such as a surgeon removing his knife, person getting off a ladder, stopping a car.  We’re told there may be false alarms and other imperfections.   The system is continuing to be developed and refined. 

Locally, we have several new City Council members who I look forward to providing our community new ideas and sound governance through the coming year. 

Our first rain in the new year with welcomed snow in the mountains has arrived tonight as I write this.  We’re still below water table levels considered to be the needed average this time of year, but we do look forward to more of the wet stuff in the weeks ahead to avoid drought conditions we’ve had for too many years.  Unfortunately, some So Cal areas experience mud and rock slides as a result of the devastating fires we had last year.  Scenic Pacific Coast highway overlooking the ocean is temporarily blocked for this reason as I write this.  

I’ve previously shared here that I choose to have antenna TV and have never had cable or satellite since living here.    Access to broadcast signals in the Los Angeles area provide me programming from all the stations.  The only problem I have is when storms move off the coast eastward -- when they pass over the mountain top where some of the TV stations towers are, the signals can be affected, interfering with my reception.  Often one or more other station’s towers located elsewhere do  allow me access to their programs.  Other times, depending on the storm(s) I receive no stations, but this rarely occurs.  Interestingly, through my Roku I am still able to access Netflix, if I want their offerings with clear reception and also have my computer Internet, of course. 

"BERNARD HERRMANN THE TWILIGHT ZONE~ 1ST. SEASON 1959 - Main and End titles music composed and CONDUCTED by BERNARD HERRMANN Original Soundtrack Recording Twilight Zone 40th Anniversary Edition"

This afternoon unable to find a movie on Netflix I cared to view, I came across a favorite old but timeless classic TV series “Twilight Zone”.   Rod Serling’s stories and those some others wrote have plots that resonate even today. 

One of my favorites Serling wrote is “The Monsters Are Due On Maple Street” which aired in 1960’s first season.  The focus in this program is on aliens and how they can easily take over our world, neighborhood by neighborhood, by manipulating everyday routine functions.   We see ordinary people gradually becoming paranoiac and panicking. 

Narrator Serling’s closing has meaning for today:

“The tools of conquest do not necessarily come with bombs and explosions and fallout. There are weapons that are simply thoughts, attitudes, prejudices – to be found only in the minds of men. For the record, prejudices can kill – and suspicion can destroy – and a thoughtless frightened search for a scapegoat has a fallout all of its own – for the children – and the children yet unborn. And the pity of it is – that these things cannot be confined – to the Twilight Zone.”

In 2003 the program was remade and renamed "The Monsters On Maple Street".

The focus is:

“...more about the fear of terrorism...caused, not by aliens, but...the government, specifically the United States Army, experimenting on how small towns react to the fear of terrorism.  In the end, the neighborhood takes out its anger and frustration on a family” in their midst.  

Forest Whitaker is the narrator who opens the program saying the neighbors will soon discover the monsters they fear may already be among them.

Whitaker’s closing narration seems apropos for our time:

“It isn't enough for a sole voice of reason to exist. In this time of uncertainty, we are so sure that villains lurk around every corner that we will create them ourselves if we can't find them – for while fear may keep us vigilant, it's also fear that tears us apart – a fear that sadly exists only too often – outside the Twilight Zone.”

ORDINARY DAY

I've been lackadaisical about posting here and visiting other bloggers as you may note.  Had a few matters to take care of, but must confess to just being lethargic toward blogging -- though I've thought of a never-ending number of topics about which I could easily have written with all that's transpiring in the world politically and otherwise.

Today seemed like an ordinary day when I awoke after another good nights sleep.   Disappointingly I didn't recall having a dream, or one I remembered, but I figured  there would be other nights with dreams to ponder the following morning.   Preparing my oatmeal breakfast for microwaving  I was quite pleased with myself that I hadn't let my mind wander as I did  a couple of times weeks earlier with startling consequences. 

I still laugh with chagrin  when I think about those mornings when I was mentally preoccupied so I unscrewed and removed the cinnamon bottle's cap instead of lifting the lid designed to restrict any amount poured out.  I had tipped that bottle over allowing a quarter or more of the contents to spill out instead of the desired light sprinkle in my fat-free milk filled cereal bowl covered with uncooked oatmeal, and now lots and lots of cinnamon.    Once cooked, the cereal became unusual tasting hot oatmeal that I covered also with bran, fresh banana slices,  red raspberries and blueberries.  Hopefully it was nutritionally good for me.  

Today's fare was more normal and  I combined my eating with other activities.    I addressed a couple of birthday cards with mailing to be timed for specific arrival dates  -- one staying in the Southern California area and the other going further west to the Hawaiian Islands.     I could send digitally generated cards but both recipients, quite computer literate, are more appreciative of these paper cards  to hold in their hands that also bear the senders handwriting, plus they visit their email accounts very inconsistently.  The one greeting is a surprise card shower orchestrated by the Portland, Oregon daughter on her mom's 70th birthday.   The daughter tried to write or email everyone her mother ever knew and asked them to contact any others who knew her Mom to send a card, phone or an e-card. 

The daughter had done the same thing last year for her Dad's birthday and he was absolutely astounded at all the friends who made contact.    I promised in my card to her Mom to definitely arrange to keep our annual meet next Spring -- half-way between her home and mine at a restaurant we found several years ago.  (Hope they're still in business.)  I've been lax in coordinating with her so we missed the past couple of years.    I know how much to treasure friends since so many of my younger and older ones have died.   In my defense she has more children, grandchildren to visit, plus annually she meets girl friends in Europe with whom she hikes.  

Writing of girl friends, I'm reminded another friend recently sent me an email noting the content described our mutual interest in brain and neurological functions with the conclusions confirming  what we knew to be true years ago from our own mutual interactions and experience.    I don't know the writer, or original source of the emailed story that I've re-printed here,  but think many of us have likely encountered this information elsewhere that her friend sent her.  

"In an evening class at Stanford the last lecture was on the mind-body connection - the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

Women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. Physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well-being. Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very GOOD for our health. He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged — not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. Sooooo, let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health.

Stay in touch with your girlfriends.  Maybe even forward this to them.   Thanks
to all the girls in my life who have helped me stay healthy, happy, and feeling very loved. "
My day continued with my writing a check to help with U.S. government expenditures, since seems I erroneously figured my income tax and owe them a few dollars more  including, literally, a few cents in interest.  I can't seem to compute my taxes correctly, (and they're not that complicated) 'cause one other year they sent me a refund I hadn't expected.  Our government is going to need a lot more money than I'll ever see since I heard on today's news our national debt is over a trillion dollars.  

Checks and cards written, I dutifully headed to my local post office, then stopped at a nearby department store, but disappointingly they didn't have what I wanted.   The clerk said, "Maybe this fall."   Before I had left home I had turned on the TV during my activities, but when I turned it off prior to going to my local postal office I noticed a strange video problem that would not correct.  I turned the set off deciding to check again when I returned.  Maybe a rest period would allow the TV to self-correct.

I stopped to purchase a fish sandwich on the way home but even this additional time had not provided healing time for my TV I noted when I still couldn't get a picture.    But I was at least pleased the fish sandwich was actually a fish sandwich, since in recent weeks I purchased fish on two other occasions only to discover once I actually  received a chicken sandwich and the last time was some sort of beef sandwich.   I ate the chicken on that first occasion, but the last time I was really angry and took the burger back.    Both times when I originally ordered in the middle of the day, the place wasn't even busy -- with no customers inside and none in the drive thru.   I've decided the moral to that story is, service is better if a business is busy.  Staff must get really lazy, careless and nonchalant when they have only one customer, one order to prepare.

But, about my TV -- no TV picture was the moment of truth.  I had to accept the fact the TV was definitely malfunctioning and I just wasn't sure where the glitch was.    What that meant was  I would not be viewing the Olympics opening ceremonies ..... unless ..... yes! .....I'll bet  I can view Olympic streaming video on the Internet!     I successfully viewed streaming video before and wrote here about it when Ronni Bennett spoke at a Washington State tech convention several years ago.  I again viewed streaming video and wrote about a Florida AARP convention event a few years later that a couple of  Elderbloggers attended.  So, I was ready.

Not so fast ..... I was disappointed to discover that those of us who choose to receive our  Olympic television signals via that simple technology called an antenna are discriminated against by NBC on the Internet.  The TV station with which I was associated years ago was one of NBC;s major network affiliates.   How could they abandon me???  The best of those Olympic opening ceremonies I could view were delayed excerpts of a few one minute or so long videos.    For example, I saw the current James Bond actor meet Queen Elizabeth and walk down the steps with the Corgis, had a glimpse of helicopter rotorblades -- but then as Porky Pig would say, "That's all folks!" 

I resorted to listening to an audio news account on that old-fashioned tech medium called a radio.   The news reporter who had viewed the actual event reported that Great Britain's elder Queen Elizabeth skydived with the Bond character out of the helicopter into the Olympic arena.  Now that would have been a sight to behold, even if it was actually stuntmen. 

Furthermore, when I discovered -- before the opening ceremonies -- this viewing complication for me -- I went to NBCOlympics.com contact page to inquire whether there was a way this antenna TV viewer might access that live coverage.  I dutifully typed the requested information with my question, but was unable to send the message because.....they must have had a CAPTCHA system since they told me to enter the numbers in the picture above, but there was no picture above, much less any numbers.  They said if I couldn't see the numbers to click on the picture (that wasn't there,) so I clicked on the space where it all should have been, but to no avail.  Maybe my eyes are going.

Tomorrow (today when this publishes) I'll try a couple things with the TV -- maybe install a new converter box I have, if it's not too complicated, (my son easily installed the first one) and see if that brings back my TV picture.  Otherwise, guess I'll have to acquiesce to purchasing a new TV and subscribing to .... yuk! ....cable (pricing pkg better for me than satellite.)    Or, I could try life with my all news radio station, newspaper news and Internet news.  Will have to find entertainment (though that's what a lot of so-called news is anymore) on the Internet and maybe view some DVDs. 

I wanted to hold out on a new TV purchase until the inevitable future I see with Internet and TV more prevalently converged and get a set then -- figured with the rate tech progresses today, it could be less than a year, or maybe up to a couple of years.  I don't want 3D 'cause I learned last year watching a friend's 3D set that after about an hour I get a headache.    Without Steve Jobs maybe tech won't move so fast toward the TV/Internet convergence marketable for the masses.   I'm still waiting to get a computer tablet (may want to get one and some apps I can use with select patients.)  I don't have an e-book (have too many paper books yet to read to justify buying an e-book, though I appreciate the benefits and will likely eventually get one.)  I'm not hung-up with having to read the latest best seller.  I still like actual physical books.

Since I've evolved into talking about digital and tech, I'll mention I still don't Twitter -- my circumstances simply don't warrant doing so.   I continue to enjoy my regular old cell phone,  use only a few of the features, mostly text with it which has been a really valued activity for myself and others.   I don't have a smart phone -- yet -- but having one is an attractive option eventually.   Young and old with whom I communicate still prefer our landline and portable phones for many conversations.  I also enjoy Skype -- interacting with and seeing the person to whom I'm speaking.

I have a Facebook account on which I've put very little personal information, no photos, use only with family (only one member uses FB but very little,)  a couple old high school, college friends (we had very small classes) and rest don't use FB -- for me it's all about not wishing to provide so much personal tracking info on the Internet for commercialization tracking purposes.   I only visit FB every few months, 'cause even those people and I communicate through other means.   I don't click on "like" or sign up with anything that requires I must follow them through FB and/or Twitter.     I prefer communicating with blogger buddies via our blogs and comments, personal emails, or other arrangements we might choose.
        
Also, I did finally succumb to repeated invites to sign on with Linked-In and will accept or provide invitations from those I know who want to connect with this business oriented community.    Again, I've seen no reason to post information about myself there, since I work only part time, am not seeking additional employment so networking is of little value to me anymore.  Mainly, I appreciate the regular news summaries on topics of interest to me sent to my email.   Anyone hoping to make connections through my account will likely be disappointed since I'm not actively building it, or pursuing links to add to my account.  If a name pops up I know, I'll likely add it.

Well, I think I'll be able to watch selected Olympic events on the Internet while I resolve issues surrounding my lack of television.   Advertisers and broadcast media won't care whether or not I watch TV because I'm not part of the age demographic for which they make their programming decisions.    Might be interesting to experience once again what life was like in the days I remember before TV.  Of course, it won't be the same because I have the computer and the Internet.