Pray On It

 People use the expression "I will pray on it". I am taking on that school of thought. It seems to be working. Whenever I have a problem that is too hard to scrutinize, I turn it over to a higher power. I say I will pray on it. To me that means setting it aside and letting the chips fall where they may and hopefully they fall in the direction that I want them to. The universe will weigh the pros and cons and come up with the solution. So far it is working beautifully.

Enjoying the Day

 I woke up to a magnificent morning. The weather can be described as one of the ten best days of the year. The sun is strong and the mild breeze is refreshing. It is picture perfect. My attitude reflects that. I will try my best to not let anything upset me. I will not read the news. I will not look at the internet. I will cover myself in a protective cocoon of happiness. By giving me such a visually perfect and comfortable day, it is like Mother Nature telling me that I need a day off from a world that has become frightening.

Purgatory

The Earth is in a state of Purgatory. It is not heaven nor is it hell. We are in turmoil and trying to fight our way through it. The fires of hell are started each night and when daylight comes the promise of heaven shines through the sky in the form of sunlight. There are two opposing forces at work, each one trying to pull the world to their side. The devil has many faces and sometimes the righteous face is the devil in disguise. We need to be careful and fully evaluate. Lord help us if we do not see clearly and think we are looking at heaven, only to find out that we have put ourselves into hell.

Storm

 Last night was like a light show. I have never seen so much lightening in such a short time. All I needed was music from the Electric Light Orchestra to make me feel like I was at a show. Lightening is natures wrath and beauty all mixed into one. Like anything else in the world, it is all how you look at it.

Sports

 Sports are fun but sports are also business. When the two mix to voice their views, that is when I question it. The NBA has decided to voice their opinion on a recent shooting. They are walking out for a day because a man who decided to not comply with a police request to stop and said he was going to his car to get his gun and went to the car, opened the door and reached down for an object, was shot. Would they have preferred the officers to be shot? Would they have walked out for them? Would they have walked out if an Orthodox Jew was killed by an angry mob? Of course not. They are making a political statement. These people, making millions of dollars a year to shuffle a ball around a court, are not thinking ahead. When a league becomes political, it alienates. When it alienates, it runs the risk of people not wanting to see it. If people don't come, salaries don't get paid. If a socialist party, that has aligned itself with a divisive movement  rules, salaries drop from millions of dollars a year to, "you now play for the country" salaries. We are becoming a "jump to conclusions" society. No one gets the facts. They react in the worst possible way. The NBA, NFL and MLB need to abide by the "separate church from state" mindset. Do your job and after work do your community work. Now that I am thinking of it, instead of walking out and looking like martyrs, take your money and rebuild the cities that were burned down by the other people who also did not get the full story.

War

This is the first generation that has not seen war, like the other generations have. In the early 1900's, there was World War I. Young men fought overseas, in horrible conditions, to assure that world freedom would remain. In the 1940's, my parent's generation fought in World War II. Young men fought overseas, in horrible conditions, to assure that world freedom would remain. In the 1950's, we fought in the Korean War. Young men fought overseas, in horrible conditions, to assure that world freedom would remain. In the late 1960's through 1970's we fought in Vietnam. Young men fought overseas, in horrible conditions, to assure that world freedom would remain. Year 2020. America is not at war. We have our freedom. Young men and women are burning down our country, making people lives turn into conditions that are horrible,  to assure that Socialism will be implemented. The Veterans of the previous wars would hang their heads in shame. They fought for us to remain free. This generation is the most spoiled and entitled that America has known. I guess if you do not have to go to war, you create your own war.

The Farmer

Years ago The Farmers Almanac was printed. It forecast weather a year in advance. All in all, it was pretty accurate. It told how the seasons would be and when major storms would occur. It also had a section like an encyclopedia with eclectic information. I do not know the methods that were used, but they seem more accurate than the ones we use today. Yesterday the Weather Channel predicted rain with random thunderstorms from 2pm to 5pm. My pool friends were calling each other to see who would come to the pool. Everyone arrived and the weather was spectacular. Not a cloud in the sky. With all of the modern technology being incorrect, the farmers had more accuracy in the 1800's.

Nothing is the Same

We all need to come to terms with life as we now know it. Nothing is the same and even when things ease up, nothing will ever be the same. This will effect 1.5 generations of people. Children 10 and under will not remember how life used to be. I know that work and shopping feel different but I was a bit surprised when I heard a friend tell me that going to temple was different. He is a daily worshipper and now praying has lost that special feeling. The camaraderie has changed. He used to pray and then have coffee with the other temple members. Now they pray and leave. The synagogue does not want to host a social gathering until they feel it is safe. They are still in the planning stages for the high holidays. The sense of community has been stripped from even religion. When it is safe, it will return but in a different way.

Half Empty or Half Full

 I read something in the news that boggled my mind. Can perspective be so skewed that we no longer see the truth. Is the glass half empty or half full? Can a woman be an activist who speaks at a national democratic convention or a cold blooded murderer? Below is the article from Fox news. There are many more articles of outrage, but I thought that only one was necessary. The emphasized words were done by Fox News, not me. The text is verbatim.

Donna Hylton was known as inmate #86G0206 for 27 years. She was behind bars for her role in the grisly murder and torture of Thomas Vigliarolo, a balding New York businessman found stuffed inside a steamer trunk and left to rot in Harlem. Hylton and six others let him die "in the most heinous circumstances," the prosecutor said at their trial in 1985. On Thursday, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) hailed Hylton as one of "America's most impactful community leaders" and asked her to participate in a video reading of the Preamble to the Constitution during a televised portion of the convention. Her appearance has left some people puzzled and others furious, wondering why the DNC would rally behind a woman who was involved in the brutal rape, torture and murder of a 62-year-old man.

In a Thursday night tweet, Hylton said she has been on the receiving end of social media threats since her appearance.

"Getting hate messages and very un-Christian attacks on @Twitter. Learned a valuable lesson years ago from my Pastor *Give Unto Ceasar (sic) that which is Cesar's* With that said, hope those filled w/hate find some peace. Stay focused #DemConvention," she wrote.

Her tweet prompted quick support from some followers but also opened up Hylton and the DNC to a tsunami of criticism.

Adnan Khan wrote: "F$&k these bots and the cowards who don't have a picture or use their real name. Look where you are! You clearly have more value than them. They should google me next. And the 10million+ of is [sic] out here after me. We could do this all day."

Rodney H. tweeted, "The vitriol I'm seeing directed at my friend and colleague from dense, white racists is infuriating. Please go find something better to do with your time than harass a Black woman doing libertion [sic] work."

Others sought to remind the public of her violent past.

One user wrote, "Did anyone notice listed under the DNC's "America's most impactful community leaders" was Donna Hylton? She's a classy 55-year-old woman convicted for the kidnapping, rape, torture and murder of a 62-year-old Long Island real estate broker in 1986."

Twitter user @Covidhomeschool weighed in: "You are the furthest thing from a Christian. Pretend all you want about loving Jesus. People who torture and murder do not go to heaven. There is no making up for what you did. Yet, you are monitizing [sic] off it! Just shows how you really are not sorry. Hell gates await you!"

Full/Empty? Activist/ Murderer? Right/Wrong? Up/Down? It's all perspective, my friend and perspective can be dangerous. 

Night Scheduler

 Sometimes at night, I make my schedule for the next day. By saying night, I mean while I am trying to fall asleep. Last night, I decided that this morning was going to be a cooking morning. By 7am, I had my hot wings and muffins in the oven. In another hour or so the banana chips will follow. I do not usually cook a lot in the summer, but decided that if I do it early with the air conditioner blasting, it would not heat up the house. The smells are wonderful. I feel like eating hot wings for breakfast.

Out of Sight

 When it comes time to clean out my basement, I will use the out of site theory. If I have not seen the item in years and have no idea what is in the closet, it will all be tossed away. I do not even want to look at it or evaluate it. I am at a time in my life when I have to let go of things that I have held onto. If they made their way from the main floor to a closet in the basement and have not been brought up for over thirty years, they are non essential things. What I do not see, will not upset me.

Driving Course

 Defensive driving courses are important to take. Why wouldn't someone want a discount on their insurance? I used to take them in person but then three years ago, the course and my schedule did not sync. I went online and found the best course. It is given by the comedy group "The Improv". It is a combination of comedy routines, cartoons and text. You do need to spend the six hours doing it but have 30 days to do so . I am almost done with mine and then will be in good standing for three more years. 

Mixed Message

 This morning I got up and as usual checked the weather. I wanted to see if it was going to be a pool day. After looking at my weather app, I still do not know. The hourly report had a cloud and a lightening bolt for each hour until 4pm. Then I looked at the written forecast. It said that today would be sunny all day. Which information is correct? They are both from the same app. Did the person doing the hourly report consult the person doing the written report? Yet another example of the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

Still Water

 Still waters run deep. I am the still water. If you throw a rock at me, the ripple effect can pull you under. Still waters are deceiving. They look so calm and inviting, and they are, if you gently wade in. They will embrace you with their nurturing waves. You can even splash in them and they will respond wonderfully knowing that the splashing is in fun. But don't throw a rock in anger. That is when it becomes dangerous.

Parallels

 

History repeats itself. We need to keep our eyes open to see and understand it. The upsetting part is that people do no see the parallels. Almost scary.

One violent incident becomes the focus of a political movement.

The incident is used as the excuse to set off political plans that waited in bay until a conduit appeared.

The political party needed to be changed and the way to do it was through intimidation. 

The party needed ultimate control.

Unrest began.

Stores had their glass broken.

Inventory was looted.

Buildings were burnt down.

Bands of rioters flooded the streets.

Homes and neighborhoods were violated. 

The government turned its head and allowed the unrest to gain momentum. 

Peoples lives were destroyed. 

Good people were told to agree or have themselves harmed. 

Statues were toppled.  

Individuals lost their rights.

Quiz:

When did this happen?

A- May 2020 prior to the November election ( )

B- Kristallnacht  November 1938 Prior to the Holocaust ( )

Answer: Both A and B

 

 

Error Code

 Nothing feels worse than the moment you see a red error code flashing on a machine. You do not know what to do. Since product manuals are now pdf files on a computer, you can no longer flip to page 122 and see what to do. Yesterday my father's aide called me and was a bit upset. She was doing the laundry and midway through, the machine LED read "CD". This was the first time she had used the washing machine as it is a bit complicated to run. It is a washing machine and dryer all in one unit, like a dishwasher would be. It has many dials and settings and no one other than my father has ever used it. We told him that he needed to teach other people to make things easier. His aide set the machine according to the instructions that we gave her. When she went back to check it an hour later the dreaded "CD' was on the display. She called me to see what to do. I had no idea. My friends at the pool all got out their cell phones and googled the model of the washer. It seems that "CD" stands for "cool down" and it was not an error code. It was just letting you know that the machine was in it's final cool down stage before the wash was completed. I called the aide to let her know. She was so relieved.

Two Types of Information

 There are two types of information that the population is given. One is new and the other is political opinion. To me, Fox is a news channel while CNN is an opinion channel.If Fox sees a dog running into the street the headline will read, "Dog Runs Into the Street". The article that follows will be about a dog that ran out into the street without looking and was hit by a car and killed. CNN would have the headline, "Poor dog from a family that does not make enough salary and had no morning snack ran into the street most likely to avoid the oppression and embarrassment of the other animals on his street. Why was this dog not given food by his block? Neighbors of the block are now being part of an investigation as to why they had more food that the other dog and did not share it prior to the dogs untimely horrific death. A news article does not have to become a fiction essay. When every tidbit of life is scrutinized, lies, conjecture and falsehoods cloud the reality of the story. Now the political nastiness comes out. Trump has withstood this for years and never broke down. Two new internet slogans are aimed at the Democrats. 2020/Pee Pads and Knee Pads, and 2020 Joe and Hoe. Lets see who gets fired for those free speech statements.

Innocent Ignorance

 At one time or another, we have all been guilty of innocent ignorance. We have done something seemingly incorrect to another person or group of people but we did not know it was incorrect until it was pointed out to us. Then we acknowledge it, change it and move on. If you punish someone for innocent ignorance before you allow them to change the situation, your actions are worse than theirs. Sometimes, words, thoughts and actions are formed from the environment we are brought up in. They become our normal and normal never seems wrong. People that live in the jungle eat grubs. They are high protein, taste good and are one of the regular forms of sustenance. If they came to New York with a bagful of grubs and ate them at the theater, the people sitting next to them would be nauseated and horrified. In New York, grubs are insects that need to be poisoned and killed. We would judge the grub eater for eating them and the grub eater would not understand why we would kill viable nutrition. Both parties would be correct in their own thinking but guilty of innocent ignorance about the other person. If each side jumped on the other to beat or maim them before they understood why the action was being done, they would be wrong. If they civilly discussed the pros and cons and understood why the actions are being taken, the problem could be fixed peacefully. What is so hard to understand about people getting along?

Once Said

Once you say something, it is not easy to take it back or explain. Our Democratic candidate has chosen his running mate. During the debates she did not speak highly of him. She accused him of being a racist and a sexual predator. How can she now stand next to him and smile as she says she will stand beside him to win the election? Is she a liar or a two faced self serving woman?  Think about that for a moment. If she is this way before the election, how will she be after it? Will she promise America one thing and then do a 180 degree switch? Will she say low taxes then raise them or promise good medical coverage (as our 2008 president touted) only to make the coverage appalling? People with medical coverage from large employees or unions did not live the hardship of "affordable care". They had no idea how expensive it was. People on affordable medical care paid more than what the union workers paid per month, for less care. Is it better to be an abrasive person who has done more good for America than any other president or a snake oil salesman who looks good and then does a bait and switch? Can you call someone a xenophobe for closing a border during a pandemic and then say a virus was not handled correctly? Can you hide yourself away in your basement and criticize those fighting in the forefront? Look at the facts. The economy is the best it has been since 2016 and is rebounding back quickly after devastation. We have the best trade deals, instead of being the dumb country paying billions in taxes. Nancy P is quoted to have said "China would love Joe as president". ( I actually saw the interview with my own two eyes). Of course they would. They would get back the billions they paid us for the last four years. They would overpower him and take control of our economy once again. We had been a safe country until the democratic cities allowed violence and unrest. I fear for America if they "drink the Kool Aid" and revert back to the slick ways of the former leadership, who lined their pockets with the hard working American's dollars.

Time To Go

When it is time to leave work, it is time to leave work. Lately when it is five minutes before the time I go home, my boss comes out to have a meeting. She knows that 2pm is the time the front staff leaves work. Starting a lengthy conversation at 1:55pm does not work for me. As she speaks, I gather my things and take out my keys. I slowly creep to the doorway to make it known that my work day has ended. As I hit the hallway, she gets the hint.

I Told You To

 There are two types of requests that people make. One is a "because I am telling you to" and the other is "what would be best". I am a "because it would be best" type of person. I do not do something because I am told to do it. To me, that feels like a threat. I read an article this morning about celebrities telling the Democratic candidate that he has to choose a specific type of running made. I take that as a threat. That means that a choice is not made by qualifications. It is made by a person's appearance. Is this equality? I think not.

Protein

 Last night I baked a new type of muffin. It is a high protein mini muffin. I followed the instructions and have no idea how I forgot one ingredient. I did not add the oil to the batter. I realized this once they were baked and seemed a bit dry. For some reason, the lack of oil did not make a big difference. They tasted great and had a nice consistency. I am not sure how they really should look or taste.I was very tired and my eyes were closing at 8pm when I ate the two mini muffins. After 15 minutes, my opes popped open and I felt like I had a ton of energy. Could the protein in the muffin have give me this energy? Was it a booster? My planned 8pm bedtime was extended to 11pm. I will have two more during the day and see if I hit my afternoon lull.

Complicated

 Are things complicated or do people complicate things? I think there is a 25%/75% split. Life is complicated, but when people are left to smooth things out they make it worse. Take the stimulus package for example. The people that are unemployed need money. That's a fact. The people that have jobs with hefty paychecks, feel that they need to make it hard to get the money to the people that do not have it. I do not want to name names, but NP and CS are among two of the worst "complicators". They sit on Capitol Hill eating $24 a pint ice cream out of her well stocked refrigerator. ( You can you tube: Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Ice Cream Cache - Show & Tell). People in America are scraping by on boxes of 59 cent a box macaroni and cheese, and she is boasting about her well stocked  ice cream and saying that she does not know how she can live without it. What do the other people do about living without a home or food to feed their children? Food and rent have become political pawns in American's lives. Every moment that the Congress stalls to make Trump uncomfortable, another child goes without food. Stop trying to sneak selfish programs into the stimulus bill. Finally, our President has had enough and signed an executive order to help out the people. I am sure Congress will stop it and once again put politics before the people.

A Firm No

 On Thursday, I was sitting in my office when one of our patients walked in. Since we are not having people in the office I asked if he had an appointment. He said that he did not. He asked if he could use our bathroom. I asked why he was in the building. He told me that his wife was having a procedure upstairs. I told him to go back up and use their bathroom. He again said that she was having a procedure upstairs. I asked if the procedure was being done in the bathroom. He said of course not. I asked if the upstairs office had a waiting room and a bathroom. He responded yes to both questions. Again, I told him to go back upstairs. I then explained that due to Covid, if he walked into the hallway and used the bathroom, I would need to screen him for Covid with a questionnaire and sterilize the bathroom after he left. I did not feel that I had to stop my work and do that since he could go upstairs and go to the bathroom. I still have no idea what possessed him to leave one office, use the elevator, come into another office and ask to use their bathroom. I held firm on my "no".

The "It" Girl

 In the 1940's there was an expression, the "It" girl. It was used with starlets to say that they had all of the qualities a woman could want. It was attributed to a few famous women but then became a slogan. Every decade has had one. I am my office's "IT" girl. "IT" as in information technology. Yesterday my boss rushed into the front office to ask where the internet router was. Since she has no reason to go near it, I asked why she needed it. She said she needed to turn it off and on to get her scanner connected to her computer. After a silent scream of "nooooooo", I told her that if she touched the router, she could delete the medical software. I then walked into her office and showed her that the scanner was already on the computer and showed her how to use it. Crisis averted. An hour later she came running into the front office again saying that the internet was down and she had a web meeting to go to. Once more, I walked into her office and reconnected her to the internet. Had I not been at work, lord knows what mess I would have walked into on Monday morning.

One of Many

After the storm, many people were left without electricity and internet. On Long Island, approximately 300,000 people had no lights and another 52,000 had no cable, if they had lights. My boss lost her electricity and her internet. She has a generator so the internet would have worked if it was up. She called and asked me to call PSEG to tell them that she needed electricity because she has an elderly mother. She wanted a call back. She wanted me to do the same with the cable company. She needed internet to work. As she was telling me this, the silent bubble in my head was thinking. First of all, everyone needs electricity. There are tens of reasons why each person feels that they need it more. One has small babies. One needs a sleep apnea machine. One needs an oxygen machine. One has a heart condition. And so on and so on. Now, since the virus, many people work from home. They all need the internet. Who needs it more, the PSEG people work from home and so do the cable company people. I told her I would call. I knew the answer would be, "We are working on it". I dialed the phone, put it on speaker, and went about my workday. At 2pm, when it was time to leave, I hung up the phone. I had still been on hold. Later that day when she texted to ask what the companies said, I replied, "They are working on it".

Judgement Call

Yesterday there was a storm. Wind and rain covered the area. Trees were falling and debris was flying. I was at work looking at the weather pondering when I would leave. One new patient was going to come into the office so my director came in. A few hours before the appointment the patient called to say that the weather was too bad to come out. My boss was upset. She said that if she made it in, they could. I told her that she should never make a judgement call for anyone else. A few minutes later, I decided that I needed to leave because the winds were getting worse. As I drove, I saw how many trees were in the roadway. I called my boss and told her that even though she didn't think it was bad, it was, and she needed to leave also. She said she would close the office and go home.

Emphasis

Emphasis is as important as meaning. If the emphasis is wrong, people are too distracted to listen to the rest of the conversation. The other day a group of friends were discussing food and one brought up Moussaka. The correct pronunciation is moo-saa-ka, with the emphasis on the saa. That is the only way I have ever heard it said, until Sunday. My friend kept calling it moo-sick-a, with the emphasis on the moo. She must have said that word 5 times during her story and no one wanted to correct her. If we did, she would not have taken the correction at face value. There would have been a discussion, a googling session and a debate. It was easier, but still painful, to hear the word moussaka mangled. I still have no idea about anything else she was saying about the moussaka. Neither did anyone else.

The Facade

What you see, other people see. That is a statement, maybe a bit paraphrased, from my sister in law's father. Sometimes I feel that people do not see what I see, or are just hiding the fact. People that are too nice bother me as much as people who are too nasty. I like midway people. To me, too nice means you are trying to hard to not let people see the real you. I feel it is not genuine. I never liked "Ellen". She seemed too nice. People thought I was nuts not liking such a fun, happy, dancing around person. I just got the vibe that all the niceness was covering up something. I guess what I saw, other people saw, but they just kept it quiet. Now the floodgates have opened. She did nothing terrible. She just acted like a regular person with moods and crankiness. I respect her right to do so. It makes her normal. Now, what I saw, everyone is seeing.

Hang Your Hat

There is an old expression that you can "Hang your hat" on something. It means that an idea or situation is stable  and a sure thing. There is not much we can hang our hats on lately. You cannot hang your hat on the weather. Today was supposed to be raining with thunderstorms. Look outside. It is sunny with 0 chance of rain. The beaches were supposed to be open. Then the sharks came. Restaurants welcomed credit cards and we got back a % as an incentive. Then they decided to charge you their overhead fee so your % went to 0 and now you pay an extra amount to the establishment. You could hang your hat on going to school. Now that is in discussion. You could hang your hat on going to work. Now, maybe you go, maybe you work at home, or maybe you lost your job. Wait....there is one thing you can hang your hat on. When you call 911, the police will come, no matter who you are, where you are, or what the problem is. 

The Table

Years ago my Mah Jongg group started a saying "Throw it on the table". It meant to put a though out for other people to give their opinion and guide you. The table can be anywhere. It could be a kitchen or an office or even sitting at the pool. The table is invisible but the concept is real. If you have a good support system, the table is your therapy option. In all of the years I played Mah Jongg, the table never steered me or anyone else wrong.