Thursday Ramble: Current Events

I watched Judge Brown, soon to be Justice Brown, exhibit amazing grace, and control while being barraged with irrelevant, racist, and insulting questions during her Senate confirmation hearing. I had never heard of her before, after listening to 30 minutes of the hearing, she is amazing. I wouldn't have made it through the process. I would have told a couple of them what @$$holes they are. There are reasons I will never enter politics.

Ukraine, the world stands by while a despot bombs the country into "smoldering ruins!" We offered the President an escape route, he said "send bullets!" The world saw it coming, and stood by and waited. Thousands of people have died, millions of lives torn apart, and the world watched. A dark time in world history.

We recently watched the Jeopardy College Tournament, and were shocked at the sheer lack of knowledge of events that happened in the 1960's - 1990. It was before they were born, and not long ago enough to be in the history books. I remember my parents being shocked when I was in school in the 60's and 70's at the lack of information about World War II, and Korea. I didn't really learn about the holocaust until I was in college in the late 1980's, and then really only because of one professor who felt we needed to know so we wouldn't stand by and watch a repeat of the past.

Oh My, this is depressing. What Good is happening.

I had lunch with a new colleague recently. I was trying to explain what we really do. We are paid (relatively well) to study complex issues, think deep thoughts, help others understand the issues. We can spend time seeking deeper understanding of issues we are passionate about. All of us came at some point from the front lines, with a single view on the issues, the solutions and how they work. Starting to look at the issues from multiple points of view, finding the interconnectedness of it all, I find inspiring. The longer I do this, the more I realize how little I knew, and how much there is left for me to learn. It is what has kept me here for 13 years, it is what drives me through the long weeks.

The spring bloom is at its peak here in the DC area. Lots of blooming trees, the trees are starting to leaf, the grass has that bright spring green. Still the occasional cold wind.

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The Way We Wednesday - Self-Timer Selfies

My oldest brother had a low draft lottery number, so he enlisted in the Navy the year he finished high school. After basic training, he was assigned to the Aircraft Carrier Enterprise (now decommissioned and the last I knew it was being dismantled.) Someplace in southeast Asia he bought a Canon Ftb, a nice 35MM SLR. There was also a tripod, the gray zippered case above their arms is the case for the tripod. Looking at this it was taken with the camera on the tripod, and either a cable release or the self timer, I suspect the self timer as Dale is almost blurred from having tripped the timer and rushed back to be in the picture. This would have been taken in one of the crew living areas on the ship. I think Dale only took a couple of rolls of film on the camera, this roll of slides ended up with dad's meaning it was probably in the camera when Dale came home on leave, and somehow Dad ended up keeping the camera. Dad gave it to me a few years b...

The Sunday Five - Books

J.P Morgan had a spectacular private library, which raised questions for me, all of the inspriration I need for this weeks Sunday five. 1: Are there books you have multiple copies or editions of? 2: Have you ever stood in line to buy a first edition on the day it was released? 3: Do you buy books just to own them, or only to read them? 4: Have you read 90% or more of the books you own? 5: Do you have an active library card? My Answers: 1: Are there books you have multiple copies or editions of? No longer, I did at one time, but we have downsized. 2: Have you ever stood in line to buy a first edition on the day it was released? Yes, Harry Potter books. 3: Do you buy books just to own them, or only to read them? Almost always to read. 4: Have you read 90% or more of the books you own? Yes. Probably more than 95%. 5: Do you have an active library card? No, I should do something about that. Please share your answers in the comment...

The Way We Were Wednesday - Flossy

This is my grandmother's youngest sister Florence, or as she was known Flossy. The only one of the four siblings who was born in the United States, most likely New York. She was married to an executive with US Rubber Company, better known as Uniroyal. Richard, or Dick as he was known was a nice guy, kind of high strung and a hopeless alcoholic. At one point the doctors recommended a change of scene hoping that he would stay dried out. After consultation with his bosses at Uniroyal, they sent him on a two year assignment in Scotland, a change of scene, and a change from beer (and lots of it) to Scotch Whiskey, and endless thirst for the good stuff. A couple of years after he returned from that assignment, the company arranged for him to start drawing a pension and changed the locks on his office door. The doctors gave up on a detox plan, and he agreed to a drinking schedule, kind of a medication plan (this was in the late 1960's ea...

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