Well Chosen Words – The Blog

1. The winner of the game isn’t determined until the game is over. (Why try to win before the end is near?)

2. It doesn’t matter what the difference in scores is. (Just make enough points to have more than the opponent.)

Judy says,

When I was a teen, I was told by my  elders that as you get older you need less sleep.  Well, I’m here now, and as near as I can remember (I admit I have noticed that memory  does change with age) my need for sleep has not altered.  I used to go to bed after  TV news and wake up around 7 in the morning to get ready to go to school or work. In college we sometimes stayed up all night and the next day — but once we finished what we got stuck doing, we slept very soundly!  I don’t have papers and tests due the next day anymore and still go to sleep around 11 and wake up around 7 (except immediately after a time change when I get a bit addled).

In the old days, why did the elders think they needed less sleep ?  Maybe they were more polite than candid and kept their sleep habits  to themselves.  They didn’t want to complain about  sleep  roadblocks.  For example, when I’ve had a particularly energetic day nowadays, the aches and pains that result in the middle of the night do wake me  up sometimes. Or, if I hear a sound in the night and have to investigate. Oh, and every night  there is the requirement for stumbling in the dark over slippers, furniture,  and scattered detritus to the bathroom and back to bed.

Maybe elders don’t need less sleep – we  just get less.  So,  finally an explanation for my memory.  I am not less sharp nor am I going to become addled, confused, and forgetful necessarily.  Nope, I just need more sleep!

Judy notices
Sometimes it is easy to miss little things when all around us are challenging global happenings.  But, today I looked out the back door at the pool to figure out why there were unusual circular ripples on the surface — and saw there  was  a small black bird with white breast diving into the pool, each time getting out quickly and shaking and preening, then doing it again.

Since it has rained a good bit today and the temperature isn’t much above 50, that water is cold!  I was a bit concerned for the bird, wondering what was motivating him and if he was getting anything out of all his efforts.  And then, he demonstrated even greater bravery and fortitude.  He flew to the diving board, paced to the end like the kids do in the summer,  dove in, got out, shook  and wiggled his wings, preened a bit, and dove again.

I called to Scientist Monty to come and  see.  He verified that there  was indeed a bird using the pool. Being the family scientist, he returned to his computer and comfy chair  to research the bird’s species and typical behavior.  {The bird was a black phoebe. MH} Not being a scientist, I just kept enjoying watching the bird!

Is there a message here somewhere?

After some near perfect California weather, the wind is picking up and the mist hangs heavy if un-seeable in the already dark  evening sky. Occupy folks are hanging in there though — even as officials strive to disrupt them and they are ripped off by hangers-on they reach out to help.

The good news?   Elders who  sang  of “ a-changin’  times” years ago smile with an ancestor’s pride at  this rebirth …this generation’s  discovery of the spirit and strength of a united community gathered together to make it better.  It reminds us of the good ol’ days!

As I was driving home, I listened to Fresh Air on NPR. The discussion was on how birth control and abortion became politicized. Among the interesting facts, Barry Goldwater and his wife were on the Board of Directors of Planned Parenthood. Nixon, who originally supported birth control, adopted an anti-birth control position to split Catholics off from the Democratic faithful. The story was derived from an article by historian Jill Lepore in The New Yorker,

There seems to be general agreement that Cain won’t be nominated. Therefore, he is not newsworthy enough for all the press he is getting. Stop covering him!

In my sphere of interests, he is in the same bin as Lindsay Lohan, Casey Anthony, the Kardashians, and Amanda Knox.

Judy says …

How is it possible? Days are filled and busy and I feel that life isn’t moving along too slowly or too fast – still time to be me…but, then, I realize it is already Wednesday. I know Wednesdays — it’s the day that the garbage, recycle, and organic waste must be put out…and, it seems to be coming back to Wednesday very quickly. How did the days get short and the nights long? Seems not long since it was light at 8. And, then there is the question of refilling the seven day pill holder with vitamins once a week. How’s it possible it is time to do it again? Little stuff, big questions. Amazing indeed.

On MSNBC today, on Reverend Sharpton’s program Politics Nation, Sharpton interviewed Chris Wallace about his new book, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero. I copied (and lightly edited) a part of the discussion that I found fascinating.

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Sharpton: [JFK is] president, and George Wallace says, “I’m going to stand in the door at the university of Alabama, [and] stop a young black male and female from entering the University of Alabama.” What does the president do?

Wallace: The president [sent] [Nicholas Katzenbach], about eight feet tall, [who] stood next to George Wallace and pushed him out of the way. They registered those students in the University of Alabama. That night, that President of the United States went on national television and said that the civil rights of all americans [are] as fundamental as the American Constitution, as deeply held as the Bible. He insisted on the moral right of people to have the equal rights. It is so profound, no president, Reverend, has ever done that. This is not only the right thing to do, [having] rights, this is the american thing to do. It was so amazing that he made that statement in that moment of crisis.

Sharpton: … What’s fascinating. When you look at those two students, that young man and young woman walking into the University of Alabama, what most Americans don’t know, … , that young lady had a little sister. That little sister married a young black lawyer years later. That young black lawyer is now the Attorney General of the United States, Eric Holder. To think that the first black Attorney General of this country — the brother-in-law of that sister [when] George Wallace stood in the door, and John Kennedy made him move, shows why some of us still believe if we stay on the road, we can make some change happen.

Wallace: “And she’s a physician and he’s the Attorney General of the United States, one of the brightest bulbs in the pack in this country. I’m so glad you see this … that Kennedy played a part. Dr. King was the man, of course, but Kennedy played a big role.

Look at the posts below. Check the dates. It’s been a while since we posted anything. Yesterday I updated my WordPress version and, as a consequence, all our earlier posts were deleted. Thanks to to the WayBackMachine at Archive.org, I was able to find all the old posts and restored them. I have good intentions to pay more attention to this blog. Time will tell.

I am awestruck by the possibility that a woman or a black man may be our next President. It seems that we’ve worked so hard for so long, and yet suddenly the possibility that groups of us who were treated as second class may be able to attain the highest office in the country. Amazing grace indeed. Unlike Monty, I am reluctant to compare the qualifications of the two potential Democratic Party candidates, although I may disagree with his stated preference, I won’t share my druthers here. I’m ready to support which ever one wins — and I don’t want to give “the other side” ammunition to attack either Hillary or Obama.