Face Masks

Who ever thought that face masks would become a fashion statement. I've seen then advertised from 5 to 50 bucks. They go well with a bikini.

Random Thought

I wish I had a time machine so that when I see a photo, I could drop in, invisibly, to hear what the conversation was.

Is there truth in politics?

I don't believe there is 100% honesty in politics. It ranges from being slightly dishonest (still dishonest) to a down right thief. Within the spectrum, there is a small percentage at both ends, with the majority in the center. Most start out basically honest ( at least I hope they do) until it benefits them to be dishonest. Just something small, no one will notice.Then greed takes over. Once over the threshold, there is no going back. No longer working for the good of the people (if he ever did) but working for his own benefit.

Ramage's Prize (The Lord Ramage Novels, #5) - Dudley Pope

The only thing that kept my interest in this book was the information on the Packet Boats. Although it is based on true events, we have to take it with a grain of salt. I skimmed through pages of descriptions and conversations, like the discourse with the agent in Lisbon. Just a jumble of words. If the next book doesn't improve, I'll have to ditch this series.

This is a photo of my neighbors lawn.

Last year he had the pipe break that brings water into the house. So he ended up digging up the lawn to replace the pipe. That was the end of the beautiful lawn. He took very good care of it. This year he put down some new top soil and seeded it. Unfortunately the new grass is not the same color as the original as you can see from the photo. Don't know what he will do now. Maybe he will spray paint it.

History

History is written by winners although in this time period, it seems to want to be written by losers.

Crooked River (Agent Pendergast Book 19) - Preston, Douglas

This was a great book. I could hardly put it down. It gives us a much more in depth look at Pendergast and his ward Constance Green and their feelings for each other. Pendergast comes on as a bit of a snob while Constance rises to height's I hadn't expected and gives us an insight into her feelings for Pendergast. She steals the show. I'm looking forward to more of her story.

I've mentioned before

about the frequency of seeing or reading the same thing from two different sources. Take for instance yesterday, I read an article in "The Old West " magazine about the Indian who put the arrow in Gen. Custer. Last evening I was reading a book by Douglas Preston and one of the characters was an Indian in the F.B.I. He mentioned to his partner that his great - grandfather knew the Indian who put the arrow in Gen. Custer. Weird eh?

Statues

As we all know, there has been a rash of statues being torn down. What surprised me the most was the number of statues planted about the U.S. I don't know if the rioters see any purpose in it than to do some kind of damage.
From statues they will move on to something else. I'm thinking books. There are a lot of books that can be put into the racial category, Of course burning a book is not a big item, it doesn't make a very big splash. Maybe they will just burn down the whole library. I don't imagine that a lot of these people read a lot of books. That being the case, someone will have to tell them how bad books are. Then watch the fires.
From book burning, where will it go? Not to times of peace. It's too late for that. The fall of the Roman empire, all over again. Communism or Socialism. (You do know the Nazis were Socialists, right?)

A Thought

that there is an explanation for everything. To say something cannot be explained only means we haven't found the solution yet. 

Magazine Rack

Every time I watch a British TV show, the streets of London seem to be lined with bollards. I'm thinking that bollard manufacturing in England must be big business.

I remember that not too long ago we used to have magazine racks at home. I have the modern version of that. My son has taken an old iPad and downloaded the magazines. Small rack, tons of magazines.

That Old Lighter

In the last couple of days we've cut the grass, front & back, whipper snipped and started to clean out the shed. I was merciless in the shed. Getting rid of stuff and still more to do. Some things I have to put on Kijiji.
Did you ever notice in adventure movies where the bad guy is going to burn down something, he always douses it with gas, (he always seems to have some on hand), then lights it by tossing in his lighter. Why do they always use a lighter, have they never heard of matches? And why waste a good lighter? I've also never seen a movie where after he douses with gasoline, he doesn't have a lighter or gas.  It's a movie.

Shaving

What's with these men shaving their arms and their chest? Trying to bring out their feminine side? Maybe we'll have an upsurge in girdles.

The Butterfly Effect

states that the flapping of a butterfly's wings in Africa could result in a hurricane in Florida.
What it really means is that the tiniest change in the initial conditions of a system could snowball into gigantic efforts later on.

"Brokenclaw" (John Gardner's Bond #10)

This story started with possibilities. But this Bond is not the Bond I know. He hides rather than confront. The story was readable with a predictable ending.

Lost Love

I read this
"If a woman stops loving you, there is nothing you can do about it except put your hands in your pocket and walk away."

What Was Bad Is Now Good

I remember a few years ago when they had a riot in Vancouver and everyone was wearing face masks. So they made a law that no one was allowed to wear masks or they would be heavily fined. How things have changed.

"James Penney's New Identity" by Lee Child

A short story that I enjoyed. Action all the way through with a surprise near the end with the appearance of Jack Reacher. Hadn't realized it would be a Reacher story, even if it was just a cameo appearance. He did fit well into the story and again saved the day.

"A Case of Blackmail in Belgravia (Freddy Pilkington-Soames Adventures #1)" by Clara Benson

This book reminded me of a blind date. Not quite what i was looking for.

"Last Stand at Saber River" by Elmore Leonard

I'm not much of a western reader but I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and well written with action all the way. It does end abruptly and the hero does not ride off into the sunset.

Sears

Not much going on yesterday. Rained all day. My wife was busy cleaning out the basement...again. She came and gave me two pair of new pants. She said I could have them for Father's Day. That's good. I looked at the sales tag after she left and noticed that it was from Sears - 2011. She has the habit of giving me the same present more than once. That's not going to happen again. I hung up both pair in my closet, to use.
Both Canada and the U.S. have the habit of sending jobs to foreign places, to stupid and lazy people.We should keep those jobs here, we have lots of stupid and lazy people of our own to put to work.
I was watching a fashion show yesterday - Hey, Hey, don't say that. Yes, I was watching a fashion show but it was actually part of a movie. I was wondering, who buys all those weird clothes? I heard it was rock stars wives. I suppose. Some of them have a lot of wives and ex-wives.

Composting

Yesterday was cold and windy so I only did a few things outside. I should say that my wife is doing her thing because she has her own list. First, I straightened out the compost bins. One had fallen apart and my son put it back together again. I have four compost bins. Every year I move the compost from one bin to the next one, so in four years it's ready for use.
After that, we cut the rhubarb. No, not cut, pulled. Cutting it kills the plant. Kept some for ourselves and gave the rest to neighbors.
Then it was to Kent to pick up ten bags of mulch. It keeps the weeds out of the garden. And that was my excitement for the day.
It's not like I don't do anything else. There is things to do in the house. Make meals, wash dishes, things to do for my daughter, she has to eat too. There is things I do on the computer. One of them is learning how to read and write German. I started in Apr. and I want to start reading a book in one year. On Facebook we have friends in Germany. They write in German and there is a translation button. I try and read it, then press the button to see how close I am. Have to keep dementia away.

Discarded Coffee Cups

The discarded coffee cups you usually see on the ground have now been replaced by face masks and rubber gloves.

The Rise of Stupidity

There are a lot of stupid people in the world. If you go to restaurants, bars or even Walmart, you can't help but overhear conversations. They seem to be louder so that their opinion is heard. Years ago, people would not stand out in front of the supermarket voicing their opinions for everyone to hear. Now we have Social Media Platforms and they amplify stupidity. Any thought that comes to mind is immediately broadcast. There is no delay to think about it. Years ago, their circle of listeners was small so the effect was minimal. Now the remarks are ranging far and wide, to every naive mind and those with a limited capacity to understand facts. They put forward their absurd ideas and find willing followers among the sheep.
I read this morning about BLM in Denmark. They want white supporters to stand at the back of the groups. A kick in the face to stupid people. In another article a woman complained about the Webster Dictionary and their explanation of racism. She wanted it change to show that it was just whites suppressing blacks. So, it is to be altered.
Personally, I'm sick and tired of all this crap.
On the light side, yesterday I was eating a bagel with cream cheese. It slipped from my hand and fell unto a mat. Against all odds, it fell right side up.

A Strange Murder

Yesterday, I took my wife to the doctor at the hospital. She ended up with a prescription, so that was good. I went with her but just got as far as the lobby. If she didn't need help, no need for me. Spent the next 1 1/2 hrs. sitting in the van. That was OK, had one of my readers with me. Noticed in other cars men waiting for their wives.  As for myself, after I failed the stress test, they said I needed more tests. They would be 6 hrs. long and probably not till Aug, or Sept. Got a phone call yesterday, tests next Tue. at 11:00 AM. That was fast.
Something strange happened yesterday not far from here. A woman was out jogging with her dog and the dog killed her. The Mounties came but the dog had disappeared. Searching for the dog, they found him in a ditch, dead. He had been killed by a car. Almost like a murder-suicide.
Yesterday, I finished cutting the rest of the wood from the garden. Filled five garbage cans. Too many cans for garbage pickup. Those five with my regular two is seven, only allowed five. I'll donate a couple to my neighbor.

"Bear Island" by Alistair MacLean

This was a very difficult book to keep an interest in. Most of the book seemed to drag along. I wonder why he would have two characters with the same name, with a silly way to tell them apart. Made it difficult to know who he was talking about. Peaked my interest only at the end. Needed a long monologue to explain all that went on.

Soap Size

I don't like big soap, bath size. I like the small ones you get at hotels on on a cruise ship.

Wisdom of Old Age

The much lauded wisdom of old age shall come to pass.....or not, for each of us.

Rise of the Idiots

Today is my daughter's hair day. By that I mean she gets her hair washed today. She is 47 yrs. old with severe Cerebral Palsy and today I help my wife wash her hair. We usually have help to come in and do these things but in the present environment that's not allowed.
I heard some crazy things in the last few days. Cities to do away with their police force. Replacing then with social workers and first responders. Can you imagine getting a call that the bank is being robbed and told to hang on tight, we have two social workers on the way. Minneapolis is one of those cities. Maybe it's a ploy to settle down the masses. I certainly hope it's not for real, Wyatt Earp would turn over in his grave. Minnesota has a big problem with Somalians. The only place they can go is downhill.
It rained for the last two days but dry enough today to cut the grass. Still jobs on the list to do.

Not Guilty

If you are found not guilty of a crime you didn't commit, you will never be exonerated

The Ugly

Yesterday I mentioned the good, the bad and the ugly. Afterward I went to check the movies on TV. Of course on one channel was The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. I told you that happens to me all the time. Too bad my lottery numbers wouldn't show up.
So, when I was at the doctor the other day, he gave me a new prescription. The pharmacy closes at 6:00 PM so I was there at 5:30. There was no prescription and it didn't seem to be anywhere in the system. Waited till next morning and called a few other places. It was a new doctor so I thought he might have sent it somewhere else. No luck anywhere. Called back the first place and they said it just arrived. Slow email I guess. Told me it would be ready in twenty min. Waited till the afternoon, then went. Wasn't ready. This time I waited for it.
It seems the new pill would interact with one I was already taking so this caused some confusion. They had to get in touch with the doctor, get it changed and so on. The pill I am already using now has to be cut in half. Now this pill is smaller than a small aspirin, so now cut in two, it's really small. I wet the tip of my finger to pick it up.
With all that going on I didn't win the lottery, mainly because I forgot to buy a darn ticket.

"Win, Lose or Die" (John Gardner's Bond, #8)

Where is James Bond? What have you done with him? This character sounds like a rookie not a seasoned operative. In his first conversation with "M", he is wimpy, a pale version of the real James Bond. The author uses sex scenes to capture the real Bond but makes a poor job of it. It is ill thought out with ridiculous dialogue. The story is a "B" movie with a lot of high school drama.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

With this I refer to my visit to the hospital yesterday. I had to go for a stress test. This is good because I was able to get it so soon, this is bad because I had to get it and this is ugly because I have to go for more tests.
Finished reading a James Bond book yesterday and one of the female characters was called Clover. Yesterday evening I watched a "Sniper" movie and one of the female characters was called Clover. What are the chances of that? I am always surprised when this happens, even though it happens a lot.
Every generation has its golden idol for whom they march and destroy. They believe this to be the way to change the world. It can change small deficiencies but you can never eliminate poverty and you can never eliminate racism because people are people. 

Barber Shop

I saw these new rules for barber shops to reopen. They will be doing it tomorrow. I don't know for sure if this is correct. Of course you have to wear a face mask and you'll need an appointment. Fifteen minutes between haircuts for the barber to clean up. Only so many people in the shop at a time. I guess you have to wait outside. This must cut the barbers customers in half. I can only imagine what the new prices will be. Of course, when prices go up, they never come down. Guess I'll be staying away for awhile. My wife can continue cutting.
I was thinking I should have a camera focused on my back yard to see if anything is going on. I don't know if anything is going on but I don't have a camera to check, do I? I could also walk outside and then I could see my haircut.

Slavery

Woke up yesterday  morning with all the intentions to work outside, finish off the things I had started. The temp. was only 12 C/ 53 F and windy. There are things that I started to do from my list that I haven't quite finished. The day before was garbage day for regular garbage. Allowed five garbage bags or cans. Two were filled and there was three more with cut up wood from the garden. There is still wood left to cut up for the next pickup, two weeks away. Next week is green bin.
I also started straightening out my compose bins. Not quite finished there.
Hearing a lot about slavery again. I wish they would stop blaming me, I had nothing to do with it. In fact, most of my ancestors were almost white slaves, if not to a person, at least to a company or the system. Working in the coal mine was not a posh job. Since then we've made progress and we didn't hold protest marches and we didn't loot stores. And I wonder what does it gain to burn out stores in your own neighborhood?

"The Heart of the Empire" by Philip McCutchan

This is #5 of the James Ogilvie series. Capt Ogilvie has left India for the shores of South Africa and the Boer War. Nice to see the story move away from India. That was starting to wear thin. Again he is called upon to indulge in a secret mission. This time under the disguise of helping a maiden in distress.
This was a story worth reading, helping me in my understanding of the Boer War and the attitude of one side to the other. It is well written and a great book of historical fiction.

Coffee Filters

Like toilet paper, people are now buying a lot of coffee filters. Guess they found out they could make their coffee at home. not rocket science.

To Do List

So, this week is work on the 'To Do' list. My way to do it is to do the hardest one first. This year it's a drain pipe in the back yard. The rain collects in that area so I dug a drain, put a pipe in filled around it with gravel. I put a screen on the pipe and a hole in that area filed with gravel. I'm hoping the rain will run to the gravel as the easiest way out.
That done, the next chore was fix the garden. The boards around it were rotten and needed replacing. Also, I made the garden a little smaller. My wife says it's enough. Adding a picture of the garden. It's pleasing to the eye, like the rest of the yard.