fidlmath

Diana the Spider Wrangler

Who said this?

"When the tumult and the shouting die, when the bands are gone and the lights are dimmed, there is the stark reality of responsibility in an hour of history haunted with those gaunt, grim specters of strife, dissension, and materialism at home, and ruthless, inscrutable, and hostile power abroad. The ordeal of the twentieth century —the bloodiest, most turbulent age of the Christian era—is far from over. Sacrifice, patience, understanding, and implacable purpose may be our lot for years to come. … Let’s talk sense to the American people! Let’s tell them the truth, that there are no gains without pains, that we are now on the eve of great decisions."
I found it when looking up one of my favorite politicians of the not so far distant past.  Sounds like it could be a speech made today.  Hint. Evidently things never change.

posted by: mafidl at March 26, 2008 11:49 | link | comments (3) |

Way Cool!!!

If you'd like to see something bright, fast moving, not a plane nor a bird, go to heavens-above.com, register, put in your city or latitude and longitude if you know it and you will find when the ISS [International Space Station], HST [Hubble Space Telescope] and various other items of interest are visible.  Magnitude of 0 or negative is best. .  I just watched the ATV - which is going to rendezvous with the ISS - followed by the ISS in the same orbit.  It seems almost magical.  I have seen the HST and there are various other things, like something called Indium flares [which I have yet to see.] This is thanks to NN who discovered it, got me to put my location, more or less, in and once or twice a week we see one or more of these.  Now I know how Edgar Rice Burroughs' hero in his Martian books felt - only he dreamed, stared and wound up on Mars [Barsoom] as I recall.  Sigh. Apparently I will remain earthbound.

posted by: mafidl at March 25, 2008 19:17 | link | comments (3) |

Yesterday

I have always loved this - and thought it appropriate after my last post. BTW HAPPY EASTER to all those for whom it is important. I am going to brunch at John Martin's Irish Pub - also appropriate? We were to be 6, but now are down to, maybe, only 2. Sigh. It will still be way too much food, but fun, but would have been more so if my friends could all come. Oh well, next time. Is $28.50 too much for Easter brunch? Yes, it's a lot for one person when you add drinks, tax and tip, but the menu sounds great and the food is usually very good there. I'll let you know later. Thank goodness it's still cool enuf to have the windows, etc open in the morning. It was even overcast for much of the day yesterday and then rainy last night. It won't last much longer - then the heat will land on us like a multi-ton anvil. I am happy for my girls, being in Utah. The mother of one of J's friends from here has gone out for a visit and they'll be camping tonight. My time will come, so there! The kitties are thriving. Well, Voodoo is still with us and occasionally running around. This morning, he's just curled up asleep. I haven't been giving him the Viokase [for pancreatic insufficiency] for awhile, just the Prednisone - twice a day, now once and then will try every other day. He comes up to me in the afternoon meows what I hear as plaintively and I don't know whether it just means "Isn't it time for our canned food?" or "I don't feel well, can't you do something?" God help me - I'll be taking him back to the vet this next week to see if he's still losing weight. I do that terrible thing of giving him food from my plate - like when I had cheese for a snack yesterday, I gave him several small bites. When I had made chicken soup last week, I gave him the remains in my bowl - with several bites of chicken and a few bits of carrot and celery. Also steak or hamburger, when we have that. He seems to be eating some of the dry food [3 varieties are available in separate bowls - Nutro Max Cat Indoor, Purina Indoor and Iams Digestive care] They all go down gradually, so I assume someone eats them. I am still supporting Obama, but also like Hillary. I even ordered and paid for some buttons, that came this past week. Didn't we used to get these for free? I had a Kennedy one on a denim vest that I used to wear to some parties, it fell off, and no one gave it back to me. I also have a Stevenson one. How's that for anachronisms, I guess? My first year in college, the U of Missouri had a political convention, I "worked" in the Iowa delegation [that's what was available and it was run by a very enthusiastic young man who smelled, as I learned gradually, a distinctive aroma that seems characteristic to some very active, wound up, males] I decided that I could tolerate it, good, huh! I knew nothing of political maneuvering in conventions, so probably contributed absolutely nothing to it. It was rather exciting, but of course, Stevenson lost. Mirroring future reality. Until this year, that's the last time I got involved in a political campaign. Well, I guess you can't exactly say I'm involved in this one, except for the buttons and a contribution. Florida, as usual, has pretty much f&%ked things up. Jack Cafferty said a week or so ago that Florida should be allowed to remain in the USofA [thanks for that, Jack] but Floridians should never again be allowed to vote. Back to grading. TTFN.

posted by: mafidl at March 23, 2008 08:46 | link | comments (3) |
music, politics, family, nostalgia, kitties

today

I was going to meet a friend from NYC in the Everglades.  She's been in Key Largo this week with an Elderhostel group and we had decided to spend part of the day together, since the group was going to the Glades.  Combination of NN being really sick and needing to go to the doctor and my cleaning women coming today [then they canceled, one being sick], I couldn't make it.  Although my friend has a newly acquired cellphone, which she said she was leaving on, I couldn't get her - and her voice mail wasn't/isn't set up, so couldn't leave a message.  Frustration!!!  She finally called me, so we'll have to manage with email and telephone calls - unless she has time at the airport tomorrow.  Oh well - it was just getting too complicated.  So back to grading, etc so I don't put it off until the end of next week [Spring Break - YESSSSSS!!!]  I don't know who was happier about SB, my students or me.  Sunday I'll be at the Zoo all day, oh - that's not tomorrow!  Surprise! Since I had a 5-day teaching week Fall Term, I'm still not quite used to Fridays off.  I do prefer that.  Due to state budget cuts, my Summer B term 1 or 2 classes have been replaced with 1 A term class that could even be canceled .  Good thing I need to lose weight

It's just cool enuf to have windows open  - a bit under 80°F - so I've got them open and A/C off - nice for a change.

I've been thinking about mortality lately.  A few years ago I seemed to suddenly discover that I have a heart - not that I hadn't always had one - I just hadn't been aware of it.  It was there, beating steadily, getting checked minimally every year or so.  Then all of a sudden, it seemed, I heard it when my ear was against the pillow - surprise .  Maybe I'd heard it before, or maybe not and occasionally it seemed louder than others, and for a week or so it would beat more rapidly for a brief period, and once in awhile, skip a beat.  Since then I've acquired a new doctor who specializes in hearts.  Thank goodness there is nothing too seriously wrong with mine, just a couple of minor valve leaks and too high lipids [I told you I need to lose weight]  The good news several weeks ago was that my blood profile, or whatever you'd call it, is stable, not to say greatly improved, just stable. According to some sort of pundits - and vegans - I shouldn't be eating, at the very least, beef.  But, according to a book Eat Right for Your Blood Type, I should eat beef, but not chicken.  Then there's Sugar Busters [not Ghost Busters] which I refer to occasionally - and should do so more often, since the other problem I have is blood glucose that stays too high - borderline diabetic.  Wish i didn't like sweets, chocolate in particular. "But what is a girl to do?"  Anyhow, back to mortality - if I want to remain on "this mortal plane" long enough to at least move to Salt Lake City and enjoy my daughters' company for a few years, I probably had better start to fly right, or whatever.
Then there are my knees, which have lost their cartilage [wonder where it went?] and have been diagnosed as needing [kneeding?] to be replaced.  I've been taking 200 mg of Celebrex, the only Cox2 inhibitor still on the market, I believe, for several years.  It is truly an amazing drug - one pill and the decrease in my pain level was phenomenal.  Despite that, I am starting to experience more pain, though not excruciating, yet, especially in my left - although recently my right one has been telling me not to forget about it.  The question is, should I wait until it becomes [painfully] necessary to have one [probably the left] replaced?  I'm still on the state health insurance, BCBS, which is pretty good, and when I retire, I'll probably be on Medicare and a supplemental insurance.  My Rheumatologist has been saying wait, but I haven't talked to him for awhile, so maybe I need to do that.   Of course, an orthopedic surgeon most likely would encourage me to do it sooner than later - surgeons seem to say that, for some reason.
So, back to the grading grindstone - one set of tests, 2 small sets of test corrections.  Also need to design and put on web pages homeworks for both classes, as well as list of topics, practice test and solutions for the trig classes.  Better get to it.  I really don't know what some of these smiley faces mean, but they seem cute.
TTFN

posted by: mafidl at March 14, 2008 11:45 | link | comments (5) |
teaching, books, health, weather, frustration

Nosedive

Here's the one I took to the vet the other day - thank goodness he seems OK now.  You can't really see his ears that well, but he has tufts like a bobcat or lynx.  His nicknames are Little Lynx and Baby Bobcat.

posted by: mafidl at March 13, 2008 17:41 | link | comments (3) |

kitties etc.

I took Nosedive to the vet - no apparent problems except elevated temp, which could be because he was very anxious.  He always disappears when strangers come to the house, so a trip to the vet must be pretty traumatic.  He yowed all the way there and back.  Anyhow, to be on the safe side, the vet gave him an antibiotic shot and one to lower his temp.  All cats seem OK by now.  And I had a pond in my downstairs bathroom - plumber came today and the toilet was broken!  So tomorrow I will get a replacement and, I hope, no more pond.
I'm grading test corrections now - finished one set and have attacked second.  This afternoon I'm giving another one - no rest for the wicked [i.e. teachers].  A friend from high school and college is in Key Largo and we're planning on getting together Friday - don't know if just for a couple of hours, or if she'll leave her group and spend the night with me and I take her to the airport Saturday.  Also had a call from an ex- Landmark Forum friend, from whom I haven't heard in a couple of years, except for exchanging silly emails.  He's divorced, off the wagon and not happy.  Gave up job in aerospace industry to do real estate a few years ago - so not doing well on that score either.  Seem that I've gotten calls [one at 2AM] lately from drunken friends - in each case a possibility of getting together, but this latest is iffy and the first didn't happen [probably just as well].
I believe my chances of selling my condo are slim, partly due to the bad real estate market and because of infighting in the condo board - which may not get resolved for awhile.  Right now, in addition to $400+ maintenance fees, we also are paying, for 7 months, $400+ in assessment.  I only bet on sure things and I am betting that no one would want to move here now.  So unless I want to rent my place, a move to Salt Lake City seems to be more in the future.
So what's the good news?  It hasn't gotten too excruciatingly hot yet.  Hmmmm.
TTFN

posted by: mafidl at March 12, 2008 11:19 | link | comments (4) |
teaching, kitties, condos, frustration

Update on kitties and amazing movie

I realized that the dry cat food is in the same closet as the cleaning stuff - so maybe it has picked up the odor or ? from some of that.  So I've now bought new dry food and will keep it elsewhere, threw out the bowls of old cat food, washed the bowls well and replenished with the new.  Emmy ate some and then vomited again - oh, she started this morning, but this is only the second episode and it was whitish/clear.  So now I may have to take both of them to my vet tomorrow AM.  Groan - but I'll see how it goes until then.
Have any of you watched the movie Zeitgeist?  This is the remastered version, which I thought didn't work when I tried it initially, so I watched the one that says it is old.  What you have to do is be patient and after a few minutes of talk and a bit of light, the video appears.  It is long and either the best conspiracy video ever made or the scariest one.  There are 3 parts and I found all 3 to be fascinating - and sufficiently different to be worth, in my [gullible?] opinion worth watching.  I will welcome any of your opinions.

posted by: mafidl at March 09, 2008 13:37 | link | comments |
movies, kitties

Better news

An article in the NY Times, which I tend to trust usually, quoted Patrick Swayze's physician:
"Mr. Swayze’s physician Dr. George Fisher said, 'Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment thus far. All of the reports stating the time frame of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue. We are considerably more optimistic.' "  Let's hope that's right.
I seem to have 2 sick kitties right now, but am hoping that with one it is temporary.  Nosedive, the lynx like youngster [will turn 2 in April] has been vomiting today and hasn't seemed his usual lively self. If it continues tomorrow I might have to take him to the emergency vet clinic, which I'd rather not do for various reasons.  It occurred to me as I was trying to get to sleep, that he and at least one of the other 3 cats occasionally drink out of the toilets.  Since I now have a cleaning lady, I wondered if I should worry about how well the toilets are flushed after they clean them - they were here yesterday.  I have been lax in my own cleaning efforts, as mentioned several times before, and only once in a blue moon used toilet bowl cleaner, which I felt obligated to get for the ladies.  There's no point worrying about it tonight, but I'll definitely have to encourage them to flush thoroughly, just in case.  I've usually just used brush and cleanser, which is obvious if not flushed well.  Neither of the other toilet drinkers seem to have any problem, so that might not be what's causing his vomiting.  The other thing that Nosedive has been doing is endeavoring to get into cupboards, and I guess I should fix them so he can't.  Voodoo is my other worry, since he has pancreatic insufficiency and irritable bowel disease.  He is now getting Prednisone to try and help the latter and at first responded well, but since I've been tapering it off, he's not doing as well and has lost weight so we're going to up the dosage on that again.  He even didn't want to eat bits of my steak earlier today - but maybe there was too much spice.  He's not interested in the canned food that I give them in the evening, either, so next week we may try something to stimulate his appetite.  Poor thing, he assumes that I'm  trying to give him medicine whenever he sees me and runs away.   If he didn't seem healthy otherwise, I would wonder if I should be giving him so much meds.  He had bloodwork on Thursday and seems to be in very good health for his age [16 yrs +] except for the above mentioned problems. Tomorrow I might cook some chicken for him - need to try something.  He did eat some tuna yesterday but one cannot live on tuna alone.

posted by: mafidl at March 08, 2008 23:38 | link | comments (5) |
kitties

SOB

I was just devastated to read that Patrick Swayze has incurable pancreatic cancer that has spread to other organs and he only has weeks to live.  He is one of the few actors that I really like and at the age of 55, would, I hope, be around for a lot longer.  I guess I mainly got to like him in Dirty Dancing and Ghost .  He will be missed greatly.  He has that ineffable characteristic of not only appealing to women, but also being admired by men.
This picture was found on Google, one of almost too many to choose:

posted by: mafidl at March 06, 2008 11:15 | link | comments (5) |

Ecological Solutions?

Following up on a previous post by Neutronnorman on cane toads.
The Aussies did get one endeavor right.  They imported African Dung Beetles to eat the fly larvae out of sheep dung when there was a real problem with the flies.  Many official visitors to Oz were filmed coming off planes waving a hand uselessly across their faces in an attempt to rid themselves of the many pesky flies - especially the fat, sluggish, egg filled [I believe] blow flies.  The hand gesture was labeled the "Aussie Salute".  I believe the dung beetles were successful and caused no other problems.  We actually have some dung beetles in my condo complex, courtesy of friend, Ed, and withing 24 hours they turn nasty piles of doggy poo into rich looking black soil.
Oz also had their famous problem with rabbits back a number of years ago.  Some enterprising sort decided to bring in rabbits [they were not found in Oz], thinking to have a touch of home with the harmless little bunnies, they got loose, did what comes naturally, and hence, millions of bunnies and no predators!  Cute, eh?  Problem is, they made burrows all over farmland, where horses and cattle can break their legs if not careful and the burrows probably didn't do crops any good, either.  So the eventual solution was to introduce a disease, called Myxomatosis .  As the bunnies mature they get the disease and eventually die, but of course some develop immunity.  Before this was done, however, there was a 1000-2000 mile long fence built on or near the border between Western Australia and South Australia [2 states].  The way the story was told to me was that the initial fence did not allow for rabbits burrowing under it and had to be replaced a mile further along with another fence that extended 12" or more into the ground.  Apocryphal?  Maybe.

posted by: mafidl at March 02, 2008 08:36 | link | comments (7) |
ecology

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