Monday Musings...
Well, at long last, this week marks the beginning of leaf-pickup in OUR part of town...the (...all together, gang...) SOUTH SIDE, and the "locals" were busy as bees raking THEIR leaves into the STREET...and with the light rain we're having this morning...wonder how much THAT will clog up the culverts?
Now, I can understand when you HAVE no curb to rake them to (only a berm), but when there IS a tax-payer funded sidewalk and curb...well, (as Forrest Gump would say) stupid IS, as stupid DOES, I suppose.
One house has a leaf pile that approaches 4 1/2 feet in height (yeah, they sure do like "ridiculous" down here, too...look at the way they DRESS and the COLORS they paint their cars...so YES, they DO call it DOPE for a reason...LOL).
In any event, I'm sure we won't have to look at all this after this week (when the leaves are gone). Round two comes the first week in December (which will probably not even occur, like last year).
With that out of the way, let's proceed into the week, shall we?
*** I was kind of sad to see Andy Rooney pass away.
I mean I wouldn't have evolved into the wonderfully social-pungent curmudgeon without his "guidance" all those years.
To me, he represented in such a marvelous way, the "everyman" aspect to society's daily problems.
It could be anything from the manner in which something was packaged (truth in advertising?) to a rant on how SOME people have no clue on how to be mannerly...all of it presented with a certain "flair" for the dramatic, which happened to to be all too true.
If any of us who followed Rooney have learned anything from him, it's that we ALL have a voice, and that we ALL have reason to speak (with warranted boldness) when the need arises.
And I think that's probably one of the BEST legacies anyone could leave to someone else.
I know it's not going to be the same in "curmudgeonland" without him...
*** Had something really weird occur last evening, and it has to do with technology.
I'm sitting in the living room, watching Bruce Lee wail the snot out of damn near everyone in Enter The Dragon (great movie), and Wifey was in the family room, watching Bravo (or something akin to it)...typical Sunday night for us.
Suddenly, there came a rather staccato knocking at our door.
Wondering who would be rapping with such urgency, I got up, opened the door, and saw a (younger male) FWPD officer standing at the bottom of our steps.
I leaned out and asked: "What seems to be the problem, officer?"
It was then I heard something really "strange".
"We got a 9-1-1 hangup that pinged back to THIS location...is everything OK?"
I stepped outside and replied: "That's kind of impossible, because no one is on our phone, and the missus has her cell turned off, and she's in the other end of the house, sitting on the couch...I don't even OWN one, and I've been sitting here watching a movie."
He then said something I hadn't known before last night.
"Hmm, it could have been a MOVING VEHICLE - the 'ping' we sent showed it here, but I can see there doesn't seem to be any trouble." (I was half-smiling the whole time...and rather calm considering).
I said: "Yeah, the ONLY person doing ANY shouting is Bruce Lee on TV, and HE'S got a reason. I thought maybe someone was breaking into the vacant house next door,...AGAIN."
"Nah, wasn't that...sometimes the cells give us false hits when tracking...could be several HUNDRED feet from where the call originates by the time we receive the data back."
I replied: "So, someone the next block up could have hit 911 while travelling southbound and because they happened to be rolling past OUR house, it shows OUR location as the *20* for the call?"
"Right...far from a foolproof system to be sure...so, you're good then?"
"Yeah, I'm good...damn shame you got chased here when there's nothing here to happen...that ain't right."
"...Just goes with the job..."
"I hear 'ya."
"Well, you have a good night, then..."
"You too...drive safe out there."
"Thanks, goodnight."
And that was it...over in less than 3 minutes...pretty odd sh*t.
Did NOT know that cell phones will NOT track back to MOVING vehicles, but will offer only a "hit" at whatever location they are passing AT THAT MOMENT...
Whatever happened to all this "real time" stuff?
That could definitely present problems for officers on the streets, trying to get to that "emergency" call.
If it's at a STATIC *20*...no problem, right?
BUT...if it's on the move, officers could be chasing a whole lot of "wild geese", and never resolve the call, which would cause a potential victim some worry (and a lawsuit for inadequate protection)...
Not to mention, if "someone" wants to have the police roll to a specific area (other then where a crime might be committed), all they have to do is get some of those dollar-store tracphones, and play "cry wolf" a few times... can't really trace those back to the "owner" as readily as those with bonifide "call-plans" from the major companies, right?
Guess we can blame that on technology (as usual).
*** I'm still getting used to having the clocks rolled back AN HOUR...like I got "extra" sleep over that one, hmm?
The hardest one to change back was the damn digital wristwatch - it's got a hinky button on it that reactivated the HOURLY CHIME (I hate that damn thing). At least that "atomic" clock in the basement RESET ITSELF! (now THAT, I love)
So, it gets light EARLIER now...on the other side, it GETS DARKER SOONER...helluva trade off, isn't it?
Obviously not gonna save electricity for the next several months (and all that we DID "save" during the Summer gets eaten up).
To every YIN, there IS a YANG...always remember that, folks.
*** Life without balance is a life without challenge...without achievement...without sacrifice.
Actually, it becomes pretty pathetic without balance.
We simply cannot hang onto one side of the "scales" of our lives...
Everything in our life should reach an accord...a harmony of some sort with everything else.
Remember the whole "cause and effect" gig I mention here from time to time?
Well, that's a DIRECT result of having that balance in our lives.
It's always nice to GET BACK that which we put into our lives...at least to some degree.
Many times, outside forces will tip those scales, and not always in our favor.
That just means we have to strive harder to get things set back to rights...that's all.
And this isn't some tree-hugging rhetoric...not by a long shot.
Read about the native Americans, and how THEY view life.
They work to live WITH nature, not wrest control from it
They work to improve themselves in that harmony...not sit back, hold out their hands and say "gimme".
They work to achieve greatness FROM WITHIN, and not rely on "things" to show how great they are.
I suppose the ONE word to take from this is..."work".
We all do our part in some manner to work towards a goal, be it immediate or far-reaching.
And many times, we have to be task-oriented first, in order to become goal-oriented later, for one is accomplished by making the other possible.
It's really not all that profound...just good old common sense...like Andy Rooney would say.
Have yourselves a great week.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.