Wednesday's Whispers

• Not that any readers here ever had any doubt, but I am apparently a certified genius, having quickly (and without assistance) solved the impossible math equation.  Of course, part of me wants to point out that those are really patterns, not true equations, arranged for the purpose of the parlor trick they're doing on that website...yeah, whatever.  I mean, if you set it up algebraically, the answer would be pretty obvious, no?
• Yes, I know some readers have their doubts.  But I did have a 750 Math SAT.
• (670 verbal, for those taking notes).
• The murderer of five Dallas police officers was said to be a weapons expert.  Maybe yes or maybe no, but unless he had an arm like Nolan Ryan, carrying a .25 caliber handgun was a pretty lame move.
• Bimbo-fest on Fox as news chicks attempt to explain 'assault rifles'. Oldest son asked me if I wanted to go to the Kroger to get a Leupold scope for my Ruger #1.
• Words and ideas do matter.  A TV news journalist has been suspended from her job for praising the Dallas killer as a 'martyr' on social media.  It's one thing to defend from an aggressor when being attacked, but there's no justification for murdering others not involved simply for their skin color or the fact that they wear a uniform.
• Here's an interesting, that I'm kinda surprised the barrister blogger hasn't posted: The, uh, pron industry is criticizing the RNC's opposition to smut in their policy planks.  I don't expect anything to come of it, either way.
• As an insomniac international man of mystery, I sometimes watch PBS global news.  While it's too early to say, the new UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, could be the next incarnation of Maggie Thatcher, and not just because of her gender.  The sense I get of David Cameron was that he is a decent chap, but simply miscalculated on the Brexit issue.
• I really very rarely have trouble falling asleep.
• An 80 year old co-worker who retired recently visited the workplace today. I had worried a bit about him, fearing that not working would lead to a decline.  I needn't have.  He looked very fit and well rested, and reported that his wife of 60 years makes him lunch every day, keeps him busy with chores (nary a complaint from him), and that they are planning to go to a family reunion in a week or two.  I remarked to another colleague that if Paul Harvey were still alive, he would celebrate them on his 'Tournament of Roses'.
• It just struck me that my folks have a 58th coming up next month.  Good work, Mom & Dad!
• From a recent Wendy's visit:

Dawn?  Srsly, Victor, I'm not going Caitlyn or anything.

• Dang millennials...aren't they taught spelling anymore?  Although I suppose that's an age old (old age?) complaint, as I recall a story from a magazine when I was in high school, about a fellow who'd gone off to college, grew a beard, then mailed his folks a picture of his newly hirsute visage, inscribed: "Do I not look like a Count?".  Upon seeing the pic, the dad groused: "Stupid kid, thousands of dollars for an education, and he can't even spell!"
• A friend and sometime reader of this blog has in the past criticized my fine musical tastes, positing that the musicians I like are either dead, or their careers are.  Unrepentant, I have continued posting from my eclectic musical palette, as recent pages bear out.  Last night, I definitely listed to dead composer music, by putting on a Beethoven CD (excerpts of 6th 'Pastorale' and 2nd symphonies).  It was quite good.  Tonight it will be CBS Masterworks' 'The Viennese Album' with Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn, and Johann Strauss.
• Not the biggest Wolfgang Amadeus fan, but as an adolescent in Vienna, I was fond of the Mozartkugeln confections.  They were to Austrian Airlines DC-9s what peanuts are to Southwest 737s.
• PEZ were also quite the thing.  It was very common to find mechanical coin-op vending machines expressly made for that candy, attached to walls in train stations and businesses, or on outside walls of buildings near streetcar stops.  I think AS1 (about a nickel in those days) would get a dispenser's worth of the miniature sugar bricks.
• I used to have two or three dozen dispensers - no idea what happened to them.  Maybe in Mom & Dad's attic?
• Heard on Carson tonight:  "You see a lot of weird stuff in L. A.: A gay out-of-work Indian got a job downtown - scalping ballet tickets."  Probably wouldn't get past the PC, microaggression censors today.

At least I can say the words

Heard this at work yesterday, probably the first time in 15-20 years, maybe more.



One of those songs like Heart of the Matter, that you may like, but with a lump in your throat.

Give us this day...

I don't know much

The backstory is that Jimmy wrote this song to impress a young lady in London, but when he performed it for her on the piano, she responded "Don't you think that's silly?", which did not endear the young lady to the tunesmith.  Around the same time, Simon & Garfunkel broke up.  Since Paul Simon had been the songwriter of the duo, Webb reasoned that Artie would need some songs, contacted the talented singer, and it became a hit for Garfunkel.



This is purportedly the last, or one of the last, recordings that Linda made before retiring from singing due to complications from Parkinson's.

Deep Trivia Bonus:  Webb wrote MacArthur Park in 1967 after his breakup with Suzy Horton (also the muse for Where's the Playground Susie?), who years later married Linda Ronstadt's cousin.  Here's a version of the song...from an open air concert at MacArthur Park in 2013.  If you want to see some of Glen Campbell's guitar virtuousity, check out this version, performed with the songwriter. Campbell's guitar solo for the Allegro movement begins at 4:44.

This has been 'In the Blog Studio' with Touch of Graybeard.

I told you so...

...Seems to be the theme of many articles, posts, and reports following the Dallas police shootings.  Although there have been some bright spots, as well.

• Kudos to the journalist or commentator who suggested that folks - BLM sympathizers and detractors alike - consider using the word "some".  As in: "some" police engage in brutality, "some" protesters commit violence. It's straightforward conflict resolution methodology.  I recently listened to a speaker who advised much the same thing to spouses/parents/children: Don't use accusatory statements including the words "always" or "never", as the blanket labels are rarely true, and only serve to put the recipient into defensive mode.
• As much as is known presently, the Dallas police shooter acted alone. He had no ties to the protest, and simply seized on the opportunity presented by having a large congregation of police officers - there to keep the protesters safe.  Nonetheless, there are already rumors of a conspiracy, some suggesting - if I understand it correctly - that George Soros funded or masterminded it to create a race war so that the President could declare martial law and get a third term.  We'll keep that under advisement.
• The BLM demonstrator who thought it'd be a good idea to sling an unloaded AR-15 over his shoulder to attend the protest is reportedly seeking an apology or compensation for having been briefly identified as a suspect or person of interest during the melee.  Good grief.
• As a supporter of open carry, I fully agree that what he was doing was lawful.  It also showed poor judgment, given the charged atmosphere.  He really should be thinking "Man, that was a dumb thing to do."   The circus blogger on Friday likened him to Richard Jewell, the Atlanta security guard who lived under suspicion for the 1996 Olympic bombing.  Seriously?  This guy was 'misidentified' for two hours, not two months.  
• Those that want to harass him should likewise get on with their lives. Lots of people do dumb things everyday.  He didn't harm anyone, and it appears he did everything correctly to make it clear he was on the right side of the law once the mayhem erupted and he understood folks were looking for him.
• Purportedly, additional protests are planning to shut down interstates. Hopefully, those folks will reconsider.  I wouldn't go looking for such a protest, but if I inadvertently found myself in a shutdown and got attacked, would protect myself.
• I thought DPD Chief David Brown did a good job handling the situation.  
• A news commentator says if this is war, there will be no winners.  That's the truth.

Fin de la semana

• Night before last, I had the strangest dream.  I was in the McDonald's with oldest son, when a Neil Diamond song (Longfellow Serenade) came on the sound system.  I remarked to him that "those strings sound so real", then turned around to see his mother (who plays violin) and some other symphony members performing in the adjoining dining room.  
• I shared that story with her via text.
• Sometimes I can sort of figure out the source of dream topics.  Earlier in the week, I'd played Hot August Night (the original), and I'm Glad You're Here With Me Tonight CDs before bedtime.  Neither features the song in the dream, however.
• There are tons of specialty burger places these days: Five Guys, Kincaid's, In-n-Out, Smashburger, Steak & Shake, etc.  As a kid and teenager, I wasn't much the Jack in the Box fan, but in recent years, it seems they've finally become a legitimate, and sometimes innovative, fast food purveyor.
• I was tickled to find a shaded parking spot:

Unfortunately, the dining room was closed...

• The Buttery Portobello Swiss & Onion is as good a burger as is out there.  With a small meal coupon for $5, it was a great deal, too.  I don't recommend you eat it while driving, as I did, but I had no choice.
• I had to go to Colleyville for a, ahem, minor traffic infraction.  They have some of the most confounding streets over there.  A family of birds had made their home over the entrance to the court center:

A fourth, presumably the momma bird, flew back 

and forth as I was walking up to the door.

• While I was waiting in line, a young mother with an infant came in and left an envelope of Starbucks and other gift cards with the receptionist, saying "I know it's probably been a sucky day - would you please give these to the officers?"  No photo-op, no fanfare.
• The drop-dead gorgeous teen or college age girl in line in front of me commented to me on how nice that was.  She also complimented the woman ahead of her on her handbag, and me about my eyeglasses a few minutes later.  Good people skills.  When she got up to the window, she didn't try to BS the clerk.  When asked, she said she was guilty (I don't know what the infraction was) and arranged to take defensive driving.
• Bryan Williams just can't get a break.  Like the commentator, I'm not sure why comparing the President to Pryor is inherently racist.
• I on the other hand, caught a break while doing laundry today.  After taking clothes from the washer, I found a Sharpie at the bottom of the drum.  The cap was still on, and no apparent spillage on my clothes.  I put them into the dryer, then went to the bathroon to check out the Sharpie.  When I removed the cap, my hands immediately looked like those of a bank robber who'd exploded a dye pack.  Thankfully, it washed off.  I have no idea which article of clothing had contained the pen.
• Carnac tonight: "Ovaltine - What was Oprah Winfrey's nickname in high school?", and "Wake up and smell the coffee - What do you do after a one night stand with Mrs. Olson?"  From the context of the bit, I think it was Johnny's last portrayal of the great Seer, Soothsayer and Sage. Interestingly, the punchline from the final envelope included a gag about Marla Maples, the punchline of which was "[something], [something], and dump Trump."
• Borrowing from Simon & Garfunkel, the HuffPo has an interesting article today, following in the footsteps of CBS News and the Boston Globe.
• Here's my own Carnac bit: 5 to 7 percent - The odds that either Mitt Romney or Joe Biden will be President in 2017.

Thinned, but not broken

• Just before turning the lights out for the night, I saw the news about four Dallas police officers (now five) being ambushed and murdered while providing security for people exercising their right to protest.
• Yesterday - during the day - watching news coverage of the LA and MN shootings, I had an odd feeling of  "Will these be the straws that break the camel's back?"  I never would have imagined that what happened last night would be in Texas.
• Since Ferguson, I have predicted that as a society, we are careening toward civil or racial war in this country, hoping I was wrong.  Some in the blogosphere this morning have declared that "It's on!" and launched scathing [verbal] attacks on the BLM movement.  Though I'm no fan of the BLM, I was encouraged when I saw that one blogger had removed such a post.
• There's a lot of finger pointing going back-and-forth at the over-sharing circus blogger's page and in the comments section.  Perhaps the most intelligent thought over there this morning was from a commenter (not me) who succinctly wrote: "Ive got so very much I'd like to say regarding all that's happening, but I believe there should be a period of respect for the fallen. I won't stir the pot."
• I also have a lot of thoughts and things I'd like to say.  We may never know for sure why these public servants were coldly murdered, but we can wait for an investigation for better insight and clarity.  Rather than adding fuel to the fire, can we act - as Abraham Lincoln said (paraphrasing from Psalms 147:3) - and work to bind up the wounds that divide us?

Happy Independence Day!

• When I was a kid, we enjoyed July 4 with Black Cats, bottle rockets, roman candles, whizzers, sparklers, and, uh, 'chasers'.  I probably haven't purchased any fireworks personally in over 30 years.
• I used to enjoy organized displays, but kinda like the circus blogger, it's become a bit of a beat down.  My favorite fireworks watching experience was two or three years ago near Panther Island.  Daughter and I decided we didn't want to be part of the throng of humanidad within the event confines, so we watched the display from atop our SUV in the parking field at the intersection of Henderson and White Settlement. 

Watching fireworks

• Went to downtown Mt. Pilot last week for an interview on my day off.  I got there early, only to realize I'd left my change in the pocket of my shorts at home, so I scrounged four quarters from the cup holder for the meter.  After walking the block and-a-half to my destination, I asked them if they could make change for the meter (they didn't have any petty cash), and was also told the meters won't allow 'stacking' after their initial feeding.  Then, the nice lady told me about the 'pay stations' that dispense stickers to affix to the window, using a debit/credit card (which I had used years ago but forgotten about).  So I purchased a longer period with my card and put it on the window, feeling like a doofus because I'd wasted a dollar in the meter.
• The interview was a 3 person panel affair.  I enjoy panel interviews, but was a bit surprised that it would take 3 people to screen candidates for the position I was seeking.  At the end, I answered the obligatory query "Do you have any questions for us?" by asking "Yes, when do I start?", to learn that that was just the first round - if I passed, there will be another interview.  Hope to hear something tomorrow or Wednesday.
• I felt like a doofus again when I got back to the car and remembered the coin dispenser under the console armrest that had an adequate supply of quarters.
• No, I don't think memory is an important issue for the job I'm seeking.
• The markets see to have recovered from their collective Brexit-induced hiccup, as one surmised they would.
• Saturday I drove to Mayberry in the same ZIP code as Deloitte for something.  Along the way, I passed a pasture with both rectangular bales and round bales awaiting haul-off.  The pasture was not abnormally shaped so far as I could tell, so it made me wonder if it's common to bale in both formats in the same field?
• When I was about fourteen or fifteen, I learned that the best job in hay hauling was to drive the GMC flatbed (even if it lacked A/C).  Sweating in the Kansas sun and dust atop the deck wrassling those bales as they came up the escalator was not so much fun as you would expect, so I decided after a pasture or two that my knuckle dragging cousins would be better suited for those roles, and Gramps allowed it.

A pretty close approximation of  Gramps' hay hauler, 'cept his was blue 

with faded lettering from Caney Valley Lumber Company, its prior owner.

• I wonder where that old truck is today.  If somehow fate reunited us, I'd restore it to its original CVLC livery, and drive it in parades.
• The guest pastor yesterday made an aside that saying 'two' Corinthians isn't necessarily wrong or a sign of Biblical illiteracy, and is apparently even common in England.  It was kind of a funny moment.
• Later in the sermon, discussing the Declaration of Independence, I could almost imagine that we're close to a point of making a second such declaration.  Almost.
• A few times today, I wondered what terrorist calamity I would see on the news tonight.  Looks like most were outside the U.S..