No wonder we're going nuts...

it's very clear to me now. I know that the American, and for that matter the global, economy has tanked, the healthcare system is so far beyond faulty (it IS the worst in the world, EXCEPT for every other...hurray for us) I don't know if there's a good word for it, and we are running out of fuel (and here's a shock in case you didn't know. Even if you manage to be able to afford a hybrid or electric car, there is a problem that someone should have seen coming because it's a REAL "Homer moment...doh" in my opinion. We don't have the electrical power capacity to fuel even a fair amount of electric cars, which means that even if we put in fueling ports at home and all over, if enough people switch over, even if the price of "filling the tank" is negligible, the drain on the power plants is NOT.) There are rolling and full on black outs NOW, so how did they NOT see this coming? There's a bunch of jobs right there. Yeah, we already have coal miners but we need a BUNCH more, and a safer environment for them all,  then we'll need a LOT more power plants and someone to build them, and by the way, could someone please come up with a good synthetic fuel in the meantime? I think that the "Back to the Future" movies had a kernel of a good idea using organic garbage as fuel. You could "tank up" right after a breakfast that includes toast crust, egg shells, coffee grounds and bacon grease.This stuff heats up the ground where it smolders in land fills, a natural source of heat, DO something with it, scientific America! We DO have individual compost piles all over the country already for organic gardening, take the next step, please. Of course, I don't know what exactly people who care about their weight
would use..Grapefruit rinds and stale humus maybe, but that is WAY down the road. Just find something already here to use, that's all. We know, although it's sort of weird, that a calorie is a unit of energy. I get that when you eat, you give your body the fuel to DO things, but if a calorie IS a unit of energy, and leftovers are food still, WHY can't we find a way to USE that tossed out energy for other things besides the human body? Is it because the human body is way too complex a machine that we can't make any other sort of "engine" like it? I don't think so. I think there is answer out there. But as usual, I am off my original thought which was this...

I think a large part of so many people going nuts lately is the English language. Did you know that the only language harder to learn is Chinese? WE think it's easy as adults, but try to remember back to school. Just this one rule is enough to make you drink... "I before E, except after C". That is NOT a strict rule, because it also applies not only to C, but D,H and W, as in deign, height and weight! Then there is the problem of homonyms. "They're on their way to the mall over there to do an errand and pick up two new items that they knew were due in soon". That was an example of just a few of them. THEN there is the problem of all these new words popping up, and words that, although they've been around for years, are being misused by the general public, and I was guilty of it myself the other day, by accident. But since I am a word herder and spelling and definition Nazi, I will, if in doubt, whip out "Old blue" , my dictionary from 1972 and look something up. And I had that feeling about this word, exacerbate. A lot of people are using it instead of exaggerate now, and it seemed wrong. Well, Exaggerate means: To heap up; to think, write or speak of (something) as greater than it is; overstate. 2. to increase or enlarge to an abnormal degree. To give an exaggerated account.  And Exacerbate means: (harsh, sour)To make more intense or bitter; aggravate (disease, pain, etc) 2. To exasperate. And so you don't have to look It up... Exasperate means: To irritate or annoy very much; vex; make angry; vex.  2. To intensify (a feeling, disease, etc, aggravate). And finally, Aggravate means: To make worse; make more burdensome, troublesome, etc. 2. To exasperate; annoy; vex. Finally! It DOES basically mean the same thing in a VERY circuitous (you can look that word up if you want to) way CAN be a substitute for exaggerate, if you just want to be a show off, and marginally correct.( I don't know if Alex Trebek would approve) BUT, my question really wasn't doesn't it mean something totally different (and really, it is fundamentally a medical term), but why did we feel the need to take this narrowly used word and exchange it for a word that was perfectly fine? Are we THAT bored and desperate for entertainment (now often referred to as "enhancement" or "enrichment")?  We have enrichment programs for small children and zoo animals, two beings that get bored easily. What happened to good old entertainment? In my days as a kid, we were entertained, and often told to find some way to entertain ourselves, as in "use your OWN imagination, which kids and zoo captives DO have, given a few "tools" laying about, as any mom who has taken her kid to the ER because they took a blanket, made a cape out of it, climbed to the roof of the house, and tried to fly, will tell you..we are dumbing down the country, people, broken arms or not. Now I don't mind progress that is not too hasty or harsh for no reason, but when you make perfectly good word obsolete, I don't know if I get why that's necessary. It's made knowing the language an ongoing sort of thing.(and yes, I know, words come and go, like "dude" has been doing since cowboy days, and has meant different things in each era)  I blame the people that dream up crossword puzzles. And I mean the truly challenging ones like the New York Times Sunday crossword. That thing is a nightmare. I'm totally intimidated by that it, BUT if you manage to survive it  and happen to play Scrabble or the new and wonderful Words with Friends, which is like chess by mail, you can take a week or more to finish a game,  you can learn a LOT of very short and obscure words. BUT, if you aren't particularly erudite, keeping up can be really tiring. We are going to end up with dictionaries that are too big to pick up. And I JUST recently addressed my worry about the future of real books, and here we already have online dictionaries with all the newest words, some of which come up on WWF (Words with Friends, NOT the World Wrestling Federation), and are ridiculous, like Clozes, really? And yet it won't accept Etc, go figure. You CAN use TV, though.
Good grief, I AM as wordy as my ex keeps telling me. Well, THAT is the bipolar and OCD brain for you. I take a tiny thing and run in twelve different directions with it...but that's another blog, right?
Thanks for tuning in, hope you enjoyed, learned something, or just maybe laughed. Perhaps next time we'll talk about expounding. But you have to admit I had a point in there somewhere.
Later,Dragonfly

Well, how about that.

I haven't won anything in a while and I entered the bloghop contest and won a great sounding book and a Victoria's Secret gift card. Now I got on Twitter when asked for my address, and mentioned that Victoria probably didn't have anything that would fit any of MY secrets, unfortunately, but got the happy news that it wasn't just for teeny tiny women, but real life-size gals, too. They have all sorts of non-clothes items too. The only catch to this good fortune is getting up the nerve to visit. It will involve going to a mall somewhere, ack!!

I have several mental health issues, and one BIG one is the really fun and exciting (it CAN be exciting) combo of agoraphobia (literal translation is "fear of the marketplace") and claustrophobia (My personal translation is "fear of dressing rooms" in this particular case) and there should be a new word for fear of women with normal figures looking at you like "what in the heck are YOU doing here?? There is not enough silk and other slinky stuff on the planet to make you sexy." Well, guess what, little women? Not all men like the bony look. NOT trying to be snarky here, everyone has their niche, okay? It's just that, like cars, there are different models of women. The girls you see in the VS shows on tv are, say, Jaguars, sleek, trim and high maintenance. I'm more of a Rolls Royce, built more for comfort than speed. A RR takes maintaining too, of course, but it's a model that you don't look a fool driving when you're 60, you know? Hugh Hefner, are you listening? Oh well. So I know there are guys out there that prefer a nice, reliable, comfy, luxurious sort of "car", and that's me. I come with many of the extras that a Jag doesn't have room for. I get better mileage, too.Ha. So, when I get it, I will maybe collect my wonderful friend Jeremy and brave the mall and see what's what. HE won't let me buy anything foolish, at least not without letting me know it's foolish first. It's always nice to have at least one person in your life that will always tell you the truth when you want to hear it, don't you think? There's a whole other blog right there.
Okay, that's all for right now. There is something niggling in the back of my brain, but can't quite reach it. Maybe later. If I am intellectually challenged for too long, be careful on the roads, lot more drunks driving than usual out there...and then there's also the phone/car issue, too. I want to see you back here.
Alright then, over and out.
Dragonfly

Seriously, I have no idea..

Follow this blog

I'm not using anything fancy this time because I don't feel very fancy. I am trying to write a couple books right now, and doing pretty good, actually. I have all the "front of the book" stuff and two full chapters of the first book done, a non-fiction that I hope helps a lot of people. It's doing a lot for me just writing it. It's bringing back a lot of previously lost memories, resolved a lot of stuff I hadn't consciously thought about for years, and is stretching my intellectual muscles. The second book is a pretty decent prologue along. Now the first one, I've wanted to do for a long time, and is basically an autobiography of a very specific sort of person, so is pretty easy to write, although somewhat painful. This new book I wasn't even expecting. It just CAME to me out of the blue, basically. I had watched a movie, and was sort of extrapolating on a thought I had about some aspects of it while doing something else, and it was like someone hit me with a painless shovel. Character names, plot, hook, the whole thing. It had nothing to do with anything, just a switch got tripped and I had to write it, because trying to type it into Notebook, I tend to sometimes think faster than I can type, so end up with notes that make either NO sense, or not enough to work with. Have you ever been dreaming, had a great thought, awakened and written it down because you believed it was a super invention idea or something (this also happens when you're high from toking, but those ideas you should toss), and you are absolutely positive you got it down, go back to sleep, and in the morning, you have nothing but what seem like random adjectives and verbs? Well, it's like that when I'm fast thinking and slow typing. I have to re-read every blog that is "inspired" about 10 times to catch all the typo's, and even then, I'm almost always missing at least one. So, if you read me, and you find a typo, my heart was REALLY in that one. I guess I'm just writing right now to get rid of some nervous energy before saying something relevant about something, like.... what in the hell is Sinead O'Connor doing getting married AGAIN? I think that since Renee Zellweger married Kenny Chesney, for what, 10 minutes, everyone is out to break their record. You people have to stop, Ripley's cannot keep up with these "minute marriages". Whatever happened to the saying "Marry in haste, repent at leisure"? Did people forget that, or just think it was a joke? It's not. Hearts are being broken here, people. I don't mean the parties involved, either, so much. I mean the poor public that worships you people and "do as you do". They will follow your example and get hurt, thinking that THEIR private lives will get them something from all the drama, like their own show, since it would seem that everyone but me has one, and they will be disappointed when no one comes calling because they did something hasty and reckless. I realized as actors and celebrities, you don't sign anything that says you are responsible for anyone that follows your life, but please, can you at the least behave responsibly? I KNOW that sometimes there IS Love at first sight, and a hasty courtship, like the aforementioned Zellweger/Chesney thing(I really think she married for love, but apparently something got left out of the translation? Both seem like very nice people, but "fraud", it DOES cause one to wonder..and even THAT is a bad example. You're old enough to think before you act.) but folks that have been dating for a long time, marry, and divorce 60 days later, come on.
I guess that's all for now.
Dragonfly

Something different, stick with me

 The Sounds of madness.....by Dragonfly Davis

Unbidden they come, the tunes I have heard.
 No warning or reason, not so much as a word.
They play and they play til I think I will scream.
I would wake myself up, but it's never a dream
It could be a line of a jingle or tune. 
When will it STOP? Cannot be too soon.

I write poetry on the side, have a decent collection working. Should have enough to publish soon. But the topic today is the subject of the poem. Unbidden music in my head. I know that everyone gets a piece of a tune stuck in their head on occasion, like if you hear something catchy from a jingle, or a very popular song, you'll have the whole jingle play, or at least a snippet of a song, and that is normal, as I understand it. BUT, having it happen a LOT, is not. It is common in depression and especially with anxiety. It's like you don't feel bad enough, but your brain has to torture you with something more. And I wouldn't MIND the unasked for soundtrack to my life IF they were at least things I enjoyed hearing. I do NOT enjoy the song from "Gilligan' s Island" playing, sometimes for hours at a time, or any number of product jingles that I'm trying really hard NOT to think about, so as not to start one up, because it's like telling someone NOT to think about zebras. Once that thought is in there, it's there for a bit. So now, Gilligan is in there, but sometimes I can crowd them out with music that I choose to here, and even though the unwelcome stuff is already IN my head, I can smother it every so often. but as soon as I stop the other music, it very often pops back in. I'm telling you about that to tell you this. When you have some mental conditions, this is apparently a common disturbance, so if you see someone humming or whistling an otherwise annoying tune, please forgive them, there is a very good chance that, at least for the time being, they can't help it. And if they "infect" you with the song accidentally, don't take it personally. Now sometimes, if a friend finds the particular ditty I have roaming about in there funny or otherwise amusing, when they are about to leave, I'll sing a bar or two to send them on their way. And I know that, at least until they turn on the car radio, and maybe even after they arrive where they're going next, it MIGHT stick with them long enough to see that it's not all that funny to be tormented, sometimes for days like this. I wish that, at least sometimes it'd be something I like. Of course, a whole day of any song can get pretty tedious, trust me...
if you don't believe that, just relax for a minute and remember this song from "Friends"...."I'll be there for you", and you probably won't be able to let it go until you can at least remember the first verse. Cute song, but not cute enough for all day. BUT, it beats that "three hour tour" thing, right?

All for now, maybe back later. Working on the books
Your bud, Dragonfly.

Not a creature was stirring, but one was jamming.

You know, I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood, except for a couple of folks, and they aren't a big pain except for sometimes, and then they are like the little girl of literary fame, "There was a little girl who had a little curl, right in the middle of her forehead. And when she was good, she was very, very good...but when she was bad, she was horrid". The biker is just annoying as he stops at the sign and move on, he doesn't sit there and rev his Harley (and I used to ride back in the stone ages, so understand that part of the appeal of a Harley IS that growly engine, so, he moves on) BUT there is this one neighbor is like this. Every night, when he comes home, his car stereo is at full blast, and I mean that my windows vibrate in my house. My insides quiver, too. And when he stops at the stop sign RIGHT at my house, he seems to park there. It's possible that it's the new guy across the street, though, and maybe he's in his driveway, but the racket doesn't just StOP, as in turning it off, it fades, as in going away. Perhaps it's a trick to make others THINK it's going away so that he doesn't get caught. There is a really good security service that patrols, and often, at night here. So I'm thinking that of all nights, Christmas eve would be blast free. Wrong. I am assuming it was the same guy, perhaps not, but it was someone totally wrapped up in their own little world, just like him, not giving a whit about anyone else.And this is for TWENTY glorious minutes around midnight, good grief!! There is a great mix of ages here, not just old fogy's like me. Now having said THAT, I'll tell you THIS. I came from the generation that invented speakers that would make your ears bleed. It's MY generation that spawned a group of listeners that now need hearing aids, and who can't hear a very small range of sound due to the damage from concerts. They take more precautions now at public events, but I had one roommate that had his Ipod up SO loud that even across the room, I could hear the music, quite well enough to have identified the song, if you can call the screaming that he was listening to music. (Seems more like sound you'd read about being played at Gitmo or some other "detainee center" where secrets are extracted with various forms of unpleasant "entertainment", but HE loved it. It was what we in the house referred to as "angry white boy" music, and he definitely WAS that. No wonder he had such a temper. I tried to make up to him his horrid upbringing, but to no avail, but back to the subject. MY people invented loud music, BUT we had respect still, for other people and confined our window rattling to the freeway, with the windows shut, as a rule (also to keep the cloud of pot smoke IN for as long as possible. Maybe we weren't been so considerate, as cautious, but for whatever reason, there is no fear, no respect. Now I will be the first to tell you that  I can appreciate and enjoy cranking some music WAY too high, but not so much when in traffic, NEVER with the windows down or ALL base. And yes, I realize that some people may hear it a bit at a light, and I will be the first to admit that I get some amusement from knowing that they are looking for a teen driver, and never suspect the old lady. Hard to keep still when it's a good song, though. So I KNOW what it's like wanting to crank SOME songs up, but to have it ALL up for the singular purpose of being annoying, that's another story. I keep the sound balanced and when I enter a neighborhood, I turn it DOWN. And if you have any doubt about if you're disturbing your neighbors, who, btw, you could need sometime, then that means you ARE disturbing them. And if there is NO other sound you can here, I guarantee it. Now I KNOW that the offenders will not be someone that reads me, but if someone near someone that DOES this, please speak up somehow. This is becoming unacceptable, and I'm NOT a prude, just tired of having headaches foisted upon me by passersby, that's all. 
Sorry to be such a Grinch today, but that's how my night ended, so it's the mood my day starts in. 
Also, I'm SO sore from working on my new clients house. It was terrible, but getting better, it's just that elbow grease now affects WAY more than my elbows these days. But I'm so glad to give her a clean house.

Hope you're enjoying your day,
Dragonfly

How about a bit of irony

I was just told this today, and was at once dumbfounded, and yet, sort of expecting something this ridiculous to be coming soon.
As I understand it, Ray Bradbury, the author of many wonderful books, but in this case, "Fahrenheit 451" (a book basically about a society that has put a ban on books and is burning them all because it is illegal and a serious offense to own one, believing that since knowledge is power and the powers that be don't want anyone causing any problems, books MUST be eliminated, so an underground society forms, each member memorizing one book, and reciting it constantly, so as not to ever forget... anyway, you MUST read it, and if you DO, BUY THE ACTUAL BOOK), has owned the rights to the book since writing it. His license is up for renewal. Mr. Bradbury is in his 90's and is opposed to all electronic "books", the brand names of which I will not mention, thereby adding kindling to the fire here, BUT to GET the new license to his own book, he MUST agree to allow it to be downloaded by the selfsame devices!!! How ironic is THAT, boys and girls?
About the only thing I can think of offhand that would be MORE ironic, but not that surprising, would be to hear that George Orwell, author of "1984", another Must read, finding a secret camera or listening device in his home, if, of course he hadn't died in the 1950's, although I'm sure they had such things then.
I am a big proponent of not wasting trees, but I know there are trees specifically grown to BE "paper trees", and that they are constantly being renewed, and I don't happen to think that a book is a waste of anything.
If asked what I would save in a fire or flood if I had the chance, and assuming that didn't count my "kids" or important papers, my books are my most cherished possessions, and that includes my antiques and everything. You cannot, I'm sorry, have a first edition of a Kindle, can you? Signed by the author and everything, maybe? There is an intangible worth and feel of a book. No, it's not likely that it's handwritten, but in a way, almost. You can feel the pages, and imagine the author holding the original manuscript in THEIR hands, and you feel a kinship with them. At least, I do. And yes, I'm aware that most novels are now just put on flash or thumb drives now, but bear with me? Now, if you continue to buy books, and just use these devices, say, when you're traveling extensively and can't lug around a lot of books, sure, they have a purpose. But if you just want something to read on the beach for a week or so, take a real book. If nothing ELSE, think of all the artists you're going to put out of work who design book covers, the photographers that specialize in the picture of the author on the back, it goes on to include the growers of trees, printers, producers of ink, it's endless. Aren't enough people out of work?  I'm sure there is a "save your place" button on these devices, but it doesn't have the same touch and wonderful aroma as a leather bookmark that your parent or grandparent, or even your spouse or friend gave you, does it?
Just think about it, would you? Thanks
That's all I'm saying.
Electronically yours,
Dragonfly

It's me again...

and I am writing two books at the moment. Thought I'd catch you up on that, if I haven't mentioned the second one before. The idea for it...well, you'll see below. One is non-fiction and deals with some particular types of mental issues, you already know about that one; the other is a psychological thriller(is there any other kind when the author has mental issues?)  that I just got hit in the head with the other day, and already banged out the first several pages, have characters, plot line and all that. I think it’s going to be good. Maybe not a whole novel, but at least a long short story ( I just love mixing mutually exclusive words and phrases, gives all the English majors a hemorrhage. NOT that I want to hurt anyone, just enjoy sticking at least a toe over the line now and then.) I don’t have a lot of rebel in me, have to get my “jollies” irritating the very people that will help me get published. I’m not stupid, just stubborn, and on occasion, a bit willful. There is SO little in my control, actually, if you think about it, no one really has a lot of control over much more than their diet and wardrobe choices, and if they’re single, their haircut. Even then, there will be someone nagging you about something. I have naturally blah hair, color-wise, since my 20′s. Before that it was a good blonde, and I “kept” it blonde for years, BUT I secretly harbored a desire to be a redhead. I have the ideal coloring for it, and if you look around, there are actually some red hairs that are naturally occurring, but not enough. BUT I got a ration of it from my mother, who had hold of my reins WAY too long ( I DID mention the mental thing, right?) and she happened to hate redheads, so told me it would look horrid. Well, I finally didn’t care what she thought about this particular thing, and I LIKE it. No one new questions if it’s natural, and everyone is shocked that it’s not. SO, I DO, for now, and at my age we’ll go on and say from now on, have control of that. Oh dear, is my participle dangling? Even if you’re single, if you just eat what you like, and it’s not good for you, when you go to the doctor, you get the fish eye from him/her when they see your weight/cholesterol, or whatever, and says basically, change or die to you. And if you’re lucky enough to have a gay friend (and this is for everyone, even other gay men), you aren’t even totally in charge of your clothing, either. THEY will tell you, yes, you look positively fierce, BUT they will also tell you when you most definitely DO NOT, no holes barred. I mean "if you think you're wearing THAT, I'm NOT going out with you. NO, not even to Sonic DRIVE-IN, the guy on roller skates will see YOU, and by extension ME, so go change or put on a coat..and NOT the lime one, either"...at least that's the sort of thing I get from my friend. (I LOVE you, Jeremy. I'm in SO much trouble now) So.
I guess that's all for today. I started a new client today, MUST arrange for lawn care (yeah, two days before Christmas...Texas is SUCH a joy in some ways. The weather is great, except the stupid grass won't die. That really bugs me. I have to pay for the lot my house is on, and a pretty penny, too, BUT then I have to do everything to it, except dig giant holes for the water company to put in new mains, and trim the trees when they hang into the street. Otherwise, I'm just getting to squat here, no benefits for rental. Two words that send me into virtual rapture. Maintenance man. Yeah buddy. Am I looking forward to moving some day and having THAT again, or is it HIM? That, and free lawn care. Anyhow, have a bunch of stuff to do, so going now. Have a nice evening trimming, wrapping or whatever you are doing tonight.
See you soon,
Dragonfly

Just when you think...

You never really know how your life is going to go. Just when you think you have everything in line and working okay, blam! I should be at my client's right now. Did the interview yesterday, went great. She has a doctor's appointment this morning, but was going to call when she got out. Been 4 hours since appointment time. Now she DID say that either he'd let her go home, or she'd  be going to a nursing home for a while. Can't get in touch with my supervisor, either. So I need to get to the store, but can't because I may need to get over there quick, and lo and behold, the Schwan's guy shows up, wanting to know if I need anything, and I said not until I get paid again, and he was leaving and I thought "wait", and called to him and asked if I needed an order, and he said no, he has lots of stuff on the truck. So I get enough to hold me until the next paycheck. I wouldn't have been here if my client had called. Of course, her not calling could be bad news for her, and me. BUT she's in her seventies, and even if she wrote my number right, maybe she forgot about me and didn't remember to call or check her messages (or doesn't know how. I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach that I always get when I sense impending bad news. It is rarely wrong. I don't believe in second sight, or any of that any more, I tbelieve this feeling is simply based on past experience and my brain is just extrapolating the probability of what is happening and will happen. I have been thinking lately that a lot of what we consider premonitions is that sort of thing. I know you're probably saying that it can't explain how we seem to "know" we're going to have an accident, or someone we know is, but I think perhaps the scientific community just MIGHT be wrong about how much of our brains we use, and that they just don't have the right equipment. MAYBE it's possible that there is, for lack of a better way to explain it, a great "oddsmaker" or actuary  in our sub or unconscious that tabulates the likelihood of thousands, perhaps millions of possible events in our lives based on every single experience we've had before. I think that would explain the deja vu thing, and actually, lots of things, even some really "out there" dreams. Doesn't that sound reasonable to you? I meant it was just a virtual blink ago that we couldn't map ANY brain functions, and maybe we just need more sensitive equipment or something to chart the heretofore un-chartable. Maybe magnetic resonating is not enough, or the wrong technique. Any scientists out there?

That's all for right now, 
Stay safe everyone,
Later, Dragonfly

Vindication at last, hooray!

Greetings fellow travelers,
I have been vindicated by my trusty old dictionary. I was referred to the other day (and this was good-natured ribbing by a very long-time friend), as the "comma queen". Now, this wouldn't have bothered me because this particular friend has always enjoyed yanking my chain, no sweat, but when your ex husband has also chimed in with  "you're so wordy", it's time to get out "old blue". I looked up a couple of words, but first "comma". The definitions were pretty run of the mill and addressed the basic applications of the long tailed cousin of the period, but the final one finally released me from the dreaded "comma guilt", which any writer can tell you, is agonizing. It said..."a pause". Now, I like to type just like I talk. I take pauses. Sometimes for dramatic or humorous effect, sometimes just to breathe because I've been talking for a couple sentences and need to. But I DO pause. So I feel it's alright to put those in writing no matter how much the English majors might hemorrhage over it. I DO apologize, but that's me, I pause. HA
The other word was pedant. And yes, I DO get lost in the minutae of life and what I write about it, but isn't that the very definition of a writer? To capture that minutae that others miss? That's what stand-up comics do, point out stuff that most people don't think about, right? So, yes I do focus on the obscure, but darn it, that's my (unofficial so far) job, and a darn fine hobby, especially when caring for the elderly. When you get to your 80's, that is what you live for, the details of your life. At least those that are alone, and those are the ones that I mostly take care of. So, a second vindication, yee ha. I feel so, so wordy and relieved that although some may find me tedious and pedantic, others find me somewhat amusing. And what really kills me is this. The very people that cry out that I'm too fixated on details and such are the VERY one's who come (or call at 3am from a bar) to me with "how do you spell this" or " who was in that movie, you know with what's his name, in that place", and I'm supposed to fill in those blanks with what? All together now..details!!

As the commercial, or some other detail says, "I feel MUCH better now". Thank you, and goodnight.
See you soon, 
Dragonfly

Good heavens!

I HAD to come back and apologize for the typos in the last posting. Good grief!! And I'm a spelling and grammar Nazi, as everyone who knows me knows. I browse the dictionary for fun, look up ANY word I'm not sure of. I'm constantly being asked to spell stuff, even though there's an "app" for that, apparently, in a pinch, I'm the dictionary app. Good for me...but I read my posts about 5 times before hitting the "publish" button. I have NO idea where my head was. The only excuse I can come close to hanging onto here ( and this is a really big reach for that white and red ring. I need new glasses really badly. So, don't judge to harshly. Sometimes my brain is cranking out words faster than my fingers can type them and I add, separate and otherwise mutilate words along the way...HEY, that's a MUCH better excuse. I DO have mental issues. Okay, going with excuse two, and yes, that's my final answer, locking it in now, Jeff or Meredith, depending on the game show you watch. But I really AM smarter that a Fifth grader(well, in English, anyhow...not so much math, geography, history and civics), and I DO want to be a millionaire, although I hear a mil doesn't go as far as it USED to...I'm willing to live with it, trust me, and just give me a shot at it.

Bye again for now, 
Dragonfly.

Hanging on and being funny

Hi there, boys and girls. Thanks for coming. 
Well, I have gotten another client, thank the powers that be. I know that I will always have a new door or window opened for me, just have to keep watching AND (this is the important part here) DON'T lock those doors and windows so that they CAN be opened for you. In fact, put a spiritual candle in the window to announce you're ready for something to come in, or at least come by so that you can see it and grab on.
It's not a BIG client, but may turn into more as time goes on. I think I've mentioned that in addition to word herding, I have to support myself and supplement my disability income and work with those even MORE disabled that me. I can only do it part-time, not only because those are the rules, but my psyche can only take it for 20 or less hours a week, or less. Being "normal" for extended periods of time is VERY stressful to those of us NOT. You come away from the job not so much physically tired, but mentally. If you want a tiny taste of what I'm talking about, try going someplace new, and pretend to have a very difficult accent to fake (like a really good Scottish brogue is pretty tough, and I'm good at them), and as fun as it is at first, when you are finally done with that 3-4 hours, trust me, you'll probably be relieved it's over. Best example I can think of outside of the book, so.

About being funny. A comedian I really like, but cannot think of the name of right this second (and no, as my one friend is implying, this is NOT a "senior moment", but rather a result of two psychotic breaks and PTSD. I simply don't have perfect recall anymore...anyway), he said he'd have someone walk up to him on the street or at a party, and they'd actually say " be funny", or "say something funny". Unfortunately the only thing most of us that do observational humor would have to offer would have to do with the idiocy of someone coming up and doing that, and if you make your living doing it, not good. 
I sat down the other day, feeling funny, BUT it was raining, so I felt I should wait, given the lightning and all, and watched a recording of a Dennis Miller special... laughed myself stupid, literally. When the rain had passed, whatever had inspired me to be funny was LONG gone. Same thing with the book. I was writing a humorous passage, was literally in the middle of a thought, went to get something to drink, and when I get back...here is this sentence "I have to stop here and say this..." and I have not clue one where I was going with it, except it was going to be good, I remember THAT, dang it. This really IS harder that it looks. Now I could walk into the kitchen while someone else is in there and cut up for 30 minutes, come back here, and be blank. Right now, I'm harassing a friend about  NFL game day, a program apparently totally devoted to Tim Tebow, because no football show seems to be able to go ONE episode without mentioning this young man's name. Serious "bromance" going on with all these analysts and Mr. Tebow. Most of the time, he hasn't even PLAYED that day, for heaven's sake!!! Is he superman in shoulder pads?? Gad.
I guess I have to get for now, "Tebow'd "to death here, and even with music on the headphones, the name is still leakng through..aaaackkkkkkk. Yeah. it's Leonard Cohen's "I'm your man", and the one line "the beast won't sleep"...I KNOW Lenny, I KNOW. The Tebow machine has no signs of slowing down. I tell you, I'm developing what I will now personally dub the "Tebow tick", whenever his name is uttered, i have a knee-jerk reaction, and my brain goes into neutral. I'm sure he will, after the football career, go directly into politics, and probably, IF his career keeps going like it is, OR is cut tragically  short by an injury, will be President some day. I can just hear his inaugural speech AFTER first thanking his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, of course, thins is how it'll go,(probably) "Well, America, here we are, "first and ten", and I intend to take this country All The Way to the "Superbowl" of countries. We're going to sack the National Debt and do an end run around the terrorists and score against them". Good speech, right?
Can't you see it now?Just hope he's found Ms.Right by then. A virgin president? NOT a good idea. Can't think of anyone tenser, especially without football as an outlet for all that sexual tension, can you?

Okay, can't rag on him too much. Nice young man, but even in this bromance, can't they PLEASE manage ONE item that does NOT involve him? PLEASE, like Leonard is singing into my ears right now?

Alright, carry on for now, back soon, stay safe
Dragonfly

Words, words, words

I wanted to write a humorous blog today, but here's a tip for anyone that wants to be funny, and is, but is VERY new to doing it with a world-wide audience (a bit nervous No wonder stand-up comedians are all so neurotic, good grief) DON'T watch a VERY professional comedian on his special on TV first. You will laugh all the "funny" right out of you thinking of all of the people around that are SO much better at it. ALTHOUGH, if you take into account that many have writers, and even if they don't, they have, usually a year before they have to come up with a new "bit", so that helps a LITTLE.

SO...the first reason I wanted to be funny today is that I've been on the soapbox about that whole "driving and dialing" thing, twice now..wanted to give you a break.
And, second, I, for reasons unknown to me, except to say that it's just the way my mind works; if I don't have the chance to be, at the least, amusing in front of someone ( I live to make people laugh and/or just feel better than before I walked by)on a regular basis, my brain starts just leaking random thoughts, and the one today was this. 
I was thinking about the final scene in the first "Pirates.." movies, where Johnny Depp says, "Yo ho, me Hearties.." and I though, "you know, yo ho basically means hello, get moving or generally a good cheer sort of statement, BUT, if you just add a tiny little comma at a critical place, as in 'Yo, ho", well, you have an ENTIRELY different sentiment...and possibly a catfight in the bargain.
It's like that line of words I gave you a while back to punctuate:
That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is
Where you put the punctuation, and which item you use, makes all the difference. One was is the way it was meant, totally harmless, but one way sounds argumentative, another, sort of depressing, and yet another, a bit British. You still haven't gotten it? Well, you can email me, and I'll tell you, if you like, or send me your answer. I KNOW you can do it.

More later, must eat.
Dragonfly

"Russian Roulette, and other hobbies"

I know that I more than covered this last night, but I wanted to add extra clarity to the issue, just, if for nobody else, but me.

Not everyone knows what "Russian Roulette"' is, so I'll tell you. I don't have a clue how, or where, or even when it started, but back in the stone ages (and this "game" was played during the war in Vietnam, by many, as was illustrated in the movie, The Deer Hunter), you take a revolver..this was before automatics, put one bullet in the cylinder, close it, spin it, and take turns putting it to your temples and pulling the trigger. If you "caught the bullet", well, you lost. There were/are too many bets and reasons for playing this intense game to list here, but I bring IT up to bring the following up:

Consider, if you will, that your vehicle is a gun. YOU are the first bullet that is placed in there. Now let's say that under optimal conditions, (you being completely alert and sound, etc) that you're a "blank", okay?

IF, however, you're, say, drunk or over-tired, angry, crying..just NOT optimal, you are now... real bullet number one. 

Now, we won't add the radio/CD just yet, but it IS keeping you from being optimized, okay?

Okay, let's add a passenger. IF they are a good driver, and so are you, you can chat in a non-tense way and still be considered optimal for the purposes of this exercise, alright? BUT, if you are arguing, smoking a joint/drinking together, anything that is "engaging"...bullet number two.

Now let's add a cell phone. JUST talking/texting/tweeting at a light or train, or pulled over, blank. Talking, etc, especially with a lot of emotion or intensity...bullet number three.

Okay, now let's drop in a "meal on the run" to that. IF you're stopped, again, say as a train goes by, as is often the case RIGHT after I pull out of "Jack in the Box", which is right next to a crossing, and I WILL eat while waiting..that's a blank, as is getting it all ready before proceeding to drive. 

Trying to "knee drive" and eat...bullet number four.

If we add to this, say, the kids in the back seat, your GPS talking to you, a loaded-up backseat of friends, family, or a pet bouncing around, or ON YOUR LAP? while driving...bullet number five.

SO, what we have here is Reverse Russian Roulette, yeah? I know you think you're a perfect multi-tasker, but not driving, period. Maybe at home, or work, but not hurling down the road at speeds of anywhere from 20 to 80 mph, steering thousands of pounds of JUST controllable metal, under the BEST of circumstances...and you have an almost completely loaded gun, continually pulling the trigger while doing this. How long do you realistically think you can do that without something bad happening? Be honest, at least with yourself.

I wish that part of the driving test involved a simulator where you're doing all, or even just a couple, of these things, and going through a pretend accident. If that doesn't put the fear of reality in you, well, please email and tell me what city of which state you're in. I don't want to drive there, and I'll pray for those, especially the kids, who do.

Sorry to be so brutal, but somebody needs to "get real", as they said in my day. This thing is out of control, and I, for one of many, am grateful someone is stepping in, finally. Don't get me wrong, there are times that, yeah, I'd like to be chatting on the phone on a long or boring drive, but thankfully, not enough to die, or kill  for. Not today. One day at a time, as they say, right?

Thanks for coming, 

Dragonfly

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Google Friend Connect: Add social features to your site

Driving, and other "casual" pursuits..

What in the world has happened to us? When did we all get SO important and SO busy that we have to, not only chat with passengers, which can be distracting enough, but eat, tweet, chat in the phone and TEXT, for heaven's sake?? Did I miss that memo?
I will be the first to admit that, on rare occasion, on my way to a client, I have been running late, grabbing fast food on the fly, and trying to wolf something down on the way, BUT, I at least pull into a parking spot to unwrap, season, and otherwise fix the food before driving, so that I can keep my eyes on the road, and not the food. I have even, while sitting and idling as a train goes by, quickly called someone. But if I get a call on the road, I try to just say, "hey, I'm driving, unless someone is dying, can I call you back when I "land", or at least give me a second to pull over?
I know just how quickly I can swerve, and most of the time, most people, if they don't almost hit something or someone, just blow it off. Not me, I've quit, and am telling everyone I know that if I'm driving, no phone. I don't want to hit and kill someone, especially a child, because I just HAD to know how someone's date last night went, SO badly that I could not wait until later. And if you have some news to tweet, and you're not the first, don't worry, I PROMISE you WILL NOT PERISH. I know that in this world, being the first to get info out is practically a societal mandate. But that has GOT to stop, really. People, really. There are folks being hurt, killed and even just VERY inconvenience because someone just HAD to tweet or text that they just saw something that absolutely could NOT wait! REALLY? And when your car insurance goes up in your area, and your demographic because of all the accidents caused by all this silliness, what do you do? Why, you complain and gripe (and text and tweet) about it, don't you? Hear of "cause and affect", anyone? We do NOT have the inalienable right to do anything in our car but DRIVE, period. It is a LICENSED activity, and as such, carries responsibilties. Sorry. If you want to do all that stuff, hire a driver. There are plenty of people out of work. Is "Big Brother" watching out for us? Yeah, he is, SOMEONE needs to, don't you think? I hope they get school kids to start "checking" their cells at the front doors, too. (there's another job for the jobless) The national IQ is going down fast enough with kids who can't spell anything, or do simple math without the help of online dictionaries and phone calculators. We are being saved from ourselves, and we should be very glad. Once you get used to NOT doing everything in a car, like I'm learning to do, you'll find that just listening to the radio and the joy of driving are, or at least can be, a very nice respite from the world, not your epicenter of activity. Trust me and try it for a week. Your tension headaches are likely to go away. Not to mention that carpel tunnel and "text thumb" you'll be staving off. There is a National No Smoking Day, why not one for all this bs going on in the cars? Like the ancient slogan went,"Try it, you'll like it", trust me.

I'm not interested in politics or being conservative or liberal...this is just plain old common sense, the definition of which was that way back in Victorian times, only the "common folk" had any sense, due to all the incest, etc. among royalty and such. NOW, the common seem to have the least sense of all. You have to admit that SOME things in your world just must have your complete attention, and when you consider it's not just YOU that could be affected, but innocent people too, I think that driving is one of them, don't you, really?

It's raining here today, and I have a tricky thing to do.

I am having trouble getting going today. I'm working on getting up the nerve to inspire someone today. It sounds like an easy thing, and with some, it is, and with some individuals, a literal piece of cake(and yes, I mean literally giving them a piece of cake while talking to them is about all it takes, so I'm not be figurative here).Maybe I'll share my dinner with him tonight, hmm. But this is a complex person, who is also a wounded soul, like me...so you'd think that it would be a "slam dunk", right? Yeah, well...a crossword puzzle is a crossword puzzle, but they're all different. Some puzzles only use conventional, everyone agrees on this, words, and others use really off the wall type words that only a seasoned vet of the Sunday New York Times puzzle dare to attempt. This friend is like that, and I love that about him, he's great...and the best person to have a conversation with, or mine for trivia, and to just have in your life, but talking about something sensitive, is, well , sensitive. I want to get what I'm saying across without doing any damage to him, me and us as friends. Sort of like trying to blow a weed up in the center of one of your favorite gardens. It can be done, but care is needed.
So, I KNOW how touchy I can be about constructive "help" sometimes, even from a loved one, and this friend doesn't have the mental issues I have, but is a sensitive soul, with his own issues, nonetheless.

How do you tell someone that the are a Million types better in person than on paper, job-wise? I KNOW that these days, companies often only "officially" accept on-line resumes, but guess what? IF you have the stomach for it, there is another option. You politely, but steadfastly, ask to see the supervisor in HR, without, if possible, ruffling the feathers of the person you're talking to, because you need them to get you there. If, when they tell you the "do your resume onlne, and we'll get back to you" line, you have to be willing to say "Here's the deal, I need a job today, I need to do a "face to face" with whoever hires because there are aspects of what I have to offer that just don't come across on paper, so can I have 5 minutes with them, and I'll hand them the resume while I'm with them, okay?" I have, so far, never NOT gotten a job by doing this. On paper, I sound okay, but not spectacular, or even special. But in person, I have the chance to make a real impression, and even if they don't like me personally, they may see how I'd be good for the company. I don't do the "I'm a people person" or "All I care about is hard work" speeches. What I DO is hone in on the person I'm talking to, read them, and push the buttons that need pushing. For instance: I once, centuries ago, was desperate for a job, and was NOT coming home without one. I had be dis-owned by my family temporarily (a WHOLE nother blog), so couldn't work for them right then, needed very much to get away from my boyfriend and get a new place, and had no car. SO, I had "limited to how far I could walk" options. I put on my nicest outfit, and went walking across the street to a shopping strip that included a topless bar, a boutique, a pizza joint, and a major grocery store. I was not interested in the first place, strike one, so tried the boutique. It was a tiny place, and easily handled by the owner, so, strike two.
I went into the pizza joint and filled out the application, and the lead supervisor was there, and I spoke with him. He was obviously not particularly taken with me because I was very open and probably gave off a vibe of "won't take any crap from anyone" because that was NOT his type. He preferred the type that would not question anything he said or did. (as it happened, that was because he was an alcoholic who liked to give orders, have them obeyed, so he could take 2 hour lunches at the first place I mentioned) so I asked when the manager would be back,I'd really like to speak to HIM, and as much feather ruffling as that caused, he said when to come back, knowing HE'd have a chance to talk with the boss before I came back. So, I went to eat, waiting until time, and went back in determined to walk out withe this job in my pocket. The LS was prowling like a nervous jungle cat when I came in, and said to wait while he told the boss I was here. I waited, and when I was finally granted an audience in the tiny little office, where there was nowhere to sit, except for boss, and I stood there, being appraised. He looked at my app, and I have to stop here, and say that at that time, I was young, was blessed with a good figure and hair then, and was often approached by married guys, which he was...so when he asked me this, I had to be very brave and clever. He looked me straight in the eye, after looking at the rest of me and asked "so, do you want regular hours, or "after hours"? In a Once in a Lifetime (at least for me) reply, I paused, gave him a wry smile, crossed my arms and replied "which pays better"? He looked at me, and laughed. Then he said  to have a seat, and got up. He said "do you know why I asked that question"? and of course I didn't, not for sure, so I say, "no, tell me", and he said that they got a pretty rough crowd on Fridays and Saturdays, with the people that worked at Six Flags over Texas and Ranger Staduim (the ride mechanics, people who had dealt with idiots and other types all day or evening, the vendors at the ball park that were slinging beer and dogs during games) and he needed someone that wouldn't run from the first salty remark made to me. I got the job, and started the next night, a Friday, for pete's sake, taking food and drink orders from them AND the people that had just enjoyed GOING to one of these venues. It was fast, furious and I loved it, and I did it well.And the LS? Well, since he had always hired "mousey" types that wouldn't chat up the customers and make them laugh, he was shortly out of a job, and the boss started hiring people like me, and the place starting really taking off, (like the LS did).
The point is, that had I just left my application with the panther, I would never have gotten that job. It was ME, NOT the paper, that did it. And that is what I want to get across to my friend. HE has to sell HIMSELF, NOT his checkered employment history, but HIM. And if he does that, I have no doubt in my mind that he'll get a job, even in this market, even with things working against him.

Oh yeah, while I'm thinking about it, I was re-reading a blog and have to apologize to the steam"punk" crowd that I, and I was tired and sleepy, and still nervous talking to you, mislabeled as "steampipe". I really love your outfits, as I often do with certain, out of the "normal" loop groups, but have to say, You DO know that irony was done before, by the 1950's beatniks, right? How ironic is THAT? They even sort of brought berets and turtlenecks into mainstream fashion, which I'm sure horrified them and when they realized that the "norms" were copying them, they seemed to disappear overnight. I think they got bored with appearing to be bored, because frankly, no one cared if they were bored or not. It's like trying to irritate your parents by playing classic rock full-blast in your room. About all we'll do is really like that you appreciate our music, and enjoy it, sorry.


So I can't decide whether to just email my friend this blog, or talk to him face-to-face. It would sort of negate the whole point of things by doing the former, but a bit nervous about the latter. But of course, I have to let my personality talk, don't I? Or, I a total hypocrite, right? Okay...have to get my "ducks" in a row, because I think this will be a one-time chance only. Don't want to lose a friend, maybe the best roommate ever, or otherwise cause anything negative to happen. Say a pray.

It's time to be random, apparently.

Hi there. Doing this in the Georgia font tonight as a sort of wink to my ex-husband, with whom I've been in contact lately, after 32 years, and it's going really nice, so...anyway. Oh, and the point is, he lives there, duh.
What do you give a guy who has everything? Antibiotics. Ha! I KNOW, don't groan, but being the lover of words that I have been since learning to read, I really enjoy tricky semantics. By the way, has anyone reading this figured out that line of words I asked you to punctuate yet? Still waiting. Okay, I think I've had enough caffeine for the day, huh?


I wanted to talk, tonight, about mental illness. I can't really talk a LOT about it, because of the book, but I want those of you out there who are "troubled", to know that  I'm working on it. Getting people to GET us, that is. Some of us, anyhow. We are really NOT that difficult, not really. 
I think maybe that I'm not focused enough to write much of anything relevant right now. How different is THAT to hear from a writer? For instance, I was having a conversation about authors with one of my roomies earlier, and who we liked, etc., and both said that we LIKED Stephen King, and HAD loved his stuff years ago, but he put SO much stuff about Maine in his novels that you'd think he was getting a commission from the state's tourism bureau or something, and by the time you waded through the travelogue, you forgot the thread of the plot. Still read his stuff, though. Gotta love a guy that loves where he is, right? Just wish I could edit one of his books, he is so brilliant if you can get past that. Haven't had time to sit and read lately, though. Maybe that phase has passed. His books that are NOT based in Maine...perfection. The others, just a bit of trimming. I still think that "The Stand" is a fantastic book, and they actually did a good job on the movie, too, unlike how they butchered some of his other stuff. Authors, if you're going to let someone do a movie of your book, PLEASE, be involved in it, please.


Totally off-topic here. Another roomie is currently listening to some after-game sports analysts (when did the world start needing someone to explain to us what news or sports we JUST watched and/or listened to meant, anyway?), and, hand to God, I swear that they MUST be getting paid every time they say Tim Tebow's name, and he wasn't even IN the game just played. Every single night, whether he's just played, I hear that name. What in the world has this guy done to be mentioned EVERY SINGLE NIGHT?? Did he discover a cure for something??? I realize that he's a great player, and a huge, great looking guy, AND a virgin (really, Tim, did we REALLY need to know that? Isn't knowing, every time you open your mouth, that you're a Christian, enough?....Listen, you can almost hear all the "men who love Tebow" leaving this blog right now, although, have to admit, the little "song" is sort of cute... why do I keep referencing The Wizard of Oz?), anyway, enough already, please.


Okay, now I've lost that darn train of thought. Doing too much multi-tasking when I should be paying more attention to you, I know. Sorry. Everyone has an off night. Of course, I'm personally off all the time, according to the definition of  my most hated word, NORMAL. Remember the cause, STAMP OUT NORMAL, BE UNIQUE, or at least give it a shot, huh? I try, and sometimes, am simply "trying", but that's better than being boring, isn't it?


I guess I should call it a night, just blabbing now, and it's not called a blab, is it? Okay, if anything else occurs to me, or I can't sleep because I'm still sort of wired, and didn't help matters by having a TINY piece, really, of baklava just now... as Homer Simpson (cannot believe that's still on...but bless them, because I do love Hank Azaria) would say, "doh".

Nite nite for now,
Dragonfly.

Hi, I'm back...and with a new issue to add to "Normal"

Good afternoon kids,
Okay, I'm still, of course, working on the book, the campaign to stop "whistle blowing" from being a bad thing,( BTW, I was reading an old, 2007 Reader's Digest, looking for something, and happened on the Dear Abby sort of page, and even THERE, where a person asked if, after being laid-off, at the exit interview, should they say anything about what's been going on there, to the interviewer, and the reply was basically NO, don't ruin your chances at the next place by bad mouthing the last). Now, see, THIS really just about disgusts me. Know why? Because while we whine, complain and condemn being taken advantage of by companies and things like Ponsi schemes...the very people that could let us KNOW about such tomfoolery and client raping, are the ones that get in trouble!! How wrong IS that?
Do we want to know or don't we?? If we DO, we have to STOP stigmatizing the poor souls who TRY to tell us about such things, and START rewarding them with "Good citizen" medals... or at the VERY least, a nice new job with someone that appreciates knowing what's going on "behind the curtain" (sorry, this reminds me of a scene in The Wizard of Oz where the REAL wizard is exposed). 
What just KILLS me is that there is a newish show on, called "Undercover Boss" where the CEO of a company disguises him/herself, and is placed in different jobs within the company, surreptitiously to discover any "goings on", but of course, what they usually find are wonderful employees, always really in need of something, or at the least, deserving of further education, or something...and it is basically making potential whistle blowers, TV stars! Now, digging through your own company is slightly different than an employee doing it, BUT if you, the CEO, are NOT a bad guy about to "stick it" to clients and employees alike, WHY would you not be just thrilled to know what's going on?? Please, someone tell me, yes?

Okay, new topic number two...
I personally am aware that, just in the Brazilian rain forests alone, there are literally thousands, and maybe even more, species of animals and plants that could, and probably will be, totally eradicated even before being discovered, and any ONE of those living things could hold the key to who knows WHAT cures for cancer, AIDS, and  maybe everything. We DID start out in a perfect garden, so maybe these BARELY explored areas hold the cures for everything, and we're piffing them away like last weeks garbage. Just recently, in S.E. Asia, there were, so far, 208 previously undiscovered species found!!! That is TWO HUNDRED and EIGHT, people!!! JUST in this tiny region. I know that the powers that be, everywhere want every single square inch of this planet to be Industrialized. Well, TOO BAD. We NEED, and desperately, to KEEP some areas just as they are. If you want/need to make a living, instead of grinding up Utopian areas, where, BTW, there are also stone age tribes still existing, quite nicely (and NOT industrialized, thank you) in there, too, build a fence around the forest..this alone would pay a Lot of folks for decades *the same guys that are driving the bulldozers could do it, THEN put the same people, and the ones that want farmland, etc, to work as tour guides and rangers IN the forests. What do you think? Everyone would still make money, the scientists would pay to come in and find these marvelous things they are, tourism would feed the locals, everyone, and everything would win. AND the planet would be pretty happy, too, I think, global warming-wise. THINK about these things and DO something with them. I can't do it all. BUT I think I have a new button in mind now. "Make the Rainforest a National Park". We feel the need to interfere in everyone elses' business...here is a nice, non-violent project for you..go, do.

Okay, last thought for the day...and how "Orwellian" is THIS? Guess what the insurers are working on now? The ability to "monitor" our "social media scores" as yet another way to decide how big a risk we could be to insure in any way. So every time you click on that button that you see every time you want to add something, asking you permission for access to your info, this is now going to be one of the sources "mining" you for where you go, what you do, listen to, eat, drive, spend money on, EVERYTHING you do online will now be either counted in your favor, or more likely, against you.  I subscribe to Schwan's Home Delivery foods (which are fabulous, BTW, if you have them locally), so soon, my life and health insurance companies can actually see what I'm eating, for heaven's sake. This is SO wrong, in so many ways. The things they "find" could be, and will be, taken out of context, blown out of proportion, etc. Where is it going to end? With big brother actually with a series of cameras in our homes? Listen, laugh if you will, but it's coming, and sooner than you think. There are already cameras everywhere you go. Look up on occasion and see that little black bubble on the ceiling? THAT is a camera, my friend. That wonderful new show "Person of Interest" really shows you Just how Watched that we are...and they don't even have to exaggerate to do it. How creepy IS that? No one knew that there were subliminal messages in the movie previews, and movies, in theaters, either, and guess what, that sudden urge you had for popcorn, or whatever, was NOT a co-incidence, was it?  So, no laughing, okay?

Okay, I have given you some stuff to think about, please do, okay?


Over and out for now,
your ever watching Dragonfly

I am SO thrilled right now...to the best of my ability

Hello and good morning! I have FINALLY finished chapter one of my book. You understand that this includes, first, the disclaimer, dedication, foreword and all that, right. Of course you do. SO, the hardest part is now done, over, in the past tense... and it should be a sleigh ride from here, out.

So, has anyone figured out how to punctuate that line of words yet? I cannot believe I haven't heard  the right answer yet. This may be one of the bonuses of being like me, you can see patterns more easily in some stuff. Yea for our side, an edge.

I'm also waiting for negative feedback on my not being a Nationalist and all that it encompasses, and having the temerity to re-name the country. Don't get me wrong. I love being here, and am VERY grateful to NOT be in a war zone, etc. I'm simply trying to explain that without borders, we'd all have less ridiculous stuff to worry about, and we'd get along better. I don't like clique's, and we are as bad as the French are reputed to be, except for ONE tiny difference. THEY keep THEIR way of life to themselves and simply mock the tourists. WE, on the other hand, want to be in the world "clique" and therefore try to fix everyone else's problems, even when NOT invited, and then try to "change" everyone that we save from themselves into US. That is so wrong. It's like the old saying "Never try to teach a pig to sing, it's a waste of your time, and it annoys the pig". Let's be just a TINY bit xenophobic here, could we, and bring all the work we need doing BACK home and do it ourselves? Doing that would create so many jobs that THEN we could out-source the over-flow, but let's HAVE one first. I play a game on Facebook where you build your own little city, as does everyone in the game, and you can earn extra points by visiting other cities, and patronizing their businesses and venues, and they do like-wise. Now, it's conceivable, I suppose, if you have enough friends playing the game, that you could depend on them doing all the harvesting, patronizing, etc, and you do the minimum...but THAT is NOT the purpose of the game at all. The point is, I believe, how to take care of your own, by providing "work" for your little people, places for them to "live", built in-house, btw, and having businesses in YOUR city for them to buy locally (meaning, for the most part, YOUR city, and maybe a few grabs from others that you visit, and a limited number of imports). So can't we keep the "sharing" to a congenial, but limited amount, employ people HERE first, THEN go outside? I know....I sound like I AM a Nationalist, huh? Well, I just want to put this place, if I'm to be here, back on it's feet, and it's sure not going to, not the way it's going now. I think being totally xenophobic (Fear or hatred of strangers or foreigners..as per Webster's New World Dictionary and Handbook, circa 1970), is not only wrong, but really, truly not feasable. I'm talking JUST enough that we get our
"stuff" back in one sock again, IN-HOUSE FIRST, that's all. And THEN, IF we're really good at it, maybe other's will follow suit, willingly, and THEN we can talk about tearing down those borders. Europe has taken the first step, in a way, with the invention of the Euro-dollar...works all over Europe. No more having to change your money in every country. That is co-operative thinking, makes traveling there SO much easier and more pleasant, don't you think?  Believe it or not, because of our crumbling economy, we now have so many new forms of currency just inside the country, that we are out-stripping anything Europe had going. Check it out. Pesos are now accepted on southern border states, there are what are called, I believe Burken dollars back East, and there are more every day. We are slowly turning into a barter-type society, and although that can be good, in some ways, it's going to get awfully confusing if every state starts having it's own money. We're going backwards here, folks.


Okay. Got to go, but probably back later. So much to do, so little time.
Dragonfly.




 

Just an update for now.

Hello,
I just wanted you to know that I'm setting up all sorts of magical things right now, and links and, good grief, I don't know what all. I am so happy that I'm being read, that it's insane. I mean I email all the time, but I don't know you yet, and, to me, that's amazing, and I Hope you keep coming. I DO have a lot to say, and as I get my courage up, I will be saying all of it, except as pertains to the book I'm writing at present. I want it read, it will/could help SO many of us suffering with what I suffer with, a type of mental "dysfunction", so stand by, fellow travelers and just watch me. Thanks for coming by.
Oh yeah..I finished the new "name" for the way America seems to be now, had to get a copyright first, and remember, I LOVE being here, just NOT a Nationalist, and think we could improve on some stuff on a personal level, and I'm going to try to help, so "Land of the ME, and Home of the Knave", although I think I mentioned that last night, just official now. 
Later, Dragonfly

So, is it cold where you are? It's going down to the twenties here tonight. I LOVE the cold, but the heating bill, not so much. 

Okay, where were we? Did you ever notice that sentence is a digression of letters, btw? AND I have a riddle of sorts, well, more of a puzzle to see how many people are listening. Correctly punctuate this sentence and then email it to me....
That that is is that that is not is not is that it it is
Okay kids, game on. Small clue. Answer is in the book "Flowers for Algernon". A long forgotten classic, made into a movie in the '70's that would reduce pretty much anyone to tears. (It was called by a different name, but telling THAT would be too much of a clue, especially for anyone old enough to have seen it.)

Oh yeah, we were discussing, or I was, when this wonderful country (and before I go further with this remark, I have to say I am NOT a nationalist. I think that religion and nationalism are the two most common reasons for war and if we'd all stop worrying about borders, realize we are ALL simply humans, period..we're all basically mutts at this point anyway..can't we just be EARTHLINGS, and get along?) become "Land of the ME, and home of the Knave"? (knave in this case meaning the one definition..."deceitful person") We seem to just be looking out for #1. And I get that we are in such dire straits right now, and it's gonna get much worse before it gets better..but what happened to "NEIGHBORhoods" and looking out for each other out in the world, and at work, especially? Remember, the whistle blower thing? Why is it that a whistle blower in football, basketball and soccer is a GOOD thing, but at work, not so much? They are all doing the same exact thing...pointing out foul play, right? So why in play, but not work? Give that a bit of thought, could you?

I don't do holidays either. I think we should be nice to each other all year round, don't you? The "holiday spirit" would be perpetual, drivers would be paying attention, be nice and let you into their lane and all, be polite in stores and on the street. Why will you nod kindly at the guy down the block at Christmas, but not after or before? Has he changed at some point? Quit being hypocrites and either be nice all the time, or not at all...very confusing, especially to those of us with mental issues that think it's great that the new neighbors, or service people are suddenly so nice, and a month later, they're back to being the way they were, and you're lucky to get a mumbled "yeah, hi" the rest of the year. I DO have to say that all MY service people are nice to me all year round because I don't just tip on holidays, or take the time to tell the boss how great they are, or email the company about a particular store at a certain time of year, it's my usual. (and I'm nothing special, not by a long shot, just take an extra minute here and there, that's all) And you know what? If you need a reason to get started being nice, sometimes it pays off. You get better service. My mailman will run a package up to me if the "box compartments" are full, rather than wait a couple days, just because I visit for a minute when we meet up down there. The office folks in my sub-division KNOW me, and respond when I have an issue, rather than either ignore me, or put me off.  There's my second button to start handing out.  "Nice pays off". Short, to the point, and will appeal to the worst offenders, Maybe. I may have to go into the button business. Anyone remember the '70's, when just about everyone wore a button about something, if not just a "smiley face" (man, did I hate THAT guy before it was over. I found a "smiley" that was giving a "raspberry". May dig him out and start wearing him again for the fuddy duddies of the world. MAYBE it's because you don't realize that giving an "atta boy/girl " to a service person or business makes the business grow, and the personnel are happier and give better service. I was a telephone banker at one time, and when a customer took the time to either tell my supervisor that I did a great job, OR really took some time and wrote in (this is before email was common), it made a real difference around "raise and bonus" times. So the next time you get "super service" on the phone, or even in person, ask for the manager, and give a kudo. Or go to www.whatever.com and write a glowing letter about that particular branch or store. It DOES make a difference sometimes whether that one stays open, especially THESE days. SO help a person out. YOU'D like an "atta boy/girl", wouldn't you? I know I love them. And KNOWING that you are influencing, even in your tiny way, the fate of an employee or store, is a really cool feeling, and again, nice pays. I wrote my local grocery store, which happens to be Kroger, about the one I go to, even though a competitor is literally across the street, because it wasn't there when I moved here, AND MY store has the nicest people. And you know what? I get a regular little "care package" just crammed full of recipes and really great coupons every month. Those freebies and dollar off coupons can add up to over $20 savings each trip. I saved, are you ready, because I about passed out when I looked it up, over $700 this year with those little thank you's. See, nice pays.

Okay, that's enough for tonight. I'd love to hear from you all, out there. You ARE out there, right? Or will I have to get this book published BEFORE you see me? Why wait until the last minute? Discover me now, and YOU get to say "oh, I was reading her WAY before the book came out"..but WAY is not too far off, I hope. Say a prayer. 

Sleep well, and see you tomorrow. 
Dragonfly

Good evening, or morning, depending on where you are. Here, it's 1:00am and I am VERY frustrated and angry for my dear friend and one of my roomies. 

Before I start, this sort of ties into the "around to it" thing I mentioned last time. I'm finally getting around to ranting about this topic. And I think I may start, when I can afford it, to getting round tuits made into lapel buttons, and passing them out again, I think it's time. When I was working with my parents, many years ago, due, in part, to my mental state, I would often say, "I'll get around to it." Well, as it happens, we were partly a business that made stained glass (actually, it's called art glass to those in the biz, only called stained glass when a solid sheet of glass is painted on, or "stained" . Evermore, the trivia queen). Anyhow, we also did sand-blasting, which is like silk screening on glass, without the fumes, and one day, after having said that phrase, my dad handed me a round piece of glass with some word blasted onto it...the word was TUIT..so I had a ROUND TUIT..and no longer could SAY that, because I HAD one...dang it.

SO, I'm bringing bright yellow TUIT's back soon. This goes right along with my STAMP OUT NORMAL, BE UNIQUE theme, and the lert thing. Still with me? Good... I really like people that can hang in there with me.

Now, on to tonight's main topic. WHEN did it become a BAD thing to be a "Whistleblower"?
I was under the impression that if there was something very wrong with a company, and you stood up and spoke out about it, you were a hero for doing so. Remember "Norma Rae", anyone? My friend has been, apparently, branded for life with this moniker, and because of it, cannot get a job. He is an honest, hard-working man who actually cares about his fellow employee's and those he supervises, and for THIS, no job for months. Is this right, fair, anything in that arena?? If I were the owner of a company, I would sure want to know what was going on, especially if I wasn't around there much, and needed eyes and ears reporting back to me. Alerting(see, be a lert, we need more of them) fellow employees' that they're about to "get it in the neck" , as so many have been, and are, lately, is only right, if you know what's coming, and they don't, Right??
Could YOU sit by and watch someone put money down on a house or car KNOWING that next week, they would be out of a job? I couldn't, and if you could, please don't come here anymore, you're without a heart. Wait. Did I hear someone say, "hey, it's none of MY business, I'm looking out for Me and Mine"? Is THAT what it's coming down to? MY JOB=MY ASS and You are on your own? That is Not very neighborly, truly fair, or even what most would describe as "Christian". (WHOLE different blog night there). 
BOSSES WAKE UP!!! If you're sinking the ship, and someone with a spine spills the beans before you get yours and run, tough noogies, pal. Business owners, appreciate someone that is watching your back, would you? And if YOU are the one perpetrating the crime, then SHAME ON YOU, seriously. We are better than this, aren't we? We used to be. What happened? Who do I pin the blame on for America becoming "The Land of the ME"?? Ack and bah, humbug. 
If ANYONE in the Fort Worth area wants a hard-working, honest man as an employee..please email me immediately. I happen to have one right here I'll send right over. For the record, he knows nothing about this. I don't think he reads me because I haven't given him the address yet. Need a bit of time getting used to this first. So he's not involved in my "Hire this guy" rant I'm on. Would probably be mad at me, but I'm not mentioning his name or email address, just mine, so.


Okay, that's about it for tonight. I wish I had a riddle or something for you, but it's been a long week. Maybe tomorrow, I'll have something amusing for you to chomp on. Hope so. Soapboxes are so hard to keep one's balance on, right? So, I'm hopping off now, maybe play a bit of some game and call it a day.


See you later, 
Dragonfly

Another day in the life...

Hi there, fellow travelers. Hope you had a good day.
As I have mentioned, I am disabled, but still work part-time as a care-giver, both to 
elders and pets. Tomorrow, or rather, later today, I will have to say goodbye to another 
of my elders. She is a wonderful woman, and I will miss her, even though this assignment was
very short. She developed dementia VERY quickly, and it is going at warp speed. I was
to be a care-giver for the foreseeable future, but in just a week, she has "plunged", and will be going to a VERY nice assisted-living facility this weekend. Good sons are hard to come by, but she has one.
So I will have to begin again
with either another pet or person. I would love an animal gig for a while, although they 
are just as compelling when elderly and sick. I know it sounds like a very depressing job, but
helping the families ease into the inevitable with my experiences is a wonderful gift. 
I get to educate and ease all sorts of different sorts of pain, and make the last days, or even the days that a beloved pet has to miss their "Alpha dog" while they vacation, or even go to work, is a joy, not a job...amazing what a difference that one little letter makes, huh?

I am determined to work on the book while shopping/waiting for the next assignment. I have GOT to get it going again, and finished. I want it out there, educating people, helping. 
I am beginning to understand why I didn't have children. I wouldn't have time for grandkids now, too many others to do for, and I would never want to cheat family out of their
grannie....geeze, that sounds so OLD. Coming up on the big one, at least for me. Fifty didn't kill me like I thought it would, but SIXTY??? I am NOT 59 years old, I tell you...there has been a mistake. I remember people my age now telling me that they still felt 20 in their heads (yeah, right). Well, guess what? It's, aside from the aches, pains, and the indignity of colonoscopy, true. One of my roommates gives me all SORTS of grief over saying "cool" and other things that he truly believes started with HIS generation, yeah, sure. He's 29! Even Tony Hawk wasn't the first Tony Hawk. Jason Lee (better knows as "My name is Earl") was, believe THAT or not. Google him and see.The only thing my roommies generation seem to have started were pants dangling from butts and staying on I have NO idea HOW, but I want to yank every pair up that I see. 
WHEN, and more importantly, WHERE did guys get the idea that perilously close to falling off pants were the least bit attractive??? If I want to see a man's hiney, I'll hire a plumber, or date again, okay? (no offense to plumbers, it's the nature of the beast, although maybe it was YOU that started all this, now that I think of it). Anyhow, I will be SO happy to see the shape of a butt without having to endure all the underwear flashing...sorry guys, so very NOT sexy. But maybe you don't care about sexy, but do you care about being able to walk like a normal person. You all look like you have arthritis when you walk, "clinging" to your pants with, I'm supposing, your incredibly over-worked butt muscles. Wait until you HAVE it to walk that way, huh? 

I'm so worried about one of my other roomies. He is sick with a sinus infection, and I think that having to find a job for as long as he's been trying is enough of a load. PLEASE, someone in Fort Worth hire this wonderful guy, would you? He's a great warehouseman and supervisor. If anyone reading this has a job, write me, and I'll pass any offers of work along to him.

Another reason I want to finish the book so badly is that I want to be able to talk to you about the topic of it, here. I have so much to share, but can't yet..bah, humbug. But I'm getting there, hang in with me. Mental illness is a big deal in the world today. If they'd known THEN, what they do NOW, I might not be working part-time and be alone in the world, romance-wise. Although who knows how the thing with the ex is going to go? That is a shock I'm still getting over, him calling after 32 years, AND us getting along so well, so far. Be interesting to see the rest of THIS storyline in my life. There is a reason for everything, pretty much..cannot wait to find out the reason for this. YEAH, we both have closure now, but we're still talking, so there MUST be something else there, don't you think?

OH YEAH, never answered the riddle, did I? Okay..answer to "how many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?"...only one, but the light bulb has to really WANT to change..ha. Oldie, but a goodie.

So, how do you successfully stop smoking? See just above. Worked for me, and anyone else that 100% WANTS to change. Now, you saw a moral coming, didn't you? Okay, I know, I realize I'm from another planet. That's why the title of my blog, AND my campaign to STAMP OUT NORMAL, BE UNIQUE!!! And also remember to be alert, we can always use more lerts.....I know, told that one already. Remind me tomorrow to talk about getting "around to it", would you? I'm liable to forget and NOT.

Okay, I'm finally too sleepy to type, so bye for now. I hope someone out there is reading this besides me...The ex tried, but not really his cup of tea. MY angle is a bit too far out there for him, and that's okay, love him anyhow. He's a Southern boy history buff, and that's not MY deal, history, I mean, so we're okay. 
Nite nite, termites 
See ya soon, 
Dragonfly.