The Belmont Stakes and Other Items

We knew there would be no Triple Crown Champion when Cloud Computing won the Preakness Stakes.  I was surprised that neither he, nor the Kentucky Derby winner, Always Dreaming, were in the Belmont.  The only horse to run in all three Triple Crown races this year was Lookin At Lee - who finished second in the Derby and fourth in the Preakness.
   Twelve were entered in the 149th Belmont; Epicharis could not pass the veterinarian exam in the morning, and was scratched, so eleven horses went to the starting gate.  The race is/was 1 1/2 miles on the main dirt track; the purse was $1.5 million, with $800,000 going to the winner.   Meantime led the way out of the starting gate and at the first turn, Hollywood Handsome was caught charging up into traffic, clipped heels, and almost lost his rider.  Irish War Cry took over the lead in the back stretch, and looked to be the winner, but Tapwrit came charging up, stayed stride for stride, then passed the chestnut, and won by two lengths in 2 minutes 30.02 seconds. Patch was third; Gormley fourth.  Lookin At Lee finished seventh. Hollywood Handsome walked off the track, but had surgical staples applied to a laceration behind his left knee.
   If you made a $2 bet to win on Tapwrit, you received $12.60; a $2 place on Irish War Cry paid $4.70; and a $2 show bet paid $6.50 for Patch.  A $2 perfecta bet paid $45.20; a $2 trifecta paid $624.00; and a $2 superfecta paid $4,486.00.
    Tapwrit won by two lengths over Irish War Cry, who was 5 3/4 lengths in front of Patch, who was 4 1/4 lengths in front of Gormley.  This is the full order of finish:   1 - Tapwrit; 2 - Irish War Cry; 3 - Patch; 4 - Gormley; 5 - Senior Investment; 6 - Twisted Tom; 7 - Lookin At Lee; 8 - Meantime; 9 - J Boys Echo; 10 - Multiplier.  Hollywood Handsome did not finish; Epicharis did not start.

  I apologize for having gotten so lax in keeping this blog up to date.  I find myself fascinated by the monkeyshines occurring in the 45th administration, and I keep spending more time in front of the television, instead of the keyboard and monitor.  My television is in another room, just so I cannot stare at it and try to type and research...  Thursday I watched the testimony of James Comey in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee; Friday, I celebrated my birthday by driving over Trail Ridge Road, through Rocky Mountain National Park (where we saw elk, elk, more elk, moose, and a large variety of birds). Yesterday I tried to catch up on household things, and watch the Belmont.
  Today, I'm taking care of three houses full of pets, whose owners are on vacation...  I have pet duties through the 29th of June, followed by a few days off (if nothing comes up).
  And, of course, I'm also trying to keep up with all the new foals on Assateague Island - the ones belonging to the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company.  As of last night, there had been 54 births (and 2 deaths)... including a palomino pinto baby born on my birthday to Marsh Mallow.

Crazy Behavior

Logically, I know that "crazy behavior" has been around since the beginning of mankind.  While I was growing up, much of the madness was never heard of because we were then still relying on local newspapers and local news stations to report events.  The national evening news was tightly edited and gone over with a fine-toothed comb before being broadcast.  Telephones were the fastest way of communicating - there was no Twitter, no Instagram, no internet or world wide web, no Facebook. I've looked at several collections of small town local newspapers, and seen a lot of news items that would have made headlines today.  But that was years ago, when we were all still relatively insulated from the world as a whole, and before today's almost instantaneous news and gossip dispersal via new and trending technological  devices.
    I was appalled to hear of the shooting, yesterday, in the Fort Lauderdale Airport.  I was even more surprised to find that the young man accused of this crime had checked his gun and ammunition through baggage, and had loaded his weapon in the men's restroom, before going out to kill and injure multiple people.  But what really stopped me short, and made my jaw drop in wonder, was that the accused was being prosecuted in New Jersey for domestic violence - that he had partially strangled his girlfriend after striking her in the head.  Anyone who has been charged with domestic violence should not be permitted to carry a gun...
   The other day, I received a friend request on Facebook.  I looked at the name, and couldn't recognize the man.  I then looked at his Facebook page - the only information listed was that he was from Pittsburgh, PA and that he now lives in Boston, MA.  There were no photos of the man, himself.  There were multiple images of the Steelers football team, and a couple of photos that were, I guess, his dogs.  I declined to be the man's friend.  For two reasons: no photo and no information regarding himself; and the fact that he is a Steelers fan.  I know I have a bunch of friends out their who are fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  It's because I know you that I ignore your team affiliation.  I simply can't stand the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers - and all of the rapes that he has gotten away with, due to his star football status.  There are several other "sports stars" that I denigrate for the same reason.  -  But the poor man who asked to be my friend has no inkling as to why I turned down his request...  Oh, well.
   I'll soon be heading out to buy cat food, kitty snacks, and kitty litter.  Then off to  pick up Donn's mail, followed by a stop at the library.  I've read all my books, am halfway through the last one, and need new reading material.  I think I'll pick up some ancient British history while I'm at it - my latest delvings into the family tree keep taking me back to the twelfth century, soon after the Norman invasion, and I keep seeing names I know from previous history readings.  I have to say, family trees are always fascinating.

Media

I've seen Gotham tonight, but I need to watch last Thursday's episode of The Blacklist.  I've been DVRing the episodes of Vikings, so I will have a two day binge of five hours each, once this season's last episode airs.  I haven't been watching NCIS like I used to…  I want to get back watching that, but, at the same time, I know that Special Agent Tony DiNozzo is leaving the series.  While he's not my favorite character on the show, it'll seem odd without him.  Haven't watched Sleepy Hollow this season, either.  I don't know if my tastes are changing, or if the shows are becoming repetitive.
  I don't watch any of the so-called reality shows - whether it's Dancing With the Stars, American Idol, or American Ninja.  I've never watched more than three minutes of any of the "reality" shows on television, and I would consider it extreme mental torture, if I were made to do so.  I enjoy watching Jeopardy! and catching the local weather on the news, but that's about it.  I can't remember the last time I went to see a movie at the theater - or what the movie was…
   I do know that I find most advertising on the television ridiculous.  The idiots pouring champagne on their new cell phones, and/or putting them in fish tanks, is just stupid.  I remember the old Timex commercials - and they were a heck of a lot better than the garbage today.  And all of the pharmaceutical ads are just getting more and more disgusting.  If you're advertising Cialis, why end each commercial with two bathtubs?  Shouldn't the couple be together in a jacuzzi - or a bed?  I know that we've become much more open as a society, but are we really certain we know where all this openness leads?  Do we actually talk about erectile dysfunction, loss of bladder control, and the odors of colostomy bags, the worries of an irritable bowel, and painful intercourse after menopause during meals with friends and family?
   I am not saying that all of this wonderful knowledge should not be shared - but, for heaven's sake, put this stuff on infomercials instead of regular advertisements!  I am sick of hearing about all of the possible side effects from all of the medications that are available.  Hell, I'd rather have the problem than go through all the side effects that are mentioned for most drugs.
   I realize that companies keep track of who buys what - I get specially targeted advertising from my supermarket.  I get tons of unwanted e-mail online, too.  Today, I read 6 messages, and I deleted 137 messages that were advertisements and/or spam.  If I buy one specific item from one company, I am inundated with similar offers from other companies.  What do they think?  That I have enough money, time, and space to buy one of everything produced by every company in the world?  It's freaking ridiculous!  If I like something, I recommend it to friends and family.  If I don't like it, I'll tell people why.
   On my Google page, I can set up my own topics of interest and receive news items about them.  However, I have found that what passes as a "news item" in the past few years has changed dramatically.  I am interested in a certain male's career.  He became famous playing sports.  The "news items" that show up under his name are usually not even news - it's speculation about who the man is dating, who he's been seen in company with, should he enter the political arena?  None of it is news - it's just gossip and speculation.   Now, under my Archaeology heading, there is a very rare speculative article now and then, but it's mostly what has been found, and what new items prove about our historical beliefs.  I consider that news.
   Today's media - for or against?   I'm not really certain.  Having all of the social media available today is nice - if you're in an isolated area.  Having almost instantaneous "news" is OK - but the need for truth and not hysteria is greatly needed.  I love the internet - as a window on the world - but I also know that lies multiple like rabbits on, or in, any media.   What is the truth anymore?
    And I have to say that I am very much afraid of the way that our interactive machines have disturbed normal social awareness and awakenings.  Youngsters these days are addicted to their iPhones and iPads, their games and instant messaging.  I don't think youngsters should be allowed to play with, or adapt to today's tech until they are 16….  or 18, or 21.  It ought to be like drinking alcohol and/or voting.  
   I know.   I'm a crazy old lady.
 

News? Gossip? A Load of Bullshit

As I have grown older, I have become increasingly disenfranchised with the world's news media.  My parents grew up in different areas of the United States; they received weekly newspapers regarding the big events, and they listened to the radio each evening for current world, national, and local news.  I was born in 1956, and we sat down to eat supper at 6 p.m. each weekday - and while we were eating, the television was on, showing 30 minutes of local news, followed by 30 minutes of national and world news.  I ate my supper and watched the news about the war in Viet Nam and the unrest in the Middle East.  The family discussed the news over the dinner table, and later, after the dishes were washed and dried.
  My heroes, at the time, were cowboys and actors who portrayed cowboys.  If I had to name a hero today, I'd have to say Richard Engle, a news journalist, and the astronauts aboard the International Space Station.  When I read today's headlines (online), I almost ruined my monitor and keyboard with a mouthful of orange juice.  The first two news headlines were in regard to the terrorist attacks in Paris, but the third headline was that an actor had announced he is HIV positive on a morning national news show.  Why is this man's medical history news?
  I have never regarded "star" or celebrity status of someone as news.  It's plain old gossip.  I had my own, private news page set up to give me the "news stories" regarding several people whom I know personally.  Some are considered celebrities - but they're just friends to me, because I've known them all of my (or their) life.  I ended up removing them because there was so much awful, stupid gossip that appeared under the banner of news.   Is so-and-so dating so-and-so?  What does so-and-so eat during a day?  What does so-and-so's wife think about this? What does so-and-so's family think about that?  So-and-so said this; and a quote taken out of context follows; what does it mean?
   I am extremely un-trendy.  I have a few favorite actors, a lot of favorite authors and books, and a few favorite television shows.  Watching certain actors can make my toes curl up.  I love the way they look, the way they move, and the sound of their voices.  But I do not want to know every salacious detail of their lives.  They have kids? Good for them. They have a horrible illness and are fighting it - such as cancer, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's?  I'm sorry for them and I will support them to the utmost of my ability.  My own family members suffer from cancer, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, heart disease and diabetes.  I support them.  I support celebrities who create awareness of diseases that can strike all of humanity - many excellent actors and actresses have succumbed to any and all of the diseases I named.
   But it seems to me that the actor who announced that he is HIV positive today did so merely for his own personal good.  Look at me - I can't believe that I am HIV positive!  This man is a foul-mouthed person that curses and screams at other people for no reason - he delights in being "out of control" whether through abuse of alcohol or drugs, or both.  He is a danger to society at large when he is under the influence of any type of drug - legal or otherwise.  And he suddenly wants my sympathy?  He has crashed and burned too many times in public for me to give him anything...  I wouldn't urinate on him if he was on fire standing next to me - I'd just run as fast as I could to get away from his presence.
   Maybe I'm a bad person for feeling this way.  But I am sick to death from hearing about "celebrities" who are pretty much self-created.  Who the heck are the Kardashians?  I've seen the name everywhere, but why are they in the spotlight?  Did one of them create a new food source to feed the poor?  Did they discover a new medicine to help kill a disease?  Why should I care what they do, who they date, marry, or have babies with?  It's none of my business.  And I wish the "news media" would learn to accept that.

Out of Touch

While waiting to pick up 90 days worth of medications, I found myself making faces at the "music" being played in the pharmacy.  The pharmacist turned around and caught me in mid-grimace, while rolling my eyes.  He paused for a moment, and I apologized, saying the face was made at the singer, not at him.  He asked me if I didn't appreciate - and he named someone - it was a name I vaguely connect with today's music, but have no further knowledge of.  I had to admit that I didn't appreciate what was being broadcast throughout the shop.  John, the pharmacist, laughed, and let it slide.  I paid for my prescriptions and came home.
   While I was checking the "Headline News," a few minutes later, I realized that, other than politicians, I recognized only about 5 percent of the names in the news.  I recognized the name of a deceased singer-songwriter, the name of an actor, and the name of a now-infamous sports player.  Other than those three, I was totally clueless.  I think that the explosion of social media, as well as the easy access to the internet, has dulled my senses.  I have to admit that my enjoyment of music is fairly eclectic - I enjoy a wide range of music, from classical to jazz to "old" rock and roll to country to bluegrass to folk to zydeco.  But I don't consider  a lot of what is played on the air-waves today as true music... One can't hear and understand the specific words, or, if one can, the words are ones that I was raised to not say in public.  I freely realize and admit that I'm getting older, and more set in my ways, but really... I fear for our society when a person's end-all and be-all and only topic of conversation is Dancing With the Stars, Survivor, or The Bachelor.
  I freely admit that I watch action and drama series with relish.  The so-called comedy shows of today are so contrived and so dreadfully not funny, that I don't watch any of them.  My list of watchable TV shows include The Good Wife, Battle Creek, Gotham, NCIS, Person of Interest, The Blacklist, Vikings, Hawaii Five-O, and Blue Bloods.  Action, adventure, and drama.  A lot of shows available on television are boring, to me, or are much too violent for my taste, or are so clearly contrived and arranged (like the reality shows) that they are just laughable.   I guess I'm out of touch.
  I'd much rather read than sit in front of a television, watching mindless idiocy.  I'd rather do research about items that pique my interest than go sit in a cinema and watch a film.  And I also freely admit that I live now, and have access to the internet to do my research; but I am not completely attached to my electronics.  In fact, I use my cell phone and telephone as little as possible - and my cell phone is sometimes turned off for weeks at a time (which is heavenly).  I keep seeing the people of today constantly engaged with an electronic device - not with other people, not with animals, not with nature.  I never want to become a person like that.  I'd much rather be considered out of touch and an old fuddy-duddy....
  Here are some of the headlines that I read, and then say to myself, "Who the heck even cares?"
"Start Killing Russians": Outrageous Outburst by Fox News Military Analyst
Where Do the Patriots Look For Hope After Revis?
Study Confirms Sugar Industry Helps to Reduce Cavities
Jeff Bezos Relies on Lowly Grunts Like Me
Pregnant Model Sarah Stage's Tiny Belly Causes Social Media Uproar
Who Will The Bachelor Choose?

What about the state of the US economy?  What about global warning?  What is the US Congress doing? What is happening on the world stage and how will it affect us?  Sometimes I'm just embarrassed by what passes as the human "social conscious".....

Friday Review

I spent a great afternoon with Kathy yesterday - Jim was in and out, running errands, and Sarah brought my grand-niece Evie, who kept all of us occupied.  Sister-in-law Tracey stopped by and joined us for lunch, and we had a great family meal.  Kathy received a pile of get well cards yesterday, and a couple of neighbors stopped by with cards and flowers.  Evie finally hit an overload point without her nap (she is, after all, only 15 months old), and Sarah took her home. Kathy finally had some quiet time time for a nap, and Jim went shopping for essentials - toilet paper, milk, and some fresh vegetables and fruit.  After returning, Jim ran me home before Lynn was to arrive with last night's meal...
   The weather folks said we'd have a clear, but cold, morning here with temperatures dropping again, and with snow in the afternoon.  I walked to the store this morning, grabbed a couple of bagels and some crunchies for the kits, and walked back home.  On the way back, I realized that teeny, tiny snowflakes were falling - they looked almost like glitter on the ground.  Right now, the snow is falling and swirling as if we were trapped inside a snow globe.  As soon as I returned this morning, I put out more nuts and dried fruit for the squirrels, and I re-filled the bird seed bowl.  While writing this, I keep seeing squirrels peering in the window and quite a few birds flying in and out, grabbing seeds.  And, just for the heck of it, it was 21 degrees when I went to the store; it's now 17 degrees.
   I am still shaking my head over some of the "news" stories I seen over the past few days.  I agree that the story about the 35-foot sailboat that ran into the pilings along the Chesapeake tunnel of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel was news.  The captain of the boat lost his engine, and the boat hit the bridge pilings, breaking a part of the mast.  The Coast Guard transferred a man over to aid the sailboat captain, the sail was untangled and taken down, and the engine was started.  There was no damage to the bridge-tunnel pilings.
    The story about the "medical miracle" of a young man who survived "internal decapitation" might be news-worthy.  If the young man had been wearing his seat belt prior to an accident that threw him out of the back seat of an SUV, this probably would not have happened.  The impact moved his skull away from his spine - usually, there is a space of 1 millimeter or less between the top (C-1) vertebrae and the skull.  This young man had a 6 mm separation - and his spinal cord was not compromised.  He was extremely lucky to be up and walking about in a neck brace and expecting a full recovery.
   The story about the young man who had a 100-plus pound tumor removed from his scrotum, however, seems to feed the prurient interest groups.  I'm sure it was a wonderful moment to have this tumor removed - in a surgery that took 16 hours - but it's not something I'd want reported all over the country and/or world.  And the surgery was not without complications - a nerve was "touched" during the surgery, and the man no longer has any feeling in his legs.  He will have to learn to walk all over again.   Again, I can see letting a few friends and family know this - but to have USA Today coverage  seems a bit much.
  I have to admit it was curiosity that led me to read the story about the lady who set her underwear on fire, draped over the telephone in her cell, causing the destruction of the telephone, and making scorch marks on the wall to the ceiling of her jail cell.  It appears she had been carrying her cigarette lighter in a space available only to females.  She had originally been arrested on drunk and disorderly charges.
   The only big news around here is that the motion picture "Christmastime" is being filmed on the Pearl Street Mall (here in Boulder) for the next week; and that the Denver Broncos are re-signing Champ Bailey to a one-day contract, so that Champ may retire from the NFL as a Bronco...
   Have a great weekend!
 

Mindless Trivia

I'm just going to let my mind float from item to item today, and not try for any true cohesive story or specific comments; get ready for a wild ride.  It was 42 degrees outside this morning, and I actually am wearing jeans, thanks to living in this little dip by Boulder Creek - and the humidity is at 87%.  The kits are running in and out, and seem to be quite invigorated by the temperature change.
  I monitor five spots to check and compare weather and I've been amazed at the results.  The places that I monitor, thanks to the National Weather Service, are (1) Boulder, Colorado where I live; (2) Chincoteague Island, Virginia where my heart is; (3) Vero Beach, Florida where two of my best friends live and work; (4) Gainesville, Florida where I went to school and lived for many years; and (5) Newton, Illinois where my "adopted sister" is currently living.  For some reason, I thought that Chincoteague, being an island, would always have the highest humidity; but it is usually Gainesville, or Newton, that has the highest humidity ratings.  Chincoteague usually has the lowest humidity, or second lowest, behind Boulder.  This morning, in regard to humidity, Chincoteague has the least, followed by Boulder, Vero Beach, Newton, and Gainesville has the highest - it just seems weird to me, even though I'm sure there's a good scientific reason for it.
  My hair has grown out to a length just below my shoulders - it really seems odd to have long hair after keeping it cut very short for forty years.  During hot weather, it's gathered up and pinned up to the back of my head; today, it's loose and is keeping my ears warm.  I'll have to get a friend to take a photo, so I can share it with friends.
  So much awful stuff seems to be going on in the world - or has it always happened, but the almost instantaneous media dispersion of today just seems to make the horrors more numerous?  I mean, the high school shooting in North Carolina this morning, ISIS in the Middle East,the murder of the missing real estate agent, the missing college student in Virginia, numbers of kids escaping juvenile detention centers after attacking a guard with rocks, the capture and beheading of journalists and observers, the spread of ebola, the uncertainty about this enterovirus 68 and muscle paralysis in the children afflicted with it,....  The list is seemingly endless, but I have the feeling that this is just an on-going product of our so-called civilization, and that I am only aware of it because of today's technology....
   If you are not offended by irreverence, I have two URLs to recommend. If you are easily offended by non-reverent references to God, Jesus, Mary, Mary Magdalene, or the Buddha, please do not click on the following links.
   Comments on religious paintings (both are two or more pages long):
http://www.cracked.com/article_19947_the-11-most-unintentionally-hilarious-religious-paintings.html

http://www.cracked.com/article_20719_5-hilariously-perverse-trends-you-missed-in-famous-artwork.html?wa_user1=3&wa_user2=History&wa_user3=article&wa_user4=recommended

And these led me to:
http://www.cracked.com/blog/5-artifacts-that-will-shatter-your-image-middle-ages/

Too Much Information

I know that violence occurs every day. I know that there are thousands who die daily that do not "deserve" to die; and who among us really has that decision to make? I know that I don't... Since time immemorial, there has been plague, illness, famine, drought, pestilence, war and death - it is mentioned in all myths and legends of all countries. Once mankind developed a written language, all of these things have been recorded. Mankind's ways of killing have become more mechanized and specialized; now we can kill or infect millions of people at once, or one specific individual. It is truly frightening. Yesterday, a man returned home (having spent the night away, after an argument with his wife) and found a house full of death; his wife had shot and killed two of their three children, had critically injured the third with a gunshot, and then had killed herself. It is a terrible tragedy. In California, everyone is on the alert for an ex-Los Angeles police officer, who has killed three former co-workers and has a "hit list" posted with quite a few more. The man shot and killed an armed officer this morning, who was investigating the reported sighting of the ex-cop's vehicle. Tell me, please, what is happening in this world? Are people, as a whole, so inter-connected by so many media devices that one cannot escape all the reports of death and destruction? - I certainly don't remember the local news, when I was growing up, talk about this attack and that killing, and that fight, and this arrest... I remember news stories about fairs and museums and the Space Program - and, yes, I do remember the funeral of President Kennedy being covered on television - but that was an Earth-changing event.... I guess I'm just too saddened and depressed by all of the news of death and killings and mayhem....
  It's a beautiful blue-skied morning here in Boulder. Nedi and Lovey have been sun-bathing on the patio, and the squirrels are jumping over them to get to their nut supply in my wicker chairs. It's hysterical - watching the squirrel measure the length of the jump he has to make, crouching down, and then flying up and over the cat. Nedi occasionally swats a foreleg up into the air, but he's not really trying to catch a squirrel... And the squirrels could easily walk around the cats and reach the nuts, without leaping over the cats. I'm sure they all enjoy their games. Sleet fell last night, and there was a heavy frost on the grass this morning, but it's in the low 40s again. We are, however, expecting snow over the weekend. (Yeah! We need it.)
  Being ill at home, I haven't been able to see all my usual critters. I miss all the dogs and cats I normally see and care for. Rosie and Remy seem like a dream, as do Aiko and Yoshi, and Sasquatch and Tugger. I know that I'll recover, but I miss seeing all the critters on an almost daily basis. Mona has gone to live with Mike and Erin, so Boo is alone, too. I'm pretty sure she's lonely, having had either her mom, Suki, or Mona, for a constant companion. Maybe I can talk Kathy and Jim into adopting another older dog to be with Boo....