A dream for some ... a NIGHTMARE FOR OTHERS!

This is WAY too true.

Students

Since I started taking anti-anxiety meds about a year ago, I've been barraged with stress dreams.


Don't get me wrong - my stress level when awake is way, way down. And it doesn't really bother me. I'm not stressed or anxious when I wake up, and in general the dreams are more amusing than terrifying. Sometimes I feel like my brain has just stuffed all of my stress and anxiety I used to experience on a daily basis into my dreams, where I can watch them at night in HD format.

Of course that's a total hypothesis on my part, with no medical or psychological expertise at all behind it, and probably dead wrong. It could be any of a thousand different things - the only thing I know for sure is my dreams in the past several months have been whacky.

For example - last night, I was in my parents' old house (which they no longer own) trying to get some water. Only the plumbing wouldn't work.

First thought: "Why doesn't the plumbing work?"
Second thought: "Why am I in my parents' house that they don't even own anymore?"
Third thought: "Why is there an Apache helicopter hovering outside the window?"
Conclusion: "Hmm. This must be a dream."

Well, as long as there is plenty of entertainment value involved, I can't complain.

More cats

To me, it's an Intel Six-Core with 16 gigs of memory, a 128 gig Solid-state drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980 Ti graphics card.

To her, it's a personal heater.

Zephyr in her natural habitat.

Rest in Pieces, Fitbit Charge

A few years ago I reached a decision point on what type of fitness tracker to use. I've never looked back from Fitbit, and they've never disappointed me. They still haven't. But I was disappointed today, when my Flex dropped off my wrist. The cause was evident even to me.

There's your problem!

I bought the Flex in January of last year, which means it's about two months past warranty. I'm not mad at Fitbit, since I always figure the warranty is about the time the maker of any product predicts it will last anyway. Plus I use the thing pretty heavily - it never comes off my wrist, and I do a lot of things that induce stretching and bending and .... well, flexing. I'd noticed the screen was beginning to separate a few days ago and today's yardwork was the last blow.

What I was doing when the Fitbit broke. Digging a hole. Under a sidewalk. But that's for another blog.

When I told my ever-practical friend and co-author Sherry what had happened, she commented, "Sounds like it's time for a Flex 2. They have them at Costco." To which I replied "Ooooo they have a new one?" and disappointment was replaced with anticipation at a new nerdy gadget impulse buy that I can justify ('my health is important!') as long as I don't think to hard about it.

I like the look of them - they're smaller, they have a removable tracker, and probably other new stuff. Anyway - excited! I'm picking one up today.

Today in history

On this day in history, John Quincy Adams passed away on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The 80-year-old member of Congress was born before the signing of the Declaration of Independence and died shortly before the Civil War. His life spanned the early days of the Republic.

Old Man Eloquent

Most people know Adams as the sixth President and son of Founding Father John Adams. But Quincy Adams' presidency was a blip in his career of public service. He was a diplomat, minister, Secretary of State, Senator, and a member of the House of Representatives, where he was elected to nine terms.

One of the most overlooked aspect of Adams' career was his fight against slavery. In this fight, he never wavered. He fought against the 1836 'gag rule' that prohibited any discussion of slavery in Congress, using various parliamentary and procedural methods to get around the ban. Quincy Adams' colleagues even attempted to censure him, but he turned this, too, to his advantage, using the censure motion to debate the evils of slavery and eventually winning out against the censure.

Quincy Adams died before the Civil War began, but he had predicted it years earlier:

“If slavery be the destined sword of the hand of the destroying angel which is to sever the ties of this Union, the same sword will cut in sunder the bonds of slavery itself. A dissolution of the Union for the cause of slavery would be followed by a servile war in the slave-holding States, combined with a war between the two severed portions of the Union. It seems to me that its result might be the extirpation of slavery from this whole continent; and, calamitous and desolating as this course of events in its progress must be, so glorious would be its final issue, that, as God shall judge me, I dare not say that it is not to be desired.” (Memoirs of John Quincy Adams)

If you're interested in learning more about the sixth President, here are a few good sources to begin with:


John Quincy Adams by Harlow Giles Unger

The Education of Henry Adams

What God Hath Wrought: The Transformation of America 

Sunday Funday Netflix Binge Watching Day!

I've had a difficult time finding good sci-fi on TV lately. It may be that I'm not looking hard enough, but I didn't have to look for this one. My amazing co-author Sherry recommended SyFy's The Expanse and it's incredible.

Carefully-developed characters, great acting, superb writing, an addictive plot, and, of course ...pew pew, spaceships!

Check it out. You won't regret it. 

It's about time! The Jetsons aired 55 years ago, after all.

Is this the first 'real' flying car?

Today in history

On February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa after serving 27 years.


Mr. Mandela went on to become South Africa's first democratically elected President. He stepped down after one term.

He passed away at the age of 95 on Dec 5, 2013, at his home at his home in Johannesburg.

Here are some good reference sources if you wish to learn more about this amazing man.

Biography of Nelson Mandela

Long Walk to Freedom

Conversations with Myself

Nelson Mandela: Champion of Freedom