Today – naps won out over laps. Had to be rested up for Happy Hour and dinner.
I won one of those DNA ancestry test kits. This is what came back for me.
51% Great Britain
23% Scandinavia
15% Southern Europe
5% Eastern Europe
3% Arabia
2% Asia Minor
And the rest – Neanderthal.
Not all that interesting. I was hoping for Mongolia. But, Vikings aren’t too shabby. I am pretty sure this is just junk science. Not to be taken seriously. Sort of like fortune telling.
Mysterious blue flower.
Note to Carlton: you aren’t missing much around here. Bond yields are approaching zero. Mohamed Ali died. Maria Sharapova got bounced from tennis for drug use. Donald Trump is the Republican candidate for president. Yes, president of the US of A. Did I mention that bond yields are approaching zero. Chuck Schwab was actually selling bonds with negative yield last week. Mass shootings continue. Britain might leave the EU. Megan from Oncology Radiation came up to the office today. Everyone remembers you kindly.
I was too busy trying to capture another interesting fly – so I totally missed that cool beetle in the background.
My old body has been feeling pretty creaky for the last couple of weeks. Yoga hasn’t helped all that much. Lots of ibuprofen hasn’t helped all that much. I hoped that a good session of lap swimming would help. But, lap swimming would interfere with my nap. Swam laps. We have a nice long indoor pool. I am not a fan of indoor pools. But, I went any how. I had an entire lane to myself. That was good. There were no sharks. That was good. The lifeguard was cute. That was good. I’ll do it again.
Another event at the asylum today – I had my “annual mental assessment”. I didn’t know there was such a thing. I had to know what day it was. I knew it was Thursday. And, either the 16th or 17th. That was close enough. Next year, I will study up before my “annual mental assessment”.
The nurse that did “annual mental assessment” is also the asylum Employee Health Nurse. So, we talked shop for a while. She offered me a “job” anytime I want it. The commute would be better. Can not complain about my commute. If I leave the Old Bat Cave at 0610, I am walking into the hospital at 0640. That involves about 4 long blocks walking and 2 buses. Coming home isn’t as slick. And, I usually try to get at least a mile walking into the commute home.
I am totally enchanted by this tiny insect. Haven’t a clue what it is. I didn’t even try to find out. I am just enjoying it. And being grateful for photography that allows me to see the critter in this detail.
While it was busy sneaking up on tiny insects… I got drafted to keep 24 of the saddest roses bushes you ever saw deadheaded. It will not be very hard. They are too neglected to bloom very much. And, I didn’t downsize my pruning shears out of existence.
Jello is back! Bright orange with mystery yellow chunks of stuff.
Last night, I glanced out the window and saw the setting sun lighting up Virginia Square Apartments – where I lived until last October.
And all too soon, it was morning… but a glorious sunrise was on tap.
About 0545 this morning.
Love these nice long days.
And, my 11 square feet of dirt seems to be pretty happy too.
Garden – Week 4
Hard to imagine that this time 2 years ago, I was taking weekly pictures of Carlton’s radiation progress. And last year, I was photographing my downsizing effort. The garden box is better.
Donald Trump. That is who I can not look at without cringing. Listening to him. Or reading what he says…impossible. Unthinkable that he could become the 45th president of our country.
Photography is about capturing light. This afternoon, I tried to capture wind. Because that is all there was today.
Not liking the way things are working out. Is it any wonder that our grown grandchildren still dress up as comic book characters? (Nevermind that Carlton was madly in lust with with Wonder Woman. Too bad he died before I discovered Wonder Woman undies in my size!)
Space.com had an article about parallel universes a couple of months ago. See: Parallel Universe Theories. This morning, I was ready to try out another universe RIGHT NOW.
My son-in-law, suggested maybe this is all a simulation. And, referred me to this year’s graduation address at MIT by Matt Damon. You can watch it yourself.
“….I’ll tell you one that’s been on my mind: Simulation Theory.
Maybe you’ve heard of it. Maybe you took a class with Max Tegmark.
Well, for the uninitiated, there’s a philosopher named Nick Bostrom at Oxford, and he’s postulated that if there’s a truly advanced form of intelligence out there in the universe, then it’s probably advanced enough to run simulations of entire worlds — maybe trillions of them — maybe even our own.
The basic idea, as I understand it, is that we could be living in a massive simulation run by a far smarter civilization, a giant computer game, and we don’t even know it.
And here’s the thing: a lot of physicists, cosmologists, won’t rule it out. I watched a discussion that was moderated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, of the Hayden Planetarium, and by and large, the panel couldn’t give a definitive answer. Tyson himself put the odds at 50-50.
I’m not sure how scientific that is, but it had numbers in it, so I was impressed.
Well, it got me to thinking: What if this—all of this—is a simulation? I mean, it’s a crazy idea, but what if it is?
And if there are multiple simulations, how come we’re in the one where Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee?
Can we, like, transfer to a different one?
Professor Tegmark has an excellent take on all this. “My advice,” he said recently, “is to go out and do really interesting things… so the simulators don’t shut you down.”
But then again: what if it isn’t a simulation? Well, either way, my answer is the same…”
So, I went outside to took pictures of wind.
wind in color
Hope that amused the superior beings enough to keep me in the game for another few rounds.
Another long day at the office. That makes 6 days in a row. There will be less work and more play next week. (I hope).
No jello today. Well, at least by 3PM when I got home and stopped off for a late lunch – there was no sign of jello. And, it hadn’t reappeared by dinner time.
Still too windy for practicing macro bee photography. But, that didn’t stop me from trying.
I am feeling pretty boring. Just going to work everyday. Come home. Take bee and jello pictures. Dinner with friends. Off to bed. Rinse and repeat.
But, the last two year’s of Carlton’s life and the first year after were action packed. Maybe it is time to slow down. Take stock. Calibrate for the last act.
jello 07
Dark red jello with junk again today. I am starting to think they make jello every other day. Or maybe Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Guess that jello lasts pretty good.
Trying to do a couple of bug shots every day. I need practice. It is always windy here at the asylum. Part is geography – we are at the top of a tiny hill. And part is architecture, we are a tall building. Today – geography and architecture are not the problem. It is just plain windy. And wind is not a friend of close-up photography.
Can The Donald get any worse? I fear he can. Hillary might not be the most inspirational candidate ever – but, we must keep eyes on the prize… in this case – the prize is a Donald-Free White House.
Then, at lunch today – the jello was back. The black jello looks blue today. Blueberry, I guess.
the ever popular magnolia
Snapped a picture of the fine magnolia while walking to work this morning. This magnolia tree is a old friend of mine. It has flowers that are low enough for easy photography.
tiny fly-like critter
Working with my newest macro lens. Trying to improve my technique.
ladybug nymph – saturdaybecoming a ladybug – monday
And finally, ladybug… I went back to find the ladybug nymphs that I had photographed on Saturday – I wanted to do a better job. Well, the ladybug nymphs were busy transforming themselves into ladybugs.
