March 02, 2021 - Msg 116287:

"Now back to my regularly scheduled post." ha Possum, thanks for the reminder of Ron Howard's BD. So Opie is 67!! Now I DO feel old! haha

So far our March is in like a lamb, but had Sunday been March 1, that would be a different story! All calm today tho.
Y'all may have heard about our big natural gas main bursting, and causing
a huge fire under a bridge. All ok now, but super intense heat melted the bridge's guard rails.
PH-- Sprichst du Deutsch? haha
ASA--how did your Zoom meeting go?
BOO--prayers continue for your fam. How is Erin doing these days?
RO--I think of the song "How do you solve a problem like Maria", but
change it to "my Trinket!" :)
GF--I sure hope they don't change your Indians to The Cleveland Baseball Team
like the PC NFL did, or that will be the last straw for me :(!! In fact, I heard today that Mr. Potato head will now
just be Potato Head because its too gender specific. Man, we are in for some very
weird days ahead. Also, in exactly 10 days, gas here went from 2.39 a gallon to 3.09!! What? Yup!
Well, keep your eye on the Prize, and keep well folks! More later.
MDC :)


March 02, 2021 - Msg 116288:




March 02, 2021 - Msg 116289:

OK, I'm like a kid in a candy store! :)
I hope this isn't using too much of Floyd's server space!
Nite all,
MDC

March 02, 2021 - Msg 116290: Floyd, my compelsion complex is kicking in. In the archives, up top, is a link to archives, one year at a time. The first year is "2000". Wayell, the current porch started in 2001. So that is kind of a pointless link. Okay, I'll find something more important to worry about now.

Billy Ray the Compelsion Complex Postman

March 02, 2021 - Msg 116291: Good (🧹) MDC..👍..The Mr. Potato 🥔 Head Thing? 😡 back in our day WE got box of the pieces and we had to supply the tater, when we were done we gave it back to Mom and she cooked him and we ATE him!...Those were the days...
https://youtu.be/ICGrjmJouWA

G-F


March 02, 2021 - Msg 116292:
G-F, that Mr. Potato Head video link that you posted brought back memories of watching children commercials on television when I was a kid. But I never purchased a Mr. Potato Head because my mother taught me never to play with my food.

MDC, Ich kann ein paar Wörter Deutsch sprechen, einschließlich Zählen von eins bis zehn.
Congratulations on you first successful image post. It is very appropriate to post a sweeping broom after sweeping the Front Porch.
And thanks for realizing that we should limit these image postings so as not to upset our gracious host, Floyd. One final word about images that are linked to another server which is known as "hot linking". If any image is deleted on those other servers, our linked image will disappear because this kind of hot linking does increase the bandwidth of that other server. A way to get around this is to download the image to your own computer, then post it into your own account on an image storing web site. Check out https://tinyurl.com/sew7zswd for free image hosting web sites where hot linking is allowed.

possum u.a.r and MDC, regarding Ron Howard's birthday, what gift do you give a person like Ron who reportedly has a net worth of $200 million? I think if we send him a card, he should send us a valuable gift in return. Also, I wonder if Ron visits The Front Porch just to read. Ron Howard, are you out there? Can you please adopt me? I am not high maintenance. Just a hundred thousand dollars a year and I promise not to give you any trouble.

from Poor Horatio

March 02, 2021 - Msg 116293:
Billy Ray, regarding what you posted in Msg 116290, I have been posting here since about 1997. My mother passed away in 1998 and I was posting about a year before that. But I was not consistent. Sometimes I disappeared for many months without posting. And there has been two times when the Front Porch disappeared while waiting for a new host. First Frank was our host when I joined in 1997. Then Ollie resurrected the Porch for a short while. And finally, Floyd became our next and longest host.

from Poor Horatio

March 02, 2021 - Msg 116294:

Hey PH, I went to a German to English website and it came
up with this as a translation...
"I can German say a few words, including counting from one to ten." Ha!
Be back later.
MDC


March 02, 2021 - Msg 116295: Hey MDC he one of ours?

*Mavis

March 03, 2021 - Msg 116296:
MDC, the German that I posted in my Msg 116292 to you was in response to your German question to me in Msg 116287. I also had to use an online translator for most of my reply.
And in the immortal words of my favorite German POW camp guard Sgt. Schultz, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HblPucwN-m0

from Poor Horatio

March 03, 2021 - Msg 116297:

HI All, tonight's ep was Barney's Replacement.
Some great lines in that one, my favorite is, "A wink's as good as a nod to a blind mule." haha
Also, love Clara's reaction to Barney selling vacuums!
PH--I kind figured that is what you were doing.
Mine, ya know, is from Stranger in Town episode when barney questions Ed Sawyer. Another good one.
Also, thanks for the website info link.
I hope everyone is having a good day.
Every first Wed. is 'senior day' at our Fry's supermarkets. 10% off most items, except liquor, etc. It's funny to see the sea of
grey hair and bald heads, with piped in '50s and '60s music! ha
Funny also how I seem to fit right in tho! lol

God's Peace to all,
MDC :)


March 04, 2021 - Msg 116298: Hey Guys..They’re Back! https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_DBpHRaS1XY any of you seen it yet?
I’ve seen 3 episodes pretty neat!...I bet Asa and I could do a tag team episode and give them a Mayberry smack down. I KNOW Asa has the ⚒ 🧰🔧🔨 to swing it!...

Yesterday they had to build a BBQ grill on 🚲 wheels..MDC could cook burgers 🍔 on his bike ride.

G-F...
p.s. Good one MDC on the “Senior Day” 🛒 I always go to the “reduced” section and see what “deals” I can get!...I ain’t Cheap but I AM thrifty!...When in Rome, we do as the Romans do Right?...We gotta stretch those retirement 💵..👍

March 04, 2021 - Msg 116299: *Just a footnote...They have a lady Co-star who is from Boo’s neck of the woods, who is the resident expert..
She has some real Moxie! Check out the video....G-F
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dnK14zHVcWo

March 04, 2021 - Msg 116300:
G-F, I never cared for the "Home Improvement" show. I did watch a few episodes. But I originally thought it would be something like "This Old House". However, they spent more time dealing with family issues in the home than constructing or repairing in the shop.

Below is a link some of you might be interested in. It is where the former "40 acres lot" and "Desilu Studios" were located. That is where many films and television shows were filmed including The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., Batman, Gone With The Wind, among others. You will see where outdoor and indoor scenes were shot. Sadly, none of these older sets exist today. You will only see what these locations look like today. Watch it below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q7seGKX7mc

from Poor Horatio

March 05, 2021 - Msg 116301: Good Friday morning all.

Thanks for those links GF. In my last DISH cut back I lost the History channel so I suppose I won't be able to watch these. I always enjoyed the Tim and Al show. And I have watched a number of April's you tube videos. She is very impressive with her ability and especially her willingness to jump into things. Should be a good show I bet.

Well I got my inarculation yesterday so hopefully it will help flatten the curve so to speak. I told the nurse she might bend her needle trying to stick it in to my very muscular arm. I must say, she has a pleasant laugh. :)

PH, I have seen that video before somewhere. Sure is sad to see it now as an industrial park. A lot of movies made there over the years.

MDC, I saw all that silver hair yesterday in the inarculation line also. It was for 65 and older. I know there were a lot of people giving me a dirty look, not believing I was 65. lol (I'm in my 40's and admit it)

Romeena, what's the status on your plumbing leak. Have they started the work yet? I hope it oges well.

GF, You mention being thrifty. I am with you buddy. But I try to buy good stuff because I think you get what you pay for. About 5 years ago we bought a new fridge/freezer because our old one was nearing 30 years and the ice maker was giving me fits. So we bought a GE brand, thinking it was a good name. Well almost from day 1 the ice maker on it has been a joke. Very slow production, the ice dispenser has been a problem. A year or so ago I found a piece of plastic in my sink. I couldn't for the life of me imagine where it came from. It finally dawned on me it was a chunck of the auger from the ice machine. Have had several more pieces show up in our ice. I finally asked Debbie to send them a letter of complaint. I had kept all the pieces we had found and took pictures of them. So she shot them an e-mail and they called me within a day or two. I talked to a very nice lady who was very apologetic and sent me a new dispensing bucket and ice maker at no charge. I was very appreciative of their response. I changed out the ice maker myself (that ended up being a much more difficult task than I thou ght) but she is all in and working well now. So it pays to gripe when needs be.

Well Debbis home health care nurse is due here to inarculate her so I better go get her up.

Yall be safe and sane out there.

Asa

March 05, 2021 - Msg 116302: We have an eaglet! We have an eaglet!! In the Bluff City 🦅 nest, which is about 15 mins from my end of the porch, the first egg 🥚 hatched and the other one has a pip! 🐣 If you rewind back to 10:59:30 you'll see Frances feeding the baby! Now I'll never get a thing done today. Forewarning! though, right now there's a beheaded squirrel in plain view in the pantry that she put there for later.
https://livestream.com/accounts/22320199/events/6623203

*Mavis

March 05, 2021 - Msg 116303: Asa...GE used to be a good brand, As with many others they cheapened it up so much that they last WAY less then the old ones. Yet another example of our “Throw Away” society.

As you know, very few appliances are made to be repaired anymore. If they are repaired, be ready to “Pay The Man” BIG Bucks 💵 to fix them!...

G-F

March 06, 2021 - Msg 116304:

Good Evening Folks. On the Rifleman today I saw Bobby Fleet #2 as a
gunfighter! Weird to see him in that role. Then on TAGS tonight,
it was about the fake FBI guy. Yup, I still love the Carp bit. Almost as good as "Who's on first?" ha
Then I saw on our PBS station a special on the Carpenters. Boy, that girl could sing, and so tragic was her passing at just age 32. These type of shows are played here during pledge drive times.
As many of you here know, these current 40 days for catholics and anglicans is called Lent, which comes from an old english word, lencten,
which means spring! Anyway, every Friday during this time we have a service called the Stations of the Cross, which traces 14 'stations' of Jesus' walk to the crucifixion. It is a very moving service recalling all that he endured for our salvation. Not trying to preach here, just saying how much I get out of it each Friday.
ASA--our fridge is a 30 year old Amana, the kind with that white 'textured' finish. We have replaced the defrost timer once, and the compressor once, and she just keeps purring along. :) But as I have seen lately,
people don't seem to have the 'pride' in one's work like they used to.
Glad your innarulations went well!
MAVIS, I guess the camera is off-line again as I tried to watch some. But that is very cool!
Maybe it will work later. Thanks.
APB FOR POSSUM, SPOT, ROMENA, CHARLOTTE, BOO AND OTHERS!
Please check in when you can.
Prayers,
MDC




March 06, 2021 - Msg 116305: MDC...Looks like we watched the same shows last night...I don’t watch anything on the regular networks...I caught that PBS special too!..Yes, So Sad about Karen, such a loss, I have to admit I was a Carpenter fan along with John Denver and Neil Diamond too back then...

G-F

March 06, 2021 - Msg 116306:

G-F, you have great taste in singers and musicians. I agree wholeheartedly.
Karen Carpenter was a great singer and drummer and her brother Richard is a talented pianist, composer and arranger. It is so sad how Karen passed away from complications of an eating disorder that I just don't understand. My favorite Carpenters song is not well known. Watch and listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teBV0EoJJY8
John Denver also passed away tragically flying his own light aircraft that he owned for only two days. He made two mistakes; he chose not refuel before his final flight and he knew that it would be difficult for him to change from one fuel tank to the other while in flight. Although he had well known faults, his positive contributions were significant and affected so many. My favorite John Denver song is very well known. Watch and listen as you get high at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOS5-n7dyj4
I miss these talented musicians because I loved so many of their songs.
As for Neil Diamond, he is still with us and still performing. He's had tremendous success of writing and recording his songs which have surpassed over 100 million in sales and downloads worldwide. But I only like a couple of his songs. Sweet Caroline has become a favorite with crowds in many public appearances. But my favorite is a song I would request by calling into radio stations. Watch and listen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMyndQoF0ec

from Poor Horatio

March 06, 2021 - Msg 116307: Mornin y'all
Wanted to check in before I get busy on my family tree stuffage. I finally gave in and bought a 1 year membership on An@estry (really censor? SMH) and I'm really enjoying it. I never knew much about my dad's side of the family since he and Mama divorced when I was so young. I did a DNA test done last year and it has opened up so much info on that side of the family! One of the best parts so far was finding out that one of my favorite people from my ren faire and I are cousins!! No wonder we hit it off so well as soon as we met. Cool, huh?

MDC I should have mentioned about the eagle cam, the IR went out on it sometime after they started building the nest and the fix-it guys can't get up there to fix it until after the eaglets have fledged so if you sign on after dark, you won't see anything. It does look like the 2nd eaglet is almost out of his egg today though. SQUEEE! They are just adorable with their little fuzzy selves and to see them being fed by a beak nearly as big as they are but with such tenderness is just amazing. Hopefully you can see this video that was posted in the ETSU Eagle Cam group on Facebook ... https://www.facebook.com/570076164/videos/10159199664481165/

Hey to Poor Horatio, G-F, Asa, Billy Ray, Romeena and anyone I might have missed. I'm heading back to watch the eagles and work on my family tree.

Later Taters
*Mavis

March 06, 2021 - Msg 116308: Good morning, porch! I've been sort of misplaced the last few days. I had a spell of what I guess was gout in my right foot, had me sort of sidelined. I'm still not positive it was gout, and the doctor isn't either, but we both decided it probably was, and since it is almost gone now, I guess we'll leave it at that. I've had it in my left big toe before, no question as to what it was. This time it was in the right, and presented differently. It started in the ankle, which is unusual, and was a very sharp, scary pain, like a sprain or a small broken bone. I have a very high pain tolerance, and when something gets my attention, it's unusual. I actually furniture-surfed around here for two days, waiting for whatever it was to subside. It gradually did, then moved down into my foot, and finally seemed to collect in the big toe joint, which is consistent with gout. The foot was very pink, and swollen. I've never had swelling with gout before, but know it can and does occur. I finally managed to get an appointment with a doctor in the bone and joint clinic where my knee surgery was done, and where other things like bursitis have been treated. This doc is a new addition to the staff, and I really, really like him. Since the problem was starting to resolve by the time I finally got to see him, we both decided the best thing was to accept the supposition of gout, and do nothing. No need for blood tests, or anything else, just wait and see. Today it's almost gone, and I think we made the right choice.

Meantime, in the middle of all of that, I had an appointment for my first COVID shot, Eloise had one at the same time, so we went together, clear across the north part of Dallas to Frisco. I drove, Eloise navigated, using her GPS. As usual, it took us far beyond the easiest way to get there. We return in three weeks, and we will go our own route, thank you. I hate GPS. Mine has led me astray so many times, I never use it anymore. Anyway, once we got there, the whole thing was beautifully organized, we were in and out in less than 45 minutes, including the mandatory 15 minute delay, to see if you're going to react. We didn't, and hit the road. It was painless, easy, and I'm glad we did it. For both of us, the injection site is not sore, we have had no reactions at all. Pretty much what I expected. I've never reacted to an immunization before, but then this one is a bit different, so I was wondering, but nothing has manifested.

Asa, there have been no new developments on the leak thing. I'm still waiting, and waiting, for the refund on my income tax. It's going to be about $2k to fix the leak, and I just don't have that much sitting around. I'm not in need, my bills are paid and my credit rating is over 800, but $2k is a lot of money. I also have to fix the cracked picture window. I may not have to replace it after all, which would be another $2k, since Ted has found a place that can replace just the cracked pane, for much, much less. Fortunately, it is the interior pane, which is not tempered, that cracked. The exterior pane, which IS tempered, would be a different story. I'll be glad when all of this gets settled.

All you nerds with your fancy additions to the porch - I'm in awe of your skills, and there was a time when I'd have been right there, keeping up. However, I think I'm going to just relax, enjoy your entries, and let it ride. Not going to go there. I'd break the porch for sure, and then Floyd would have to get under there with them spiders, and I don't want to cause that!

Well, guess I'll go feed my little Trinket. She is such a sweet baby. Don't know what I'd do without her. I still miss Toye Starr, and for that matter, Sugarplum as well, but I'm grateful for Trinket. Typical Maltese, sweet and loving, a little stubborn, but not a mean bone in her body. She wouldn't bite a biscuit. Thanks, Lord! Blessings, friends. Stay warm, stay well, and keep looking up! --Romeena

March 06, 2021 - Msg 116309: Glad to hear some are getting vaccinated. Bruce and I had our second vaccine yesterday. He had more of a reaction than I. He was up most of the night with really bad body aches and chills and very tired today. I only had slight aches and a very sore arm. Glad to have it over.

Asa, too funny about your muscular arm. Lol.

PH, that Carpenter interplanetary song is too weird for me. 😜

Boo

March 06, 2021 - Msg 116310:

RO--Y2K? (:



March 07, 2021 - Msg 116311: I agree Boo..Never liked or understood that one either...G-F

March 07, 2021 - Msg 116312:
Boo and G-F, I must admit that the interplanetary song is somewhat unusual for a group like the Carpenters. It was not the subject of the song that got me interested in it. It was the orchestration. And also, I was active as an amateur astronomer at that time. I would often sit outside with my 20 power binoculars and gaze at the night sky. I identified and tracked all of the planets in our solar system except for Pluto. I even attempted to identify and locate many of the over 100 celestial objects listed in the Messier Catalog such as galaxies, nebulas and star clusters. And I would ponder why is there all that space? And are we alone?

from Poor Horatio

March 07, 2021 - Msg 116313: Good evening, porch. I made it to church this morning, mask and all. Attendance has about tripled over what it was a few weeks ago, but still far short of our usual crowd. We'll get there.

PH, I think we've all asked ourselves that question at some time or another. It's been a long time since I've been in a situation where I could really see and study the night sky - too much light pollution where I am. One of the things on my bucket list is to get out to the Big Bend country of Texas, where the MacDonald Observatory is located. There's a reason why it's out there in the wilderness - you can actually see the stars! The altitude may be too high for me, but maybe I can carry some portable O2. And back to your questions - I have another one. What's beyond all that space? More space? Well, what's beyond that? Do you eventually hit a wall, as if we're in an enormous hollow ball? OK, what's on the other wide of that wall? More space? Similar question regarding time. What's beyond the end of time, which according to the Bible, is endless? There has to be an explanation, and until some scientist can explain it all, I'll just continue to believe that God created it, He understands it, and someday He'll reveal the answers to me. It's for darned sure no scientist will ever answer it.

As for "are we alone", who knows? Only God. There are some cryptic scriptures that some might choose to read as hints to other civilizations. Matthew 25:23 says "His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." Some choose to read that as a parable, a foretelling of what is in store for us later as children of God - that we will rule over other worlds. Personally, I think that's quite a reach. Other people read John 10:16 "Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold" and try to read into that there is life on other planets. Again, I think that's quite a stretch. I think Jesus was referencing the truth that He came to save all, not just the Jews. There are some things that we will never know or understand on this earth, but some day, we will.

Y2K? Yep, what a big old flap that was, I even knew someone who closed out their bank account, convinced it was all going to crash. And nothing happened. My computer didn't even hiccup. Haha!

Well, guess I'd better go and feed my little white shadow, and perhaps myself as well. It's been a lovely day, beautiful outdoors, peaceful indoors, and I look forward to a restful night. Blessings, friends. Stay warm, stay well, and keep looking up! --Romeena

March 07, 2021 - Msg 116314:

GOOD SABBATH Folks, hope all are doing well. RO, that was me with
the Y2K post. I was trying to be funny since you said your plumbing issue may
cost 2K, I was asking in a 'pun', "Why 2K?" as "Y2K." HA.
So glad you made it to church today. Being live with the assembly is so good for the soul. :)

PH, I have to admit that I had never heard that Carpenters song before now! But on the other hand, I LOVE Rocky Mt. High.
In fact, in the '70s I used it in my English classes to show the meaning of lyrics/poetry in songs, etc. and then I would bring in the school's stereo set up, and play the record. An example would be the lyric, "you might say he found the key for every door," and I would as the junior highers, "how would you react if you found a key that opened every door?" A lot of stimulating discussion followed!
Oh, and speaking of lyrics, I may have mentioned this many years ago here, but in the late '60s when the Byrds song "Turn, Turn, Turn" was popular, I invited a friend to church one Sunday, and one of the Bible readings was those verses from Ecclesiastes, to which he leaned over to me and whispered, "Why did the reader leave out turn, turn, turn." :) I smiled, and said, "I'll tell ya later."

Boo- glad your vaccine went well. Prayers for Bruce.

MAVIS, I went to your latest link, very cool to see the feeding. Also,
very neat about your family tree!

Peace porchsters,
MDC



March 07, 2021 - Msg 116315:
Romeena, I am looking forward to someday learning the answers to all the questions I have that no man has been able to answer to my satisfaction.
And when you mentioned light pollution, that reminded me of an experience I had about 30 years ago. I was on a 2.5 week business trip to Northern California. On one of my free weekends, I drove to Northern Nevada to visit the sights in the western part of that state that included Carson City (state capitol), Reno (a mini Las vegas), Lake Tahoe (a beautiful deep blue body of water), and a few other minor attractions. Then I read a magazine article about the loneliest highway nearby called US-50. I drove on it eastward farther into Nevada towards Fallon. But this time, the sun was setting and I was in for a treat as I reached a desolate part of the state where there was no light pollution. When I looked north, all I saw were mountains. When I looked south, all I saw was flat desert. But when the sun disappeared, the night sky was full of little white lights. I had never seen so many stars since I crossed the Pacific Ocean on a US Navy ship. It was so bright that I pulled over to exit my vehicle. My body cast a distinct shadow on the ground at night. Although there was no artificial lighting, no flashlight was needed. So many stars were visible that I had a hard time identifying the constellations. I only wish I had my binoculars with me.

from Poor Horatio

March 07, 2021 - Msg 116316:

PH--this is a short video that my neighbor (he's one of you)(ha) emailed to me. It is about the Andromeda Galaxy. It's pretty amazing!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eoap9harRk

You may recall the recent closeness of Saturn and Venus; he had his big telescope out and gave me a look-see. It was very cool! :)
And yes, with the vastness that is space, I have often wondered, if on some other planet in some other galaxy, is there life?
MDC


March 08, 2021 - Msg 116317: MDC, I think the spaceship has already landed 🚀🛸👽 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UQYfqGksB_w
Unfortunately I think they left some behind in DC...

G-F

March 08, 2021 - Msg 116318: Good morning, porch! You folks are hilarious! Love these links! And yes, G-F, there are a lot of spacey people in DC, unfortunately. Some of the notions that come out of that asylum are so weird. Time and available space doesn't allow me to list more than one or two of the stupid things that have rolled out of Washington, but here's what's on my mind today. Last week, I went to my primary physician for my annual Medicare "preventive" exam. She looked at my record, said "you're a day too early, we can't put this down as your annual exam." I replied that whoever made the appointment should have noticed that, since they called me to schedule it, I didn't call them. She just said, "Yes, well, it's too late now, so is there anything bothering you that we can check out now, and you can come back next week for your annual exam." I had been having some mild symptoms of a UTI, so she did a culture (which came back negative) and put me on an antibiotic for a ten days. I figured it couldn't hurt, so I took the stuff. Now today, I'm returning for the annual exam. Waste, waste, waste.

At my cardiologist's office, I see two docs there - my regular cardiologist, and the electrocardiologist, who manages my pacer. I cannot see them both on the same day. Medicare will not pay for anyone to see two doctors who happen to be in the same office on the same day. It's no big deal for me, I'm about ten minutes away from their office, I drive, and it's not a problem. However, take some little soul in a care facility, who requires ambulance or other transport, which Medicare will pay for. It may be very difficult and even painful for that person to be dragged around once, let alone twice. Yet that's what Medicare requires and pays for. Another - when my dad had a knee replacement years ago, he was required to wear a brace afterward for a while, to achieve full straight-leg extension. It was a heavy, hot, complicated thing, requiring my mother to get down on the floor and strap him into the thing every morning. He had to wear it for an hour every morning and evening. He refused, tied knots in diagonally opposite corners of a large dish towel. He sat in a chair with an ottoman, put his foot on the ottoman, draped the towel over his knee, and dropped a 5-lb bag of flour into the two pockets formed by the knots. The weight forced his knee down into straight-leg extension, and it cost nothing. He tried to return the brace, which he had never worn, and they refused. They told him if he didn't use the brace, Medicare would refuse the charges on the whole surgery! Their way or the highway. So the brace sat in his closet, and I eventually put it in one of the shipping containers that my church sent to the Mongolia mission in which Eloise and I participated. Medicare never knew, and they paid. I could go on forever, like their refusal to pay for a $15 egg crate mattress for bedfast patients, but willingly pay thousands for the hospitalization of that person when they develop a pressure ulcer. As I've said before, the inmates are running the asylum. I've begun to be on the lookout for pods - they surely must be here somewhere.

Well, better get moving. Blessings, y'all! Stay warm, stay well, and keep looking up! --Romeena

March 08, 2021 - Msg 116319: I turn 60 later this month, and I'll be inarculated that day as a present to myself if possible.


Billy Ray the Postman

March 08, 2021 - Msg 116320:
MDC, thanks for that link. However, I already knew all five facts presented in that video.

Romeena and MDC, one ongoing space mission currently fascinates me because of the huge distances involved. Two separate man-made satellites known as Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were launched almost 44 years ago (in 1977) just weeks apart in two different directions. They were on missions to obtain data and photos of the distant outer planets in our solar system. Although they have completed those missions, they have continued on and are currently near the edge of our solar system. And although their cameras are turned off, they are still sending back other data about outer space that takes about three months to reach the earth even though those signals are traveling at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second).
Thirteen years after the launching of both Voyagers, the late Dr. Carl Sagan asked NASA to turn the cameras around and take photos of the earth from a distance of 3.7 billion miles. It was so cold where Voyager 1 was at that time being so far from our sun that it took three hours just to warm up the cameras. That photo of earth is known as the Pale Blue Dot and can be seen at https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/2513/earth-poster-version-g-the-pale-blue-dot/ Look closely for a speck of light about the size of period at the end of a sentence. Every time I look at that photo, I am in awe. I have this photo as the desktop background wallpaper on my computer.
Upon seeing the earth in that photograph, Dr. Sagan was inspired to include the following comments with the photograph:
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. The aggregate of our joy and suffering, thousands of confident religions, ideologies, and economic doctrines, every hunter and forager, every hero and coward, every creator and destroyer of civilization, every king and peasant, every young couple in love, every mother and father, hopeful child, inventor and explorer, every teacher of morals, every corrupt politician, every "superstar," every "supreme leader," every saint and sinner in the history of our species lived there--on a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam.
The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds.
Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.
The Earth is the only world known so far to harbor life. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Visit, yes. Settle, not yet. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand.
It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.

I also own a poster depicting the known universe. It has so much information that it is printed on both sides.
Finally, I often think about the radio waves that we have been broadcasting into space for the past 100 years. Is anyone receiving them and wondering what could be their source? Our deep space satellite dishes have been picking up strange signals over the years also, but as for identifying the sources, it is pure speculation.

from Poor Horatio

March 08, 2021 - Msg 116321:

PH--that is indeed pretty amazing! To paraphrase that quote..., People (such as Hitler and others
before him) who fought for world rule, should have seen that photo of earth, just
a mere dot in the vastness of space! Also, as the lady on tags says of Ed Sawyer,
"maybe he's of the supernatural." :)

RO--to add to your description of Washington craziness, I am SURE that they are all from another planet with another language,
because none of them have ever answered the letters that I have sent
to them! haha

BiLLY RAY--good for you! Hopefully, like polio, we will all get the innarculation to wipe this thing out! :)

GF--as far as watching the same programs, did you happen to see the 50th
anniversary of Dolly Parton at the Grand Ol' Opry? Very well done.
Also, saw Edgar Buchanan as the doc on The Rifleman today, and then as Mr. Wheeler on tags tonight! Talk about space (time) travel!! ha

Does anyone here have one of those "Egg Pods" used to hard boil eggs
in a microwave? Been thinking about getting one, but wondering if they really work?
https://www.buyeggpod.com/?mid=11179539
I LOVE hard-boiled eggs!

Prayers,
MDC

March 08, 2021 - Msg 116322:

"bill-yons and bill-yons..." (:

March 08, 2021 - Msg 116323:

"Men are circling the globe, and you people are wondering why two old ladies' feet hurt!" (;

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116324: Hey #116323 I wonder what causes that?

*Mavis

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116325:
Hi Mavis, it was just me havin' fun! mdc

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116326:
I just realized that I made a technical error in my Msg 116320. I referred to Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 as satellites. But satellites implies they orbit a celestial body such as the planet earth. In reality, they are space craft since they are exploring outer space.

I will end this posting by quoting the late astronomer and television host, Jack Horkheimer, along with our own Romeena, who are both known to end with "Keep looking up".

from Poor Horatio

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116327:
One more fact to clear up. The phrased "billions and billions" is often attributed to the late Dr. Carl Sagan. And although it is part of the title of the last book Dr. Sagan authored, I could not confirm that he ever said that phrase in public. Actually, it was a Johnny Carson Tonight Show skit that first mentioned that phrase on television.

from Poor Horatio

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116328: Huh. The state of Ohio dropped the age limit for the Covid inarculation to 50. I'm getting mine ASAP. I always liked the smell of the antiseptic they rub on your arm.

Billy Ray the Postman

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116329: Good morning, porch! Wow! PH, that poster and Dr. Sagan's comments really got my attention. So much so, that I've copied what you posted here and am emailing it to my "big list". Some of you porchsters will receive it. Fascinating, intriguing - it sent me on an online search. I wanted to learn a bit more about Dr. Sagan. From what I've read, he was not (as most would believe) a declared atheist. He would be best described as an agnostic. The two terms go hand in hand, and are often difficult to distinguish and can be mis-applied. Both stress "hard evidence", and thereby miss the basis of the whole idea of belief in God. That belief has to be born of faith, not "evidence." Since we have no concrete evidence regarding just what set it all in motion, and are not likely to ever find it, we are left with only one choice. Faith. God said it to Moses - "I am." Dr. Sagan was brilliant, obviously. It's too bad that he never discovered the real truth. The little blue dot exists, and that's all the "evidence" I need.

Some years ago, the actress Shirley MacLaine stood on a cliff beside the Pacific Ocean and with arms outspread, she declared in a quavery little voice "I am God." Can you imagine how that must have looked to the real God, whose viewpoint of Earth is at least as expansive as the "little blue dot" poster? I want to laugh every time I think about it, but I can't, because she is so pitiful.

Well, guess I'd better go rustle up a little lunch. I've got a sad little leftover something-or-other in there, maybe I'll throw a little cheese over it, stick it in the microwave for a minute, and finish it off. That, and a few cherry tomatoes, will do just fine. I just hate to waste food. By the way, speaking of cherry tomatoes - have y'all tried the "Rosy Rows" tomatoes? They're in a little box, still attached to their stems, and are in a "row" - about 10-12 tomatoes on a stem. They're each about an inch in diameter. I've seen others called "Flavor Bombs", pretty much the same thing. Good? Oh, yes!!! I can eat them like grapes!

Gray, cloudy and cool here today, but spring is on the way. My daffodils, which seem to have survived that hard freeze, are blooming, and as usual a dozen or so have popped up out in the yard, as well as in their beds. After they finish blooming, I'll dig them up and move them into a bed somewhere. I think my little bushy-tailed friends dig them up and replant them for me in the yard. I don't mind them in the yard, except that it makes it very hard for Eddie to mow. He won't mow them down (thank goodness) but it's hard to mow around them.

Have a great day, everyone. Stay warm, stay well, and keep looking up! --Romeena





March 09, 2021 - Msg 116330: Afternoon all.
I just stumbled on this little clip and loved listening to it. I know some of you will enjoy this.
https://youtu.be/mPtd5FMKQj8

Asa

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116331:
Romeena if you have not answered your own question about Dr. Carl Sagan's religious beliefs, check out https://tinyurl.com/9x5h9u94
Also, I am glad you enjoyed my space exploration posting and are willing to share it with your email list.

Asa, although I knew that Adam-12 used a real police dispatcher on the television program, I had never seen her interviewed before. Thanks for posting that link.
I did not care much for detective television programs. I preferred uniformed officers on patrol so Adam-12 was a favorite of mine along with Car 54 Where Are You (I still remember all the words to the theme song)

from Poor Horatio

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116332: Car 54 🚓Where Are You? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=S5MkCAwupe0 G-F

March 09, 2021 - Msg 116333:

GF--ya know Joe Ross also played "Gronk" in the
short-lived "It's About Time." :) Loved him in both shows.

PH--Here is that Johnny Carson skit.
Funny how our minds work, because I always thought that
Carl Sagan had said that!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIbbTHQmPkE&t=123s
In tonight's tags, The Clubmen, I saw a small flaw:
In the barber shop, Andy gave his key to the courthouse to
Floyd to give to Otis. The flaw was the fact that it was only
Wed, and they would not be gone until THURSDAY evening,
so Andy had no way to unlock the courthouse on Thursday
MORNING! (Yup, I know, I'm over-an@lizing again! ha)
The second one was The Pickle Story, but I
thinkweveallheardenoughaboutthatone! haha
God bless you all,
MDC