Pooling together

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Linda Andrews

Last monday, there was a storm. And dust and leaves filled my pool.

On Tuesday, I was outside at 4am vacuuming and backwashing and emptying the pump basket.

On Wednesday, another storm blew in. Lots of rain (yay!) and leaves and dust. I decided to put off cleaning the pool until Friday. The hubbinator brushed the pool to keep the dirt moving around.

on Friday, after ferrying my daughter to her dental surgery, I began to clean the pool again. Except the vacuum didn’t work properly.

There was a clog in the line. I emptied the hose for the pool shark. I emptied the baskets. When the hubbinator came home, we worked together Friday night. And Saturday.

We brought out garden hoses, the wet vac (which causes a nice geyser). We had 3 plungers and a plumber’s snake. We improvised with tweezers, wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, paperclips, and rocks.

On Sunday, we worked our way to the impeller and removed 2.5 olive pits, dog hair, and twisted leaves.

And it worked.

Then our amazon package arrived and we worked another hour and a half to replace the backwash plunger.

Now the pool works and last night we had a storm. With leaves and dust, but only a little rain.

I love the monsoon season.

Until next time.

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Friday Futurecast: Human Labor (part 1)

Posted on July 13, 2018 by Linda Andrews

Technology usually makes our life easier and more efficient. But there’s no doubt that it is also taking human jobs.

Let’s face it when the only thing that matters is the bottom line-a robotic system that can work 24/7/365, that doesn’t need raises, that doesn’t come with the host of problems humans stir up is very attractive.

Sure, there will be some jobs created to maintain the technology, but for how long? Robotic repairs and AI defensive systems will evolve quickly to do those human jobs, too.

Which leaves human labor where?

Will we be kept as exotic pets in a stratified society, where the rich maintain their position? Will we evolve arts and culture and achieve our dream of space exploration (truthfully, I could see the AI’s leaving us behind and leaving just to get away from us.).

There would be population controls and calorie rationing.

And while there would be much loafing about.

But let’s face it. Humans would screw this up. There’s an old saying: Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. It wouldn’t take long before jealousy and lack of purpose sets in and we turn on each other. The question remains: would the AIs eliminate us or would we eliminate them first?

Until next time.

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Ugh

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Linda Andrews

The monsoons are here and yesterday, we actually got rain. Lots of rain.

It was wonderful. Yes, I went outside in it. Yes, I splashed in a few puddles.

And yes, I grumbled about the humidity when it was over.

Because… humidity.

I’m sure most of you now that in Arizona, we have dry heat. 110F is warm, 115F is hot. Both are manageable with enough sense, water, and sweat. And since I have plenty of all three, I do just fine.

However, sweating does no good in humidity. Frankly, I’m pretty sure my body is on the verge of a shutdown. How does one keep cool in humidity. Stay inside where it’s air conditioned. Except, I have to drive around, get out of my vehicle and take samples in the humidity. So, it doesn’t exactly work.

And then there’s exercising. Same routine on a dry day is less effort than on a humid day. There are only two benefits to humidity. First, it isn’t as cold when you get out of the pool but that’s not really much of a benefit.

Second: Rain. Lots of rain.

Here’s hoping for a really wet summer.

Until next time.

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The End is Just the Beginning

Posted on July 9, 2018 by Linda Andrews

No, I didn’t make up that headline. I stole it wholeheartedly from the Mummy with Rachel Weisz and Brendon Fraser. I still love the movie, but it doesn’t just apply to ancient Egyptian mummies.

It also works on writers.

This weekend, I managed to finish a book that took me over a year to finish. For someone who used to write 3-5 books a year, this long slog to the end was an epic journey worthy of the grandest epic adventure. And I was happy to be finished.

But writing the end is just the beginning.

Because, after the end is written, the rewriting begins. And I’ve already rewritten it twice since the end.

Now that I’ve submitted the book to my publisher, there will be further revisions, further rewriting.

The process can go on forever. But really writers don’t grow if they’re just rewriting the same work. So even after that book is published, the writing begins because there is another book. Another end. Another beginning.

In other words, writers are like hamsters on a wheel:D

Until next time.

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Friday Futurecast: The Immersive Experience

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Linda Andrews

Back in the day, the VR (virtual reality) experience was the up and coming thing. Through a pair of glasses, the wearer could become part of the game being played. This later evolved into real-life experiences where the viewer could experience everyday life or death as another person.

Naturally, this became addictive and became a problem for society.

I’m not sure where the VR experience derailed, but there are efforts to bring it back. Gaming being the first to try with suits and pads to feel what their avatar is feeling. I’m sure the porn industry will jump on board once the technology is perfected (anyone remember Demolition Man? Awkward.).

For most of us, I see the beginning of the immersive experience (rebranded VR for modern tastes) to start with those soaring adventures and exotic travels. Who wouldn’t want to fly like a bird or swing through a jungle like Tarzan? Immersing someone in water could make the whole spacewalk experience more real. The old could be young again, and the young old.

Mainstream movies would definitely follow, maybe to the point that you could select which character you would prefer to be. Let’s face it, we all have a favorite movie we’d love to be a part of.

Until next time.

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Happy Independence Day to America

Posted on July 4, 2018 by Linda Andrews

As we Americans plant to binge on barbecue and pie, I wish to thank our service women and men. The PD and Fire and medical staff who respond to gunshots and fireworks gone awry. The utility companies who keep the AC humming and the water folks for keeping the blue gold flowing

But let’s take a moment to remember that there are two sides to every story, sooo here’s a funny to get you through the day:

Courtesy of: https://me.me/i/happy-treason-day-ungrateful-colonists-1225276

But seriously, let’s also take a moment out to honor those ingenious enough to dream of a nation founded on democratic principles.

Courtesy of: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/ancient-aliens

Laugh because that’s funny:D

Until next time.

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Writing Math

Posted on July 2, 2018 by Linda Andrews

I like science. I love math. I love them because they make sense.

But then you throw in writing and the math starts obeying other laws. Laws that don’t make sense.

Today, I hoped to finish my book.

So I opened what I believed would be the last chapter and started on an empty page. I dictated 3 pages while walking the dog, then another 5 pages before returning to bed for a nap.

After breakfast, I dictated the rest of the chapter. Another 8 pages.

After lunch I started to work translating whatever language I speak into English. An hour later, I had 3 revised pages and 17 pages total. After two hours, I had revised 7 pages with 18 total.

Hmm.

By the time I was done for the day, I had written 12 pages and had a total of 20.

In the end, I decided those last 8 pages would be better in their own chapter.

So, for all those who love math word problems. In the beginning there was one chapter with 16 pages which equaled 2 chapter and twenty pages (with more to pages to be written from those original 8 pages).

I think the connection between the beginning and the end counts is my sanity.:D

I hope to finish the book tomorrow.

Until next time.

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Do you remember…

Posted on June 28, 2018 by Linda Andrews

Do you remember when radiation what the alpha and omega of everything? Spiderman got his powers from a radioactive spider. Of course, my favorite use of radiation was the belief that radiation made everything bigger.

Anyone remember the classic Gilligan’s Island episode where the irradiated seeds washed up on the beach and they grew squash that Cinderella’s fairy godmother would be jealous of:D

Naturally, classic B movies of the 1950s and 1960s used radiation to magnify the size of wasps, spiders, bugs, etc.

Anyone remember Them! I love the use of the bazooka. Really, there are not enough bazookas used in films these days.

Yesterday on amazon prime, I discovered The Giant Spider.  It was an homage to those classic B movies, even shown in black and white, set in the 50s, and featuring the stupid tropes about women. I won’t tell you what bug they super-sized, cuz somethings should be a secret.

But if you’re in the mood for a good bad movie and you love bugs, you might want to watch The Giant Spider.

Until next time.

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House Hunting with a Twist

Posted on June 25, 2018 by Linda Andrews

So the hubbinator and I have been watching the BBC programme Escape to the Continent on Netflix. On the show, folks are looking to leave behind the UK to settle elsewhere in Europe.

We especially like the ones where the couple hunting properties are looking for a way to supplement their income by having a B&B or fishing or growing herbs/plants. Which lead to some conversations between the hubbinator and I about which kind of business we’d like to run as a supplemental income.

Given that I’m not particularly a people person, our options are limited.

But then, the hubbinator came up with a brilliant idea.

He said a great twist would be to have a Haunted House Hunting.

Maybe, the former inhabitants of the house could pick their next owners:D There could be a month-long stay in the house to see how all parties involved got along. Of course, there would have to be a disclaimer for demon possession, and another if the living decided to leave but the ghosts decided to switch from haunting a place to people.

I would so watch that show.

Until next time.

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Friday Futurecast: Water

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Linda Andrews

We are a country that is a continent wide. It’s a bit mind-boggling to think about it, really. But this puts us in an enviable position. With ever-shifting weather patterns, we can take advantage of rain on one coast and shift the water to the middle or the other coast.

Better yet, we can continually recharge the Ogallala Aquifer which waters our breadbasket and keeps another dust bowl at bay.

While many water-plentiful states envision a giant straw sucking their lakes and rivers dry, this isn’t a clear vision of reality.

We’re talking excess precipitation, you know the kind that overflow riverbanks, causing floods and damage. Efficiently removing this water will save lives and money, and create jobs in local economies.

This water isn’t pristine as there are abundant contaminates on our roads. In winter, some of that salt could be reclaimed and reused by local governments.

Water pipelines could be laid in parallel with oil pipelines with the amazing benefit of not creating an environmental disaster if there should be a spill.

We can create recreational lakes to stimulate local economies via tourist destinations, and, most of all, by effectively managing our water supplies, we can maintain our food production supplies during periods of drought.

Until next time.

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