Various thoughts - 2023/02/14

A collection of random thoughts this week:

* Happy Valentine's Day.  If you are in a happy romantic relationship, give your partner a hug.  If not, find a friend and give them a hug.  To be fair...

* Congratulations to the Kansas City Chiefs for winning the Super Bowl.  They weren't my favorite team, but I have friends from Kansas City who are thrilled.

* Speaking of Kansas City, Feb 7th was the anniversay of the day I lost one of my closest friends.  Barbara Jo, I still miss you, your energy, your intelligence, your attitude towards life.

* Condolences to the Eagles, who lost a close game.  In the past 100 days, Philadelphia was runner-up in the finals of three different sports.  That's brutal- and I say this as a fan of the Cubs, Cavaliers, Guardians, and Buffalo Bills.

* I think we need clearer defintions of "Left", "Liberal", "Right", and "Conservative".  We tend us the first pair and second pair interchangably, and I think that is misleading.  In baseball, it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard.  In politics, it's hard to use labels without understanding what they mean.

* Fun link of the week:  Roll for Sandwich.  A man uses dice rolls to create his lunch.  Given my history with dice rolls, I would be terrified to try this for myself.  He makes some fascinating combinations.  

* Thank you all for reading.

Closing Out 2014

2014- it was a year.

On a personal level, 2014 will always be the year I lost one of my best friends.  Barbara Jo, I still miss you and always will.  Life is so much more duller without you around, and I'll see you in the next life. 

On every facet of life, there are good points and bad points.  2014 seems like the bad points were brought out in full force.

Politics (federal)- Gridlock reigned supreme, unless they were cutting dealsto help out Wall Street.

Politics (local)- Eric Garner and Michael Brown put a spotlight on a rift between the police and the citizens

Entertainment- One great Comedian (Robin Williams) took his own life, due to depression and health issues.  Another great Comedian (Bill Cosby) has been credibly accused of multiple rapes.

And yet- good points can be found.  The economy is improving (more slowly than I would like, but it is going int he right direction).  Gas prices are falling.  Technology continues to improve- from solar panels that achieve 40% efficiency to breakthroughs in graphene.  Hell, we even landed a spacecraft on a comet.

But right now, it seems like the low points of 2014 stand out more.

Here's hoping things get better for 2015.

In Memoriam: Barbara Jo

One of my closest friends passed away suddenly.  Barbara Jo Erickson was... the best way I can describe her is to say that she embraced life like no other person I ever met.  She wanted to experience everything. 

Ride a motorcycle?   Sure! 
Ski?  Let's go!
Last-minute Trip to Western California for a License Plate show?  When's the flight?

Hanging around her, you needed an open mind to try anything.  She had about 10,000 hobbies, and she'd pick them up and drop them on a whim. 

She was fun, and brilliant, and opinionated, and in-your-face, and she made life much much better just by being in it.  And while we never worked out as a couple, I was so glad we could stay in touch, remain friends, and be a part of each others lives.

Barb was only 45, and while she had had health problems in the past, her death was so unexpected.  Her mother and two of her grandparents are still alive, and this is so horrible for them.

I wish all of you could have met her.

I miss you, Barbara Jo.

See you in the next life.