Alma’s Bones 024 Present Day – US 101 North of Smith River, California

Alma’s Bones 024 Present Day – US 101 North of Smith River, California
Fiction in 1188  words by T. Edward Westen, 2018

Driving north to the Oregon Border about 2 miles out of Smith River, California Highway Patrol Officer Alya Elias braked hard and pulled on to the shoulder. Taking a deep breath and shaking her head she reached for the microphone on her dash. “ Officer 46N here, I am two miles north of Smith River. I have a woman down across the road and will notify as to condition. Over.”

The radio’s high pitched and electronic sounding voice responded, “Roger that. Advise what you need. Over”

Alya exited her patrol unit and crossed the two-lane road. As she got close to the woman lying spread eagle of the ground, she could see the blood pooled at the woman’s head, and the strange looking handgun had fallen near her right side. Walking around the body, it appeared the woman held the gun to the roof of her mouth as the exit wound was in the top of her head. Noticing a cell phone in the middle of the body’s stomach, she thought ‘Now that is strange.’

Returning to her patrol car, she reached in and keyed the microphone. “Officer46N. I have a dead woman by gunshot. I will need a crime scene unit. While it appears to be a suicide, one or two things look out of place. I am approximately one-tenth of a mile south of Ocean View Drive and US 101 North of Smith River. Over.”

“Officer 46N, a CSI field unit is in Crystal City and will be to your location in about fifteen minutes,  Over”

Present Day – Metropolitan NY

Detectives Mohamad Batan and Eddie Philipson entered Room Seventeen of Police Headquarters. The saw Technical Officer Renee O’Brien sitting back in her chair watching two moving dots on her computer screen. The two detectives scarped a chair on the floor moving toward Renee’s desk. Renee looked up and said, “I see you came directly from the airport.”

Eddie rubbed his neck and said, “I am always happier on the ground.” Indicating the computer screen with the two dots, he added, “Are those the bugs we put on Ms. Cundiff’s Freightliner?”

Renee nodded. “She found the two always on and put them on another vehicle. However, the ones that only transmit when there are vibrations from the truck moving or its engine running are still on the west coast. The other two are in Yellowstone. From how you described where you put those two she climbed up on the roof of her cab and the top of her refrigeration unit and found them. Clever girl.” Renee hit a few keys on her computer and stood up. “I’m printing out where the truck has been, and where it stopped. You know, if a few places we lose the signal but only for a few seconds and so we can extrapolate if she shopped or just ran behind a mountain or a stand of tall trees. It would appear cell phone reception on US 101 is not as good as it is on US 1 back here. The first time it happened, I was confused. But Bill Overton used to live out there and explained how the topography is a bit different, and cell calls get dropped while moving down highways. And I thought the whole country was civilized.” She pulled the printout off the printer and handed it to Mohamad.

“She stopped in Brandon, Oregon for a good twenty minutes and that is where the to types of tracers show the truck in two places at once. She stopped again at Elias Way just inside California for a few moments. Then she stopped a just north of Smith River near Ocean View Drive for eight minutes. Then she dove without stopping into San Francisco. There she stayed for eight hours.” Mohamad took a deep breath. “You know, we need to ask the California State Police, if there are any, well, incidents either at Elias Way or Ocean View Drive at the time she was there.”

“CHIPS is what I recall they are called. There used to be a show on television . . .”

But Renee interrupted Eddie, “California Highway Patrol. CHP got an ‘I’ added for the television show.”

US 101 North of Smith River, California

As the Crime Lab Field Unit was processing the site, taking photos, dusting the gun and cell phone for prints and making casts of the footprints, CHP Officer Alya Elias could not get the placement of the cell phone out of her mind. Approaching the Crime Lab sergeant in charge, she asked, “Sergeant Fretters, don’t you think the cell phone neatly in the middle of the victim’s stomach is a bit odd?”

“Yes, I do. Someone put it there. My crew checked the cell phone for gunpowder residue along with taking all the prints off the phone—there were a lot of prints. I don’t believe you young woman ever wiped her screen down. It is my experience that is a sure sign she didn’t take many photos. While I don’t like to mess with much before the detectives get here, let’s take a look.”

Sergeant Fretters and Alya walked to the back of the Crime Scene Truck. After donning latex gloves, the Sergeant picked the cell phone out of the evidence box. He turned the cell phone one, swiped his finger across the screen, and the phone opened to an MP3 file. Pressing play the Sergeant and Alya watched the victim: “Frank. I love you, and I am sorry, but I have to do this. I knew when I got the diagnosis that I would not be able to stretch out living with the pain and treatment. I left this morning to go to the Golden State Bridge. I was going to jump. But I met this woman whose mother had the same thing and understands. She is holding the camera. When I put this gun to my mouth, it will be over. Don’t worry; she will turn the camera off when I do so you do not have to watch. Good-bye, my darling Frank.” The video continued, and they could see tears forming in the woman’s eyes as she raised the gun towards her mouth. She paused, “Have you stopped recording?” Another woman’s voice said, “Yes,” as the camera lowered but still focused on the woman’s mouth. Then a muffled bang. Finally, the video stopped.

“Whoever was holding that cell phone is one cold bitch,” said Alya.  She shook her head.  “I have never seen a handgun like that. Strangest damn thing I have ever seen.  I wonder what she had that she thought killing herself was her only option?”

“The coroner will be able to tell us what she had.  But, I have seen a barrel like that on another gunshot death down near Redding,” replied Sergeant Fretters, but the whole gun never. We figured it was a throwaway barrel of some sort at first. Then the internet showed us one, and it is a 3-D printable handgun., the first of its kind. Why did she come all the way here to use it? Her driver’s license says she is from Florence, Oregon.”

The “S” Word is on the Way & 028 Agent White’s Interview with Col. George Blackwell

Good Morning Ted and Jody:

The weather folks are using the “S” word to describe next week. You know, that time in the Great Pacific Northwest when the sun is out, the temperatures are in the 80s to god knows how hot and it is dry. They are positively doling at the prospects. Those kinds of climatic conditions drive people out to search for water in which to immerse themselves (I suspect it is because we have not quite shed our amphibian ancestry). Ironically, it is these same conditions that melt the snow pack that keep the flowing bodies of water at temperatures guaranteed to induce hyperthermia in minutes. The weather folks note this as well but still drool over the prospects of 80+ degrees.

What this all means, is that the flowers on trees are all by over. However, there is one holdout, the flowers in the water which should continue well into next week. I took time out from my busy day on the exercise bike (while the stationary bike is not helping me get rid of that pound that I am only four or five pounds away from shedding, it has seemed to lower my overall blood sugar by several points) to shoot the flowers and present them here. (I have not figured out how to get proper clouds in the shots that are directed downward, but I am working on it).

The pestilence leaves for the Middle East today. Let us pray they like him and want to keep him.

I trust this finds you in good health, spirits, and happily not in hyperthermia inducing water.

Warmest regards, Ed

028 Agent White’s Interview with Col. George Blackwell
Fiction in 932 words by T. Edward Westen, 2017

“Col. Blackwell, thank you for agreeing to talk with me again,” said Agent White.

“It is my pleasure to assist the ATI in any way I can,” replied Col. Blackwell. “What precisely do you want to know.

“Normally I would be advised to mask what I am looking for,” said Agent White. “however, you are too smart for me to play games. I am looking for any way you could still travel in time.”

Col. Blackwell chuckled, “I gave that up for my health. I had the implant removed and had another ATI agent bring me here. Here I am not likely to encounter contemporary time travel in my lifetime. Sort of removed from all temptation, so to speak.”

“How is this for your health?” asked Agent White.

“I am what you might call a danger junkie,” replied Col. Blackwell. “I tend to go in where the ammunition is in the air, or bombs are going off. A person could get killed that way. At least that is what my lovely wife tells me. She used to get physically ill when I went on missions. 43% of my operational command over the years did not return alive. She explained that she loved me too much to want to have to get a folded flag. So, she was going to leave me. As much as I love danger, I love her more. She agreed to, shall we say, rough it and live in an earlier time where there was no civil or international warfare. Now, to be precise if I gave up my commission and implant. So, here I am and here I will stay.

“Is that your wife,” asked Agent White pointing to a woman seated on a bench some distance off.

“Yes, your presence makes her nervous,” replied Col, Blackwell. “We have been here five years now and I suspect she thinks I yearn for the old life. I suppose I could, but I don’t, I write instead. I write fantastic science fiction stories about military operations across time. I used the old high energy approach to time travel in my novels—fictional adaptations of actual events to come. I often wonder if I am influencing any people in the future to be more circumspect.

“So, you gave it up for her health and your continued marriage to her. Could you ask your wife to join us?” asked Agent White.

“Yes, certainly,” replied Col. Blackwell. He stood up and waved to his wife. Cupping his hands over his mouth he called out “Julia, come and join us please.”

When Julia rose to join them, Agent White could see the woman was pregnant. Agent White rose and walked toward Mrs. Blackwell and greeted her and said, “Mrs. Blackwell, I am Amanda White. I am here to clear your husband as a suspect in a series of time crimes.”

Julia Blackwell laughed, a laugh bordering on hysteria. “Thank God, I thought you were here to recruit him. And I thought we were doing so well, him not coming back from missions missing body parts. He seemed to enjoy the writing and his agent brings money. But still, it isn’t the same as being shot at is it?”

Agent White changed the topic, “When are you due.”

Julia Blackwell patted her stomach and said, “21 days.” Smiling broadly, she asked, “What crimes?”

Agent White shook her head and then replied, “We noticed when five bodies materialized in the 21st Century that were not contemporary to that period. We initially thought it was a dumping ground for a murder for hire or a scam on cryogenics. We subsequently found wine theft from a long time ago, baseball cards and we suspect this is just the tip of the iceberg. Quite frankly, someone who fits your husband’s taste for danger would not normally be a suspect as these crimes have all been rather sneaky. However, he is one of four former time travelers who are now off the grid I have to check out.”

“I trust my husband; but, I check on him,” replied Julia Blackwell.

Amanda White looked confused, “Check, how do you check?”

Julia Blackwell cocked her right index finger and said, “Come inside and I will show you.” As the two women entered the house, Julia said, “Everyone has favorite things, or habits or things they depend upon. You know the kinds of things you think you can’t live without. Back in real time, I call it real time as this is more like a dream. Back in real time, George was never without a cigar. It was not so much she smoked them as they were part of his attire. He liked a brand called South Pacific. When I check, I look for that particular cigar. In this dream world, he uses a different brand of cigar, a wholly different style or shape. I look for evidence of South Pacific cigars. I know George and if he were still moving around in time he would not be able to resist picking up a canister of South Pacific cigars and bringing them home. In five years, I have not seen one after the first week when he ran out and had to switch to a contemporary brand.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Blackwell,” said Agent White. “You don’t know how much you have helped my ability to check out the other three on my list. If I am reading you right, if they are staying where they are, they won’t have the thinks they used to not be able to live without.”

Julia Blackwell nodded.

Red-Winged Blackbirds

Dear Ted and Jody:

I got up with the prospect of only a 56% cloud cover, which normally means a break in the eastern sky for color to develop. This morning it was more like a 156% cloud cover. How is that possible? It isn’t, but it was darker than dark and so once again the reliable weather app was unreliable. I did drive to the boat ramp, but the level of activity at 4:30 there indicated to me that even if there was a photo opportunity, the light pollution (line of cars with headlights on vehicles waiting their turn to launch boats) would overwhelm it. So, I simply came home. This morning was then one of the rare mornings that I climbed back under the covers and slept for another 2 ½ hours. (Ah, at least a total of 8 hours sleep on a summer night. Avery rare event until late August.)

I read an article about red-winged blackbirds in Kentucky this morning. https://nkytribune.com/2024/03/art-landers-outdoors-the-red-winged-blackbird-is-a-native-species-rarely-observed-up-close/

While the article did not tell me that they live about 2 years, nor about non-mating males (males with only red on their wing and not the pale yellow); it did tell me that once hatched the young (3 or at most 5 [but 5 rarely] in a brood) leave the nest after 11 to 14 days. It described nesting habitat (an accurate description of the “area just to the north of the 1/3^rd of a mile on WA504 where I usually walk (trying not to get run over by a vehicle) for evening images—marsh with cattails) and how the birds behave in that habitat. The only addition I would make to the article is that the red-winged blackbirds will hop from one Lilly pad to another, often using their beak to lift the edge of an adjacent Lilly pad in search of water bugs. But then, perhaps where the author of the article observed them might not have had water Lillies. The article also asserted that the birds put up a ruckus when humans approach their nesting area. And, I thought, they were singing me a welcome song. I put the link to the article above as it is short and informative.

Having had 2 ½ hours more sleep after I got back home, by 9:30 the deer (and all other creatures, including red-winged blackbirds, who partake of those piles of corn) had not had any corn piles for well over 4 1/2 hours. When the motorized grange door opened (my version of a deer, duck and rabbit call) there were no “customers/diners.” As I filled cups with corn this doe (first image below) showed up and stood over one of the the spots I normally put down corn (the spots are easy to see as the pigeons flying off and clean them of small gravel from the force of wind under their wings—bare spots if you will) almost as if she had hands and had them on her hips demanding to know why I was so late. Then this out of season fawn appeared second image below). I did write to the DNR asking what caused the fawn to still have spots (or what cause a fawn to be this late) back in March, but the DNR apparently is too busy with more important things that answering a citizen’s question, so no answer. Then there are more images from last evening including a female red-winged blackbird. The last image is from yesterday morning around 7:00.

I have made a little progress on my thoughts about our Republic and do think I will be able to bore you in a few days.

In the meantime, think about the danger posed to our Republic by a significant proportion of our population believing the lies of Trump, the Republicans and FOX News.

Love, Ed

A Short Note

Dear Ted and Jody:

I am off to a very late start today. I did go down to Vancouver and have a sonogram of my carotid arteries this morning. Now I wait to hear what is what. The technician did say, “the stent seems to be doing well.” At issue is if they can do a robotic entry into my lungs and take a sample of what is growing in there. I have told them that my lungs and I are not available until after Memorial Day.

The combination of medically related telephone calls and weather has made taking photographs a challenge for the past few days. However, here is what I have managed to salvage in that department.

I am thinking about the Republic, its start and its current state. I shall bore you with some thoughts about the Republic in the near future. Until then, That’s all for today.

Love, Ed

Probably more than you want to know and a few photos

Dear Ted and Jody:

Since Monday evening, I have had three telephone discussions with MDs, and seven calls (not including one I missed) from various other representatives of the clinic and hospital to which I have been referred this week. The initial spate of calls on Tuesday were to arrange for this week and early next. Then, around noon yesterday, when I was coming back from having a CT scan of my lung, the cancellations (perhaps adjustments or intent to reschedule might be more accurate) started rolling in. (Yes, I know that is a preposition dangling at the end of that sentence, I’ll live with it.)

To give you some back ground on why appointments changed in a hurry the past few days. Around Thanksgiving last year, I had three episodes with my vision which indicated I had a high probability of a stroke in the making. An ophthalmologist diagnosed the problem and I went to see a vascular surgeon. He scheduled a January procedure to put a stent in to open the carotid artery and compress the plaque in it. Eighteen months prior to this, my pulmonologist noticed a growth in one of my lungs. After watching it, for all that time he referred me to thoracic surgeon. That appointment was delayed until after my carotid artery was taken care of and I was off blood thinner. I have been off blood thinner since April 23^rd. Monday after seeing the thoracic surgeon for the 2^nd time I came home and around 1 PM I experienced a vision event that was identical to the ones I experienced back in November. I sent a note to my vascular surgeon (I was not scheduled to see him until mid August for a check up) informing him of the event. Tuesday when the thoracic surgeon called to inform me of the board’s finding about my lung, I told her about the vision event. So, Wednesday all the week’s schedule was erased and I got an appointment for the 31^st to have a sonogram on my neck. However, the scheduling was not done “changing.” this morning I got a call for the sonogram to change to tomorrow morning. I also anticipate a visit to the vascular surgeon (unless I can convince him to call or have his PA call about the outcome of the sonogram) if and when they can fit an appointment into his overcrowded schedule.

The reason all the changes for the robotic biopsy and all related visits is that the anesthesia used to put me under so they can send the robot in will change my blood pressure and that could cause more plaque to dislodge and I could have a stroke, so the pulmonologist explained. I will confess, when my vision event happened at1 PM on Monday, it scared me, for I understood immediately what could possibly happen to me by just walking around. But, I am not going to worry about it. Worry, after all, can kill one.

The only news I have seen was the Mafia members (OK, maga Members of Congress) lining up to show obedience to Trump at the court house this morning. I do believe there is a Bible verse that is appropriate here: Luke 23:34. (Or, at least, they better not know what they are doing.)

A few images from yesterday:

Love, Ed

Televised Course in Law and more

Dear Ted and Jody:

As you know, I went to see the thoracic surgeon yesterday. The May 7^th board meeting is actually being held today. The surgeon thinks the growth in my lung is a slow growing caner. The PET CT scan’s use of radioactive sugar to find fast growing caners, does not find slow growing cancers. So, while it still could be a mold, infection or something brand new to medical science, she believes it is a slow growing cancer and will let me know late this afternoon what her colleagues in the review board conclude. I would almost put down $100 that they will recommend surgery. To answer the obvious question, I am actually handling this very well (I have not lay down kicking and screaming). After all, there are so many things wrong with me, that a slow growing cancer is least likely to be the death of me in the near future. Despite all of my design flaws, I have already lived 4 years longer than any male in my father’s side of the family.

The heat of the two and one-half days of Summer has passed and we now are into either early Fall or another late Spring. Temperatures will gradually decrease into the 60s F until Memorial Day when they may get back to 70 F. I noticed the hear impacted Long Ears. She was finding shade behind pots, even this morning, rather than sleeping in them. As you now we buy kale to give to Long Ears. There are times the kale gets a bit droopy. So, last week, Nancy put some in a jar of water and it perked right up. This morning when I tossed Long Ears some “re-perked” kale, she sniffed it and then ignored it. To see it was the kale or if she was full, I got a piece out that had not been “re-perked” and tossed it to her. She gobbled it down. So there is something about kale standing in water to make it perk up that Long Ears did not like. Perhaps we should put out some pots and catch rain water and try again.

It is looking like the NY trial of Donald Trump will end this week. My main takeaway is that the coverage on MSNBC and CNN is a graduate course in the law and judicial system. I have also concluded that the practice of a trial attorney is largely script writing, acting, and story telling. A very small part of an trial attorney’s job in the trial itself involves the law per se.

It only took the bulk of the trial before “prominent” (OK, well known) Republicans started to show up and take Trump’s place in badmouthing the proceedings when they come out. After all, Trump is under a gag order. The Senators, Congressmen, and former opponents in primaries, put a hole in what I was going to use FR’s comment, “The American voting system is all gobbledegook to me, I can never get my head around how it all works.” I had intended to assert that the maga crow was probably uninformed (actually misinformed) and ignorant of facts. However, I can not believe that Senators Scott, Vance and Tuberville do not have access to information and only have access to misinformation. Hence there is a more sinister reason for their articulating the lies that constitute full fledged membership in the Trump maga cult. That reason is they want the support of the maga cult. In effect they have made a calculation that Trump will win the election in November and they want to be in on the power of governing. Towards what end? They have several ends: outlaw abortion nationally in the most severe way possible, restrict non-white people’s right to vote, lower taxes on the rich (expand the deficit again), kill the nation’s economy by restricting immigration, ending any pretense of fighting global warming by reducing our dependence on oil, an by supporting Trump in his quest to become a dictator. My God have mercy on the USA and the world.

Here are images from last evening.

Love, Ed

6th Grade Field Trip

Dear Ted and Jody:

A friend of mine in England remarked: “The American voting system is all gobbledegook to me, I can never get my head around how it all works.” I got to wondering if perhaps a large number of Americans also find our voting system ”goggledegook”

When I was in the sixth grade in Badger Wisconsin, on the Monday before a presidential election, our teacher took us on a field trip to the Badger Village polling place about two blocks from the school. Sill for us, it was an adventure. We were each given a ballot and the teacher explained the ballot. At that time the Republicans were represented by a rooster on the ballot rather than an elephant. I suspect the State of Wisconsin has since changed their ballots. We were shown that when one checked the box for Eisenhower or Stevenson that one was voting for a list of electors who were listed on the ballot below the presidential candidate’s names. That was an eyeopener for me. I do not believe that since I started voting, the actual electors are listed on the ballots. I think it is just assumed the voter understands he or she is voting for electors. Since the electors are committed by state laws to vote for the candidate that wins the popular vote, I assume it is not important they be on the ballot. However, since it is deemed an honor to be a presidential elector, one would expect they be recognized.

I remarked yesterday that I did not know when and why 48 of the states passed laws to make the presidential race in the state a winner take all electors contest. It is not clear to me that all voters understand that the state races are one candidate wins the entire state’s electoral votes. I do not know if other sixth graders were taught about electors the same way that I was. And, having had a rather extensive exposure to American voting in undergraduate and graduate classes, I do know that the Electoral College is at best made passing reference to in those classes (nothing as extensive as my 6^th grade introduction). Since the way we vote for president is different from all other elections in America, state, local and congressional, I can well understand why the Electoral College and its winner take all state by state may not be front and center in voter’s thinking.

I am off to the thoracic surgeon this morning to see what is going to happen with my lung issue.

Images from last evening.

Love, Ed

The Electoral College

Dear Ted and Jody:

Summer is not over, but today temperatures will only reach into the 70s F. I still have not been able to see any northern lights. However, the Weather Service has put out a warning that the phenomenon will continue into the week ahead. The warning is that the solar activity could know out some electric and radio services. So, I’ll keep watching. Watching last night was disruptive of my sleep pattern. And I eventually fell asleep so it could have happened in that two hour period. Who knows?

Yesterday was a day of two firsts: the first temperature in the 90 F range for the year, and, the first California Bing cherries in a market ($3.98/lb at Walmart). Today’s first is the clematis bloom. It is on a 12 to 15 year old plant next to my back porch. That photo was taken this morning.

Here are some images from yesterday. The first three are with the Nikon P900 the rest with the Samsung S24 Ultra.

As you can see, with few clouds, I am having to find other things to shoot.

My friend in Australia, Phil, asked an interesting question (indeed, several) about American elections. “Why don’t the parties themselves train people for the job [of being President]?” I won’t go into the detail of my answer to him. Suffice it to say, the American political parties, are not quite on-going entities. Rather they are a loose amalgam of 50 state parties that get together every 4 years to elect a president and vice-president.

You can read Phil’s questions and my response in the comments section of https://deartedandjody.wordpress.com/2024/05/10/don-corleone-opps-i-mean-don-trump/

Since we tend to look at the world as it exists and not as it could exist, Phil’s questions got me thinking about the way we elect a president—specifically the Electoral College. In the Constitutional Convention back in the late 18^th Century, the delegates to the convention did not want to have a popular vote for president as they felt the average voter would not know much if anything about candidates from outside of their states. I believe the terms ignorant and uninformed were used. Having the president chosen by Congress would be problematic for the separation of powers they were envisioning. They came up with electors whom they thought would be more informed than the average voter about out of state candidates. So, the average citizen would vote for slates of electors whom in turn would cast ballots for president. Supposedly the ignorant and uninformed problems were solved. (I guess they did not consider “misinformed”.)

What Phil’s question stimulated in my thought process, was “Why do 48 of the 50 states use a winner take all electoral votes in the state?” It occurs to me that in this era of two entrenched political parties, a winner take all electoral state votes is increasingly going to reward a minority party and keep the policies of the nation in, shall we say, “a retro mode.” So, it would be interesting to see when and why 48 of the states adopted the winner take all approach to electoral votes.

Love, Ed

Two Days of Summer

Dear Ted
and Jody:

It looks like WP is playing silly buggers with postings and not showing images and not quite lining the text up correctly. I do apologize.

Summer
showed up yesterday. Temperatures got into the high 80s. And Summer
came back this morning. With summer, all sorts of people show up in
the parks, roads, and mountains, But very few clouds make an
appearance. Despite the lack of clouds I drove up into the Cascades
yesterday afternoon and snapped a few shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53713235672/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714359593/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714578450/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714588000/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714494714/in/dateposted-family/

I do
believe they have left the housekeeping go in the Cascades as the
snow is getting dusty.

Then at
sundown, there were just enough clouds in close to the right area of
the sky to take some shots.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714592340/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53713249502/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714164266/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714373008/in/dateposted-family/

Since
tomorrow is Mother’s Day, I had my massage this week this morning
rather than tomorrow. I made my regular stop at Trojan Park a couple
of minutes from Juli’s house, I noticed a color gradation on the
ground from blossoms. And while it does not show up well in the
first image, the second one is a zoom depicting the colors, and the
third, also a zoom, showing you the two blossoms.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714508984/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714509009/in/dateposted-family/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714508989/in/dateposted-family/

While
technically a clear day when it comes to clouds, it is hazy.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/141644632@N03/53714612090/in/dateposted-family/

Unfortunately,
I did not get the northern lights last night. I went to sleep before
it got dark and slept in this morning. Perhaps, tonight if the sun
is still “burping.”

Love, Ed

PS, I
think Summer is not going to stay very long this time.

Don Corleone opps, I mean Don Trump

Dear Ted and Jody:

Yesterday, when I finally caught some of the news around 2 PM, a talking head made reference to the similarity of conversations in Trump world and the movie, Godfather. Finally, talking heads are coming around to my contention that Don is not Trump’s nick name; it is his title in the Trump crime family even though he has no connection to Sicily. As I recall the Talking head asserted that the conversations in Trump world were getting uncomfortably close to the way characters in the film talked.

Back in 2019 Michael Cohen testified before a House, he explained how Trump talked in a manner almost identical to how Don Corleone in The Godfather spoke. Then there is Trump’s book about how to get rich: Why We Want You To Be Rich. The book lays out Trump’s mafia like vindictiveness. Indeed, the talking head yesterday was spot on. The way Trump talks is very close to way the Mafia is portrayed.

To switch topics but still staying on Trump. Trump lawyers attempted to damage Stormy Daniels’ credibility . The right wing media piled on. She wants money. How can you believe a porn star. How many men have you had sex with. And a bunch more attacks. Imagine what a problem the defense, Trump himself, and all if his enablers would have had discrediting her if she had made up this story: “It was by far the best sex I ever had. And, I should know, as I have more sex than I can count.”

After I wrote the last paragraph I took a break and read some of today’s incoming computer traffic. My friend Pete Published the following which is spot on.

It is so spot on I immediately send it to you by text.

Last evening the skies were completely cloudless. Here is what Silver Lake looks like in the late afternoon and over an hour before sunrise without clouds to put on a light show.

Ironically, I have few photos on days most people call “picture perfect,” That is going to be the case again tomorrow and Sunday.

Nonetheless . . .

Ryan called this morning. I am please to say he sounds like he is in much better place mentally and emotionally. We talked for close to 45 minutes.

I still do not know about this lung business. However, I see that doctor Monday morning; so I should have some idea then what is what.

Love, Ed

Life Out There

Dear Ted and Jody:

We had an almost clear sky last evening and this morning. Here are four I took last evening and then six from this morning.

This morning was unusual as a pair of fisherman used the dock and kept it lit by their headlights. (40 minutes of light pollution) The intrepid fishermen sat in the truck with it running the whole time I was there—rugged outdoors-men to be sure. The boat in the water sat there the whole time with no movement. I don’t know it if was anchored or had escaped.

I used to read science fiction in the 1950s. Aliens and intelligent robots were not a large part of the stories withe the exception of I Robot by Asimov. However, when sentient aliens or robots were featured, they were anthropomorphized. I never thought much about it at the time. Then the popular film and T V series, Star Trek, included aliens on the ship’s crew. Those aliens behaved as though they were human. Even on Battlestar Galactica , the aliens pursuing the humans, Cylons, behaved as if they were humans.

Now let me digress into human behavior. Yes, human beings have a brain that is self aware, reasons in a more or less logical manner, but that brain is housed in a body that has need for substance, pain avoidance, reproductive experiences, just to name three. The human body is susceptible to injury and diseases which influence the brain’s thought processes if only because the brain has to direct muscles and appendages to scratch an itch.

It is not at all clear that self aware artificial “life” forms would have distractions similar to those of human beings. Yes, they could initially be programmed into the artificial life form at its creation, but the artificial life would have its own set of “pseudo” bodily distractions. Alien life forms could have developed in a manner inconsistent with the way life on Earth developed. Yes, those who seek evidence of aliens presuppose an environment similar to Earth’s. However, that may not be the environment in which a truly alien life form develops and end evolves into a thinking self aware being. Actually, I would be astounded if alien life forms were indeed similar to life on Earth. However, I could be very wrong about that. As it is, I have no clue as to how life forms dissimilar to us could develop. However, I suggest we be prepared for that.

Why does this matter? If you look around today and through our history, we do not get along well with others who are at best marginally and superficially different from us. However, despite any real or imagined differences we posit between us and other human beings marginally different from us, we, paradoxically, know the range of the kinds of behavior to expect from other humans given a range of behaviors that we exhibit towards them. Hence we have developed strategies for approaching other human beings that do not have to result in calamity (killing or maiming each other). These strategies largely are built around knowing the biological limits, the kind of thinking that other humans share regardless of culture, and the varieties of organization human beings tend to gravitate toward. A truly alien species would present an entirely unknown set of not only responses to our approaches, but entirely unknown approaches to us. This would be true of a sentient AI, or for lack of a better term, “cyber-species.” We would be at a serious disadvantage in both cases. But then, unless the species had already encountered other alien to it, life forms, so would it.

This all occurs to me after reading a news story yesterday about how scientists have potentially discovered a planet some 8 times more massive than Earth, in its star’s Goldilocks zone, with “signs” of life in its atmospheric gasses (algae emissions). The search for alien life is predicated upon life “out there” developing in the same way life developed here. Who knows they may have been hit by a different kind of life seed comet/asteroid/space junk than we were.

Love, Ed

Almost No Note

Dear Ted and Jody:

It has been a busy morning. Dawn started at 4:45 with sunrise about 6:00 AM. (It was scheduled for 5:45, but delayed because someone put the Cascades in the way.) Then I messed with images until around 8 when I got ready to meet Ed for coffee at Burger King. Coffee lasted until about 10:30. Then I drove in the Longview to get some paving base to fill potholes. I can lower the bags on to a shopping cart (more like a flat bed) but I can not lift them from the flat bed to the back of the Santa Cruz. This morning the loading assistant at Home Depot was tied up (Apparently it took some time to find him and untie him, We’ll not speculate at to why he was tied.) so I had to wait about 20 minutes after purchasing the paving base. Since Home Depot is next to Walmart, I stopped in for bird seed, but they had none. Then I went to a late breakfast, After breakfast, I stopped a the credit union for some much needed cash. Then there were the obligatory stops on WA504 to take a picture or ten. Upon arriving home, I got the shovel, utility knife, and red wagon and proceeded to fill pot holes in the driveway thereby lowering my blood sugar to a normal level and ending up with an unholy driveway. So here it is almost 2 PM and I am just now getting to write to you. Fortunately I processed the photos from last evening and this morning earlier or this would be even later.

Those were from this morning, the following are from last evening.

Given the lateness of the day, I’ll stop at this point and hope to get an earlier start tomorrow.

Love, Ed