How the Tides Work... 'n' Stuff

This post went random pretty quickly, so I thought I'd come back to the top to warn you. Random Wednesday!

One of the guys on TMZ started a new segment with what I thought was "The Olympics are over and a lot of the athletes wanted to breastfeed dogs from meat farms..."

Turned out he said "rescue" not "breastfeed"... which is still interesting in its own way.

You know those pre-fab, frosted grocery store cookies in the plastic boxes, that people debate about, whether they are the most delicious thing in the bakery or the most disgusting thing on the planet? Well, I have some with pink frosting. (You KNOW you're jealous!) Guess what? They make your poop pink. Just didn't want anyone else to worry that they might have a deadly GI illness.

(Yikes!)

Hey. So, is Chasez singing the Bubly sparkling water jingle on the new commercial? It sounds very Chasez-ish.

If you haven't been watching Blue Planet II, you need to. Every minute of each episode shows you a new and amazing something. They catch things on film that have never been seen. And! I finally understand how the moon creates the tide. I have always thought they were saying that the moon pulled the tide away from the shore with it's gravity, which didn't ever make sense to me, because the moon would have to follow a very specific path parallel to the land to pull the water away from a particular shore, and thus would have an effect on some beaches, but not others.

The more accurate explanation is that the moon is pulling the whole ocean UP with its gravity, which, in turn, pulls the edges away from all the shores. Get it? I had this light bulb moment when Blue Planet II was discussing it very briefly, and the time lapse video just hit me a certain way where it all made sense. Too funny.

And since I did more research on the Google, I will share with you that the reason there are two high tides a day is because the moon pulls the land away from the ocean when it's on the other side of the Earth, resulting in a second bulging of the ocean. (Here's a fancy gif.)

And finally, one of my coworkers sent me this (for those of us who manage data... or don't... still funny!):

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The Real Issue

I whole-heartedly support better background checks on gun purchases, age limits, no assault weapons, all of that. It's all smart action, and may stop some people from killing themselves or others, but the thing that is at the root of mass violence in America is mental illness. Ignore that, and all this other stuff is just a tiny dent in the problem. There are many ways people inflict mass violence. Most of them don't use guns.

We need to do a better job as a society, and especially in schools, while kids are young and developing, in preschool and grade school and beyond, identifying and helping students who are feeling left out, are being bullied or who display concerning behaviors. (YEESH, can't they finally stop tolerating bullying in schools? How many decades has it gone on now?)

I just wonder how many children who headed down this path to insanity could have been integrated more effectually into their peer group early on. Sure, most kids are uncomfortable engaging with the "different" kiddos one-on-one, but perhaps encouraging kids to welcome those children into their groups is a start. As a group, ask this child to eat lunch with you, or play a game with you, etc. That doesn't place a lot of pressure on a single child. It's the community working together to help someone, which most of us would like to do. I leave it to the professionals to figure it out, but what we're doing isn't working.

There also needs to be a conversation about the fact that there are some kids (and adults) who are a danger to themselves or others, who just unfortunately need to be detained or supervised in a manner that minimizes their threat. If you are a danger to yourself or others, there are rules already in place (I assume in most locales) that allow involuntary commitment to a mental health facility. Maybe we need to have a treatment option that is a step down, where someone is not an immediate threat, but has treatment mandated in an outpatient setting.

Something.

It's just so frustrating that so many people say they knew a particular person would "do something like this one day." A few of them in the Florida shooting even told teachers and other adults prior to this tragedy, but there wasn't anything meaningful done. Many times there are well-deserved punitive consequences, but they also need to address the real issue- a person's mental status. How can we help them heal, or are they are beyond outpatient treatment and need to be in a treatment facility long term?

Bigger picture, there also need to be better mental health treatments and better insurance coverage. Healthcare costs are ridiculous and need to be reigned in. (Ask me about my Not-for-Profit Healthcare Plan for America! Quite unpopular with pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurance companies! But I digress...)

Just incredibly sad. I can't imagine how the parents of all those kids must feel.

I am absolutely not supportive of kids leaving school to protest anything. If you believe in it, protest after school. And what if someone doesn't want to participate? Too bad, I guess. The education system is already crappier than ever. What kids need is a day off school, because nothing says "I demand that the government protect me from gun violence" than a bunch of giggling middle-schoolers taking selfies during their "protest."

Also worth a mention... that bogus stat about this being the 18th school shooting this year detracted from what is inarguably a devastating trend that needs to be addressed with swift and effective action. The Washington Post outed the group that created this false statistic. Stop detracting from this issue (and the Me Too movement, and racism, and a whole plethora of other very important issues) by overstating your story. The opposition will use it to discredit the whole movement. It makes people wonder what the truth is. Gah!

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Showtime!

But first... Do we actually live in a world where the next generation of people to run it think it's cool to eat a detergent pod or see how long they can leave their arm on an electric stovetop?

Mmmmmkaay.

Anyhoo... I went to a show every night this weekend! Haven't done that in forever.

Friday night, Kathy and I went to 10,000 Maniacs at the One World Theater. As the band was being introduced, the host said, "Lead singer Mary Ramsey has been with the group for over 25 years..." and all of us in the crowd were like, "WHAT? WHO?" Ahahaha! Well, much like many groups from the 80's, the original lead singer is gone and a sound-alike singer is in. I should have remembered Natalie Merchant's departure. Oops. Would have loved to see all the original members, but Mary is a wonderful singer and we really enjoyed the show.

I'd always wanted to go to a show at One World Theater. It is a gorgeous place. Great stonework, a beautiful hilly view... The theater seats only 300, so it's really intimate. Evidently there is a documentary about a cult who built the house decades ago. I need to look into that. Sounds interesting.

Saturday night, Jeff and I went to a community theater production of Doublewide, Texas in Lockhart. It was so funny! The theater is on the town square and they do almost exclusively comedy plays. We'll definitely be going back for another show! And we'll get there early enough to have dinner at one of the barbecue meccas.

Sunday night, Jeff, Julie and I went to see Cirque du Soleil Crystal in Cedar Park. This one is a mix of skating and acrobatics. It was breathtaking and ridiculously entertaining, as Cirque du Soleil shows always are. Such talented performers. Beautiful props. Snow and everything!

Got to see KathyG and Crystal today for lunch! Yay!

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Come Whaaaat Maaaaay

Jeff took me out for early (yes!) Valentine's Day night, to the Moulin Rouge (yes!) Movie Party at the Alamo Drafthouse. I don't know how many times I've seen that film, but it's amazing. Every. Single. Time.

THIS:


SO good.

I hadn't ever been to the movie party for it. Alamo's movie parties have props and stuff, which adds to the fun. Two missing props last night: Kleenex would have been helpful. Also, too bad we couldn't have sparklers for the "Spectacular Spectacular" finale. Right?! Do they have to be used outside? I dunno. It would have been supercool though. Your sparklers would go out right about the time Satine keels over.

(Oops, spoiler alert.)


Sunday Stealing

1. Have you ever tried to learn (or re-learn) a foreign language as an adult? Which one? What worked for you?

I have not tried to learn or re-learn a foreign language as an adult. Would love to.

2. Do you donate blood? Do you know your blood type?

I can't donate blood, because I had Hodgkins lymphoma. My blood type is O+. (Most cancer survivors can donate blood safely to others. There are different rules at different donation centers for cancer survivors donating blood, but in general, see these guidelines at the American Cancer Society website.)

3. Have you ever been in a play or musical?

Several in elementary through high school.

4. Do you use certain text or ring tones for specific people? Who gets their own? Or do you just use the default on your phone?

People I talk to regularly and close friends/relatives get a ring tone. It's currently the same one for everyone. All others in my contacts, along with anyone not in my contacts, have a silent tone, so I don't hear it at all.

5. When did you get your first digital camera? Do you still shoot on actual film, or all digital now?

I think I got my first digital camera when Lauren was small, in the mid 90's. I've been all digital since then.

6. What do you think someone else would say the most daring thing you’ve done is?

Someone else would probably say my high school talent show. Ha! I would say riding around Dallas in a teensy, four-seat plane, with Jeff's buddy piloting. 

7. Do you talk with your hands?

Not really.

8. Do you have a lucky number? What is it, and what is the story behind it?

Nope.

9. What kind of milk did you drink, growing up? And now?

We got whole milk when I was growing up. I have always bought 2%.

10. What is your favorite kind of pie?

peach

11. Are you a note taker?

Yep!

12. Do you have an eclectic mug collection, or is your stuff all matchy matchy?

Eclectic.

13. Do you have a junk drawer in your house/garage/at work/wherever?

Who doesn't?

14. What is the longest amount of time you’ve worked at one job – and what was/is it?

Volunteer webmsitress for a nonprofit foundation for 15 years.

15. How old were you when you took your first commercial flight? To where did you fly?

I was two or three years old, flying from Frankfurt, Germany to Houston, Texas.

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Oven Mitt PSA(s)

I bought a couple of inexpensive oven mitts at Target a few weeks ago. When I washed them, they came out as teeny-tiny, Oompa Loompa-sized oven mitts. No joke. 

When you wash budget oven mitts, use cold water and hang dry.

Until I was able to buy some better quality pot holders, I used dish towels, like they used to in the olden days. If, like me, you have little experience pulling things out of the oven with a dish towel, here is a very important safety tip:

Make sure there are NO damp areas on your dish towel before you grab something hot. Unlike cotton, water is a most excellent conductor of heat!

Just a wee lesson in the principles of heat transfer. And two PSAs for the price of one today!

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Super Bowl and Halftime Show

Super Bowl game was amazing!! I really enjoyed it, even though I don't follow NFL much and none of my fave teams were there. Such a great game.

We played two games- winners each quarter for guessing the last digits of the score, and Super Bowl Commercial Bingo. We had lots of Scott's great food. I made a Caesar salad from scratch, which I've never done before. Even made my own croutons. Fun!

Halftime... I was disappointed. Justin Timberlake is one of the most talented performers ever, but the halftime show was blah. No big stunts. No guest artists. Just him. I just don't think that cuts it for the Super Bowl.

Of course, I would always love to see NSYNC together, but since he's already had them join him onstage at the Super Bowl halftime, I get that he might not want to repeat it. Same for Janet Jackson. It's been done, even though she's a great performer. I really like the suggestions that he should have brought Britney on. She would have been a cool guest, with a huge reaction! Her inevitable lip syncing would have made me crazy, but at least the show would have been memorable. There are numerous other great bands/singers he could have had join him during the show. Anyone! I don't care who you are, you need a guest artist or two, or at the very least, a mind-blowing stunt/effect at the Super Bowl halftime show.

Also, as a Prince fan, I think it's very sad that JT performed "with" the image of Prince, a type of performance Prince himself specifically called "demonic." I personally don't like any of those duets with dead people, because I find them to be cheesy and creepy. The idea of a tribute to Prince in Minneapolis is a fantastic one, but Justin could have so easily just sung a Prince song without using the image and voice of Prince. So easily! How cool would that have been?!! Some people have suggested he could have had Shiela E join him for the tribute song. That would have ROCKED! Instead it was cringe-worthy. Gah.

I wanted to like it!

The game was amazing though!

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