DOGE LIVES

Since Elon Musk retired from government work, you hear little or nothing about DOGE, The Department of Government Efficiency.  I thought it may have been abandoned.  Not so.  The acting administrator is Amy Gleason.   When the government is working (it's not since Wednesday), the update the website, www.doge.gov regularly to tell you what they are doing.  It's very interesting.

By the way, last Tuesday night was one of the best sightings of the International Space Station that I remember.  It was a beautiful, clear night and the station was plainly visible for seven minutes across the sky.  I love it.  NASA has a new Spot The Station app.  No good sightings available in my area until October 15. 

Monday's QUIZ was an easy one (I think).  I took the basis for the Grimm Fairy Tale of Hansel & Gretel and laid it out for you.  Gruesome, isn't it.  Did we really tell such stories to our children.  My son, Andy, gave me the right answer on Monday followed by my daughter, Amy on Tuesday.  

Have a good weekend!

COMMUNICATION

 Communication in my lifetime.  Long distance communication is what I'm talking about.  Not necessarily telecomminication.

1940s  The first I was aware of was my mother, standing on our porch, screaming my name, "Oh Pat!"  That told me it was time to come home.  If I was having great fun, I could pretend I couldn't hear her.  

1950s  We did get a phone in our house when I was young. Phone number Melrose 0643.  A black, dial phone and I think we had a private line; one phone, in the dining room, for five people.  My grandmother had a party line in her house. 

1960s  When I was in the service, I had a radio/phone near my desk and in the jeep when I drove it.  

1960s  After the Army and in our first home, we had a phone, I think.  I can't really remember.  I assume we did.  I hated the phone and used it less than sparingly.  I had one on my desk at work - a slimline.

1970s In our second home, we got a wall phone so the little kids couldn't reach it. It was centered in the house in the kitchen/dinette.  Later, I put a long cord on it when the girls were preteens.  Phones became very cheap and I eventually installed several around the house. 

1980s  When CB radios were all the thing, I had one in my company car.  Actually, I had about three of them in my car all together but not at the same time.  They were easy to steal.  I was a victim.

1990s  We moved up to mobile telephones in our cars when they were available.  Never had one of those stolen but they were not 100% reliable, either.  I felt pretty special with that big old telephone bolted down to the floor.  Passenger cars didn't have bucket seats and consoles at that time. 

2000s  Now I had a Blackberry mobile phone in my pocket.  That was the cat's meow.  Great little phone.

2010s  Somewhere in here I went from a Nokia stick phone, to a Sony flip phone, to an Apple #5. At home we had a pair of Panasonic phones you could carry around the house;  we felt rich.  

2020s  I graduated to an Apple #7 and then a #11 to carry around.  At home, we got rid of our land line; that's full circle from 1950s.  Of course, we could now video call on our phones or iPad tablets.

I can't even imagine what I may have in the 2030s - I'll probably be able to talk to you without a phone at all.

MIDWEEK PRAYER

 It's a big week in terms of mass intentions of the Catholic Church.  On Monday past, it was the Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabrial and Raphael; yesterday the memorial of Saint Jerome, today the memorial of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus, and tomorrow the memorial of All Guardian Angels.  Saturday is the memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi. 

Always pray to God but it couldn't hurt to ask, if they can hear you, a saint to speak on your behalf.  Because of the memorial of Guardian Angels; lets pray today one of the first prayers I learned as a child. 

Angel of God my Guardian dear, for me God's love commits you here.  Ever this day be at my side; to light, to guard, to rule and guide.  Amen.

ADJECTIVES

What do you think?

In a foot race, could the fastest sloth beat the slowest cheetah?  

Adjectives are relative. 

Here's some others - these are also relative:   

Proud Father

Adorable Son

Happy Birthday, Andy!

QUIZ

 Name that story.

A terrible famine had hit the land.  It had gone on for a long time.  People were desperate.  One couple was so desperate that they decided to abondon their two children in the forest because they could not stand to see them starve to death.  Before they died, the children stumbled onto a beautiful small house in the forest where an old women lived.  She seemed kind and to have food.  She invited the children into her home.  She gave them food to eat to fatten them.  She did it so that she could cook them and eat them.  The children were resourceful and figured out what was going on.  One of the children managed to push the old women into her oven and they burnt her to death.  

Send me your story name via the blog comment and don't be anonymous.  I'll publish the real name of the story on Friday.

TAG - YOU'RE IT

 ACROCHORDON is one of the really neat words I've found that I will try to remember.  The older you get the more likely you are to have an acrochordon.  If you look it up, you'll never for get it.

The quiz last Moday was simple but the answers were muddled.  My son thought no one was buried in Grant's tomb.  He could be right if you do not consider the U.S. Grant Memorial in New York as a tomb.  Too bad, I do.  Grant was originally laid to rest in a cemetery but was later reinterred at the Memorial. In it, you will find the remains of, not only the 18th American President, but his wife, Julia.  That's the right answer.

Of course, the question became famous by Groucho Marx on his national quiz program in the 1950's.  Those who didn't know the answer to the quiz questions, was given the consolation prize if they could answer correctly, "Who is bured in Grant's tomb?"  They only needed to say Grant but some had to be prodded to get that answer.  

Someone, who did not give a name, answered the question about Grant correctly.  That person is anonymous.  I'd love to give him/her credit.  The part about Groucho Marx was very cryptic so I'm not sure they got it right or not.  Please everyone - don't be anonymous.  

AUTO NAME GAMES

 Nameplates on automobiles are interesting.  Many are named after the designer or things easily recognizable.  I've dug up a few that are different.

The most straight forward is Volkswagen.  That word is German for "Peoples' car".  

Kia is Korean translated roughly to "Rising from Asia."

Volvo, the Swedish automaker, is derived from the Latin word meaning "I roll."

Subaru is Japanese for "Pleiades Star Cluster".  See their logo.  

Fiat is, of course, Italian.  They used the first letters of Fabbrica Italiano de Automobili Torino.  That translates to "Italian Car Factory in Torin (Italy)".

This all reminds me of a tongue-in-cheek epitaph I heard years ago.  A digruntled friend said that one of the US automakers' name stands for Fix Or Repair Daily.

MIDWEEK PRAYER

I listened to much of the memorial and tribute to Charlie Kirk held in Glendale, AZ last Sunday.  Much of the White House staff and others who spoke can be described as professional orators.  Quite impressive, I'd say.

One little story within those speeches stuck with me.  It went something like this.  

Charlie Kirk was murdered in order to silence him.  Two thousand years ago some men sat around and lamented, "There is an itinerant preacher who has been filling the local's ears with slander about us, teaching our people that they should follow him.  We can't have that.  We can't allow this to go on.  He must be silenced."  They came to the conlusion that they must have him killed so that his words would never be heard again; I repeat, so that his words would never be heard again. 

The Word of God will last forever; it will never be silenced!

Hallowed be the name of God and may His will be done.

  

CASA

 You might know a few words in Spanish or any other language?  I'm one of those who does.  I can speak or read no other language but English but it is fun to know a few words of various languages.  

Casa is a spanish word that means "house or home".  "Me casa, you casa." is a mixed language version of a phrase often heard.  I have a friend whose auto license plate is "I AM CASA".  After knowing him quite a while, I asked what that was all about.  He is home?  

No, that wasn't it.  CASA in our language is a legal term -  standing for "Court Appointed Special Advocate" which is what this guy is.  

You see, when a child is involved in a custody dispute between parents or guardians, the court system can appoint a person to represent the children. Children can be swayed by a parent to make a bad choice for themselves.  Judges rely on this CASA to actually help choose what is best for the child.  It's a great and valuable system.  You might want to apply for a post like that.  I'm sure we could use more of them.

QUIZ

 WHO IS BURIED IN GRANT'S TOMB?

Give the answer to the question AND the history behind the question.

Answer on Friday. 

ANSWERS

 

Here are the answers to Monday's quiz - #8 in alphabetical order is Tasmania!

Maine

Delta

Jupiter

Earth

Gerry

Bamboo

Tasmania

Turkmenistan

PawPaw

Of course, my Son, Andrew, had the answer by Monday evening.  

ON ANOTHER SUBJECT:  THE REDS ARE NOT DEAD!  

. . . on life-support, maybe, but not dead!

Keep the faith!

LISTS

I saw this on YouTube the other day.  Take it's validity with a grain of salt.  It's just one man's opinion - but it's still fun to look at.  The most dangerous big cities in America ( USA).  I think they used serious crimes per capita as the basis.  In reverse order, from 10 down to number one (it's not always good to be number one).

Stockton, CA

Camden, NJ

Gary, IN

New Orleans, LA

Memphis, TN

Cleveland, OH

San Bernadino, CA

Baltimore, MD

Birmingham, AL

Los Angeles, CA

MIDWEEK PRAYER

 On October 17, 1979, a catholic nun was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  She was known as Mother Teresa of Calcutta.  She lived and worked among the poorest of the poor in the slums of India.   Of course, she said "I am unworthy."  but accepted the honor because it came with money she could use to provide housing for the poor.  

She dedicated her life to these poor.  God called her to His home on September 5, 1997.  In 2016, the Church cannonized her as a saint.  Here are words of wisdom from this good lady.

"Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary.  What we need is to love without getting tired."  

She is saying that showing your love does not have to be over the top, expensive, or very special in any way.  Most importantly, it must be continual, everlasting and unfailing. 

Be a loving person!

The final portion of St. Francis' prayer:

Oh Lord, let me not seek as much 

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love,

for it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

STATISTICS BELOW THE SURFACE

I heard this stat a week or two ago.  "One out of every five submariners died during World War II."  That's pretty close to 20 %  -  not a good average.  Also, it doesn't seem like a good way to go.  I think I'm way too claustrophobic to ever be a submariner.  

I'm amazed by submarines and those who man them.  Some little tidbits:  1.  the greatest chance of fire on a sub is from the washers and dryer vents (just like home).  They are running almost 24/7 and the vent doesn't work well except when they are on top of the water.  2.  there are more men on a sub than there are beds (talk about close quarters).  3. when they get a bad water leak in their pipes, they have to surface and blow the water out so they can fix the pipes.  4.  everything in the workings of the sub must have someone on board who can repair it.  5.  they can play music all through the vessel but, when they are doing stealthy things, no one can make a sound for a long time (spooky).  6.  we have about 70 subs in service and most of them are powered by a nuclear power plant.  7.  crews say the most valued piece of equipment on a sub is the ice cream maker (they all have them and they have to make their own because they can't keep that much frozen.  8.  a sub on a 6 month cruise will run out of fresh food in about two week (after that, it all comes out of a can.)