with John W. Howell
Hi Friends. This is a reminder that I will be on a break at least until next Sunday. I announced it yesterday, but in case you missed it, I’m repeating it here again. I will be off all social media and taking an offline break.
I look forward to visiting you again when I return. I have disabled the comments.
Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers. I hope your day is filled with love.
As my 83rd birthday approaches and the 12th anniversary of this blog is not far off, I find that I need some time off.
I’m not sure if it is age or that for the last eleven years, I have published a post at least six days a week with only four days off.
I do know that with a new puppy and an almost-finished book, some neglected things need attention.
I have decided to take at least a week away from the blog and social media and see how it goes.
In the meantime, I will miss visiting your posts and look forward to my return.
Thank you for your support and understanding. I have turned the comments off. See you when I get back.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee fills the air. In no time, the faithful and trustworthy machine produces the liquid that validates life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. One sip and the brain comes alive with the lust for travel. The alarm clock is closed and set to May 11th, 1924, in New York City.
The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves on Broadway. New York is the culmination of a week-long benefit of the National Vaudeville Artists, Inc. Four separate shows are being held in the Hippodrome, The Metropolitan Opera House, The New Amsterdam Theater, and the Manhattan Opera House.
These four shows are the final week’s activities, which saw over fourteen hundred performances across America in support of the 20,000-member organization’s charity fundraising effort. The charity supports the health and welfare of performers and their families so that thetimesot have to secure a loan or feel like they are the loan bearer of their chabearerss in a time of need.
We could stay for the shows but have to choose which to attend. Oops, the alarm finds us back on the couch in 2024. Linda Hill has sent a text. It reads: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “loan/lone.” Use them any way you’d like. Bonus points if you use both. Have fun!
To see how other bloggers have responded to the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/05/10/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-11-2024/
Loan/Lone by John W. Howell ©2024
“Again,, we saw no show.”
I thought I had extended the time.”
“You would think since you are the lone operator of that thing you would get the hang of it.”
“Maybe I should loan it to you next time.”
“At least I would put enough time on it so we could see something.”
“Sadly we don’t know who was performing.”
“Yeah no kidding. I think they might have had a program in the theaters.”
“You are probibly right. The main program lists a bunch of folks.”
“Like who?”
“Full page art by cartoonists Winsor McCay, Briggs,Milt Gross, Hershfield, Goldberg and others. Includes art of Singer’s Midgets who later appeared in “The Wizard Of Oz.” Photos include: New York Giants baseball team, Al Jolson, Harry Langdon, Bill Robinson, Jack Benny, Burns & Allen, Sarah Bernhardt, Thomas Edison, and Adolph Zukor.”
“Where did you see thiis program?”
“It’s on line at https://dn790009.ca.archive.org/0/items/nvasouvenir192408nati/nvasouvenir192408nati.pdf
“Were they al performing?”
“No they were listed in the souviener program.”
“So we’ll never know.”
“Unless we go back.”
“Spare me. I have important things to do.”
“Like calling Uber?”
“Already done. He’s over there.”
“That’s a 1953 Chevy. I would be pround to ride in that.”
“Well, I call shotgun so you’ll have to get in the back.”
“What is that? A station wagon?”
“I think it is a modified wagon.”
“I’ve never seen one of those.”
“We;ll. you are old enough to have done so.”
“I know. I think we better go before you age shame any more.”
“You gotta own it.”
“I’ve lived it. So I guess you are right. I think I’ll have an extra Voo Doo Ranger.”
“Me too.”
“You don’t have an excuse so get off my cloud.”
“Yes I do.”
“What?”
“I have to hang out with this old guy.”
“Very funny. Let’s go”
Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network.
According to a recent federal report, the US seafood industry has never been more sustainable, with the fewest overharvested fish stocks ever recorded.
The report, ‘Status of the Stocks,’ was published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It also shows the strength of an industry worth $8 billion a year.
According to the report, 94% of fish stocks in US oceanic and Gulf waters are not being overfished, an all-time high after the number climbed slightly from last year.
NOAA keeps a list of all the fisheries in the country that are subject to overfishing, and the agency said it has recently removed several species: the Gulf of Maine and Cape Hatteras stocks of Atlantic mackerel and the Gulf of Mexico stocks of Cubera snapper.
2022 saw the removal of the Atlantic Coast bluefish and a Washington Coast stock of coho salmon.
“By ending overfishing and rebuilding stocks, we are strengthening the value of U.S. fisheries to the economy, our communities, and marine ecosystems,” said Rick Spinrad, NOAA’s administrator.
GNN recently reported that after decades of overfishing in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, hake fisheries off the coast of Spain are as large as ever thanks to timely and targeted conservation measures.
Additionally, Maine’s Penobscot River recently saw record numbers of Atlantic salmon returning to spawn, but the real trendsetters that far north have been blueback river herring and alewives, which entered the Penobscot in numbers that more than double the previous record.
The good news in this story is that by working together the fishing industry is helping to sustain itself for many years to come. Today’s JohnKu talks about human endeavor. I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hard Work by John W. Howell © 2024
Building back resource,
Is very hard work indeed . . .
Conservation – easy.
“What is that thing, Twiggy?”
“It is a human made little piece of heaven.”
“I don’t get it. What do you mean, piece of heaven?”
“These are bubbles. More fun than anything. You chase and pop them.”
“One just landed and popped on its own.”
” You have to get them while they are still in the air.”
“There’s two more.”
“I got the high one. You get that slow one coming in.”
“This one is in my sights. Easy peasy. Where do they come from?”
“Mom is over there with a magic wand and solution. No more questions. Just go for it.”
“A little boost, and I’ve got this one.”
“Atta girl. They won’t last all that long, so we need to make fun while they’re here.”
“That is some move.”
“I call this a backward twist. Really fakes ’em out.”
“I’m lined up. Target in sight. Big deep breath.”
“Good idea. Okay, now take your time. This one’s yours.”
“It’s so pretty. Look at all the colors. I don’t want it to go.”
“Well done, Little One. Now bite it before it pops.”
“It popped.”
“They are very delicate.”
“At least it lived its own life. Are there any more?”
“Mom has packed it in. They will be back another day.”
“Thanks for the lessons. You are right. This is fun.”
“Next time, you’ll know what to do. I hear the roar of dinner. Let’s go.”
In Keith’s words: “Using this image (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before the end of the week. If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here. Thank you for taking part.”
Keith’s post: https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2024/05/06/kreative-kue-431/
The photo:
Drive Carefully by John W. Howell © 2024
“Hey, boss.”
“What Trevor? I can hardly hear you over this mower noise.”
“You see it, right?”
“What did you say?”
“The purple thing. You see it, don’t you?”
“I left my glasses at the house. See what?”
“For heaven’s sake. There is a giant purple thing that looks like a cartoon in the middle of the pasture.¨
“Yes, we will be mowing the whole pasture.”
“Gott im Himmel. He still can’t hear me.”
“Don’t get near me. You could be hit by flying stones.”
“We will all be eaten by a purple nightmare, and there’s no warning his deafness. I wonder if I should attack the purple thing myself?”
“Good idea to keep to yourself, Trevor. These machines are dangerous.”
” That’s it. I’m going to attack that thing myself. If I have to give my life to save my human, I will.”
“You will what?”
“You scared a year’s growth out of me. When did you get off the mower?”
“I couldn’t understand what you were saying, so I came over here to find out.”
“I was warning you about that purple thing.”
“What purple thing?”
“The one you will bump into if you take a step backward.”
“There’s nothing here.”
“I see it. Reach out with your right hand.”
“This is silly but okay.”
“Well?”
“I feel nothing.”
“You have your hand on its head.”
“Still nothing. Oh, wait, I feel something.”
“See, I told you there was something.”
“If I grab its neck, I can make it move.”
“Keep that thing away from me. So you do see it.”
“Of course, it is a lawn toy. The grandkids are coming over later.”
“You were just pulling my leg when you said you couldn’t see it, right?”
“Such an easy leg to pull.”
“Somehow, this begs for revenge.”
“What’s that?”
“Oh, nothing.”
This post ran on April 30th, 2018. It still provides good advice on handling Murphy’s law.
* * *
Top Ten Things Not to Do According to Murphy’s Law.
The inspiration for this list was thinking of all the things we do on a daily basis that someone else has done before. This naturally brought up the idea of mistakes and how often they are repeated throughout history. Then, the thought turned to specific laws governing natural phenomena. An example would be Newton’s law of gravity. “What goes up, Must come down” was inspired by an apple falling on Newton’s head. (or so the story goes.) Finally, turning to other laws prompted the inspection of specific laws, particularly Murphy’s. The law, “What can go wrong will.” After all, some of the laws of science are way too boring for this kind of blog. I hope you enjoy it.
10 According to Murphy’s Law, do not drop a much-needed and irreplaceable hex screw being installed in your current project. If you do, at best it will roll under the bench. At worst, it will drop into a drain opening, never to be seen again. (Might as well buy another widget for $300.00, Etienne. You’ll never be able to buy a replacement screw that would be ten cents if available.)
9 According to Murphy’s Law, do not buy that horse. If you do, at best, you love it forever. At worst, you’ll want to sell it, and there are no buyers. (The sad part, Emeril, is it will outlive you.)
8 According to Murphy’s Law, do not pick a fight with Tiny, the WWF champ. If you do, at best, Tiny has achieved a new state of Nirvana and will bless you. At worst, you have to come to grips with the fact you are no Bruce Lee. (Looks like those running shoes will get another great workout today, Ellison. You go, man.)
7 According to Murphy’s Law, do not handle that expensive crystal vase. If you do, at best, you catch it before it hits the floor. At worst, before you can even think of an excuse, you hear, “What was that breaking sound?” (You should have memorized Murphy’s constant, Eduard. “Matter will be damaged in direct proportion to its value.”)
6 According to Murphy’s Law, do not park your car on the street. If you do, at best, you‘ll only have bird-dropping problems. At worst, that Russian Satellite reentering the Earth’s atmosphere conveniently has your car coordinates as a landing site. (You could never imagine this happening, Earvin. That piece of space junk was supposed to burn up. Murphy’s law of falling objects had this covered with “A falling object will always land where it can do the most damage.”)
5 According to Murphy’s Law, do not try to paint a room without an adequate cover on the carpet. If you do, at best, you’ll catch every drip. At worst, you’ll only discover the dried paint drips after being pointed out by the person who told you to use an adequate cover. (Good luck, Emil, at the carpet store and that overnight arrangement in the spare room.)
4 According to Murphy’s Law, do not be careless with that expensive power tool while on a twelve-foot ladder. If you do, at best, when it falls, the cord will hook on something and prevent ground contact. At worst, you’ll be working over concrete, and the cord does not hook to prevent ground contact. (So Father’s Day will be here before you know it, Edmond. Of course, maybe the family is tired of replacing expensive power tools.)
3 According to Murphy’s Law, do not think you can make up time on the freeway because you are late. If you do, at best, there will be light traffic. At worst, that eighteen-wheeler turned over, blocking all lanes, is just ahead —after you enter the freeway. (Well, now, Eachan. You might as well turn off the car and relax. The traffic central says the police need to investigate before moving anything. That job interview can be rescheduled. Aw, too bad your phone is dead, and you forgot your charging cord.)
2 According to Murphy’s Law, do not try to explain the now quiet noise in your car’s engine to the mechanic. If you do, at best, you will cause more confusion. At worst, your mechanic will replace the most expensive element of your engine using your noise as justification. (You are not surprised that the noise returns after you get a block from the mechanic’s garage, are you, Eagan?)
1 According to Murphy’s Law, do not try to tear that paper towel with one hand. If you do, at best, you’ll end up with shreds. At worst, that spill you are trying to contain will have seeped onto the floor to form a permanent stain in the wood. (I guess you should have known, Eamonn, that according to Murphy’s law, paper is strongest at the perforation.)
While making a note of today’s destination, It is noticed that the coffee machine has not made a sound in over five minutes. This leads me to believe something is amiss. Looking closer, the plug is found lying on the counter. Knowing how difficult it is for machines to work while unplugged, the situation is corrected.
Soon, the aroma and sounds of a fresh cup of joe meet my senses. It’s time to grab the clock and set it for Paris, France, May 4, 1924, and a duration of two hours. The plunger is pulled, and we find ourselves on the opening day of the 1924 Olympics.
To quote the History Channel. “The 1924 Paris Olympics—held in the City of Lights as a tribute to Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, the retiring president of the International Olympic Committee—drew 44 participating countries, a big increase over the previous 29. Over 1,000 journalists worldwide covered the Games, in which 3,088 athletes competed in 126 events. This was the first Olympics that featured women’s fencing.”
Also, “The 1924 Paris Olympics—which ran May 4 to July 27—became famous in pop culture decades later as the subject of the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire. The movie is based on the true story of British runners Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams.”
As the opening ceremonies begin, the alarm signals our return to the living room couch without seeing an event. My text tone lets me know Linda Hill has sent the prompt text. The text reads. Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “note.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!
To see what other bloggers have done with the prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link. https://lindaghill.com/2024/05/03/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-may-4-2024/
Note by John W. Howell © 2024
“Why don’t you time these things so that we can see more?”
“I guess I get a little nervous about being in the past.”
“Why? It would be fun.”
“Yeah, and the potential of messing up something is high.”
“Like what?”
“What if someone in 1924 took my photo.”
“Yeah, so?”
“Well. I don’t belong in that time, and maybe the photo shows me from a different time with the clothes and everything.”
“Okay.”
“Then the guy would make a note of the fact.”
“Again, so?”
“And talk to his friends and maybe show them what I looked like.”
“This is getting boring. What’s the point?”
“Mabe, the guy would go on a quest to find me.”
“Hello. Conclusion needed.”
“Okay, let’s say the photographer is Alfred Stieglitz. Instead of all the beautiful photos of Georgia O’Keefe and donations to museums, he stopped his photography to search for me.”
“How do you get through doors with the size of your head.”
“This is not about me but a time traveler and someone who messed up the time continuum.”
“I still think it would be worth the risk. Can I change the subject?”
“Wouldn’t be VooDoo Range, would it?”
“Mind reader.”
“Oder an uber.”
“He is already here. Over there.”
“Aw, come on.”
“Super discount. We do have to make one stop.”
“We do? What for?”
“We have to help the guy with one of his customers.”
“Oh, I just can’t wait. What customer is this?”
“The zoo.”
“The zoo. Where in the zoo?”
“The elephant house.”
“That’s it. I’m going to order my own Uber.”
“Don’t be a spoiled sport. You ever rooter an elephant house?”
“I’ve never rootered anything.”
“A first time for everything. Let’s go.”
“Why do I always follow your goofy ideas.”
“You are a happy man. Make a note of that.”
Today’s Good News story continues the good work being done on behalf of Big cats. I am grateful to GP of Pacific Paratrooper for sharing this story, which ran on Fox News.
Watch the video HERE
A video has captured Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers straddling a high wall and dangling a rope during their successful effort to rescue two young mountain lions that had become trapped in a spillway.
CPW’s Southwest Region said the rescue unfolded on Friday as officials were preparing to release water down the Vallecito Reservoir spillway outside of Durango.
“A release of water likely would have drowned the two lions,” it said, noting that the Pine River Irrigation District allowed its officers onto hydroelectric plant property to attempt the rescue.
Video released by CPW then showed one of its officers dangling a rope from atop a wall and lifting one of the animals up from the spillway far below.
A Colorado Parks and Wildlife officer is seen dangling a rope with a mountain lion clinging onto it on Friday, April 19, near the Vallecito Reservoir outside of Durango. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
“The first mountain lion held onto the rope all the way to the top of the spillway barrier and quickly ran off into the woods. The second lion, however, wouldn’t hold onto the rope and ran down the spillway all the way to where the Los Pinos River continues below the dam,” it said. “Unwilling to swim to reach the bank, the young lion continued to pace around at the water’s edge and moved into a corner of the spillway.”
Both young mountain lions were rescued from the spillway, Colorado Parks and Wildlife says. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
CPW says one of its officers then went down into the spillway himself and managed to get the mountain lion interested in the rope.
“With the lion interested in the rope, CPW staff were also able to use a catch pole, and all together, we lifted the lion over the concrete wall and quickly released it. However, the lion decided to hide under a truck for a few minutes,” it said.
One of the Colorado Parks and Wildlife officers had to enter the spillway himself to complete the rescue. (Colorado Parks and Wildlife)
“After everyone backed off and it took time to regroup, the young lion ran off in the same direction as its sibling,” CPW added.
Today’s story again underscores the good news that people are willing to help animals in trouble. Today’s JohnKu offers thanks to these officers. I hope you have a super weekend.
Thanks by John W. Howell © 2024
Quick and decisive
Was the norm for this great day . . .
We all offer thanks.
“Tempeste. What are you doing?”
“Looking for crumbs.”
“You have to believe there are none around here.”
“So I’m finding out. I’ll keep looking, though.”
“Suit yourself. Believe me, I’ve been over this place with a fine-toothed comb.”
“Fine-toothed comb? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’ve looked carefully, and there are no crumbs.”
“Shoot. There goes the morning.”
“Where you going?”
“Since It’s raining, maybe a nap would be good.”
“That does seem like a good idea.”
“Um. I’m not so sure. This bed is not very cozy.”
“May not be cozy, but it sure is soft.”
“Yeah, I can feel that. Maybe too soft.”
“How could a bed be too soft?”
“Sometimes, when I sleep wrong, I get a crick. I think it is from a soft bed.”
“I have never heard of sleeping wrong, let alone a crick.”
“You have to believe that it happens to me.”
“You kids these days. A crick, indeed. Follow me.”
“Where are we going?”
“To my nice Serta Perfect Sleeper dog bed. It is a no-crick zone.”
“You would let me use your bed?”
“We can’t have you going around with a crick.”
“You’re the best.”
