Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “In a Nutshell”

January 20, 2024January 19, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 73 Comments

When the coffee machine knows the need and desire for the relief the beverage promises, has reached an apex, it then decides it needs a cleaning. Empty Grounds is the message blinking to get my sore eyes to notice. In a nutshell, no empty, no coffee. With unsteady movements, the grounds receptacle is emptied, washed, and replaced. In gracious appreciation, the two spouts pour forth the life-saving elixir.

Once the caffeine has hit the brain, the clock is set for January 19th, 1923. The location is the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. The time is set for two hours, and the plunger is pulled.

We arrive at the university just in time to see physicist Dirk Coster of the Netherlands and chemist George de Hevesy of Hungary read from the journal Nature about their discovery of the 72nd element, Hafnium, Latin for Copenhagen. Hafnium is not found as a free element but is dispersed in Earth’s crust to the extent of three parts per million and is invariably found in zirconium minerals. Dirk and George did not know it then, but the metal is very useful for controlling rods in nuclear power plants because of its high melting point.

As champagne is being served, the alarm goes off again. The couch is my landing spot. The tone on my phone is the expected text from Linda Hill. It reads:

Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 20th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “in a nutshell.” Use it as an idiom, or use it literally. Enjoy!

If you want to see what other bloggers do with the prompt, visit Lindas’s post at this link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/01/19/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2024-daily-prompt-jan-20th/

“That was a nice trip. You did that 1023 thing again.”

“Yeah, I blew it again. Even so, I thought a little education would do us all good.”

“Or provide an incentive for a nap.”

“Oh, come on. I’ll bet you never heard of Hafnium.”

“You are so right, and I’m afraid to go near water. I’m so heavy with that knowledge.”

“Yeah, very funny. I’m sure someone appreciates it.”

“I certainly hope they let you know in the comments.”

“Well, even so, It is good to keep learning.”

“I’ll bet the kids in Chemistry back then were pleased these guys found another element to memorize.”

“It was number 72, so I don’t think the kids would notice.”

“Anyhow, I’m tired of learning, so how about a trip to the pub.”

“Good idea. Give Uber a call.”

“Already done. He’s waiting over there.”

“Where? I can’t see anything beyond that giant peanut.”

“That’s it. The driver is there too.”

“You gotta be kidding me.”

“Transportation in a nutshell.”

“Great tie-in to the prompt.”

“Thank you. Let’s go.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF – Fri-Yay/Good News

January 19, 2024January 18, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 77 Comments

Today’s good news comes from the Good News Network.

Elton John During His Farewell Yellow Brick Road World Tour, for which he won an Emmy – CC 2.0. slgckgc. Flickr

Elton John Just Achieved EGOT Status with Emmy Win–Only 19 People Have Done It in History

By Andy Corbley

Jan 18, 2024

It’s not referring to a tropical disease to say that someone has an EGOT. It means they’ve got a mantlepiece at home where stand an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony—the four major pop culture awards in America.

Only 18 entertainers have achieved this quadruple, and now Elton John stands among them as the 19th, having recently won an Emmy for his concert film, Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium.

John was not able to attend the ceremony because of needed recovery from knee surgery, “which isn’t surprising if you think of the number of pianos he’s jumped off from in platform heels,” said John’s husband, David Furnish.

John has collected two Oscars: one for The Lion King’s Can You Feel The Love Tonight? and another for Rocketman’s (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again.

For the ‘T’ in EGOT, he won a Tony for scoring the musical version of the opera Aida.

For the ‘G’—the Grammy, it’s a case of take your pick, with John having collected quite a few over his decades as a musician.

“I am incredibly humbled to be joining the unbelievably talented group of EGOT winners tonight,” said John in a statement. “The journey to this moment has been filled with passion, dedication, and the unwavering support of my fans all around the world. Tonight is a testament to the power of the arts and the joy that it brings to all our lives. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my career; I am incredibly grateful.”

According to Smithsonian Magazine, the term EGOT was first used on Miami Vice. Its imaginary alumni include Richard Rogers, Hellen Hayes, Rita Moreno, Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis, John Legend, Alan Menken, Mell Brooks, Audrey Hepburn, John Gielgud, Marvin Hamlisch, Johnathan Tunic, Mike Nichols, Scott Rudin, Robert Lobez, Andrew Lloyd Weber, Tim Rice, and Jennifer Hudson.

It seems appropriate that the acronym would be finished on Elton’s final show ever on tour in North America, the curtain call of all curtain calls, and a tremendous achievement to mark the end of a long chapter in a tremendous career.

WATCH Tiny Fey and Amy Pohler present the award along with peers…

The good news in this story is that a man who has invested his life and energy into entertainment has been recognized for his achievement and hard work. Today’s JohnKu talks about recognition. I hope you have a wonderful week.

When something is great,

And is done by someone else . . .

Do you offer praise?

Thursday – A Little Personal – Arctic Weather

January 18, 2024January 17, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 138 Comments

“Why do you keep looking at your watch?”

“It is getting late, and you need a walk.”

“What’s the temperature out there?”

“Right now, it is 21 F (-6 C ) degrees. Was 15 F (-9.4 C ) earlier.”

“Well, I guess we better get going.”

“Oh, my. Aren’t you the cutest?”

“Wow, this concrete feels like ice.”

“No wonder it is probably still at last night’s temperature.”

“I’ll tell you what. These walks are overrated.”

“Now come on. You know you need to have a nice quick walk.”

“Dad, sush. The puma sees a tasty-looking Springbok over there.”

“That’s a deer.”

“Step by step, the puma moves closer for the kill. Oops, the Springbok spots the danger.”

“Shoot. The Springbok got away. Time to head for home.”

“As for me, I’m glad.”

“Another puma goes to bed hungry tonight.”

“Who are you talking to. You never go to bed hungry.”

“The puma sees its den up ahead. Won’t be long until a cozy nap.”

“All I can say is better luck tomorrow.”

“Yeah, tomorrow is another day.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #415 by Keith Channing.

January 16, 2024January 16, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put your offering (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before Sunday evening UK time. 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.”

Link to Keith’s post. https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2024/01/15/kreative-kue-414-2/

The photo

“I’m going to show you again.”

“This is hard work.”

“It is not hard work. Shoveling coal is hard work. You just have to get your mind into it.”

“Okay, I’ll try.”

“That’s the attitude I’m looking for.”

“Okay, so you want to make the water calm and deep blue.”

“Why?”

“So you can have an artistic reflection of the trees.”

“What trees.”

“The ones you are going to place by the water. Also, calm water allows you to reflect the clouds you will place above the trees and water.”

“So here’s the water. What do you think?”

“I think it is almost perfect.”

“Almost?”

“Close enough for a student. Now place the trees.”

“I have to be careful with them.”

“You are doing well. I like the variety.”

“Oh, thank you. The clouds want to run away.”

“Yeah, I should have warned you. You have to stick them up quickly. Looks like you are getting the hang of it.”

“What about the sky?”

“Choose a lighter blue than the water. It will be a nice contrast.”

“How’s this?”

“Look at you. You’ve done it. How does it make you feel?”

“You know, I think I could do this forever.”

“I know the feeling. I’ve been at it a long time.”

“What do you call this anyway?”

“The process?”

“Yes.”

“Creation. Also, we need to hurry, my son. We only have six days to do the whole thing.”

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Are Over Seventy Years of Age

January 15, 2024January 14, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 89 Comments

Photo by Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez on Unsplash

This post originally ran on October 13, 2014. Since some of us are still over seventy, repeating might make sense.

Top Ten Things Not to Do if You Are Over Seventy Years of Age

10 If you are over seventy, make sure the foreign object you think is in your food is really there. If you don’t, at best, the store manager will give you your money back but will give you that “old person” roll of the eyes. At worst, the object turns out to be your glasses that fell off while you were looking closely to find out what it was. This will be discovered by the customer service person surrounded by twenty other diners.

9 If you are over seventy, do not think you can ride a bicycle at top speed, wipe out, and bounce like you did when you were fifty. If you do, at best, you will have a nice reminder as you soak in a hot bathtub and eat aspirin-like M&Ms. At worst, you will be among the lucky few spending several hours in the ER surrounded by one hundred really sick and injured people who all got there ahead of you.

8 If you are over seventy, do not try to leave the house without your glasses. If you do, at best, you won’t be able to read the credit card terminal at the checkout counter and sign whatever is there, and it matches what you bought. At worst, you will be clueless when the bank teller asks you to sign the withdrawal slip made out for you, and four days later, you read in the local newspaper that the teller is spending three weeks in Aruba.

7 If you are over seventy, do not decide the surfing competition looks winnable since there is only one entrant in the seventy and above bracket. If you do, at best, you will have nothing more catastrophic than looking like a fool. At worst, you will wipe out and ground yourself on the beach, where the medal committee will erect a monument in your honor.

6 If you are over seventy, do not think your dance routine is still in. If you do, at best, the rest of the crowd will be laughing behind your back. At worst, your routine will take up so much room and bump so many people the bouncer will remove you for your own protection

5 If you are above seventy, do not go anywhere near a Karaoke machine. If you do, at best, you will get a short, slow song you can handle poorly. At worst, you will pull a rap number and scare yourself with the words that scroll across the screen, reminding you that being scared is unsuitable for your pacemaker performance.

4 If you are over seventy, do not drive in the left lane ever. If you do, at best, you will wonder what all those hand signals mean in the context of driving. At worst, you will have a monster truck come so close to your rear bumper that you will be forced to look in the rearview mirror only to swerve into some hapless seventy-year-old next to you.

3 If you are over seventy, do not raise your arms above your head if you are wearing short sleeves; if you do, at best, you won’t notice the extra movement of skin and will think the wind is picking up. At worst, you will cause enough stares to stop traffic with those undulating biceps that seem to have fallen to the underside of your arm.

2 If you are over seventy, do not go to a restaurant any time earlier than 7:00. If you do, at best, you will get the early bird menu and won’t really find green Jell-O to your liking. At worst, a youthful server will insist that you genuinely enjoy the breaded fish sticks instead of the sizeable juicy steak you intended. “Besides,” she says. “It is much easier to chew.”

1 If you are over Seventy, do not try to tell stories about how great it was in the old days. If you do, At best, you will finish your stories to yourself. At worst, you will notice people running away as you come close, and it won’t be because you have worn the same clothes for five days. (well, maybe)

Views of the Neighborhood – Winter Tree Scenes

January 14, 2024January 13, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 130 Comments

Today, we will look at the winter configuration of the trees in the neighborhood. (yeah, it’s a slow activity day here) We can see things that are usually not in view in the summer. We are catered by Ramin Del Barrio of Austin. Our entertainment is The Bangles.

(All Ramen Bowls come with onion, lime and cilantro)

CARNITAS TONKOTSU – Shoyu tare, pork bone broth, mixed carnitas, grilled pepper, and onions.** Best for first-time guests!

CoChinita Tonkotsu – Shoyu tare, cochinita pibil, pickled onions, avocado, tortilla strips. Best for first-time guests!

Menudo Tonkotsu – Guajillo tare, honeycomb tripe, hominy, arbol chilis, tortilla strips. Pa la cruda!

Mole Tsukemen – Mole negro, karaage, Tortilla strips. Dip the noodles. Don ́t dump the broth over the noodles pendejo.
Contains peanuts

Chilaquiles-men – Dry Ramen. Thick noodles tossed in a tomatillo/yuzu-kosho

Picture of an old time school bus

So let’s go.

Our first view is a close-up of the berries on a juniper.

Red berries on the pyracantha.

A squirrel’s nest in a deciduous tree.

Lots of mistletoe in the trees.

Some more red berries on Hawthorne bushes.

Red leaves on a Bradford pear.

Another mistletoe example.

A pair of trimmed junipers. (Sometimes called cedars here in Texas)

A live oak that keeps its leaves until spring.

Further away look at the juniper berries.

This is a patch of Bluebonnets growing wild. They will bloom in the spring.

A good example of ball moss in the tree.

China berry tree with yellow berries.

Another squirrel nest.

Nandina Bamboo with red berries.

Well, that is the tour. Sit back, have some food, and enjoy the music. I hope you have a great week.

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Close Up/Close-up”

January 13, 2024January 13, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 86 Comments

A fresh cup of coffee from Her Majesty The Coffee Queen and the day can begin. It is refreshing to have a close-up and personal relationship with such royalty. After a couple of sips, thoughts turn to the clock. Opening the cabinet door and reaching for the clock means we will be taking a trip. Time to close up the doors and get to it. The clock is set to January 13, 1923. The location is Washington, D.C., and the time is two hours.

No sooner than the plunger is pulled, and we are there. The first stop is Warren Harding’s cabinet meeting, which has been happening for some time. The subject under discussion is whether or not the Post Master of the Grand Canyon is allowed to keep his dog. It seems there is a law against doing so, but the Post Master has appealed to keep him there. The decision reached is to let the President decide. With that, the cabinet meeting is adjourned.

Moving to the House of Representatives, we arrive just in time to hear Representative Upshaw of Georgia, who is attempting to make Washington dry, present evidence to Acting Prohibition Commissioner Jones in which he charged that there was an “official House bootlegger” who had a monopoly in plying his trade in the House office building. Just as the bootlegger is to be named, the alarm goes off, and the living room couch is the landing zone. It looks like 100 years haven’t changed a thing in Washington. My text tone says Linda Hill has sent me one. Your prompt for #JusJoJan the 13th and Stream of Consciousness Saturday is: “close up/close-up.” Use the verbal phrase “close up” and/or the noun/adjective “close-up” somewhere in your post, or write a post in the spirit of the phrase. Have fun!

If you want to see how others handle this prompt, visit Linda’s post. Here is the link: https://lindaghill.com/2024/01/12/the-friday-reminder-for-socs-jusjojan-2024-daily-prompt-jan-13th/

“Well, you got the prompt in.”

“You didn’t like the story?”

“Is it true?”

“All of it. Talk about a waste of time.”

“Sounds like not much happening around Washington ninety-nine years ago.”

“Meanwhile, Hitler is parading around showing off his 5000 brownshirts in protest of the French occupying the Ruir in Germany.”

“Okay, but who knew? Why did you go to 1923? You usually do one hundred years.”

“I made a mistake. It was like filling out a check in the new year and putting last year on it.”

“Yeah, I’ve done that. I hope you didn’t make any more mistakes while you were there.”

“Nope. Kept my hands in my pocket.”

“Good for you. You should get a reward.”

“Paid for by me?”

“Of course.”

“You call Uber?”

“Yup, and he is here.”

“Where?”

Over there.”

“That’s the Halloween bus from Views of the Neighborhood.”

“I know. I loaned it to the Uber driver for a price break.”

“Well, at least it has cold VooDoo Ranger on board.”

“A close-up look will point out a killer sound system.”

“Time to close up the dialogue and get on board.”

“Pubster, here we come.”

Friday JohnKu – AKA – TGIF Fri-Yay/Good News

January 12, 2024January 11, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 99 Comments

Today’s good news story comes from the Good News Network.

Long-Lost ‘Legend’–Leopard Barbel Fish Found Again in Turkey’s Dammed-up Rivers

Andy Corbley–Jan 11, 2024

A team of ichthyologists (zoologists who study fishes) in Türkiye (Turkey) has rediscovered a “legend” in the form of a carp-like, spotted fish called the leopard barbel (Luciobarbus subquincunciatus) in the Turkish section of the Tigris River.

The leopard barbel was once abundant, ranging from Eastern Türkiye, Eastern Syria, Iran, and Iraq in the Tigris-Euphrates river system. Over the last three decades, however, fishing, pollution, habitat destruction, and dam construction have pushed the species to the edge of extinction and was last scientifically documented in 2011.

However, anecdotal evidence from local fishers suggested that the fish may have still been out there, so Associate Professor Cüneyt Kaya and Assistant Professor Münevver Oral at Recep Tayyip Erdogan University enlisted their help to find one.

“There is nothing quite like the feeling of finding that a species that has been pushed to the brink of extinction is still hanging on, despite the odds,” said Kaya upon their success. “It is even more thrilling than discovering a new species because it means that we can give a rare species a second chance.

The team started by looking at the scientific literature about where the species had been previously found. However, those data were collected before nine dams were built in the Turkish portion of the Tigris River.

The dams alter water flow regimes, and cold water accumulating at the reservoirs’ bottom is sometimes released downstream. The release of cold water drives many freshwater fish toward warmer waters, so the team had to adjust its strategy to look further downstream from the dams.

Just days after the second of two expeditions, Kaya and Oral got a video call from local fisherman Mehmet Ülkü. He had caught a 20-inch (50 centimeter), 4.4-pound (2-kilogram) fish with conspicuous black spots and the telltale fleshy filament that dangles from the mouths of this type of freshwater fish.

Ülkü kept the fish alive overnight in a tank with a constant oxygen supply. At the same time, Kaya took a direct flight to the region and then drove nearly six hours to Cizre in the far southeastern reaches of Turkish Kurdistan, where the species was found, while Oral drove more than 11 hours through the night to see the fish and confirm its identity.

By the time they arrived, Ülkü had caught a second leopard barbel safely in his nets, and they were able to help him release the first one as well.

Leopard Barbel after it was released (Photo by Metin Yoksu)

“We dropped everything and would have gone to the ends of the Earth to see this fish, this legend, alive in the wild,” Oral said. “I have never seen a fish as beautiful as this. It was the realization not only of our dream to find this lost species but of the hope that not all is lost—we still have a chance to protect the leopard barbel and all of the other incredible freshwater species it shares its home with.”

After Kaya and Oral took photos and measured the size and shape of the two fish, they were joined by the local Cizre fisheries aquaculture department to release the fish safely, which they described as a joyous event.

“We all have a role to play in protecting our incredible natural heritage, and I am proud to have used my skills to help rediscover the leopard barbel,” Ülkü, the fisherman, said. “Safeguarding this species into the future will require educating other fishers and bringing scientific knowledge and local expertise together.”

Kaya and Oral plan to conduct a series of seminars for fishers and teachers to help build pride in their riverways and wildlife, using the rediscovery as a case study to protect the Tigris River and its rich biodiversity. They are also hoping to better understand how many leopard barbel might still exist and where they are still found across their historic range.

The expedition to confirm the leopard barbel still exists was co-funded by Re:wild, the world leaders rediscovering and protecting lost species. The fish is the second on Re:wild and SHOAL’s Most Wanted Lost Fishes list to be rediscovered. The first, the Batman River loach, was found by the same intrepid team in Southeastern Türkiye in late 2021.

The good news in this situation is that in spite of human negligence, a species fights hard and survives. Today’s JohnKu talks about the ability of animals to survive. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

In spite of humans,

Species fight hard to survive . . .

Nature can be tough.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Twiggy in High Cotton

January 11, 2024January 10, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 107 Comments

“So what’s going on here?”

“We are putting the legs back on the couches.”

“Okay. Why are you doing that?”

“You are well enough to use your stairs to get up on them.”

“That’s great. How about jumping off?”

“Oh no, no, no. No jumping off. Use the stairs.”

“You guys keep working. I need to do my Yogi. Downward facing dog.”

“Your form is excellent.”

“Upward facing dog.”

“Oh, come on. Not even close.”

“Yeah, you’re right. How’s this?”

“Much better.”

“I was so busy with Yogi I missed the entrance of the fuzzy white.”

“It looked like you were into it for sure.”

“What’s this white thing?”

“A device to keep you out of the dog house.”

“I get it. It protects the white fuzzy carpet. ”

“Right. Keeps us both out of trouble.”

“Sure feels good to be back to normal.”

“I see you have tried making a nest on both couches and made yourself comfortable.”

“Sure have. Wanna get that light?”

Tuesday Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #114 by Keith Channing

January 9, 2024January 8, 2024 ~ John W. Howell ~ 69 Comments

In Keith’s words.

The photo.

A link to Keith’s post: https://keithchanning.wordpress.com/2024/01/08/kreative-kue-414/

“Sir. Wake up. Open your eyes.”

“Huh. W-who are you?”

“Someone who saw you fall.”

“That light is so unusual.”

“You took a bad fall. Do you remember it?”

“The last thing I remember is looking out over the ocean.”

“Well that rock you were standing on let go.”

“I fell all the way to the water?”

“Not quite. You landed on this outcrop of stone.”

“Why can’t I see anything but the light?”

“Don’t worry. You will in a few moments.”

“How did you reach me here?”

“Truth? I had to jump here from where you fell.”

“So we both are stranded?”

“Not exactly stranded. We’ll be okay.”

“I’m beginning to see more the light is fading.”

“See I told you that would happen.”

“How far are we from the water?”

“Looks like about a thousand feet to me.”

“That cliff was two thousand feet above the water. That means I fell a thousand feet?”

“Your math is pretty good.”

“Wait. Why am I still alive after falling that far? I see you now and you are dressed like a hippy.”

“Some would say a shepherd.”

“What? Did you say shepherd?”

“I did.”

“So that fall . . .”

“Means you have no more worries. It’ time for us to leave.”