FOTO FRIDAY: BOOM BOOM

FOTO FRIDAY: Need I say more than Boom Boom?

Red Hot must not have been red enough to see her. 

So here's my question to you, dear readers: Would you fix it right away? BTW The guilty did not leave a note...

TBT: MORNING WALKS 14 years ago

 TBT: My view out my kitchen window in Fall would beckon me outside for a good morning walk as the sun kissed the ridge. This was taken in 2011. 

The little red building is the chicken coop.

MIDWEEK MUSINGS: AI

 MIDWEEK MUSINGS: Many of you know I met Natureman online through a Jewish dating site called Jdate and you all know how well that worked out. Hey, we even got on a Times Square electronic billboard as one of their success stories. I named us the "Senior Poster Children. "

So you shouldn't be surprised I returned to this site to see if Love could strike twice.  No matter what the site's previous issues were,  now they have been taken over by a company in Germany. They decide who you can see and when. I don't like it at all.

Okay, 'AI  (Artificial Intelligence) decides not only who I can read about but goes outside of my parameters- age, distance, even religion. Why would I be on a Jewish site and be introduced to members who aren't even Jewish? I can date non-Jews where I live.

Back in the old days we searched by zip code, now you list mileage difference you'd consider. It doesn't mean that's what you are shown.  Another difference is you used to be told who liked your profile, then they added a percentage of compatibility. Okay, a guideline. and if you chose someone below 70 %  you were probably doomed to fail as a couple. I wonder if Natureman and I had had a percentage if we still would have been a couple? In the newest German version you only get to negate / heart the candidates you see and you don't get to read their entire profile. 

Well, with time 'catfishing' ( people who pose as other people using their pics/ fake profiles) has gone through the roof. And guess what's helping them catch unsuspecting souls now?

 AI. Oooh, I had a smooth one this week. He took my words gave them to AI to use in first person retelling me my own thoughts as if I would think he's really reading and thinking about my written words. Whoa. Okay 'Dave' in 'North Charleston' who just finally shared he's a  'marine engineer' (Right - say I with sarcasm)/ whoever who, wherever you live and do, you definitely caught the wrong fish because even if I'd like an empathetic companion, I don't want to be with a computer...

TUESDAY TUNES: JT , OH WHAT YOU STILL DO TO ME...

 TUESDAY TUNES: There are some musicians who always capture your heart. James Taylor is one of those for me. Listen to this one ... Starting with the ABC of it - JT makes it his own.

TEACH ME TONIGHT 2020

*Dinah Washington received accolades for this 1954 song  

Washington's version

MONDAY MUSINGS: 11K MILES IN 3 MONTHS

MONDAY MUSINGS: I know many of you are shocked when you hear of my particpation still in Couchsurfing but wait 'til you see what rolled in Friday night. This British Couchsurfer Ray actually lives in the Netherlands.

This trip over the big pond he bought a 'motor bike' during his stay in Mexico and has put 11,000 miles on it in 3 months! He also spent 2 whole weeks at Burning Man. 

He might have an idea of where he is heading but it depends on who he meets along the route. Friday, he was stopped at a vista and visited with some bikers who told him about the large annual motorcycle rally: Bikes, Blues, and BBQ  in Rogers. Arkansas, so he detoured.

I knew this 'chap' was going to be interesting. He did not disappoint. He is very articulate with a much older soul than his 35 years, as he recites Keats when the mood hits him. Women beware. 

We had some very interesting conversations. The most interesting was him worrying that we should not talk about racism since he thought we disagreed about the U.S. 's institutionalization of race. He felt that was nonexistent in Europe. I think sometimes one doesn't recognize their own country's bias. Seriously, England's hierarchy and history of colonization is deeply rooted within our country. 

This all stemmed from our stop at Central High's National Historic site which ironically we found locked. What? Yes, the government shutdown now had disrupted our plans.  The Clinton Library would also be closed. He stated this is a very monumental time in history.

But Central High School was open due to a 20th reunion so we could go in and see the Little Rock Nine's photos from the past and today and their mascot which inspired other stories...

Fortunately, the Mosaic Templar Museum was open and there was a new exhibit re: Emmet Till. If you are in town, you definitely should go check it out.  More food for fodder.

After a drive through downtown and en route home we stopped at the Turkish Food Festival, tasting about 7 different delcious savory and sweet items, enjoyed the music and crowd of a truly muticultural event.

You can see we made the most of it...

Opening one's doors can bring a variety of experiences...

Ray, Fare thee well on all the paths you will take!

FOTO FRIDAY: THE VINES 4H CENTER

 

FOTO FRIDAY takes us out to Ferndale to a special place. This the Vines 4H center where a handful of Master Gardeners helped add some fall to the 40 tables for the annual banquet and silent auction ...

What a lovely setting for conferences!

TBT: YE PROTESTETH TOO MUCH, NOT.

 TBT: Other countries experience protests every week and yet here in the U.S. we are way too complacent. 

We are better than this and we need to speak up and let our voices be hard. Calling/ writing our legislators, donating to candidates who support the programs that help all of us to be a better country in caring for all of our residents, and yes, getting out in the streets and letting our voices be heard. We need to get everybody to vote because our interests are not being protected. 

These pics were taken in 2014... here we are 11 years later still needing to voice these same concerns...