…Before You Leap!

Waaay back when I was a child, we had a dog we found as a stray puppy.  She was a little Scottish Terrier mix / mutt;  white with light brown ears.  No more that a foot high at the top of her head.
One day I took her to Golden Gate Park (in San Francisco).  At the entrance to the park is a pond named:  Alvord Lake.  Actually, it’s really more of a pond than a lake, and I didn’t even know it had a name.  Anyway, as we were coming down the rise from the park entrance, I let me dog off her leash.  My dog looked up and saw some ducks floating / swimming on the lake and she was off like a flash…
Now, at that particular time of year, the lake surface was covered with a dense cover of bright green pond scum – some kind of seasonal algae growth.
Back then, the lake did not have the palm trees or ferns which you can see in a more recent photo (below), but it did have the large rocks on the edge of the paths and around the edge of the water.
My dog was racing full bore towards the nearest ducks, intending to bound off of one of the boulders and into the middle of the her prey / victims.
Seeing her coming, the ducks were starting to move away and separate.
She hit the rock, leaping in the air more than her own full height and braced her feet to land on the dead run, pivot and continue the chase…
Yes, the predictable happened!  Splash!!  Surprised, she emerged covered in the scum / algae.  She was able to shake a good deal of the muck off once she swam back to shore.
Generally, it is wrong to anthropomorphize your pets, but I have never seen a dog / pet look more embarrassed by such an obvious mistake in judgement.
Needless to say, I was beside myself with laughter (at least until I got home and had to bathe her).  And, no, the GIF above is not of my dog 50+ years ago.  But it reminded me of the incident and made me chuckle.
[Disclaimer:  the two images are from Google and Google Maps.  The GIF was found on the net.  I don’t remember where.  I make no claim to ownership and they are being used for informational / illustrative purposes only.    —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2020	I Don’t Want To Get Any Older…
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2019	Free At Last!
2018	Some Basic Virtues
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2017	Too Soon We Part…
	Rigorous And Difficult
2016	Where And Why
2015	The Beauty Of Thy Voice
2014	Faith In Men
2013	An Average Verge
2012	Dew Drop Secrets
2011	Champion Freedom

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I Ask For Two Minutes…

Memorial Day
Monday 31 May 2021
Thank You, Veterans! Some give more than others… Some give all…
[This weekend, when you are celebrating with your family, please take a minute to think about these soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who throughout our nation’s history have made the ultimate sacrifice for us all.  Please try to think of them, not as warriors, but as sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters… as part of a “greater” American family – which all (they and us) surely are.
I know that Memorial Day is specifically set aside to honor these brave souls in uniform, but please also take an extra minute or two to remember and be thankful for the over 3,600 medical and health care staff around the country who also fought the good fight – just doing their jobs – and who gave their lives in the last year defending us from COVID.   They too have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
All five images were found on the web.  No claim of ownership is intended or implied.
—    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2020	At Least A Lot More Gray
2019	Walking The Lonely Path
2018	The Ultimate Trial
2017	Vain Expectations
2016	Or Of One Thought
2015	What’s In Your Future?
2014	Light In Darkness
2013	How ‘Bout Just Obeying The Law?
2012	Or Maybe Not
2011	My Interval Is Too Short!

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Boxing: Precision Target

No practice today.  I tweaked my right knee walking our dog and then aggravated it more with a LONG walk around Costco (and unloading the car).
Instead, I’m posting an image of the “precision” target I mentioned in my prior post.
Tennis balls adapted for precision punching practice.
As you can see, it’s just two tennis balls strung up on a nylon cord with a bungee cord and a weight on the bottom end and more nylon cord (and rope) tying the top end to a hook in one of my rafters.  Simple, yet effective.  There are knots tied in the cord at either side of the tennis ball to prevent the ball from moving up or down the cord.  The base weight is just so I didn’t have to make any attachment (damage) to the floor.  The weight is just a single 10lb free weight.  I tried lighter and heavier weights.  Lighter (5lbs) and when the balls were struck, the weight moved  and banged into things.  Heavier (25lbs) was just too much of a hassle to move around to set up and take down.
This type of target is sometimes called a “double-end” target (“bag” when actual punching bags are used) or a “kangaroo” target.  My modification to the basic target was to add a second tennis ball.  This gives me a target at roughly chin height and one at roughly rib / solar plexus height.  This is the target I was using when trying on my gloves every couple of days.  Although it was “safe” in this location, it wasn’t particularly useful as I could hit it without “it” hitting anything else, but I couldn’t move around much (at all).  Now that I think about it, this was probably one of my earliest lessons:  “punching” is hitting things;  “boxing” is hitting things while you move around so they don’t hit you back.  (LoL)  Yes, I still learn the hard way every time!
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On This Day In:
2019	Yet We Should Keep Trying
2018	Let Us Dare
2017	Two Good To Be Real
	Secrets
2016	Learning Subtle Differences
2015	Dog Eat Dog World?
2014	And Sometimes Blogs About It
2013	Outside-In
2012	They Are All Perfect
2011	Delegation – The “How-To’s”
2009	Diet Update and Other Bits & Bobs…

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Just Dessert

2020 Thanksgiving Trifle Dessert
The photo above is a snap of the trifle dessert my daughter (Sarah) made to compliment our Thanksgiving day dinner.  You can’t tell from the image but it was about ten(10) healthy servings – divided among the three of us.  (LoL!!)  It lasted until Black Friday dinner afters…  And, then there was none.  😦    Trust me.  It was even better tasting than the picture looks…   🙂
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On This Day In:
2019	Happy Thanksgiving (2019)
2018	And Smiles…
2017	Or Savor A Little Longer…
2016	Sometimes I Just Want To Smell The Flowers
2015	One Truth – Done Well
2014	Now In Imagination, On The Other Hand…
2013	No Plan, No Map
2012	Singing About Love
2011	The Awesome Power Of Truth

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Above Her Sink

You can tell a lot about a person by the things you see laying about their house.  This item on my sister’s window sill above her kitchen sink for example…
Everyone needs a calling in life…
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On This Day In:
2019	#DullDonald
2018	And Start With Charity
2017	First Things First
2016	Why Would We Expect Truth From A Liar?
	Unknown Fear
2015	Something Pagan
2014	A Note To Self
2013	Determining Our Degree Of Freedom
2012	Journalism And Fantasy
	Known Knowns
	Jerk, n.
2011	Love Questions

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Almost Ready To Take A Breath

Still waiting on the vote count…
Note:  This image was found on the internet.  I do not own it or make any claim to copyright.  If anyone knows the owner, let me know and I will credit them for it.   —   KMAB
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On This Day In:
2019	Transfiguration
2018	2018 Mid-Terms
	Praying For A Blue Tsunami Election
2017	Islam Is Not The Enemy
2016	A Checkered Past, A Checkered Future
2015	Preferences
2014	Have You Taken The Pledge?
2013	Nurture Tolerance
2012	Election Day – Please Hear What I’m Not Saying
2011	Mostly Strange, Always Blue
	What Is It You Want?
2010	MSNBC, Bring Back Keith !!!
	Value..
	Worse Still…
	Afraid So…
	Making It
	Don’t Jump Small
	Time
	Push!!
	I’m Still Here… (A Message To Keith Olbermann)
	Choose
	Not Yet…
	Mean Too
	Still Building (and Planning)
	Hangin’ High
	Always…

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Compare, Contrast And Learn

Several years ago, I was riding home on our BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) system and I looked out the window at the memorial to those lost in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It moved me deeply.  These lives lost are a far greater treasure lost than the “mere” trillions we’ve spent on fighting these conflicts.  Our military forces are still present in both countries with no real (IMHO) hope of any “victory” in any normal sense of the word.  The best we can hope for is that whatever government we leave in place when we finally withdraw is not slaughtered within the first two years of our “escape” – as happened in South Vietnam.
Anyway, I was watching the Presidential debate and listening to President Trump tell us how (once again) we’ve “turned the corner” on the COVID pandemic, while former Vice-President Biden was telling us under President Trump’s continued “leadership”, we stood to lose another 200,000 American lives by the end of the February.  This morning, I was looking at some news sites and I saw an image which stopped me.  It was an image of small flags, one for each American death from COVID.
Here is an update on the image of the lost military lives over the last 20 years:
Lafayette Hillside Memorial
And here is an image of Americans lost to COVID in less than nine(9) months:
Flags representing individual American lives lost to COVID so far in 2020.
Remember these flags are “expected” to double by the end of February 2021 if we don’t increase our efforts to stem this terrible pandemic.  Today’s current death count:  227,107.
Please:  1)  WEAR a mask;  2)  wash your hands frequently;  3)  practice social distancing (stay a minimum of six feet apart);  4)  avoid large (more than 10 people) gatherings;  and, 5)  if you must gather (even with 10 or less), do it outdoors.
This predicted loss of life doesn’t HAVE to happen.  Our losses over the last four months could probably been halved if we (90% of us) had simply followed these five simple rules.  We cannot prevent all of the losses over the next four months.  But estimates are that we could halve those predicted losses if we act based on science and not politics.  The question is:  What have we learned America?
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On This Day In:
2019	Can I Get A Witness?
2018	I’d Still Like To Try It Out
2017	In Every Thing
2016	Future Halo
2015	The Hard Way Every Time
2014	Indispensable Wits
2013	I’d Like To
2012	2012 National League Champions – San Francisco Giants!!
	2nd Viewing – No Change
	Light Shining Out of Darkness
2011	Just Kickin It
	Are These The “Real” Protectors Of America’s Constitution?
2010	Giants Advance To 2010 World Series!!!

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Trust But Verify

Joe / Kamala:  Signed, sealed, delivered!  I’m yours!!!
2020 Ballot Received!!
Thank You to:  United States Postal Service, Contra Costa County Elections Board / Registrar of Voters & California Secretary of State!!!  Now let’s get to counting…
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On This Day In:
2019	With Faith
2018	Spiritual Matter
2017	Until He’s Elected President…
2016	Reasonable Discounts
2015	Poem For A Friend
2014	A Very Unusual Mind
2013	Just Lucky
2012	The Undeveloped Child
2011	What Is Your Canvas?
2010	Giants Win Games 3 & 4 – One Away From World Series!!

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Fact Check: Presidential Memories

Today, President Trump gave an “interview” on Fox where he described how great his memory was because he claims he was able to pass a test used to determine if the patient being tested has early signs of dementia.  #LyingDonald said he “aced” the test which took over 30 minutes for him to take.  Trump stated the test was administered the last time he was at the hospital, “probably a year ago” and the test was administered by Dr. Ronny Jackson.
Trump’s “last” trip to the hospital (Walter Reed Hospital) was in November of 2019.  Not quite a year ago, but whatever…
Dr. “Ronny” Jackson was replaced by DO Sean Conley in March 2018 as the President’s personal physician.  Trump had nominated Jackson for appointment as the Secretary of the Veterans Affairs.  Jackson withdrew his nomination the following month after allegations of misconduct and concerns over his lack of management experience.
DO Conley released the report about the President’s “visit” to Walter Reed for a partial physical examination and Conley, not Jackson, was seen on video getting into the SUV with Trump going to the hospital.
From February 2019 through December 2019, Jackson served as “Chief Medical Advisor to the President”.  The position was created for him and ended when he left the “position” to run for Congress.  I have NOT been able to determine what are the job duties of the “Chief Medical Advisor” from a Google search.
I “guess” it is possible Dr. Jackson accompanied DO Conley (and the President) to Walter Reed and participated in the “examination”, but again, I have not found ANY previously published accounts of Dr. Jackson being present for the trip and I note there is no mention of his (Jackson’s) being present on Conley’s press release (below).
Visit to Walter Reed Hospital Press Release
So…
Does anyone believe Trump took a test which is meant to take about 10 minutes (15 minutes maximum) and that it lasted over 30 minutes? Does anyone believe it was recommended, administered or reviewed by Dr. Jackson? Does anyone believe the test was twelve months ago? Does anyone believe Trump passed the test? Does anyone believe Trump would remember any of it (the assessment or the circumstances) accurately now?
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On This Day In:
2019	Where Today’s Republican Party Is Failing America (And The President)
2018	Either / Or
2017	Redemptive Power
2016	On Calls To Renew Waterboarding / Torture
2015	Still Struggling
2014	How To Become A Saint
2013	Not Much Change
	Our Biggest Fear
2012	Brain, n.
2011	Styles Of Leadership
2010	Face Front!

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He Says The Last Five Questions Are Really Hard

The image below is one “sample” copy / version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) “test” which President Trump claims his physicians recently asked him to take and which he claims they said he “Aced”.  The President also stated he felt the last five(5) questions were very difficult.  You be the judge…
MOCA-Test-English
Double-click on the image to see a larger version.
My opinion: if you find ANY part of this assessment difficult, you should not be President!
The assessment is meant to be a quick test of cognitive domains: attention and concentration, executive functions, memory, language, visuoconstructional skills, conceptual thinking, calculations, and orientation.  The measure can be used for, but is not limited to patients with stroke, early dementia, Alzheimer’s or concussive injury.  Please note:  the above sample is the “quick” version.  I understand their is another more extensive version of approximately thirty(30) questions which takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete.  The White House did not state which version the President took, but they have not specifically denied he took this “quick” version.
I’d like to know why multiple physicians felt it was necessary for this President to take this assessment, when he actually took the assessment, and what was his actual score.  Just asking…
Just a small addendum:  You’ll note the assessment sample (above) has a score of thirty(30) points maximum.  It is not clear to me if there is some confusion between the above “sample” test maximum score and the “extensive” version.  I did a quick Google for the extensive version and it seems the on-line versions are only available for health professionals (which I am not).  Other than the requirement to wait five(5) minutes before the word recall portion, it doesn’t seem to me this assessment would take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.  And I’m not the stable genius which President Trump claims to be.
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On This Day In:
2019	Historic Contact
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2018	History Judges Incompetent Presidencies, Too
2017	Our Confident New President
2016	Ways
2015	Be Happy, Too
2014	At Least Smile
2013	Comfortably Bound
2012	Certainty
	Thinking About Fathers
2011	And In Every Level Of Media

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So Sad, Faux Crowd

Over the last weekend, #IncompetentTrump was in Tulsa, Oklahoma to hold his first political rally since the COVID-19 shutdown started in March…
What the Trump campaign wanted us to see…
What the “crowd” actually looked like…  (Hint:  less than 1/3 capacity occupied.)
A dejected #DonTheCon returning to the White House (flaccid tie and hat in hand)…
What I hope to say in January 2021…
Get that LOSER off my grass!!!
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On This Day In:
2019	And The Same For Blogs And Posts
2018	The End Of Asgard (For Now)
	I Learn The Hard Way Every Time
2017	For Some
2016	Fragile And Explosive, Provocation And Privacy
2015	Bound Up
2014	Economic Engines
2013	Weren’t You Supposed To Be Reading?
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	Where I Stand
2012	Hangin’ With His P’s
	Help Save
2011	Six Facets Of Good Leadership

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Why My Dentist Loves Me

You are looking at $1K+, folks!!  Still, I can’t complain too much.  The “gap” had a root canal and crown over 30 years ago, so there was no bleeding and no pain.  And my dentist squeezed me in this morning for a temporary until they can finish the job in a couple of weeks.  They’ve just re-opened after the COVID shutdown and are limited in scheduling procedures by the amount of PPE they can keep in stock for the procedures.  At the moment, they are only taking emergencies and beginning to add to the calendar a month plus out.
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On This Day In:
2019	You Really Don’t
	No One Can Imagine
2018	Until Integrity, Decency, Wisdom, And Humility Return
	Just Tell (And Re-tell) The Big Lie Often Enough On Fox News
2017	To Laws, Not Office Or Individuals
	Beast / General / Civil
2016	Patronage
2015	For Blogs, Too!
2014	Righteous Anger
2013	An Irish Blessing
2012	But Is It Worth It?
2011	Let Us Start

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Role Reversal

Sometimes, you just gotta laugh…
This cartoon was found in a post on one of the blogs I follow:  Pacific Paratrooper
The specific post is located at:  https://pacificparatrooper.wordpress.com/2020/05/14/armed-forces-day-week/
Please visit the site if you have a spare moment…    —    KMAB
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On This Day In:
2019	Right Or Wrong
2018	Open Doors
2017	When It Deserves It
2016	Expiation For Rest
2015	You’ll Get Through It
2014	A Special Kind Of Fall
2013	Very Rewarding
2012	MIB3 – The Team Is Closer Than Ever
	Yet
2011	Little By Little

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#45: Time Is Ticking Away

[This image was found on the internet.  No claim to ownership is implied or intended.    —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2019	Belief Buffet
2018	Change Is Law
2017	A Dog Day Of Summer
2016	Chances Are
2015	Truer Spoken
2014	Not Quite There Yet (Either)
	Many Colors
2013	Distance, n.
	Less Can Be More
2012	Rise Up!
	The Gift
2011	Artful Courage
2010	A Handful of Lessons…

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Remembering…

Memorial Day
Monday 25 May 2020
Thank You, Veterans! Some give more than others… Some give all…
[All four images were found on the web.  No claim of ownership is intended or implied.    —    KMAB]
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On This Day In:
2019	Kingslanding
2018	I’d Bet On Taxes
	Ooops! I Spoke Too Soon
2017	A Cautionary Wish
2016	Slogging
	It’s About…
	Man / Man
2015	Memorial Day – 2015
	Content People Love To Share
2014	I Resemble That Remark
2013	Long Range Exploration
2012	UBI
2011	Opportunity

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