Talent and Faith

Survivor Skills

I read somewhere that 99% of what we know, is learned. I agree. Sure, I create art, music, and stories, but the skills to do so have been learned.

Some studies suggest that 1/2 of what we know as an adult, we learn by the time we are 4 years old. How we walk, talk, and behave are established in those first few years.

What I was exposed to then, shaped my tastes for life. The stories that were read. The songs that were sung. The food we ate, and how we ate it. What part of the country. What social strata. Manners and respect. How I perceived myself. How I felt others perceived me. Living conditions at home.

Physical traits; Big, small. Happy, cranky. Cute, ugly. Sweet, mean. Smart, slow. Coordinated, clumsy. Gifted, dull. Pale, dark. Eye color, hair color. Fit or frail. perfect or flawed.

The list is quite long when you get right down to it. The rest of life is pretty much just how we use those attributes.

Prior to 1950, a home entertainment center was a piano and a radio. We would gather around the radio and listen to, "The Voice of Firestone", "Suspense", and a few other selected programs. No one knew how to play the piano. My sister took lessons, but she wasn't very good. I didn't care much for lessons in anything. I found them slow and boring. I would wait for inspiration to teach me.

In the early 1950's, we had a grand piano in the living room. We were not allowed to touch it. On rare occasions, my parents would have a party where one of the guests might play a couple of tunes. There was an upright grand, player piano in the recreation room that we kids, were allowed to play. I liked making sounds with it, but avoided learning to play properly.

Up, Up And...Oh Crap!

The Co2 measuring satellite lifts off.

I was reading Tom's Astronomy Blog , this morning, (4AM), and the Orbiting Carbon Laboratory didn't go as planned. The satellite protective cowling failed to separate and the extra weight prevented orbital speed. The OCL people will announce later this morning whether it will be more orbiting space junk, or?*

Video of the launch is available at this BBC news site; LAUNCH.

*It's a, "Or". The satellite crashed in the ocean.

Google Mail

Gmail. Always growing and adding more features.

I didn't notice, but Google mail was down for a time today. That's what I get for reading the BBC news at this time of the morning. It's hours before sunrise here, and they are already finishing up lunch.
I did find out that I am one of 113 million people who use Gmail worldwide.


What A Day

Enjoying the morning by the river. 2/24/09

What a day, indeed. I met with Dr. Grady this morning to plan our next move toward repairing my hernia. After my appointment, I went to the lab for another CBC to check my white blood cell count. This is key to moving forward with surgery.

On my way home, I stopped along the river to enjoy a few moments of sunshine.

Turtle Bay, Buick, and the Sundial. 2/24/09

I even found a goose,
basking on the marina parking lot.

Goose in a parking space. 2/24/09

I came back home and edited pictures and music for a couple of hours, until I got a call from the doctors office. The lab report still showed a high white blood cell count. Somewhere, I have an infection. I guess the tooth has got to go. I had hoped to wait until I got approval for a partial appliance that would put a tooth in place of the one that's being removed, but a letter in yesterday's mail, informed me that payment for a fake tooth was denied. So, time to set aside my vanity and get an appointment to have it pulled. Whee.

My tooth, (maybe 2), will be leaving it's home in my mouth, Thursday morning.

Ah, well, things change.

Our President Speaks

I was proud and reassured in my country's future.

What a relief to hear and see an intelligent, articulate, compassionate, American president. I am feeling confident and hopeful about our future.

One thing that strikes me as weird, is the childish, angry, irresponsible, attitudes of the republicans. They got us into this mess with their greed and arrogance, but they don't want to pitch in and fix the stuff they have broken.

I also didn't understand why the governor of Louisiana was on TV, making a campaign speech for the next election, rather than pledging his support for America.

Today's Relatively Appropriate Song;
Olive Oyl for President


Smile