Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

(I'm not American but what happens there, affects the whole world. The following is a good example of how to work out which 'side' is deluded)
Huge numbers of our population, good people on both sides, believe in a complete alternate reality. Alternate facts as it were. But just as intensely as I believe they are deluded, they think I am the one who is deluded. Maybe I am. So how can I be confident in my perception? It can be quite difficult.
But I have found that in times of confusion, particularly when emotions are running high and creating tunnel vision, the presence of Nazis can be an extremely helpful indicator. If I am attending a local demonstration or event and I see Nazis…Neo-Nazis, miscellaneous-Nazis or the latest-whatever-uber-mythology-Nazis, I figure out which side they are on.
And if they are on my side of the demonstration? I am on the wrong side.
It is tough to argue moral equivalence when I am standing next to a Nazi.
Look to my right. Is there a guy wearing a 6MWE (6 million wasn’t enough) t-shirt? I am on the wrong side.
Look to my left. If that guy is wearing a Camp Auschwitz t-shirt? Wrong side.
Speakers referring to things Hitler got right? Wrong side.
Team-spirit face paint and hat with horns? This is an unclear indicator that could mean anything but safest to keep my distance from that guy even at a football game.
But I can always, always, always rely on the presence of Nazis as a guiding light through a fog of disinformation.
Credit to Rich O’Connor

Excellent post, CynB. Stated far better than I could have said it.

Just popping in to say Hello and Good Night! Sending {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, positive thoughts, healing energy, prayers, and

Just when I thought it was safe to have chickens after all the predators I've killed here in the past 6 months, I just caught an enormous raccoon in the barn!!! He must weigh nearly 40 lbs! That is not a good creature to have around my poultry. He was big enough to kill turkeys easily. Fortunately, he is now defunct.

Total over the past (nearly) 6 months:
18 Opossums
5 Raccoons

Just to play the ''Devils Advocate'' - Compare that to Australia's policy of catch and release of venomous snakes.

I leave them completely alone if they're in the woods, where they're supposed to be. But once they learn that my barns are a source of foods, they will keep coming back if they're released again.... or start attacking someone else's livestock if released far enough away. Snakes don't keep returning to human habitations and attacking pets or livestock. They prefer staying away from people and their homes unless extremely hungry.

Thought this was interesting. Wonder what is going to happen to the pigeon now?
https://www.9news.com.au/national/racing-pigeon-flies-all-the-way-from-alabama-to-melbourne/e1 87c368-de67-4548-8fd0-79cb856c8446
Good one DorA - seen too many snakes for my liking - we seem to have particularly venomous ones in our bush areas. with the hills around us we occasionally have them in our yard too.
Had my first swim in 10 years last Friday at the beach - was wonderful. Didn't last long but still good.

Darn! Too late to read & comment! {{{{{HUGS}}}}} and to All!

My ear infection is driving me crazy right now. Lots of bloody pus and sinus congestion. I'm even having some dizziness.

That's no good Heidi! Hopefully you'll get some help for it soon.
It worries me because 10 years ago last week, Col's 20yo nephew passed away due to an ear infection, which, in his case went untreated because their religion didn't allow for doctors or medicine.
It does now - Government departments are watching their younger children and if they don't get medical treatment they will be taken from them.

It's snowing right now. Everything is white outside. This came on rather suddenly. When I fed the cattle 5 hours ago, it was 50˚F/10˚C, and sunny.

Hi, Everyone! We got some snow today, too, and more predicted off and on over the next few days. Supposedly there won't be a lot of accumulation.

I'm off to bed, as I can't get comfortable sitting. Could it be sciatica? Sending lots of , {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, positive thoughts, and prayers!

We got an inch of snow overnight, and will be having more flurries over the next 2 days, too. I'm glad the chickens have thick straw bedding in their barn for warmth.

The sinus/ear infection is driving me crazy. Too much bloody pus coming out of the ear and too much bloody snot from the nose. Both on the right side. This infection is why I worry so much about COVID. My white blood cell count is almost nonexistant now.

Good morning all,
Julie - I know the feeling of not being able to get comfortable, even in a favourite chair. It was worse a few weeks ago when I hurt my back. I also only manage about 6 hours sleep before everything hurts from lying in the same spot. The joys of getting older, and I am now 73. How did that happen? Why do I think I am much younger until I glimpse myself in a mirror or have brain fuzz, sore limbs and digestive troubles?
Heidi, surely the doctor or pharmacist could give you something to ease the pain and discharge from your ear. It must be just plain awful!
Sunday morning here, Col has happily gone off to Bunnings (hardware store chain) with his mask & Christmas gift card from our daughter. Did I want to come? Nah, I'll pass thanks.

I keeo trying to figure out what breeds are in Dawn. She's very intelligent, and a remarkably fast learner. She has a bit of wanderlust and gets very interested in scents. But she also showed a strong urge to herd cattle today. It surprised me that she helped me move an uncooperative steer today, and took direction. I'm starting to suspect that she's mainly Beagle and Kelpie, 2 breeds that are common in the area.

I'm so glad that Col got to go out by himself today and splurge on a toy or two. I go crazy in hardware stores, myself.

Heidi, I hope you can get to a doctor or nurse practitioner or ER for the infection! It's amazing how much pain and discomfort you need to deal with on a regular basis. Surely there must be someone who can diagnose and find a treatment that works to clear it up or at least provide some lasting relief! It must be extremely frustrating! Sending you lots of healing energy and positive thoughts!

CynB, I hope your back is doing much better. It's hard when every position between standing, sitting, and lying down is uncomfortable! Is a hardware store not your favorite destination? I think hubby would enjoy going to one, but I have so far successfully kept him out of all stores since the beginning of the pandemic. It's too risky for him to have that exposure. I do my best to stay far away from people in stores, but keep thinking I need to set up some kind of shopping and delivery service for us.

My Dad used to say that getting old is not for the weak. Hubby is 74, and I'm 72, so we also know the joys of getting older. At least hubby seems to sleep fairly well; I'm glad when I can get 6 hours of sleep, usually with a couple of times getting up during the night. Multiple doctors, some of them specialists, haven't been successful at diagnosing some of hubby's ongoing issues. The frustration can be hard to deal with.

Midge, how wonderful that you were able to swim at the beach for the first time in 10 years! I hope you don't need to wait another 10 years before you can do it again! The article about the racing pigeon was amazing! I hope at some point it will be able to be returned to its owner in the U.S.

Thinking of everyone and sending warm and positive thoughts, healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, and for all! Take care and stay safe!

Re: the Homing Pigeon - I read on one of the Australian web news sites that the powers that be have decided that the whole thing was a fake. They think the birds 'leg band' had been changed.

There are several difficulties with treating this ear infection. There is so much scar tissue in the eustacian tube that it cannot possibly drain normally. The scar tissue was formed from numerous ''untreated'' ear infections in my childhood. My mother felt that she knew more than any doctor, so she treated it with her own ''remedies''. And it no longer responds to ANY antibiotics. The specialists I've seen have not given me much hope of relief.

That's not good about the ear, Heidi. One would think they could drain it or give you stronger medications. If that can't happen, I hope it eases off soon so you can feel more comfortable.
Julie - getting older is awful, isn't it? I feel for you that just going out is fraught thanks to the spread of Covid. Please investigate buying online, even groceries. I buy so much more online these days. Over here, we also have Click and Collect, so you can order online and go there, your order will be ready and you only have to deal with one (masked and socially distanced) person.
That said, online orders can get delayed. 2 weeks ago I ordered something for my son's 50th birthday, which is today. Checking on the tracking link every day, I find that it is on a truck in Melbourne still waiting to head to Brisbane, (1700kms/1050miles) I'll be lucky to get it here by the end of the week. Darnit!! They will claim Covid is the problem, but freight has been getting through closed borders all along. And most borders are now open anyway.
DorA - When that came on the news about the homing pigeon, my husband said - what a load of #@$#! He was right. Some people just want their 15 minutes of fame.

60th Class Reunion. . .The Danger Of Attending A Class Reunion At Our Age - The 60th High School Reunion.He was a widower and she a widow. They had known each other for a number of years, having been high school classmates and having attended class
reunions in the past, without fail.This 60th anniversary of their class, the widower and the widow made a foursome with two other singles They had a wonderful evening, their spirits
high, with the widower throwing admiring glances across the table and the widow smiling coyly back at him.Finally during one dance, he picked up courage to ask her, 'Will you marry me?  After about 6 seconds of careful consideration, she answered,
'Yes.... yes I will!'Needless to say, the evening ended on a happy note for the widower. However, the next morning he was troubled. Did she say Yes or did she say
No? He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. He went over-and-over the conversation of the previous evening, but his mind was blank. He remembered asking the question, but for the life of him could not recall her response.With fear and trepidation, he picked up the phone and called her. First, he explained that he couldn't remember as well as he used to. Then
he reviewed the past evening. As he gained a little more courage, he then inquired of her, 'When I asked if you would marry me, did you say Yes or did you say No?”'Why you silly man, she replied, I said Yes. Yes, I will! And I meant it with all my heart!'  The widower was delighted. He felt his heart skip
a beat.  Then she continued. 'And I'm so glad you called, because I couldn't remember who asked me.”

CynB... It has a drain in it right now to relieve pressure.

Heidi, glad it has the drain in it. Hope it does the job it's intended for.

Last night we had a massive storm come through, not much thunder and lightning - but the rain!! We got over 100ml (4 inches) in about 30 minutes. Caused much flash flooding - we were all headed to a hotel restaurant for my son's birthday in 4 cars from 4 different directions. Some of us got through despite blinding rain, some had to backtrack, and my son and his family were stranded for 40 minutes waiting for the water to subside. Fortunately we are coastal, and it was low tide so they got through eventually. Going home a few hours later, all the water had gone despite the fact that it was still raining.
A bit inconvenient but, we need the rain. Our garden, plants and lawn will be happy.

Robert moved today, and got a lot of helpers to move all his posessions. There were several pieces of furniture that were shot and needed to be thrown out, so I drove over there with my trailer and his helpers loaded it up with things to go on my burn pile. (Of course, I was the only person wearing a mask.) Then I used the pallet lifter on my tractor to unload everything and stack it on the burn pile. My good deed for the day.

Hi, Everyone! Well, it seems that the racing pigeon story didn't fool too many people.

Heidi, I hope the drain in your ear will provide some relief! I sure wish modern medicine could come up with something that could cure the infection and allow you many years of freedom from the pain & inconvenience you've had to deal with for so long! How nice of you to help Robert with his move! I hope the move is a positive thing for him!

CynB, thank you for the suggestions for shopping with less fear. My brother uses 'Instacart,' which apparently has established an agreement with several grocery store chains that one can choose from. There are also some grocery stores that have developed their own system to allow for remote grocery shopping. I think we'll try one of those systems when we have fewer appointments per week on the calendar. (I would prefer to be at home when the order is delivered.) I will need to learn to purchase the majority of groceries from just one store and get to know the house brands well enough to knowledgeably order (and get what we hope for).

CynB, I'm glad you and your family were able to celebrate Andrew's birthday, in spite of the weather's best efforts to postpone the celebration! I hope his gift will arrive soon!

DOrA, what a great story about the 60th class reunion! Sixty years used to seem so far away, but not so much any more!

I need to get to bed soon. We have another of hubby's more distant doctor appointments tomorrow, and I'll need to stay awake!

Thinking of everyone and sending an abundance of positive thoughts, healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, and ! Good Night, Everyone!

Robert just moved to a smaller apartment in the same complex, but on the ground floor. Since his stroke 2 years ago, it's been a major nightmare for him climbing stairs to his apartment. He's been a prisoner there quite a bit of the time. This is the first ground floor apartment that has become available since then.

Just went to the feed store for 600 lbs of feed that I now have to unload. And my back is already killing me.
--- groan ...
My next epidural is in 13 days.

BTW.... I was the only person wearing a mask in there AGAIN. Stupid, selfish people.

OK.... all the feed is unloaded. Now to remove a tree that fell on the chicken's pen. Thank goodness for front end loaders and chains.

Got most of the tree off the chicken pen. There ate still nearly 100 small branches to remove, but that's for another nice day. The weather is delightful today. My back is not.

The apartment complex where Robert lives must be small or popular or a combination of the two. WOW! It took 2 years for a first-floor apartment to become available. That should make quite a difference for him!

Heidi, it must be SO frustrating to live in an area where so few people will wear a mask. I was really upset the other day while at hubby's PT appointment, as one client mostly wore her mask below her nose and sometimes only on her chin. No one said anything to her about it. Fortunately, when she was in the 'gym' section, hubby was in the treatment section, but then she also moved to the treatment section. I'm not sure how close she was to hubby's treatment area. I just hope the curtains were drawn between them!

Heidi, I wish there were some easy way to load and unload all of the animal feed when you need to buy it. Thirteen days is a long time to wait for your next epidural. It's impressive that you were able to get all of it unloaded. How unlucky to need to remove a tree that fell on the chicken's pen - a lot of extra work, and lots of weight there to be moved.

I'm becoming a pumpkin, so must get to sleep. Sending positive thoughts, healing energy, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, prayers, and

Robert's apartment complex is for low income people, usually those on disability. I belueve he pays only about $100/month. Robert has several disabilities, most resulting from car accidents or falling off the roof of a house. Half of his skull is made of metal. He has quite a bit of brain damage, besides epilepsy. That stroke was the icing on the cake for him. He is incapable of self-censoring, so a lot of people get upset by what comes out of his mouth, not understanding that he can't help it. He means well, and there isn't an evil bone in his body. I tend to judge people by their intentions, and he always has good intentions.

Sorry to hear about the chicken coup, Heidi. It's good that you have equipment that helps with the ''heavy lifting''. On occasion, during a wind storm, I have trees or heavy branches come down over a fence. I end up having, not only to clear the tree, but to repair the fence. Oh the joy! It does beat living in the concrete jungle, in my opinion, however. If I had to move into town, I would have a very difficult time, 'acclimating' ...

One final thing:
Let's Talk About Trump's Accomplishments...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M6CXhUS-x8

I'm running late and need to get to bed. Sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and for Everyone!

Busy day today. Spent the day driving Robert to the hospital for more cardiac tests (he did very well), then driving him around doing important errands of his. The doctors tell him he'll never be able to drive again. Between his eyesight, which they now say will never improve, to his severe epilepsy, he can't safely get behind the wheel.

Cold day today. The thermometer said it was 32-33˚F /0˚C all day, but it felt a LOT colder, for some reason.
I was planning on taking 5 calves to the sale barn tomorrow, but the forecast is for freezing rain for the next 2 days. It's not a good idea to haul a trailer full of cattle with a truck that weighs less than the loaded trailer on slippery roads when your truck needs brake work.That's a wee bit too dangerous. I can try next weekend after having my brakes worked on. I still have over a ton of feed for them left. We estinate that these calves average about 700 lbs each. One of Mike's steers (sired by my former bull Duke) weighs over 800 lbs.

MY SON WAS FLUNKING OUT OF COLLEGE SO I TOLD HIM, 'YOU WILL MARRY THE GIRL I CHOOSE.'
HE SAID, 'NO.'

I TOLD HIM, 'SHE IS BILL GATES' DAUGHTER.'

HE SAID, 'YES.'

I CALLED BILL GATES AND SAID, 'I WANT YOUR DAUGHTER TO MARRY MY SON.'

BILL GATES SAID, 'NO.'

I TOLD BILL GATES, 'MY SON IS THE CEO OF THE WORLD BANK.'

BILL GATES SAID, 'OK.'

I CALLED THE PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD BANK AND ASKED HIM TO MAKE MY SON THE CEO.

HE SAID, 'NO.'

I TOLD HIM, 'MY SON IS BILL GATES' SON-IN-LAW.'

HE SAID, 'OK.'

AND THAT'S EXACTLY HOW POLITICS WORKS.

And thus, began the practice of hiring morons to work in influential positions of government.

This practice remains unbroken to this day!

The last of the Christmas presents I'd ordered the first of Novenber FINALLY arrived. So I'm delivering it tomorrow morning.

At least Robert got some good news today about results of his cardiac tests. My guess is that he wasn't as pleased about no longer being able to drive. At least he has moved into his first floor apartment, which must be a big help. You are a good friend, Heidi!

Based on the weather forecast, deciding not to take calves to the sale barn seems like a very good idea! Stay safe, Heidi!

DOrA, that's a very interesting analogy about the workings of politics! I guess we shouldn't be surprised about the state of the world if that is how things are decided.

Heidi, whoever is the lucky recipient of the final Christmas present will likely be very pleased tomorrow. Maybe the person should think of it as being the very earliest Christmas present of 2021.

Thinking of Everyone and sending {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, and ! Take care and stay safe, Everyone!