Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Happy Fourth of July...Happy Birthday U.S.A.

38 comments:

Coreen said...

Happy fourth of July guys...& Happy birthday U.S.A...

Flags along the bridge over the Saugatuck River in downtown Westport, CT...

Fireworks at Shelton, CT....

Carol said...

Happy Birthday USA.

Thanks Coreen. We've been working you pretty hard on these post lately. This heat certainly doesn't inspire me.

Nice fireworks. I seem to have some going off in my head this morning. Headache. The joint not only put me to bed last night but it rudely woke me up also.

Some woman just came in and she takes about 100 meds which includes two of the newer types of insulin that we don't use in the joint. Not a good way to wake up an old lady or anyone else for that matter. It's amazing that I can still go from a coma to high gear at my age. This job is probably what keeps the old noodle functioning. God dumped this job on me and she has to provide me with the tools to do it.

jan said...

Nice pics Coreen. Happy 4th of July to all here.

Coreen said...

Isn't this the weather blog you use Carol...seems the users/posters there are not happy campers since the owners of weather underground sold it to the big guy on the block....pretty sure they made them an offer they just could not refuse...that would be lots of $$$$....reality check, as always $$$$ decide everything...
Weather Channel buys weather underground & WU bloggers complain

jan said...

Carol, I am responding to your comment about Katie Holmes. When she married Tom C. she was just a kid. I think she was about 23 or 24 and she had a crush on him for years so she was "starry eyed" about him. She probably knew very little about Scientology. I know very little about Scientology. I am just now hearing this stuff.

jan said...

I see this all the time with teens and younger women. they often don't know much about people and the world but when they have a child, they realize they have responsibility for another person and it changes them like nothing else can.

jan said...

Do you remember when Brooke Shields book came out about her postpartum depression and Tom Cruise publicly denounced her for taking getting psych help and taking medications. He was downright vitriolic about it. He finally apologized because the public and especially women came down pretty hard on him. That was before he married Katie. Tom needs to shut up! Now he is looking pretty stupid for all of that noise and jumping up and down on Oprah's couch that he did about his infatuation over Katie. He just looks ridiculous now. He needs to emulate some of the actors who just act and stay out of the public eye on other things. He is a good actor and great self-promoter. So from now on Tom, just act.

Carol said...

It was Coreen who mentioned Katie. That religion of theirs is very scary.

Carol said...

I hadn't heard that about WU Coreen. You are always on top of these things.

I hope TWC does not change WU. I keep each of your areas at the top of that site so I can see what each of you are dealing with every day. Other weather sites don't do that or don't give me some of the data I want. I went to Accuweather and can't find the humidity. I can also pull up the tropical outlook there and pop thru those maps of data.

I've been using WU for years and just like it better. I don't have to claw thru lots of crap to find what I want. It's very user friendly. I guess there are many others who feel the same way.

Carol said...

I brought Twin out to Pa's to pick up a cabinet she wanted and then hit the grocery store for s few things. I got some Angus ground chuch and I plan to grill up some burgers to celebrate the 4th. Just seems appropriate.

Don't do burgers very often. Last time was Memorial Day. When all the family was still alive..I was always the one who did the big BBQ for all appropriate holidays.. either here or out at mom's. Miss all of them but I'm glad I don't have to do that anymore. It will just be a burger for me and the Magster. TW and Twin would be welcome but they ain't leaving their abodes in this heat.

jan said...

Yes, I see it was you Coreen who mentioned the stuff about Katie and Tom. Both your names start with a C so mea culpa -

jan said...

This is turning out to be a good day. I took my 2 mile walk this morning, picked up a paper and sat on our front porch with tea - john with his coffee. I picked up an old Anne Tyler book at the library the other day. I love her writing. She writes about everyday people and everyday events. Not erotic - like another book just read- but I find Anne T. comfortable and enjoyable. I am halfway through the book.

jan said...

We are doing nothing in particular - a little laundry.

jan said...

Your burgers sound good Carol. I think we are going to get some fried chicken. We had burgers night before last.

Coreen said...

Good day to just relax...We took a ride to Captain's Cove for lunch...fried whole belly clams...there was a good breeze off the sound, though it has been
hot close to 90 & a bit humid, but nothing like the middle of the country...

Coreen said...

I mentioned the Cruise matter because I find Katy's sudden transformation fascinating...regardless of her age or her star worship or whatever...she & her
family knew full well Cruise is the biggest asset of the scientologists...who by more & more accounts of former members is a really creepy, scary bunch...not a religion by any definition...

there have been numerous articles/reports about just how vicious they can be...so again I wonder why did she marry him at all...the outcome of the custody battle over the child may be intense, unless they somehow
come to a quiet agreement...which since she keeps going out in the public in NYC to be covered daily by the media, does not seem likely
& if all reports about the scientologist efforts to indoctrinate members' children is even a little true, could prove to be a real battle royal...

p.s. am not a tom cruise fan...

jan said...

I too have never been a TC fan either. I have not seen any of his movies in years. Most of later ones have been action films and I am not into those either.

As for Katy, I did read she had a huge crush on him dating back to the TOP GUN movie. Maybe she and her family did have access to the info about the Scientologists. They did not marry until after this child was born. Having worked with young women for years, I just think that she was kidding herself about how this might turn out. Maybe her transformation has not been sudden.

jan said...

Another scientologist in the news lately is John Travolta. How coincidental is this?

Carol said...

I'd be anxious if I were Katie. That organization seems to me to be a cult for rich successful people. There have been some rumors about that cult and that child over the years.

Katie won't be the first woman who made a big mistake choosing a husband. I'm sure many thought he would be a good catch.

There are several parallels between Tom and John..even the rumors that both are bisexual or maybe gay and trying to hide it.

Oh..and I'm not a fan either. In many of his movies that made it big..I liked one of the other actors better.

Carol said...

Jan..did you catch that Final Witness show on ABC last night? It was set in New Orleans around the time of Katrina. I watch a lot of crime drama.

That story..as in many situations I observe..demonstrates the evil that can lurk in humans. The right circumstances can set it off and you wouldn't necessarily notice it in the individuals before or after.

In many of the inmates that I have dealt with..who were charged or sentenced for some horribly evil crimes..the evil wasn't usually obvious. That's what makes it so scary. You just never know where it lurks.

Carol said...

Coreen..did you watch that Manhattan fireworks display last night? TW called and was telling me how cool it was. We had one at our civic center..not as big. I could hear the noise from here. So could Maggie. It went off about the time I needed to take Maggie out for her last potty of the day. I had to wait.

I heard on the news yesterday that more dogs die or go missing on the 4th of July than any other time of the year. The busiest time for animal control is July 5th when they find all these dead or displaced dogs.

Coreen said...

I did watch the Macy's fireworks...
& yes it is indeed impressive...this year looks like there were 4 barges in the Hudson River...the entire 1/2 hour looks like a finale explosion in most other fireworks displays...

I am sure it would be a sight to see live, but maybe the older you get the less inclined you are to
want to spend hours in crowds of
people waiting to see that event...

Just about every shore town here has fireworks either before or on July 4th, so you get to hear the booms for a few nights...here the shows usually start between 9 & 9:30 p.m. just after dark...& last about 20 minutes...Towns along the water have for years set them off on barges, which is probably the safest way to handle it...

Over the years we have gone to see
them, but as I said, I guess we just get lazy, old & cranky when it comes to fighting the traffic
the crowds & the long waiting time it takes...not to mention having to drag supplies, chairs, blankets, drinks/food since most
people go hours earlier to get parking & a spot to sit...& public facilities are limited at best....

For many years the family had a cottage at one of the beaches, so you just stayed there & watched,no hassle parking, crowds....

jan said...

We usually have a fireworks display we can watch from our front porch, but not last night. I think there was one out at the Balloon Park, a distance from our house and I am sure, very crowded. Like Coreen, I don't like the crowds and standing. I have arthritis in my feet and knees and extended standing is painful. We stayed home and watched a movie I got at the library, Hannah and her Sisters (Woody Allen movie). John and I both like his movies. I was so angry with him when the news first came out that he and his step daughter were together. They have been married several years now and have a child together. He is a talented writer.

jan said...

Did not watch fireworks on TV.

Carol said...

Yesterday I had an experience that represents one thing that has frustrated me for as long as I have been working in corrections.

I saw an inmate who was recently released from a Texas prison after having served for 20 years. He was in our place because he had several charges for crimes that were committed in a couple of the years when he was actually incarcerated in Texas. Don't ask me to explain how that happened other than it must have been an error. Sometimes people who are arrested implicate someone who isn't present and charges are filed on them and a warrant is issued. If the facts as I got them are correct..it shouldn't take long to clear it up..shouldn't??? Who knows..it's a bureaucracy and you know how that goes.

I asked him what he intended on doing after release and if he had a support system in the "free world". He didn't have any family or friends out there anymore which is so often the case for those who have been incarcerated for year and he didn't know what he would do. Just think...what would you do if you were thrown out to the streets after having been incarcerated for 20 years?

I asked if he was given the option of a half way house in Texas. He said they didn't use half way houses in Texas. Don't know about that either. And half way houses aren't always a good answer. Some of them have problems and many times it is the inmates that create them.

I don't know what he was serving time for but he indicated it was in the line of theft and maybe repeat. He denied there was any violence involved. He was a gentle looking older guy. He did have a lot of health problems.

I did find out he has a 10 year history of serving in the military with an honorable discharge and he did get info from VA that might provide opportunities for some assistance. He had actually served in Desert Storm.

I contacted our Pastoral Care dept to just give them his name and ask them to check on him to see if there was any help they could offer. He didn't come to me to ask for any help, I saw him because he came in with health issues and medication. After doing my assessment and learning of his circumstance.. I worried about his situation.

Carol said...

This is not only a problem for those who are older and have been incarcerated for years either. My first worry about this was when I was working in our state DOC. I had this young guy who hadn't been in prison for long. He came in with vague complaints that I couldn't pin down. Further assessment yielded the fact that he was getting ready to be released and he was facing having to go back to a small community with no family support and a small town with the reputation of having a serious drug problem and he just knew he would end up getting involved in that and coming right back to jail.

At that time I had watched a program on Oprah about this "Garden Project". It was one of Oprah's Angel Projects. They took non-violent released inmates and put them to work in a large garden and also provided them with assistance to learn life skills. It was very successful but I'm not sure if they are still operating. I tried to Google it and could only find info up to 2008. The garden provides food for the community.

There just has to be a way to link up people who need help with other people who need help.

jan said...

Wow Carol! Such a problem that most of us never consider.

Georgia said...

Hello to all, I'm back....been having computer problems and as mysteriously as it occurred, it has fixed itself.

Georgia said...

Carol, still cannot get the new Trend-Micro anti virus subscription to download, been trying the past few hrs. ....it keeps telling me "Cannot download until I clear all other virus preventers" well, heck, as of now, I have no virus protection so what do I have to clear... ??? You know me when it comes to computer stuff.....may as well be in Arabic.....

Georgia said...

On noon news they said you can go to the KPLC Links page and you can click on something that detects if you're going to be one of the lucky ones on Monday when they crash. I checked mine and it says I'm ok, does not detect the DNS virus.......nothing to download.

Georgia said...

I don't understand why Trend Micro didn't automatically renew as it has every year since 2007.....

Georgia said...

This is why I go nuts when I have a computer problem.........Maybe I could take a Leisure Learning class at McNeese...think they still teach " Computers for Beginners " LOL.......

Georgia said...

Good Grief...the Braves are in Philly this weekend. Never had much luck with them either.. The Braves need the All- Star break badly....as well as some guys that can hit the ball.......

Georgia said...

Carol, didn't you tell me there are some "free" virus downloads..?

Georgia said...

Carol, the police chief in LC said in the paper today, he's "appalled" at public outcry over that dog the LC cops shot and killed.... "Why not this much outcry when a citizen is murdered"? More or less said he understands the owners sadness but doesn't get the publics reaction. Guess he's defending his cop.....go figure....He said people should have been more concerned over the carjacking that started the whole debacle.

Georgia said...

Good show gonna be on ABC tonight if it's your thing.....Barbara Walters 20/20..... The subject....."Heaven, is there one and how do we get there"? Gonna interview the Dahli Lama, Richard Gere(Buddist) and other religious leaders from around the world...2 hrs, starting at 8pm central time.

jan said...

NEW POST

Carol said...

And both the BB teams won last night. Weren't the Yanks behind a game with the Red Socks Coreen? Have they made it up yet?