Kevin72's Xanga

Two Beatles Stories

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 03:49:16 GMT

              Time marches on. Jeopardy had a category called "Real People in Beatles' Lyrics". I knew that I would know all the answers when I heard the categories. But the contestants could only get one out of five right. And the contestants didn't seem THAT young that they wouldn't have heard any Beatles songs, they looked to be about 30 plus or minus 5 years.
             One clue was "In 'I am the Walrus', you should have seen them kicking 'this American author'"
             Another one was "In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass, and in his pocket is a portrait of this lady"
             One clue gave about three lines from the song "The Ballad of John and Yoko", and of course the answer was "Who are John and Yoko?"
              One clue that was more history than song referred to "The Taxman", and named two past prime ministers by name, and the question was what was their job.
             They were old enough to be Jeopardy contestants, yet so young that they had no idea about Beatles lyrics.

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LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS DEAD FROM LUPUS AT AGE 46
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1216660/Lucy-In-The-Sky-With-Diamonds-Lucy-ODonnell-inspiration-dies-battling-disease.html

            As much as the world, myself included, thought that "Lucy in the Skies with Diamonds" was about an LSD trip, something John always denied, it turns out the song actually did have NOTHING TO DO with LSD.
         John's elder son Julian, (from his first wife Cynthia), drew a picture of a girl he was fond of at nursery school, called it "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", and John took the name and the picture, and wrote the song. John was that talented. And here is the picture where John saw a boat on the river with tangerine trees, marmalade skies, cellophane flowers of yellow and green, rocking horse people who eat marshmallow pies, and the girl with colitis goes by (actually "girl with kaleidoscope eyes").
          As mentioned in my headline, the real Lucy O'Donnell, aged 4 when Julian drew the picture has just died from Lupus. Julian, upon hearing that Lucy was quite ill contacted her a few times in the last six months of her life.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sat, 19 Sep 2009 05:26:15 GMT

Really glad to be back in class and working. I taught Thursday and Friday after the week of recovering from the eye surgery. Like I wrote, physically I felt fine, but I had to stay face down or chin-to-chest for a week for the gas bubble inserted where the vitreous fluid would be to push the eye back to re-attach to the retina.

There was an article from FARK about Oklahoma high school seniors' understanding of civics, and one of the questions indicated that only 23% of them could properly identify George Washington as the first president. So I had to see about San Francisco 7th graders' ability to recognize the first president. Also I added a question much more important which I stressed to the students please evaluate honestly my feelings will not be hurt.

So the above chart was the Oklahoma high school answers to who was the first president and 3 other questions. Here is the answers from the 7th grade class, plus a bonus question. I didn't write a count for Obama, because almost all the class raised their hands to vote a second time, just to vote for him.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:59:12 GMT

       I don't know if anyone read the thing I wrote about September 5,6 and 12, 13 being astrologically difficult days, with the days inbetween being tough too. I wrote it privately on August 19, and published it September 3, but forgot to push xanga's "update the date" button.
        Well, I don't know if it was a self-fulfilling prophecy, but my left eye's retina detached yet again. As much as I tried not to believe it, I had a clear sign of a curtain covering my left eye vision. Who knows why the June 30 surgery failed as did the August 3rd one. The doctor that did the surgery September 9 is truly high rated .... but then again so was the doctor from June 30.
           Surgery went fine, but the recovery is much worse. Having to remain in a facedown position 23 hours a day, and that one hour is supposed to be for eyedrop insertion only. 2 drops get put in 4 times a day, 2 drops just twice a day. Good thing they are color coded by their caps. So 9/12 and 9/13 I don't have to worry about anything happening, it's already happened, I'll just be at home face down putting in eyedrops.

days of caution

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:13:34 GMT

NOTE: I started this August 19th and never finished it between last days in Vietnam, and returning. It is timely for it deals with Sept 5 and 6 and 12 and 13, so I'll just publish it as imperfect as it is.

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Disclaimer: Astrology is an imperfect science and yes you have free will and if someone says "x" will happen, many people will experience "x" as a placebo, and many people will experience "not x" just to have the prognosticator be wrong.
That being said, the planets will be exactly where they will be during the soon to be mentioned 4 days in September, and it's up to you the scientist/observer of life to make your own impartial observations and put the following hypothesis to the test.

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         Today's chart, August 19th. If you know astrology, "trines" ie planets at 4/12ths apart are beneficial as are "sextiles" ie 2/12ths apart, and are marked in green and blue respectively. Oppositions (6/12ths apart) and Squares (3/12ths) are difficulties and are marked in red.

           By the way, the chart is a flash, and would not just copy,. so I had to photograph the computer and then email it to me so you see a flash, and a kind of curvy picture.
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        So now here is my point. I have found that September 5th, 6th, and September 12th at 4PM Pacific to September 13th at around 4PM are in pure red ie NO positive aspects. That doesn't mean the planet will crash, or everyone will fail. I am just saying be conservative, cautious, plus conservative and cautious those days. No risky deals, no risky adventures, no new business starts or marriages those days. Probably not the weeks around them either because it will still be mostly star-crossed even though it won't be a complete wash.
          Do what you want. I'm just saying exercise caution, and don't start anything new or risky. Just complete and perfect the old, which is never a bad idea!
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Above chart for September 5, all red lines "Squares and Oppositions". Same conditions for September 6 and September 12th at 4pm to 13th around 4pm.

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UPDATE: I am finally changing this from "private" to "public" and it's the day before, so most of the planets are already in opposition mode. Not noticing anything crashing, except for I will need ANOTHER detached retina surgery next week. But I am noticing a certain feeling, it's like that feeling when magnets repel when I think of going out and doing stuff.

Fish Burrito?

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:59:04 GMT

When I saw it, I was wondering if the fish was being served in a spinach-flour burrito.

Turns out it was some kind of giant relative of the cucumber, at least that's what it tasted like. Of course the fish was delicious, but it turns out the cucumber cover, which the waitress sliced into not-small pieces was delicious too, somehow absorbing the taste of the fish sauce, yet so vegetabley ie kinda crunchy kinda cooked, and that feeling that you can just eat a lot because it's fiber and green and veggie and yeah I wish I could always get my veggies this way, and did I forget to say that the fish was delicious too?

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 08:05:27 GMT

Well, I started on the fast track, and stayed on the fast track basketballing early every morning, eating lightly, meeting my friends at night and eating lightly then. But by July 27, I started noticing the signs of detached retina AGAIN, and went to a Viet doctor who confirmed that even though I had surgery in San Francisco June 30, and had three follow up visits with my retinologist, my retina had a tear in another place.

So I am writing from Bangkok where I have already had an almost non-invasive procedure that probably will not work, but had to be tried (a gas bubble inserted to push the eye back to the retina). If after a few days it looks like that isn't working, the doctor will put a silicone implant in, and that will push the eye back to re-attach with the retina, and my doctor in San Francisco will remove it a few months later, yukk. Thank God it will be covered by my insurance since it's urgent emergency, but it's a hassle and a half.

On the other hand, by accurate airport luggage scales, I did lose 6 pounds in 6 days by my active lifestyle basic one-item meal scheme. I hope to keep that up here while facing adversity, and have been doing so although it involved food at the hospital cafeteria (basic Thai but not quite what is at the restaurants in America or the food stalls in Thailand). 30 pounds in 30 days is a lot to ask, but it would make a huge difference like in being able to play basketball without worying about the weight being to heavy for my knees, or for that matter getting back into running and not "distance walking".

I'll see what happens . If I get the silicone implant, that is major, but a sure solution. Then healing. It's like a dream and you know you're awake, I'm referring to those first four days where I was in the basketball games in Vietnam with the Vietnamese, and not just practicing. And like there is a cloud to pass through before the dream can be re-reached, and can it rehappen. There can be basketball games back in America, but it's just different there, a special quality of being accepted and appreciated, hard to explain.

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UPDATE August 5th: I did have to have the silicone implant to re-attach the retina. For whatever reason, there was a small hole, so most of the gas bubble escaped, so the implant was the latest surgery.

So I've had to change the eyepatch like 4 times a day to put in anti-infection eye droplets. It's survivable, but I've mostly been blocking it all out by just staying at internet places for hours at a time in spite of being a one-eyed Jack (that means something in certain poker games?) or I guess Cyclops would be the more scholarly reference.

What I really wanted to share was that amongst all the craziness of emergency surgery while on vacation, and the siege mentality of staying on the internet, my drink of choice at this time is Barcardi Breezer Raspberry Rum Refresher. It's just so fruity and yet it's so naughty to be boozing while blogging in public. Of course, next to the Rum Refresher is a 1.5 liter of bottled water, de rigeur survival for 90+ degree weather.

I am on target to lose 25 pounds in 29 days. It is harder without the daily morning basketball and planned-for but not happened afternoon swimming in Vietnam, that is the good thing. Just being austere, picky, limiting, but still eating well just lightly ie like normal Thai portions here unlike the everything supersized in America. When I first asked the doctor, he said no basketball 3 weeks, but maybe careful practice not playing will be OK, I will ask him again when I have my next appointment tomorrow. Also, hopefully news that I can return to Vietnam soon.

I'm a player

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 23:09:55 GMT

It's not often that one can claim unmitigated victory before 7:00 AM, but I feel I can.

I've done the transpacific flight enough that I've more or less figured out how to beat it. The after-midnight flight out of San Francisco leaves at 1:30 AM, people get fed at 3:30 AM, there is about 8 hours to sleep, and then they wake everyone up for breakfast two hours before the plane arrives in Taipei at 5:00 AM Taiwan time. That's kind of good, you can stay up late, get 8 hours sleep, and arrive early. But I have learned how to get it even better.

Last time I flew, I noticed for the post midnight meal, all these India looking people, especially with turbans got to eat early, and I'm noticing not wanting to stay up until 3:30 AM for the meal. So I also notice that they are getting special meals, Hindu Vegetarian Meal or Muslim No Pigmeat Meal or whatever. So this trip I ordered special meal Kosher and got my meal over with like 2:30 and slept well, real well. Good beef brisket, but no no no butter for the roll, not kosher to mix meat and dairy. Not about keeping kosher, it was about getting my meal an hour earlier!

Well, since the morning meal on the plane was technically like 3:00 AM Taiwan time, and 2:00 AM Vietnam time, I told my friend when I got here in Vietnam that I was not doing anything too special my first day, which was yesterday, and that I would go to sleep early the first night, and get up early the first day, which I did.

So today I was at the basketball court by 5:30 AM. Like last spring, the Tai Chi ladies were also there in full force. I really didn't want to disturb their morning peace and concentration, so I walked around the sporting complex, noticed that people were already swimming. Came back at 5:40 and patiently relaxedly just watched them, until 5:50 they gestured that it would be OK for me to practice basketball while they were doing Tai Chi, so I did. Around 6:05, the local basketball players started coming and practicing. Around 6:10, after 20 minutes of practicing and sweating, I started to get "exercise high", kind of bouncy feeling physically and singy feeling mentally. There must be a factor about the temperature, because in San Francisco where it is cool or even cold when I'm practicing at evening time, I don't feel the "high" per se, but do feel a strength against the cold, it's just a different feeling.

Anyway, by the time that there were like 7 other basketball players, and they invited me to play, and I accepted. It was great! I played a strong defense, but missed too many easy shots when I was in the offensive position. Some of that is from me practicing the long shots and not the easy shots, and also from practicing and not playing so it was different being rushed and blocked.

I had a great time! Did a bit more practicing after the game, put in an hour, left at 6:55, and feel great, I blogged about it, and now it's just 7:35 and I'll be ready to start my day on a victorious accomplished feeling!

Ghost?

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 06:58:50 GMT

Going to Vietnam tomorrow night. With my new Palm Pre phone, not only can I take decent pics, but also it has the ability to connect to a computer, so I can download photos directly instead of having to email them to myself which I used to do with my old cellphone, but couldn't send email photos internationally with the old cellphones.
Two nights ago, four of us went to dinner. Then went to a short hike near the sea cliff at night, which of course leads to ghost stories. I told about the ghosts that contacted me in Cambodia. Someone told a story about how a couple years ago he knows he brought a lock and chain with him, and he knows he had it because he was swinging it and showing it to a friend, but it disappeared when he looked for it. Then when he got home, somehow it was on his desk.
So, later that night, I know I put my glasses next to my cellphone on my desk so that I would remember it the next day. When I got up, my cellphone was disconnected from the cellphone charger and on the floor, and my glasses were missing. Three days later, I am still wearing my 2006-2007 glasses, because I have not found my glasses since! I don't know if any ghost stole my glasses and detached the cellphone from the charger and threw it on the floor, but I have no other explanation. Even if I was walking in my sleep which I am not known for doing, the glasses haven't been found anywhere in my room, and I've been looking every day.
The detached retina surgery is healing just fine so says the retinologist, and he says there should be no problem with me traveling to Vietnam.
About a week ago, I sold my Salvia Divinorum plant at $50 for a modest profit considering that I bought four for $40 and only one survived. Didn't plan to get rich growing the plants, just wanted to grow them. I just didn't feel like asking my friend to be a plant sitter for a month though he was real happy that I asked him to do it spring break. Maybe I'll try again in September, learn from some mistakes.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:31:28 GMT

Probably some medical criminal misconduct in the Michael Jackson case. If he really had trouble with insomnia, which is a real possibility, why did the doctors not just give him Ambien, instead of 8-hour surgery type anaesthetic? YIKES!!! And they were probably giving him a typical Supersized American dose, ignoring the fact that he weighed an athletic 125 pounds.

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I don't know what is up with Sarah Palin resignating before her term is over. Either she knows she is going to be implicated in some scandal which I doubt, or she is planning to go on Fox News. There is no end to her ambitiousness which is not to be knocked. I say she is planning to go on Fox News as a way to position herself for 2016. Let Romney, Sanford, and Huckabee fight it out against Obama in 2012.

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I got a Palm Pre, and am already on my second one. Someone told me "wait until the bugs are worked out", and I should have listened. Or not, because I really wanted to have one. First one had like no volume in the earpiece, kept going on 'screensaver' mode, and couldn't stop giving me an error message about an email it failed to send. I don't know if the new one has the 'too early screensaver' problem, the store says that problem is battery related.

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Had surgery Tuesday. Detached retina again, this time on my left eye. I had a proactive laser treatment on my left eye after having detached retina on my right eye in 2004 but apparently there was a little rip just next to where the laser treatment was. Fortunately, it was small and I caught it right away, so they could do the much simpler scleral buckling treatment than the cryogenic gas bubble insertion treatment I had in 2004 on my right eye. It's been healing well, the eye is much less light-sensitive than it was immediately post-op.

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Salvia plants: I've lost 3 but the 4th one is thriving. Pics or it didn't happen?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
For a bizarre news story that the American media surprisingly (for once showing good taste) is having a blackout on here, here is something from the British press: http://monstersinc666.xanga.com/706574246/item/ (thanks for catching that, Raymond).

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 04:34:56 GMT

To: Mark Sanford,

Governor of South Carolina

RESIGN NOW!

Not because you irresponsibly disappeared from the state without telling anyone where you were going or for how long the Lieutenant Governor should take over.
Not because you irresponsibly disappeared from your family without telling them where you went.
Not for lying about where you went, first saying that you were hiking the Appalachian Trail.
Not for the real reason, that is, porking some Argentine hottie.
Not even for the hypocrisy of the tired old "family values" where you tell other politicians they should resign for sexual indiscretions, but you go commit adultry.
RESIGN NOW BECAUSE YOU DID ALL THIS STARTING ON FATHER'S DAY. The one day set aside to allow your children, (four sons), to contribute to you, instead you disappear for days, and worse do the one thing to most hurt the mother of your four children.

Mark Sanford, resign now and rediscover your wife and four sons. Whatever you might hope to gain for your family in the "My Dad is Governor of the whole state" will now forever be eclipsed by "Daddy, you're embarrassing us". Get marriage counseling, join Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous meetings, and tell your Argentine Hottie that you are married and have four children. Quit the governorship NOW, get back your wife and kids NOW.

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While I'm at it, shame on John Edwards, too. While not irresponsibly disappearing on Father's Day, could you have at least not added the heartbreak of an affair to your wife while she is suffering with cancer?