March 2024 - Page 5 of 7 - Ramblin' with Roger

Outrage! I mean Outage!

National Landline Telephone Day

Sometimes, when I see a certain word, I read it as another. For instance, I read the word Outage more often than not as Outrage. I wonder if it’s because many folks are outraged when there is an outage – there’s a blackout after severe weather.

Sometimes, it’s warranted, such as after the Maui, Hawaii fires of 2023, which cost people their lives.

I’m sure the massive AT&T outage in February 2024 was problematic for some. But I felt more outrage when people called 911 to check if their cell phones worked.

I was also puzzled by media stories suggesting that those with cell phones—97% of Americans—should have some redundancy. Were they suggesting we should have…. no, it can’t be that… landlines? Either that or walk to your nearest fire or police station in case of emergency, we were told. I’m only a block and a half from the nearest police station but I can imagine several scenarios where walking for help would be inefficient at best, impossible at worst.

This article had some interesting statistics:

34% of homeowners still have a landline. Only 15% of renters have a landline.
There is a big geographic difference in households that only have cell phones… The states with the lowest percentage of homes that only use cell phones are New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. The whole northeast has fewer homes that rely on only cell phones than the rest of the country.

We’re Both Of The Above people, New York State homeowners with both cellphones and a landline.

Missed the holiday

Related: March 10, 2024, was a holiday. “Let’s take a step back in time and celebrate National Landline Telephone Day with our activity, The History of the Telephone. This activity introduces students to Alexander Graham Bell and shows the impact of his invention – the telephone – on the U.S. population and how phones have changed since first introduced in 1876. For added fun, encourage students to make a list of people they know who still only use landline telephones.” Fun for your favorite seven-year-old.

In case you have forgotten, this was how you dialed your telephone in 1936 and 1954.

FB/IG

Regarding the March 5 event, I laughed quite a bit when people marked themselves Safe after the Facebook and Instagram outage. I understand folks tried unsuccessfully to reset their passwords multiple times, and that certainly would have been extremely frustrating. Somehow, I had missed it altogether until someone emailed me. Elon Musk was experiencing WAY too much glee over it.

In the outrage category, a friend I’ve known IRL since the 1960s noted they disputed a few Amazon claims they didn’t recognize. Amazon immediately locked them out of their account, disconnecting the Fire TVs, Alexa, AND access to Kindle. So they couldn’t turn on any of the lights in the house, watch TV or read. All of these devices/media were items they purchased! Amazon shouldn’t be able to disable them. This DID get resolved, but it’s rather Big Brother.

This got me thinking about the vulnerabilities we experience, from technical glitches to bad actors hacking into governmental, educational, and medical facilities. Those outages do generate outrage, especially the ransomware attacks. Do you ever wonder if the technological networks we’ve built our lives upon could come crashing down?

Sunday Stealing: Friday Five

the cinema

This week’s Sunday Stealing is from something called the Friday Five. But is it the Dave Clark Five, Jackson 5, MC5, Five Stairsteps, Five Satins, Five Man Electrical Band, or another quintet?

1) What is your favorite thing about winter?

I may live to regret this, but… The winter of 2023/24 in Albany, NY, to use a technical term, sucked. Last I checked, we were two feet below average for the date. My seasonal allergies, which tend to disappear in the winter, occasionally flared up.

I like going to the movies in the winter and catching up on the awards-nominated films, so I’m greatly disappointed that both the Spectrum and the Madison Theatres in Albany closed, at least temporarily.

2) What is your favorite winter sport?

I LIKE shoveling a third of a meter of snow, and I take pride in the good, no, great job I do in clearing the sidewalk.

3) What is the best winter treat?

Hot Chocolate.

4) What is the earliest time in the year it ever snowed where you live?

October 4, 1987. I was interviewed on the local news because of my 2012 blog post recollections.

5) What is the best way to stay warm in the winter?

My head MUST be covered. I’ve been known to wear two knit hats simultaneously. Next, gloves are important, followed by warm socks.

6) What are your favorite things that are paper?

Book pages, especially art books. I did like the movie The Paper Chase.

7) What are your favorite things that are cotton?

Actor Joseph Cotten (1905-1994). Or clothes

8) What are your favorite things that are leather?

Eh? My wallet, I guess.

9) What are your favorite things that are floral?

No idea. The Rose Bowl parade?

or Woody Guthrie

10) What are your favorite things that are wood?

The built-in bookcase in my office. Or Evan Rachel Wood, Natalie Wood, Ed Wood, Norwegian Wood, or Woody Woodpecker.

11) What should you do if you think your house is haunted?

The house is a century old. It’s almost certainly haunted, but I’ve taken no action.

12) When should you investigate a strange noise in your basement?

We once had sewage back up into our basement. I believe we heard it before we smelled it.

13) How do you know if an abandoned building is safe to visit?

When I was younger, I LOVED abandoned buildings. I’m relatively sure I dream of abandoned buildings. Now, my footing is too unsteady to venture into uneven surfaces.

14) How do you decide whether to solve a problem as a team or split up and go it alone?

The last complicated problem was going to France in May 2023. It involved securing land transportation (train and car) and a place to stay in a remote locale that AAA’s affiliate could not accommodate. So much of it was me because 1) I was retired and, therefore, theoretically had more time, and 2) the wedding involved a friend of mine from 1977.

15) Where do you store your knives, and where would you look if one was missing?

The sharp knives are in a block on the kitchen counter. If one is missing, it’s likely in our daughter’s bedroom.

Mixed CD: Flick Tunes

from 1965 to 2003

Being Academy Awards weekend, I thought I’d share songs from movies. It’s from a mixed CD I made in 2007 called Flick Tunes. Interestingly, I haven’t seen three of the movies, yet I own the soundtracks on CD.

Morning Hymn/Alleluia – Nun’s Chorus. The Sound of Music (1965) won five Oscars, including Best Picture, and was nominated for five more, including Julie Andrews as Best Actress in a Leading Role. Though my mother owned the soundtrack LP, and I played it a LOT in my childhood, I never saw the movie until I saw it on video with my wife and daughter in 2013.

I’m A Soldier In the Army of the Lord – Lyle Lovett, The Apostle (1997). I am positive I saw this movie on Washington’s Birthday weekend in 1998 with my ex-girlfriend Susan to see Robert Duvall’s Oscar-nominated lead actor performance.

John Rudolph

In Your Mind – Johnny Cash. Dead Man Walking (1995). I saw it at the Spectrum. Susan Sarandon won as best lead actress. Sean Penn (lead actor), Tim Robbins (director), and Bruce Springsteen (the title song) were all nominated.

The Great Beyond – R.E.M. Man On The Moon (1999). At the Spectrum with my wife. Jim Carrey won the Golden Globes for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, but the film failed to gain any Oscar noms.

I’m Going Home – Sacred Harp Singers at Liberty Church. Cold Mountain (2003). I never saw the film. Renée Zellweger received the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The movie received four other nominations, including Jude Law as Best Actor in a Leading Role.

Beware Verwoerd – Miriam Makeba. Amandla! (2002). The subtitle is “a revolution in four-part harmony.” I saw it at the Spectrum.

In The Name Of The Father – Bono and Gavin Friday. In The Name Of The Father (1993). I saw it at the Spectrum. It was nominated for seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director (Jim Sheridan), and Best Lead Actor (Daniel Day-Lewis).

Revolution – Grandaddy. I Am Sam (2001). I never saw it, but it has a bunch of Beatles songs. Sean Penn was nominated as Best Lead Actor again.

Overture To The Sun – Terry Tucker. A Clockwork Orange (1971). I saw it, quite possibly alone, and I felt brutalized. Yet I love the music. It was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Director (Stanley Kubrick) and Best Picture.

Train song

Ridin’ The Rails – k.d. lang and Take 6. Dick Tracy. I was disappointed that this track does not appear on the lang box set. I never saw the movie, which won three Oscars, including Best Music, Original Song: Stephen Sondheim for the song “Sooner or Later (I Always Get My Man)”; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration; and Best Makeup. It was nominated for four others.

Lonely Avenue – Ian Gillian and Roger Glover. Rain Man (1988). I saw it. As I recall, a critic particularly loathed this song as a bastardization of a great Ray Charles song. [Shrugs] The film won four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Lead Actor, Dustin Hoffman; Best Director, Barry Levinson; and Best Original Screenplay; and nominated for one other, cinematography.

Tennessee Plates – Charlie Sexton. Thelma & Louise (1991). I saw it in the cinema. THR deemed this film #18 on the list of Hollywood’s 20 Most Erotic Movies. Callie Khouri won Best Original Screenplay, and the film received four other nominations, including for director Ridley Scott and lead actresses Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon.

Ma ‘Tit Fille – Buckwheat Zydeco. The Big Easy (1986). I recall disliking the film, which I saw with Susan at the Spectrum, but loving the music.

The first film on this list that I saw

Ballad Of Easy Rider – Roger McGuinn. Easy Rider (1969). I saw it when I was in high school. Two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Jack Nicholson) and Best Original Screenplay (Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Terry Southern).

The Funeral (September 25, 1987) – George Fenton and Jonas Gwangwa. Cry Freedom (1987). Three Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Denzel Washington), Best Musical Score, and for the title song (both Fenton and Gwangwa)

At that point, I might have quit after that stirring finish.

Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive – Clint Eastwood. Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil (1997). I saw this film shortly before my trip to Savannah in 1998 and recognized some landmarks.

You’ve Got A Friend In Me – Robert Goulet. Toy Story 2 (1999). My wife and I saw all four Toy Story movies; not one was with a child. Randy Newman was nominated for Original Song: When She Loved Me. I saw Randy Newman once.

And finally:

Gump – Weird Al Yankovic. Although I own the soundtrack to Forrest Gump (1994), most tracks are too obvious. This parody of Lump by The Presidents Of The United States was more suitable. BTW, Forrest Gump won six Oscars: Best Picture, Best Lead Actor (Tom Hanks), Best Director (Robert Zemeckis), Adapted Screenplay (Eric Roth), Film Editing, and Special Effects. It was seven more, including Gary Sinise for Best Supporting Actor.

International Women’s Day 2024

gender inequality underpins many problems

In the ebb and flow of the fight for equality – Women win lots of Grammys! Women continue to experience violence and repression! – I see the need to note International Women’s Day 2024. From the website:

“Imagine a gender-equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together, we can forge women’s equality. Collectively, we can all #InspireInclusion.

“Celebrate women’s achievement. Raise awareness about discrimination. Take action to drive gender parity.”

From Amnesty International: “We are all entitled to human rights. These include the right to live free from violence and discrimination, enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, be educated, own property, vote, and earn an equal wage.

“But across the globe, many women and girls still face discrimination based on sex and gender. Gender inequality underpins many problems that disproportionately affect women and girls, such as domestic and sexual violence, lower pay, lack of access to education, and inadequate healthcare.”

Health care

ITEM: From Center for Reproductive Rights: The Women’s Health Protection Act (WHPA) is pending federal legislation that would create “a new legal protection for the right to provide and access abortion care, free from medically unnecessary restrictions and bans on abortion. The need for WHPA is more urgent than ever.

From Wolters Kluwer: How abortion bans prevent clinicians from providing essential women’s health care.

“Some states have exceptions for abortions in ‘medical emergencies’ but, as the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) explains in Understanding and Navigating Medical Emergency Exceptions in Abortion Bans and Restrictions, since clinicians often ‘make medical decisions in gray areas [with] unique medical considerations,’ many are confused about what constitutes an ’emergency.'”

Census

ITEM: National Women’s History Month honors the successes and sacrifices of U.S. women. It dates to March 8, 1857, when hundreds of women from New York City garment and textile factories rallied to protest harsh working conditions. In 1909, New York City became the site of the nation’s first Women’s Day celebration, a year after 15,000 women there marched to demand shorter working hours, better pay, an end to child labor and the right to vote. More than seven decades later in 1981, Congress set aside the second week of March as National Women’s History Week. Six years later, Congress expanded the week to a month. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we reflect upon the advances women have made, including increased earnings, educational attainment, and job opportunities. Lots of stats.

ITEM: From the US Census Bureau: Is the Gender Wage Gap the Same at Different Education Levels?

“The gap in average earnings from 2005 to 2019 was consistent across all education levels… Women with a certificate degree earned 71.2 cents for every dollar earned by men with a certificate degree. In other words, the gap was 28.8%. For graduates of the most selective bachelor’s institutions, as defined by Barron’s Admissions Competitiveness Index, the gap was 28.4%.”

Replacing Diane Feinstein

ITEM: From the Los Angeles Times. “At least one woman has represented California in the U.S. Senate for the last three decades, a historic feat given that men account for 97% of the members who have served there since the birth of the nation. That streak [will] come to an end after the 2024 Senate election.” Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D) of Burbank and former MLB first baseman Steve Garvey (R) were the top two candidates to run in November’s general election. Reps. Katie Porter (D-Irvine), who would have been my pick, and Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) lagged in the March 5 primary.

The blogger is 71

I say it’s my birthday….

(Checking the calendar.) Oh, I see the blogger is 71 today. 71 is kind of boring. To its credit, it IS a prime number. I Googled it, and the first several references were to a 2014 movie called ’71 about “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland, with which I was unfamiliar.

I came across a website called SunSigns, which told me: “Angel Number 71 symbol is a confirmation from the angels that all your ambitions will be fulfilled because you have the helping hand of the divine energies. This suggests that you are on the right track, and you are being rightly compensated for your hard work.” OH…kay…

Still, since my last birthday, I’ve traveled more than usual. I will remember the Summer Olympics were in Paris in 2024 because I was in the city the year before. (In 1995, I was in Atlanta, the year before THOSE Summer Olympics.)

I can rarely remember where the Super Bowl is played each year. Still, I might recall the one in 2024 because I was in Las Vegas in 2023.

Anyway, I don’t write a blog post on my birthday. But I should note that the photo above is a selfie on my phone, taken at the Museum of Broadway in NYC in January 2024. No, I was NOT on drugs.

Ciao.