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Bing Search, Green Stamps For Now
November 4, 2016
— 1 Comment
collecting points
I switched to Bing search a few years ago for no particular reason. It serves my needs and I get paid to search. My mother was an avid green and gold bond stamp saver during my childhood. She did amazing things with them because she saved up for the big stuff. I personally felt very good about my job, which was pasting them into a book. I had a set up with a sponge that was efficient and easy. I thought I was the Department of the Treasury stacking up the books for Christmas purchases. I also was heavily into the catalogs that described the items one could buy with the stamps. When my mother started the habit i am sure it was an economic necessity for the household budget. She continued until the stamps disappeared because it was a sport she enjoyed. I remember when I was about 30 she bought me a set of dishes with stamps. She would always let you know if she used stamps to buy you a gift because she was proud of it. It showed she was a smart consumer.
I suppose I feel the same way about the $5 of Amazon credit I earn each month by searching with Bing. The system is now called Microsoft rewards, and points can be earned searching on a PC using Microsoft Edge. I have a Mac, so I don’t earn those points, but I earn enough to make $5 a month. I am going to search anyhow, so I might as well be paid a little bonus to do it. I scored my monthly gift this week and am on my way to next month’s. There are various kinds of gifts you can select for your points. For me this is the best and most useful. If you use Microsoft products they make it even more lucrative when you exchange your points. They also let you enter contests for a few points to win Microsoft gear.
We have come a long way into the land of consumer rewards since the days of green stamps. I was a genius at using airline flight miles back when I was a travel agent. Things have tightened on the airline fun since I was a frequent flyer, stacking up the miles. I used to buy coach international tickets and upgrade to business with miles. My peak achievement was flying first class round trip on Singapore Airlines to Bangkok. It was very much like going to heaven. I even met Jack LaLanne and his lovely wife Elaine on my return flight to LAX. There could never possibly be a better flying experience. I have an autographed photo of Jack that he gave me as a momento. I never forget that I have that picture because of my use of frequent flyer miles. Today it is impossible to upgrade for miles, and Jack is dead.
What is the moral of this story? It pays to use all the rewards for which you exert no effort and give up no privacy. There is no telling how much you will earn.
The Rapids Of Rage
November 3, 2016
— 2 Comments
a country divided
We are being swept away by strong currents of blame and hatred projected onto others. There is a pendulum of possibility swinging from reality to unreality. We treat this as if our perception at any given time is good, and all other positions are evil. This leads us all into delusional thinking. Everything is the fault of the beings on the other side of the swiftly flowing river of anger that divides us. The blame game has been elevated to epic proportions while our social fabric has been torn. Collective invisible enemies are everywhere, like Pokemon. I believe we all contribute to this dangerous state of affairs. The very belief that some other entity is responsible for our problems is at the root of all our problems. We the people are the problem as well as the solution.
The politicians use the phrase reaching across the aisle to say they compromise. The rhetoric has become so toxic and harmful to our mood that general malaise has turned to a much more confrontational tone. To say this election cycle has robbed the entire nation of happiness in 2016 is an understatement. It has been detrimental to confidence in our government, both at home and abroad. Our image is tarnished. Our belief in our own ability to cooperate is diminished to the point of hopelessness. We the people are sick and tired of politics, ignoring the fact that we ARE politics.
Please vote, then devote your own personal energy into understanding “the other side”, whatever that may be for you. Our codependent lifestyle, in which we all want everyone else to be different while we stay the same, is unsustainable. We must find unity or drown in this violently churning whitewater of wild schemes and devises. Some think we are at the end of days. Revelation 9:5
And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man.
We have been tormented to the point of madness. Let the stings of hateful mud slinging cease. Let us find peace. We are officially hitting rock bottom in this democracy. We must have a bounce from this awful experience. This is a sink or swim moment for us. We are all relieved about the end of the election cycle, but nobody is particularly thrilled about the outcome, whatever it may be. We all create this mess with our thoughts, beliefs, and actions.
Nicholas Morris, Virginia Colonist
November 2, 2016
— 10 Comments
Immigrant to Virginia Colony
My eighth great-grandfather Nicholas Morris “the Immigrant” was born in England in 1605. He died in St Stephens Parish, Northumberland Co. Virginia on 20 Jan 1663. He was a Justice of the Court by profession. His wife, Martha, was born in England about 1609. She remarried after Nicholas died.
Nicholas Morris owned land on the Great Wicomico River before 1651. His near neighbor and associate was John Mottram, an English Protestant who had frequent visitors among those who had been banished from the colony of Maryland.
Nicholas and his wife, Martha (poss.Mottram) were living in the Virginia Colony by 1641, and first lived on land leased from John Upton. By April 1652, Nicholas was well-established in Northumberland County and was appointed a justice along with John Haynie.
Will probabted, in Virginia, data from familysearch.com per Ancestral File, ver. 4.19. According to Tidewater Virginia Families by Virginia Lee Hutcheson Davis, his will was presented in court in Northumberland Co.,VA on 20 Jan 1664, so he had to have died previous to that. He left his son, Anthony Morris, the plantation on which he lived, containing 550 acres and his wife, the land called “ye Island, being 506 acres”. He also bequeathed to his daughter, Jane (Morris) Haynie, one cow and to each of his three grandchildren, Martha, Elizabeth and Richard Haynie, one yearling heifer.
Martha Morris later married Thomas Lane, a wealthy land owner of Northumberland Co.
She signed her Morris inheritance over to her son, Anthony, on 15 July 1665.
Children:
Thomas Morris
John Morris
George Morris
Abraham Morris
Mary Morris
Elizabeth Morris
Edward Morris b. Bet. 1626 – 1652
Nickolas Morris b. Bet. 1626 – 1652
William Morris b. Bet. 1628 – 1642
Jane Morris b. About. 1630 in VA
Anthony Morris b. 1645 in Northumberland Co., VA m.Dorothy Samford (Wife) Marriage: 1665
Nicholas Morris (1605 – 1664)
8th great-grandfather
John Morris (1633 – 1713)
son of Nicholas Morris
William Morris (1659 – 1727)
son of John Morris
Thomas Morris (1678 – 1741)
son of William Morris
Thomas Morris (1730 – 1791)
son of Thomas Morris
Joanna Morris (1762 – 1839)
daughter of Thomas Morris
John Samuel Taylor (1798 – 1873)
son of Joanna Morris
William Ellison Taylor (1839 – 1918)
son of John Samuel Taylor
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of William Ellison Taylor
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Nicholas Morris served as a Justice of the Northumberland County Court eighteen times between 10 July 1652 and 21 Feb 1658/59 (Northumberland County Order Book 1650-1652, p. 64 and 1652-1665). He also signed the Great Oath (Northumberland County Order Book 1650-1652 p. 139b) VIRGINIA GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY NOV 1986. When he died, he left and estate of 1000 acres in his 1664 will.
Our Sling Fling
November 1, 2016
— 2 Comments
Sling TV
I hooked up my new ROKU stick today. It was an easy and quick transition from my ROKU box, which was working just fine. I was enticed to try Sling TV with the promise of the stick as a subscribing gift. It is cool, and a little easier to navigate than the old model. It has preprogramed buttons for Amazon, Sling, Google, and Netflix which the old system did not have. This convenience of going straight to those channels is a good shortcut. Everything else is the same. It is super easy to take with you on the road if you care to do that. The only missing element on the new stick remote control is an earphone jack. I used the earphones occasionally after my partner had fallen asleep, to keep the noise to myself. He sleeps very soundly so I don’t think the loss of this feature will be a game changer for our household.
Sling TV is a major hit with us. I can’t predict if I will keep it after my initial subscription for 3 months, but I feel like a savvy shopper who found a great bargain for now. I got the ROKU stick and three months of Sling (plus 7 days free from the offer open to all takers) for $60. I am a satisfied customer at that price. I am easily fatigued by television, but sometimes have been known to binge on shows I really like. Sling is offering us a new variety of content. I don’t care about the sports programing much, but Bob will be able to see 3 different ESPN stations. The subscription lasts until 25 of January next year, so we will have plenty of time to get tired of it as a constant feature. There is no obligation to stay subscribed, which appeals to me. I get a month of Hulu 4 times a year, and freeze it for the maximum amount of time in the interim. I may alternate Hulu with Sling after I binge myself out on all the fun documentaries, comedies, and music content. The new stick answers a need in me to have new gadgetry when it comes out. I get a little thrill from that, and a pretty big one from all the new entertainment from which I can now choose. The upgrade packs a lot of punch for the bucks.
I hardly have time to read all the new books Amazon Prime is lending me every month. I need to make sure that my subscriptions are not outstaying their welcome, becoming useless expenditures. As a thrifty person I hate when that happens. I heartily recommend Sling TV for those in the market for new ways to buy entertainment at a good price. At least we are paying far less than we did for cable. The trend is away from cable for very good reason. There are perfect custom solutions now for far less. How do you buy tv, gentle reader, if you still watch it?
Livin’ La Vida Local
October 31, 2016
Day of the Dead in Tucson
Localoop
My city is the best place to live, or to be dead. Tucson celebrates Dia de los Muertos in a very big way. I love the festive, colorful death party that is our own home-grown version of the Mexican All Souls Day. My own parents are in the cemetery not very far from downtown, so I am sure they will take part again this year. My hound dog now joins her grandparents in the festivities. She is scattered at the pet cemetery across town, but space and time are no longer an issue for her, and she loves to party. They will be in the ghostly part of the procession.
My friends joke with me about my extreme localism. My business jurisdiction (where I spend my money) is as tight as I can make it. I am a true believer in supporting the small business efforts of my neighborhood establishments. I love to discover local providers of all kinds. This week I discovered two new ways to fulfill my dream of finding and frequenting local enterprises. At TenWest I met Aaron Gopp, creator of a new app, Localoop. He is enthusiastic about his new service, locating businesses that meet a strict locally owned and operated criteria for people like me. It was a lucky break that he stopped to chat at our table. His directory was created for my very picky and specific needs. It will also help businesses discover and reach potential clients in the area. I have downloaded it and already have found a couple of places near home of which I was unaware. As he develops this I look forward to the guidance it will provide to consumers as well as to businesses. My neighborhood could use some economic development.
While I was out biking around town with my homies I stopped at the Local First Arizona booth. Aaron credits this group with helping him and giving him good guidelines to follow for defining what is local. This non-profit foundation exists to support local small business. It has membership and benefits, like a chamber of commerce. They have created a system of locating local food sources called Good Food Finder AZ.com This page lists local providers, restaurants, farms, markets, and aggregators. There is even information about local food assistance programs. This is a major service to society. Both the food finding and the local looping will make me very happy, and upgrade the economy around me. Do you like to shop local, gentle reader? What are your best ways to discover new places in your area?
Weekend Coffee Share-Urban Pride
October 29, 2016
— 3 Comments
TenWest Festval
If we were having coffee I would tell you about my exciting week attending events at the TenWest Festival. This Tucson startup/tech conference is a tiny infant version of South by Southwest, the festival in Austin that has grown exponentially. The 30 year old Austin festival is the Tucson Gem Show of trendy startup tech parties. I have not attended, but would no longer really want to go just because it is so crowded and popular. Our own home grown business incubator has organized the Tucson festival around our unique qualities.
The keynote I attended was the one about our designation by UNESCO as a city of gastronomy. I knew about it, but was interested in how it came into being and what it would mean for the city in real terms. A well known local chef, an archaeologist, a writer, a tourism PR professional, and the director of the Mission Garden spoke on the subject. We received the designation because a group spearheaded by the archeological interest group proved to UNESCO that Tucson had the oldest agricultural history in the country, documented to be more than 4,000 years in existence. The first application was rejected, but the committee gave some guidance about how to strengthen it in order to be designated. On the second try we got the coveted city of gastronomy designation. It is much more than just a vibrant restaurant scene, as our speakers explained. Food and sustainability are big interests of mine so the presentation fascinated me. I took my neighbor Heidi to that day because she is also a food diva.
Heidi and I attended two workshops before the keynote that pretty well blew our minds. The first on 3 D printing was presented by an architecture professor from U of A and an engineer currently engaged in the field of 3 D printing. We saw examples both on the screen and on the display table of objects created by 3D printers. The capability to produce small individual manufactured products has become not only affordable but incredibly controllable. I was highly enlightened by this class because my previous understanding was zilch.
After a delicious lunch we went to a presentation by Jerzy Rozenblit, PHD, a professor of surgery at the medical school at U of A. He is developing a simulator for surgeons to practice laparoscopic surgery. This is needed because it takes time and practice to become proficient in this art. Currently this practice takes place on live humans. The obvious benefit of more training before reaching into a living person became clear when we saw examples of the training data. The students “under the hood” have to learn to smooth out their movements while maneuvering two long instruments to do an operation. The tracking device on the simulator shows how erratic and out of control the student can be on initial attempts. Over time (an estimated 300 hours is needed to become really good at this) the sensor shows the device going smoothly and directly to the target organ in the body. This work will definitely save some lives.
I took two very well presented workshops on podcasting. We learned both about the popularity and effectiveness of the trend, but the specifics of getting started. Our teachers were working professionals in the field of marketing and audio engineering. The sessions were jam packed with information, and like all the presenters they invited the audience to visit them in person or on line to stay in touch. They could not have been more cordial. The fellow participants I met were equally charming and insightful. I feel sure this even will grow. I am pleased I went to see what they are doing this year. I am proud of my city’s efforts to stay on the cutting edge of technology, art and community. The major funding comes from Cox Business, which deserves a lot of credit for serving our local businesses so well. They gave away $50,000 in a shark tank style contest as well as funding much of the activity during the festival. I am their customer, so i like seeing some of the profit be plowed directly back into innovation in Tucson.
Tomorrow is Cyclovia, a super fun bicycle event taking place close to my home. I don’t always go on my bike, but this time it starts at my beloved Tucson Botanical Garden, where all participants will be invited to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit gratis. I am a local first kind of person. I like to support my local merchants and non profits because my own quality of life depends on it. I have been very uplifted by my city this week, as I will be tomorrow biking around in summer weather with my fellow Tucsonans. We live in a fabulous city with diverse cultural and commercial interests.
I am serving both coffee and tea this weekend. Please help yourself. I am drinking medium roast coffee right now to jump start this day. There is a lavish buffet of finger sandwiches, potato salad, raw vegetables, the pickles I made last week, stuffed peppers, and vegetable stew. I picked up another 60 pounds of produce again today and can use your help in eating it all. I am starting my first fermented pickles later from the beautiful pickling cucumbers I just scored. I have fermented lots of foods, but never tried pickles. Wish me luck with this chemistry experiment. You will be able to taste them some weekend soon. I am going to focus on heavy garlic and dill flavors.
What has been happening in your part of the world, gentle reader? If you want to share, or read personal tales from writers visit our group here, at Diana’s weekend international coffee share. Pour yourself a cup, fill your plate, and stay a while. Tell us what is on your mind.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Home For The Holidays
October 28, 2016
— 1 Comment
Tucson color
Tucson color
Tucson color
At the end of the year we typically make a purchase for the home and call it our holiday gift to ourselves. We have also enjoyed short trips in December to celebrate for a few days in the past. The travel is not in the cards this year since we had to spend big on a new air conditioner recently. This purchase, needed but not very sexy, shot holes in our budget. We will enjoy the time between now and 2017 in Tucson at home.
This is not at all bleak. I decided to make prudent small investments in local fun available to us. I purchased a three month subscription of Sling TV to add new programming to our nightly ritual of watching a few shows. They offered me a free Roku stick if I paid up front for three months. I may quit at the end of that time, but for now we are having a lot of fun with all the new options. I am watching a series on Cyber-War that is blowing my mind. We like the comedy series Bunheads, which we just started to watch. The stick is in the mail, which I think will be fun. I don’t know if it is voice activated, but it is updated to make search easier. For a total of $60 we get the new stick and three months of channels we like. I also decided to let Alexa keep her subscription to Amazon Unlimited music. At the end of my free trial she will switch my payment plan to $3.99 a month to play every song at Amazon, but only on my Echo. She will be the only device able to stream this. I have been having a great time calling up all artists and almost all songs for my home at will. When Alexa is loaded with this unlimited capacity, she truly rocks my world. I want her to be able to do all the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s greatest hits in December, so I don’t mind paying to have her loaded for a while longer. I listen to her all day, so I do get a lot of value for dollar from this subscription. I have been traveling down memory lane in music, and it has been fun.
To put finishing touches on our festive celebrations I have also decided to loosen the Uber budget. I rarely use the driving service, but love it when I do. Any time I want to drink alcohol or don’t want to fight the crowd at the end of an event I call Uber. It makes such an upgrade to any event arrive and leave with your driver. It only costs us about $20 round trip to go downtown Tucson for dining, shows, or the 4th Avenue Fair. This is my last gift to us, a few more more to spend on transportation. Our basic entertainment is restaurant dining. If we take Uber we can cocktail without worry. There is plenty of tourist excitement for us just a few miles from our house.
I am finished with my holiday shopping now. All I have to do is pay for the Uber as we use it, and I am done. I feel intensely liberated this year. I never get into the shopping frenzy thing, but this time I am happy all the gifts will be invisible, consumable, and will not require and storage after the holiday. I wish you all such efficient holiday planning. Good luck! Do you have your plans made? Do you shop for lots of gifts, gentle reader, or take it easy this time of year?
Tracking The Victim Archetype
October 27, 2016
— 5 Comments
birth chart
Carolynn Myss defines the victim archetype in her Sacred Contracts course as one of the essential characters we all embody at some point in our lives. There are four survival archetypes present in all of us representing life challenges and our methods of maintaining self-esteem. These four are child, victim, saboteur, and prostitute. The lesson each one offers pertains to use of power and self-image. The child is needy, showing us good reason to strive for learning and independence. The victim endures bullying of various kinds in order to learn courage. Eventually the victim teaches us how to recognize and stand up to bullies. The prostitute teaches the value of maintaining integrity. Once the prostitute recognizes the folly of selling him or herself for support of others, individual mature ethics are developed. The sabatuer archetype lets us know when we are working against our own best interests. Self sabotage can be avoided once we learn to spot it. These universal psychological traits can be traced through the stories of our lives, and interact with the other 8 archetypes in our make up.
I have gotten far enough in the course to have drawn my archetypal wheel, which is played out exactly like the wheel in an astrology chart. The number 12 was chosen because it already has meaning in astrology. In reality we all have more than 12 archetypes, an unknown number. To make a practical study and apply it in a personal way the student is asked to identify the 8 most pronounced archetypes present in our lives. Placing the archetype in a house creates a kind of map. The combination of the house and the character tell a story about an aspect of our nature as it reacts with a certain aspect of our circumstances.
I find it interesting to compare the symbolic characters in my astrology chart with those in my archetypal wheel. My victim is in the 12th house, which rules self undoing and our unconscious. In my astrology chart my 12th house is loaded. It contains Venus, North Node, Jupiter and Mars. If I believe these charts my shadow side must be a deeply intuitive victim. It is very hard for me to see myself as a victim, although I have a normal life with ups and downs. Our shadow is not our bad or undesirable part, but the part of ourselves about which we remain unaware. As I take up my course work I need to write essays about when and where I encountered these archetypes in my history. I met them in others and played them all myself. The goal of the course is to learn about the dynamics of the soul. I have my work cut out for me on this victim essay. It should prove to be very self revealing. Have you ever studied the archetypes, gentle reader? Astrology is based on archetypes assigned to each house and each planet. The symbols represent characters we can recognize as actors in our world. When you hear the word victim, who pops into your mind?
archetypal wheel
Downtown Tucson, Hipster Destination
October 25, 2016
— 1 Comment
street party space
registration
podcasting workshop
I traveled from midtown to downtown Tucson yesterday to attend the TenWest Festival. This week-long entertainment and educational event is sponsored by local businesses to promote the retention of talent in town. This miniature knock off of the 30 year old South by Southwest event that happens in Austin each year is a distinct reflection of our community. Volunteer staff organizes the flow of students, speakers, and social gatherings.
I attended two excellent workshops on podcasting. Both speakers were well prepared with visual aids and stimulating material. Best of all, they are both true experts in the field. Dave Young is a marketing and content professional who helps small businesses develop materials. He has been podcasting for and with his clients to bring their messages to the public. He explained the explosive growth in podcasting and some of the reasons for the popularity of audio programs. His very enlightening presentation was followed by a more technical workshop by Bjorgvin Benediktsson, a professional audio engineer. These classes continue all week. At the end of the day a keynote speaker and a social hour are planned each day. Our speaker and social hour were upstaged yesterday by a sudden thunderstorm.
This is an odd time of year for rain in Arizona, but about 10 minutes into the social hour we heard a very loud thunderclap echo between the tall buildings where we were stationed. Shortly the rain was pouring and the winds was whipping the signs and tents around like crazy. There was a river running through it. The volunteers all had to scramble to keep the stuff from blowing into the air and doing some damage. Since the bar was set up with a special permit that was only valid for the outdoor space the few of us who were outside had to chug our drinks and run into a building. There were two of us there who had umbrellas…I was proud to one of them. The party made an attempt at restarting inside the building, but most people had scattered to the hard driving wind. I called my Uber and made my way home.
I will go on Wednesday to learn about 3 D printing and artificial intelligence. The speaker and social hour will be about our city’s special gastronomic designation from UNESCO. The food peeps will be there, and we can only hope we will have clear skies. On Friday there will be TED talk and two concerts from which to choose. I love our little start-up convention, which is only in the second year of its existence. I believe it has major potential to achieve its goal and to bring visitors from out of town to the event in the future. Our downtown has been revitalized by a tram system, and is starting to be as hip as Austin. I hope we can retain our hipness without acquiring the traffic problem they have in Austin. Wish us luck.
Daisy Duke Rides Again
October 23, 2016
— 2 Comments
I went to a music festival in Tucson yesterday on a sunny hot beautiful day. My favorite local band, Calexico, was playing. The crowd was overwhelmingly college aged people. I was struck with the fact that more than 90% of the young ladies were dressed in Daisy Duke shorts. I was teasing them because they buy them pre shredded at the hem rather than cut them off and wear them until they shred.
I had a really good time at the festival hanging out and meeting the youngsters. I danced with some and joked around with a few of them. One young lady asked me if I had gone to music festivals back in the day. I said yes and chuckled to myself thinking I was dressed just like they were back in the day. The music made me very happy. The food was good, and the community came together in a super festive mood. I left early, senior citizen that I am. I was completely satisfied with my festival experience, so I called my Uber and made it home by my regular bedtime.
cut offs
cut offs
cut offs
Dusk Music Festival
mermaidcamp 