Lions tigers and bears oh my

Bear - a killer bear (All flesh eating predators kill. Those that happen to try out a human meal are called killers. Why is that?)

I started reading this non-fiction book, “Elastic” (an Amazon book link). In it the story of Timothy Threadwell is given as an example of a person on the far end of the novelty-seeking spectrum or a “sensation-seeker”. Maybe just a sign of me getting old but the younger generation seems to have an abundance of sensation-seekers.

Any chance you heard of Timothy Threadwell? The 2005 documentary “Grizzly Man” was about him. I didn’t see that movie and first heard of him was in this book. So Timmy (I suspect he did NOT go by Timmy) went searching for a new thrilling adventure after years of drug misuse. He found Alaska and an area full of grizzly bears. He spent many summers there living among the grizzlies. He claimed he had discovered the secret to surviving with them. Not long after he announced his talent, he and his girlfriend were attacked and eaten by a bear.

I believe this is an example of extreme overconfidence of one’s abilities.

I can live with stuffed bears

I’m not on the yellow brick road. I’m just on the web. I have been on brick streets and found them not very smooth or long lasting.

While traveling on this web road a podcast was suggested. Not being a big fan of podcasts, I thought the suggested one by Radiolab, called “More Perfect” appeared worthy of a listen. It’s a series about the US Supreme Court. I listened to a very interesting story about RBG’s case that opened up the idea of gender discrimination. I plan to see the movie RBG soon.

What does RBG have to do with a bear? Nothing best I can tell. However, the iconic Supreme Court justice does have a connection to beer (just one letter difference! how does lions, tigers and beer sound?).

Back in the mid 1970’s when RBG was with the ACLU a case came up involving beer and discrimination in Oklahoma.

Oklahoma had an “odd” (stupid, who-the-hell-thought-of-that-idea) law that prohibited males from buying beer until they were 21. However, the same law said females could buy beer after age 18. Many girlfriends were persuaded to buy beer for their boyfriends during that time. One guy decided to challenge the law in court. The case Craig v. Boren went to the Supreme Court. It was the first time the court imposed what is known as "intermediate scrutiny" on laws discriminating based on gender. I take that legal stuff to mean the court started to actually review laws that possibly contained gender discrimination.

Next time I open a cold one I will remind myself that drinking beer was in the chain of events that brought us the #MeToo movement.

Oh, don't waste beer on a grizzly. They might just throw the beer and eat your face. I don't think they discriminate either. 

and now this

Hey things are not typically black and white. Most everything is within some range within a larger spectrum.

hopefully you see gumby with more blue that green

Remember that dress picture sent around the internet billions of times a few years ago? You know the one that was gold or blue and people just could not agree. That visual trickery one. Now there is an audio version of this mind twisting phenomenon.

Yanny vs. Laurel (actually I hear it more like yenny)

Search "yanny vs laurel pitch" on youtube and you'll find numerous clips that change the pitch which will have you hearing the other word.

It really comes down to your ears, the speakers you're using, and how your mind fills in unknown sounds for you.

Oh this whole experience reminded me of listening to "Paul is dead" by turning my Beatles LP backwards on my turntable.

While on youtube I also found this:



Creepy but made me stop and think.

Memory refresh

Would you agree that personal memories increase in importance as you age?

I’m not saying past memories are more important than making new memories. It’s just that as you lose a memory you begin to hold on to the remaining ones tighter.

In my last post, Bits of Memory I listed “Blogging is useful for memories” as a blog benefit. This post will continue with that idea.

a memory of pulling a wagon

Once again my process of developing a post brings in additional ideas which modify my initial idea. I was just going to focus on one song, “Don't say you don't remember”. As I listened to the lyrics, my senior mind provided a different view of what “don’t remember” might mean.

Don't say you don't remember
I'll never love anyone else
If you say you don't remember
How can I go on living
(How can I go on living)
With myself?
When we meet you always call me "baby."
How could it be that you forgot my name?

I often complain about how easily I forget names. I’ve witness dementia wiping away the ability to recall a spouse’s name. My experience with dementia relates to my late father-in-law. The lost of his personality, good nature and eventually his identity was difficult to watch over time. A disease that destroys memories is torture.

My father-in-law could sing. I think my wife’s love of Frank Sinatra is related to her dad’s singing. (it might also relate to why she finds my singing so bad)

I’ve certainly had songs trigger memories but other things trigger them too. Smell is another trigger for me. Talking with siblings refreshes memories. Siblings can provide you the gift of a story about yourself that you don’t remember.

The sibling refresh of a memory happened to me this past week. Talking with my older sister on the phone (I sure hope future generations will realize the value of reminiscing over conversation. Reminiscing via text or blogging would not be as good) left me with a new story about my childhood.

She recalled putting me in the wagon and pulling me up to the grocery store to buy some items for mom. My job was to hold on to the bags of stuff. She said I did a good job. The store was about a half a mile away from our home. Listening to her tell the little story was a joy. I do remember the store and walking my route to go there over the years following those wagon rides.

There are many songs about remembering memories which with the suggesting of the youtube sidebar I offer you a small collection with links. My fondness for lyrics leaves me no choice but to drop some of their lyrics in this post.

Unforgettable

Unforgettable
That's what you are
Unforgettable
Tho' near or far

In my Life

There are places I remember
All my life, though some have changed.
Some forever, not for better.
And some have gone, and some remain.

Tears On My Pillow

You don't remember me, but I remember you
'Twas not so long ago, you broke my heart in two
Tears on my pillow, pain in my heart
Caused by you, you

Glory Days (note song starts after about a half minute of a construction worker??)

Glory days well they'll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl's eye

Reflections of My Life

The changing of sunlight to moonlight
Reflections of my life
Oh how they fill my eyes

Oh yeah, the song I had originally thought would fill the post:



Well hopefully this music or idea will trigger a memory for you.