What I Heard This Week! 06-25-2020
In 2016, 16-year-old Erin Smith, watched old videos of Michael J. Fox and noticed, “when he laughed or smiled it came off as emotionally distant.” His face lacked emotion, his smile drooped, and his eyebrows were upturned. Early symptoms of Parkinson’s is called facial masking. So, she chose it for a science fair project. She filmed 15 nursing-home residents as they watched Super Bowl commercials, then screened their expressions using facial recognition software. After the Michael J. Fox Foundation saw the results, they funded a more elaborate study with around 500 patients and this led to FacePrint, a tool that analyzes video footage for signs of Parkinson’s. Erin was studying neuroscience and computer science at Stanford University, but with the help of two prestigious fellowships she is now working to further develop FacePrint. She is 20.
Remember that any act of kindness right now means so much, anything, whatever it is.
Garden update: It has been so hot, but I still have a nice crop of nut grass in one of my raised gardens. The fennel has beautiful greenery but no bulb. The onions are small but very potent. The milkweed has fed many a butterfly. My five different kinds of peppers are struggling, and the tomatoes are pathetic. The basil, parsley and dill look good, the golden beets tiny but delicious, and I hope the sweet potatoes will not rot in the ground with all this rain. Sounds rather dismal, but the sights, the smells and the comfort of the garden, definitely give me something that I crave – a bit of accomplishment and an occasional reward, along with a peaceful moment with nature after a long day inside an office. So worth it!
“The principal value of a private garden…is not to give the possessor vegetable and fruit (that can be better and cheaper done by the market gardeners), but to teach him patience and philosophy, and the higher virtues – hope deferred and expectations blighted.” Charles Dudley Warner 1829 – 1900
Each week, I try to put something in this column that will make you smile. A few weeks back, I said “I have crunched the numbers in my retirement account and it’s time to figure out who will be wearing the mask and who will be driving the getaway car.” I thought it was funny. My office thought it was funny. Then Kevin, my friend, and my Edward Jones advisor, called. Oops. When I said hello, I heard, “It is not time to decide who wears the mask and who drives the getaway car.” Then he made me feel better, especially with the world like it is right now. Mental note to myself…be careful what I say, in life and this column.
There is a black market for Florida turtles. Who would have guessed! Freshwater turtles are illegally caught and exported in large numbers (tons) because of the demand for their meat, medicinal purposes, and their value as pets. The demand is expected to grow along with the dollar amount that poachers in Florida are receiving. Depending on the species, harvesters can get from $300 to more than $16,000 for a single turtle. Asian countries have such a demand for turtles that it has reached the point where it is unsustainable, especially since 90% of turtle eggs are lost to predators. Hmmm.
People are like books: Some deceive you with their cover and others surprise you with their content.
Face Mask: A friend made me a beautiful face mask, constructed of gorgeous fabric. My son saw me wearing it, and asked, “Is that Vera Bradley?” With a puzzled look on my face (but he couldn’t see that because I was behind my beautiful mask), I asked him how he would know something was Vera Bradley. “It just looks like something Vera Bradley, doesn’t it?” Hmmm. I am still wondering how he knew to ask. Maybe being raised in a house of only women has its good points. Maybe he is a better listener than I thought. Did the fabric look like Vera Bradley? Definitely.
RECENT BIRTHDAYS: Actress Priscilla Presley is 75. Actress Ruta Lee is 85. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1953. Actor Keir Dullea is 84. Astronaut David Bowman in the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey and its 1984 sequel, 2010: The Year We Make Contact. Actor Stephen Tobolowsky is 69. Insurance agent Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day. Actor Colm Meaney is 67. Miles O’Brien in Star Trek. Actor Bob McGrath is 88. Bob Johnson on Sesame Street. Magician Siegfried is 81. Siegfried & Roy. Actress Brooke Shields is 55. Comedian Tommy Chong is 82. Singer Bob Dylan is 79. Actor Gary Burghoff is 77. Corporal Walter Eugene “Radar” O’Reilly in MASH. Singer Patti LaBelle is 76. Singer Taj Mahal is 78. Called an International Treasure. Boxing Hall of Fame Sugar Ray Leonard is 64. Actor Bob Saget is 64. Full House.
People who wonder if the glass is half empty or half full, miss the point. The glass is refillable. (l love it…)
In one of my searches, I happened across, “Be Careful, These Fashion Trends Might Be Making You Look Old…” Of course, I looked.
1. Big Hairdos. Maybe I should tease less, but we are in Texas.
2. Long, Long Hair. They mentioned ‘Cat Lady’ long which is past your ribs. If the virus continues, this could be a problem.
3. Do not Match Your Lipstick to Your Outfit. No problem. Dr. Bronner’s organic lip balm does not match anything in my closet.
4. Jeggings. Not this girl. Why not just leave home in your pantyhose.
5. Gaudy or Matchy-Matchy Jewelry. Coco Chanel once said, “Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off.” I live by that.
6. Overdone Fake Tan. Oompa Loompas do not have a place in my life.
7. Over-Plucked Eyebrows. Think Brooke Shields.
8. Clinging Jersey Dresses. Hello, Spanx.
9. Longer Skirts with Boxy Shirts. They said this is frumpy so always wear your long skirts with a tighter top. Check.
10. Tons of Make-Up. Does concealer count? Got to work on this.
11. Wearing the Same Hairstyle for Years. Hmmm, got to work on this, too.
12. Dark Lipstick. See Bronner’s above…
13. Ill-Fitting and Exposed Undergarment Straps. Nope. Not me.
14. Shiny Pantyhose. What is this thing you call pantyhose?
15. Calling Your Purse a Pocketbook. My grandma called her purse a pocketbook.
16. Jeans. They said we are never too old to wear jeans. Sigh of relief.
17. Too Much Blush. Clinique change back the formula for pink blush. It is just not the same anymore.
18. Don’t Be Too Trendy. OK. Whatever that means.
19. Upgrade Your Glasses. On my list to do after the virus, but I could be blind by that time.
20. Good Skin Routine. I guess that means you are supposed to wash your face at night. Got to work on that.
21. Big Chunky Highlights. Do not do this. Instead they used the word Balayage. ‘Pronounced BAH-LEE-AHGE, a French word meaning ‘sweeping,’ as in to sweep on a hair lightener to create highlights. Balayage is the technique of free-hand painting highlights onto the hair, creating a soft and natural gradation of lightness towards the ends.’ God has assisted me with some grey highlights.
There was more about fake or sparkly nails, rhinestones, and blue eyeshadow, not worth repeating. Hope you feel better.
At the 2020 Python Bowl (yep, there is a Python Bowl in the Everglades), 80 pythons were captured at the annual event that raises awareness of the threat posed by this invasive species.
Bananas Foster was invented at Brennan’s Restaurant in New Orleans in 1951. Bananas shipped into the Port of New Orleans made their way into many delicious Creole desserts. If you haven’t experienced Bananas Foster, you should. The dessert is now available in a make-your-own kit at Brennan’s in Houston. It includes bananas, Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, butter, Bacardi rum, sugar, cinnamon and even a lighter to flambe your creation, all for $21, available for curbside pickup or delivery. Or you could save yourself a trip with melted ice cream, and just stop at Aldi, HEB, or Kroger’s. The recipe takes about 5 minutes and you get to play with fire.
A close friend sent me a picture of her front yard covered in toilet paper. Yes! They had been toilet-papered. She had not a clue who could have done it, (we never know for sure, but if you have a teen or pre-teen, you have a fairly good idea.) A little bit later she sent me a picture of her two middle boys, in sunglasses, looking outside the front window for suspects. Then she attached a picture of her youngest child, incognito…wearing dark sunglasses and dressed in a Lilo & Stitch costume, (remember the illegally-made, genetically-engineered, extraterrestrial life form resembling a blue koala), pulled up and over her head. There must have been some decent detective work going on because later that evening, the culprits were discovered. I told her that this would never have happened four months ago, because we all had the toilet paper under lock & key, rationing squares at home and making people sign out for each roll at the office.
In 1847, the Choctaw tribe sent $170 to starving Irish families during the famine. Recently, the Irish people returned favor by helping raise $5 million for the Native Americans hit hard by coronavirus. A teen who spent 10 hours cleaning up after a protest in Buffalo has been rewarded. One man gave him his own 2004 Mustang convertible. Another local businessman gave him a year of free auto insurance coverage. Then, Medaille College in Buffalo offered him full scholarship to study business. He dreams to open a cleaning business of his own. Huge corporations can make a big difference in our world right now. Costco has invested more than $4 million in honeybee research. They also use 100% recycled boxes and 115 of their warehouses are using solar power.
According to Wikipedia, the Gordian Knot is a legend associated with Alexander the Great. It is often used as a metaphor for an stubborn problem (untying an impossibly tangled knot) solved easily by finding an approach to the problem that renders the perceived constraints of the problem moot (“cutting the Gordian knot”). In other words, a complicated problem with a simple solution. Officials petitioned Governor Greg Abbott for the ability to reinstate mask mandates, as the virus has been speeding out of control. As it turns out, Abbott had a plan in place all along, we just had to figure out what it was. Abbott said. “Pursuant to my plan, local governments can require stores and businesses to require masks. That’s what was authorized in the plan.” Ahh. A loophole. Isn’t that great, except for the fact he never told anyone what his plan was. You know, when I was raising kids, I always told them that omission of facts was considered a lie, and therefore punishable in the same way. We lost so much time.
Dictionary.com’s definition of complacency is “a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like, self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.” Well, there are 77 new cases of COVID-19 in Brazoria Co. as of yesterday (06-23). There have been 348 new cases since 06-17. Seven days. One week. Please wear a mask and stay home when you can. It’s not just the northern part of our county…there are so many confirmed cases in Oyster Creek, Manvel, Freeport, Richwood, LJ, Clute, Damon, Sweeny, Holiday Lakes, Brazoria, WC and Bailey’s Prairie. 516 confirmed and active cases as of today. 740 have recovered, 14 deceased, and 48 listed as probable. Studies support the use of face coverings as a method to help curb the spread. Seven states have now reported the highest number of current hospitalizations since the pandemic began. Do not be complacent. Your family needs YOU. Thanks for listening and thanks for reading The Source Weekly. We need YOU.
Oh. I forgot. This is the Year of the Rat. Now, I understand…
Lisa
