Scree - November 11, 2010
Taps for the White Pages
Some telecommunication companies have been given the approval to quit printing the White Page phone books. Talking about saving a tree.
We have tried to stop delivery of the books, but have had no luck. One time, I even chased the deliverer down the street and returned the books to him.
We not only want them to stop printing the White Pages, but also the Yellow Pages, or whatever color any of the other pages are. The telecommunications companies do not want to stop printing the Yellow Pages because they are advertising. They make big money off of the Yellow Pages and don't want to lose those revenues.
We want to stop the books from being delivered to our house and we don't want the advertisers to have to pay for the unused books. We do not want any of them. The times they are a changin'.
Cruise Ship Rescue
One of the Carnival Cruise ships lost all power and was adrift four days ago. Tugs were summoned to help the ship return to port. They should reach the dock this morning, but the passengers and crew had to endure the four days without electrical power.
They had no refrigeration (!), no AC (!!), no casino (!!!), and no restrooms!!!! All the food spoiled. The bars remained open to provide drinks. Emergency rations were delivered to the ship. The goods included Pop Tarts and Spam. It was not noted whether anyone actually ate the emergency rations or not. The Spam-per-person quota is a good indicator of just how dire the emergency!
Running with the Deer
Last Friday I went for a trail run at Fall Creek Falls State Park (TN). I was not far down the trail before I saw my first deer. On the out and back run I saw many other deer. Delighted with the fact that I was running with the deer, my mind began to wander.
Maybe running with the deer was not my best idea. I was near the Park boundary and it was really close to hunting season. Hmm. Did I look like a deer? Well, no. Was I wearing orange? Well, no. Did I run like a deer? Definitely not. Could I be mistaken for a deer? Well, I was moving. As you well know, many folks in TN own guns and in fact they just passed an amendment to the state Constitution that gave residents the right to hunt and fish. I just hoped there were not too many hunters with vision troubles or quick fingers in the area that evening.
Mildly concerned, I began to think through how much time I had between the sound of the gun fire and the bullet. It would be a fraction of a second at best. I did not have a plan; but at least I would dive to the ground. Where's my flak jacket and helmet when I need them?
I returned unharmed and in fact hunting season did not begin until the next day. My mental journeys into the land of the hunter helped me pass the miles. At the trailhead, there were two deer standing near my vehicle. They ran off. I am not sure, but they seemed to have copied my don't-look-like-a-deer running style. I just say good luck.
