OCD
In last Sunday’s NY Times T magazine someone mentioned that you should always keep your silver polished. Usually I polish it just before I use it. (My granddaughter likes to use the silver cups both of my children were given as baby presents, and they are always tarnished, but she loves to polish them.)
When I cleaned out my bedroom closet I polished my shoes. Starting to clean my kitchen cabinets, I started on the drawers and, because some of my silver was tarnished, I polished it and wrapped it more neatly in the silver paper that keeps it from tarnishing, as the last used silver had not been re-wrapped. (The silver had been my mother’s and her silver chest had been built into the sideboard which my brother now has, so I just keep it wrapped in a drawer.)
I ended up rearranging the drawer dividers (which then caused me to clean out my top office drawer and a drawer in the chest of drawers in the TV room, both of which had drawer dividers – reminding me of the woman in the youtube video who keeps getting distracted1). After all of that, I only cleaned four kitchen drawers in an afternoon!
James Bond
Because of the 50th anniversary, thought I ought to watch another James Bond movie, and chose Quantum of Solace, where the love of his life has died, thus explaining this slide toward a joyless indifference in the face of evil—toward an inability to feel joy in life, as one review put it. Nonstop action! (The advantage of DVDs is that if you blink, you can rewind.) Starts with an incredible car chase and ends with a hotel exploding in sections. One of the extras is a video of Jack White* and Alicia Keys performing their theme song.
*The musician was playing Saturday in New York, and enraged fans by storming offstage after less than an hour. White seemed to blame the fans themselves. He complained of their energy level, and barked out during the performance, Is this an NPR convention?
I was driving behind a Truly Nolan car yesterday – bright yellow, the signature color for the national pest control company – and written on the back was Licensed to Kill (hence this segue from James Bond).
Truly Nolen, one of the largest pest control companies in the world, was founded in Miami, FL in 1938, by Truly W. Nolen. [His] son, Truly D. Nolen, runs the business with the corporate office located in Tucson.
Truly Nolen owns restored classic automobiles so advertising can be displayed. The main antique car restoration shop is in Tucson.2
Bugs
I’m taking a Humanities class at the University of Arizona, What’s Bugging You? Insects and Culture, so I shall amaze you weekly with some bug facts.
Farmers of Enterprise, Alabama, long dependent on cotton, took the weevil’s arrival as a motivation to diversify their crops. This led to the discovery that new crops (such as peanuts) could be grown on the same land, which brought new money to the area, and the evolution of more modern agricultural practices. The Boll Weevil Monument is thought to be the only monument in the world erected to honor an agricultural pest.
The Election
Canada is running for President of the United States. There are some amusing videos. Here’s one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrhA0sEkuaM.
Brian Clavert and Chris Cannon wrote the book, America, but Better -The Canada Party Manifesto.
Their promises: One gay couple will be allowed to marry for every straight couple that gets divorced. The phrase “job creators” will be changed to “job creationists,” and they will be given seven days to actually create some. Corporations will still be people, but if they can’t provide a birth certificate they will be legally obligated to care for your lawn. Corners will be installed in the Oval Office, and timeouts given to congressmen who can’t play nice.
Devoted to restoring America to its former glory, the Canada Party will soon have the whole world chanting, “Yes We Canada.”
I think they’re great, and it isn’t just because my son lives in Canada!
Quote
For my friends (you know who you are):
The difference between collectors and hoarders is largely a distinction of class.
1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oHBG3ABUJU
2http://tjsgarden.com/2012/07/page/4/
Notes from the West 