No Clever Title (NJM7)
I’ll start by saying thanks! for all the kitten name suggestions. There were some really good ones, and our Official Kitten Naming Committee will be taking them under advisement. Personally, I can’t decide which one I like best.
The house is chilly tonight, and I find myself wishing for a beach and sunshine. Winter hasn’t even started, and already I’m punking out. Not really – it’s just a mood swing – this morning I was thinking about Christmas and looking forward to snow. I don’t think I would like living somewhere that there was no change of seasons – it seems like that would remove such a large environmental variable that adds a layer of interest to life.
A couple years ago a family (who we became friends with) moved to our town from Florida. They had lived there long enough that their children (who were teenagers) had never seen snow in their lives. Our daughter was over at their house one night in December when we suddenly had our first snowfall of the year – it was a heavy snowfall for New Jersey, and we had four or five inches of snow in a couple of hours. I went over to pick daughter up from their house at about 11:30 at night, and I will never forget driving up their street and seeing their entire family (five of them) and their dog out in their front yard playing in the snow, in the dark. They were making a snowman, throwing snowballs, and the dog was rolling about until he was white from head to toe. It was so cute how their teenaged children found such simple joy in their first snowfall.
I couldn’t think of what to write about tonight, so I feel back on weather. How mundane.
The events at Fort Hood on Thursday were so tragic – we have a lot of military families here on OD, and I feel for them so much. To these families, their base is their home – and it should be a place where they can feel safe. These families already have to worry about their soldiers going out into deadly combat elsewhere in the world – I can’t imagine how hard it must be to face the reality of violent death at home as well.
There have been a lot of stories of heroism coming out from what happened, but I am so impressed by the actions of the hero cop who stopped the gunman. I think there is an extemely small fraction of humankind that actually has the guts to stand up and put their life on the line to protect the lives of others – the world is lucky to have people like this looking out for us.
Our middle son is studying Criminal Justice in college, with the intent of working in law enforcement (his preference would be DEA or FBI, someday – but realizes he will probably have to work as a regular cop first). It’s a bit of a hard thing as a parent, because you’re terrified that he might have to face a situation like that someday, but also proud that he is willing to work in a field where the basic precept is to protect innocent people. In the same vein, I can’t imagine what it must be like to be the parent with a child in the active military (which middle son reminds us of occasionally when we say something about the potential danger of his work – he reminds us that his first choice would have been the Marines, so he feels like he’s dialed it down a little from there). At least we have a couple more years before we have to really start worrying – everyone he’s talked to says he has to have at least a Master’s Degree if he wants to advance in a good department, so he will be in school for awhile yet.
Today’s aside: Eagle Eye is on the TV as I’m writing. As a person who knows a little bit about technology and gee-whiz stuff like the Internet, movies like this make me nuts. It’s set in the present day, and yet they expect the audience to believe that some supercomputer somewhere can control almost everything electronic the characters encounter – security cameras, construction cranes, airliners, etc., etc. The computer can see them wherever they go (because it can tap into any satellite or camera it wants to, anywhere), tap any phone or communication device they use – it can even display messages to them on electronic billboards or even the LED signs in store windows that they pass by. Okay, first – all of those devices would have to be hooked into some global all-encompassing Skynet contraption so they could all be communicated with. And last I checked, there was no such thing as an Internet-enabled LED sign (although God knows, I could be wrong – but it’s too late to do a Google search to find out). Enemy of the State was the same way – wanting us to believe that government agents could pull up a real-time interior 3D view of any building at any time, among other things. If the filmmakers want me to believe stuff like this is possible, the least they could do is stage their film in the near-future, like ten or twenty years from now. By then, we’ll all be network-controlled through chips implanted in our brains anyway.
The DiaryMaster
Movies are never right about anything. Gotta watch them with tongue in cheek – or somethin’ like that. Have a good Sunday…
Warning Comment
I want the internet connected directly to my brain. None of this fussing around with computers and/or phones business ^_^
Warning Comment
What about those highway signs that got hacked to say “ZOMBIES AHEAD”? Do those count? (Not that I don’t agree with you or anything. I didn’t even try to watch that movie.) Follow the white rabbit. —
Warning Comment
We suspect that the action at Fort Hood was terrorism on our own land. We suspect that just listening to all the facts that were mentioned in the news. Since it is unpopular to think that or write that , we see SOME in society bendingover backwards to avoid stating the clear facts. And those of us who do make statements of our opinions are
Warning Comment
In high school, I knew a family that moved here (Colorado) from Texas. Watching them experience snow for the first time. As we get older, snow is more of an annoyance, and it loses all of the magic you experience as a child.
Warning Comment
check page 32 of this document http://www.gwumc.edu/hspi/old/PTTF_ProceedingsReport_05.19.09.pdf
Warning Comment
Have to say, it’s fab seeing lots of entries from you and getting to know you a bit better 🙂 Do you have much time to read other people’s diaries ? I also wanted to say thanks for the new note counter, because it also works in Opera! Great to not have to guess anymore 🙂 And by the way, the WYSIWYG editor works too, even though it says on the settings page it won’t even appear. It does! 🙂
Warning Comment
My daughter works in the Police Force, but I’m not so worried for her here in Scotland as I would be if she worked in the same job in America, as we don’t have guns the same!
Warning Comment
Beach and sunshine – yes order some of that for me too! =)
Warning Comment
Too often my students take movies as reality.
Warning Comment
She makes me proud to be a woman.
Warning Comment
You don’t have a chip implanted in your brain yet?? I already got mine.
Warning Comment
It’s just a movie LOL If ya look at a movie like The Fantastic Four, they want you to believe in an invisible woman, a stretchy man and a guy made of rock?! To me, a movie is supposed to take you out of your reality and into theirs. Don’t analyze it or you won’t enjoy it as much!
Warning Comment
I already am controlled by a chip in my brain, it’s sour cream & chives flavoured. What you said about your son was very true and poignant, thanks for sharing that, DM.
Warning Comment
it’s really nice seeing an entry every day from you and getting to know you better. for a long time, you were just the diary master now, you’re a real person to us. nice getting into your world. let us know what you choose for a name for the black kitty. take care,
Warning Comment
I think the point of those movies is that it’s a slightly alternate universe. While we don’t have a “big brother” situation right now, it is totally plausable that with the right organization, it could happen. Not that our government has that kind of organization.
Warning Comment
I also love the season changes. I love the snow, especially at christmas time.
Warning Comment
my son is a deputy sheriff–and I know what few people do. That is how parents feel when a dangerous event is on the news and it is in your son’s area of the county on a day when he is working…it’s terrifying for the most part. He loves his work, loves the helping people part, and I’m gratified when he can do that for others and that he values that. I’ll admit, I cried all through his graduation from 6 months of State Trooper school. I never wanted this for him but one bows before a beloved woman/man’s heart’s desire and accepts the burden. He serves on regular county duty and on the crisis team in support of emergency situations and swat team needs. By the way–Here in Fl, I have teenage grandchildren who have never seen snow. I’d love to give them the experience you mention having seen!
Warning Comment
Great entry. 🙂
Warning Comment
Warning Comment
Actually the technology is not entirely impossible, just a little ahead of it’s time. Internet connected LED may not be common, but screens connected to the internet that automatically search for and displays breaking news are already in use. If you take this movie of a snapshot of 20, maybe 30 years down the road, it suddenly becomes a lot more plausible.
Warning Comment
When my family came from Australia to CT to visit me one winter, we all went out and played in the snow the first time. I’ve only had 3 snowy winters so it is still exciting and fun for me, even cleaning snow off the car is fun.
Warning Comment
I’ve lived in the desert for about 90% of my life, so I’m almost the same way as your friends. Last year in Las Vegas we got 6 inches of snow and it practically shut down the city! As soon as I got off work my husband and I spent about 4 hours outside, taking pictures, making snow men and snow angels and having a snow fight. It was fantastic. 🙂
Warning Comment
Living in a place with no seasons DOES suck. I live in Florida and we still haven’t had more than 2 “cool” days in a row…cool being below 80. I can’t wait to move somewhere with seasons!
Warning Comment
Let us know what name you choose for the little guy.
Warning Comment
Oh wait, I thought of one more – Ebony. But Midnight is my favorite because that’s what I named my first black cat when I was little.
Warning Comment
I love the seasons – I can’t imagine life without beautiful autumn, or spring – there is something so awe inspiring and almost miraculous about the first flowers and grasses after a long winter. Even though it happens every year – it’s like experiencing it and seeing green for the first time. Especially in Wisconsin where you start to give up hope that it will ever be warm again!!! I doenjoy the snow though 🙂 That was terrible about Ft. Hood…I can’t even imagine.
Warning Comment
My husband wanted to move to Florida once. After living in Illinois my entire life, I couldn’t imagine a state without real seasons. Of course, autumn is the only one I’d really miss!
Warning Comment
Growing up in the Midwest, I’ve often wondered what it must be like to experience snow for the first time as an adult… To me, it feels like I’ve always known it. It’s more of a nuisance than a marvel. And yet I can’t help but think that it must be just magical for an adult ((or even older children)) to see and play in, if you never have before… *soft smile* I come from a military family…four generations across all the various branches of the armed services. We also have members of the family in law enforcement. It really is a sober reminder of the risk individuals who devote themselves to our country, and our safety, take upon themselves. But it’s also an important reminder to ALL of us just how fragile life is…how fast it can be changed forever…or ended altogether… *downcast head* We really can’t afford to take a single moment for granted. And, of course, very best thoughts & prayers go out to all those touched by the Fort Hood tragedy. Take good care, DM! Can’t wait to see what the Official Kitten Naming Committee decides on!! 🙂
Warning Comment
Fort hood was so tragic. Yes, that cop not only trained for that, but was very successful.
Warning Comment
Warning Comment
I once had the pleasure of being with a group of immigrants from Cameroon to a ski resort up the mountains here in Norway, to help them out going skiing for the first time I’ve never had more fun skiing, seeing their enthusiasm and joy and how they would make fun of themselves. It was awesome.
Warning Comment
I heard of the Fort Hood massacre. Quite shocking really. xx
Warning Comment
I miss NJ! Just moved to CA from there in December. I don’t miss the humidity or the mosquitoes though!
Warning Comment
” I think there is an extemely small fraction of humankind that actually has the guts to stand up and put their life on the line to protect the lives of others – the world is lucky to have people like this looking out for us.” Well, she’s a COP! Isn’t she SUPPOSED to do this? It’s like saying, “My teacher was so heroic—he TAUGHT ME SOMETHING!” Or: “My butcher is so heroic! He SLICED MEAT FOR ME!”I suppose we’re so desperate for heroes that we confer the mantle on people who simply do what they’re paid for.
Warning Comment
You are really cutting these entries close =P (writing late) I was doing that at first… I stopped after a few days – I’m enjoying nojomo much more now 🙂 Also, I was wondering if there will be any statistics about OD in November made available? I’d be interested to see how much people wrote in November compared to September/October and even last November…If you have time
Warning Comment
Well, I have a beach here and it is still cold! lol xoxo
Warning Comment
I’ll swap you… you take the stinking hot weather and I’ll have your lovely cold snap 😀
Warning Comment
I had the exact same problem with Eagle-Eye. Twenty years from now? Okay, I could probably believe it. But set in current time, 90% of the stuff they used in the movie isn’t connected to any kind of network, let alone a global one.
Warning Comment
Of course, tonight there was a segment on 60 minutes that said that while what isn’t possible in movies, there are things that are more scary that are possible… Kitty names are usually my specialty. I have named a good number of them over the years for the same reason that you probably have as well. *smiles*
Warning Comment
what a beautiful story about the weather 🙂
Warning Comment
Ah, I am tired of sunshine. I WANT to hide inside under blankets, by a fire because it is snowing outside. The longer I stay in the south (Louisiana then Texas) the more I hate the heat. Seasons? Whats that? We have 3; hot, hotter and November. *shrugs*
Warning Comment
i took crimanll justice and LOVED it. i feel the same way about the seasons. i love the first snow and experiancing it with my kids for especially the first 4-5 years. they are so in awe and you cant help to love every minute of that.
Warning Comment
Hack the Gibson, Bruce!
Warning Comment
Our home wireless network is named Skynet. 🙂
Warning Comment
I hadn’t read the story about Officer Munley stopping the fort gunman. It was touching. I think that’s largely overlooked in the media. As for movies, as a techie you/we have to sometimes suspend reality for a while in order to enjoy the movie. ;^) Eric
Warning Comment
Warning Comment
I saw a show once that debunked movies like Enemy of the State. THAT was cool to watch.
Warning Comment