SUNDAY MAY 16, 2021 SUNDAY FUNDAY

SUNDAY MAY 16, 2021 SUNDAY FUNDAY

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Isn’t it nice to be able to gather together again, to see friends and laugh, and live happily?  We still need to be careful.  While I am vaccinated, there are those that aren’t - and I’m not sure what our status is.

QUOTES 

I have a few happiness quotes this morning:

True happiness arises, in the first place, from the enjoyment of one’s self.

(Are you enjoying yourself?  I am finding I really like myself - and I hope you love yourself. )

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.

If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

(To me, happiness is both internal and external.  To me, I need to be compassionate - even when I go down four tricks in a no-trump bid!!!  Circumstances shouldn’t determine my happiness, I must choose to be happy!!!)

The best way for a person to have happy thoughts is to count his blessings and not his cash.

Money is nice, but I have been so blessed - such wonderful friends as you, my bridge friends.  I’m so glad we made it through the pandemic and can gather again!!!

SOME RIDDLES

What can you break, even if you never pick it up or touch it?

What goes up but never comes down?

A man who was outside in the rain without an umbrella or hat didn’t get a single hair on his head wet. Why?

What gets wet while drying?

What can you keep after giving it to someone?

I shave every day, but my beard stays the same. What am I?

You see a boat filled with people, yet there isn’t a single person on board. How is that possible?

You walk into a cabin that contains a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace. What would you light first?  You only have one match.

A man dies of old age on his 25 birthday. How is this possible?

I have branches, but no fruit, trunk, or leaves. What am I?

ANSWERS 

A promise

Your age

He was bald.

A towel

Your word

A barber

All the people on the boat are married.

The match

He was born on February 29.

A bank

A MEMORY

When I was a kid, I loved Rocky and Bullwinkle.  Rocky Squirrel is a flying squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose - was (of course), a moose.  Rocky was the brains of the outfit but it didn’t seem like much in terms of brains was needed.  They lived in Frostbite Falls Minnesota (not far from Lake Wobegon).  I pictured this as WAY UP NORTH - almost on the Canadian border.  

Then there were the two enemies - Boris Badenoff, and Natasha Fatale, who were loosely disguised, Russian Spies.  Sometimes they got their directions from Fearless Leader, and sometimes from Mr. Big.  Fearless Leader looked more like a Nazi general with a huge scar, and Mr. Big was a smaller character than we generally only saw in shadow where he was standing in front of a light and looked good on a background.

Somehow, Rocky and Bullwinkle got into all kinds of scraps.  The episodes took about three minutes at the start and end of the 30-minute program and took a long time for an adventure to reach an end.  Of course, a narrator helped keep us in suspense.

In one adventure, Bullwinkle was making Grandma Moose’s Fudge cake, which landed him and Rocky on the Moon.  (This was at the time of NASA preparing for a moon landing).  They get back to earth, and the United States wants the formula for Grandma Moose’s cake, and so do the spies.  They all try to get the formula out of Bullwinkle only to find it has mooseberry bush berries, which are found only in Frostbite Falls.  There are two moonmen, Floyd and Gibney who have a short of taser which could scrutch people into a frozen state.  

In another series, robotic Moon creatures come to Earth and eat television antennas (a long time before cable!!!).  They are on the verge of destroying American Television when our heroes come to the rescue (and find that the leader of the Moon Creatures is none other than Boris Badenoff in a mouse costume. 

In another episode, Rocky and Bullwinkle are students at “Watsamatter University” (or Watsamatter U) - a bad pun on “What is the matter with you”), and become football heroes with Bullwinkle throwing the ball and Rocky flying in the air to grab it.  When their success is noticed, gangsters (Boris and Natasha) get into the game disguised as women, so that the Los Vegas oddsmakers would have Watsmatter U winning by a landslide, but upset by this team of girls.

And, one more adventure.  Bullwinkle’s uncle leaves him, Mount Flatten, someplace in the desert, and they learn that Mount Flatten is the only source of “Upsadaisyium” a metal that floats.

In a half-hour program, they also had a fractured fairy tale, Peabody (a genius dog), and his boy Sherman in an Improbable history so that Peabody and Sherman solve the great events of history.  Later on, the episodes had Dudley Do-Right of the Canadian Mounties. 

There have been many cartoons since then, many from Hanna Barbera such as The Jetsons, the Flintstones, and many more, but to me, the storylines were unlike another and reached into the (mostly empty) head of a 6 to 12-year-old boy.  

NATIONAL DAYS

May 17 - National Cherry Cobbler Day

With Apple Pie Day last week, and Cherry Cobbler Day this week, I like my desserts (although I go pretty light on desserts and sweets - after all, I am already so “sweet” (and that is up for debate!!)).  I think my preference would be for Cherry Cobbler over the Apple Pie!!!

May 20 - National Pick Strawberries Day

For many years I went out strawberry picking.  That was even to going out with my granddaughter about 4 years ago.  Getting those fresh berries right off the vine, (and having to test whether they were right enough - aka ‘eating them’) 

Have you gone berry picking?  In Connecticut, we went to Lyman Orchards for almost every season - peach, blueberries, strawberries, apples, pear, and even pumpkin.  

IN THE NEWS - CHIPS

Last week, IBM Research announced a major breakthrough for the chip world (and, by association, the whole world). After four years of work, the company unveiled the first chip in history with 2-nanometer tech. 

The technology can make chips either 45% faster or 75% more energy-efficient than today’s leading options, according to IBM Research. (It’s a trade-off.) 

To put that in perspective: Dario Gil, IBM's SVP and director of IBM Research, told us it’s like using a state-of-the-art iPhone for four days straight on a single charge. 

Manufacturing is projected to begin in late 2024 or, even more likely, 2025. 

“The nature of this advancement is not about making a chip, but rather the technology that is going to make all chips,” says Gil. 

(I remember the days where we talked of Moore's Law and the doubling of speed and efficiency.  Back at Dakota State in the 1980s, we talked of the x88, x286, x386, and Pentium chips.  It seemed to be true that speed doubled every 18 months to two years)

WRAP-UP

I’m still in Houston.  I’ve been dismissed from the hospital but the doctor didn’t want me sitting in a car for a 3.5-hour drive back to Georgetown.  I have what should be a final dismissal next Wednesday - so I’ll be back probably late in the day on Wednesday. For those of you in the Georgetown area, I’m planning a SIMPLE open house (no gifts, minimum food), for Sunday, May 23rd.  If you are close let me know and I’ll invite you!!! (This is definitely not exclusive).

Love you all!!!

LOVE WINS!!!

Karen

(Who is now authentically Karen!!!)