The wireless thermostat

 There are three parts to it: There is the control unit.  It is wired in to the heating and air conditioning system. It’s mounted out of sight in the cold air return.  There is the wall thermostat.  It is linked wirelessly with the control unit and the remote thermostat. Mounted close to where the old wall thermostat was. There is the remote thermostat.  It too is linked wirelessly with the control unit and with the wall thermostat. This one isn’t mounted anywhere. It can travel from room to room. During the day, we shut off the vents to the bedroom and control the temperature in the living room, office, or dining room, depending on what we’re doing. At night, we open up the bedroom vents and control the temperature from there. We can control room temperature from the remote thermostat, or just switch it back to control from the wall thermostat. It’s perfect! 

I’ve got good walking shoes

 Cargo pants hold all the supplies I need to carry. Binocular straps distribute the weight of the binoculars across my shoulders and back.  T-shirt and hat complete the outfit.  I’ve got everything I need….except a good way to carry my camera. My right front pocket serves as a camera holster.  It’s deep enough.  That works, it’s secure, but on long walks something that bulky interferes with the path of my right arm swing in a normal walking motion.  I can hang the strap over my left shoulder, but then the left hand has to stay on the strap to keep it from slipping off.  I can hang the strap diagonally across my chest and back.  I like this best because I can let go of either the camera or binoculars to use the other, without the one I’m not using falling to the ground; but the diagonal strap method leaves the camera under my left arm interfering with arm swing, on my back bouncing against my kidneys as I walk, or in front tangling up with the binocular straps when I put down one to use the other.  I need an innovative solution.  Something within reach, securing the binoculars and camera, without each interfering with the other.  I need an elegant solution. 

A strange thing

 ….this judicial system of ours.  The Boston Marathon Bomber.  He got tracked down, chased, cornered, shot in a police shootout where his brother died, arrested and put in jail.  Basically, he was caught red-handed.  He did it.  Everyone knows he did it.  He blew up all those people, killing 3 and injuring 260.  He did it! Now he goes to trial.  What do we all do at trial?  We pledge to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  The defendant has to make a plea of Guilty or Not Guilty.  What does he plead?  Not Guilty.  Not Guilty on all 30 counts.  The entire process is begun with a lie, that everyone knows is a lie; but if the bomber wants to mount any sort of defense, he has to lie and plead Not Guilty. I could offer more options; more truthful options than Guilty or Not Guilty; more credible options: Like “Guilty, but insane.”Or “Guilty, but I had to do it because…”How about “I did it, but I’m sorry.”“I did it, but I didn’t mean for it to happen.”Or maybe “You can’t prove it.” But we only have two options, Guilty or Not Guilty.  If we plead Guilty it’s over.  Our only defense starts with Not Guilty.  We ask for the truth, but in our quest for the truth, we all agree to start with a lie.