Reality Me

Author: Doug McCaughan

  • Rocky Hill Elementary Senior Walk

    KNOXVILLE: If you have a graduating senior who was a Rocky Hill Elementary Student, RHES is having a senior walk on Monday. The classes will line up in the halls while the seniors walk their old haunts. They are encouraged to wear their graduation robes.

    We have selected a date for the RH Senior Walk. It will be Monday, May 22 at 1:00.

    We are asking that seniors arrive at 1:00 and gather out front. We are also requesting that they carpool and park at the Rocky Hill Ballfields . Our parking will be limited at school due to other events and dismissal with bus and car lines.

    Feel free to spread the word! We look forward to seeing our grads!!

  • Deep Thoughts

    Everyone can do better than you until they have to do what you are doing.

  • Today’s email to Tim Burchett

    As one of your constituents, I beg you, I plead with you, vote George Santos out of Congress. We do not need criminals sullying our great institution. George Santos brings shame to Congress and is not worthy of serving the people.

    Do the right thing. Vote George Santos out!

  • Today’s email to Tim Burchett

    At 1:43pm on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Mr. Burchett Tweeted:
    “Steve Bannon asked me if I thought East Tennesseans would support cutting funding for some of these alphabet agencies that aren’t doing their jobs. I told him absolutely, because they’ve told me so.”

    1) Nobody cares one iota about Steve Bannon. Why do you surround yourself with criminals?

    2) Please be professional and speak with less ambiguity. Part of your job is to inform your constituents. I am a constituent. I do not want dog whistles and sensationalism from you. I want details and clear explanations. Do your job.

    3) Please tell me which agencies you propose cutting funding.

    4) You say they are not doing their job (funny coming from someone who does not do his job). Please cite specific examples for each of the agencies you mentioned in #3. I will be posting this email and your reply to several social media cites so please fact check and be thorough.

    5) I am a constituent and kindly ask that Mr. Burchett stop misrepresenting me. You claim we have told you to cut funding (to what?) I have suggested we build one less aircraft carrier and fewer bombs to fund education and health care. Our country drastically overspends on defense while neglecting important services such as education and the health of its citizens. For example, give the Department of Education more funding and watch this country become great again. Support a universal single payer health system and watch our GDP rise as healthy people will be more productive members of society longer.

    I look forward to your well thought out reply.

  • Adults texting

    1. Type message
    2. Send message
    3. Panic
    4. Check to see if you sent only to your spouse or if you sent to the group chat with the children

    Probably not doing that in the correct order.

  • Do you listen to the voices inside your head?

    Sometimes the voice in my head chuckled and says, “No. Don’t do that.”

  • The Putikeeg Mini CW key MCT02 unboxing

  • Getting Things Done

    I like OmniFocus. However, I have been using it more like a giant task list instead of a GTD system. Today I’m making an effort to change that and actually ingrain OmniFocus as part of my workflow. Feels good to be back into it. Now let’s get things done.

  • Understanding Blade Runner

    I’ve been meaning to look this up since the 1980s. Now I know.

    “C beams (cesium beams) are used in space combat. Reaching speed near the speed of light, they are fired towards the enemy ship to disrupt and destroy its shields and hull. They glitter on impact. Our Roy was in space close combat and remembers those moments with longing.”

  • Not reversing my transition

    My transition to grumpy old man is almost complete. God I hope the Republicans don’t make me reverse it. This therapy has taken decades.

  • He was supposed to spend it

    My bank was happy to order this for us but won’t accept the coins as a deposit and since it is less than 200 euros there is a surcharge to deposit the bills.

    Their suggestion? Drive to Gatlinburg or Florida. I’m think of getting a briefcase and beginning my collection of currencies and passports. 00Doug!

    When I asked, “Was this supposed to stay in Spain?” The banker replied, “Yeah, he should have spent it.”

  • Life should come with surprises

    Like waking up to a note that says “congratulations! You can sleep through today”

  • Morserino

    The Morserino is a Morse code (CW) trainer. It comes with paddles for training. You can plug in your own straight key or your own paddles. It teaches you cw (morse code) interactively. It has Lora (unlicensed radio frequency) so you can have one Morserino talk to another Morserino if you want to have one person in one room and the training buddy in another room. It connects to the Internet. And it acts as a keyer for radios that do not have a built-in keyer (like most HTs. Technicians can us CW but generally are not equipped for it).

    My Morserino arrives at the end of May and I’m absolutely giddy over it. I began this journey in 1980.

    http://www.morserino.info/

  • Re-establishing good habits

    I use several tools to keep myself organized and functioning. I do not rely on my memory. I journal. I log. I need lists. I use project management tools. I research in tools such as Scrivener. I mind map in tools such as Scapple. And I use a Hobonichi Techo as a paper planner/journal (with fountain pens!) with First Things First principle centered time management. I also use Omnifocus which is modeled for Getting Things Done.

    I’ve let OmniFocus slip. Rather than using it as GTD, I’ve allowed it to become a lengthy check list. I’m working on closing out the projects and tasks that I’ve had in there forever. I’m going to set some rules for what may appear in OmniFocus and everything else will move to other tools. If it is a “someday” task then it does not belong in OmniFocus. If the project is not being actively worked, it can move to Redmine or Kanboard or some repository of wishful thinking.

    Time to get some things done!

  • Of Grasshoppers

    Student: “Why is my life hard?”

    Master: “Who are you asking?”