Old Crime is New Crime.... Or Is It?

I don't have a television set up. I find it to be a HUGE distraction from my creativity and works, so when the switch to that 'little box' came about, I never switched over. I simply left my TV off and used that as the turning point to break away from watching so much television. I found that even if I had the TV on for just the 'white noise' as I went about my daily work, something on it would always catch my eye (or ear) as I walked past and before you knew it, I was sitting there watching for who knows how long, work setting undone.

There are; however, a few shows that I like to watch. And those shows are great to keep me occupied while I am working on my knitting or crocheting. Although I don't like a lot of the modern day technology, I do love being able to pull up the shows that I do like, at any time that I want (need), on my computer. It is wonderful to be able to watch them when the time is convenient for me and I can even pause them if I have to get up to tend to something, then go back and pick right up where I left off. When the grids eventually go down, that is one of the few things that I will actually miss.

Amongst the few shows that I really enjoy watching are shows like the CSIs, the Mentalist, Criminal Minds, Revenge, and NCIS. I was really bummed out the other day when it was too cold to do much of anything except sit bundled up close to the fire and knit, but those shows seem to have taken a break for the Holidays and no new ones were on. Then I decided to jump on over to Hulu and see if, just for kicks, I could pull up any of the ones that I watched in my youth.

I was so happy to find that there were several on there! I watched a few episodes of the old Emergency show, then I found Adam-12. Oh, how I use to love that show! I liked it even better than most shows because each of the incidents were actual cases. Actual cases ..... as I now watch that show, and keep that in mind, I am thrown by how the people on that show (and us viewers back then), were horrified at the crimes that were committed back then, yet those crimes committed today are viewed as something small and trivial. *shakes head*

If you look back at the shows that were popular during that time frame, you might be surprised to see that the "subject matter" of the shows that were so popular back then (Hawaii 5-0, Emergency, Adam-12, Rockford Files, Dragnet, etc), is basically the same as that of many that are on the air today. The BIG difference, though, is in the level of the crime the shows center around then, vs now. Back then, we watched the content of those shows with the "Oh, my gosh! That is horrible!" attitude. Now we go back and watch them with the, "Ah, that's nothing." attitude. And THAT is sad and scary!!!! Now, we watch today's much more violent crime shows with the same level of fear and disgust as we did the much milder ones back then. That speaks volumes for the way we, as a society, have allowed ourselves to become conditioned into down playing and even blowing off certain levels of crime, while being able to watch shows today such as Criminal Minds, then go right on to bed and sleep soundly, levels of crime that, once upon a time, would have given us hard chills and nightmares for weeks to come (just from one show)!

Those old shows were also much cleaner than today's shows. If some of the statements, and even innuendos, of today's prime time crime shows were expressed in those old shows, the insulted citizens of America would have taken a stand and the show would have been pulled off the air followed by an apology. I am truly enjoying the advancements of technology in that I can pull up a show at any time I want and enjoy it while I work on my knitting, but as I am enjoying all of those advancements, it has really brought to light the downward fall of our society, the drastic drop in our morals and increases in the acceptance of crimes that, though once deemed a big thing, are now viewed as trivial. Even more than I fear being hit with one of today's increasingly violent and gory crimes, I fear where this is all going. Looking back at those old crime shows, then looking at today's crime shows, I get physically ill at the thought of what the ones 20 years from now will be like. But maybe that won't happen. Maybe the grids will go down by then and we will all be living the Little House lifestyle once again. Wouldn't that be nice!

Preparing For a Freeze

It is already a busy day, today, and going to get busier as I go. They are predicting a HARD freeze tonight, so there is much to do. I have about a quarter of an acre of garden that is growing and producing beautifully! I am so not happy about this freeze! Most of my winter squash aren't nearly ready to pick. Now to decide which veggies to try to cover in the hopes of saving, and which to go ahead and pick. I don't have near enough blankets for it all, but I sure wish I did.

The corn is about head high, but is just now getting ready to start making. It certainly won't have time to make into ears before winter so it will get cut today and fed to the goats. The extra will be brought in to dry for their next feedings.

Then the sweet potatoes have to be dug. Although some better, my lower back is still out and has been for the past couple of weeks. This will be interesting, to say the least. This was my first time growing sweet potatoes, so I sure hope they made a good mess of potatoes.

Somewhere in there I need to bake something to warm the house up, probably as the sun goes down. I wasn't expecting this much cold this early and my wood stove isn't ready to use, yet. I will have to get the stove pipe cleaned and rearrange the front room. Last year I didn't even need to use it until about the first of December! But my house is well insulated (for the most part) so when I bake something, it usually takes the chill out and keeps it out until the sun comes up and warms it. At least, on these mildly cold days. It will get really cold in here later on.

My Honey will be here tonight so I will get him to help me carry in all of my pots of herbs. I am sure hoping to keep them growing a bit longer. The ones that survived the heat are really looking nice! I am still hoping they have missed and it will stay just above freezing, but it is also suppose to be a very clear night so it could get down really low. Right now the wind is blowing HARD. It would really help to keep the temps up if it would continue to do that on through the night. It just may make it hard to stand up while I am digging, lol.

Well, I better run for now. I have lots, and lots, and lots to do to prepare for the freeze tonight, and dark will get her quicker than I want it to. I think I will go fix me that Cottage Cheese and Peaches for lunch, first, I am going to need some energy, today!

Cottage Cheese for Dinner

Wow! It really has been a long time since I last posted! Since my last post, we have been through two more summers of extreme heat and extreme drought, this season's being even worse than the last. Now, here it is October and the strange weather continues. A couple of weeks ago we had our first frost. My garden veggies, though a little bitten, came back out in the warmth that followed and have burst into bloom and production. Yesterday (the 24th) we had a near record high. Now tonight we are going to have a near record low, just above freezing (I hope). The next three nights after that are suppose to be just below freezing, brrrrrrrrr.....

I picked most of my summer squash today (green zucchini, cocozelle zucchini, and yellow straight neck squash). I picked an egg plant a couple of other things, and surveyed it all as I laid out my plan of what to pick and what to try and cover up to save over the next few days. I sure wish I could cover it all, but there is just too much.

 My microwave is on the fritz. Oh, how I am missing it! You know, there was actually life before those dangerous things. Now I am lost without it. Took a little extra work to make my hot chocolate this evening, but I got it done and oh how good it tasted after I came in from that cold! The day had started out pretty warm, then all of a sudden that front hit... whoosh!!!! The wind howled and the cold air came swooping in. The dogs and cats sure didn't like it much!

For dinner tonight I had cottage cheese and green onions (from my garden). I kind of have a system with it. I take one carton of cottage cheese, take half of it out and chop up some green onions in it for my dinner. It is even better if it can set for awhile and let the green onion flavor permeate all that cottage cheese (large curd, of course). Then the next day I add canned peaches to the other half of the carton, pouring the peach juice in over all, then eat.... mmmmmmmm.....

Well, that's it for today. It is late, I have a BIG day tomorrow preparing for the freeze tomorrow night, so I am heading on to bed. Good night, all ... and sweet dreams . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Sizzling Heat

It's Friday night and it is sizzling hot, inside and out. It has only been a few days, maybe a week, since it last rained, yet it is so dry out there, even my weeds are wilted! I will start watering veggies in a few minutes. It just seems to be frying them, but I will water them any way.

I have lost count as to how many days we have been under an Extreme Heat Warning. The heat seems to have no end, yet, in just a few weeks, I am sure we will be complaining that it is cold. I tried to take a nap this afternoon, but it was so hot I couldn't breathe. So I gave up and went outside to cool off.

Just a few minutes ago I heard a loud explosion in the not too far off distance, shook my slab floor slightly. It sounded like it was South of me. I imagine a transformer blew in this heat and off somewhere in that direction there are probably a handful of people now without any power, sweltering without even any electric fans. I have been noticing that this ongoing heat seems to be really playing on people's tempers, too. I sure hope we get some relief soon.