2 0 8 4:M i s s i v e 19

Captain Sandy was filling in ALL of the blanks about the state of the world on our boat trip from the IntransiGent camp in the Florida Isles to Old Orleans.  

(FYI -- in case you missed any of the other missives, this is Ilion, the name that I took on when I used a portal as directed by my future self [who had been uploaded into the Vitalnet as a series of IQ, EQ and SQ files] in a cell phone app to slip into the future ... and now that I'm also here in 2084, I'm using Troy-in-2017's social media to communicate with you all in small chunks on the last day of every month when the Vitalnet is updating and a tech window briefly opens.)

In the last communique, I shared the story of how jbola (a fifth generation biological weapon created by scientists based on the ebola virus and released by Kim Jong Un's daughter Kim Ju-ae after her father had been assassinated) had killed off nearly everyone in Africa such that the animals had reclaimed that land in the jbola zone.

With East America and West America (divided by the expanded Bay of Mississippi, an after effect of rising seas and a large fissure created by the New Madrid Quake of 2023) extremely isolated and therefore no longer a world power, the other side of the world that wasn't under water (for instance ... you can say sayonara to Japan ... and toodle-oo to Australia ... and cheerio to most of the United Kingdom) was split equally between Greater Germany, the NewSSR and the Sino Dynasty after Crusadageddon.

Similar to Africa, the Middle East was also a contamination zone, as the final battles of Crusadageddon were all of the nuclear kind.  Officially, oversight of the Mideast Exclusion Zone was given to the NewSSR -- as they had the most experience of how to handle that type of man made disaster from when the Chechens' Last Stand resulted in the Chernobyling of multiple nuclear power plants with in the Russian sphere of influence.

There is still so much to share, but my limited time this month is drawing to a close.  Until next time on the last day of the month next, I remain Troy in 2084 now known as Ilion as brought to the future by t1a7n72.lif (my future files in the Vitalnet).  'Til then ... take care of each other, because the more I learn about what's ahead for your tomorrows, the more I see that you are going to have to rely on your friends and family just to survive.  I leave you with that thought for now as I take my leave tonight.

Random Flashback for Friday 8/25/17

The "short" version of how this place in the photo came to be?

In 1995, I moved into Greentree townhouses in my hometown of Lebanon with my friend Jarrod ... and we eventually parted ways ... after which DJ moved and we became a fraternity style house for a good bit of time ... until Greentree asked us to leave because we were having too much fun too frequently (as per the neighbors, what with the fact that we shared walls with three different apartments), so we all split up for a few months ... and then reunited in a corner property house that only shared walls with Big Bertha (a classic small time convenience store).

And that abridged version of the story brings us to the summer of 1997 when this photo of my room (in the attic) was taken.  I'm not fancy, so I could make a home out of anything anywhere, but by taking the attic, I actually had the biggest room in the place.  This shot takes me way back to when I was 25 years old ... (and even though it's been twenty years, I *still* have some of that furniture [like the bedroom suite, which JoAnn had gotten for me early in the nineties when I had an apartment in Uniontown])!

Oh to be 25 and living in the attic again!

Random Flashback for Friday 8/18/17

Tonight's theme for the 43rd batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "boys in the family 73-83"  As is often the case, I feel confident about who is who in more than half of the pics (and I should, seeing as how 2 of the 3 are of me!) ... and I'm completely at a loss as to the rest, so hopefully family members can fill in the blanks.

#211:  ME! with "1 and 1/2 years Troy" written on the back (so it would be a summer of '73 shot)

#212:  ME!  in a crib with my stuffed animals and although it looks like 77 written on the bottom, it would have to be from 1972

#213:  random boy opening Christmas presents as puppy dog watches -- xmas 1980 is written on the back -- anyone recognize the location?  or the dog?  or the boy?

#214: Bobby -- my dad's grandson from his oldest daughter (so my nephew whose existence actually made me an uncle before I was born) with "to Grandpa and Paulette, Bobby, 13 years, 1982" written on the back [Paulette was one of his wives] 

#215:  some couple's fancy olan mills photo from 1983 -- could it be an engagement photo?  based on the "look" of our family, and despite the "theme" for tonight's photos, I'd guess the *woman* was actually the family member in this shot

Random Flashback for Friday 8/11/17

Twenty years ago ... in the summer of 1997 ... we were starting up the *second* version of our fraternity house (after a six month separation immediately following the dissolution of our first attempt -- but that's a story for another day ... say, two weeks from now?).

As such, Mauler and I moved into the attic (along with the box turtle named Little One ... and the ferret, *also* named Little One).  Mauler was only a few months old, and you may have to look closely to see her lounging in this bean bag chair in the corner.

Even as a tiny (ish) kitten, Mauler was queen of whatever was serving as the "castle" of the moment.  PS -- you know it's the late nineties what with the 200 cassettes in the background (a collection that would one day grow to closer to 600).

Random Flashback for Friday 8/4/17

Tonight's theme for the 42nd batch of photos of my father's that I inherited when he passed is "blue jug at reunion".  As I've been featuring the weeks in this series when I haven't been showing pets, these are the last shots of the 1980 Neidermyer-Peiffer Reunion -- the *first* one so named in the modern era.  Some of you might recognize some family members, but for some reason, it seems like the blue jug was the focus of all of these images.

#206:  family during the meeting, with 1980 unfortunately written over the white skirt of someone; big blue jug on the right
#207:  two older men during the meeting; big blue jug on the left
#208:  more family during the meeting, big blue jug in the middle
#209:  family singers (but who?) putting on a show; big blue jug all the way on the right ... AND a special appearance by little eight year old me staring right at the camera
#210:  not a reunion pic ... back of photo says "Stephen Nickliss (sp?) - Millie Korach (sp?), married June 11 1922, photo taken June 11 1984"  -- I don't think they are relatives so maybe friends of my grandparents who apparently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary with them

JUST ONE MORE ... eclipse (August 2017)

JUST ONE MORE ... eclipse.

This is happening folks.  On Monday, August 21st, the first total solar eclipse seen in the contiguous United States since I was seven years old will occur -- regardless of the weather (although we're hoping for a sunshiny day [not including the actual event {of course}]).  Although there is *another* total solar eclipse coming in 2024 that will *also* be visible in the contiguous United States, the whole lot of us humans seem to be living on borrowed time, and so deferring until that occurrence just isn't good enough in case the apocalypse is as nigh as it seems.

By the way, you might be wondering how the experiencing of the eclipse might fit into this particular concept's mission statement of "[embracing] incremental change in order to empower folks (or just me) to stay positive and solution-focused in a day and age where problems often seem insurmountable, control often seems out of reach and apathy often seems to be running rampant"?  

Rumor has it that eclipsing can be a life-changing experience, as anyone knows who has seen (or read) 'A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'.  Being so young before, the only thing I can remember from the last one was how we made special pinhole thingies in elementary school science class so as not to be blinded ... and shadows -- I can vaguely recall lots and lots of unexpected afternoon shadows.  I can only imagine, now that I have the benefit of a life well examined, how I'll feel that Monday.  Not to build it up too much in advance, but I'm fully expecting to be as affected as I was the first time I saw the Grand Canyon.

So now's the time.  If you haven't yet made plans, do so soon.  Find the path of totality and make your travel plans to get there.  Clear your mind and be open to whatever comes in just under three weeks from those moments that day we'll be literally without the sun.  Because 2024 is not promised, and so this may be your last time to be exposed to just one more ... eclipse.