aarp cinema, so to speak

Back to my own house, I am!

My brother and sis-in-law are safely home from Missouri, since just past noon30.

Good for Dane and good for me!

I had a ZOOM scheduled at 2 PM with AARP and Senior Planet to become more informed.

"Fact-Checking In The AI Age" was given by Devon of the News Literacy Project.

I just may have to watch it again.

He gave us a lot of information in that hour talk.

The best thing he told us to do to protect ourselves from misinformation and false images?

S-L-O-W D-O-W-N.

Take a few moments to do these five checks against anything presented, especially on social media.

Consider the context of the story or image; check the authenticity of the news; use your own reasoning skills; look at the source of the post; and, if in doubt,

look for evidence from other sources to validate the story or image.

So many examples he gave us for verifying something, rather than blindly passing it on!

Even so, when it came to images, those are the hardest to distinguish real from fake.

That's okay, as he even has some difficulty with that.

For close views of people, count the fingers, look for odd facial features, check the background.

However, for images like these two, of firefighters on the scene, one may be stock footage and not for the actual blaze still burning.

That's the case for Image A.

Looks pretty real to me, though.

Yeah, I think I'll watch that webinar again...

but not right now.

Rain is coming and the yard beckoned.

"Bring it," said that wild green that I left yesterday.

So I grabbed the Ryobi and we set to work!

By that time it was nearly 6 PM, so the day was cool enough and the sun had nearly fled the back of the house.

The growth was dry enough that I made short shrift of the task.

Then, to show the weeds I mean business, I changed the mower to its lowest setting, and went back over that open expanse.

Like I said, more rain is coming, and the weeds grow quickly.

I don't intend to mow every other week! 

I took a popsicle break and watched "Mr. Monk Goes To A Rock Concert" as I started dinner.

Ah, one of the little touches that was a sure sign I was home: "Monk" on Peacock!

(smile!)

I was so enjoying that part of life in retirement that I was late for this movie at the AARP MFG!

"The Blue Angels" is a new documentary about the US Navy's aerobatic demonstration team and I tuned in about 30 minutes late.

What an informative look at the training program!

How incredible that the new team members are chosen by the current team... and that the vote must be unanimous!

That's certainly understandable, though, as they have to be able to trust each other completely.

When flying in that "Blue Angels Diamond" formation, their wingtips are less that 2 feet apart.

Moreover, when they are making those rolls toward the ground, only the "boss" pilot is actually looking at the earth rushing up.

The three other pilots are sighting off him and each other, keeping the line tight.

That's why, in 1973, when the "boss" miscalculated and hit the ground, two others crashed right on top of his plane, with only the 4th in line seeing the error in time.

The movie didn't talk about that, but it did show us this framed painting multiple times.

Those are the 28 members who have died over the SEVENTY-EIGHT YEARS since the formation of the Blue Angels.

Amazing to have such a low mortality, given the inherent riskiness of their maneuvers in the air!!!

I'm looking forward to seeing this on Monday on the silver screen...

but, shhhh!

My friends don't know I've already seen it.

Yes, I've done that again, but it's okay.

My birthday is next week and I'm arranging these special times with others, watching movies they have agreed to see with me, and I am greatly looking forward to their company!

Dinner and a movie, or luncheon and a movie - both are just fine with me!

(smile!)