by Joni Johnson

As a person who spends many hours watching TV, I was very interested to see what DIRECTV – Streaming would bring us and how it would compare to our current supplier Spectrum.  I actually went and saw it in action with someone already using it on campus.  I was highly impressed.  It is different from the DIRECTV that uses a satellite dish.  Because it is a streaming service, it offers more flexibility than the satellite dish.  And it provides everything we got from Spectrum plus so much more.  Also, unlike Spectrum, it requires no additional equipment other than the cute little Gemini Air Dongle which is about the size of a very small smart phone and is attached by HDMI directly to your TV.

The dongle, which replaces a traditional cable box, supports wifi and internet.  It offers a user-friendly interface with a programmable remote, voice control and access to Netflix and Prime Video and all the rest of the apps that you choose.  The system includes 20 hours of cloud-based recording with an option for unlimited recording for $10 extra per month.

WATCHING TV

If you are someone who only watches TV and never records, I think DIRECTV will provide an easier way to access your shows.  Here’s a picture of the remote next to the old Spectrum remote.  As you can see there is only one one and off Button rather than the Spectrum remote that had two power buttons, one for the cable and one for the TV.  The guide is the same.  And now you can actually record a show by using the red dot, which will make recording a real option for those who have never done so before.  When I set up my TV, I had to pay a monthly fee for my recording box.  That fee does not exist in the new system. You get 20 hours of free recording storage.  If you do record, the list is really useful because it is one button to reach the list of already recorded shows and future shows waiting to be recorded rather than toggling through the menu. And when you remove what you have recorded, it gives you space for future recordings

And a truly wonderful addition on the remote is the microphone that enables you to move immediately from one show to another by just mentioning the channel or the app. Here is a a mini video showing how easy it is to use the microphone.  And you can access channels also by just putting in the numbers on the remote.

Using voice control

STREAMING:

For those of you that don’t stream and don’t want to- DIRECTV provides the same channel experience as Spectrum with recording for everyone, so do not worry.  But it does provide an option of streaming some other internet apps when you decide you want to explore it. More information on streaming will be available in May/June after you have played with your tv for a while.

For those of you who stream now, the dongle offers lots of options.  I currently use ROKU to stream and I really like it.  But the negative to using ROKU is that you have to go from the streaming platform to the TV, which requires jumping from Cable to another HDMI port.  I could still do that with DIRECTV.  But I don’t think I will need to do that because all of my streaming Apps (Netflix, Prime, Apple TV, Hulu, Acorn, Peacock, Paramount, PBS plus many more) are visible and programable right on the TV.  So most probably, I can get everything I have streaming with ROKU and also move to watch something being broadcast on TV with one little button choice.

Many of the apps I use cost money, but there are many more free apps available to show you movies and other TV programs.  The benefit of using an app instead of watching something on TV is that they are all available on demand.  For example,  I don’t have to wait for a show to appear on PBS.  I can actually access it on the app whenever I want.  All You need is a Passport account which is free with any charitable contribution to PBS. So if you support PBS, then all you need is that app. Another benefit is that we will be able to access anything we are watching on TV on our phone or tablet as well.  So let’s say that you start watching a TV program on your TV but have to pause because you are going to a doctor’s appointment.  And then you find yourself in the waiting room for some time before you get called.  You can actually access the same program you were watching at home on your smart phone and it will start at exactly where you paused it.

CHANNEL 900

Channel 900 will still be available, but now it will be a channel 900 app with a name like Rogue Valley Manor.  The benefit of it being an app rather than a channel is that you will be able to choose the information you want from a menu rather than having to wait till it scrolls through all of its slides.

Here’s a video that gives you a little idea of everything you get.  It does tell you how to connect your TV to the direct tv dongle.  But don’t worry.  All that will be done for you when they install it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnBXNY4OL_8

LEARNING THE PROGRAM:

As previously mentioned, DIRECTV will be put onto your TV by support personnel.  So all you need to do is learn how to use it once it is on.

Our fearless leaders are putting together lots of ways to learn how to use the remote. First of all, there will be a list of questions and answers (FAQs) on MyRVM.org.  It is being developed and should be available in mid-March.  The Direct TV roll out will begin in April. In addition, they are gathering together several videos on how to use the program.  From people’s experience, DIRECTV personnel are extremely helpful if you call them for support.  And I am sure that there will be help from both residents and support personnel when we first start using it.

For some, the transition will be very easy.  For others, it might take a little bit to learn what is different.  But I truly believe that once you have mastered the remote you will be thrilled with DIRECTV.  I can hardly wait until it is installed.

 

by Bob Buddemeier

Offering advice on surviving a winter storm a month after the major storm of the season may seem a little like locking the barn after the horse is stolen.  However, the approach has the advantage of raising the subject while the experience is still fresh in people’s memories, which may improve the chances of attention, or even action.

The February storm dropped over a foot of snow, and resulted in RVM appeals for cottage residents to stay in place and not venture out.  It also resulted in cancellation of two dinners and replacement with take-out and deliveries.  It could have been worse – snow tapered off on the second day, daytime temperatures were consistently above freezing, and enough RVM employees made it into work so that food could be prepared and road clearing undertaken.

What if?  More snow, colder temperatures, fewer employees at work, and a storm-related power outage.  All possibilities.  We don’t even have to call on the Cascadia earthquake to envision things being pretty bad. The first step in recognizing how bad is to realize that without power most communication is down. An overloaded phone system and word of mouth would be about the only ways to get information about conditions and local plans. Residents, especially those in the cottages, would have to be truly self-reliant — and do so without heat.

Basic advice: pay attention to RVM and the READY Team guidance on emergency equipment and supplies to have on hand.  On MyRVM –> Staff Departments & Services, and then –> Security & Emergency Preparedness.  However, the winter storm prospect creates some emphasis or issues that go beyond the basic lists.

The “don’t go out in the snow and ice” issue: Maybe you need to check on or help a neighbor.  Maybe you don’t have an indoor puppy potty.  Maybe you’re a radio-equipped READY coordinator and a vital link in the face-to-face communication network. Maybe your home is too cold or out of basic supplies and you need to get to the more liveable conditions in a high-rise (and your car is snowed in and the streets uncleared).  It can all be possible if you know the magic word – YAKTRAX.

Yaktrax is the name of a brand of wear-them-on-your-feet traction devices, but like Kleenex and Xerox the brand name has been generalized to refer to the whole class of such items, some of which are at least as good as the named brand. The picture illustrates one of many styles.  What should you get and how do you get some? [Editorial Opinion] (1) Go to the online Amazon catalog, type Yaktrax into the search field and look until you find some that say they are for walking on snow and ice AND have a cumulative user rating greater than 4.5. Prices range from <$20 to the sky’s the limit. Search for “Yaktrax size chart” to relate your shoe/boot size to the S-M-L choices — but adjust your ordinary shoe size to account for the difference in outside dimensions between the shoe and you winter boot. (2) Not an online shopper? Take the boot that you would wear them on, go to REI and tell the salesperson what you want.  And expect to pay a little more.  Remember, concrete or tile surfaces may damage the Yaktrax, which in turn may damage wood or composition flooring.

I also recommend an entrenching tool or similar small sturdy shovel – it’s not a snow shovel, but you can use it to clear a foot-wide footpath, or enough of an area so that puppy can get his butt close to the ground without being totally submerged.  And if you have a snowy driving mishap, it’s a lot better than using your fingernails to get the snow out from around your tires.

Speaking of cars, winter gear belongs both there and in the dwelling.  If your car is in an attached garage, store the gear there, but if you park down the street, it’s best to keep the emergency supplies in the house and move them to the car for trips.

What else what if?  Clothing and bedding that can keep you safely warm, if not comfortable, in sub-freezing weather.  In the cottages, no power means no heat. Don’t forget the peripherals – warm gloves, socks, cap, long johns.  Emergency light sources, food and water for several days, and maybe an emergency radio.  And if you self-evacuate, don’t forget your medicines.

Talk to your neighborhood or floor coordinator for the READY Team — they are there to help with emergency preparation as well as response.  How do you find your coordinator? Glad you asked.  The relatively easy way is to open MyRVM and enter https://files.mwapp.net/files/ff/-coordlookupsept4[155910591].TXT into the address bar (or click the link here). Alternatively, MyRVM –> Staff Departments & Services, and then –> Security & Emergency Preparedness, scroll down a half page and click the left-hand READY icon, then scroll down and click the “coordinator and neighborhood finder” link below the text.  Trust me, it will be worth it.

Beyond that, it’s forethought, caution, and cooperation with other people in the same situation.  There’s no excuse for losing more than one horse.

 

 

 

By Joni Johnson

 

Have you ever had an animal named after you? Right now, I know of only two individuals here at RVM that have met this criterion.  (If there are others, please let me know).  Bob Buddemeier has been immortalized with Anthopleura buddemeieri  It is a small sea anemone called the pink spotted bead anemone.

His deceased wife (and former RVM resident), Daphne Fautin, has many sea anemones named after her.  She has been called the world authority on sea anemones, and has identified at least 19 new species.  Boloceroides daphneae was originally named for Daphne because it was thought to be a sea anemone.  But recently the name was changed to Relicanthus daphneae as a whole new animal suborder.

Bob Buddemeier described the discovery and naming of “his” sea anemone.

“Daphne and I were in Papua New Guinea.  She was looking for sea anemones, and we were in a place where earthquakes had moved the coast and islands upwards out of the sea.   I was looking for a sample that could be age-dated to find out when these earthquakes had happened. We were at the shoreline, and I was looking at coral heads that had been raised up out of the water, because that was a definite clue that something had taken them out of their environment, pushed them up. And corals are pretty good for carbon dating. So Daphne was squishing around in the water, and I was hitting these uplifted corals with a hammer to try and see what shape they were in, and I saw this little fleshy stuff in some of the pores on the coral. I said, Daphne, I think there’s an anemone here, a little anemone. She looked up and she said, ‘No, that’s too high; that’d be out of the water. They wouldn’t live there.’ I said, well, but there’s something here that looks like it’s alive. So just come and tell me what it is. She came over and said, ‘well, hmm, that that does look sort of like an anemone. Let’s take some home.’

So we did, and it was an anemone. It turns out that it pretty much always lives very high in the intertidal and it only needs to get wet occasionally. It keeps itself wet for a long time, so it doesn’t have to be down in the water where you expect anemones to be.  Once people started looking for it, it turned out to be pretty common.  It took Daphne a number of years to get around to describing it in the scientific literature.”  But eventually, she did and so Anthopleura buddemeieri was named.

 

I asked Bob how he felt about being the namesake of a new species of anemone and he said “It’s sort of good because probably that’s the thing that will last the longest.  People are still using names of things that were named in the 1700s so that will be the last thing that disappears from being associated with my name in terms of whatever I’ve done.”

Some think  having an animal named after you is exciting because it signifies a unique and lasting legacy in the natural world, essentially immortalizing your name by associating it with a specific species.  It often highlights your contributions to science, conservation or a particular field related to the animal’s habitat.  It’s a tangible way to be remembered and connected to the natural environment.  Seeing an animal named after someone can inspire others to pursue careers in science.

Taxonomy and the naming of species is pretty standard. The name is italicized when printed, the Genus (the first part of the name) is always capitalized, and the species name (second part) is always lower case and ends in a Greek or Latin word or grammatical form.  The ae in daphneae is the Latin feminine possessive and the i at the end of buddemeieri is the masculine possessive.  Typically, a new species is not named after the person who described it. Its name may be descriptive, or it may be named after a person who is in some way notable.

For example, Phialella zappai is a species of jellyfish. It was named for musician Frank Zappa^[1] by Ferdinando “Nando” Boero, a jellyfish expert from Genoa, Italy who admired Zappa. Boero wrote to

Zappa, hoping to meet the musician. Zappa replied saying “there is nothing I would like better than having a jellyfish with my name”, leading to a meeting and eventually a friendship between the two of them.  Other animals named after famous persons include Megapropodiphora arnoldi, a seemingly muscled fly which bears more than a little resemblance to Arnold Schwarzenegger, aside from being only 0.395 millimeters long.

There is also a sightless beetle found in the damp caves of Slovenia named Anophthalmus hitleri. Appropriately, Anophthalmus hitleri, or “eyeless Hitler,” is a significant predator that Doug Yanega, an entomologist at the University of California, Riverside, said is probably near the top of the micro-animal food chain and “eats anything smaller and weaker than it.” Still, the connection to the despot has been deemed so unsavory that when the creature was featured on a Yugoslavian postage stamp in 1984, its Latin name was withheld.  The beetle’s  name is causing an uproar in the taxonomy world because of whom its species name stands for, and efforts are being made to change it.  The is not simple, because The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature, which administers the rules for naming animals, is reluctant to authorize changes for reasons other than a change in the scientific status of the critter. (From Press Reader 12/29/2023

Another eye-catching name is Gorilla gorilla gorilla, an endangered Gorilla subspecies (the Western Lowland Gorilla).  As scientists are commonly no longer familiar with Greek or Latin, more translation errors are likely to crop up — for example, Scelidosaurus was intended to mean ” Limb Lizard” but it actually translates to “Rib of Beef Lizard”. Another example of a name that I find odd is Brachiosaurus. It translates to “Arm Lizard” which I’m sure many of you can agree is not the most notable feature of the animal.

What names do you find interesting? Here is a list of some of the odd ones:

https://listverse.com/2020/09/05/top-10-hilarious-scientific-names/

 

 

By Joni Johnson

In 2019, shortly after arriving at RVM, I came down with the flu.  Even though I get vaccinated every year, it just so happened that Flu A was not part of the vaccine.  I just thought I didn’t feel well and went to take a nap.  Sometime later, my husband Tom came into see me and couldn’t wake me.  So he called security and 911 and I spent 8 days in the hospital getting over pneumonia. I have often wondered what would have happened if Tom had not been there. Would I have died living alone?  Tom passed away in 2022 and I have been trying to figure out how to protect myself as a single person if this should ever happen to me again.

I think I have it solved.  There are quite a few options now.  One option of course is to text someone each day.  However, that is a lot of trouble and so easy to forget.  There is an app for the phone called Snug Safety.  It was recommended to me by a friend.  It is a free app although it does have a paid version that includes a telephone call. Its website (https://www.snugsafe.com/how-snug-works) describes the service as follows:  Snug is the free daily check-in app for seniors who live alone. Snug checks in with you every day to confirm you’re okay and if there is no response, alerts your emergency contacts so you can quickly get help (and your pets will be taken care of, too). Snug has been used by thousands of Americans for over 10 million check-ins.” You give them your smart phone number and the number of one or two contacts.  Then you choose a time you want to be contacted.  I chose 9:00 AM.  So starting around 7 AM, I get a text reminding me to push a button.  If I push it, all is well.  If I miss checking in, it will contact my emergency contact.  If I paid $199/year, it would call me personally to make sure that I wasn’t ill.  So now I feel much safer.

https://www.snugsafe.com/how-snug-works

A second option available is a motion sensor in my cottage or apartment available through RVM.  I am sure most of you have that sensor.  I checked with Security to make sure I had one.  They didn’t have my name on file, so I sent in a work order and had one installed.  If there is no motion detected for 10 to 12 daylight hours, Security will call and if there is no answer, they will come and check on me.

And, of course, there is the Emergency Pendant.  We were all given one when we arrived on campus.  I just stuck mine in a drawer, but now I have it next to my bedside just in case.  And for those that want a bit more security, you can buy a wristband pendant that is waterproof even in the shower.

And another thing to consider if you need a reminder is that you can ask ALEXA (If you have one) to remind you to take your drugs at a particular time.

But wait, There’s more.

Home Care is now offering a check-up telephone call to see if you are OK or to remind you to take your medications.  It costs $11.50 per telephone visit.  If you do not answer, they will also call security.  I could see this as very useful if I didn’t have a smart phone or if I were worried because I knew I was sick and wanted extra support during that time.  It’s also very useful if you are leaving someone at home that typically needs your help.  This way, they could have some support in taking medications even if it does come as a telephone call.  So it could be used on a daily basis, even several times a day, or just at special times when one is feeling more vulnerable and wants more security.

In addition, Home Care is also offering another option that really takes care of the person who is planning an operation or is recovering from an injury and does not feel safe at home but may not qualify for a bed in the Health Center.  According to Leslie Labrocca, head of Home Care, they have two rooms in residential living that they call Health and Wellness Suites.  They currently have two rooms. One room is currently available and one still being outfitted with furniture.  Both rooms are located in RL, 164 and 191. The rooms are designed to accommodate those with a variety of mobility and health issues.  The idea behind these rooms is to offer home care services more conveniently and cost-effectively.  They want to give our residents a more personalized care experience, helping them feel safe and reduce stress while they recover. A resident lives in the suite which is provided without fee.  Any help is billed at $23 per half hour.  So if you had hoped to stay there for a week, you would probably need three or four hours worth of help for the first two or three days and then this amount would diminish as your need for outside support gets less.  What is wonderful is that there is help available 24/7.  At night, just a call to security would get someone to you in the Wellness suites right away.  This is a perfect option for those who either don’t qualify for the health center or don’t really need skilled-nursing support but don’t feel safe being alone at home.

 

by Bob Buddemeier

 

Sometime in the current year I will retire from my positions as Editor-in-Chief and General Factotum of The Complement.  This will result in one of three outcomes: (1) The Complement disappears; (2)  It is absorbed – in some form – into the Residents Council suite of activities; or, (3) a new independent group of residents is found to take it over.  I think #1 is most likely, and I rank #2 ahead of #3 only because we have tried with very limited success to recruit new staff members.

I was curious about RVM’s newsletter characteristics without The Complement, and how they would compare with those of two other PRS CCRCs – the Portland Mirabella and the Seattle Mirabella.  The Complement routinely publishes links to the newsletters “3550” (Portland) and “The Mirabella Monthly” (Seattle); these can be found through The Complement’s Archive of past issues..

HillTopics has 20 names on its masthead (= staff directory) plus the two companies responsible for layout and design, and printing.  It is a glossy, professionally produced 12-page newsletter currently published 10 times a year and distributed to residents and prospective residents. Its content is mostly prepared by staff writers and photographers, with only an occasional contributed item. As might be expected from its role as a marketing tool, articles focus mostly on residents and resident activities, with some coverage of RVM staff and institutional activities.

The Seattle Mirabella Monthly is monthly, and carries more current and near future calendars and event descriptions than the bimonthly or quarterly publications.  In addition to its substantial staff of 41, it relies partly on contributions; 5 of the 9 bylines in the December issue were not on the masthead. Its layout is in fairly simple software (probably MS Publisher or similar); its offerings include poetry, reviews, resident experiences, and miscellaneous features.

The Portland Mirabella’s 3550 (the street address number) is the most unique publication.  In addition to being a large (36 pp.) and well-laid-out quarterly, it accepts advertising and thus has its own revenue stream, and it is on a public website rather than an intranet.  However, it is still identified as a publication of the Residents’ Association.  Articles are diverse, and almost all are by one of the 25 staff members.

One of the most interesting comparisons is of the relationship between publication support and CCRC size.  The table below compares the three “official” publications (setting aside The Complement), in terms of pages and frequency, the number of staff members listed on the masthead and the number of residences and licensed facility beds (proportional to residents, assuming comparable occupancy rates.

 

Newsletter pages and staff members per month per residence, three PRS CCRCs
Publication	Avg. Pages/mo.	Residences	Pages/mo./res.	Staff	Staff/residence
hillTopics	11	720	0.015	25*	0.035
Mirabella Monthly	24	400	0.060	41	0.102
3550	12	308	0.039	25	0.081
	3550 = 36 per quarter	Includes licensed		*includes contractors

 

The ratios of pages per month per residence and of newsletter staff per residence for the Mirabella Monthly are 3-4 times the ratios for hillTopics, and those of 3550 are over 2 times.

What might it all mean?  There are various possibilities, none of them mutually exclusive:

1. RVM is more efficient at compressing diverse material into fewer pages.
2. Contractors make a greater contribution to RVM staff than assumed.
3. There are fewer journalistic volunteers at RVM than elsewhere
4. RVM residents are relatively underserved in terms of local information.

Based on my experience with The Complement, item 3 could definitely be a factor, and this would drive up the effects of #1 and #4.  In addition, item 4 was one f the reasons for founding The Complement in the first place.

Should anything be done about the disparity in numbers?  RVM’s have been higher in the past – the 2018 December issue had 33 names on the masthead, and at that time layout and design were done in-house rather than by a contractor.

There is a possibility that the differences simply reflect community characteristics.  The Mirabellas are both single-building high-rises, which may create a tighter community and more interest in local news than does RVM’s dispersed Independent Living plan.

Another, non-physical, community characteristic may be competition among activities at RVM.  Since 2018, the Department of Community Engagement has been formed and now offers many activities.  The Wellness Department has also increased its offerings.  With all of the new activities available, it is reasonable to assume that some potential volunteers may be deflected from the more traditional activities, like journalism.

If RVM’s pages/month per residence are to be doubled or tripled, either hillTopics will need to grow, or another publication such as The Complement will need to be added. An expanded hillTopics implies a greater diversity of content, and either a larger staff or more reliance on contributors. Any of these approaches will require significant changes in both policy and practices.