Testing...
Monday, March 13, 2006
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Free Range Human: Welcome!
the husband has finally told 'spaces' to get lost -- too much fumbling and bumbling and waaaaiting. so join with me in welcoming him to Google's blog arena.
check out his future posts at Free Range Human.
Welcome, honey ... and yay!!!
check out his future posts at Free Range Human.
Welcome, honey ... and yay!!!
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Friday, March 10, 2006
movin' to the groove
oh man -- Slusnik Luna is on and i just can't keep still when they're playing. Sun (Kossin Mix) makes my heart happy!!! (from The Chillout Session Ibiza 2002)
followed by William Orbit with Surfin' (Hello Waveforms)
way to go FrostByte Groove Lounge -- you're right on the money!!!!! http://overxposure.fm/
followed by William Orbit with Surfin' (Hello Waveforms)
way to go FrostByte Groove Lounge -- you're right on the money!!!!! http://overxposure.fm/
did you know this?
last tuesday i noted certain political entities think that having middle easterners in charge of six u.s. ports is a fine idea.
today i ran across this bit of information: great britain provides the security for a number of u.s. 'sensitive' areas. wh... what? here's what i read:
"In a residential area of Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security is fenced, gated and patrolled by armed guards.
The guards are employed by Wackenhut Services, a British company that provides security for many sensitive American sites, including many of the nation's nuclear power plants.
But the Homeland Security headquarters is anything but secure, according to more than a dozen former and current Wackenhut employees who signed statements citing everything from unmanned guard stations to inadequate training." quote from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11748408/
hmmm ... if we are the land of the bravest, the best, and the brightest, why do we keep doing dumb things? wouldn't you think we would be able to handle our own security? i can only imagine it's a money thing. and yes, i agree it is valid to consider costs vs benefits vs danger vs whatever. but security? of nuclear power plants? and yes, i agree that britain is our friend. but nothing is forever. let's just handle it ourselves, shall we?!
my feeling --
who's in charge here?!
16B -- Inbetween Your Choice
today i ran across this bit of information: great britain provides the security for a number of u.s. 'sensitive' areas. wh... what? here's what i read:
"In a residential area of Washington, D.C., the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security is fenced, gated and patrolled by armed guards.
The guards are employed by Wackenhut Services, a British company that provides security for many sensitive American sites, including many of the nation's nuclear power plants.
But the Homeland Security headquarters is anything but secure, according to more than a dozen former and current Wackenhut employees who signed statements citing everything from unmanned guard stations to inadequate training." quote from: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11748408/
hmmm ... if we are the land of the bravest, the best, and the brightest, why do we keep doing dumb things? wouldn't you think we would be able to handle our own security? i can only imagine it's a money thing. and yes, i agree it is valid to consider costs vs benefits vs danger vs whatever. but security? of nuclear power plants? and yes, i agree that britain is our friend. but nothing is forever. let's just handle it ourselves, shall we?!
my feeling --
who's in charge here?!16B -- Inbetween Your Choice
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
stone-age habits: no pins
we're one of those odd couples who have not opted to do the debit card thing. it's not that we don't trust new-fangled ways, it's that we tried to do a debit card twice and both times something got very screwed up so we said, "hey -- this isn't what the universe wants us to do!"
now i've run across an article which says Debit card thieves get around PIN obstacle -- all you hep cats who do the debit thing are prime for getting your bread ripped off, daddy-o. so put on your peepers, cool it, and read, then you'll be in orbit.
"...In recent weeks, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual and Citibank have all reissued debit cards after detecting fraudulent activity...many merchants incorrectly store PIN information they should be destroying...Consumers might be surprised to learn that their PIN numbers are stored by merchants they shop at, and can be stolen from merchants by hackers. While storing PINs is against network rules, many retailers inadvertently store the information..."
"...consumers concerned about the scam should avoid PIN-based retail transactions, and chose instead to make signature-based, credit-card-style transactions..."
"Debit card theft can be far more severe than credit card...different consumer protections apply. Account holders are liable for only up to $50 of credit card fraud — but consumers can be liable for the entire balance of their bank account after debit card fraud...money is instantly missing...can lead to bounced checks..." (information from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11731365/)
this gig's bad news -- maybe you should think about splitsville!
i'm feeling --
cool, man, real cool ...
Beatlab:Digital -- Turning Point (featuring Piri)
now i've run across an article which says Debit card thieves get around PIN obstacle -- all you hep cats who do the debit thing are prime for getting your bread ripped off, daddy-o. so put on your peepers, cool it, and read, then you'll be in orbit.
"...In recent weeks, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Washington Mutual and Citibank have all reissued debit cards after detecting fraudulent activity...many merchants incorrectly store PIN information they should be destroying...Consumers might be surprised to learn that their PIN numbers are stored by merchants they shop at, and can be stolen from merchants by hackers. While storing PINs is against network rules, many retailers inadvertently store the information..."
"...consumers concerned about the scam should avoid PIN-based retail transactions, and chose instead to make signature-based, credit-card-style transactions..."
"Debit card theft can be far more severe than credit card...different consumer protections apply. Account holders are liable for only up to $50 of credit card fraud — but consumers can be liable for the entire balance of their bank account after debit card fraud...money is instantly missing...can lead to bounced checks..." (information from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11731365/)
this gig's bad news -- maybe you should think about splitsville!
i'm feeling --
cool, man, real cool ...Beatlab:Digital -- Turning Point (featuring Piri)
the laugh's on us
a couple of great old-people jokes came across my desk today ... enjoy!
There were two elderly people living in Trailer Estates, a Florida mobile home park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known one another for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the big activity center. The two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?" After about six seconds of careful consideration she answered, "Yes. Yes, I will." The meal ended and, with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places.
Next morning, he was troubled. "Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'?" He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he inquired, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?" He was delighted to hear her say, "Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart." Then she continued, "I am so glad that you called, because I couldn't remember who had asked me."
Three old guys are out walking along Canal Way Drive. First one says, "Windy, isn't it?" Second one says, "No, its Thursday!" Third one says, "So am I. Let's go get a beer."
A man was telling his neighbor at bingo last Wednesday, "I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect." "Really," answered the neighbor. "What kind is it?" "Twelve thirty."
Morris, an 82 year-old, went to his doctor for his yearly physical. A few days later the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple of days after that the doctor saw Morris again and commented, "You're really doing great, aren't you?" Morris piped up, "Just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'" The doctor replied, "I didn't say that -- I said, 'You've got a heart murmur. Be careful.'"
what? what do you mean, who should you hire? i said, enjoy ...
There were two elderly people living in Trailer Estates, a Florida mobile home park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known one another for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the big activity center. The two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?" After about six seconds of careful consideration she answered, "Yes. Yes, I will." The meal ended and, with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places.
Next morning, he was troubled. "Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'?" He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he inquired, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?" He was delighted to hear her say, "Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart." Then she continued, "I am so glad that you called, because I couldn't remember who had asked me."
Three old guys are out walking along Canal Way Drive. First one says, "Windy, isn't it?" Second one says, "No, its Thursday!" Third one says, "So am I. Let's go get a beer."
A man was telling his neighbor at bingo last Wednesday, "I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect." "Really," answered the neighbor. "What kind is it?" "Twelve thirty."
Morris, an 82 year-old, went to his doctor for his yearly physical. A few days later the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm. A couple of days after that the doctor saw Morris again and commented, "You're really doing great, aren't you?" Morris piped up, "Just doing what you said, Doc: 'Get a hot mamma and be cheerful.'" The doctor replied, "I didn't say that -- I said, 'You've got a heart murmur. Be careful.'"
what? what do you mean, who should you hire? i said, enjoy ...
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
oh good grief ...
i could swear that i learned in high school (early-60's) that foreign entities could not own property in the united states. obviously i either remember incorrectly or the rise of mba's (read mega-greed) created a change which allows others outside the u.s. to own property here. i have no kind feelings about foreigners owning property anywhere in this country.
now i read that a Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates) -owned company (Dubai Ports World) is slated to take over operations at six u.s. ports with bush's full approval, unless congress steps up and halts the process. not only does bush approve, but if congress tries to pass a law to keep this takeover from happening, bush has said he'll veto the law.
"Bush has said security concerns were unwarranted. He said security at the ports would remain in U.S. control, and that Dubai, a member of the United Arab Emirates, has been a strong ally in his war against terrorism." (quote taken from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11715006/from/RL.1/ ) When it comes to the mercurial nature of many nations, especially the Middle East, our allies of today can be our enemies of tomorrow. how incredibly stupid can president bush be?! wait, i already know the answer to that.
pardon me while i display my getto i.q. and panic-crazed mob mentality by stating that if they allow this to happen, this country will be one step closer to 'creeping foreign take-over' or 'massive and fatal dependence on others'.
*sigh* i just can't stand it.
my feeling --
depressed
now i read that a Dubai (part of the United Arab Emirates) -owned company (Dubai Ports World) is slated to take over operations at six u.s. ports with bush's full approval, unless congress steps up and halts the process. not only does bush approve, but if congress tries to pass a law to keep this takeover from happening, bush has said he'll veto the law.
"Bush has said security concerns were unwarranted. He said security at the ports would remain in U.S. control, and that Dubai, a member of the United Arab Emirates, has been a strong ally in his war against terrorism." (quote taken from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11715006/from/RL.1/ ) When it comes to the mercurial nature of many nations, especially the Middle East, our allies of today can be our enemies of tomorrow. how incredibly stupid can president bush be?! wait, i already know the answer to that.
pardon me while i display my getto i.q. and panic-crazed mob mentality by stating that if they allow this to happen, this country will be one step closer to 'creeping foreign take-over' or 'massive and fatal dependence on others'.
*sigh* i just can't stand it.
my feeling --
depressed
very black
we saw an extremely strange flick today -- Sin City. i guess i could say i loved it. not the gross violence, but the weirdness of the concept. the way it was part animation and part real actors. part black-and-white and part brilliant splashes of color. the way it was dark ... like, film noir is to white as Sin City is to black. hey man, it's just waaaaay darker than black.
i enjoyed mickey rourke the best -- i don't think i've ever seen him in anything that i liked, so this was a great surprise. bruce was great as always and clive owen's american english was another surprise. del toro has a fabulous voice, and jaime king was beautifully excellent.
the first Star Wars was different, Memento was different, Hellboy was different, and Sin City is different. if you aren't into different, don't bother.
i'm feeling --
different
-- Honeyroot -- Summer Sky
i enjoyed mickey rourke the best -- i don't think i've ever seen him in anything that i liked, so this was a great surprise. bruce was great as always and clive owen's american english was another surprise. del toro has a fabulous voice, and jaime king was beautifully excellent.
the first Star Wars was different, Memento was different, Hellboy was different, and Sin City is different. if you aren't into different, don't bother.
i'm feeling --
different
-- Honeyroot -- Summer Sky
moral issues
i noticed an article yesterday about advances in diagnosing alzheimer's. the dilemma that doctors are finding themselves struggling with is this: should we tell the patients they are going to get alzheimer's or not? tell them or not?! it seems to me the real dilemma is figuring out a way to help people with alzheimer's gently end their lives.
if someone tells me i have an early diagnosis of alzheimer's, i am going to want to understand, as accurately as i can, how much longer i will still have a good grasp of reality. and then i want to throw a party and say good-bye to people. then i want my family to gather around and say good-bye while i take the 'transition' pill. no pain, no suffering, no huge expenses, no autopsy. i DO NOT want to go through everything my dad has gone through. and that includes the part before he was moved to the assisted living facility.
i don't know if a person who knows they have alzheimer's can tell that their reality has changed. if i have that diagnosis, will i realize i can't remember stuff? will i realize i'm confused and making poor choices? will i remember i want to end my life rather than muddle on 'til i succumb naturally?
just so we all have the same understanding here, loved ones of mine, i do not want to live with alzheimer's in an assisted living unit. i want to say good-bye when i still know who everyone is. if there isn't a legal way to do that, we have to figure out how to do it the easiest, most painless way possible, and without getting anyone in trouble.
sure, oregon has a legal way for people to end their lives, but that is only if they have been certified to have 6 months left to live and have been examined by two different doctors.
the netherlands, belgium, and switzerland all allow ending of one's life, legally (without regard to condition or expectancy, as i understand), and they are not evil nations. we ought to be able to have that right as well.
i wonder if the baby boomers still have the same stuff they were made of back in the 60's -- they were changing the u.s. back then, are they going to be able to effect changes about a person's right-to-die now?
i'm feeling --
concerned
-- Deep Dive Corp -- Walker
if someone tells me i have an early diagnosis of alzheimer's, i am going to want to understand, as accurately as i can, how much longer i will still have a good grasp of reality. and then i want to throw a party and say good-bye to people. then i want my family to gather around and say good-bye while i take the 'transition' pill. no pain, no suffering, no huge expenses, no autopsy. i DO NOT want to go through everything my dad has gone through. and that includes the part before he was moved to the assisted living facility.
i don't know if a person who knows they have alzheimer's can tell that their reality has changed. if i have that diagnosis, will i realize i can't remember stuff? will i realize i'm confused and making poor choices? will i remember i want to end my life rather than muddle on 'til i succumb naturally?
just so we all have the same understanding here, loved ones of mine, i do not want to live with alzheimer's in an assisted living unit. i want to say good-bye when i still know who everyone is. if there isn't a legal way to do that, we have to figure out how to do it the easiest, most painless way possible, and without getting anyone in trouble.
sure, oregon has a legal way for people to end their lives, but that is only if they have been certified to have 6 months left to live and have been examined by two different doctors.
the netherlands, belgium, and switzerland all allow ending of one's life, legally (without regard to condition or expectancy, as i understand), and they are not evil nations. we ought to be able to have that right as well.
i wonder if the baby boomers still have the same stuff they were made of back in the 60's -- they were changing the u.s. back then, are they going to be able to effect changes about a person's right-to-die now?
i'm feeling --
concerned
-- Deep Dive Corp -- Walker
make this a habit
i really like listening to OverXposure.FM whenever i'm on the computer -- there are NO commercials and the listening is slow jazz, sexy, easy-on-the-nerves vibes. i don't know how in the world this guy can afford to do this dedicated work -- buying all the cd's, putting everything online -- but he pays for everything and only asks for contributions with a dignified note on his web site. (Worf would definitely like this guy -- he has honor therefore is definitely a Klingon!)
i've contributed a couple of times (being retired slaps limits on things) and if i won the lottery, i would give tim quigley a lot of it. his music makes my day, soothes my soul, and helps me have 'happy feet' whenever i'm on the computer or nearby. i encourage you to check him out and enjoy yourself! http://overxposure.fm/ or, as it's affectionately known to us regulars, FrostByte Groove Lounge.
i'm feeling --
in love with FrostByte Groove Lounge
-- Max Melvin -- Sometimes
i've contributed a couple of times (being retired slaps limits on things) and if i won the lottery, i would give tim quigley a lot of it. his music makes my day, soothes my soul, and helps me have 'happy feet' whenever i'm on the computer or nearby. i encourage you to check him out and enjoy yourself! http://overxposure.fm/ or, as it's affectionately known to us regulars, FrostByte Groove Lounge.
i'm feeling --
in love with FrostByte Groove Lounge
-- Max Melvin -- Sometimes
Sunday, March 05, 2006
To Dream
She was 74. Her mind was still pretty much together and her body was hanging in there, but she could tell when she’d had a full day -- right now she was tired, felt an ache in her left leg, and kept sighing. So she put her book away, turned off the front-porch light, brushed her teeth, changed into her flannel pajamas, and went to bed. She fell asleep right away.
She had always dreamed. Some of her dreams were fun, like the ones where she was flying. Some of her dreams were intriguing, like the ones where she was in a tall building and the elevators didn’t work right so she had to take the stairs but sometimes the stairs led nowhere, or turned back onto themselves. And there had been a period of time when her dreams were frightening, like the ones where she was running away or trying to hide from someone -- but the scary dreams hadn’t happened in a long time. These days she looked forward to her dreams and trying to figure out what they meant.
This night, after she fell asleep, she became aware she was lying in a time-capsule on a narrow, metal table. The capsule lid was transparent and suddenly came open. A man and a woman reached forward to help her sit up, then softly asked how she felt. “How I feel?” she said, still groggy. “I don’t know how I feel.”
“It won’t take long for you to recover your memory,” said the man. “The next class will start pretty soon and we’d like you to fill out the paperwork before you go to the class.”
“There’s a class?” said the little old lady. “A class? What kind of class? Why do I have to go to a class?”
“She’s going to need some time in a transition room before she resumes her classes,” the man said quietly to the woman. “Transport her and stay with her to help her regain clarity.”
“Certainly,” replied the woman as she gathered the little old lady close to her side. They slowly walked out of the strange room and down the hall, and in no time had arrived at a small, dusky blue, softly-lit room, which contained a twin bed and a chair. Above the bed, there was a window covered by narrow venetian blinds.
“Just lie down now,” said the woman gently, “and if you have any questions, I’ll be right here to talk with you.” So the little old lady lay down and relaxed, closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Sometime later, she looked over at the woman and said, “I remember. I’m ready for the next class.”
i'm feeling --
relaxed
-- Reflection -- The Wall With Paintings
She had always dreamed. Some of her dreams were fun, like the ones where she was flying. Some of her dreams were intriguing, like the ones where she was in a tall building and the elevators didn’t work right so she had to take the stairs but sometimes the stairs led nowhere, or turned back onto themselves. And there had been a period of time when her dreams were frightening, like the ones where she was running away or trying to hide from someone -- but the scary dreams hadn’t happened in a long time. These days she looked forward to her dreams and trying to figure out what they meant.
This night, after she fell asleep, she became aware she was lying in a time-capsule on a narrow, metal table. The capsule lid was transparent and suddenly came open. A man and a woman reached forward to help her sit up, then softly asked how she felt. “How I feel?” she said, still groggy. “I don’t know how I feel.”
“It won’t take long for you to recover your memory,” said the man. “The next class will start pretty soon and we’d like you to fill out the paperwork before you go to the class.”
“There’s a class?” said the little old lady. “A class? What kind of class? Why do I have to go to a class?”
“She’s going to need some time in a transition room before she resumes her classes,” the man said quietly to the woman. “Transport her and stay with her to help her regain clarity.”
“Certainly,” replied the woman as she gathered the little old lady close to her side. They slowly walked out of the strange room and down the hall, and in no time had arrived at a small, dusky blue, softly-lit room, which contained a twin bed and a chair. Above the bed, there was a window covered by narrow venetian blinds.
“Just lie down now,” said the woman gently, “and if you have any questions, I’ll be right here to talk with you.” So the little old lady lay down and relaxed, closed her eyes and let her mind wander. Sometime later, she looked over at the woman and said, “I remember. I’m ready for the next class.”
i'm feeling --
relaxed
-- Reflection -- The Wall With Paintings
Thursday, March 02, 2006
do computers have ghosts?
husband's computer when kaput yesterday. actually it made a weird noise and then he shut it down. it's done that twice before, so it's staying off this time until our computer guru can look at it. our computer guru, greg, happens to be enjoying himself in rome right now -- yay, greg!!! -- so it will be a couple of weeks before we can talk with him about the trouble.
a couple of weeks of sharing MY computer. oh yuck. i don't share my computer easily. doesn't matter that husband is the love of my life, or that he paid for it. i just get wonky about sharing. probably because i had such a traumatic time on our first computer (a 'gateway' brand machine that convinced me to never buy from them again!), or probably because (growing up) i was always told i had to share, when, dammit, i didn't want to! so once i get that out of my system, i'm good about sharing for a couple of days.
okay, honey, it's your turn.
i feel --
like sharing
especially when i'm listening to Language Lab play Burning Disaster (frbygrlo)
a couple of weeks of sharing MY computer. oh yuck. i don't share my computer easily. doesn't matter that husband is the love of my life, or that he paid for it. i just get wonky about sharing. probably because i had such a traumatic time on our first computer (a 'gateway' brand machine that convinced me to never buy from them again!), or probably because (growing up) i was always told i had to share, when, dammit, i didn't want to! so once i get that out of my system, i'm good about sharing for a couple of days.
okay, honey, it's your turn.
i feel --
like sharingespecially when i'm listening to Language Lab play Burning Disaster (frbygrlo)
Granny+Vibrator+Motorcycle=Doing Her Thing
the blogosphere is always an interesting place -- some days more so than others. i found this blog today which pretty much sums up what i and other 'older' women are saying or at least thinking -- Granny Gets A Vibrator: Last One In Is A Rotten Egg -- it's not that we don't want to have husbands/boyfriends/significant others/families, it's that we want to be free from the fairy tales, advertising messages, religious proscriptions, and locker-room schlock that my friends and i have grown up with.
this could get to be a very long blog so i'll close now and maybe revisit another day. remember: it takes courage to get older!
i'm feeling --
uh ... courageous
and enjoying listening to Kinobe play Slip Into Something More Comfortable from FrostByte Groove Lounge
this could get to be a very long blog so i'll close now and maybe revisit another day. remember: it takes courage to get older!
i'm feeling --
uh ... courageousand enjoying listening to Kinobe play Slip Into Something More Comfortable from FrostByte Groove Lounge
Monday, February 27, 2006
to go or not to go? ha! there's no question...
in the last x-years, i've thought the most dangerous places to travel to were the middle east countries. now i've been informed that is currently incorrect. in a snapshot of the 14 most dangerous places for americans to travel to, seven of them were in africa, one of them s.e. of cuba, four in or near the middle east, one just north of australia, and the last was russia.
the african countries are: burundi, cote d'ivoire, the democratic republic of the congo, liberia, somalia, sudan, and zimbabwe.
the country near cuba is haiti.
the countries in/near the middle east are: afghanistan, georgia, iraq, and pakistan.
the country north of australia is papua new guinea, and we all know where russia is.
this information was a surprise to me and i spent quite a bit of time on mapquest looking at their locations and wondering where i'd been when they were teaching geography in school. the article is from Forbes and was presented by msnbc at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11416638/.
go ahead and call me a chicken, but i don't have a lot of desire to travel outside the u.s. unless it would be to scotland or wales. and maybe new zealand or australia. other than that, forget it. well, okay, yes, i've been and will continue to go to canada, but even that can be a little scary *i thought loonies and toonies were something you watched at the movies*.
i mean, really -- who in their right mind would want to go to africa? oops, well, yeah, my best friend's sister went just within the last couple of years and totally loved it, but yuck! it's not for me -- snakes, spiders, bugs, strange animals, huge wild beasts, men who swing from tree to tree, yodeling. it just doesn't call to me at all. i like my man swinging from the ceiling fan and yodeling in our bedroom, thank you very much.
i'm feeling --
like looking up
while i listen to Dab Screen play Oversleep
the african countries are: burundi, cote d'ivoire, the democratic republic of the congo, liberia, somalia, sudan, and zimbabwe.
the country near cuba is haiti.
the countries in/near the middle east are: afghanistan, georgia, iraq, and pakistan.
the country north of australia is papua new guinea, and we all know where russia is.
this information was a surprise to me and i spent quite a bit of time on mapquest looking at their locations and wondering where i'd been when they were teaching geography in school. the article is from Forbes and was presented by msnbc at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11416638/.
go ahead and call me a chicken, but i don't have a lot of desire to travel outside the u.s. unless it would be to scotland or wales. and maybe new zealand or australia. other than that, forget it. well, okay, yes, i've been and will continue to go to canada, but even that can be a little scary *i thought loonies and toonies were something you watched at the movies*.
i mean, really -- who in their right mind would want to go to africa? oops, well, yeah, my best friend's sister went just within the last couple of years and totally loved it, but yuck! it's not for me -- snakes, spiders, bugs, strange animals, huge wild beasts, men who swing from tree to tree, yodeling. it just doesn't call to me at all. i like my man swinging from the ceiling fan and yodeling in our bedroom, thank you very much.
i'm feeling --
like looking upwhile i listen to Dab Screen play Oversleep
life back home...
a couple of paragraphs from uncle b --
"I continue to enjoy your blog, and now John's, along with K's you all have more than doubled the resources that I access on the computer. I am very impressed with the quality of content, and the humor. I am not ready to post. I think I am more comfortable in the person to person, conversational style.
I visited with Dad today. He was very alert, recognized me before I said anything to him. He is eating well but not gaining weight. I cleaned and shaved him, for which his best caregiver was so grateful I thought she was going to cry. I guess he hasn't been very cooperative lately. Picture him happy because that is what he is most of the time. There were little animals playing in the residence today and they were too cute to describe. A puppy, owned by the caregiver, and the resident cat, were running, and wrestling, and entertaining us, and of course Dad was delighted."
wonderful update and great to hear about the little animals that the clients can enjoy.
"I continue to enjoy your blog, and now John's, along with K's you all have more than doubled the resources that I access on the computer. I am very impressed with the quality of content, and the humor. I am not ready to post. I think I am more comfortable in the person to person, conversational style.
I visited with Dad today. He was very alert, recognized me before I said anything to him. He is eating well but not gaining weight. I cleaned and shaved him, for which his best caregiver was so grateful I thought she was going to cry. I guess he hasn't been very cooperative lately. Picture him happy because that is what he is most of the time. There were little animals playing in the residence today and they were too cute to describe. A puppy, owned by the caregiver, and the resident cat, were running, and wrestling, and entertaining us, and of course Dad was delighted."
wonderful update and great to hear about the little animals that the clients can enjoy.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
The Terran
She knew he was a Terran as soon as he walked in her door -- all approximately six and a half feet, 180 pounds of him. He was built like a Terran, solid and tanned with wide shoulders and trim hips just made for riding those horses she’d read about. And gorgeous -- he had brown hair and soft blue eyes, a combination that she hadn’t seen in a long time.
“What can I do for you?” she said.
His face broke into a wide smile like he’d found his best friend. “Howdy. I was hoping you could help me hire someone to escort me around.”
He wanted an escort? Okay -- she could do that. For that body she could do about anything. “An escort? Why do you need an escort?”
He gave her a bashful look and, for a second there, she thought he’d been going to shuffle his feet. “Well, I haven’t been off-Earth before and I’m not too sure of things up here. But the real problem is that I think someone is trying to kill me.”
Kill him? And waste a prime specimen like that? Not if she could help it. “Why would anyone want to kill you, Mister ...”
“I’m sorry ma’am, the name’s Cody. Max Cody. And I’m not sure why someone would want to kill me, but the reason I believe they might be thinking about it is this.” He handed her a small, torn piece of paper which read “If you want to live, meet me at Scott’s Bar at noon. I’ll find you.”
Hmmm. “A mysterious, scribbled note isn’t necessarily indicative of high drama, Mr. Cody.”
“Well, no, maybe not ma’am, but the note was left on the desk in my room along with this little piece of jewelry.” He handed her a small pin.
She took it and gulped. He was in trouble all right. The pin was small, made to wear on the collar, and square-shaped with red enamel and a small black dot in the center. Everyone around knew that this was a serious pin associated with a seriously powerful guy who played for keeps. Aw, what the hell. Things had been slow lately and you couldn’t live forever, could you?
“Yeah, I’ll help you, Mr. Cody. Let me grab my bag, then we’ll go load onto my ship.”
“Okay, but shouldn’t I get my gear?” He looked at her with a worried frown as if he should be doing something.
“Well, now, I suppose that depends on how you look at it.” She opened her locker, grabbed a huge duffle, then opened the front door. “If you want to live, Mr. Cody, the best place for you right now is another galaxy.” And out she went.
i'm feeling --
creative
as i listen to I-Cube playing Adore
“What can I do for you?” she said.
His face broke into a wide smile like he’d found his best friend. “Howdy. I was hoping you could help me hire someone to escort me around.”
He wanted an escort? Okay -- she could do that. For that body she could do about anything. “An escort? Why do you need an escort?”
He gave her a bashful look and, for a second there, she thought he’d been going to shuffle his feet. “Well, I haven’t been off-Earth before and I’m not too sure of things up here. But the real problem is that I think someone is trying to kill me.”
Kill him? And waste a prime specimen like that? Not if she could help it. “Why would anyone want to kill you, Mister ...”
“I’m sorry ma’am, the name’s Cody. Max Cody. And I’m not sure why someone would want to kill me, but the reason I believe they might be thinking about it is this.” He handed her a small, torn piece of paper which read “If you want to live, meet me at Scott’s Bar at noon. I’ll find you.”
Hmmm. “A mysterious, scribbled note isn’t necessarily indicative of high drama, Mr. Cody.”
“Well, no, maybe not ma’am, but the note was left on the desk in my room along with this little piece of jewelry.” He handed her a small pin.
She took it and gulped. He was in trouble all right. The pin was small, made to wear on the collar, and square-shaped with red enamel and a small black dot in the center. Everyone around knew that this was a serious pin associated with a seriously powerful guy who played for keeps. Aw, what the hell. Things had been slow lately and you couldn’t live forever, could you?
“Yeah, I’ll help you, Mr. Cody. Let me grab my bag, then we’ll go load onto my ship.”
“Okay, but shouldn’t I get my gear?” He looked at her with a worried frown as if he should be doing something.
“Well, now, I suppose that depends on how you look at it.” She opened her locker, grabbed a huge duffle, then opened the front door. “If you want to live, Mr. Cody, the best place for you right now is another galaxy.” And out she went.
i'm feeling --
creativeas i listen to I-Cube playing Adore
the husband has major salient points to make in his blog, the latest being this: http://spaces.msn.com/freerangehuman/blog/cns!C3CADB26CE810164!294.trak . usually husband's commentaries are just hilarious, but this entry is perspicacious and frightening.
well, it would be frightening except that everytime i read about a major event (or series of events) that is going to be catastrophic, that i take right to heart and champion the cause of, everytime i do that ... nothing happens.
last decade there was something about Nostradamas that i believed in, especially since a close friend said she'd talked with a gal who blah blah, i don't remember, but it all tied in. but the prophesied event didn't happen.
and remember Y2K? i totally believed we were going to have problems because of that. i stocked up on supplies, water, food, while husband shook his head and walked away, muttering about hysterical females. and what happened? SSSSSssssssssssssssssssss ... absolutely nothing.
i got the kids their hepatitis shots and pneumonia shots, made sure they had their tetnus shots, encourage them to take flu shots, etc. etc. etc.
so, yes, i KNOW that global warming is causing things to change, but i am extremely wary about taking up the cause. because you know why? if i take up the cause, it won't happen. say ... there's an idea ...
GLOBAL WARMING IS COMING! Sell your homes and retreat to the hills! Buy up vast supplies of irreplaceable items. Stock your land with cows, pigs, chickens, and geese. Learn how to soak brains and use them for tanning hides. Learn how to garden, how to card and spin wool, how to weave on a loom. Learn how to shot a rifle and bow-and-arrow. Learn how to swing an ax, to notch wood for best effect, to sew up cuts. Learn about the healing properties of wild plants and primitive methods of medicine. Well, wait ...stock the Foxfire series, 1 through 12 (by Eliot Wigginton and others) because there's too much stuff to know and not enough time to memorize it all.
there now .. no more trouble about global warming!
right now i'm feeling --
pretty smug
and i'm listening to Deep Dive Corp. playing Walker and lovin' it!
well, it would be frightening except that everytime i read about a major event (or series of events) that is going to be catastrophic, that i take right to heart and champion the cause of, everytime i do that ... nothing happens.
last decade there was something about Nostradamas that i believed in, especially since a close friend said she'd talked with a gal who blah blah, i don't remember, but it all tied in. but the prophesied event didn't happen.
and remember Y2K? i totally believed we were going to have problems because of that. i stocked up on supplies, water, food, while husband shook his head and walked away, muttering about hysterical females. and what happened? SSSSSssssssssssssssssssss ... absolutely nothing.
i got the kids their hepatitis shots and pneumonia shots, made sure they had their tetnus shots, encourage them to take flu shots, etc. etc. etc.
so, yes, i KNOW that global warming is causing things to change, but i am extremely wary about taking up the cause. because you know why? if i take up the cause, it won't happen. say ... there's an idea ...
GLOBAL WARMING IS COMING! Sell your homes and retreat to the hills! Buy up vast supplies of irreplaceable items. Stock your land with cows, pigs, chickens, and geese. Learn how to soak brains and use them for tanning hides. Learn how to garden, how to card and spin wool, how to weave on a loom. Learn how to shot a rifle and bow-and-arrow. Learn how to swing an ax, to notch wood for best effect, to sew up cuts. Learn about the healing properties of wild plants and primitive methods of medicine. Well, wait ...stock the Foxfire series, 1 through 12 (by Eliot Wigginton and others) because there's too much stuff to know and not enough time to memorize it all.
there now .. no more trouble about global warming!
right now i'm feeling --
pretty smugand i'm listening to Deep Dive Corp. playing Walker and lovin' it!
Thursday, February 23, 2006
the future and past all rolled into one
the library finally let us know it was our turn to check out Firefly. we'd had it recommended to us by several people and i was looking forward to seeing it.
no, it's not a bug. it's a ... futuristic sci-fi western! haha -- but it's true. it's great fun to watch these renegades zipping around in their space ship, then landing on a planet, jumping on their horses and, wearing their six-shooters, either chasing or being chased by the bad guys!
the crew consists of the captain -- the ship-owner, group leader, and ex-military sgt (of the losing side of the 'verse); the captain's side-kick, first mate, second-in-command -- a very competant black gal who's married to... ; ...the pilot -- a nice, easy-going, quick-thinking white guy; a redneck, rabble-rousing, outspoken and somewhat dense muscle/handyman; an excellent female mechanic who's sweet and friendly; a girl genius who was rescued from the bad guys who had her imprisoned (while they operated on her brain) and is now highly sought after (by the bad guys); a young doctor (the girl's brother) who rescued her from the bad guys (government or at least a highly protected group) and is now running for his life with her; a beautiful female 'companion' who is all things wonderous and for hire -- she's in love with the captain (and he with her) but they don't get that all figured out before the end of the series; and the shepard -- a man of god who helps keep the voice of reason heard.
the series has a lot of humor, some yucky violence, some imagination, and some family moments. some of the episodes are better-written than the others, but all-in-all it was pretty obvious the series should never have been taken off the air. once again the network stupid-frickin'-idiots-at-the-top sent an intelligent, quirky, enjoyable program to the grave -- just like Northern Exposure, WKRP in Cinncinnati, and Earth 2.
oh yeah, bring on jerry springer! let's have more roseanne! gimme bachelors, paris and her 'simple life', and more reality shows! and i'd include south park in that dismal bunch except that i've never seen it and the kids say it's good. hmmm, i saw the clip about aristocrats and really seriously have to wonder about good!
i'm feeling disgusted with those mba schmucks at the top --
but if i listen to Deja Move playing Master of Seduction i feel a little better ...
no, it's not a bug. it's a ... futuristic sci-fi western! haha -- but it's true. it's great fun to watch these renegades zipping around in their space ship, then landing on a planet, jumping on their horses and, wearing their six-shooters, either chasing or being chased by the bad guys!
the crew consists of the captain -- the ship-owner, group leader, and ex-military sgt (of the losing side of the 'verse); the captain's side-kick, first mate, second-in-command -- a very competant black gal who's married to... ; ...the pilot -- a nice, easy-going, quick-thinking white guy; a redneck, rabble-rousing, outspoken and somewhat dense muscle/handyman; an excellent female mechanic who's sweet and friendly; a girl genius who was rescued from the bad guys who had her imprisoned (while they operated on her brain) and is now highly sought after (by the bad guys); a young doctor (the girl's brother) who rescued her from the bad guys (government or at least a highly protected group) and is now running for his life with her; a beautiful female 'companion' who is all things wonderous and for hire -- she's in love with the captain (and he with her) but they don't get that all figured out before the end of the series; and the shepard -- a man of god who helps keep the voice of reason heard.
the series has a lot of humor, some yucky violence, some imagination, and some family moments. some of the episodes are better-written than the others, but all-in-all it was pretty obvious the series should never have been taken off the air. once again the network stupid-frickin'-idiots-at-the-top sent an intelligent, quirky, enjoyable program to the grave -- just like Northern Exposure, WKRP in Cinncinnati, and Earth 2.
oh yeah, bring on jerry springer! let's have more roseanne! gimme bachelors, paris and her 'simple life', and more reality shows! and i'd include south park in that dismal bunch except that i've never seen it and the kids say it's good. hmmm, i saw the clip about aristocrats and really seriously have to wonder about good!
i'm feeling disgusted with those mba schmucks at the top --
but if i listen to Deja Move playing Master of Seduction i feel a little better ...
around the world
got this tip from the husband -- check out this link http://www.steelcitysfinest.com/ToyotaViosAd.htm and this one http://www.steelcitysfinest.com/Isuzu.htm
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
family IS important
with all the good family time we had this past weekend, it got me to thinking about 'family'.
back when i was diagnosed with breast cancer and had my first mastectomy, i had a number of relatives living within 150 miles (we were in oklahoma). if i remember right, two of my favorite aunts and a favorite cousin-by-marriage came up to visit after i'd gotten home from the hospital. we all talked and did the polite thing, then aunt iantha said, "okay, let's see it," so we went into the bedroom and had show-and-tell. it was weird to me, but they were all pioneer farm women and were bothered by nothing. their natural curiosity and acceptance was so nice and reassuring, and went a long way toward making me feel better about the loss of that body part.
later, when my father drove down (from nebraska) to visit, the first thing he did was give me a warm, full-on, loving hug that was full of acceptance. that, too, helped me feel better about my strange new body.
family can be frustrating, exciting, fun, or aggravating, but (unless they are TOTALLY dysfunctional jerks) best of all they are there, and supportive and loving and accepting. and willing to help and just be any way they can. aren't we all lucky with our family?!!!!!
family makes me feel --
and i'm loving listening to -- Naoki Kenjo playing Voil du Coeur
back when i was diagnosed with breast cancer and had my first mastectomy, i had a number of relatives living within 150 miles (we were in oklahoma). if i remember right, two of my favorite aunts and a favorite cousin-by-marriage came up to visit after i'd gotten home from the hospital. we all talked and did the polite thing, then aunt iantha said, "okay, let's see it," so we went into the bedroom and had show-and-tell. it was weird to me, but they were all pioneer farm women and were bothered by nothing. their natural curiosity and acceptance was so nice and reassuring, and went a long way toward making me feel better about the loss of that body part.
later, when my father drove down (from nebraska) to visit, the first thing he did was give me a warm, full-on, loving hug that was full of acceptance. that, too, helped me feel better about my strange new body.
family can be frustrating, exciting, fun, or aggravating, but (unless they are TOTALLY dysfunctional jerks) best of all they are there, and supportive and loving and accepting. and willing to help and just be any way they can. aren't we all lucky with our family?!!!!!
family makes me feel --
and i'm loving listening to -- Naoki Kenjo playing Voil du Coeur
Monday, February 20, 2006
a good time!
we just had a lovely weekend -- the in-laws came to visit. well, actually, they aren't our in-laws, they're My Older Son's, but they definitely feel like 'family' and we all had a nice and relaxing time. (the son-and-wife came, too.) we had good food, sightsaw (drove around the area), and played balderdash. company is always great when there's laughter and good feelings.
on another note -- MOS is headed to oklahoma city this week as part of his job. they've got a project down there and he'll be spending a lot of time at that location this spring and summer. it's been 10 years (TEN years) since he was last in okc -- it'll be interesting to note what kind of changes he sees.
right now it's peaceful and quiet with -- Superstar playing Apres Le Mans
while i'm feeling -- peaceful and sleepy...
*sleepy?? it's the middle of the day!!*
on another note -- MOS is headed to oklahoma city this week as part of his job. they've got a project down there and he'll be spending a lot of time at that location this spring and summer. it's been 10 years (TEN years) since he was last in okc -- it'll be interesting to note what kind of changes he sees.
right now it's peaceful and quiet with -- Superstar playing Apres Le Mans
while i'm feeling -- peaceful and sleepy...
*sleepy?? it's the middle of the day!!*
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
ho hum, just another day in jail ...
well, that's sorta what it felt like, anyhow. i went over the border to the closest costco, bought a few things, then came back. i've gone back and forth over the border probably 20+ times in the last 16 months. i've got a passport and there's usually no problem.
today the border officer said, "you've been selected for random checking, please pull into the parking space ahead." so i, having done nothing wrong, cheerfully said, "okay," pulled into the slot, zipped up the windows, got out, locked the car, and walked toward the building's door, wondering what-all the deal was. before i had gone 15 feet, however, the car alarm went off (i must have inadvertently touched the 'alarm' button on the keychain) so i had to mess with that and finally got the alarm to be quiet, apologized to the guards and went inside.
it was about 4:45 pm and the last customer was leaving as i approached the counter. me on one side and 9 or 10 officers scattered around on the other side -- haha, no problem. the fellow (officer 1) who took my passport handed me a piece of paper to fill out. the first question was, "what is your family name?" hmm ... i was stumped. i mean, i know what MY name is, but were they wanting my family's name which usually means my husband's last name, or did they want my last name, which is hyphenated, and if so why did they call it a family name? several minutes later (don't laugh), i put my name down and went on with the other items.
i got done, then waited for officer 1 to get done talking with the officer beside him (officer 2) -- they were discussing a gal who had tried to come into the country today who didn't have a job, blahblah and whatever else -- and when he finally finished that not-pressing bit of chit-chat, i handed the paperwork to him. i pointed out that i hadn't written down the passport number in the space provided (since he had the passport) and it would need to be added.
he told me he would need the keys so he could check the car and wanted to know if there was anything i wanted to tell him, anything i had left out, or if i wanted to change my story before he went out to the car. mainly i was standing there in disbelief, wondering if i'd somehow accidently left a gun in the car or even a hit of heroin (like, i'm a user ... as if, dude) or even if, perhaps, i'd stumbled into the twilight zone, but mostly the predominate emotion was a sense of being on the edge of uncontrollable maniacal laughter.
so mr. grumpy, excuse me, i mean officer 1 went on out to my car, i sat down, and officer 2 (the ole' good-cop, bad-cop routine) started pleasantly talking to me about costco, the weather, etc. finally officer 1 came back in, handed me my keys with an air of disappointment, and i left.
free ... praise the lord, i was free at last. whew! i didn't even have a reason to feel relief but that cockiness was there just the same. haha, what does that say about me?!
much later i'm feeling --
sleepy
so i'm going to bed after i listen to -- Delerium playing Underwater
today the border officer said, "you've been selected for random checking, please pull into the parking space ahead." so i, having done nothing wrong, cheerfully said, "okay," pulled into the slot, zipped up the windows, got out, locked the car, and walked toward the building's door, wondering what-all the deal was. before i had gone 15 feet, however, the car alarm went off (i must have inadvertently touched the 'alarm' button on the keychain) so i had to mess with that and finally got the alarm to be quiet, apologized to the guards and went inside.
it was about 4:45 pm and the last customer was leaving as i approached the counter. me on one side and 9 or 10 officers scattered around on the other side -- haha, no problem. the fellow (officer 1) who took my passport handed me a piece of paper to fill out. the first question was, "what is your family name?" hmm ... i was stumped. i mean, i know what MY name is, but were they wanting my family's name which usually means my husband's last name, or did they want my last name, which is hyphenated, and if so why did they call it a family name? several minutes later (don't laugh), i put my name down and went on with the other items.
i got done, then waited for officer 1 to get done talking with the officer beside him (officer 2) -- they were discussing a gal who had tried to come into the country today who didn't have a job, blahblah and whatever else -- and when he finally finished that not-pressing bit of chit-chat, i handed the paperwork to him. i pointed out that i hadn't written down the passport number in the space provided (since he had the passport) and it would need to be added.
he told me he would need the keys so he could check the car and wanted to know if there was anything i wanted to tell him, anything i had left out, or if i wanted to change my story before he went out to the car. mainly i was standing there in disbelief, wondering if i'd somehow accidently left a gun in the car or even a hit of heroin (like, i'm a user ... as if, dude) or even if, perhaps, i'd stumbled into the twilight zone, but mostly the predominate emotion was a sense of being on the edge of uncontrollable maniacal laughter.
so mr. grumpy, excuse me, i mean officer 1 went on out to my car, i sat down, and officer 2 (the ole' good-cop, bad-cop routine) started pleasantly talking to me about costco, the weather, etc. finally officer 1 came back in, handed me my keys with an air of disappointment, and i left.
free ... praise the lord, i was free at last. whew! i didn't even have a reason to feel relief but that cockiness was there just the same. haha, what does that say about me?!
much later i'm feeling --
sleepyso i'm going to bed after i listen to -- Delerium playing Underwater
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
wonderful news!
just a quick note before bedtime -- husband's oldest son (a real sweetheart) is getting married in april! the gal is someone he met online and she is a sweetie-pie! they are going to make a great couple and we are all very, very happy for them.
she is from argentina and has a law degree, is fluent in english and spanish, and will have no trouble getting work in phoenix.
my only regret is that they don't live just down the street -- they are wonderful people!!!
i feel --
very happy
and i love listening to -- Chilling Matenda playing Need You
she is from argentina and has a law degree, is fluent in english and spanish, and will have no trouble getting work in phoenix.
my only regret is that they don't live just down the street -- they are wonderful people!!!
i feel --
very happyand i love listening to -- Chilling Matenda playing Need You
Sunday, February 12, 2006
i have been getting soooo smart! it all started a couple of days ago when livejournal administrators decided they wanted to offer their bloggers the chance to buy virtual flowers or a virtual box of candy to send to another lj blogger for valentine's day. the cost was $1 and up, but the graphics were absolutely terrible so ... uh, whyyyy should we?
by the time i saw the post, there had been more than 300 comments made in response. i read all of them -- with most of the people saying why would we do that or your graphics are terrible or fix the problems first and other people saying how cute. then i added my own comment, "and we can use virtual money, right?" (i use lj occasionally.)
later in the day i got a notice of a comment to my comment, so i checked out the site which had gone from 4 pages of comments to 15 -- over 1100 remarks! (and now there are 1445 remarks in more than 18 pages.) let me share the comments that people made in response to mine:
administrator's post entitled Corniest Feature EVAR --
me: and we can use virtual money, right?
rightforyou: LMAO. Love it.
glowing dragon: Haha, I wish!
artsyfanson97: BEST COMMENT. YOU WIN.
artfuldodger: I think we should be able to use francs <[crossed out] franks (an inside joke)
impish nymph: You own.
liliths nymph: :D
lovelie cake: You = teh shit.
uhhh, i own? i the shit?? ww-what? so i e-d My Youngest Son and he saved the day, as follows:
when i asked about you own, he said, "Hahaha -- they meant "you own" as in "Ooooo! That guy totally got owned!" -- or, in leet-speak, "That guy totally got pwn3d!" -- meaning, in other words, you made a comment which was so good that you clearly won the argument. (The 'got owned' sense of course would be describing someone who clearly lost the argument.)"
~and~
when i later said, "??? i = the shit ??? is that bad? is she dissing me?", he replied, "No, that's a compliment, too. Search for "the shit" either here (http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/hiphop/slang.htm) or here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_slang). I got to both sites by doing a Google search for slang "the shit". I also suspect her use of "teh" was intentional for aforementioned reasons.
Peace out"
so, my peeps, that zerg rush, kekeke, pwned m3 bu+ mj n(_) 1337 sk1iiz w1ii buj m3 4 can of pwn4ge!!!11!eleventyone!!1!!! w00t
i feel --
tickled
and i'm enjoying Digital Analog Band playing Dream On
by the time i saw the post, there had been more than 300 comments made in response. i read all of them -- with most of the people saying why would we do that or your graphics are terrible or fix the problems first and other people saying how cute. then i added my own comment, "and we can use virtual money, right?" (i use lj occasionally.)
later in the day i got a notice of a comment to my comment, so i checked out the site which had gone from 4 pages of comments to 15 -- over 1100 remarks! (and now there are 1445 remarks in more than 18 pages.) let me share the comments that people made in response to mine:
administrator's post entitled Corniest Feature EVAR --
me: and we can use virtual money, right?
rightforyou: LMAO. Love it.
glowing dragon: Haha, I wish!
artsyfanson97: BEST COMMENT. YOU WIN.
artfuldodger: I think we should be able to use francs <[crossed out] franks (an inside joke)
impish nymph: You own.
liliths nymph: :D
lovelie cake: You = teh shit.
uhhh, i own? i the shit?? ww-what? so i e-d My Youngest Son and he saved the day, as follows:
when i asked about you own, he said, "Hahaha -- they meant "you own" as in "Ooooo! That guy totally got owned!" -- or, in leet-speak, "That guy totally got pwn3d!" -- meaning, in other words, you made a comment which was so good that you clearly won the argument. (The 'got owned' sense of course would be describing someone who clearly lost the argument.)"
~and~
when i later said, "??? i = the shit ??? is that bad? is she dissing me?", he replied, "No, that's a compliment, too. Search for "the shit" either here (http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/hiphop/slang.htm) or here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hip_hop_slang). I got to both sites by doing a Google search for slang "the shit". I also suspect her use of "teh" was intentional for aforementioned reasons.
Peace out"
so, my peeps, that zerg rush, kekeke, pwned m3 bu+ mj n(_) 1337 sk1iiz w1ii buj m3 4 can of pwn4ge!!!11!eleventyone!!1!!! w00t
i feel --
tickledand i'm enjoying Digital Analog Band playing Dream On
doctor mommy
okay -- i have to put on my mommy hat now. in light of the fact that avian flu is waiting around the bend, we need to be smart in order to deal with it.
the deadly virus has now shown up for the first time in europe (italy and greece) and the middle east (turkey), making its inevitable trek to the americas. it still hasn't turned into a human-to-human transfer situation, but apparently that's coming.
1. go to http://pandemicflu.gov/planguide/checklist.html and read this info to familiarize yourself with the types of things you want to start keeping fully stocked in your house. kind of like when there are blizzardy-type conditions, you keep your tank filled no lower than 3/4 all the time. or i can e-mail you the doc file if you prefer.
2. go to http://pandemicflu.gov/planguide/familyhealthinfo.html for a brief form that you will fill out and keep in your wallet/purse. this actually should probably be on our persons at all times anyhow, but especially for you who travel a lot, or live far away from your parent's home.
prevention: wash your hands a lot; cover your mouth when you sneeze and stay away from people who don't; stay away from farms, zoos, and open-air markets; don't crawl on the ground, pick up bird droppings, or touch dead birds; stay home.
when you get this flu: you may have a sore throat, fever, and eye infection (conjunctivitis), and maybe a cough and muscle aches. then you will have lung problems, severe asthma problems, and pneumonia, possibly organ failure.
treatment: within two days you need to take Tamiflu or Relenza and those meds will be in short supply in the U.S.
so ... stock up and be vigilent. if you start to feel bad, be sure to call me and i will come take care of you!
i feel --
concerned
the deadly virus has now shown up for the first time in europe (italy and greece) and the middle east (turkey), making its inevitable trek to the americas. it still hasn't turned into a human-to-human transfer situation, but apparently that's coming.
1. go to http://pandemicflu.gov/planguide/checklist.html and read this info to familiarize yourself with the types of things you want to start keeping fully stocked in your house. kind of like when there are blizzardy-type conditions, you keep your tank filled no lower than 3/4 all the time. or i can e-mail you the doc file if you prefer.
2. go to http://pandemicflu.gov/planguide/familyhealthinfo.html for a brief form that you will fill out and keep in your wallet/purse. this actually should probably be on our persons at all times anyhow, but especially for you who travel a lot, or live far away from your parent's home.
prevention: wash your hands a lot; cover your mouth when you sneeze and stay away from people who don't; stay away from farms, zoos, and open-air markets; don't crawl on the ground, pick up bird droppings, or touch dead birds; stay home.
when you get this flu: you may have a sore throat, fever, and eye infection (conjunctivitis), and maybe a cough and muscle aches. then you will have lung problems, severe asthma problems, and pneumonia, possibly organ failure.
treatment: within two days you need to take Tamiflu or Relenza and those meds will be in short supply in the U.S.
so ... stock up and be vigilent. if you start to feel bad, be sure to call me and i will come take care of you!
i feel --
concerned
Amazon charges different people different prices for the same thing; RealPlayer messes with their customers; Netflix slows down service to you if you return movies in a timely manner; credit card companies penalize people for paying their cards off every month; Sony messes with their customers' computers. what is this? why are all these comp... wait, what? netflix does what??
yes, it's true -- if you are a good person who consistently returns your movies in a timely manner (e.g. for kindness, "let's get them back in the mail so the next person will be able to see them", or for excitement, "let's get these back so our next movies will be sent right out to us"), your strategy may be doing you harm.
check this out -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11262292/ -- if you return your movies faster than netflix allows, they will slow down your queue or even rearrange it to suit themselves. *those damned mba's are at it again*
i have reviewed my good feelings about netflix and decided they don't deserve my good will. henceforth i will simply view them as a means to an end -- not a decent entity which has my devoted loyalty.
Google, on the other hand, has shown us that it is classy, as well as in a class by itself. they have my loyalty -- at least, until they drop their ethics and start grubbing around with the bottomfeeders.
i feel --
disgusted
but i'll feel better by listening to The Egg playing Venice Beach
yes, it's true -- if you are a good person who consistently returns your movies in a timely manner (e.g. for kindness, "let's get them back in the mail so the next person will be able to see them", or for excitement, "let's get these back so our next movies will be sent right out to us"), your strategy may be doing you harm.
check this out -- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11262292/ -- if you return your movies faster than netflix allows, they will slow down your queue or even rearrange it to suit themselves. *those damned mba's are at it again*
i have reviewed my good feelings about netflix and decided they don't deserve my good will. henceforth i will simply view them as a means to an end -- not a decent entity which has my devoted loyalty.
Google, on the other hand, has shown us that it is classy, as well as in a class by itself. they have my loyalty -- at least, until they drop their ethics and start grubbing around with the bottomfeeders.
i feel --
disgustedbut i'll feel better by listening to The Egg playing Venice Beach
Saturday, February 11, 2006
oh never mind
well, i finally downloaded the Gregarius reader after i figured out the difference between a zip file and a gun zip file. ha! that took some doing ... after all, i'm not the quickest bird in the tree.
but, i got it downloaded, then had to decide whether to unzip it, update it, or create it. ha! what to do, what to do. so i opted to unzip it and then ... i had NO CLUE what to do next. i looked through all the unzipped files to see if there was something that said "Run" but no.
i finally found a file that said INSTALL so i clicked on it and a screen came up that said "Choose the program you want to use to open this file" -- ha! how the hell do i know. but then i remembered Notepad (it's very basic) and decided to try that and it worked! yay me! then i read what it said. ha!
"works fairly well with PHP5.0" ... "must support socket operations" ... "access to a MySQL or a SQLite" ... "unpack the Gregarius package inside your web directory" ... "create a configuration file" ... "returns a 500 internal server error" ... "command line" ...
hahahahaha ... what's a PHP, or a socket, or SQL? my web directory? hahaha. i'm supposed to know this stuff??? hahahahahaha ..... press delete when ready ... hahaha ...
i feel --
everything's fine
'cause i'm listening to -- Slosnik Luna playing Sun (Kossin Mix) -- Frostbyte Groove Lounge
but, i got it downloaded, then had to decide whether to unzip it, update it, or create it. ha! what to do, what to do. so i opted to unzip it and then ... i had NO CLUE what to do next. i looked through all the unzipped files to see if there was something that said "Run" but no.
i finally found a file that said INSTALL so i clicked on it and a screen came up that said "Choose the program you want to use to open this file" -- ha! how the hell do i know. but then i remembered Notepad (it's very basic) and decided to try that and it worked! yay me! then i read what it said. ha!
"works fairly well with PHP5.0" ... "must support socket operations" ... "access to a MySQL or a SQLite" ... "unpack the Gregarius package inside your web directory" ... "create a configuration file" ... "returns a 500 internal server error" ... "command line" ...
hahahahaha ... what's a PHP, or a socket, or SQL? my web directory? hahaha. i'm supposed to know this stuff??? hahahahahaha ..... press delete when ready ... hahaha ...
i feel --
everything's fine'cause i'm listening to -- Slosnik Luna playing Sun (Kossin Mix) -- Frostbyte Groove Lounge
Friday, February 10, 2006
what's the buzz ... tell me what's a happenin' ...
i've tried a number of times, over the last few days, to set it up so that interested parties would be notified when there was a new entry on this blog.
i tried google groups first, since that was suggested by the blog help section. several issues got wrestled with, but ultimately google groups was not the solution.
in the course of trying to use g-groups, i found out that i might be able to accomplish the mail-list thing within ms outlook. i can do it if i get a third e-mail address and i don't know if i want to bother, so i've talked myself into deciding not to let people know when i post -- they can find out if they are interested.
that said, My Younger Son suggested i might want to suggest to people they could do an rss reader thing if they really needed entry-by-entry notification. but i wanted to be a little bit educated if someone asked me about that arena, so i started checking around. after quite a bit of confusion and frustration, i checked with my wonderful computer guru, Greg Kissell, and he suggested i be careful and that if i really wanted to get a reader, that it would be good to check http://sourceforge.net first.
much, much later i have decided i might give Gregarius a try. no sense in not keeping up with the times, so if i dive right in i'll have to swim. rss/atom reader, here i come!
and while i'm at it, i think i'll get a site meter for the blog and see what that's all about, too!
wish me luck with my risks!
i feel --
(intimidated)
but i'll feel better by listening to -- Vilasido - Flow (FrostByte Groove Lounge)
i tried google groups first, since that was suggested by the blog help section. several issues got wrestled with, but ultimately google groups was not the solution.
in the course of trying to use g-groups, i found out that i might be able to accomplish the mail-list thing within ms outlook. i can do it if i get a third e-mail address and i don't know if i want to bother, so i've talked myself into deciding not to let people know when i post -- they can find out if they are interested.
that said, My Younger Son suggested i might want to suggest to people they could do an rss reader thing if they really needed entry-by-entry notification. but i wanted to be a little bit educated if someone asked me about that arena, so i started checking around. after quite a bit of confusion and frustration, i checked with my wonderful computer guru, Greg Kissell, and he suggested i be careful and that if i really wanted to get a reader, that it would be good to check http://sourceforge.net first.
much, much later i have decided i might give Gregarius a try. no sense in not keeping up with the times, so if i dive right in i'll have to swim. rss/atom reader, here i come!
and while i'm at it, i think i'll get a site meter for the blog and see what that's all about, too!
wish me luck with my risks!
i feel --
(intimidated)but i'll feel better by listening to -- Vilasido - Flow (FrostByte Groove Lounge)
more books
i had a nice surprise yesterday -- one of our neighbors does cleaning for people and one of her clients writes books. our neighbor, isabel, gave me five of this gal's books! and one of them is an uncorrected proof -- how fun! i started reading the proof and am really intrigued by it so i look forward to the other four. what a nice gesture -- thank you isabel!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Dinner Drinks
It wasn’t working -- the dinner audience hadn’t laughed at any of his jokes except the one about his ditzy neighbor and you’d have to be dead not to laugh at her. And speaking about dead ... I’ve lost my touch. It’s time to bring down the curtain.
He finished his routine and went off the stage, down the stairs in the back, along the side of the crowd, and straight up to the bar. “Hey Tommy,” said the bartender. “The usual?”
“Yeah, Mac,” said Tommy, sitting down, “no sense in pouring good money after bad.” He wanted to laugh, but even he didn’t think his jokes were funny anymore. Mac brought his drink, and Tommy turned so that he could see the audience. How could they be having such a good time when his life was the pits?
Several people were dancing, but most of the crowd were having dinner and drinks. The orchestra was playing some slow jazz number, and Tommy wished he had a dame he could cuddle up with and do the quiet-move-to-the-soft-song thing.
He sucked on his drink and watched the maitre d’ escort a young couple to their table. He tried to remember, later, how the whole thing happened. To start with, the couple had lagged behind just a bit, with the woman saying something over her shoulder to the man. When she looked back around, she accidentally collided with a waiter who was taking two beers and a bowl of shelled, hard-boiled eggs to another table.
The waiter rescued both beers, but the three eggs went slow-motion flying -- one of them falling into the open, laughing mouth of a young gentleman with a Grecian nose and dark hair. The sudden cessation of breath caused him to jerk upright and start coughing which ejected the egg onto the tie of one of his companions, where it promptly swanned back toward the table and into a bowl of garlic mashed potatoes, thereby disgusting their fellow tablemates.
The second egg landed in a full champagne glass, gaily displacing the bubbly liquid all over the hair and face of the here-to-fore perfectly arranged, but now supremely startled, blonde who held the glass to her lips. Her escort heroically produced the requisite handkerchief without moving a single facial muscle.
And the third egg -- it soared expertly through a perfect arc to plunge into the deeply revealing bosom of an operatic-looking matron where it deftly slithered from one precipitous crevice to another as several gentlemen, trying to assist the lady in need, made gallant grabs for the slippery, slimy ball ... much to the lady’s mortification.
After several minutes of total pandemonium, things finally started to quiet down and Tommy tossed down the last of his drink. He arose, chuckling, and started for the door as Mac called out, “So long, Tommy, see ya tomorrow.”
“Sure, Mac,” Tommy said, still chuckling. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
He finished his routine and went off the stage, down the stairs in the back, along the side of the crowd, and straight up to the bar. “Hey Tommy,” said the bartender. “The usual?”
“Yeah, Mac,” said Tommy, sitting down, “no sense in pouring good money after bad.” He wanted to laugh, but even he didn’t think his jokes were funny anymore. Mac brought his drink, and Tommy turned so that he could see the audience. How could they be having such a good time when his life was the pits?
Several people were dancing, but most of the crowd were having dinner and drinks. The orchestra was playing some slow jazz number, and Tommy wished he had a dame he could cuddle up with and do the quiet-move-to-the-soft-song thing.
He sucked on his drink and watched the maitre d’ escort a young couple to their table. He tried to remember, later, how the whole thing happened. To start with, the couple had lagged behind just a bit, with the woman saying something over her shoulder to the man. When she looked back around, she accidentally collided with a waiter who was taking two beers and a bowl of shelled, hard-boiled eggs to another table.
The waiter rescued both beers, but the three eggs went slow-motion flying -- one of them falling into the open, laughing mouth of a young gentleman with a Grecian nose and dark hair. The sudden cessation of breath caused him to jerk upright and start coughing which ejected the egg onto the tie of one of his companions, where it promptly swanned back toward the table and into a bowl of garlic mashed potatoes, thereby disgusting their fellow tablemates.
The second egg landed in a full champagne glass, gaily displacing the bubbly liquid all over the hair and face of the here-to-fore perfectly arranged, but now supremely startled, blonde who held the glass to her lips. Her escort heroically produced the requisite handkerchief without moving a single facial muscle.
And the third egg -- it soared expertly through a perfect arc to plunge into the deeply revealing bosom of an operatic-looking matron where it deftly slithered from one precipitous crevice to another as several gentlemen, trying to assist the lady in need, made gallant grabs for the slippery, slimy ball ... much to the lady’s mortification.
After several minutes of total pandemonium, things finally started to quiet down and Tommy tossed down the last of his drink. He arose, chuckling, and started for the door as Mac called out, “So long, Tommy, see ya tomorrow.”
“Sure, Mac,” Tommy said, still chuckling. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Saturday, February 04, 2006
The Crowd
There was always a crowd and he loved it that way. Clean air, deep blue skies, play all day, sleep all night -- there was nothing like it in the whole world.
He’d had a girlfriend, but one day she was gone, just like that. Well, it wasn’t going to be permanent anyhow, so he didn’t spend time missing her.
Come on, come on -- the gang was heading out and he didn’t want to be left behind. It was a gorgeous day to be alive, so he slipped and slid as he made his way to their destination -- a beautiful blue expanse of water to dive in, splash in, play in. When they arrived, they raced each other to see who could make it in first.
It was glorious and carefree and they spent weeks playing in the area -- adults as well as older kids. All of that wonderful, warm sunshine was just perfect.
Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise and an echoing boom that reverberated around and around. What’s happening? He didn’t understand, but part of the group quickly headed one way and took safety on the platform, and part of the group headed over to the main beach area.
He joined the group huddling on the platform. Most of his buddies had headed over to the main area and he watched to see they were all safe. Soon he realized the platform was moving. I wonder if that’s bad, he thought.
After awhile he decided he didn’t want to be so far from his friends and was worried since the distance between them was growing greater. He started to dive in the water and swim to the other group, but he heard several adults talking about seeing danger in the water. He looked around and sure enough -- predators were lurking down there. This doesn’t look good, he thought.
The next day, he was even farther from his friends and was desperate about getting back. There was still danger in the water though. He would wait.
The platform, a small iceberg, floated out to sea and, eventually, all the penguins were lost.
(True story, altered with poetic license -- http://simonc.f2o.org/south/archives/000145.php )
He’d had a girlfriend, but one day she was gone, just like that. Well, it wasn’t going to be permanent anyhow, so he didn’t spend time missing her.
Come on, come on -- the gang was heading out and he didn’t want to be left behind. It was a gorgeous day to be alive, so he slipped and slid as he made his way to their destination -- a beautiful blue expanse of water to dive in, splash in, play in. When they arrived, they raced each other to see who could make it in first.
It was glorious and carefree and they spent weeks playing in the area -- adults as well as older kids. All of that wonderful, warm sunshine was just perfect.
Suddenly there was a loud cracking noise and an echoing boom that reverberated around and around. What’s happening? He didn’t understand, but part of the group quickly headed one way and took safety on the platform, and part of the group headed over to the main beach area.
He joined the group huddling on the platform. Most of his buddies had headed over to the main area and he watched to see they were all safe. Soon he realized the platform was moving. I wonder if that’s bad, he thought.
After awhile he decided he didn’t want to be so far from his friends and was worried since the distance between them was growing greater. He started to dive in the water and swim to the other group, but he heard several adults talking about seeing danger in the water. He looked around and sure enough -- predators were lurking down there. This doesn’t look good, he thought.
The next day, he was even farther from his friends and was desperate about getting back. There was still danger in the water though. He would wait.
The platform, a small iceberg, floated out to sea and, eventually, all the penguins were lost.
(True story, altered with poetic license -- http://simonc.f2o.org/south/archives/000145.php )
Thursday, February 02, 2006
The Lights
She was looking at the stars when the green lights started. It was just a little flicker at first, then another, then a continuous flow of color. It was scary and unlike anything she had ever seen before.
"Unga, unga," she shouted as she fled to her mother.
"Wha, wha," said the mother as she tried to understand why the girl was frightened.
Hesitantly, the girl pulled her mother to the mouth of the cave and pointed upward, then hid behind her, whimpering. "Ahhhh," nodded the mother as she withdrew into the back of the cave. "Kee, kee, kee." They spent the rest of the night huddled together, holding each other tightly.
The next morning her fathers came. She tried to tell them about the strange lights, but they wouldn't listen. "Bwah," boomed the tall father as he shoved her aside. She crept back to her mother.
Many, many seasons passed and the girl watched. She learned how to catch fish and which berries to pick. She learned how to make a weapon and how to start a fire. She learned the best places to hide and the quickest way to climb to the top of the cliff. She became big, brave and strong, and accomplished many things.
Then one night the green lights came again. And she was frightened.
"Unga, unga," she shouted as she fled to her mother.
"Wha, wha," said the mother as she tried to understand why the girl was frightened.
Hesitantly, the girl pulled her mother to the mouth of the cave and pointed upward, then hid behind her, whimpering. "Ahhhh," nodded the mother as she withdrew into the back of the cave. "Kee, kee, kee." They spent the rest of the night huddled together, holding each other tightly.
The next morning her fathers came. She tried to tell them about the strange lights, but they wouldn't listen. "Bwah," boomed the tall father as he shoved her aside. She crept back to her mother.
Many, many seasons passed and the girl watched. She learned how to catch fish and which berries to pick. She learned how to make a weapon and how to start a fire. She learned the best places to hide and the quickest way to climb to the top of the cliff. She became big, brave and strong, and accomplished many things.
Then one night the green lights came again. And she was frightened.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
always something
notice to everyone: you know caller ID -- the way we could tell who was calling and whether we wanted to pick up the phone or not?
well, apparently the bad guys have the technology to put whatever name/number they want to use onto your caller ID. the readout can show the federal government, your bank, the police, whoever.
keep that in mind the next time someone, that you don't know personally, calls and tells you or asks you important things. i.e., your son has been in an accident, you need to go to the hospital (and when you leave, they steal your household furnishings).
sheesh ...
well, apparently the bad guys have the technology to put whatever name/number they want to use onto your caller ID. the readout can show the federal government, your bank, the police, whoever.
keep that in mind the next time someone, that you don't know personally, calls and tells you or asks you important things. i.e., your son has been in an accident, you need to go to the hospital (and when you leave, they steal your household furnishings).
sheesh ...
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