it's interesting, the disparate information you can get in the news. for example california is worried about whether or not to insist men wear rubbers when performing in an adult movie. and now health experts have decided being outdoors can increase your mental health. at the same time, that huge mess down in the Gulf is noted as a 'grave scenario' (do they notice the play on words?).
disparate and yet .... no brainers. i mean, come on. use some common sense, get pro-active, and do what you need to do without fussing.
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
let's keep the focus
so .... a radical u.s. muslim group obliquely threatens to murder a couple of tv producers for making religious references the group doesn't like and the network backs off? cuts the 'offensive' material?
what country are we in, again? did they change something recently, like, you can have free speech as long as you don't insult muslims?
i don't watch this show and have always felt i would be offended by it. but a group saying the show should not say what it's going to say or they will come to a bad end? nah -- i can't go along with that. and the network caving in just gives them power. bad precedent.
a temper-tantrum is one thing, but threats of murder is terrorism. terrorism is unacceptable and if these people don't like the way we do things in this country, guess what.
what country are we in, again? did they change something recently, like, you can have free speech as long as you don't insult muslims?
i don't watch this show and have always felt i would be offended by it. but a group saying the show should not say what it's going to say or they will come to a bad end? nah -- i can't go along with that. and the network caving in just gives them power. bad precedent.
a temper-tantrum is one thing, but threats of murder is terrorism. terrorism is unacceptable and if these people don't like the way we do things in this country, guess what.
just don't breathe ...
there seems to be a really bad fungus on the loose in oregon. in this section of the world, it appears to have started on vancouver island, then spread to washington and oregon. the recent strain has killed 25% of its victims. there's no vaccine for it and it can take years of treatment to cure you once you get it. people can get it as well as animals. the supposition is that global warming has contributed to its appearance. just yuck!
Monday, April 19, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
we can't really know
mel gibson. i mean i've always enjoyed his films -- i haven't seen his recent ones though. but, really, what is he doing? he's catholic and had a sturdy relationship with his wife of x-years and they had seven kids, then he splits and holes up with a pianist and they have a child. you just have to wonder what people are thinking sometimes. and this picture, which makes him look tired and worn out, was taken when he was 54, i believe. i know, i know, a person shouldn't be judgemental, so okay, i won't say anymore.
surely the sky is falling ...
we're going to have ads on our cell phones? oh gees, tell me that's not true.
apparently we are going to be able to sign up for ads (ohmygod, how times have changed). and one of the tricks is to make the ads in such a way that they don't appear to be ads (clever bastards).
currently, the evil perpetrator of this scheme is alcatel lucent. their marketing director says, "On a global scale, our research showed that end users were interested in a service like this -- especially if it is based around their interests and they can edit their profiles, then they are willing to participate."
they've been successful in europe with this plan. but i just have to shake my head and wonder what the world is coming to. it's just sick. i mean, i can remember in the past there have been some cute ads, like ..... well, no i can't remember any, but i think there were some. but gees, to ask to voluntarily have ads come at you. makes me wonder if, at some point, we will become people incapable of original thought.
apparently we are going to be able to sign up for ads (ohmygod, how times have changed). and one of the tricks is to make the ads in such a way that they don't appear to be ads (clever bastards).
currently, the evil perpetrator of this scheme is alcatel lucent. their marketing director says, "On a global scale, our research showed that end users were interested in a service like this -- especially if it is based around their interests and they can edit their profiles, then they are willing to participate."
they've been successful in europe with this plan. but i just have to shake my head and wonder what the world is coming to. it's just sick. i mean, i can remember in the past there have been some cute ads, like ..... well, no i can't remember any, but i think there were some. but gees, to ask to voluntarily have ads come at you. makes me wonder if, at some point, we will become people incapable of original thought.
uh, oh ....
and speaking of tornadoes .... i had a dream a number of nights ago about tornadoes.
i was in the living room of a house against a hill, with a couple of people, and we heard a loud, long-lasting siren going off outside. i asked what it was and someone casually said it was a tornado alert. no one seemed concerned and i asked if we shouldn't take cover. they talked about going into various closets and i said i was probably going to go down in the basement. i decided to look outside and saw a HUGE rotating cloud, on the ground, just a little ways away. it was like a gigantic round barn and had to have been two miles across. i was fascinated and wondered where my camera was. then i remembered i could take a picture with my cell phone, even if i could never get the picture off the phone. so i opened the glass door of the glassed-in porch i was standing in and leaned out with my phone to take the pix. right about that time a house came flying out of the sky and slammed to the ground, sliding right down the street. i thought maybe it was time for me to take cover, so as i turned to close the glass door and get back into the room-with-three-walls-of-glass (which was standing by itself in a flat, quasi-business area), i saw a second tornado about 2 blocks away headed straight in my direction. fortunately for me, the fourth wall of the room had a closet with sliding doors, so i got in the closet, stopping only to pull the dresser against my side of the closet, and closed the door. then i scrunched down and woke up.
i was in the living room of a house against a hill, with a couple of people, and we heard a loud, long-lasting siren going off outside. i asked what it was and someone casually said it was a tornado alert. no one seemed concerned and i asked if we shouldn't take cover. they talked about going into various closets and i said i was probably going to go down in the basement. i decided to look outside and saw a HUGE rotating cloud, on the ground, just a little ways away. it was like a gigantic round barn and had to have been two miles across. i was fascinated and wondered where my camera was. then i remembered i could take a picture with my cell phone, even if i could never get the picture off the phone. so i opened the glass door of the glassed-in porch i was standing in and leaned out with my phone to take the pix. right about that time a house came flying out of the sky and slammed to the ground, sliding right down the street. i thought maybe it was time for me to take cover, so as i turned to close the glass door and get back into the room-with-three-walls-of-glass (which was standing by itself in a flat, quasi-business area), i saw a second tornado about 2 blocks away headed straight in my direction. fortunately for me, the fourth wall of the room had a closet with sliding doors, so i got in the closet, stopping only to pull the dresser against my side of the closet, and closed the door. then i scrunched down and woke up.
tornadoes
i read a little blurb about storm chasers, a subject i thought was entertainingly done in Twister. this blurb was entertaining, too, the paragraphs being entitled 'get in its path', 'unpimp your ride', and 'try not to die'. :)
heading on out ...
life just keeps bouncing right along. the grandson is four months old now. the grandaughter is two and a half years old. MYS is probably going to defend his thesis in july and we will be going to observe and cheer.MOS is going to start flying again, one of these days, for a job they're certifying. i just can't remember what state it's in. the husband keeps coming up with innovative and helpful ideas at his volunteer job (is he excellent or what). and my job continues to be challenging and full of new things.
no stasis here. and sometimes there's not much down-time. but keeping busy and active keeps your brain dusted and that's always a good thing.
no stasis here. and sometimes there's not much down-time. but keeping busy and active keeps your brain dusted and that's always a good thing.
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
wheeee
personal rapid transit -- that sounds like a great concept! and, in fact, it's an actuality in morgantown west virginia! and, in fact, it was put together in the 70's! that is so cool!
doesn't disneyland have this kind of thing, too? but not too many other places in the u.s. have put something like this together.
i wonder if seattle looked into it at any point along the way of spending millions of dollars on their transit woes.
indianapolis has an overhead rail system which goes from the medical center downtown at Purdue and connects to a hospital a mile or so away. i wanted to check it out when i was there last year, but i was sick the whole time. (!) if you look on google maps you can see there are a huge bunch of hospitals, cancer facilities, and medical centers within an eight square block area of the university. gees, if i get really sick, take me there!
but back to transit, this is the concept i really like -- small and personal. let's do it!!
doesn't disneyland have this kind of thing, too? but not too many other places in the u.s. have put something like this together.
i wonder if seattle looked into it at any point along the way of spending millions of dollars on their transit woes.
indianapolis has an overhead rail system which goes from the medical center downtown at Purdue and connects to a hospital a mile or so away. i wanted to check it out when i was there last year, but i was sick the whole time. (!) if you look on google maps you can see there are a huge bunch of hospitals, cancer facilities, and medical centers within an eight square block area of the university. gees, if i get really sick, take me there!
but back to transit, this is the concept i really like -- small and personal. let's do it!!
blast-off! sometime.
i knew there was going to be a space port built down in southern new mexico, but i hadn't heard about the one by el paso. the Blue Origin people seem to want to keep everything a secret, too.
they have their home base in kent wa, but the space port is in texas. kinda far away, but then, it's not all that flat around seattle. i wonder why they didn't try to put something together in the middle of the state -- central and eastern wa is pretty darned flat.
maybe it's cheaper in texas. at any rate, it will be interesting to see things develop since nasa is having to downsize its dreams.
the people in kent are looking for young, enthusiastic, talented people, so if you feel the urge to look to the skies, send in your resume.
they have their home base in kent wa, but the space port is in texas. kinda far away, but then, it's not all that flat around seattle. i wonder why they didn't try to put something together in the middle of the state -- central and eastern wa is pretty darned flat.
maybe it's cheaper in texas. at any rate, it will be interesting to see things develop since nasa is having to downsize its dreams.
the people in kent are looking for young, enthusiastic, talented people, so if you feel the urge to look to the skies, send in your resume.
blast-off! sort of.
going to mars sound way cool, but it's not easy. it would take more than a year and a half to fly to mars, spend a month, then fly back.
could you do it? live in a tiny space without going outside for a walk, unable to open a window, not really able to get away from everyone else?
when you think about it, i'm not sure i could do it. i mean, i've always imagined myself the big adventurer, come on, let's find some aliens and take a ride, but .... if you have to be practical, i'm not sure i've got the right stuff.
six people are going to simulate that trip, to see what kinds of hardships show up. and americans don't seem to be invited. it will be russians, chinese, and europeans.
oh well. i guess my thought is they need to hang lots of mirrors to make the space seem expanded.
could you do it? live in a tiny space without going outside for a walk, unable to open a window, not really able to get away from everyone else?
when you think about it, i'm not sure i could do it. i mean, i've always imagined myself the big adventurer, come on, let's find some aliens and take a ride, but .... if you have to be practical, i'm not sure i've got the right stuff.
six people are going to simulate that trip, to see what kinds of hardships show up. and americans don't seem to be invited. it will be russians, chinese, and europeans.
oh well. i guess my thought is they need to hang lots of mirrors to make the space seem expanded.
to be in nature...
doesn't this look like the northern black hills? that's what we thought too, but it's the jemez mountains in northern new mexico. i was shocked. it's pretty high altitude down there -- around 7,000 to 10,000 feet.
i found the picture on WunderPhotos and it was taken by srlee who does a nice job of taking pix.
the bad guys
*ahem* just in case there's the possibility you have not invested in computer protection, you may want to read this. we've had norton for x-years and have been real happy with the protection. renewing the yearly contract has been interesting at times, but i don't know any reason to discard norton for another.
the bad guys are getting more creative every day, so suit up and stay ahead of things the best you can.
the bad guys are getting more creative every day, so suit up and stay ahead of things the best you can.
i want one, but
have you seen the info about nissan's land glider? it's pretty interesting. check out both videos on that page. i was all set to see about ordering one when i read they aren't in production. and might never be. but they may be farther along than nissan's pivo 2 which i would order without hesitation.
and then there's the smart fort wo which is already ... what? oh. there's the smart for two which is already out. one of the guy's at work has one and i think they're totally cool.
still, that pivo 2 would be majorly cool. and the land glider? awwwwesome!
and then there's the smart fort wo which is already ... what? oh. there's the smart for two which is already out. one of the guy's at work has one and i think they're totally cool.
still, that pivo 2 would be majorly cool. and the land glider? awwwwesome!
gongkk ... uhnook .... mmmiperff !
don't you always wonder about people from long ago? if i see a pretty sunset or if the weather is terrible or if there's something going on to trigger it, i start thinking about what the people were like back 5,000 years ago. and 10,000. and 30,000.
i don't have enough imagination to come up with any thoughts about life back then. were the people just as jolly, hateful, loving, greedy, curious, jealous, artistic, worrying, clever, or superstitious as they can be today? did they work together better? were old people taken care of? and how old was 'old'?
we have to assume from the findings we make, but all too often our suppositions need to be corrected or updated at a point on down the road, as this article shows. boy oh boy, i just wish i had that invisible bubble .....
i don't have enough imagination to come up with any thoughts about life back then. were the people just as jolly, hateful, loving, greedy, curious, jealous, artistic, worrying, clever, or superstitious as they can be today? did they work together better? were old people taken care of? and how old was 'old'?
we have to assume from the findings we make, but all too often our suppositions need to be corrected or updated at a point on down the road, as this article shows. boy oh boy, i just wish i had that invisible bubble .....
the world at your fingertips
this study, that study .... it seems there's always some tidbit out there on the internet.
it's adviseable to eat a little bit of dark chocolate every day. we knew that.
it's adviseable to not kiss your kids on the mouth so you won't give them cavities. oh, the horror...
i've never been quite happy with facebook and i keep reading where they keep tweaking their stuff. i don't have time to check in again and again to make sure i've got my info safe-guarded, so i'm this close *ll* to just closing up shop. yes, it has allowed me to get e-mails from relatives and friends, but, no. i'm just not impressed with facebook. must be an age-related thing. and their options if you die? good grief!
it's adviseable to eat a little bit of dark chocolate every day. we knew that.
it's adviseable to not kiss your kids on the mouth so you won't give them cavities. oh, the horror...
i've never been quite happy with facebook and i keep reading where they keep tweaking their stuff. i don't have time to check in again and again to make sure i've got my info safe-guarded, so i'm this close *ll* to just closing up shop. yes, it has allowed me to get e-mails from relatives and friends, but, no. i'm just not impressed with facebook. must be an age-related thing. and their options if you die? good grief!
Thursday, April 01, 2010
i left my heart ....
this is amazing. it took years for this guy to make this toothpick sculpture. it is very cool!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
let's see ....
i don't really try to keep up with news -- i don't watch tv and don't listen to the radio. i get a quick daily review of top headlines online, but don't read all of their stories. i get the really important stuff from the husband.
what i DO like to do is look at picture gallerys. there's a scottish one i think is really neat -- great pictures taken by the public. first go here, then scroll down and click on Your Pictures. when that page comes up, scroll down to the right-hand side-bar and select which week you want to look at. some of the pictures are whimsical, but others are stunningly beautiful.
yesterday i discovered this gallery of pictures from outer space. i'll let you enjoy looking through them. my favorites were number 1, 13, and 18. particularly number 1. and number 13. and number 18.
enjoy.
what i DO like to do is look at picture gallerys. there's a scottish one i think is really neat -- great pictures taken by the public. first go here, then scroll down and click on Your Pictures. when that page comes up, scroll down to the right-hand side-bar and select which week you want to look at. some of the pictures are whimsical, but others are stunningly beautiful.
yesterday i discovered this gallery of pictures from outer space. i'll let you enjoy looking through them. my favorites were number 1, 13, and 18. particularly number 1. and number 13. and number 18.
enjoy.
Friday, March 26, 2010
not 'flight of the dragons'
have you heard about the new movie, 'how to train your dragon'? it looks pretty cute. go here to read about it and watch a clip.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
hoo hoo, loo loo ....
from 40,000 years ago back to between 800,000 and 900,000 years ago a new breed of people migrated from africa to the siberian area. apparently this breed has not been typed before.
it's really interesting they can come up with information from a piece of a child's finger bone. but all that info aside, what i really wonder about is what was it like to live back then? did they live together in groups? did they have some kind of language? did they have humor? artistry? concepts? traditions? empathy?
that's when i wish i could go back in an invisible time-machine bubble so i could observe. i'll bet there were an awful lot of things which would make me cringe. i just wonder what would make me smile.
it's really interesting they can come up with information from a piece of a child's finger bone. but all that info aside, what i really wonder about is what was it like to live back then? did they live together in groups? did they have some kind of language? did they have humor? artistry? concepts? traditions? empathy?
that's when i wish i could go back in an invisible time-machine bubble so i could observe. i'll bet there were an awful lot of things which would make me cringe. i just wonder what would make me smile.
done in china
remember last september when i posted about an experience i had when i clicked on a website which had not received the green checkmark of approval from google?
i read this article today which seemed to be the same type of thing and it's called scareware. it's an interesting article. and it looks like the scam may have originated in china. now, google knows all about scammers and hackers from china, and i'm thinking 'why should i support anything which has to do with china'? their government tries to use us and our technologies. why would anyone want to do business there??
i've been watching and trying to not buy things made in china, no matter who the parent company is. and now i'm going to try harder.
i read this article today which seemed to be the same type of thing and it's called scareware. it's an interesting article. and it looks like the scam may have originated in china. now, google knows all about scammers and hackers from china, and i'm thinking 'why should i support anything which has to do with china'? their government tries to use us and our technologies. why would anyone want to do business there??
i've been watching and trying to not buy things made in china, no matter who the parent company is. and now i'm going to try harder.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
not a movie
mexico seems to be running amok. it would never be one of my destinations since i don't care for hot weather, but lately there seems to have been an increase in mayhem. in fact, a whole bunch of high-level people are going down there to discuss things, including clinton, napolitano, and gates. i can't imagine they will make any headway with things, but i wish them luck, especially since i have friends who enjoy goin' south. read about the high-powered trip, here.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
snip, snip
i got my hair cut today. the significance of that statement is that it's been about 17 years since someone besides myself has cut my hair. have i let it grow long? have i had training cutting hair? am i good at cutting hair? no, no, and no. but, i'd gotten fed up with trying to find someone who could cut it well, so i'd taken to doing it myself.
for a number of years it looked okay, sometimes even good. but lately no matter what i try to do to it, it just hasn't looked right. so i took a chance and went to a gal who's the manager of a beauty academy nearby. she's also the sister of a gal i work with and i've heard a lot about her and seen her work.
i like the cut i got. it's not exactly the way i'd have done it if it'd had the same know-how, but it's a good cut and i can work with it. it'll be interesting to see how long it is before i get to thinking i should do it myself again. let's hope that doesn't happen.
for a number of years it looked okay, sometimes even good. but lately no matter what i try to do to it, it just hasn't looked right. so i took a chance and went to a gal who's the manager of a beauty academy nearby. she's also the sister of a gal i work with and i've heard a lot about her and seen her work.
i like the cut i got. it's not exactly the way i'd have done it if it'd had the same know-how, but it's a good cut and i can work with it. it'll be interesting to see how long it is before i get to thinking i should do it myself again. let's hope that doesn't happen.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
eat, drink, and be sick
well, if it's not one thing, it's another. i just got an e-mail from a friend who told me about the latest salmonella scare.
it seems that food items which contain 'hvp' made by 'basic food flavors' have been recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. there are about 10,000 products affected by this recall.
here are a sampling of items to not eat: McCormick French Onion & Vegetable Dip Mix, Reser's soup and dip mixes, T. Marzetti soup and dip mixes, Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip, Durkee spaghetti & Marinade Mix, Tim's Cascade Hawaiian style snacks, Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger & Family Faves, Quaker Baked Cheddar Snack Mix, Chicken Quesadillas, Jose Ole Taquitos, Redskin Potato Salad, McCormick Corn Bread Stuffing.
there are more names and in the interest of your health, you may want to read the information. it's dated today, march 16, 2010.
it seems that food items which contain 'hvp' made by 'basic food flavors' have been recalled because of possible salmonella contamination. there are about 10,000 products affected by this recall.
here are a sampling of items to not eat: McCormick French Onion & Vegetable Dip Mix, Reser's soup and dip mixes, T. Marzetti soup and dip mixes, Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Ranch Dressing & Dip, Durkee spaghetti & Marinade Mix, Tim's Cascade Hawaiian style snacks, Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger & Family Faves, Quaker Baked Cheddar Snack Mix, Chicken Quesadillas, Jose Ole Taquitos, Redskin Potato Salad, McCormick Corn Bread Stuffing.
there are more names and in the interest of your health, you may want to read the information. it's dated today, march 16, 2010.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
and the next trouble is .....
we humans seem destined to go from one calamity to another. i was just reading about ug99 and its predicted ability to cause world-wide famine. a loaf of bread could become a true luxury.
that is just hard for me to imagine. i mean, i hate paying $4.85 for a loaf of bread, but at least i have bread. this new disease could make bread a sweet memory.
humans are tenacious, however, and hopefully we can come up with a decent plan to resist or eradicate this menace. good luck to us!
that is just hard for me to imagine. i mean, i hate paying $4.85 for a loaf of bread, but at least i have bread. this new disease could make bread a sweet memory.
humans are tenacious, however, and hopefully we can come up with a decent plan to resist or eradicate this menace. good luck to us!
young home weekend
the husband and i went down to MOS's house yesterday. they were celebrating MOS's and his wife's birthdays -- they're one day apart. her parents joined in, along with her sister, and we all had a party!
the grandchildren are growing and growing -- grandaughter is a 2 1/2 yr old pretty little sweetie and grandson is a 3-month old handsome lad. the grandaughter is somewhat stubborn and *ahem* i don't know where she gets that. i'm sure she'll grow up to be beautiful and smart-as-a-whip. and the grandson seems to be laid-back, yet he can hold his own. i'm going to love watching them grow up!
the in-laws and sister are warm and enjoyable people, and i feel so lucky about that. considering all the people i've ever known and/or worked with, there are some real wackos out there.
we are truly blessed.
the grandchildren are growing and growing -- grandaughter is a 2 1/2 yr old pretty little sweetie and grandson is a 3-month old handsome lad. the grandaughter is somewhat stubborn and *ahem* i don't know where she gets that. i'm sure she'll grow up to be beautiful and smart-as-a-whip. and the grandson seems to be laid-back, yet he can hold his own. i'm going to love watching them grow up!
the in-laws and sister are warm and enjoyable people, and i feel so lucky about that. considering all the people i've ever known and/or worked with, there are some real wackos out there.
we are truly blessed.
oldies but goodies
a friend sent an e-mail the other day. one of those 'do this and pass it on' kind of things. but it was a good one for the way-back machine, so i decided to include some of it here.
the following is a list of some shows which were on in the 50s and 60s, and most of them were ones i liked.
flash gordon, the prisoner, sugarfoot, i married joan, superman (steve reeves), hopalong cassidy, what's my line, queen for a day, gunsmoke, have gun will travel, howdy doody, the lone ranger, american bandstand, gene autry, wagon train, sing along with mitch, roy rogers, perry mason, my favorite martian, jackie gleason, red skeleton, mr. peepers, batman, leave it to beaver, 77 sunset strip, dobie gillis, i love lucy, sky king, mighty mouse, the steve allen show, the loretta young show, private secretary, the millionaire, rawhide, the little rascals, dragnet, flipper, my three sons, the ed sullivan show, captain kangaroo.
ahhh, the memories .....
the following is a list of some shows which were on in the 50s and 60s, and most of them were ones i liked.
flash gordon, the prisoner, sugarfoot, i married joan, superman (steve reeves), hopalong cassidy, what's my line, queen for a day, gunsmoke, have gun will travel, howdy doody, the lone ranger, american bandstand, gene autry, wagon train, sing along with mitch, roy rogers, perry mason, my favorite martian, jackie gleason, red skeleton, mr. peepers, batman, leave it to beaver, 77 sunset strip, dobie gillis, i love lucy, sky king, mighty mouse, the steve allen show, the loretta young show, private secretary, the millionaire, rawhide, the little rascals, dragnet, flipper, my three sons, the ed sullivan show, captain kangaroo.
ahhh, the memories .....
Saturday, March 13, 2010
no detente yet
how would you feel and/or what would you do if you saw a group of people:
1) consistently run stop lights/signs in your town,
2) consistently ignore speed limit signs,
3) consistently stay in the right-hand lane of the interstate and not move over when someone was trying to get on the highway, but
4) consistently stay in the left-hand lane the rest of the time even if no one else was around,
5) keep up a high rate of speed (70 +) when approaching a border crossing where the posted speed limit was 25 and the road traversed a state park where families with little kids expected to cross three supposedly slow lanes of traffic at their leisure.
nope, there's nothing we can do to/about them. got any advice?
1) consistently run stop lights/signs in your town,
2) consistently ignore speed limit signs,
3) consistently stay in the right-hand lane of the interstate and not move over when someone was trying to get on the highway, but
4) consistently stay in the left-hand lane the rest of the time even if no one else was around,
5) keep up a high rate of speed (70 +) when approaching a border crossing where the posted speed limit was 25 and the road traversed a state park where families with little kids expected to cross three supposedly slow lanes of traffic at their leisure.
nope, there's nothing we can do to/about them. got any advice?
the highway isn't for dancing
ever notice how you can be cruising down the interstate, just minding your own business and driving at the speed limit and everything is going just fine. you'll be passing people and people will pass you and traffic is smooth and the sky is blue. then you'll gain on a couple of cars and pass all but the last one at which point, when you get just off the rear bumper of the last one, all of a sudden the guy is pacing you. stays just ahead or even pulls away a little. so you get back in the right lane and the son of a bitch slows down. so you cruise for a bit, decide he's going to stay slow, then pull out to slowly pass him. at which point he speeds up again. and if you decide 'oh for pete's sake' and speed up enough to pass the guy and gain a little, the jerk speeds up and passes you. at that point i drop back a little and if it's obvious he's going to stay right with me, i pull off at the next rest stop and take a bathroom break. good grief! what is your problem?!
Sunday, March 07, 2010
make it quick
when i first read about this website for 'starving artists' i thought, cool!
but after checking it out, i'm not so enthusiastic. probably because i didn't see anything which piqued my interest. they have very little time to grab me before i move on.
but after checking it out, i'm not so enthusiastic. probably because i didn't see anything which piqued my interest. they have very little time to grab me before i move on.
there's a reason i'm paranoid
i haven't heard this before ... if you have windows xp or 2000 and you are cruising the web, if you land someplace where they tell you to press your F1 key, DO NOT DO IT!!!
it will be an attempt to get malicious code on your computer. read this and keep your fingers on or below the qwerty line.
no, this isn't one of those "send this to all your friends within 5 days or your toes will fall off" things, it happens to be true. i know, i know, they all say that.
i like to double-check claims which come to me by going to snopes.com and seeing what they have to say. they're usually the last word in internet rumors.
take care out there.
it will be an attempt to get malicious code on your computer. read this and keep your fingers on or below the qwerty line.
no, this isn't one of those "send this to all your friends within 5 days or your toes will fall off" things, it happens to be true. i know, i know, they all say that.
i like to double-check claims which come to me by going to snopes.com and seeing what they have to say. they're usually the last word in internet rumors.
take care out there.
what do you mean we just passed it?
i've been through some small nebraska towns, but i don't believe i've been through monowi.
Saturday, March 06, 2010
a parallel world of fahrenheit 451?
i'm pretty sure the new world of books on your computer is not for me. i wonder what guy montag would think?
i like holding a book and letting my weighty bookmark swing while i read. i like pencil-correcting grammatical errors i find as i read along. i like having a book with me if i'd stuck in traffic or at a long red light. i like sitting in my rocking chair and rocking as i read.
what? kindle lets you do those last two? hmmm, i haven't seen the thing in person so i can't say how i'd react to it. they'd have to have all the titles i'd want before i'd be interested. and how are you charged for the compooks (computer books)? and how do you get them? and do they have half-price stores for used compooks that you can get cheaply?
the present system works for me.
i like holding a book and letting my weighty bookmark swing while i read. i like pencil-correcting grammatical errors i find as i read along. i like having a book with me if i'd stuck in traffic or at a long red light. i like sitting in my rocking chair and rocking as i read.
what? kindle lets you do those last two? hmmm, i haven't seen the thing in person so i can't say how i'd react to it. they'd have to have all the titles i'd want before i'd be interested. and how are you charged for the compooks (computer books)? and how do you get them? and do they have half-price stores for used compooks that you can get cheaply?
the present system works for me.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
a beginning...
the daughter-in-law has written a book! and it is good -- very very good! she asked me to read through it and see if there were inconsistencies or problems, so i'm doing that now. but i keep forgetting to proof because i keep getting drawn back into the story.
if she's got more of this stuff in her, she could really go somewhere with it!
if she's got more of this stuff in her, she could really go somewhere with it!
what's the buzz, tell me what's a-happenin' ....
do you do facebook? do you do twitter? well, here comes buzz.
i have a facebook page, although i rarely spend time with it. and i have a twitter account although i've never ever used it.
i don't know if i want to bother with buzz. i'm curious about it, but don't have time to deal with what i currently have, let alone take on something new. but this article made me wonder about it. the biggest problem i see is that it would keep grabbing your attention, especially if everyone starting chipping in. and that takes time.
let me know if you have tried it and what you think.
i have a facebook page, although i rarely spend time with it. and i have a twitter account although i've never ever used it.
i don't know if i want to bother with buzz. i'm curious about it, but don't have time to deal with what i currently have, let alone take on something new. but this article made me wonder about it. the biggest problem i see is that it would keep grabbing your attention, especially if everyone starting chipping in. and that takes time.
let me know if you have tried it and what you think.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
did you hear the one .....
"hey, have you ever dated a robot before? I used to date a vacuum cleaner. it sucked!"
if that makes you curious, go here to read about robotic bartenders. sadly, the one i thought was most interesting-looking didn't even get talked about. maybe it was only the waitress.
if that makes you curious, go here to read about robotic bartenders. sadly, the one i thought was most interesting-looking didn't even get talked about. maybe it was only the waitress.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
one-stop shopping
i didn't know about this website! either there are too many things to know in this world, or i am sadly out of the loop. probably too many things .....
anyhow, there's a dearth of navy shoes out there. they're just not readily available. but with this newly-discovered website, i can search by color and voila! there are 494 pages (12 per page) of blue shoes!!! admittedly, a lot of them are astonishingly horrible ... i mean ... godawful ugly, uh ... i mean, uh ... mmmm ... interestingly fashionable, so it's really a kick just to look through them. but by the 65th page i had seen two pair that i wanted to look at closer.
and, let's be real, i pass over the ones for $595 (as well as the ones for $20) but it's helpful to see them all.
i''m going to put this on my favorites!!
anyhow, there's a dearth of navy shoes out there. they're just not readily available. but with this newly-discovered website, i can search by color and voila! there are 494 pages (12 per page) of blue shoes!!! admittedly, a lot of them are astonishingly horrible ... i mean ... godawful ugly, uh ... i mean, uh ... mmmm ... interestingly fashionable, so it's really a kick just to look through them. but by the 65th page i had seen two pair that i wanted to look at closer.
and, let's be real, i pass over the ones for $595 (as well as the ones for $20) but it's helpful to see them all.
i''m going to put this on my favorites!!
Saturday, February 13, 2010
ppphhthttttt ..... phmmmbm
YES!!!!
remember those tubes, well, no -- i suppose most of you are waaaaaay too young to have ever seen those pneumatic tubes in action, but they used to have them in banks and department stores and government offices.
they were so cool! you'd put something inside and zip!!! off they went to be quickly deposited on someone's desk. and there have been a number of times in the last x-months when i and my colleagues have mentioned we wish we still had a system like that at work.
well! look at this! there are people out there who know the value of this system! it just makes an old heart glad *tear on cheek*. yay, retro!
remember those tubes, well, no -- i suppose most of you are waaaaaay too young to have ever seen those pneumatic tubes in action, but they used to have them in banks and department stores and government offices.
they were so cool! you'd put something inside and zip!!! off they went to be quickly deposited on someone's desk. and there have been a number of times in the last x-months when i and my colleagues have mentioned we wish we still had a system like that at work.
well! look at this! there are people out there who know the value of this system! it just makes an old heart glad *tear on cheek*. yay, retro!
a split-second difference
i think the death of the young luge athlete is sad. here you are, doing this sport that your dad and uncle have done and taught you about, that you have prepared for, and because of one miscalculation, or a poorly engineered run, or those low walls, while in sight of the finish line, your life is suddenly cut short.
i watched the video. i don't consider myself one of those people who has to slow down and look at a gruesome accident, but i am one of those people who needs to know what happened. and how it happened. and what caused it. so i watched the video. and would have watched it in slow motion but the capability wasn't there. it wasn't bloody. it was curious. he was too high, then was tossed to the other side, then swooped off the edge and his trajectory led him to connect with a steel support beam. something flew off to the right, and his faceplate bounced back onto and down the track. he hit that beam really hard. it looked like he probably connected from his neck to his tailbone, probably shattering those bones, and his internal organs, at that speed, probably ruptured. i don't know medical stuff. but it helps me, having a mental image of what happened.
don't ask me why; i've always needed to know.
youtube has apparently pulled their videos of it. i'm not sure i agree with that philosophy. the video isn't grisly, bloody, scary, dirty, or any negative. it's just real and it's sad. the video on nbc's olympics site is still there. and the new york times had a good presentation of what happened.
this isn't hollywood or tv or made-up. life is fragile...use it wisely.
i watched the video. i don't consider myself one of those people who has to slow down and look at a gruesome accident, but i am one of those people who needs to know what happened. and how it happened. and what caused it. so i watched the video. and would have watched it in slow motion but the capability wasn't there. it wasn't bloody. it was curious. he was too high, then was tossed to the other side, then swooped off the edge and his trajectory led him to connect with a steel support beam. something flew off to the right, and his faceplate bounced back onto and down the track. he hit that beam really hard. it looked like he probably connected from his neck to his tailbone, probably shattering those bones, and his internal organs, at that speed, probably ruptured. i don't know medical stuff. but it helps me, having a mental image of what happened.
don't ask me why; i've always needed to know.
youtube has apparently pulled their videos of it. i'm not sure i agree with that philosophy. the video isn't grisly, bloody, scary, dirty, or any negative. it's just real and it's sad. the video on nbc's olympics site is still there. and the new york times had a good presentation of what happened.
this isn't hollywood or tv or made-up. life is fragile...use it wisely.
Monday, February 08, 2010
geography
well .... that was interesting. i got a score of 88 in 405 seconds with an average error of 22 miles.
here -- try it! thanks, max!!
here -- try it! thanks, max!!
Sunday, February 07, 2010
danger, will robinson ....
okay. so we need to drive less because we emit harmful gasses. so ... we do drive less, or we get cars which get better mileage, and what happens? the powers that be find out they are getting less gas-tax money and need to come up with another plan.
now they're thinking about charging us for how many miles we drive. good grief. that might not be a problem for delaware or rhode island, where you can just about walk from one side of the state to the other in an afternoon. but, hello ..... texas? montana? oregon?
i don't know, but it just doesn't sit right. you can read more about it here.
now they're thinking about charging us for how many miles we drive. good grief. that might not be a problem for delaware or rhode island, where you can just about walk from one side of the state to the other in an afternoon. but, hello ..... texas? montana? oregon?
i don't know, but it just doesn't sit right. you can read more about it here.
giger counter culture
and here, for your prurient leanings, is an interesting selection of pictures; don't miss number 7. the older people may not recognize this guy's stuff, unless they are a fan of Alien. the younger people will have seen it before. i simply cannot imagine what it's like to be this guy and have these things in my head. i wonder if the scientific explanation is that he is channeling bits of an alien civilization (term used loosely) which, hopefully, lies far far away from ours. i say 'hopefully' because, really, there seems to be such a feeling of evil which touches, slimes, and imbues so much of his work. still .... it's a lot like a car accident. you just HAVE to look.
bah humbug
here it is, 6:30 on a weekend morning and i, a night person, have gotten up early specifically so i can go out and see the space station as it zooms by overhead. however ....
it is raining.
it is raining.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
life!
in spite of the fact that i never seem to have any free time anymore, i chanced upon several very neat videos recently.
i wonder what this cat is thinking.
i love this although i suppose everyone has seen it already except for me.
do not watch this if you are a prude. i thought it was very clever, but some people ....
pure joy!!
i think i already posted this one, but i don't remember and it's too cool to not add.
i wonder what this cat is thinking.
i love this although i suppose everyone has seen it already except for me.
do not watch this if you are a prude. i thought it was very clever, but some people ....
pure joy!!
i think i already posted this one, but i don't remember and it's too cool to not add.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
take a left ....
just a quick note -- it was a couple of decades ago that mapmakers decided to not include everything on their maps anymore. little streets, small country roads, they left off things like that. pissed me off.
i just discovered a new wiki site which is trying to map the world and to make the result free to anyone. these maps will probably include everything. since it seems to still be in the beginning stages (staggered stages, though) i'm sure there are places which .... well, wait. i just looked at different places (africa, new zealand, scotland, siberia, china) and there's already quite a bit there. except for siberia and china.
i suppose a person would want to compare one of these new maps with google if you were going to use it -- human error and all that, but for the most part, the new map should turn out to be very informative and accurate. unless a bad guy has been making entries bent on mischief.
i just discovered a new wiki site which is trying to map the world and to make the result free to anyone. these maps will probably include everything. since it seems to still be in the beginning stages (staggered stages, though) i'm sure there are places which .... well, wait. i just looked at different places (africa, new zealand, scotland, siberia, china) and there's already quite a bit there. except for siberia and china.
i suppose a person would want to compare one of these new maps with google if you were going to use it -- human error and all that, but for the most part, the new map should turn out to be very informative and accurate. unless a bad guy has been making entries bent on mischief.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
hotel service
i saw this article the other day about having people warm up your sheets. with themselves. come on, holiday inn, how much are you paying the person who thought this up?
yeah, yeah, i know. the person is supposed to be clean and all covered up, but all i can think is, GROSS. if i want a person to warm my sheets, i'll find him myself.
yeah, yeah, i know. the person is supposed to be clean and all covered up, but all i can think is, GROSS. if i want a person to warm my sheets, i'll find him myself.
just make them all and let me choose
apparently, according to something i saw, this spring's colors are supposed to be strong-yellow, turquoise-green, tomato-red, chalky-violet, and medium-blue. plus some other blah colors.
that's just depressing.
that's just depressing.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
things to do
the grandson is just about a month old now. we need to run down and visit. i'm sure he's keeping his eyes open more, especially with big sister around to make noise and laugh. i don't think we're going to make it down there this weekend, and next weekend i'm heading north to a bagpipe fund raiser. i went to it last year and very much enjoyed myself. lots of people, haggis, music, traditional dancing -- it's an evening of total immersion. and very fun!
it was fun
what a lovely visit we had with MYS and his special friend. we've hadn't met her before, although we've read about her on his blog and seen pictures. she's prettier than her pix and sooooo slender. very smart, easy-going, a quick laugh, totally unpretentious, good-natured -- lots of positive things to say about her. we very much enjoyed having both of them around!
i want to go there
we saw avatar last night. in 3-d.
i really liked it, the husband thought it was so-so. v, the young woman who went with us, liked it even more than i did.
would you like it? only if you're an intelligent, imaginative, forward-thinking, visual, other-than-republican, nature-loving, free spirit. it had BEAUTIFUL graphics, more realistic than anything i've ever seen. i mean, you were THERE! and you were ONE OF THEM!
the creatures were scary, but the philosophy of the whole place was lovely. the plants, flowers, little bugs were totally neat. i wanted to be there and touch things and see everything and go for a ride. except that i'm afraid of heights.
but, ohmygod, it was so cool. i wonder if i can have a room done like that place. or the whole house. *sigh*
i really liked it, the husband thought it was so-so. v, the young woman who went with us, liked it even more than i did.
would you like it? only if you're an intelligent, imaginative, forward-thinking, visual, other-than-republican, nature-loving, free spirit. it had BEAUTIFUL graphics, more realistic than anything i've ever seen. i mean, you were THERE! and you were ONE OF THEM!
the creatures were scary, but the philosophy of the whole place was lovely. the plants, flowers, little bugs were totally neat. i wanted to be there and touch things and see everything and go for a ride. except that i'm afraid of heights.
but, ohmygod, it was so cool. i wonder if i can have a room done like that place. or the whole house. *sigh*
Friday, December 25, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
can't keep up
i am waaaaay past everyone else in getting to see avatar but i know i'm going to love the visuals; my understanding is that the dialogue is terrible though. i loved myst, even though i never made it all the way through, so i'm sure i'm going to love avatar. visuals are a strong thing for me.
as i was looking around for information on how the movie was doing, i ran across this: http://www.geekologie.com/2009/12/spoiler_alert_avatar_the_movie.php. ahahahahaha!
as i was looking around for information on how the movie was doing, i ran across this: http://www.geekologie.com/2009/12/spoiler_alert_avatar_the_movie.php. ahahahahaha!
a new baby!!
on tuesday, december 15, adam jeffrey was born. he was 8 lb. 15 oz., with dark hair and eyebrows, and a very quiet demeanor. he's been a very good baby with his only demands being to be fed and to be held.
big sister is happy around, and interested in, little brother and all is well. paternal grandparents stayed with the family for five days and maternal grandparents are visiting today.
it will be interesting to see who adam ends up looking like -- ava's looks seemed to change so much from day one, just like babies tend to do. she is a pretty and absolutely darling little kid and with such good-looking parents, i expect adam will be a little heartbreaker.
however it turns out, everyone is healthy and happy. a good start to any type of endeavor!
big sister is happy around, and interested in, little brother and all is well. paternal grandparents stayed with the family for five days and maternal grandparents are visiting today.
it will be interesting to see who adam ends up looking like -- ava's looks seemed to change so much from day one, just like babies tend to do. she is a pretty and absolutely darling little kid and with such good-looking parents, i expect adam will be a little heartbreaker.
however it turns out, everyone is healthy and happy. a good start to any type of endeavor!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Oel ngati kameie.
i've got mixed feelings about james cameron. he's brilliant and has an incredibly inventive mind, but also seems to have a colossol ego and a really bad temper. he's been married five times, which shows he has flaws and keeps him from being a genuine role model. regardless, i'm excited about avatar and want to see it in a movie house. with it's own language and planet, it's got to be interesting, even if it flops. as if.
the little guys are goin' down
ooohhhhhhh, a new bad guy. and this one is going to ultimately increase the cost of food. we can only hope the big guys go ahead and do an antitrust suit on these people.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
hahahaha, blechk, hahaha ...
since i do all except grocery shopping online, i get a ton of catalogs. a lot of them i just throw away since they don't have the slightest thing i'm interested in. some of them i look through, then throw away. some of them i decide to order from.
and then there's the ones i look through and shake my head over. this latest catalog has the following interesting items for your consideration: gun cufflinks, 18k gold, $5,590; natural shell cufflinks, $1,475; leather-topped bed steps, $675; pair of dresden peacock urns, $9,500; 8x10 enamel picture frame, $325; fake fur throw, $1,750; crystal lamp, $425; alligator earrings, $2,150; diamond elephant pin, $10,500. sorry, i can't go on ... between laughing and getting ready to throw up, this is too much.
and then there's the ones i look through and shake my head over. this latest catalog has the following interesting items for your consideration: gun cufflinks, 18k gold, $5,590; natural shell cufflinks, $1,475; leather-topped bed steps, $675; pair of dresden peacock urns, $9,500; 8x10 enamel picture frame, $325; fake fur throw, $1,750; crystal lamp, $425; alligator earrings, $2,150; diamond elephant pin, $10,500. sorry, i can't go on ... between laughing and getting ready to throw up, this is too much.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
mandelbrot
do you like looking at fractals? they are pretty darn fascinating, to me. MYS started putting together a 3-d fractal thing recently. i'm interested in what it looks like.
i saw an article recently about a math equation which can produce a fractal. it goes through numerous iterations getting more and more detailed and complex. the picture below is one of nine shown in the article. check them all out -- they are otherworldly. is this beautiful, or what?!
caveat
do you do the facebook thing? recently facebook decided to change their permissions. if you have an account and care anything at all about who gets to see your stuff, go in and check your settings.
i went to look at mine and made changes, but good grief! there are a lot of different places you have to watch out for. it's not simple, that's for sure.
i've never really liked facebook, and now i like it even less. i may just shut down my site. any company who plays loose and free with privacy just sucks as far as i'm concerned. user, beware!
i went to look at mine and made changes, but good grief! there are a lot of different places you have to watch out for. it's not simple, that's for sure.
i've never really liked facebook, and now i like it even less. i may just shut down my site. any company who plays loose and free with privacy just sucks as far as i'm concerned. user, beware!
it's so special
my ex-boss makes this great christmas candy. it's mint candy pieces in this white fondant. it is sooooooooo good!!!
she willingly shared that she gets the pieces from this candy store in kalamazoo, michigan. i am going to have to call them and see if i can get some. all my little darlings will have a taste treat they won't believe!
thanks, ex-boss!!!
she willingly shared that she gets the pieces from this candy store in kalamazoo, michigan. i am going to have to call them and see if i can get some. all my little darlings will have a taste treat they won't believe!
thanks, ex-boss!!!
Thursday, December 03, 2009
do this, don't do that, let them do what they want
i think my unhappiness with things nowadays has a direct and very strong tie with my age. i've seen strictness in america (police in the 50's), i've seen dissent (abby hoffman, the weather underground, the black panthers), i've lived the cold war (gary powers, community and basement bomb shelters), seen two presidents shot (kennedy and reagan), seen deadly spy efforts (georgi markov), and seen rules and regulations you wouldn't believe (girls can't wear pants to school, if you missed a deadline there were no second chances, complete statistics about people who lived in a town were available in city directories -- their jobs, salaries, family members and ages, address, phone number, and more).
i don't miss that stuff, but i do have a problem with namby-pamby laws which let criminals off easy, parents who let their kids run amok in stores and restaurants, people who are rude, and the whole litany of political correctness since it's usually waaaaaaaay overdone.
can't we strike a pleasant and reasonable balance?
i don't miss that stuff, but i do have a problem with namby-pamby laws which let criminals off easy, parents who let their kids run amok in stores and restaurants, people who are rude, and the whole litany of political correctness since it's usually waaaaaaaay overdone.
can't we strike a pleasant and reasonable balance?
Thursday, November 26, 2009
pink gloves and breast cancer
oh! this is very cool!
thank you My Younger Son for letting me know about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw
thank you My Younger Son for letting me know about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEdVfyt-mLw
Monday, November 23, 2009
comic books
this is interesting. i have not read any graphic novels, although i've heard of them. the article talks about one in particular, Luna Park, as being one of the best of 2009.
the article was intriguing, since that art form is unknown to me, but the part of the article which grabbed me the most was the last few paragraphs which profess the author's thoughts on american politics today. he summed up my feelings pretty darned well.
the article was intriguing, since that art form is unknown to me, but the part of the article which grabbed me the most was the last few paragraphs which profess the author's thoughts on american politics today. he summed up my feelings pretty darned well.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
where is waldo?
well, here is something that was probably a lot of fun! i don't read Wired magazine except occasionally online, and i wouldn't have had a clue how to go about looking for this guy, except to scope out the people at work. ha! anyhow, check this out: Vanish.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Monday, November 16, 2009
sheesh
well, i've tried to get the pictures from our resort escape posted, but it's not easy. i mean, the pictures are all on the computer, but i finally decided there were so many i couldn't realistically put them on the blog, so i thought i'd put them on flickr. shit. what a frickin pain. i have wasted the last hour trying to get them sorted out, but it's a herculean task to sort on flickr. yeah, yeah, i went to the help thing and did what they said and the result was exactly nothing. nothing changed. when i have been away from it for awhile, i will try again. or maybe i will choose another venue.
one of these days, the pix will be up.
one of these days, the pix will be up.
don't worry your pretty little head over that lump...
i'm really speechless about this article. i don't have any trouble with them advising cutting back on routine mammograms. after all, i had a mammogram 6 months before i found my lump and it didn't show up at all.
no, the thing that really bothers me is this quote: "The new guidelines also recommend against teaching women to do regular self-exams and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to recommend that doctors do the exams..."
You. Are. Kidding. Me.
the potential trouble with health insurance companies aside, what the hell are they thinking??? i haven't read such hogwash in years. if the doctor doesn't do the exam and the women aren't told how to do it, how does the lump get caught and questioned before it's too late? i'm just appalled at this advice.
no, the thing that really bothers me is this quote: "The new guidelines also recommend against teaching women to do regular self-exams and concluded that there is insufficient evidence to recommend that doctors do the exams..."
You. Are. Kidding. Me.
the potential trouble with health insurance companies aside, what the hell are they thinking??? i haven't read such hogwash in years. if the doctor doesn't do the exam and the women aren't told how to do it, how does the lump get caught and questioned before it's too late? i'm just appalled at this advice.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
one ringy dingy ...
my understanding is that, starting today, verizon is doubling its cancellation fees. one more reason i'm glad i got out of their claws.
i have been with Consumer Cellular for more than a year, maybe two since i can't seem to keep track of time. they do not lock you into a contract. they (when i joined) thankfully only had three phones to choose from (mine has been wonderful). i can get service right from my desk which is 20 feet from the border with canada. with verizon i had to be blocks and blocks away before i'd get service which wasn't routed from canada (and therefore an extra charge).
this phone has made calls from indiana and arizona, and accepted calls from new york and nebraska. i couldn't be more satisfied.
if you're unhappy with verizon or at&t or whoever you're with, check out consumer cellular. and no, no one paid me for this endorsement -- it's entirely my own declarative message.
i have been with Consumer Cellular for more than a year, maybe two since i can't seem to keep track of time. they do not lock you into a contract. they (when i joined) thankfully only had three phones to choose from (mine has been wonderful). i can get service right from my desk which is 20 feet from the border with canada. with verizon i had to be blocks and blocks away before i'd get service which wasn't routed from canada (and therefore an extra charge).
this phone has made calls from indiana and arizona, and accepted calls from new york and nebraska. i couldn't be more satisfied.
if you're unhappy with verizon or at&t or whoever you're with, check out consumer cellular. and no, no one paid me for this endorsement -- it's entirely my own declarative message.
amsterdam certain it was what i saw
i always felt i was a fairly enlightened person, open to opposing views, accepting of differences. recently i read this and wondered how far behind i am.
it wasn't the article which stunned me, it was the website named in the article. i went to it just to see if it was like the online sites which matched people up, although the last time i looked at one of those was back in 2002 when a friend was going online to try to find a decent partner.
anyhow, i looked at the website and about dropped my jaw. jees, louise. isn't this porn or something? is it legal to have this stuff online? i mean, i'm not against it, but jees, jees, jees. it was waaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone. i mean, do you just ... i mean ...
nevermind.
it wasn't the article which stunned me, it was the website named in the article. i went to it just to see if it was like the online sites which matched people up, although the last time i looked at one of those was back in 2002 when a friend was going online to try to find a decent partner.
anyhow, i looked at the website and about dropped my jaw. jees, louise. isn't this porn or something? is it legal to have this stuff online? i mean, i'm not against it, but jees, jees, jees. it was waaaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone. i mean, do you just ... i mean ...
nevermind.
more matt ...
oops, i didn't see this in time to add it -- but go here and laugh!
except for the little girl who tripped in front of the troll -- she had to have hurt herself unless her face landed on her arm. hard to tell.
except for the little girl who tripped in front of the troll -- she had to have hurt herself unless her face landed on her arm. hard to tell.
from down to waaaaay up
feeling out-0f-sorts? depressed? ticked off? disgusted? numb? majorly pissed?
take a moment to center yourself .... this is so cool.
i had completely forgotten about it. thanks, husband!
take a moment to center yourself .... this is so cool.
i had completely forgotten about it. thanks, husband!
Friday, November 13, 2009
but, judge ....
have you heard about the possibility of being charged with collecting child porn when you'd never do such a thing in your life?? it can happen because of the miscreants out there who are inventive enough to put a virus on your computer which hides what it's doing, and then slyly brings child porn onto your computer for its safekeeping.
it's insidious!! and a really scary prospect. check out the story here. damn those bad guys! i'm keeping norton on my yearly shopping list!!
it's insidious!! and a really scary prospect. check out the story here. damn those bad guys! i'm keeping norton on my yearly shopping list!!
cattle logs
i do all my shopping by internet catalogs. it's easier and faster and saves gas. sure, there might be some things i decide to send back, but a number of places have no shipping charges coming or going; for others the return shipping is a minimal charge.
my number one shopping choices are orvis and llbean. i also order a few things from the vermont country store and occasionally from planetshoes and zappos (which i heard about from a paperback book i was reading!).
i tried ordering from appleseed's. i have had nothing but trouble with them. yes, they have some nice clothes, but the aggravation isn't worth it. i won't be ordering from them again.
my number one shopping choices are orvis and llbean. i also order a few things from the vermont country store and occasionally from planetshoes and zappos (which i heard about from a paperback book i was reading!).
i tried ordering from appleseed's. i have had nothing but trouble with them. yes, they have some nice clothes, but the aggravation isn't worth it. i won't be ordering from them again.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
oh, the dendrology and all the majesty screaming ...
below is an example of what happened to some beautiful trees in this country from 1931 until the 60s. i remember seeing streets like this and i tell you that we lost something really truly beautiful to this bark beetle-carried fungus. replacement trees just aren't the same.
onju, ayoon, apo, an, 'ello, emo, umbo --*
we got to babysit yesterday. it was soooooo much fun! i have the cutest, sweetest, smartest grandaughter in the whole wide world!
we headed down to the seattle area just after lunch and got to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with her. the parents headed out to the space needle for an evening of adult-speak before grandbaby number two shows up in another 6 weeks or so.
it was enough to make me wish we lived closer so we could do that more often. i may start keeping an eye on any job openings in the seattle office. but don't tell the husband -- i don't think he wants to live anywhere near that traffic schema.
*orange juice, balloon, apple, hand, yellow, nemo, dumbo
we headed down to the seattle area just after lunch and got to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with her. the parents headed out to the space needle for an evening of adult-speak before grandbaby number two shows up in another 6 weeks or so.
it was enough to make me wish we lived closer so we could do that more often. i may start keeping an eye on any job openings in the seattle office. but don't tell the husband -- i don't think he wants to live anywhere near that traffic schema.
*orange juice, balloon, apple, hand, yellow, nemo, dumbo
let's have FUN!
i'm up this morning needing to do some things and wanting to just ignore everything when i get an e-mail with this attachment from my wonderful ex-boss lady from oklahoma. it's delightful!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
meowww
MYS reminded me there's some pretty funny stuff out there:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/ (i like the 'little less love' and the 'awesome box')
oops, i'm late getting ready for work!! had more, but ....
http://icanhascheezburger.com/ (i like the 'little less love' and the 'awesome box')
oops, i'm late getting ready for work!! had more, but ....
Sunday, October 25, 2009
one more trip ...
well, that's all for now. i still need to post the resort trip but it's going to take time to go through the pix and with all the overtime i've been working, it's a weekends-only kind of thing. and then things keep getting put into my weekend time. drat! but i hope to get them up soon -- it was an incredible get-away!
girlfriends #3
one thing which was very cool was one morning when it was foggy -- we looked outside about an hour after we'd gotten up and saw this ...
after we realized what it was, we watched 'til it disappeared ...
later the fog lifted or dissipated and we could see they were headed back the other direction ... and will you look at that gorgeous collection of clouds in that fabulous view!
and then later the flotilla headed the other direction again ...
very cool!
girlfriends #2
the area we stayed in had a private beach with playground equipment, a tree swing, a rowboat, a picnic area, and a sandy seating area ...
and this little green guy ...
and this little brown and cream guy ...
and then there was this squishy guy who we left alone for the tide to reclaim (apparently he was still alive) ...
people obviously used the park ...
and the girlfriend delighted in finding tiny crabs, like this little black guy with the pac-man thing going on across his back ...
and this little green guy ...
and this little brown and cream guy ...
girlfriend's getaway
our annual girlfriend's getaway was really nice. we drove south to a lovely little place by the water. it had incredible views and was only about 8-10 minutes from poulsbo. we drove into the driveway in the late afternoon ...
it was great!
i'm going to try to bring you up-to-date on the lovely places around here a person can go, to enjoy themselves, without all the glitter and bright lights that usually come with a vacation. all 6 of us were able to arrange our schedules to get together, almost like old times!
this is the view of the back of the house at sunset:
this summer's trip took us to a place close-by the northern loop of the cascade mountains. we rented this little number:
this next picture shows the view from one of the back windows (a huge, 2 stories-of-windows type of house) -- there's a shallow river out there just beyond the grass and rocks:
the interior of the house was gorgeous and comfortably decorated -- with three bedrooms and two full baths and all the utensils, towels, etc. we needed:
this is the view of the back of the house at sunset:
and this is a view of one of the dramatic sunsets over the mountains:
and this is the view of one of the little up-the-mountain trails you can drive up and see forever:
and this is the view of one of the little up-the-mountain trails you can drive up and see forever:
isn't it all beautiful?! and don't even suggest i'm being paid to advertise for this. are you kidding? who would take money to say this is beautiful when you can see for yourself that it is. at any rate, if you think you'd like to know more about this place, e-mail me and i will let you know how to find the particulars.
it takes a family, friend, village to watch out for oldsters
i forgot to credit my bro with catching the woods picture problem. thanks, larry, for watching out for me!
wha..???
ohmygod. you have to check this out. i've never seen anything like it and wish i could in person. i've been wanting to go to scotland and that's where these are. can you imagine coming upon them on a walk in the woods? it would be totally spooky, then totally cool!!
update: dammit! i thought the link would take you right to the picture i was in love with, but it doesn't! go to picture 8 of 15 to see the correct image.
update: dammit! i thought the link would take you right to the picture i was in love with, but it doesn't! go to picture 8 of 15 to see the correct image.
Monday, October 12, 2009
little old lady from pasadena ...
remember how guys used to soup up their cars and add dumps and a 4-on-the-floor and button-and-tuck and stuff like that?
they had nothing on these guys!
in fact, now that i think of it, they're probably the same guys! hahaha...
they had nothing on these guys!
in fact, now that i think of it, they're probably the same guys! hahaha...
Saturday, October 10, 2009
good grief
you know the old pyrex dishes you used when you were growing up? they seemed to last pretty well and survive bumpings, droppings, etc.
now i find out that corning, who originally made borosilicate glass dishes, sold the technology to a company which switched to using tempered soda-lime glass, a much less durable material.
i've noticed, over the years, that some pyrex things don't hold up and i've wondered why. and now i feel validated -- it wasn't my imagination or faulty memory of how good things used to be.
it's disgusting, really. you take an excellent technology, weaken it to make a bigger buck, and foist it off onto an unsuspecting public. tacky, tacky, tacky. and undoubtedly a republican's idea.
generally speaking you want to trust your instincts, friends. and, for your edification, read the article.
now i find out that corning, who originally made borosilicate glass dishes, sold the technology to a company which switched to using tempered soda-lime glass, a much less durable material.
i've noticed, over the years, that some pyrex things don't hold up and i've wondered why. and now i feel validated -- it wasn't my imagination or faulty memory of how good things used to be.
it's disgusting, really. you take an excellent technology, weaken it to make a bigger buck, and foist it off onto an unsuspecting public. tacky, tacky, tacky. and undoubtedly a republican's idea.
generally speaking you want to trust your instincts, friends. and, for your edification, read the article.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
up, down, up, down ...
this is pretty funny -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axOeUBASt7E&feature=related
oh noes!
i was late this morning. late for waking, that is. when it got to be 40 minutes later than the usual time i put in an appearance and i still hadn't shown my bleary face, the husband rousted me out of this really great dream.
every-once-in-a-while i dream about getting food in a cafeteria. one of the places in my dreams has this really great selection of cinnamon rolls. not the crap that you can get in the malls, but the old-fashioned kind we used to get in the school cafeteria. this place seems to be a hospital, rather than a school, but the food is outstanding.
last night's dream, however, took place in the student union of my alma mater. it had almost the same layout, too, but, as dreams usually are, there were differences. at any rate, this cafeteria had a lot of stuff -- several islands full -- and what i had finally decided on, after wandering all over to view the different selections, was a piece of prime rib and a potato with a little bit of gravy and salad on the side. that was exactly when the husband woke me up!
whoa was me.
every-once-in-a-while i dream about getting food in a cafeteria. one of the places in my dreams has this really great selection of cinnamon rolls. not the crap that you can get in the malls, but the old-fashioned kind we used to get in the school cafeteria. this place seems to be a hospital, rather than a school, but the food is outstanding.
last night's dream, however, took place in the student union of my alma mater. it had almost the same layout, too, but, as dreams usually are, there were differences. at any rate, this cafeteria had a lot of stuff -- several islands full -- and what i had finally decided on, after wandering all over to view the different selections, was a piece of prime rib and a potato with a little bit of gravy and salad on the side. that was exactly when the husband woke me up!
whoa was me.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
would you swallow this story?
i apparently have a vitamin d deficiency. i'm not sure what that means or how i should correct it, but i had to fill a prescription for mega-doses of the stuff to take once-a-week for the next 8 weeks.
the husband looked at over-the-counter vitamin d and it said a dose was 1,000 or 2,000 i.u. my pill is 50,000.
i'm supposed to get another blood test in 8 weeks.
i don't remember hearing of someone being low on vitamin d. that's like being low on sunshine, isn't it? oh. yeah, we live in the cloudy northwest.
the husband looked at over-the-counter vitamin d and it said a dose was 1,000 or 2,000 i.u. my pill is 50,000.
i'm supposed to get another blood test in 8 weeks.
i don't remember hearing of someone being low on vitamin d. that's like being low on sunshine, isn't it? oh. yeah, we live in the cloudy northwest.
Monday, October 05, 2009
they come and they go ....
i use google these days. i used to use altavista and somewhere in there i used netscape. but aol got in and messed with netscape and i haven't spent any time with it for years and years until tonight -- i think i was looking through for about 45 minutes -- all those celebrities and their problems ....
but back to the point, apparently there's a new way of searching for information. you can check out tweetmeme (which i didn't like at all) or oneriot (meh) or topsy (okay) or collecta (which i thought was horrible).
these search engines are supposed to be much more up-to-the-minute than the regular ones. from what i've seen this evening, they leave me less than satisfied. it's either my age talking or these new paradigms are crap.
time will tell.
but back to the point, apparently there's a new way of searching for information. you can check out tweetmeme (which i didn't like at all) or oneriot (meh) or topsy (okay) or collecta (which i thought was horrible).
these search engines are supposed to be much more up-to-the-minute than the regular ones. from what i've seen this evening, they leave me less than satisfied. it's either my age talking or these new paradigms are crap.
time will tell.
coming to a theatre near you ....
where the wild things are ....
i checked out a couple of previews of this new movie and was left wondering if it would really be any good. of course, that's the same way i felt about the original star wars. *ahem*
so i'm open to this movie being good and i hope it is. the kid in the movie just didn't seem quite right to me though. and spike jonze? his name doesn't spend much time coming out of my mouth.
oh well, for the audience's sake i hope it's great -- the book was.
i checked out a couple of previews of this new movie and was left wondering if it would really be any good. of course, that's the same way i felt about the original star wars. *ahem*
so i'm open to this movie being good and i hope it is. the kid in the movie just didn't seem quite right to me though. and spike jonze? his name doesn't spend much time coming out of my mouth.
oh well, for the audience's sake i hope it's great -- the book was.
Saturday, October 03, 2009
off into the wilderness...
the husband and i are going adventuring in another week -- we're headed for this cool place.
i like their video, but go here to see where we're going to stay. if that link doesn't work, from the home page click on 'view gallery' then click on 'tent house suites' to get a feel for where we're going.
i expect to enjoy our trip -- it's on an island, after all, and we take a ferry to get there. it can't help but be beautiful country. it's really too bad our forefathers couldn't have somehow gotten their hands on that whole british columbia area. it's so pretty it'd make you cry.
i like their video, but go here to see where we're going to stay. if that link doesn't work, from the home page click on 'view gallery' then click on 'tent house suites' to get a feel for where we're going.
i expect to enjoy our trip -- it's on an island, after all, and we take a ferry to get there. it can't help but be beautiful country. it's really too bad our forefathers couldn't have somehow gotten their hands on that whole british columbia area. it's so pretty it'd make you cry.
the getaway
the girlfriend and i had a good trip down on hood canal by poulsbo. we got to watch a submarine go past the house three times, accompanied by two coast guard boats, a tugboat, and two container ships. it was interesting and intriguing. i'll post pictures when she sends them to me -- we used her camera since i forgot mine.
we did some shopping in poulsbo, ate at a really great restaurant (although some of the reviews i read later really dissed it -- we loved it), and explored port gamble. the weather was good with some sun and some sprinkles.
the house itself was lovely and just right for two people or two couples. it had two bedrooms with queen beds and two big bathrooms, a nice-size kitchen with tons of pots/pans/dishes/glasses/spices/etc, two couches and two chairs with t.v. and a music system and music, a dining table and four chairs, plus lots of windows and two decks with a beautiful yard in a very quiet neighborhood which made everything pretty darn great.
you might want to try it sometime.
we did some shopping in poulsbo, ate at a really great restaurant (although some of the reviews i read later really dissed it -- we loved it), and explored port gamble. the weather was good with some sun and some sprinkles.
the house itself was lovely and just right for two people or two couples. it had two bedrooms with queen beds and two big bathrooms, a nice-size kitchen with tons of pots/pans/dishes/glasses/spices/etc, two couches and two chairs with t.v. and a music system and music, a dining table and four chairs, plus lots of windows and two decks with a beautiful yard in a very quiet neighborhood which made everything pretty darn great.
you might want to try it sometime.
playtime
MYS decided to make a coffee table. he's had one in mind for quite awhile now and decided it was time to do it. yes, he's writing papers and preparing to argue his dissertation, but there's a time for work and a time for play.
(my sweetie is the cutie on the left) and here it is:
(my sweetie is the cutie on the left) and here it is:
nice!!!
and the beat goes on...
watching someone die has got to be a pretty horrible experience. i know my brother, who was a train engineer or conductor or (apologies) whatever his exact title was, saw accidents as they were played out -- people driving into the path of the train, for instance.
i don't believe he ever saw people deliberately getting on the tracks, like these people have, but no matter how it happens any of those memories must be awful.
my bro retired last month and is going to be playing now -- kayaking and biking with his new foldable kayak and foldable bike. he got a degree in anthropology way back when and is planning on taking up the offer from universities nowadays where they let oldsters take classes for only about $25. major deal!! and this time around it can be mainly for fun! although for my bro anthro was always fun.
i hope you have much fun with your retirement, bob!!! love you!!!
i don't believe he ever saw people deliberately getting on the tracks, like these people have, but no matter how it happens any of those memories must be awful.
my bro retired last month and is going to be playing now -- kayaking and biking with his new foldable kayak and foldable bike. he got a degree in anthropology way back when and is planning on taking up the offer from universities nowadays where they let oldsters take classes for only about $25. major deal!! and this time around it can be mainly for fun! although for my bro anthro was always fun.
i hope you have much fun with your retirement, bob!!! love you!!!
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