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Really Good Quotes "A mind, once expanded by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions." - Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Don't drink and drive. This is not new information. The first drunk driving law in the US was passed in 1910 in New York. California soon followed and pretty soon the whole country was in on the deal. Mothers Against Drunk Driving will turn thirty this year. The designated driver program turned 21 just last month.

We all have heard that if you drink, you shouldn't drive. According to Dean Martin, you shouldn't even putt.

We tried banning all alcohol in the US and that didn't work. It seems, since the dawn of time, mankind has like to have a bit of something to drink. There is some evidence beer predates bread as a diet staple. Beer has been brewed and wine has been pressed since before writing was invented. Mankind has been imbibing for at least eight to ten thousand years.

The trend probably isn't going to end any time soon, regardless of how much nagging some people do.

But what we do WHEN we choose to drink is governable. Drinking and driving is illegal around the world. Nations have anywhere from zero percent, where "zero" usually means "below detection limit" and higher with the highest rate at 0.08% for blood or breath alcohol levels (depending on country). In the US each state regulates how the law is enforced.

According to CNN.com, Utah is one of the states where enforcement is high. The mayor of Salt Lake City (the capital and most populous city in the state) wants to try something a bit different. Mayor Ralph Becker wants to help curb drinking and driving by making it possible for more neighborhood bars to open their doors.

Salt Lake City (SLC) currently has a law on the books allowing for a limit of two bars per city block. The mayor would like this to be abolished. He would like to make it easier for people to be within walking distance of the restaurants and bars, making it less necessary to drive home after a dinner which included a couple drinks. He would also like to make the city more attractive to new residents and businesses.

Utah is not just a state with beautiful mountain vistas and a pristine environment. It is also the home of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) and the Mormon Temple is located in SLC. These latter facts are what have led to some of the strictest liquor laws in the US.

Mayor Becker points out that the city is now mostly non-Mormon and entirely diverse. But the problem isn't just one of SLC opening up less stringent laws. The state itself is the entity to issue liquor licenses and they have no more to grant.

This is just fine with Art Brown, the current President of the Utah chapter of MADD. Brown contends that having more bars would just entice the children into drinking. He states, "The 'wetter' you make it for the kids where they live, the more probability there is going to be an upward pressure on their choice to drink. If they see that you are willing to put it next door to them, that it's pleasurable, it's the thing to try, there's no downside to it."

"I certainly understand and respect Art Brown and others' points of view that having a place that serves liquor is an inducement for minors to drink," Mayor Becker said. "I just haven't found that to be the case in my own experience, and I don't think the information in studies supports it, either."

Art Brown has been involved in MADD since his own grandson was killed by a drunk driver ten years ago. Matthew was two months old when he died. The driver had been served 21 drinks over six hours time. When he was deemed to be too drunk to serve, he was kicked out of the bar. He attempted to drive himself home.

Brown wants an even more aggressive approach to getting drunks off the road. However, he doesn't want to put the bars and residents closer together, thinking only of the welfare of the children.

Does Brown's argument hold water for you? Does having a bar close by make drinking more enticing to teens? Would it be more inducement than the myriad ad campaigns run night and day on all the mass media?

Does it sound like a nice plan to include more restaurants and bars closer to residential areas? Would this really limit the driving? Or would it just limit the distance driven? Is even that a desirable goal?

Soberly,

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“You have to learn to crawl before you can grovel.” - Art Grinath

“Every dog has his day. Of course, his day consists of smelling other dogs' butts.” - Mark Briscoe

Night of Thanksgiving
[Thanks Bonnie]

T'was the night of Thanksgiving and out of the house,

Tiger Woods came a flyin', chased by his spouse.

She wielded a nine iron and wasn't too merry,

Cause a bimbo's phone number was in his Blackberry.

He'd been cheatin' on Elin, and the story progressed,

Woman after woman stepped up and confessed.

He'd been cheatin with Holly, and Jaimee, and Cori,

with Joselyn, and Kalika. The world had the story.

From the top of the Tour to the basement of blues,

Tiger's sad sordid tale was all over the news.

With hostesses, waitresses, he had lots of sex,

when not in their pants, he was sendin' them texts.

Despite all his cryin' and beggin' and pleadin',

Tiger's wife went investin' -- a new home in Sweden .

And I heard her exclaim from her white Escalade,

"If you're gettin' laid then I'm gettin' paid."

She's not pouting, in fact, she's of jolly good cheer,

Her prenup made Christmas come early this year.

Author Unknown

“One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying.”

“I would rather die than do something which I know to be a sin, or to be against God's will.”

“I was in my thirteenth year when I heard a voice from God to help me govern my conduct. And the first time I was very much afraid.” - All by Roman Catholic Saint and national heroine of France, Joan of Arc who, according to legend, was born on this day in 1412

Nice Place to Live

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Hide & Seek

I've told you about my new hobby, geocaching. It isn't new any more, I suppose. I've been doing it for 9 months now and I found over 1,600 geocaches in that time. "Milestones" are noted for every hundred caches found. 500, 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 are major milestones and are celebrated by the entire geocaching community. It is common to have a "Hail To" cache placed by a fellow geocacher in the name of the cacher who accomplished the 1,000 milestone. The cacher named in the tribute cache is then challenged to be the first to find it.

Finding caches is only a part of the experience. In most cases, it is anticlimatic. The hunt itself is more fun that the find. I know that sounds odd, but, at least for me, that is more the case. When a 35 mm film canister is hidden under the skirt of a parking lot lamppost, there really isn't much challenge in finding it. When there is a terrain that makes you huff & puff just to get there, or if something like a kayak or climbing gear is needed, it makes for more of a challenge.

The caches themselves aren't all the rage either. Most are small. Usually a 35 mm film canister, or a magnetic key holder, are hidden on guard rails or in the holes & niches of trees & bushes. All they can hold is the log that is to be signed by the finder. "Lock & Lock" plastic containers are quite popular and they can hold "swag" items to swap. Even ammo cans and other large containers are used and can hold quite a bit. However, most of the time, those items aren't anything you would want to take home. So, the true treasure is accomplishing the find.

Sometimes placing a cache is more rewarding than finding one. A cache owner is notified by email every time someone successfully finds their cache. I have placed several. Some are easy to find, but a couple are of the most challenging. Some cachers only seek out the more difficult of the caches, either in difficulty finding it, or the difficulty of the terrain. As a cache owner, it is rewarding to know you contributed to the pleasure of a cacher's experience. The logs, recorded online, are usually a simple "Found it. Thanks" for the more simple finds. Challenging caches get quite a write-up, as was the case recently with my "5/5" cache. Difficulty & terrain rating is on a 5 point scale with 1/2 point increments. A 1 means it is so easy it will find you, or you can sit in your car and find it. A 5 means it is hidden so well an eagle couldn't spot it, or you'll need some kind of special equipment to retrieve it.

That is the case for my 5/5. It is very well hidden, if I do say so myself. But I'm not the only one to say so. The few adventurous cachers who have attempted it & found it attest to it as well. It requires rock climbing experience and/or rappelling equipment to even access the hiding place, if you can identify the hiding place at all. One set of cachers took 2 trips on successive weekends to accomplish it, and they spent the equivalent of a full day (24 full hours) looking for it. They were jazzed about how much fun it was, and that makes me happy, too.

Here's your quiz:
How imaginative are you? Can you think of a creative way to hide something from other people?
Would you be willing to literally "go out on a limb" just to claim you found something?
Would you believe that in 9 months I have found 1,642 separate caches?

Hide & Seek - Reconfigured For Kids & Adults
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Submit Your Date From Hell | Submit your Kids Weird Words | Submit your Crazy Way You Met Your Mate

Here's an article from the archive.

"If we see you smoking we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."
~ Douglas Adams ~

Thirteen years ago I quit smoking. I was on thirty a day at the time, and had been smoking for about ten years. In the years since I quit, I have had many people asking me what it was that made me butt out the butts. Was it my health? The expense of smoking? Concern for the environment? Social pressure? All of those factors played a part to some extent. My parents, who between them had lost several family members to smoking-related illnesses, begged me for years to quit. It was an expensive habit, even thirteen years ago when cigarette prices were a lot lower than they are now. And my health was seriously affected. I developed a case of bronchitis that went on for six months, and in the end the doctor who was treating me told me point-blank that he didn't want to see me again unless I quit. So I switched doctors.

In the end, though, my reason for quitting was very simple. I woke up one morning with the realization that I was tired of being a smoker. That was all it took. I simply no longer wanted to be someone who lit up first thing in the morning, stopped off for cigarettes on the way to work each day, smoked during coffee breaks and after meals, and went through a pack during weekend nights out. It wasn't that I was ashamed, or inconvenienced, or concerned about my health. It wasn't that I could no longer afford it, and although I always refrained from smoking around people who had a problem with it, my motivation wasn't concern about second-hand smoke. I just didn't want to do it anymore. I had absolutely no problem with people who continued to smoke, and I still hung out with my smoking friends, I just didn't want to do it myself.

Something that did get me thinking, though, was my cat Murphy. I got Murphy when he was just four weeks old. He was the runt of his litter, and had been rejected by his mother. One evening a couple of weeks after I got him, I was watching the cricket on TV and having a smoke. Murphy jumped onto my lap and fell asleep. All of a sudden I noticed that his breathing had a wheezy kind of quality, like someone who has bronchitis. And the thought struck me that maybe ingesting all of this second-hand smoke wasn't good for those tiny little lungs. That's the day I started restricting my smoking at home to the balcony. A few months later, I went on to quit, and Murphy is now fourteen years old and in perfect health.

We have known for years that second-hand smoke is an issue. Entire anti-smoking advertising campaigns have been based on the notion that people can get smoking-related illnesses and die even if they have not smoked a day in their lives. Some people dispute this or dismiss it as a conspiracy, but there is a mounting body of evidence to suggest that it is a problem.

I don't want to talk about second-hand smoke, though. I want to talk about a new buzz-word I just heard on the news this morning: third-hand smoke. For a moment I was somewhat confused by this term. What did it mean? That if Bruce smokes and breathes on me, and then I breathe on Tim, that Tim is going to get some horrible smoking-related disease? No, my friends, third-hand smoke is the name that has been given to the smoking smell that lingers on furniture, carpets and curtains, in clothing and hair, in cars or on objects. According to research, third-hand smoke, which contains many lethal carcinogens, is especially dangerous to crawling babies because of their proximity to it. They are also more affected by it than adults, because they breathe rapidly and take in more oxygen and toxic material than adults, relative to their bodyweight.

I would not want to try and dispute this. It may be a problem, it may not be. Fields of study in this aread seem to be relatively new, and as far as I'm concerned, the jury is still out. The question I have is what lawmakers plan to do with this information. I have my crystal ball in front of me, and my crystal ball is telling me that legislators are going to attempt to police people's habits at home. There are going to be attempts to ban smoking on private property. Who knows how far it could go? Will smokers be banned from riding on the subway, even if they haven't smoked all day? Will we start seeing signs in front of grocery stores and post offices that say, "Non-smokers only"?

I am all in favour of people being aware of the potential hazards that can result from their smoking. I am completely in agreement that smokers should avoid smoking in confined spaces or in the presence of children. And sure, maybe change your shirt and throw it into the laundry, or tie up your hair before you smoke. But we do have to be careful about jumping onto a slippery slope that could impinge too intensely on people's freedom.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

Today we're going straight to the mailbag:

Dear Tim.
When I looked at RegistryProt I was wishing you had suggested a Registry CLEANER (which RegistryProt does not appear to be). Any thoughts?
David, Minneapolis

Dear Dave.

Of course I have thoughts, just not about registry cleaners and just not recently. I used to use RegSeeker, but they stopped development of that in 2007. It works great on XP and earlier versions of Windows, but won't do you much good if you run Vista or Windows 7. I tried it on my Vista machine and had to restore what it had cleaned from the backup it creates.

So I looked around and found one I like that really is free. Most of the registry cleaners will say they are free, but they only scan for free. To clean the registry, you have to either use regedit (tedious at best) or pay for the full product. That just wasn't acceptable. So I searched and I searched and I searched some more, and finally found something that was free (and not malware like many registry cleaners are). AML Soft Registry Cleaner is easy to use and works rather well from the limited testing I've done.

The first thing you want to do is download the file and install it. When you run Registry Cleaner, the first thing it asks you to do is create a backup. You always want to create a backup before making any changes to your registry. This step is as simple as clicking the "Backup" button. Next you want to start a scan. Again, there is a scan button, then a list of things to scan for. I left everything checked, then clicked scan again. The scan only takes a few minutes, then you are presented with a list of things Registry Cleaner wants to delete. You can then go through this list and add certain items to an exclude list, so it won't appear should you run Registry Cleaner again. I found this feature very useful, since Folding@Home has unusual registry entries that seem invalid but aren't.

There are a couple of other useful features of Registry Cleaner, although again, I have not fully tested them. One is a disk cleaner that can clean temporary files, recent files (your recent file list, not the files themselves), temporary internet files, and cookies. There is a startup manager that shows you some of the things that start when your computer starts. It is not as good as RegProt at this, but it's still a useful feature for the less experienced user. There is an uninstall manager which will allow you to uninstall programs that might not have an uninstall feature, as a process manager that will allow you to terminate processes such as malware that might be running.

There are other registry cleaners out there, some free, some paid, but I found Registry Cleaner to be fairly effective and easy to use. Best of all, it didn't blow up my Vista machine.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

Two drops of yellow food coloring added to boiling noodles will make them look homemade.

Welcome back Rick!

Next opening line...
There was an Old Man in a tree...

Hints: Here's a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There's also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm

I know it's you, Ellen my dear And I too have been gone about a year But thankfully you Still have your Gnu Because mine ran off with a steer. - Rick in Roanoke	The Old man just sat there and grinned... He was gassy and had just broken wind He was proud of his deed But he refused to proceed Cause if it was chunky he couldn't rescind - Rick in Roanoke
The old man just sat there and grinned Contemplating all the ways he had sinned He was not really bad Just somewhat of a cad As he tossed his cares to the wind. - Bonnie	The old man sat there and just grinned I noticed from him I was downwind. He did a fart engage, Then said, "At my age Gas is what passes for a second wind." - Anne Onimous
Santa has set up shop at Macy For all the good boys and girls to see. But though I've been bad I hope he won't be mad When I ask him for leniency. - Anne Onimous	In a leisure suite he applied in haste To the CPA advert we place Him we refuse to hire Because of his attire - There's no accounting for bad taste! - Anne Onimous

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Re: Internet Privacy

I DO not even say stuff over the telephone I don't want made public and definitely not over the internet.
dEE

When I was 15 [way, way back in '68], I stole a car from the Officer's Club on the base where my family lived [Naha, Okinawa]. After a 1-mile "joyride", I panicked and parked it on top a hill in plain view of our housing area [Duu-uuuh!]. The next day, I pointed the car out to my fellow passengers on the school bus, loudly bragging "There's the car Frank and I stole last night!". Well go figure... within a week, the base police called me down to their office, and lo and behold, someone had "narc'd" on me! Stupid of me? Yes!! And so it is with anyone who sits in a public place [or domain] boasting or bragging about their crimes. Whether I'm on a bus, in a Starbucks, or posting on Facebook, if my info is made public, then any law-abiding citizen is free to 'narc' on me, or any law enforcement official is free to "listen" to my remarks. If however, I entrust a friend with my "secret" or post the information on a "private" site, then the law should be followed by any/all investigators. If my 'friend' goes to the police, or if an online member of my 'private' site discloses the info, then again... I'm the one who should choose discretion!

Just another example of Darwin-in-action... culling the [as Dilbert would say] in-DUH-viduals from the gene pool [and hopefully before they procreate!]
ps...I NEVER stole another car!! - Mike in Virginia Beach, VA
[If you ever decide to go back in the business I sure could use a late model sports car!]

I don't facebook, I don't myspace and I don't twitter so I am not in the least bit worried about someone finding out my private business from any of those venues. If anyone thinks in this day and age that they can post anything on those sites and it will be kept forever and securely private then they shouldn't be let out in publice without a babysitter or nurse because that is dangerously delusional. There are so many examples of perfectly innocent goings on being used against someone, much less deliberate wrong doing, that if one isn't aware of it by now then they have no business using one of those sites in the first place. I do think cops should keep their damn noses off these places if they aren't looking for specific evidence of a specific crime. Then they should get a warrant, just like if they were going to bug your house or phone. To troll the sites just in case they might find a crime is wrong. HOWEVER...if someone does commit a crime and is stupid enough to brag about it on their social network site and they get busted, then as far as I am concerned they deserve to get busted, even if it is just for being stupid...make that ESPECIALLY for being stupid. - GrammieSammie

Like my momma always used to say--don't put anything in print you don't want the world to read because that's always what happens! I told my kids not to do anything they don't want me to see on the internet, too! - Ruth in WA

Re: 15 Minutes

Dora in Denver says Please watch a video, which is only described as starting with a commercial, and being something that will be rejected by my critical faculties. So, what is the point of watching? Every day, I get several similar messages, and am learning to respond only to those with some actual description of the content. - Bob of the North
[Yeah but you trust me. Remember?? Actually it was about old, dangerous tires being sold as new. I should have added that. I'm sorry for the omission.]

Re: Kinship

This is quite a timely topic for me - last May, my husband and I moved from Nebraska to central Illinois, to be near our daughter. We are both born and raised in Nebraska, and never lived anywhere else in our lives, but when my son-in-law was moved to Illinois by the company he worked for, we just couldn't bear the thought of our daughter and 3 grandchildren being so far away, so we moved with them. She is our only child, and we're quite close with her and her husband and the kids.

We moved from a small town of about 25,000 to a small city of around 127,000, so it was quite a culture shock for us. We weren't, (and still aren't) used to a lot of heavy traffic, so that scared us at first, although gradually we're learning our way around town, and when you know where you're going, the traffic doesn't seem so bad.

We both left behind siblings, and other extended family, and my husband misses his friends a lot, as well as his family, so its not 100% perfect here, but we both agree that we are less miserable here than we would have been if we had stayed in Nebraska. We're both retired, and getting to the point now where we sometimes need help with things, so it seemed prudent to stay close to our only child.

We haven't made new friends, since we don't go to work or church, and I think that is the biggest fault I find with this move. I mind it more for my husband's sake than my own, but I acknowledge that we both need to socialize a little. There is a senior center here, but its quite a distance from our house, and so far, getting there has just seemed too daunting.

I don't mean to make it sound all bad, because it isn't. There are so many stores and restaurants here - far, far more than there were in our old home town, and we both agree that if we moved back there now, we'd miss the shopping and dining out that we can do here. There are a lot of community activities here too, and maybe by next summer we'll feel confident enough to get out and attend some of them. I suppose its just a matter of settling in, and not feeling like such strangers in a strange land. We don't regret moving, though, and one of these days we might even be able to say we like it here.

I will be interested to know if anyone else has been in this position, and if so, how they coped with the changes. - Ellen (Yep, its me, Bruce)

Oh man, if only my children lived so far away so I could miss them, it sure would be a blessing. Don't get me wrong, I love my sons dearly, but I am getting mighty tired of handling all their emotional baggage. Really, I am tired enough of handling my own, let alone theirs. It is often quite hard to have a nice visit with either of them without inadvertently pushing their buttons about one thing or another. Of course its only my own fault you see, for I am the one that installed most of said buttons in the first place. Having said all of that I think it is necessary to explain that I graduated high school 3 months after my 17th birthday, so I had 10 glorious years of living on my own (1967-1977) before starting my family, so I am perhaps thinking a little selfishly there. When I was raising my boys a frequent refrain would be, "I can't wait till they are grown and gone and I get my life back." Little did I realize that you never really can do that 100%. BUT...With my own Mother and Father, I know it made a world of difference when I moved nearly a thousand miles away. The physical distance helped me to find the emotional distance needed to cut the cord on so many levels and finish growing up. I did miss them but then I ended up flying back home to see them a lot or they would come up to see me and for a while there it seemed as though we saw each other more often than when we lived in the same county. - GrammieSammie

Three of my children and their families, and the rest of mine and my husband's family, live in Oklahoma. Holiday and casual get togethers just don't happen, much to my sorrow. We live here in Washington because we couldn't take the weather there, but after ten years and only two visits in that time, I think I'm ready to move back there. I really miss my kids!!

We communicate by phone, internet, IM, etc., but it just isn't the same thing. I want to see my grandchildren, and be there when my mom needs help and hassle my brothers about getting older. I think it's something that happens as you get older, especially if you're family has been close. I see this in a lot of people from other areas. It seems to be more now since the economic climate is also getting worse. We all want the safety of family at times like that. - Ruth in WA whose heart is in OK

Re: Quotes

Bonnie, great quotation. How very sad, tho, that things haven't changed that much, these many years. On the other hand it is precisely that reason that keeps Shakespeare's work as relevant today as it was some 400+ years ago. Anyway, I wish I would have had that quotation a few weeks ago when I was having a discussion about human nature with a friend. They maintained that human nature had imp[roved and changed and I said NOT. Now if I can just remember who it was I was talking to...Old age ain't for sissies! - GrammieSammie

"A woman's guess is much more accurate than a man's certainty."

You said this was Rudyard Kipling, but I think it was Sonia Sotomayor. - Bruce in Colorado Springs
[I did a Google search and it appears that most attribute this quote to Kipling. When I added Sotomayor's name to the search I got one hit, but I couldn't find the quote on the page. Maybe Sotomayor was quoting Kipling.]

I was being facetious, it was to remind of when she commented of how she would be a better supreme court justice.

"I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would, more often than not, reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life." Bruce in Colorado Springs

Re: Reader Comment

Well, Miss Tazz is back on her soap box again! I just read something that bugs me just a bit! I just read that in the United States alone there were 110,000,000,000 text messages sent in 2008. Now, if the government knows this, don't you think they can read them too? Does that bother you? Don't you think that our government is just a little nosey? If you knew for sure that they could read your text messages would you send them any way? I know that many people write them in short hand, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure them out. I'd like to know how you the text messenger feel about this. - the Tazz!

Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly attributed, or even outright false quotes won't get in here from time to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.

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#1236

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Jan 4, 2010 6:38 am
Subject: January 4, 2010

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Hardly a week goes by that I don't read of some dumb criminal getting caught because they posted a confession or incriminating video online. But I never considered the possibility that police actually spend time visiting online social groups looking for criminals.

This brings up questions about privacy and illegal surveillance. A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle discussed a lawsuit seeking information about law enforcement's procedures in monitoring online social sites.

"'These are new tools. There hasn't been a lot of discussion about how law enforcement can use them and what's appropriate, what's ethical,' said attorney Marcia Hofmann of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which filed a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit this week against the Defense Department, the Justice Department, the CIA and other federal agencies with intelligence-gathering arms."

"The suit, in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, seeks each agency's policies and guidelines on using social networking sites and its safeguards for preventing abuses. The Electronic Frontier Foundation says the government has ignored requests since October to disclose the information voluntarily."

"'There are a lot of very appropriate law enforcement uses of social networking sites,' said Shane Witnov, a UC Berkeley law student working on the case for the school's Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic. But, he said, 'The American people have a right to know if they're being surveilled.'"

"Federal and state laws require police to get a warrant before reading the contents of a private e-mail. But it's not clear when, or whether, a widely shared networking site is considered private, Hofmann said."

"She said Facebook users might be entitled to privacy protection when they limit access to their communications to people they designate as friends."

"The government, meanwhile, is reportedly teaming up with the private sector to monitor public sites such as Twitter and YouTube. Wired.com reported in October that In-Q-Tel, the investment arm of the CIA and other intelligence agencies, was investing in Visible Technologies, a software company that keeps tabs on more than half a million Web sites, blogs and online forums each day."

It would seem to me that if police suspected someone of a crime, looking at their Facebook page, their Twitter posts or Youtube videos would make sense. However, if they had to pose as a friend to gain access, that would seem to me to be no different than bugging someone's phone or searching their property without a warrant.

On the other hand, most websites, blogs, and social sites seem to be public. I wouldn't post anything there that I would want kept secret.

Do you have a problem with law enforcement monitoring websites and social networking sites? Is this an invasion of privacy or a new tool for investigating crime? Would you reconsider posting on such sites if you thought authorities were monitoring your posts?

I know you're out there,

Submit your Most Embarrassing Moment | Submit your Scariest Moment

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"I always remember an epitaph which is in the cemetery at Tombstone, Arizona. It says: 'Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damnedest.' I think that is the greatest epitaph a man can have - When he gives everything that is in him to do the job he has before him. That is all you can ask of him and that is what I have tried to do." - Harry S Truman

"The key to someone's heart is never lost: It's just that the locks were changed 'cause you're some sort of psycho." - Jean Sorensen

Bawana!
[Thanks Sied]

A missionary visited a small village in a remote jungle and began preaching the gospel. "Jesus saves!" exclaimed the missionary.

"Bawana!" shouted the natives.

"Ye must be baptized!" exclaimed the missionary.

"Bawana!" shouted the natives.

"Donate tithes and offerings!" exclaimed the missionary.

"Bawana!" shouted the natives.

Having had such a successful time, the missionary inquired of the chief as to how he could go to the next village, to share the gospel with them too.

The chief replied, "You go down road one thousand paces, you turn right, climb over wall made of rocks, go across plain. Many bulls in plain. Bulls harmless, but be careful not step in the bawana."

"We build too many walls and not enough bridges."

"Tact is the art of making a point without making an enemy."

"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." - All by English mathematician and natural philosopher Sir Isaac Newton born on this day in 1643

Goal For The New Year

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Dora in Denver sent a comment and video. I thought this information was important enough to include as a 15 Minute submission. Here's your 15 minutes Dora. Thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Oh my goodness! You will NOT BELIEVE THIS! PLEASE watch the whole thing - first is a 30sec commercial then the ABC news video. - Dora

http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=4826897

Kinship

We just endured the "holiday season". Like many maturing families, there are several parts to the celebrations instead of just one whiz-bang event.

First came the "office parties" where we had to endure drunken co-workers and their escorts. Don't get me wrong, antics by inebriated people in large groups can be quite entertaining. It is a different atmosphere, however.

Next was a birthday party for my daughter-in-law. She had the audacity of being conceived at a time that would cause her to be born so close to Christmas. She should have fended off those squirmy things for a couple more months. But, what is, is. So we make sure she has a birthday that doesn't get hidden in the rest of the holiday celebrations.

As I have 2 children, we spend Christmas Eve with one, then Christmas morning with the other. It alternates because the domestic court has deemed it important to alternate custody of some of my grandchildren with their natural father. It's easy to schedule this teeter-totter as it is the other way around next year.

Then there is the "whole family" celebration on a weekend just before or just after Christmas where we do all the gift exchange thing. The Christmas Eve & Christmas morning activities garner a new pair of jammies from Nana & Papaw, whereas the family Christmas is all out bonanza by comparison.

Then comes the extended family gatherings and the "season" is almost a full season long. Christmas began at Thanksgiving when my father came to visit. It culminates 2 days after the New Year.

The good part is we get to celebrate with almost everyone we know & love. But this year is different. We were just alerted that my son & his family will soon be moving to another state, of considerable distance to make the comfortably familiar holiday schedule difficult to maintain. It is bittersweet news as careers are enhanced at the expense of proximity. Next year may be simply sweet memories of "the good old days".

Here's your quiz:
Do you have adult children who have moved so far away from home that casual visits we no longer possible?
If so, how did the change affect your interaction with them?
Does absence really make the heart grow fonder?

Kinship - Kinda Like Family
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Submit Your Date From Hell | Submit your Kids Weird Words | Submit your Crazy Way You Met Your Mate

Kirsten hurt her back. Hopefully she'll be back soon. Here's an archive article.

"If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?"
~ Lewis Carroll - Alice in Wonderland ~

I sometimes think that in order to write a successful childrens' book or TV show, you have to be high on crack. I mean, think about it. Bob the Builder talks to machines that have faces and talk back. Dr. Seuss goes on about wockets and wigzigs and narpets under the carpet and cats wearing inexplicably large hats. The poor man in Blues Clues is trapped in a psychodelic world of fake dogs and talking furniture. And don't even get me started on Alice in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass. I have always been a fan of those two stories, but there's no way Lewis Carroll was in a normal state when he wrote them. For your mind to come up with stuff like Jabberwockies and floating cats' heads, there's got to be a lot going on. Sober people in a normal state of mind don't just suddenly think, "Hey, I'm gonna write about a girl that falls down a rabbit hole and holds a baby that suddenly turns into a pig and runs away".

Alice in Wonderland is so weird that it has had an extremely odd disease named after it. The disease - Alice In Wonderland Syndrome - is a condition where perceptions are altered. The altered perceptions are mostly visual - in other words, the sufferer does not see the world as it actually is. The eyes themselves are structurally fine, and they do their part. But what is seen by the eyes somehow gets lost in translation, so the unfortunate person cannot accurately process what he or she has seen. Something in the wiring of the brain is wrong.

Typically, the victim starts getting confusing images as to what they look like. Suddenly their arms or legs look bigger or smaller. Their bodies look out of proportion. They may suddenly believe that they have grown abnormally long necks or big heads. For them, looking in a mirror might be akin to the rest of us looking in those whacky mirrors at funfairs that make you look all distorted. Objects and places in the victim's world start to look all wrong too. A corridor might seem like it's miles long; the St. Bernard next door might start to look like it's the size of a hamster, and the family car could suddenly appear to be as big as one of those lorries that always cause accidents on major highways during rush hour.

While the misperceptions are usually visual in nature, other senses can be affected as well. A hardwood floor might feel soft and spongy; a radio playing softly could sound as loud as a rock concert; smells and tastes can be exaggerated or missing. Time perception can be affected as well, with time seeming to move disproportionately slowly or quickly.

As frightening as this condition sounds, it is actually more common than one might think. Thankfully, it is usually temporary. It can result from injuries, tumours or surgery to the brain, use of psychoactive drugs, and migraines. It is also associated with the initial stages of some illnesses. It is difficult to diagnose, and the disease is generally confirmed only when all possible physical causes of the symptoms have been ruled out. Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Sometimes the victim just has to wait it out and hope it goes away.

This is certainly not a condition I would want to be lumped with. It would make life very weird. Imagine having Alice in Wonderland Syndrome and then reading the book it's named after. That could really mess a person up.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

Last Monday I had you download McAfee SiteAdvisor to help protect your internet browsing, and told you I'd talk more about that later. Well, it's later, so here we go. First to the mailbag:

Dear Tim re "SpyBot"
You forgot to mention that after you update to click on "Immunize" to finish the update properly.
Keep well, Jesse in Mount Isa, Australia.

Thanks, Jesse. Actually, I didn't forget, I was just saving that part for this article. (Really. No, really, I didn't forget, I swear. I remembered. The fact that I only remembered after you e-mailed me has nothing to do with it.)

As Jesse mentioned, "Immunization" is a feature of SpyBot Search & Destroy that I love. Even if you never run a scan with Spybot, the immunization helps keep you protected. It will automatically adjust your browser's security settings to make you safer. It also modify your hosts file to block known bad sites. If you remember, your hosts file is the first place your browser looks when you type yahoo.com into your browser. If it doesn't find it listed, it then asks your DNS servers for Yahoo's IP address. Now let's say a malicious site tries to redirect you to badsite.com. Your hosts file will say badsite.com's IP address is 127.0.0.1, which is your own computer. Since your computer doesn't host badsite.com, your computer doesn't have a chance to get infected.

Now, if you're running Vista or Windows 7, you don't just click the icon on your desktop (or under Start -> Programs -> Spybot), you have to right-click the icon and select "run as administrator". You should get used to doing this any time you are running a program that may change your system's configuration. Often installing or uninstalling a program will fail if you don't run it as an administrator. You can be logged in as an administrator, but you still have to right-click and run as administrator. If something fails to complete, try again by right-clicking and running it as an administrator. Anyway, after you start Spybot as an administrator, run an update. After the update completes, click the "Immunize" button on the left. You'll have to close all your browser windows as this makes changes to their configuration.

If everything went right, your computer is now about as well protected as it can be. Happy surfing!

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Security

Miscellaneous Tips

Sausage patties rolled in flour before frying won't crack open during cooking.

Pretty good turnout. Nice way to start the year.

The first limerick was unsigned. Hmmm... Could this be Ellen and her gnu??

Let's try an opening line from Anne. Thanks Anne!

Next opening line...
The old man just sat there and grinned...

I'll face the new year with a smile.. And just for the heck of it, I'll Compose a short rhyme About gnus, because I'm Back. I was gone for a while. (Bruce may be the only one who "gets" this.)	I'll face the New Year with a smile--- and hope that it last for awhile--- because I was drinking I just wasn't thinking that in my mouth was lots of bile. - Cassandra in New York
I'll face the New Year with a smile..... Just as I've done for a while..... Yes the old one will leave..... And I refuse to grieve..... 'Cause that's just not my style. - Skeeter	I'll face the New Year with a smile I'll even try to do something worthwhile Far into the next year I'll face it without fear Hell, I'll even do it with style! - Bonnie
As the old year gives way to the new I need to find something to do I no longer work Responsibilities I shirk Hell, I guess I'll just sit here and stew. - Bonnie	To the dealer man I did plead: "I'm desperate, I need more speed My fix can you supply?" He said, "Maybe-I'll try. How much bandwidth do you need?" - Anne Onimous
There was an architect named Dan I thought I was his greatest fan When I asked for a date He did seal my fate. He said I didn't fit into his plan. - Anne Onimous	Said the sock puppet aft he was canned (And after I gave him ten Rand): "Though you're are a true Scout I don't want a handout I'm really looking for a hand." - Anne Onimous

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
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Re: Electronic Book Readers

Hello from London. I have followed RGQ for over 10 years but never commented. I'm not sure of the exact date but it was one of my first subscriptions through Yahoo when I lived in Missouri around '97-98. Thanks for letting me add my 2 cents.

Aside from selling the hardware, both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, offer the software for their products free for the iPhone and iPod touch(and probably other smart phones). I have installed both as well as Stanza and eReader to expand the free books available. I made these changes in August and have since bought a dozen or so books mostly through Amazon and downloaded a bunch of free ones. There are many free subscriptions to newspapers and magazines and a growing number of paid subscriptions coming up soon.

I am big on less is more. My one pocket sized gadget gives me all the functionality of a phone, Mp3 player, digital camera, Internet surfer, radio, email reader, TV, GPS and, last but not least, a book and newspaper reader. The only thing I haven't been able to replace which used to accompany all those other things in my backpack is an umbrella.

The convenience of this can not be overstated. Any time I have a down minute I can do any number of things easily and effortlessly, I don't even have to open a backpack and fish around for the gadget, it slips into a pants or jacket pocket without even causing a bulge. Sitting at a traffic light becomes much less infuriating, waiting for someone who is always late, or, for my fellow man types, during the bathroom visit. Any time becomes time to do pretty much what ever you want.

So having said all that...I am not a candidate for a Kindle because I don't want more baggage. But I do very much like and use the reader.

The iPhone is not perfect, but with contrast, color of background, and text color and size it can be adjusted to personal taste. Pages turn with a finger swipe or tap. Moving around in books is easy by inputing page number, chapter or by searching. The software always remembers where you were last reading. The downside for the iPhone is the screen size, but it has never been an issue for me.

Thanks for providing a great venue. Cheers. LondonDan
[Thanks for the input Dan. I hope we don't have to wait another 10 years for a comment!]

Ah, the Kindle! My friend who is an author has two of them, the original and the DX. He loves them. The man writes all of his books on computer. He prints them out for me because I am his editor and I need paper copies to scribble on when editing, but he makes all his corrections on Kindle. He also uses the voice function of the DX to do one last read-through before publishing and has been amazed that it catches errors that both of us miss. It is a marvelous little thing and I want one -- a lot! I have a rented storage unit full of boxes of books. Imagine how much rent money I could save if I had all my books on Kindle!

I should also let you know that my author friend has created something called Operation eBooks for service men and women who have Kindles and other readers like it. It provides free downloads of books for Kindle owners overseas and in service. It began in October when a serviceman who is a Kindle owner contacted my friend with problems getting downloads of my friend's books. My friend provided the serviceman with free downloads of all 13 of his books and contacted some other authors who merrily jumped on the bandwagon. There are now more than 300 authors participating and multiple service folk recieving books, including those on a submarine. I think this is remarkable and laudable.

I had a problem sending this to you with the link provided at the end of the article. This is not the first time either. I copies and pasted your address into my gmail this time, so I hope you actually get this. - Peg
[Got it Peg. Anyone else having problems with the links?]

I am not interested in the Kindle. Although I have read books online on my laptop, I really prefer to hold a book. There is just something about opening a new (as in I haven't read it yet) book. The feel of the pages, the smell of the ink and paper, browsing for hours through library sales and second hand book stores, B and K. The only reason I can see to own a Kindle is environmentally it may make sense, but I will miss books. - Laura in Minneapolis

Though I love my computer and using the internet for everything else, nothing beats curling up with a good book--made from dead trees--I don't think anything will ever replace the feeling you get when you open a book to start on a new adventure. Bonnie

I am seriously considering buying an e-reader, so I've been watching reviews of the different ones out there. Right now there are too many cons against the service on the Kindle to make one of those interesting. I have hopes for Sony's reader or possibly the one from B. Dalton. My biggest gripe so far is the fact that many of them aren't compatible with the free stuff you get on Gutenberg's website or another one that I use which comes as pdf's. I like the stuff I have from there and would like to have it in a more accessible format so as not to tie up our one computer when I want to read one of the books. Amazon also has a bad history of taking things back you've downloaded or even wiping out things in your downloads. Personally, once I pay for an e-book it's mine as much as a physical book would be. Does our guru Tim have an e-pinion on this? - Ruth in WA

I'd consider getting an e-book reader if it was just getting too tedious reading them on a laptop. However, considering the pile of paper books awaiting my attention, I've not even begun to stockpile e-books. What I want is audiobooks, so I can do some of my routine chores without boredom. - Bob of the North

Re: Sleep

Alas sleep, no matter what time I go to bed, late or early, I wake up about 5:30 am. I may go back to sleep but ... I usually get sleepy about 10 pm. I seem to sleep the deepest between 2 - 4 am. I always dream and remember most of my dreams. I can usually go to sleep in about five minutes or less. I have two dogs in bed with me, one under the covers on my right (an Irish Setter) another on my left who bodies up (a large collie). I slept hard and sound. The sleep of the innocent. Sometimes I will play music from a classical radio station in the background. Every now and then, my White Lab will join in and sleep at my feet. All in all, it is a very peaceful room in the basement of my home. My feather mattress is perfect and all is well in the world with my king sized bed (it needs to be larger). - BJ in Guthrie

Much of the time I too enjoy the early morning hours. However, there are times when I cannot sleep, and it is at those times, that I see a side of life that only those who have trouble sleeping see. I then enjoy the very quiet of it all, and I at those times of no sleep spend time on line, or in my in box. Either way, early morning rising, or late night staying up; I enjoy getting about 7 to 8 hours a night. Some of that sleeping time is done on the couch in front of the TV, but much of it is also done in the bed. Just depends on what type of night I'm having. - the Tazz!

I "need" about eight--but I only get about four hours at a time. Between an expensive bad mattress that we can't afford to replace and some creaky arthritic bones that don't work too well that's all I can stand to spend in bed! Plus the fact that I'm a serious night person and I just don't function well until about three o'clock in the afternoon!

I tend to go to bed as late as I can get away with, between two and four in the morning, get up and eat at six when the hubby was going to work and go back to bed for some more sleep for a few hours. Now that he's laid off that isn't working so well. He thinks he can keep the same schedule that I've spent years refining and it's just messed his days up!! I'm going to have to break him of this soon. I definitely have to set the alarm to get up, thought it's usually about fifteen or so minutes before the alarm goes off, so my day starts off so well! - Ruth in WA

I wish I could get more sleep. Unfortunately, my body clock seems to be set for little "naps". I go to bed around 10:00 p.m. and get up between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. I lay down in the afternoon between 3 and 5--sometimes I can nap and sometimes I just lay there and rest. I don't usually feel tired or run down, but I do wish I were getting more sleep everyday. - Bonnie

Re: Quotes

"A woman's guess is much more accurate than a man's certainty."

You said this was Rudyard Kipling, but I think it was Sonia Sotomayor. - Bruce in Colorado Springs
[I did a Google search and it appears that most attribute this quote to Kipling. When I added Sotomayor's name to the search I got one hit, but I couldn't find the quote on the page. Maybe Sotomayor was quoting Kipling.]

"THE BUDGET SHOULD BE BALANCED, THE TREASURY SHOULD BE REFILLED, PUBLIC DEBT SHOULD BE REDUCED, THE ARROGANCE OF OFFICIALDOM SHOULD BE TEMPERED AND CONTROLLED, AND THE ASSISTANCE TO FOREIGN LANDS SHOULD BE CURTAILED LEST ROME BECOME BANKRUPT. PEOPLE MUST AGAIN LEARN TO WORK, INSTEAD OF LIVING ON PUBLIC ASSISTANCE". --- CICERO, 55 BC
Bonnie

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#1235

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Dec 30, 2009 5:20 am
Subject: December 30, 2009

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You can read this same issue in a browser version at either of the following locations:
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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Read any good books lately? There were a few recommendations here ... great books and great authors.

This year, one of the biggest Christmas or Holiday presents was the Kindle from Amazon.com. Amazon has not released any actual figures for sales, but they are believed to have outsold both Sony and Barnes & Noble electronic readers. Amazon did not run out of product to sell whereas the other two companies did.

The Kindle Store has over 390,000 books available, according to Amazon. The peak day for holiday sales was December 14 and on that day Amazon was flooded with orders. Worldwide, 9.5 million items were ordered on that one day. This staggering number means that 110 items were ordered EVERY SECOND on that day. (Always a day late, I ordered my two books on December 15.)

According to Reuters, Amazon claims to have shipped 7 million units in one day. I'm fairly certain this did mean Kindles, but individual items. I don't think they had a stock pile of 7 million Kindles.

Either way, as a result of the wildly effervescent purchasing going on over the Internet, Amazon's stock rose as the markets opened again after the Christmas holiday.

As people opened their presents on Christmas Day, another phenomenon took place. According to The Guardian, more people purchased downloads to fill their new present than those who ordered print media. This makes sense. However, there is also a raft of free downloads that would make this feat even more remarkable.

Amazon didn't just sell Kindles in the month of December. They had several top-sellers: Apple's iPod touch, Scrabble Slam Cards, Nintendo Wii Fit Plus as well as the balance board needed to play, Harry Potter DVD, Going Rogue by Sarah Palin, and Susan Boyle's latest album all sold remarkable well.

New York analyst with Collins Stewart, Sandeep Aggarwal, has been tracking the Kindle's performance and believes that both models, Kindle 2 and DX

(the larger, more deluxe version), have been on target to sell a half-million by the end of the year. As sales go global, the titles available are also expanding.

I also found a bit of variation in reviews of the device. Crunch Gear gave me a list of ten reasons to buy it and ten reasons not to buy. So there is a bit of a dichotomy all in one spot. Kindle 2 is said to be much improved over the Kindle original. The DX is supposed to be even better. The one thing on the list that would make me think twice is the cost of the technology and how fast it is evolving. Will what I buy today be pretty much worthless by tomorrow?

Do you own an eBook reader? If so, what brand? If not, would you like one if you could afford it? Is it something that is on your wish list? Do you simply prefer dead tree print books?

What are the benefits and drawbacks to the device? If you own one, do you just download books or do you also get newspapers and magazines via download? If you don't already own a Kindle, are you interested now?

Literally,

P.S. Since Friday is New Years, we'll be taking another day off. (Last one for a while I promise). Hope everyone has a fun and safe time. See you on Monday!

Submit your Most Embarrassing Moment | Submit your Scariest Moment

Isn't it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ in your mailbox? Please click the link and direct your contribution to keep RGQ going.

"Mistakes are the portals of discovery." - James Joyce

"Patience has its limits. Take it too far, and it's cowardice." - George Jackson

Mixed Emotions
[Thanks Bonnie]

A husband and wife were sitting watching a TV program about psychology and explaining the phenomenon of "mixed emotions."

The husband turned to his wife and said, "Honey, that's a bunch of crap. I bet you can't tell me anything that will make me happy and sad at the same time."

She said: "Out of all your friends, you have the biggest penis."

"A woman's guess is much more accurate than a man's certainty."

"Borrow trouble for yourself, if that's your nature, but don't lend it to your neighbours."

"God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers." - All from English writer and Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling born on this date in 1865

Happy New Year!

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Sleep

I no longer use an alarm clock. Unless there is something going on that warrants it, I am usually awake in plenty of time to do whatever is planned for my day. With only an occasional fluctuation, I awake around 5 a.m., usually within a few minutes of the hour. It has been this way for so long, I cannot remember the last time I set my alarm clock to get up at "regular time".

As my children were growing up, we would be awakened by someone who needed a diaper change. Later, we would have a tiny person standing at the side of our bed wanting breakfast. As time went on, sporting events, school activities, and a host of various things would have us arising early on weekends. Weekdays always demanded that we get up and go to work.

Whether these circumstances combined to regulate our "circadian rhythm" or it was simply something that was natural for us can be debated either way. All I know is I get up early and retire early. The adage, "Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise" could apply to me except for the healthy, wealthy, and wise parts. I'm still waiting on those effects from my lifestyle.

I often interact early with friends. Some interaction is online only. Some is in "real life" (whatever that is). Because I am responding to email well in advance of others even becoming cognizant of their surroundings, I often tease friends who "sleep in". I find it fascinating how some people need to sleep for longer periods than I do. I get about 7 hours of sleep per night. Others need 8, 9, or even 10 hours of sleep per day. Very few sleep as little as I do.

I joke with friends who need more sleep. I often comment that they arise "at the crack of noon", as opposed to "the crack of dawn". In the winter, I often spend a lot of time and drink a lot of coffee before the skies begin to brighten with the rising sun. With the advent of Daylight Savings Time, I am still often up before Sol peeks over the horizon. I just don't have to wait as long. However, I often am climbing into bed only shortly after Sol has left to visit Asia.

Here's your quiz:
How many hours of sleep do you need, on average, per night?
Do you have the same "schedule" on weekends as you do on weekdays?
What time is your "bedtime"?

Sleep - Nature's Way To Renew And Revitalize
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Submit Your Date From Hell | Submit your Kids Weird Words | Submit your Crazy Way You Met Your Mate

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."
~ Norman Vincent Peale ~

Christmas is very stressful for a lot of people. It actually has a spot on most lists of life's most stressful events. For some reason, many families go all weird over the festive season, and people who do not exchange a single cross word throughout the year are practically ripping each others' throats out over Christmas.

For me, the stress is a little bit less extreme. I don't mind the Christmas shopping, and I kind of enjoy the wrapping even though it kills my back. I have no problem being hostess to the visitors that come over. The thing about Christmas that I find very stressful is the Christmas dinner itself. I get all tense about the fact that the kids aren't eating their dinner and won't sit still at the table, then when they're excused from the table they make a beeline for the Christmas tree and have to be stopped from ripping open other peoples' presents. It is next to impossible for me to eat two consecutive mouthfuls of food without having to jump up and deal with something or the other. Throughout the whole ordeal I'm saying to myself, "Isn't this supposed to be fun?" I am assured that as the kids get older, Christmas dinners will get easier.

Despite the whole Christmas dinner thing, Christmas was actually a lot of fun. We didn't even have the obligatory family drama that usually happens at around this time of the year. Everyone got on great, and there were no stupid fights about things being blown out of proportion.

Everyone knows that Christmas is for the kids, and my favourite part of the day is watching the boys open their presents. First they get the stockings, and then, after breakfast, they get the good stuff. This year, we applied hard-learned lessons from prior years and bought two sets of presents that were mostly the same. That way, there's less fighting over gifts. Each boy got an individualized gift targeted to his own interests (Lego for James; Mr. Potato Head for George).

But at the end of the day, one particular toy was the clear winner. It was not the big remote control Mustang that each of the boys got, but they are crazy about those now. It was not the pop-up play structures, although those did generate a lot of interest. It was not the myriad toy cars that never fail to bring hours of entertainment. It was one of the stocking-stuffers that won the prize for "toy of the day". George got a blue one; James got a red one - and both of them took to their toy instantly. It was none other than a simple Slinky.

I remember having one of those as a kid, and I remember being just as fascinated by it as my boys now are by theirs. With the boys watching, I gave each of their Slinkies a run down the stairs, and after that, they were away. By Christmas afternoon, they were having Slinky races down the stairs. I'm not too clear who won, but they had a lot of fun doing it. I don't know if the Slinky is in the Toy Hall of Fame, but judging from the reactions of my boys, it certainly should be.

And so another Christmas has passed, and with it James' fourth birthday. Now we look ahead to the New Year with its parties and resolutions - some of which will be kept, others of which will be as dispensable as sleazy politicians.

I wish all of our readers and contributors the best for 2010. May all of your dreams and none of your nightmares come true.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

On Monday I told you what you need to protect your new (or even old) computer. By now you should have them all downloaded and stored neatly in a folder somewhere. Make sure you know where that folder is before you continue.

First, we're going to uninstall your old antivirus. Make sure you close all applications including any browser windows as you'll probably have to reboot after the uninstall. Do not disconnect from the internet, as products such as AVG have to connect to the internet to uninstall. Do not open any applications until Cloud AV is installed. If you want to do one last update and scan with your current AV, be my guest. I'll wait.

Now, uninstalling your AV will leave you somewhat unprotected for a bit, which is why you don't want to open any applications. The process also differs from vendor to vendor and between different versions of Windows, and Cloud AV is only good for computers running XP or above. If you're running Windows 98 or 2000, ask Santa for a new computer next year and skip to the malware part.

Most likely, there is an uninstall option under Start -> Programs -> AV vendor. For Windows XP, you can just use that. If you're running Vista or Win7, you'll want to right-click on that and select "Run as Administrator". Logging in as an administrator is not enough, you have to right-click and run as administrator. It's Windows. Windows will complain and ask you if you're sure and all that, just do it. If it pops up a window asking why you're doing it, tell them Tim said Panda was better, then reboot. After you reboot, you'll want to find that folder where you downloaded everything, then right-click on CloudAntivirus.exe and select "Run as Administrator" (this should work on XP too, if not, just double-click it). Again, you'll hear all sorts of noise from Windows, but just click through them and follow the install instructions. After it is installed, you have to create an account to activate it. Just type in your e-mail address and a password (don't use your e-mail password) and optionally a forum username, then wait for the activation e-mail. Click the link in that, and you should see a nice happy Panda in your system tray. You'll also get a welcome e-mail, but that's the last e-mail you'll get. You're protected. Oh, you may see some quick "fade notices" popping up saying "Threat neutralized", then disappearing. Those are normal. Your AV protection used to suck. ;-)

For Malwarebytes, again right-click on mbam-setup.exe and run as administrator. Follow the instructions, and it should want to update. Let it do so, then it will restart. After it restarts, click the Update tab and update again. Keep clicking until it says it's done. Then click on the Scanner tab and do a full scan. You'll see a running total of objects scanned and objects infected. After it is done, it will show a list of infected objects. They all should have check marks in the box next to them, just click immunize or delete or whatever it says. It will then pop up a text box with what it cleaned, and may ask you to reboot. This doesn't have an automatic scan, so plan on scanning about once a week.

SpyBot Search & Destroy is the same deal. Right-click and run as administrator to install it. There is a check box for installing Tea-Timer, uncheck that. As with Malwarebytes, update, scan, and follow the instructions for removal. Keep scanning until it comes up clean.

Next we have McAfee Site Advisor. Right click on saSetup3.0.1.163.exe and run as an administrator. It pretty much does the rest.

Finally, there is RegistryProt. This is a zip file, so right-click, and select "extract all". It should ask you where to extract the files to, I use C:\regprot. After the files are extracted, a window should open with the contents of the c:\regprot folder. Right-click on RPADMIN.exe, and select run as administrator. Under Run at Startup on the right, there is an option to Install. Do that. It will then pop up windows telling you what starts when you start your computer, and asking if you want it to run. You're probably pretty safe saying yes to everything after the scans, but in the future, if some nasty tries to install itself, RegProt will let you know. But chances are, they will never get that far.

The floor is now open for questions.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Security

Miscellaneous Tips
[Thanks Bob of the North]

I've often read that one should add a slice of apple to a container of brown sugar that has gone hard. That works, but so does adding straight water by setting a small container of it inside the larger, sealed sugar jar. As long as the water has to evaporate to reach the sugar, the conditioning is fine. I keep a small measuring cup in my sugar, of the size my breadmaker uses, and just add water to that as needed. If that is too slow, you can just run over a bag of sugar with a car.

Lola was the only one who dared to try that line. Thanks Lola, and thanks Anne for sending in extras. Remember everyone, when I give you a bad line (often!) it's OK to make up your own!

Next opening line...
I'll face the New Year with a smile...

As the old year gives way to the new... And visits from friends become few Take a deep breath Enjoy what is left And bid the old year adieu. - Lola	A good marriage may be a bit rarer But with a statistician it's terror! Post shopping I'd stutter, "I meant to buy butter." My mate asked, "What's you're margarine of error?" - Anne Onimous
I gotten myself in a fix Roman galley work's not picnics - Spending all day rowing. But I hate them calling What we do all day as "oarobics." - Anne Onimous	I sit begging outside the mall Relating how far I did fall. . . On my boss I did rail In the firm's email Then mistakenly hit "reply all." - Anne Onimous
In search of the nuptial ring Doc Frankenstein tried on-line dating. To entice the honeys He listed his hobbies As electronics and body building. - Anne Onimous	The other day I went to the mall I spied a black dress that did enthrall It had spaghetti straps! But my judgment didn't lapse For it made me look like a meatball. - Anne Onimous

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/

Re: EMT's

I was a volunteer EMT in New York City for 12 years. There were countless times that I stopped at a car accident when someone was injured. I could have kept on driving, but I knew that I could help, and it would be very selfish of me to keep that my knowledge and my abilities to myself. Some say that they are afraid of lawsuits, but people who volunteer are covered by the Good Samaritan Law. Even if these 2 EMT's were on duty (and not covered by the Good Samaritan Law) but they treated the patient to the best of their training and ability, they have nothing to worry about. Even if they didn't have a lot of field experience, they can do their best to stabilize the patient until the ambulance arrives (which in NYC can sometimes be half an hour to an hour.

The main thing though is, a trained medical professional (EMT, paramedic, doctor, nurse) who is at the scene where there is an injured person, can be charged with abandonment if they leave the scene before an equal or more qualified medical person arrives.

Please let's not let these 2 people ruin the good name of EMT's and paramedics the world over, who are always ready to help the injured, sometimes even at their own risk. - Eli in Israel

I am never commented on one of your articles but this one today (12/28) was unbelievable. I had not read about the incident prior so reading it this morning was quite an eye opener. I am appalled that these 2 chose NOT to do what they are trained to do in an emergency situation. At the very least they could have gone to her assistance to ease her anxiety. And as far as losing their jobs......hell yes! Why subject them to a job they don't want to do anyway! Amazing what people are capable of doing or not doing. Thanks for the article. - Mary
And my hope for the New Year is we no longer have to read about these kinds of incidents!

IF these two individuals were wearing a uniform identifying them as EMTs and since EMTs even when working as dispatchers are required to be fully trained EMTs, then their actions, or actually the lack of action is especially reprehensible.

Granted, they probably did not arrive on location in an equipped ambulance, nor were they probably carrying a medical kit with them. Still, given the level of their knowledge and purported skills, for them to not at least stay and support the woman and the people around her, demonstrates a level of callous disregard for life and a shocking absence of compassion.

Are these people required to maintain levels of skills requiring re-certification? I know for sure it is required for the levels of CPR, even for doctors. Had they been dispatchers so long they felt "rusty"? In whose best interest were they acting? Theirs or hers?

If it is not already a practise, sounds to me like all dispatchers should be required to spend some specified period of time every year, back in the field working as an EMT.

While I would disagree with attempts to legislate compassion, I do feel strongly about these people apparently withholding aid and assistance when it was within their "power" to do so.

I have no comment upon legal or punitive actions for the individuals. Carol T.

Unless they have some kind of "good samaritan" law on the books, I don't think they can charge them with anything. That's too bad, because their behavior was both callous and heartless.

But that aside, what did the poor woman die of? This article says they won't do an autopsy unless the family requests one. That sounds strange to me, the law about determining a cause of death is different here in California. I would like to know if she would have died anyway, even with help. - Margee Lee

Why a trained EMT might not respond - what sort of Good Samaritan Laws exist in New York State? Are EMT's excluded? Does it apply when a trained responder has not been sent or instructed officially to attend a person? Liability laws and insurance are behind a lot of this! What if they HAD tried to help the woman, and their efforts resulted in the same end - she died. Would the family sue the two men? Remember, they were not ordering lunch with medical bags in hand. They probably didn't even have one, since they were dispatchers. I think those two men did exactly the right thing - they told the folks to call 911. - Nancy L in Ohio

AFAIK, there's no reason for off-duty EMTs not to get too drunk to work. They might even need to, if that's how they cope with horror on the job. Those dispatchers might have been burnt-out attendants, serving in the only capacity they could to prevent a shortage. That said, I just got declared officially disabled by what an off-duty EMT did to me three years ago, in the course of performing an illegal eviction as a follow up to other crimes and cheats she wanted to cover up. Maybe she figured that if she saved a few lives, she could ruin a few and come out even. - Bob of the North

Re: Weather

Ah, Cliff! A Weather Watch means radar somewhere shows something could happen. A Weather Alert means it has already begun happening. As in it MIGHT snow or Warning! Snow Alert as you watch it swirling around outside your window. Yes, I live in an unincorporated area, and no, they do not react to every alert. The cities do, though. Salt trucks were out hours before the freezing rain was supposed to arrive last week, making sure intersections would not be sheets of greased ice. On our road, the County simply drove up and down not putting anything anywhere. This morning about 8 a.m. they plowed the road. School's out, no need to worry about people who left for work two hours earlier.

Of Course I change plans if driving in awful weather is optional!! The current storm will be over by noon tomorrow, and then I'll go to the Library. We keep a well stocked pantry and freezer. - Nancy L in (northern) Ohio

Weather reports in the Puget Sound area aren't worth shit, for the most part. I can look out the back door and get one that is more accurate! I usually go to my homepage report for the area or the weather channel. I think the reporters here are just trying to look good to get a better job somewhere else since most of the stuff here is common sense. I will say that the long range predictions here are mostly for the Seattle area so the ones for across the Sound (our area) will be less accurate.

We are officially in the city of Port Orchard, but it's still out in the country where we are. When we had the snow last year that dumped a foot or so of snow in a day we were stuck for a week before they got around to plowing or sanding in our neighborhood. Fortunately, I had gone to the store and was reasonably prepared for it.

If there is going to be bad weather I try to stock up and get any errands run before it's supposed to hit. I'd much rather sit at home in comfort (if there isn't a power outtage, that is) than be outside trying to get around or get unstuck from something! My husband missed a week of work last year because he couldn't get out and that really hurt on the next paycheck, and I'm sure my kids in Oklahoma are having the same problems right now. - Ruth in WA

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#1234

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Dec 28, 2009 7:27 am
Subject: December 28, 2009

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

There's a lot of pain and suffering in the world. With traffic accidents, crime, suicide, falls, etc., etc., hospitals are flooded with emergency cases daily. Before these cases make it to the hospital however, a large percentage receive assistance from trained Emergency Medical Technicians or EMT's.

I can only imagine what the average EMT must see in a career. I know I wouldn't be able to handle the job, so I thank God there are people in this world who can. Countless lives have undoubtedly been saved by these highly trained men and women.

But earlier this month an incident in New York city tarnished the image of these brave individuals. On Dec. 9 two EMT's were on break at the restaurant Au Bon Pain in Brooklyn when Eutisha Rennix, an employee, collapsed.

The EMT's, Jason Green and Melissa Jackson were placing their order when they were told of the emergency. Witnesses said their response was to recommend calling 9-1-1. They then got their orders and left. Ms Rennix, who was 6 months pregnant, later died at the hospital. Her child was too premature to survive.

As it turns out, the two are dispatchers for the city's EMT's so I thought maybe that was the reason they didn't take action. But, according to an Associated Press article, "As dispatchers, Green, a 6-year veteran, and Jackson, a 4-year veteran, are fully trained EMTs. A spokesman for the EMTs' union said all dispatchers are required to be field-trained EMTs or paramedics in order to be more effective at their jobs, and are capable of getting involved in emergency situations."

"'All of our members are qualified to make that initial assessment and in some cases, start medical care,' said Robert Ungar, spokesman for the Uniformed EMTS and Paramedics, FDNY."

"'Being dispatchers is not a defense' for inaction, he said."

"Douglas Rosenthal, the EMTs' lawyer, pushed back against what he called a "rush to judgment" that had vilified his clients. He said the facts will show that Green and Jackson acted 'appropriately to the best of their abilities'"

"The EMTs, ...were suspended without pay and the Brooklyn district attorney opened a criminal investigation into the case. State health officials, who called the inaction 'appalling,' were also investigating along with the city's fire department, which oversees EMTs."

It appears that everyone from the EMT union to the district attorney is just as amazed by this incident as I am. I can't understand why anyone would refuse to help in such a situation.

Can you think of any reason these EMT's would refuse to help? Should they lose their jobs? Should they be prosecuted for their inaction?

Dumbfounded,

Submit your Most Embarrassing Moment | Submit your Scariest Moment

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"Everybody lies, but it doesn't matter because nobody listens." - Nick Diamos

"I think the first virtue is to restrain the tongue; he approaches nearest to gods who knows how to be silent, even though he is in the right." - Cato the Elder

The Angel In The Boat
[Thanks Sied]

Three guys were fishing in a lake one day, when an angel appeared in the boat.

When the three astonished men had settled down enough to speak, the first guy asked the angel humbly, "I've suffered from back pain ever since I took shrapnel in the Vietnam War .... Could you help me?"

"Of course," the angel said, and when he touched the man's back, the man felt relief for the first time in years.

The second guy who wore very thick glasses and had a hard time reading and driving. He asked if the angel could do anything about his poor eyesight. The angel smiled, removed the man's glasses and tossed them into the lake. When they hit the water, the man's eyes cleared and he could see everything distinctly.

When the angel turned to the third guy, the guy put his hands out defensively -- "Don't touch me!" he cried, "I'm on a disability pension."

"Ambition, if it feeds at all, does so on the ambition of others."

"Authoritarian political ideologies have a vested interest in promoting fear, a sense of the imminence of takeover by aliens and real diseases are useful material."

"I envy paranoids; they actually feel people are paying attention to them." - All from American writer Susan Sontag who died on this date in 2004

Bad Place Names
[Thanks Tesser]

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

John in Oz had some info on the issue of global warming to share. This was a meant to be a comment but since I was slow to get his images loaded, I decided to make a 15 Minutes piece out of it. To save space I've included links to the images. Thanks for the comments John, here's your 15 Minutes.

With the South Pole getting colder every decade, Antarctic sea-ice ever increasing, ice-bergs heading north toward New Zealand, and 304 record low temperatures set in the U.S. last week, Bob accuses Cliff of having his head in the sand? How's that Global Warming working out for the rest of you?

(image 1)

Here's a summary:

Record Events for Sun Dec 6, 2009 through Sat Dec 12, 2009

Total Records: 2601

Rainfall: 992

Snowfall: 815

High Temperatures: 36

Low Temperatures: 304

Lowest Max Temperatures: 403

Highest Min Temperatures: 51

Data from NOAA via the HW map generator via http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/13/lots-of-new-cold-and-snow-records-in-the-usa-this-week/#more-14140

1) Oh wait, this is the first of Bob's 4 proofs of Global Warming- "extreme weather records being set faster than they would be". Except what you're getting is the exact opposite. Here's the prediction: "As the global climate changes, extreme weather events such as droughts, floods, heat waves, heavy rainfall, tropical storms and hurricanes are expected to increase"
http://www.heatisonline.org/contentserver/objecthandlers/index.cfm?id=3546&method=full

2) Well what about ancient forests devastated by bugs from elsewhere? Oh please, I'm from Australia. We've got biological infestations from everywhere; rabbits, cane-toads, crown-of-thorns starfish- none of them proving 'Global Warming'.

3) '10 thousand year old glaciers suddenly falling to bits'- Glaciers are rivers of ice. It's not just heat that affects Glaciers. It's how much snow falls at the top end. The only reports I've seen were those that debunked from meteorological records, the unfounded assertions of researchers, who when challenged asserted that precipitation hadn't declined. It had. Wind, aerosols, precipitation, evaporation, cloudiness, Global Dimming are all relevant factors. I realize this sounds like hand-waving dismissal, until you realize that these glaciers survived warmer temperatures than today's 9 thousand years ago. http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/08/29/study-glaciers-defied-hotter-temperaturs-9000-years-ago/

4) The big one. Bob's story that there's people offering big bucks scientists to deny climate change, with most of them nobly refusing, is an appealing mythology to climate alarmists. The problem is that it's a misleading half-truth.

Exxon-Mobil Corp paid a grand total of $23 million over a decade to fund the research of skeptics- one quarter or less of what they paid to fund the research of consensus scientists.

All the Big Bucks are all going the other way, from Gore's Nobel Prize to James 'Coal is the holocaust' Hansen's quarter-million dollar Heinz foundation prize, to the 79 Billion dollars and counting the US Government has spent on the Climate industry.

Carbon trading worldwide reached $126 billion in 2008. Banks, which profit most, are calling for more. Experts are predicting the carbon market will reach $2 - $10 trillion in the near future. Bob's 'big bucks' are less than a thousandth of what the US government has put in, and less than one five-thousandth of the value of carbon trading in just the single year of 2008. http://scienceandpublicpolicy.org/images/stories/papers/originals/climate_money.pdf

Here's what the Daily Mail says about the CRU's attempt to 'Hide the Decline'. I'm not English, and don't know the newspaper's reliability, but the graph appears accurate:

(image 2)

Here's a station that says the temperature is increasing:

(image 3)

That's not the worst I've seen, just the worst I can lay my hands on at the moment.

Here's one that says it isn't:

(image 4)

I fully intended to tactfully advise Chris that I couldn't agree with his conclusion that AGW is fraud. I subscribe to Heinlein's Law, "Never attribute to malice what can adequately be explained by stupidity". Groupthink is enough, I thought, to explain the Bob's, the CRU's and the IPCC. However, in the course of writing this letter I learn the raw data plotted above has been removed. The 'adjusted' data better supports AGW http://wattsupwiththat.com/2009/12/11/giss-raw-station-data-before-and-after/ The raw data is no longer available. Nor is it just that one station.

That and the attempt of the CRU to hide their data from inspection http://climateaudit.org/2009/07/31/the-cru-data-purge-continues/

I'm no longer sure I can.

Weather Alerts

We had our first measurable snowfall yesterday.

A couple days ago, the snow had been predicted. A northern cold front was to meet up with a moist air mass from the south right here in River City. Weather forecasters were telling us we would be in for a significant snow. Some areas southwest of where I live were to bear the brunt of it, whereas, here, we were to get 2 to 4 inches.

As the weather systems moved toward us, the weather reports turned into weather warnings. My immediate area was given a "Winter Storm Watch" and the southeast area was given a "Winter Storm Warning". The difference, from my understanding, is a "warning" means it IS going to happen. A "watch" means it isn't going to be as severe as a "warning", but something is going to happen.

The weather systems approached. They did as predicted and the cold air from the north caused the moist air to crystallize and snow began to fall. A steady fall of snow continued throughout the day, but it stopped well before they anticipated. Our "warnings" were to continue through the night and on into the start of today. However, all weather alerts were cancelled in the late afternoon as the brunt of the weather pattern chose to do more damage further east.

It is not unusual to get weather alerts that never develop as predicted. It seems the attitude is to predict the worst case scenario and prepare accordingly. Otherwise, due to the imprecise nature of weather forecasting thus far, we could find ourselves with piles of snow and road crews still at home sipping coffee.

This comes at a price. Supplies of salt & other deicing materials are spread across roadways. Road crews are scheduled for overtime when snows come overnight. Fuel and repair costs accrue as equipment is put to use. Most of the time, as storms diminish, crews are recalled and supplies are reserved.

Here's your quiz:
How accurate are weather predictions in your area?
If you live in unincorporated areas, do your road crews react to predictions, or to only what occurs?
Do you alter your plans based on weather forecasts?

Weather Alerts - May As Well Cry Wolf
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Submit Your Date From Hell | Submit your Kids Weird Words | Submit your Crazy Way You Met Your Mate

Kirsten was still recovering from the holidays. Here's an archive piece.

"There is not the slightest indication that energy will ever be obtainable from the atom."
~ Albert Einstein ~

We are always on the lookout for alternative sources of energy. We are starting to vote for politicians who promise to launch incentives into fuel efficiency; we are wagging our fingers at the auto industry for having gotten itself into a mess by consistently manufacturing gas-guzzlers that fewer people want to buy. We want our transit systems to run more smoothly so that they can be a viable alternative to driving for more people.

It's not that we lack the technology. Several alternative energy sources are in use - the first ones that come to mind are solar power and wind power. Every now and then we read articles about people recycling sunflower oil. Hybrid vehicles are becoming more popular, although the technology is still experiencing some teething problems. And when Bruce gets his message to the right people (note that I said "when", Bruce, not "if"), the phrase "hydrothermal power" will become part of everyday venacular.

News has recently broken of a doctor who has devised another means of powering his SUV. Interestingly enough, he also lives in California. I wonder if Bruce knows him. Dr. Carl Allen Bittner is a Beverley Hills cosmetic surgeon. He reasoned that if humans store fat as a potential energy source, then fat extracted via liposuction could have some value. He requested and received permission from some of his patients to experiment with this concept. He converted the fat extracted from the patients into free fuel, and successfully used it to power his car.

Predictably, a storm has erupted over this practice. The powers that be in California are pressing medical malpractice charges. The State of California has decreed that liposuctioned fat is categorized as medical waste, and it cannot legally be used for anything. It has to be properly disposed of instead. Some of Dr. Bittner's patients also have lawsuits pending against him, based on claims that he used their fat without their consent.

There are skeptics who doubt the whole story. They believe that Dr. Bittner would not have the technical ability to convert the fat into fuel. But who knows? Maybe he knows technically-minded people with the right set of skills. It does make some sense that energy could be harvested from human fat, even though the concept has something of a "grossness factor". Whether Dr. Bittner actually did this or not, some ethical questions have been raised. The biggest concern is that greedy doctors could start performing unnecessary liposuction in order to sell the fat and make lots of money. This could easily happen without the consent of the patients. It would be akin to selling human organs for transplant, and it would be a lot easier to pull off.

I don't know if I myself would choose to power my car with human fat. I have no idea what the environmental implications would be. What if the fat was harvested from someone with some illness? Would the bacteria or virus be killed during the conversion process, or could some potentially lethal toxins be released into the atmosphere for people to inhale? What would the byproducts of burning the fat be? And if I was a liposuction patient myself (which is never likely to happen, since I have a fundamental problem with bits of me being sucked out through a straw attached to a vacuum cleaner), I don't know if I would want my fat to be used in this way.

Kudos to the doctor for thinking outside the box. We need innovative, imaginative people to come up with viable environmental solutions. But I think the horse I'd back in this one would be Bruce.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

Now that Santa Claus has come and gone, how many of you have a new computer or netbook? Chances are your new computer came with security software, but most likely it's only a trial version. Today I want to show you how to uninstall that and install free products that will keep your computer secure.

First, let's download the software you'll need. You'll want to do that *before* you uninstall your trial security software. The most important security item is your antivirus. I recommend Panda Cloud AV. This especially good for netbooks, as it doesn't do a daily scan that wastes your battery power. Instead it only scans what you try to open. And the virus database is kept on the internet, so it is updated constantly, not just once a day. It's ranked better than Norton or AVG in detecting threats. Best of all, it's free for personal and educational use. Just click the green "Download it now" button, and save it. We'll deal with it later.

Next on my list is anti-malware. For this, I recommend Malwarebytes. Again, this is free for personal use, and spectacular at cleaning up when your computer "just isn't acting right". Just click on the blue Download free version button, and that takes you to Major Geeks.com. Click on a link under Downloads, and save it with your cloudantivirus.exe. This one is called mbam-setup.exe.

Now, you can only have one antivirus, but you can have more than one anti-malware. I also recommend SpyBot Search & Destroy. There is a download button, and then several sites to choose from. The file name will be spybotsd162.exe, save it with the others. If you jump the gun and try to install it, do not install Tea Timer. I've got something better for you.

But first I want to protect your browsing experience. My tool of choice is McAfee Site Advisor. Click on Free Download and save saSetup3.0.1.163.exe with the rest of these tools. It's not the only product on the market, but it's a solid start.

Now to take care of your registry. I told you not to install Tea Timer. I've found that it can be annoying and confusing. That's why I use RegistryProt. Just scroll down a bit and click Download, agree to their license agreement, and save regprot.zip with the rest of the lot.

That should keep you busy until Wednesday.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Security

Miscellaneous Tips

Cheese won't harden if you butter the exposed edges before storing.

Not too many with that line. Anne saved me with some extras though.

Next opening line...
As the old year gives way to the new...

Your present is under my tree--- It's something that will bring you glee--- It isn't molasses nor a pair of glasses but it's some fun to you from me. - Cassandra in New York	Your present is under my tree Hey, what did you get for me I don't need much Just some trinket or such In fact, all I really need is thee. - Bonnie
Your present is under my tree, and on it my dog did pee. Happy Holidays! From, Celine Kitty, Rowdy Dog, and the Tazz!	Japanese food makes me squeal Love eating sushi and uncooked eel! And when it goes on sale. That food I will inhale. . . . I think I'm getting a raw deal! - Anne Onimous
In Greece, in the days of yore Political parties weren't a bore. One party they did ban - The "Half-horse, Half-man" - Was when it moved towards the centaur. - Anne Onimous	I know I am no school child But I felt both fired up and defiled When I glimpsed a view - A naked barbeque! - In a video of "Grills Gone Wild" - Anne Onimous
While in the woods you can't find a tree Or maybe can't find stuff on TV. But if the sky you'll crossed Then you'll never been lost Until you get lost at Mach 3. - Anne Onimous	This advice I give is no joke We each need to be one smart bloke While living heartily Do practice fire safety - Don't let your dreams go up in smoke. - Anne Onimous
One day while showing off like a ham To the cold pavement I did slam. . . To learn to walk again I think that I'll begin With that famous twelve-step program. - Anne Onimous	Bad days follow me - for instance The therapist who was licensed, And the tire salesman, Along with the bank man All told me that I was unbalanced. - Anne Onimous

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/

Re: Adopted Children

My divorced sister-in-law, hereafter referred to as "crazy aunt Barbie"(caB), was living in Mindanao as a missionary, adopted a child from the Philippines who was the child of a drug addict prostitute in Manila. By the time he was 2 years old he was nothing more than a "product" for her "business". When "caB" adopted him at around 7 years old he had some issues that she thought could be overcome with a loving environment. "CaB" moved back to the states during his teen years and finally said she was going to send him back to Manila, or just abandon him and let him get deported, because he was a SOLID 5' 4" 175 pound black-belt in martial-arts and she couldn't handle him anymore.

When he was 16 he came to live with us for a trial period of 6 months to see if we could help him. Three weeks after he arrived he threatened my wife verbally, then us and himself with a knife. I wasn't sure how to diffuse the situation, so I approached him with concern but caution and immobilized his weapon, (I'm 5'10", weighed 203 lbs., was curling 175 lbs. and could squeeze a bathroom scale to 250 lbs. with my hands at the time but had no martial-arts abilities. I was fortunate he had basic respect for the "dad" authority in a household). He calmed down and decided he wanted to play a game called "frog". I asked what the game was, and he said "I punch you in the arm as hard as I can and then you punch me in the arm as hard as you can, and we see who makes the biggest "frogs" on the other ones arms!"
6
We were still in the kitchen where the incident started, (it measured 12' x 18'). He hit my arm and then I hit his and sent him about 4 steps away to the sink where he landed against the countertop. He came back and hit me again, and I gave him another trip to the sink. This went on for about 10 minutes and my wrist was KILLING me, but I thought if I show any fear or pain he would try to take over leadership of the family, so I finally said that we had better stop it so things don't get out of control.

For the next 5 months he was a "model citizen" and respected my wife and me while obeying the "house rules" as diligently as he possibly could... he really began to blossom into the decent kid that he wanted to be.

We sent him back to "caB", and within the next year he had degraded to the same stuff as before.

My opinion is that kids need an environment of structure, control, discipline and love to grow into responsible adults and without that, they will react to their "world" with the level of maturity that their emotions have developed to, (i.e., arrested development is a fact). The WORST thing to do is to try and reason with a child why they should behave in a certain way... they don't have the tools to know how to calculate their behavior when they are living in the "pleasure/pain" stage of their emotional growth. Some of today's "child psychology" is destructive and will lead to undesirable results.

What we did with our nephew was a kind of "boot-camp", and as long as the environment is not unloving and sadistic, a certain amount of inflicted pain is a good thing (when carefully administered by the right people to the right part of the body... typically spanking the buttocks with an appropriate instrument while the child is young enough to learn a valuable lesson from it). - Bruce in Colorado

Re: Smells

Nancy L. in Ohio, I will see your pet food factory with the fertilizer factory in Idaho, and raise you with the sugar factory in El Centro, CA. (below sea level and lots of triple digit days.) Hard to imagine something so sweet could smell so bad in the making. A bit like fish actually. (What is Menhaden anyway?)

Most favorite smell, the open country after a good rainfall and...also the smell of the outdoors after a good snowfall. - Grammie Sammie

Re: Kids And Stores

Patti said, "It is my opinion that the job of parenting children is to teach them how to live in the world at large."

Every parent needs to know they are "training" their children how to behave as adults. If they don't apply themselves to the task, they will have visits to the principal's office or jail.

"You aren't teaching that lesson when there are no consequences to follow egregiously wrong behaviors. When your baby grows up and gets a job, the boss is not going to be concerned with his or her little feelings."

A problem that will become obvious soon is children who never had limits being told to do something by a person in a blue uniform. If mommy and daddy couldn't get little Schmedley to eat his vegetables because he was "high-strung" or just a "strong-willed child" it is likely that when the officer pulls out his stun gun that the little darlin' (who now weighs 206) may still believe that there are no negative consequences for his immature actions and rebellion.

"...are hired to do a job, not be in therapy. What sort of preparation are you giving your offspring?"

Parents are training their kids to be irresponsible turds, because Dr. Spock said they would "damage their self esteem" if they ever had a moment of disappointment.

"Have you noticed more children "out of control" or "acting up" of late? Like everything else, can we blame this on the economy? If you have small children and they misbehave in public, what do you do? Do you have a code word, letting them know they are in trouble later? Do you act immediately to stop the behavior? If you are out and a child is carrying on, do you ever stop and speak? If so, do you speak to the child or to the adult?"

I was shopping in a Target store and heard a small child carrying on about having to have something. It seemed that whatever aisle I was in this kid was close by and demanding EVERYTHING within arms reach. When I saw the cart there was all kinds of useless crap that dad had been loading up on to placate the 3 year old child, and it was painfully obvious who was in control of the situation. Now, I personally don't know why a child needs double edged razors or tampons, but what the hell do I know? When I got to the checkout, guess who cruises in behind me... milquetoast man and Attilla the HouseApe, still pulling stuff off the nearby displays. I couldn't stop myself from asking the guy if his back hurt, and he said, "no, why" To which I responded, "Well, the way you were bending over and kissing that kid's butt through the whole store..." (I had my tact surgically removed in 1989).

"Is there an effective disciplinary method to curtail bad behaviors either in public or private? Does it help or hurt the child to allow them to misbehave without consequences?"

There was a study done years ago in New York public schools where they removed the chain-link fence from around the playground and all the kids began congregating in the middle of the playground. When they replace the fence the children began using the entire playground again because there was safety in having boundaries. If a parent doesn't know how to establish healthy boundaries for their kids, they will not be able to provide an environment where the child can learn the necessity of rules and limits.

We used to have a neighbor who always tried to have a peer meeting with their 5 year old son, Bryce. Bryce had NO idea what the hell was expected from him because mom was always in a negotiation process with the little dear. Here is a slightly embellished account of a typical incident: "Bryce... stop jamming that ice-pick into your little sister's eye... Bryce... I am your mother Bryce... do what I tell you... I'm gonna count to TEN Bryce... I'm COUNTING! You stop that right now, Bryce...'One'... Bryce... I'm counting Bryce...'One'... Bryce... stop that this instant... Bryce.. 'One... two'... Bryce... I'm counting Bryce...'One... two'..." I'll bet Bryce couldn't count to five by the time he was 16, and he DAMN-SURE didn't know what an immovable limit on his behavior was! - Bruce in Colorado

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#1233

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:52 am
Subject: December 23, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I'm the parent of two sons. They are adults now with four children between them. They grew up to be pretty nice guys, if I do say so myself.

There were some days when they were younger ... There were times when I was ready to call it quits. There were days when I was ready to walk out and leave the darlings to their father who was also on my list (at the time). Instead, we somehow all managed to live through it. It wasn't easy, but we did it.

My children are the biological progeny of me and my husband. I'm still on my starter husband and so we are just one big usually happy family, but that's a different story.

I know some adopted children and some parents who have adopted. Melissa and Tony Wescott adopted their son in 2007. He is now 11 so he was eight or nine when they adopted him.

According to Good Morning America, the Oklahoma couple aren't doing so well. They want to "unadopt" the child. They have good reason, they say, to return the child to the state.

Their son is soon to be released from the locked up psychiatric hospital in Tulsa where he has been an inpatient for almost a year. The doctors there say he is no longer a danger either to himself or anyone else. The Wescotts are afraid to bring him back home.

"He tried to burn our home down. The note said, 'I'm sorry you had to die,'" Melissa Wescott told Good Morning America. She went on to say she and her husband found butcher knives hidden under the child's mattress and lights hidden in his bedroom.

Their son has been diagnosed with a laundry list of mental health disorders. Even before being admitted to the hospital, their son was diagnosed with reactive detachment disorder, disruptive behavior disorder, major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and fetal alcohol syndrome.

He was violent toward other children and ignored adults. He hurt and killed animals and ran away from home, causing the police to be involved. The parents say they are unable to handle this type of behavior and they would like to return him to the Department of Human Services. The Department does not want him back, saying adoptive parents should not be treated differently than birth parents.

If the Wescotts do not permit the child back in their home, they could be charged with felony child abandonment. The Wescotts say they have exhausted their ability to care for this child and he needs more help than they can provide.

Karen Poteet runs the state's post-adoption program and is the adoptive mother of two. She admits that some children are a bit difficult to handle. Her own two children were "abused from the moment of conception" since their birth mother drank. She does not blame the children and deals with the issues herself, she says.

There is a way to dissolve an adoption, but it a lengthy and costly ordeal. The Wescotts say they cannot afford this and are trying to get the law in Oklahoma changed. The parents claim they were misled about possible issues with their son. Poteet says all parents are told the children have been abused and may have issues showing up some time in the future.

The records show the boy the Wescotts adopted was "well-behaved" and polite. He was described as "respectful toward authority" and it was said that he "makes friends easily." The reports said he had no "significant behavioral problems which would be considered abnormal for a child his age." Yet within a year of the adoption he was trying to kill his parents.

Should there be a way to "return" children who are more than we bargained for? It is already so difficult to find adoptive homes for all the children in foster care. Would stories like this one make you rethink any adoptions? What is not stated in this article is how the child came to be in foster care in the first place.

If "parents are parents" as Poteet says, how far do we go? Should the Wescotts just hope the doctors are right and this time he will not try to knife them or burn the house down? If they could not cope with a ten year old (his age when admitted) how will they manage to cope with a hormone driven teenager? Foster care in the US leaves a lot to be desired. Do you know of any better system?

Parentally,

P.S. Since Friday is Christmas we'll be taking the day off. I hope everyone has a great holiday, be safe and we'll see you again on Monday!

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"An intelligence test sometimes shows a man how smart he would have been not to have taken it." - Laurence J. Peter

"Sometimes people carry to such perfection the mask they have assumed that in due course they actually become the person they seem." - W. Somerset Maugham

Just Wave Back!
[Thanks Bonnie]

From a passenger ship, everyone can see a bearded man on a small island who is shouting and desperately waving his hands.

A passenger asks the captain, "Who is that man, and why is he so upset?"

"I've no idea," the captain says, "but every year when we pass by, he goes nuts."

"The difference between a violin and a viola is that a viola burns longer."

"I wish to thank my parents for making it all possible... and I wish to thank my children for making it necessary."

"If I have caused just one person to wipe away a tear of laughter, that's my reward." - All from Danish-born comedian and pianist Victor Borge who died on this date in 2000

Merry Christmas!

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

BJ submitted a couple of wonderful Christmas stories (sorry, I couldn't pick just one). Here's your 15 minutes BJ. Excuse me, I seem to have something in my eye...

The Pig Who Saved Christmas

My mom and I were poor when I was young. I remember once when my father gave her ten dollars(he owed thousands), she cried. She worked two jobs to support us and I sold donuts in the neighborhood(I made 25 cents for every box sold).

We didn't have a car, but we had each other. The divorce was tough on mom and on me. The stigma of a divorced woman back in the early 50's is so much different than today.

If I wanted to see a movie I would go downtown on Saturdays, catch a serial, a feature for free. I would walk home to save the 25 cents for the bus ride. The walk was about eight miles one way.

The point is, Christmas was an imposing time for us. How could we have money for Christmas. Well mom had an idea. She bought us a red plaster pig and we would put pennies into it. As Christmas would near, the pig would divulge it's contents and that would be our Christmas. I know this pig holds about 30-35 dollars in pennies. I would get 1/2 of the money and mom would get 1/2 and off we would go to buy our presents. A person can get a lot for 15 dollars if they are careful, pencils, papers, some board games, a few books, some toys could all be purchased for less than 15 dollars. I would buy mom some costume jewelry, perfume and maybe a teddy bear.

No we didn't have the expensive gifts, but we had ourselves a wonderful Christmas each year thanks to our special pig(which I still have).

A Gift of Giving

Looking forward to Christmas 1995, to me, described a paradox. How can one enjoy Christmas when their loving spouse recently passed away from cancer, and yet Christmas is a time for celebration...

I had a friend, recently divorced, who was going through his first Christmas without his children that he loved so dearly. I called my friend and invited him over to my house for Christmas. He didn't seem overly thrilled, but had nothing else to do. I did the same for another divorced person who had a day without family or friends. I told them to dress nice but withheld my plans from them.

The three of us, at my house, made Christmas canes from pipe cleaners, and after an hour I told my friends to get in my van, as I had a surprise for them.

So off we went.

First stop, a nursing home, left few dry eyes. We visited the ones who had no company, prayed with them and left them little Christmas canes and some candy. One lady, feeling really bad, asked us to pray for her. So we prayed with our hands on her body, and we felt a Power hard to describe.

Second stop, Presbyterian hospital...cancer wing. First you need to understand how hospitals work with the sick. If possible, patients are sent home for the holidays. The ones remaining in the hospital live too far, are too ill, or have no support from family or friends. About 1/2 of the cancer wing was deserted.

We visited the staff and gave them candy and our little Christmas canes, then we visited the dying and ill. How can one describe being humbled? The patients asked for our prayers. We visited with every patient in the wing. We left the patients with a smile. When we left the hospital, we had nothing else left to give, but we received much. Our emotions were drained, we were exhausted, in tears but felt elevated to a 'high' impossible to describe. We all thought "But for the grace of God'...

Last stop. We visited my wife's grave, decorated it, placed candles and sang Silent Night. Our voices were quivering because we found Christmas that day. We gave all we had to give, and it cost us about five hours of our time and about two dollars in pipe cleaners and candy. I said a silent prayer of thanks to my wife for teaching me to give.

May we, in this crazy but special time of year learn from the Teacher of teachers, Giving IS better than receiving. Merry Christmas to all, and a happy new year. - B.J. in Guthrie

Christmas

December 25th. The day after the 24th. The day before the 26th. It's just like June 25th, only the weather is just the opposite and the Earth is on the complete other side of the sun in it's annual circumnavigation of our star.

Eons ago, or what seems so now, someone decided to recognize the birth of Jesus on this day. It really isn't his birthday, but someone must have felt we needed a holiday in December. Yes, I have heard how the Pagan celebration of the winter solstice was morphed into a Christian celebration, but that's off by a few days. Yes, I have heard how the Druid celebration was morphed into a Christian celebration, but I have no clue how accurate that is either. All I know is, a celebration is planned just about all over the planet.

Other religions have significant celebrations about the same time. Coincidence? In some cases, yes. The Muslim's use a different calendar and their celebration of Ramadan is scheduled on that calendar, not the Julian calendar. Because of this, Ramadan will occur at different times of the year depending how the two calendars merge. The same thing applies to the Jewish calendar. They use a similar calendar to the Muslim calendar so the holy days also "float" compared to the Julian calendar. The Chinese, Japanese, and other Asian cultures have their own calendars which causes Buddhist, Shinto, and other religions, to have celebrations which seem to change dates.

Many religions have set aside a period in the middle of winter as a celebratory time. As mentioned, the Druids, and others, set aside a time near the winter solstice to celebrate. In almost every instance, the celebrations are of a "good will" nature. It is a focus to be kind to, and with, others. If we can remove the religion onion skins from it, the central core remains very similar. It just seems the Christian celebration, by name, has overshadowed the others.

Most of the world has, in trying to maintain an all-inclusive "political correctness", adopted a "happy holidays" attitude. Some feel this removes the importance of their particular celebrations. A homogenous "seasons greetings" has taken over the public face of the holidays. Without listing the array of different celebrations, they all merge in the public eye as one holiday season. It allows everyone to wish all others a "happy holiday", yet also allows for a private celebration of the particular religious or secular event of choice.

Here's your quiz:
Without trying to prove which one is "right", tell us which holiday do you celebrate?
Do you do anything unusual or unique in your celebrations of the holiday?
Have you had the opportunity to participate in an alternate celebration with someone of another religion, and experience their traditions?

Christmas - A Specific Day, But More An All-Inclusive And Shared Concept
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Submit Your Date From Hell | Submit your Kids Weird Words | Submit your Crazy Way You Met Your Mate

"Ho ho ho! Hairy Christmas!"
~ Kirsten's son James ~

I am trapped in Christmas preparation hell. With two days to go before Christmas, the kids' presents are bought but everytime I try to wrap them after the boys are in bed, one of the kids develops a sudden problem with sleep. My dearly beloved's present hasn't even been bought yet and I'm still searching for inspiration. The turkey has been taken out of the freezer to defrost, but I have no idea where I'm going to find the time to actually cook it. Against my better judgement, I've invited people to randomly "drop in" so I don't really know who to expect when.

I'm feeling a bit fraught because of all this Christmas stuff, so I don't really have the time or energy to write anything coherent tonight. So I will just say to all of you, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Happy Kwanzaa, or simply, Happy Holidays.

To my fellow writers of this great ezine - Patti, Cliff, Tim - I've had a really great year being a part of this with you.
To the former writers - Faithy, Robin - thank you for helping shape this ezine into what it is.
To our dear departed friend Sied - we miss you and hope you're having a blast, wherever you are.
To Bruce, we love you even though you abandoned us. Seriously, I hope things are working out for you.
To Mike, thanks for keeping the ship not only afloat but sailing strongly. You have succeeded in keeping the original character of RGQ while adding your own unique flair.
To those contributors past and present who I have not named - and I know there's someone - thank you for what you have done. The only reason I have not named you is because my brain's not working tonight.

Most of all, to the readers, thank you for being there. You're the reason this motley crew of writers has banded together to produce this ezine.

I wish everyone the best festive season ever.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

I swear they are out to get me. Okay, perhaps only our associate registrar is out to get me. Sometimes it amazes me what she expects me to do. Allow me to explain.

First, final grades for the semester were due by noon today. As usual, some of the part-time faculty didn't have accounts to enter grades. A few of them e-mailed me from their college e-mail address, which makes it easy for me to look up their login credentials and e-mail them to them. Some e-mailed from off-campus addresses like yahoo.com. That makes things a little more difficult as I can't send passwords to non-college accounts. Those I look up in the payroll system and change their temporary password to the last six digits of their social security number. But I couldn't find this one professor anywhere in our system.

Normal procedure would dictate I forward the e-mail to the registrar's office and let them sort it out. But it just so happened that our associate registrar walked in at the very moment I was about to hit send. I decided to ask her if she knew this faculty member. She said no, and asked me what the professor taught. I guess she thinks I'm psychic or something, but since I'm not, I said no. She told me to e-mail the professor back and ask what they taught. The problem with that solution is that it is her job to find out about the faculty, not mine. My job is to get them logged into my web site. I could get this professor logged in, but it wouldn't do any good since there was no record of them teaching any classes. They wouldn't be able to enter grades anyway. The associate registrar had to solve this -- it is exactly her job. She ended up calling me back about half an hour later to let me know they had spelled the name wrong, but why didn't she just say she'd take care of it like she should have? Does she really expect me to do her job?

But she didn't stop there. This afternoon she broke her printer. There is a sensor that tells when the cover is open. She was trying to add paper, which doesn't involve opening the cover, and ended up opening the cover so far it broke the sensor off. She wanted me to fix it right away. So I went up to her office and took a look. I tried to get the "cover open" error message to appear, because it disappears once the sensor detects the cover is closed. So I got the "cover open" message to appear on her screen and turned to work on the printer. A few seconds later I turned around and the message was gone. I told her I think I fixed it, and she told me she closed the message. WTF???? I told her to back away from the PC and let me do my job. So I got the message to appear again, and a couple seconds later, it disappeared again. Once again I told her I think it was fixed, and she announced that she had unplugged the printer. I'm sorry, but didn't I just tell you to stay away and let me do my job? But she can't do that. She won't do her job, but she thinks she can do mine.

Anyway, I announced the printer was dead, and she demanded an immediate replacement. I told her to just use the big laser printer right outside her office. She said that one jams all the time. I asked if I should call for service on it, and she started demanding a new printer now. Again I asked if I should call for service, and she said something about it printing out of the wrong tray. I asked if it was printing out of the wrong tray or jamming, and she went into this tirade about needing a printer now. I pointed out there was another large laser printer about 30 feet away. She said she couldn't be bothered using that one, she needed one on her desk. She had transcripts to print and didn't have the time. She had just wasted over an hour of my time trying to fix a printer she broke, but she didn't have the time to walk 30 feet. I told her it was time for me to go home and I suggested she did the same.

I swear she's out to get me. No one else expects me to do their job, and when they ask me to do mine, they let me. Not our associate registrar. She won't be happy until she drives me to the loony bin. My only hope is they find her first.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

For fluffier, whiter rice, add one teaspoon of lemon juice per quart of water. To add extra flavor and nutrition to rice, cook it in liquid reserved from cooking vegetables.

Good job! Give this a try.

Next opening line...
Your present is under my tree...

Saint Nick is a comin' to town--- because all of the kids are down--- the girl was a cryin' no planes were a flyin' so who will bring the lass her gown? - Cassandra in New York	Saint Nick is a commin' to town..... His belly shaking, o so round..... As he laughs and laughs so very loud..... And leaves the gifts for the waiting crowd..... Of kids his reindeer found. - Skeeter
Saint Nick is a commin' to town..... Then chimneys he's a commin' down..... He'll end up covered with lots of soot..... From his head down to his booted foot..... And leave without makin' a sound. - Skeeter	Saint Nick is a-comin' to town With his wife in a red velvet gown. They're shopping at Macy's And some other places, Weighing the big sleigh way down! - Nancy L in Ohio
Saint Nick is a-goin' from town All those things she bought making him frown. Dresses and undies A new hat for Sundays, He thinks she will look like a clown. - Nancy L in Ohio	Saint Nick is commin to town Pulling his sleigh are reindeers of brown He brings lots of presents Whether for the rich or for peasants For this, he is quite renown. - Bonnie

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Re: Hooter's

Since Hooters is really selling eye-candy (the food is only secondary) I do not think that it is a family oriented business.

The outfits that the girls wear are designed to entice guys to lust after the girls.

I have been to a Hooters. Once with my wife where we had a so-so hamburger, and once with office mates. The noise level was extreme.

It was inappropriate for the teacher to bring her students the Hooters. - Cya...Dan'l

Just to recap, the place is named for a part of the female anatomy NOT AN OWL. Why not just allow your child to go to a hotdog joint named Cock with young men waiting on you with that part of their anatomy lets just say enhanced? Makes almost as much sense. Laura in Minneapolis

Hooters... Great chicken drumetts, attentive and cheerful waitresses. It is amazing what actually going to a restaurant, and relaxing there can do to make a person understand that people are people. The only irritation is that sometimes the music is a bit too loud.

Notice, no comment about too revealing uniforms for the waitresses. This is the deep south, the kids in school wear more sensual outfits to school. - Ike

Been to Hooters many times in FL .... I have even been to the one in Clearwater, the ORIGINAL one that started as a biker bar. Furthermore, after my dad died, my 90 year old mom wanted to go to Hooters to see what all the fuss was about. (My dad would never take her, a real meat and potatoes man he would never go to a "strange" place like that, not even a Chinese restaurant.) Bottom line, she was not that impressed. Thought the waitresses were dressed a bit skimpily but no big deal. - Niteowl
[Wow, a bunch of new contributors today. Welcome Dan'l, Laura, Ike and Niteowl!]

Bill and I ate at Hooters one day - it seemed as no big deal to me. The only difference in the waitresses there and other places was their low tops and short shorts. They were overly friendly to my husband - but pleasant to me. Would we take our boys? yes. Would we take their friends? We'd probably check with the parents first - at least I would.

I would say Hooters is not nearly as bad as the bikini baristas out in the Seattle area. - Noella

I have a friend who moved to Colorado from South Texas. He said when he arrived here he longed for some of the down-home chow he'd had his whole life, which caused him to enter The Armadillo restaurant.

After receiving his menu he began to peruse the options and waved the waitress over to ask a question, (and he recounted the conversation to me).

Q: "Where's the armadillo?"

A: "What?"

Q: "Where's the armadillo. I've looked over this entire menu and I can't find any armadillo. Is it called something else?"

A: "We don't serve armadillo here."

Q: "Down in Texas we eat armadillo all the time!" This place is called The Armadillo, how can you NOT have armadillo on the menu?"

A: "Well, we just don't."

Q: "Look... when I go into Burger King I expect to have a burger, when I go into Taco Bell, I expect to buy a taco, when I go into Macaroni Grill I know I can get macaroni�" So I asked him, "What do you expect to get when you go into Hooters?" - Bruce in Colorado
[Owl??]

I've been to Hooters. The food was lousy, as was the service. The one I went to was in San Antonio. However, the one in Lafayette, IN is my favorite. It is across the street from "Dick's Sporting Supplies" I don't know what high school kids are like today, but in my day, there might have been a few giggles, but nothing more harmful. I wish the nannies among us would find business to mind that wasn't mine. - Lucille

Yes. I've been to a Hooters. It's slightly risque, but nothing pornographic. The worst part about Hooters, is what happens behind the scenes. Hooters girls frequently complain of sexual harrassment by management, and they are subject to rigorous weight standards. Much worse than airline stewardesses were back in the day. No, the choir director should not have been placed on leave. - L&K, herm

Heck yes, he/she over-reacted, if the place was named Wednesdays, it would have been no big deal. Ladies wear less in the summer than the waitresses there so it is no big deal. Get a life, get some wings and relax, there are bigger fish to fry in the world. - BJ in Guthrie

Re: Smells

Sheets hung out on a line to dry in the summer time have a definite scent to them - a nice clean fresh scent. A much stronger, less fresh scent is children coming in from recess. But I think it's the same scent - only stronger. I guess the heavy cold air makes the difference.

I also notice if I put on perfume in the house - I can't smell it. But if I walk outside, it's the first scent I smell.

I also think that cold air will mask a scent whereas warm air seems to enhance it. - Noella

Several distinct smells in my lifetime. The smell of an oil refinery...like eggs, (yeck), the smell of freshly cut hay alfalfa (great aroma), and the smell of feeding ground for beef (ack). These are the ones I remember the most, I got used to the refinery, never to the stockyards, but loved the smell of freshly cut hay. - BJ in Guthrie

Yes, I have noticed the smell of the air at different temperatures, especially after a rain - it is sweeter. Cold air smells super fresh.

But we all experience environmental air smells, and if you want to get a whiff of the worst stench ever, visit Beaufort, North Carolina when the Menhaden are running and the small factory there is making pet food! Yuch! Nancy L in Ohio

I too, notice different smells when it is warm than when it is cold. I notice that some smells are much stronger when it is warm, and then when it is cold the smells that were strong go away, but new smells come out. I never really thought about it until I visited a friend of mine who has many animals in her home. I noticed that when she ran her air conditioner that the smells were not as strong as when she did not. It was really strange because I never knew before that the temps in a house or outside could make a difference in the way something smelled. - Happy Holidays! Celine Kitty, Rowdy Dog, and the Tazz!

Re: Santa

I love the thoughts of Santa, but this article made me laugh. How true it really is, and how funny too. I couldn't help but laugh though. Now, do you let your kids believe in Santa? - Happy Holidays! Celine Kitty, Rowdy Dog, and the Tazz!

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#1232

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Dec 21, 2009 6:32 am
Subject: December 21, 2009

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I lived in the Dallas, Texas area for several years in the late '80's early '90's. Part of that time I worked in Addison, just north of Dallas.

At that time Addison was booming. There were new office buildings, shopping centers, apartments and restaurants being built as fast as they could put them together. One day I saw an article in the newspaper stating that a new Hooter's restaurant was going to be built.

Suddenly the citizens were outraged. They wanted no part of an adult establishment in their town.

There followed a great deal of public debate, interviews with Hooters management, and promises that the waitresses costumes would not be too revealing. The restaurant opened as planned, and as far as I can tell the moral fabric of Addison, Texas is still whole.

I've never been to a Hooter's so I went to their website to see if I could gain any insight. There were a couple of things that would make me think they are, in fact, a family restaurant.

First of all, the calendar of events showed that Sunday was "kids eat free" day in Burlington, North Carolina. Second, and by far more convincing to me, was the fact that there's a Hooter's in North Little Rock, Arkansas long a gem in the buckle of the Bible Belt.

So why my sudden interest in Hooter's? Actually it was an article and video report at the website of television station ABC 15 in Arizona.

It seems that the choir director for Paradise Valley High School had taken 40 choir members to a downtown Phoenix venue to sing Christmas carols. Afterward the group went to lunch. According to the director, Mary Segall, the only restaurant that could seat such a large group was Hooter's.

After an apparently uneventful meal, one of the students told his mother where they had lunch. The parent complained to school officials and the choir director is now on administrative leave.

At least one of the students seems to be reasonably sane about this. "'We have cheerleaders that wear less than what they (the waitresses) wear. And if you go to a public pool you see less than what they wear. It's not that big of a deal,' said Paradise Valley High School student Cameron Watt."

School district spokeswoman Judi Willis says the district believes there were other options for lunch in downtown Phoenix.

It turns out that Ms. Segall had already announced that she would retire in January, but it's too bad that she has been placed on leave at this point in her career.

Have you ever been to Hooter's? Is it, in your opinion, a family place? Is there anything about the place that would be harmful to high school aged children? Would you be upset if your child went to Hooter's on a supervised outing? Does it seem over reactive to have placed the choir director on leave for this?

Owlishly,

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"Aspire to greatness. But remember that no one ever assassinated a refrigerator repairman." - Bird Waring

"Virtue is often the result of insufficient temptation." - Cheers, George

Embarrassing Mistake
[Thanks Sied]

John meets Bill at the bar and he is looking somewhat sheepish and embarrassed.

Bill says, "Hey John, what's wrong?"

John says, "I received a party invitation last night and it plainly said 'Black Tie' only. But when I got there, everyone was wearing suits too!"

"A University should be a place of light, of liberty, and of learning."

"Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action."

"How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct." - All from British Prime Minister, parliamentarian, Conservative statesman and literary figure Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield born on this date in 1804

Funny Decorations
[Thanks Noella]

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Speak Up!
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Smell

Have you ever visited an area and noticed it smelled different than back home? As a kid, we often traveled past a paper mill somewhere in South Carolina. When we got within sight of the mill, we knew it was time to hold our breath. It was atrocious! But that isn't what I'm talking about, necessarily.

Every process occurring, natural and man-made, contribute to the environment. With organic decomposition happening everywhere, and mankind using all sorts of chemicals in innumerable ways in manufacturing, leeching of these things into the atmosphere is inevitable. As they combine into the atmospheric mixer of winds, a distinctive aroma ensues. But I'm not talking about this either, necessarily.

Once I was walking down my neighborhood street on a balmy day near the holidays. With temperatures unusually warm, many doors and windows were open as residents baked cookies, pies, and many other culinary concoctions to share with family & friends. Passing each house, I could tell what each was preparing. But, neither is this what I'm talking about, necessarily.

What I'm really meaning to discuss is something I observed. We recently had a weather system come through that raised the temperatures significantly in a short span of time. I'm talking about a 20 degree Fahrenheit difference in a scant 3 hours. It was followed by the reverse effect as the weather system passed, lowering the temperatures a whopping 20 degrees Fahrenheit in only 2 hours.

What does this have to do with smell, you ask? I'm no scientist, nor do I have any "data" on this phenomenon I am about to share. I cannot tell you why. I cannot tell you how. I can only speculate with the limited knowledge I have. All I know is, there is a correlation to temperature and smell.

I was outside, in the same location, when it was cold and warming, when it warmed, as it was cooling back down, and finally when it was back to cold. What I noticed, especially when it was cold, there was a noticeable smell to the air. It wasn't a strong aroma. It just was noticeable. It was just as noticeable when it warmed as it smelled differently.

I can't tell you what was different. My sense of smell is not that acute. I can't even describe the smell in any comparative form to be able to impart my experience so that you, the reader, share the experience. I can only ask if you have ever had such an experience.

I know heated air has more volume than cold air. Thus, molecules floating around in the cooler air are also compacted as air cools and becomes more dense. The more molecules entering the nose, the more the sense of the aroma we sense. Warming of the same air doesn't remove the smells, but just dilutes it a slight bit in the expansion. The same particles are in the air, emitting the same odors. Our noses can often tell a difference.

Here's your quiz:
Have you ever noticed the smell of the air in your own neighborhood?
Have you noticed that cool, crisp air smells differently than warmer air?
Has something you smelled become obnoxious when it warmed up, or cooled down?

Smell - What The Nose Is Designed To Do
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

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"Let's be naughty and save Santa the trip."
~ Gary Allan ~

OK, the news is in. I can't remember where it came from, and I'm too lazy - actually, let's go with "too tired" because it sounds a lot better - to look up the source. But the news is definitely in, and it is something that everyone should pay attention to - particularly those who are parents, grandparents, aunts or uncles, teachers, or anyone who has anything to do with young kids. Because this is news that directly affects them. It could be the key to everything that is going wrong with the youth of today.

Here's the scoop: Santa Claus is a bad influence and he's ruining young lives. Almost from the time they can walk, we are encouraging our kids to love Santa Claus. Throughout the year, we tell them to strive to be on Santa's "nice" list. As December rolls around, we build up our kids with promises to see Santa, get pictures taken with Santa, to receive presents from Santa. On Christmas Eve, countless kids can barely sleep because of the prospects of a visit from Santa.

And who is Santa, really? Well, he's an obese man who leads a sedentery lifestyle and has no clue about nutrition. He consumes way too many cookies and way too much milk, and practically nothing of anything else. Throughout the year, he sits around doing nothing while the elves work day and night in his sweatshop - probably making less than minimum wage - churning out toys for billions of children. He creates his "naughty" and "nice" lists based on snap judgements of kids he doesn't even know. He allows the reindeer to bully poor Rudolph and exclude him from their activities.

So far we have poor lifestyle choices, human rights violations, prejudice, and condonement of bullying, and that's not even counting what happens on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas Eve, Santa Claus loads up his sleigh with all the toys, gathers up the reindeer, and off he goes. Now, let's think about the sleigh for a moment. Santa is filling the sleigh with enough toys for all the children in the world - at least those who made the "nice" list. Can you imagine that payload? That sleigh must weigh several tons. Then he's actually making it to all of the houses of the "nice" children in one night. Even if you allow for the fact that he has more than twenty-four hours due to time zones and stuff, we're talking high-speed travel here.

Forcing the reindeer to travel faster than the speed of sound for more than twenty-four hours while carrying an unbearably heavy load, added to the fact that there are no back-up reindeer so it's too bad if one doesn't feel well... Now in addition to the human rights violations and bullying and so on, we have animal cruelty.

Then there's the fact that Santa does all of this high-speed travel, plus some pretty adventurous roof-surfing in icy conditions, all without wearing a helmet. That's reckless irresponsibility. He spends the whole night engaging in breaking and entering. Criminal behaviour. And the fact that he can actually do all of this for an extended period of time without falling asleep suggests to me that there are some pretty intense mood-altering substances involved.

So we have poor lifestyle choices, human rights violations, prejudice, condonement of bullying, animal cruelty, reckless irresponsibility, criminal behaviour, and drug abuse.

What kind of role model is this for our children?

As I shake my head in disbelief at the state of the world, I wish you all a happy, Santa-filled holiday season!

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Canadian citizen as of December 11th, 2009

Tim wasn't able to write today, so here's a Christmas classic from the archive.

I have a new computer. Well, it's an old new computer, but parts of it are new. It's fast. It's really fast. I have been working on getting all the bits and pieces working for about a week, and when it did, I proudly announced my success on MWC.

My good friend Gyppo apparently thought I was being a bit of a braggart, so he tried to pick on me. Remember, this is the same guy that lopped my head off whilst I was trying to raise money for his daughter. You think he would have learned long ago that picking on me isn't as easy as it looks, but he hasn't. I'll let him tell you about it.

I am perched in a rather uncomfortable little metal stool following the sad and rather sudden death of my much loved and loyally hard-working gas-lift swivel chair. It had been making threatening noises for the last few weeks, and gradually beginning to wobble. Plus it needed re-gassing.

Bouncing around on it last night during the impromptu party as Ilistened to the drinking song and Sabre Dance probably helped in its demise.

Originally I thought the noises came from the wooden base in the plastic pan, assuming a crack in the wood. When the seat pan started to tilt, as happened with my earlier cheapo swivel seat, I thought the lug where it fitted on top of the vertical shaft was coming loose. In that case I knew a good bodge. Use a Pepsi can shim to take up the slack, drive it all back into line with a lump hammer, and then drill through and fit an expanding roll pin.

So that was the Master plan, which was scheduled - if such a term can be used for any of my rather loose planning - to take place after Christmas. Along with re-upholstering the seat pan. I had a nice bit of black denim ready for the job.

I've always been more than happy to repair good stuff which has earned it keep, rather than just replace. This was a chair which would have cost over �50 new, although I picked it up for �3 as a bargain. It was tough as hell, not one of those budget priced things which are designed for occasional use.

I've sometimes spent more than twelve hours a day perched on that thing, and can't even guess how many words have flowed through my fingers during the six years or so it has served me.

It has worked seven days a week and during that time has come to fit my arse perfectly. The back is adjustable too and compared to all the chairs which have been and gone before it was bliss.

And now it is dead...

I sat on it this morning, logged onto MWC, and just before the end of my morning tease of Tim there was a sudden crack and back it went.

It's funny how the adrenaline hyper-speed kicks in. My initial thought was that the back has snapped off. Second thought was mental picture of where I was going to land. There's not a lot of spare space in my room, so the thought of bringing down an eight-high stack of book crates on top of me didn't hold much appeal. But neither did the thought of throwing myself the other way and smacking the back of my head against the wooden end of my bed.

But instinct usually works out okay for me, and tears of falling in the showman's arena have left a fine set of reflexes even if the body isn't as supple as it once was.

I managed to break the fall a little with one elbow on the edge of my bed and the other on the smaller - two-high - pair of crates which supports my scanner and a few other odds and ends.

At this point - about halfway to the floor - I realised that the seat pan and back were still connected and had just snapped away from the vertical stem, which was rearing up between my legs, sporting a crown of ragged metal.

I hit the ground with one hell of a thump, but managed not to fall back full length. My stiff and dodgy knee was bent at an angle I would prefer it not to adopt at the moment, and I had to bend it even more acutely - and briefly agonisingly - to disentangle it from where it was trapped between the leg of my writing desk and my bed.

I could hear Mum charging upstairs, making remarkably rapid progress for a lady of 83 with her own collection of stiff joints,and called out that I was alright. But she didn't hear me and came tearing in like an ageing Valkyrie to the rescue.

Had we needed an ambulance she would have had to jump over me and the broken remnants of my chair, and the gleam in her eyes suggested she would have done it in one flying leap.

In between much laughing and much repeated use of the phrase "Buggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbugger" I convinced her I wasn't damaged.

After a few minutes to recover I then had the problem of disentangling myself from my surroundings, with one dodgy leg which flatly refused to bend again and was no use for pushing myself up. It took a while, but eventually I managed to lever myself onto my bed using just my arms, and then had another session of "Buggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbuggerandsoddin'damn as well".

This reassured Mum no end and she wandered off to make me a cup of coffee as I say there holding my knee and cursing softly. It had been getting better.

Mum returned with the coffee and said she'd "Never known so much buggering at any one time," but "I knew you weren't really damaged because that's your annoyed and thwarted word."

She's right too.

And right now I've been sat on this damned stool for too long. If I can find one at the right price I know what my Christmas present to myself is going to be this year. But first I've got to get my knee sorted out so I can walk over the office furniture showroom.

So, one more quiet but heartfelt chorus of "Buggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbuggerbugger".

Gyppo, I hope your knee feels better, but if you try to pick on me again, your new chair will attack you too. I have a gift.
Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Fear

Miscellaneous Tips

Poke a hole in the middle of the hamburger patties while shaping them. The burgers will cook faster and the holes will disappear when done.

I need to check my mail more closely. I found one from Cassandra I had missed. I even found an old one from sied.

Next opening line...
Saint Nick is a commin to town...

There once was a fellow called Glenn Who wrote limericks every now and then His rhymes were the best His pacing had zest And he used them to woo lots of women. -- Ray of Sunshine	There once was a fellow called Glenn..... Been around since I don't know when..... He was bad to flirt..... With anything in a skirt..... 'Til he found out a couple were men. - Skeeter
There once was a fellow called Glenn..... Who orbited the earth way back then..... When he landed in the drink..... And his capsule didn't sink........ He said, "I'm ready to do it ag'in. - Skeeter	There once was a fellow named Glenn Who tried to live a life full of zen But things got in the way The things that make up our day Now he sits in the bar drinking gin. - Bonnie
The sleigh is packed, ready to fly--- I won't go to places nearby--- Far away I'll go--- hopefully won't hit snow as I will be up high in the sky. - Cassandra in New York	My guy is both naughty and nice The picture of virtue and vice I would be hard pressed To say which I liked best The variety adds lots of spice. -- Ray of Sunshine
Winter is here with his grouch, The time when you sneeze and slouch. You can't take your women Canoein' or swimmin', But a lot can be done on a couch. - sied

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Re: Porn Effects

I'm not sure what efforts to legislate pornography away you refer to. I think regulation is a good option for a couple of aspects of the trade. First, humans are naturally circumspect about sex. We see that in every culture, but not in our ancestors. Obviously, we now have a gene to create prudes, which is sometimes very strong, and sometimes weak enough to produce an exhibitionist. That operates independently from the straight/gay adjustment, etc. So, public nudity is truly offensive to a significant portion of the population. To me, it is just a "dirty" trick for advertisers to distract me with. Either way, I'd be glad to see fewer sexy images, including manga, in website advertising inserts. If someone's product is itself pornography, it could be kept behind an "adults only" sign well understood by any prospective customers.

The other issue is over possible health effects. Sites selling porn should also have links prominently displayed to give first-time users some perspective, so that a daring child does not grow up with just an image or two in memory of some specialty, seared in just before a parental ban. Pushing the "I'm underage" button should still get an attractive, educational link. There should also be handy links to help customers subject to the addictive aspects of porn, just as there should be for people who overdo it on junk food, gambling, or drugs. Research has not turned up any cases of blindness or hairy palm, but there are social effects. I think porn exploits men far more than it does women. Much of the opposition to it has thus been wasted, along with the healthy opportunities the business creates. - Bob of the North

I watch porn. I read porn. I have no imagination, so, it's a means to an end. I would be more shocked if my 10 year old sons hadn't been curious about porn. And, no, I don't think they can ever legislate it out of existence. As long as sex sells, and it always will, advertising will capitalize on that fact. What is advertising but soft porn? No. Porn will never go away. - L&K, herm

Re: Kids And Death

Kirsten, I love your explanation that your son's teacher's "body was broken and he couldn't live in it anymore." How perfect! And not just for little ones, either; it's exactly how I look at death. I just didn't have the right words before. I do now. Thanks.
Your kids are lucky to have you. And so are we. - OhioKat

Re: Art In Nature

Yes, I take pictures of nature fairly often, far more than human subjects. I am sometimes inspired by shapes or functions in nature when I make drawings, models, and prototypes of machines which serve people with less impact on nature. Fluid dynamics often dictate flowing shapes for part of an object, which can be carried through giving an organic look. If decoration is needed, though, I am more likely to turn to geometry than nature motifs. - Bob of the North

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#1231

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Fri Dec 18, 2009 6:36 am
Subject: December 18, 2009

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I saw a comedian recently talking about porn. He asked how many people in the audience watched it and nobody responded. He said something like, "A billion dollar industry and nobody's watching".

It's true porn is a huge industry. It's been around forever in one form or another. I suppose it became pretty easily available in the 1970's, but since the internet came along it's available in every home and office with an internet connection.

Even so, I don't think I've ever been around anyone who readily admitted to viewing porn. So how many people really do?

A recent article in the Montreal Gazette talked about a study conducted by Simon Louis Lajeunesse, assistant professor at the Universite de Montreal. Professor Lajeunesse wanted to study the effect of pornography on men. He "...launched his project with men in their 20s, he wanted to interview subjects who had never been exposed to pornography � porn virgins."

There was only one minor problem, he couldn't find any.

"'Guys who do not watch pornography do not exist,' Lajeunesse of the university's School of Social Work said Wednesday."

"So his study examined the habits of 20 university students who consumed X-rated material � that would be all of them � and the impact on their sexual identity and how it shapes their relationships with women."

"Lajeunesse found most boys seek pornography by age 10, at about the same time that they become curious about sex. They chose what they wanted to see and quickly rejected what they found offensive � for example, bestiality or violence."

"As adults, their sex lives were pretty conventional, almost identical to their parents, Lajeunesse said."

"Lajeunesse suggested that pornography has been demonized and that its effects are negligible."

I don't know that I would go so far as to say that all men look at porn. I'm sure there are some who just don't feel right about it. Also one's definition of porn might vary. Some might think that nudity, such as Playboy, was porn whereas someone else might not see it that way.

But obviously, as far as younger men are concerned, the vast majority must be viewing it. So if it were going to destroy the mind, the family, and society, shouldn't the effects be showing up by now? Could it be that professor Lajeunesse is right? Is the effect of porn negligible? If so why do we spend so much time, money and effort trying to regulate it?

Do you feel that porn is now just a normal part of life? Wouldn't you be shocked if your 10 year old child or grandchild was viewing porn? Is it time that society accepted porn and quit trying to legislate it out of existence?

Curiously,

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"Ignorance is the mother of admiration." - George Chapman

"It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education." - Albert Einstein

Long Lost Love
[Thanks Mary in Illinois]

I received a phone call from a gorgeous ex-girlfriend who this morning called 'out-of-the-blue' to see if I was still around.

We lost track of time, chatting about the wild, romantic times we used to enjoy together.

I couldn't believe it when she asked if I'd be interested in meeting up and rekindling a little of that 'old magic'.

'Wow!' I was flabbergasted.

'I don't know if I could keep pace with you now', I said, 'I'm a bit older and a bit grayer and balder than when you last saw me. Plus I don't really have the energy I used to have.'

She just giggled and said she was sure I would 'rise to the challenge'.

'Yeah.' I said. 'Just so long as you don't mind a waistline that's a few inches wider these days! Not to mention my total lack of muscle tone....everything is sagging, my teeth are a bit yellowed and I am developing jowls like a Great Dane!'

She laughed and told me to stop being so silly.

She teased me saying that tubby, gray haired, older men were cute, and she was sure I would still be a great lover.

Anyway, she giggled and said, 'I've put on a few pounds myself!'

So I told her to go to hell.

"Ideas are more powerful than guns. We would not let our enemies have guns, why should we let them have ideas."

"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."

"Mankind is divided into rich and poor, into property owners and exploited; and to abstract oneself from this fundamental division; and from the antagonism between poor and rich means abstracting oneself from fundamental facts." - All from General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee Joseph Stalin who was born on this date in 1879

Christmas Sprit

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Artistry

I have often admired the patience of a spider. Producing their own materials "from scratch, they are able to create a web that is so symmetrical without so much as a calculator to figure out angles, distances or diameters. I have a hard time drawing a web, much less making one.

Photographers and painters are often found in a park, on a shoreline, at a beach, in a clearing, or on a large rock jutting out from a slope. What are they doing? They are trying to duplicate what they see. They try to mix pigments to duplicate the subtle shades of color at which they are looking.

Although a forest looks uniform, at first glance, every tree has it's own shade of green for it's foliage. From a distance one can see the green of the forest, but it often takes a closer look to see the subtleties of the array of colors. Even trees of the same species will sometimes have distinguishable differences in hues of it's leaves compared to another.

Here in the U.S.A., the term "purple mountain majesties" is often recited, but it is a truism when on a trip through a mountain range. The greens of the forest morph into shades of purple as the mountains continue on into the distance. I'm sure it is simply a refractory effect of the air, but, visually, it is a remarkable vista.

Flowing streams and waterfalls are often a focus by artists. Something in the way water turns from a dark blue in a lake, to a light blue, and even white as boulders and currents aerate it. Even the reflective quality of bodies of water seem to attract the eye of the artist. Countless pictures and paintings are above mantles and sofas across the continent that try to duplicate the view the artist saw.

What brought this all to mind was a simple cobweb. The remnants of a once beautiful web had been wind-blown. It was now just a dusty conglomeration still affixed to the eaves of a gazebo. What made it notable was how it had been rearranged. It was a striking shape of an angel holding a hymnal. Or, at least in my mind's eye, that's what it was.

Here's your quiz:
When you are out communing with nature, do you take a snapshot of a view that you find inspiring?
Are you an artist capable to recreate something in a different medium? If so, do you do so using nature as a focus?
If you could, of what would you take a picture, put in a painting, shape out of clay, or otherwise try to recreate?

Artistry - Nature Did It First, And We Are Trying To Duplicate it
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

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"For some moments in life there are no words."
~ David Seltzer, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory ~

Last Friday was a very eventful day for me. I got my Canadian citizenship, and I got a lovely new ring on my finger. Both events represent a new start, a new and exciting phase of my life. As we celebrate the good stuff in life, though, we also have to deal with the not-so-good stuff. We have to do some special hand-holding when the not-so-good stuff has an impact on our children's lives.

As you know, my young son James, soon to be four-year-old, started Junior Kindergarten in the Fall. From the start, the teacher, a thirty-year-old man with more than enough energy to keep up with a roomful of kids, was very popular with students and parents alike. Mr. T. keenly gave us lively updates of our kids' progress, openly communicated when any areas of concern arose, and made learning a lot of fun for his class. He even went to the lengths of wearing a pink rabbit suit for Halloween.

About a month ago, Mr. T. got pneumonia, and a substitute teacher was brought in. The kids were very fond of the new teacher, but everyone looked forward to the day Mr. T. would be coming back. Except that now, he won't be coming back. Last Friday, he suffered a setback in his recovery, and he died. To say that the news rendered me speechless would be an understatement.

Once I had caught my own breath, though, I had to deal with the question of how to get James over this hurdle. Clearly, we had to tell him something. James adored Mr. T. and has been full of talk of when he would return ("When Mr. T. comes back I'll show him my car."; "When Mr. T. is better I'll draw him a picture.") So along with everybody else, he's had high expectations for his teacher's return to school. The difficulty, though, lies with the fact that he's so young and has had no experience with death. We have lost loved ones, but none that have been close enough to James for him to really register what it meant.

How do you explain the concept of death to a four-year-old who's never been exposed to it? Until I was able to talk to someone at the school, I played it safe. Over the weekend, all I told James was that Mr. T. would not be coming back because he had to go away. On Monday morning, I called the school and spoke to the guidance counselor. She told me that a social worker had been in to see the class and explain to the children that Mr. T. had passed away. The kids were encouraged to draw pictures of their best Mr. T. memories; most of them drew pictures of the pink rabbit suit.

James is experiencing a bit of denial. This morning, he was insisting that Mr. T. had just gone to the store and would be back. Deciding to confront the issue head-on, I gently explained that Mr. T.'s body was broken and couldn't be fixed; that Mr. T. could not live in his body anymore. It was all I could come up with on short notice; the jury is still out as to whether it was the right way to explain this.

Death is a part of the cycle of life, but it's hard having to see James learn about something so serious at such a tender age. All we can really do is see him through this, and help him come out on the other side as a stronger person.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

I saw something the other day that I've never seen before, and I thought it would be prudent to tell you about it. You see, someone got one of those pop-up security warnings saying they were infected. But instead of just saying the computer was infected (how would they know that?), it had a title saying it was an alert from AVG antivirus. The computer was running AVG, so the user clicked on the scan button. She then thought for a second and decided to call me. It was a good thing she did -- it wasn't an alert from AVG. I don't know if it was a lucky guess by the criminals or if they can actually detect what anti-virus you're running, but it's a scary thought. If you think it's your antivirus giving you a warning, you are much more likely to follow the instructions given.

Now, if you get one of these pop-up warnings, you should turn off your computer. Don't try to close the window, just turn off your computer. If you click anywhere in the pop-up, it will infect your computer in a matter of seconds. Don't try to close any applications, the loss of data is nothing compared to losing your whole hard drive. Just press the power button and hold it down until you hear your computer click off. Next, turn it back on, but keep hitting the F8 key. Boot your computer into Safe Mode with Network Support. Chances are, the infection won't be able to start up in safe mode as it hasn't had time to download the other components it needs. Once you are in safe mode, open your antivirus and try to update it. Once it is updated, start a scan. Also scan with a good anti-malware product like Malwarebytes. Keep scanning until both scans come up clean. If you have to reboot, reboot back into safe mode.

Now, if you can't update, that means the infection can run in safe mode. But you haven't lost yet. What the infections generally do is block access to security sites using temporary DNS entries. Let's say you are trying to update AVG. Their IP address is 212.67.88.92, but the temporary DNS entry from the infection might say it is 127.0.0.1 (your local computer). But you can turn off those temporary DNS entries. Click Start -> Run and type CMD in the box. This will open a DOS window. At the C:\> prompt, type NET STOP DNSCACHE and hit enter. This clears out those fake entries so you should be able to update now. Again, update then scan with your antivirus and Malwarebytes. Keep scanning until both scans come out clean. Don't reboot into full Windows until they do, or you risk reinfecting yourself.

It's a scary world out there, folks. Don't trust anyone (except me, of course).

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

Marshmallows won't dry out when frozen.
[They'll be a little harder to chew... But moist! lol]

That line bombed! Good thing some of you just went on your own. Here's a line from Ray of Sunshine.

Next opening line...
There once was a fellow called Glenn...

The sleigh is packed and ready to fly Now, we just await the big guy To bring things for which we ask For that is his task Then he will go on to the next guy. - Bonnie	The sleigh is packed ready to fly..... Old Santa's got that gleam in his eye..... 'Cause he knows the Reason For the season..... Is not him but Jesus the real Christ-mas Guy. - Skeeter
While in the woods you can't find a tree Or maybe can't find stuff on TV. But if the sky you'll crossed Then you'll never been lost Until you get lost at Mach 3. - Anne Onimous	My guy is both naughty and nice The picture of virtue and vice I would be hard pressed To say which I liked best The variety adds lots of spice. -- Ray of Sunshine
Japanese food makes me squeal Love eating sushi and uncooked eel! And when it goes on sale. That food I will inhale. . . . I think I'm getting a raw deal! - Anne Onimous	In Greece, in the days of yore Political parties weren't a bore. One party they did ban - The "Half-horse, Half-man" - Was when it moved towards the centaur. - Anne Onimous
I know I am no school child But I felt both fired up and defiled When I glimpsed a view - A naked barbeque! - In a video of "Grills Gone Wild" - Anne Onimous

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/

Re: Bullying

There is not a fine line between freedom of speech and bullying. I have a son who had a problems last year at school with teasing and it hinders his school work and caused him a fear of not going to school. So who has the right the bully who can say what he wants in the "freedom of speech" law or the right for my son to get an education and not be threatened? I had to gone to the school officials and they admitted the child doing the teasing was a major problem and spoke to him and I was told that on the next offense he would be reprimanded. Of course it happened again, my son was crying on the playground because they hit him in the face and took his ball away and ran and the bully kids ran and hid cause other kids were telling the teachers on patrol what they had just done. I walked with my son back to his line and asked the kids how they would feel if this would happen to them or much less when they grow up and it happens to their kids? Of course no response and the teacher walked up and took them to class. The next day I show up to school and get called into the office and I got kicked off the campus, with an apology that they didn't like to do it but had to follow rules, for five days!!!! Yet the little brat of kids were allowed back on grounds and only told not to do it again!

I've determined that the school may have a no tolerance rule but they don't follow the rule and just try to make it through the year. Parents to take no responsibility for the action of their kids because they themselves have no control in the house (which is what I found out about one of the kids who cause the most problems...Dad in jail for hitting mom and mom on drugs and men issues. So because their lifestyle sucks other kids have to heed the frustration of the kid because of his home life??? Next time I have a bodyguard for my son who will take care of the kid after school, off grounds. But to date he had behaved himself because I think he is now afraid of me!

As for any official who defends this type of behavior..1. they need to put their kids in that position and see how they like it. 2. If anything happens to the teased child such as suicide, which is in the news or a massacre like Columbine they are held responsible for the ramifications of their decision to do NOTHING!!!! - Monzano

So does this mean if she'd gone on to class and then there had been a problem that the court would have looked at it differently? Happy Holidays! From, Celine Kitty, Rowdy Dog, and the Tazz!

Re: Cliffs Plants

I must've missed this the first time round.

I grew tomatoes this year. I live in North East Tennessee. I had tomatoes up until the day after Thanksgiving. The frost finally got them on Thanksgiving night. However, I had an elderly lady tell me that had I covered them every night, that they would bloom and grow tomatoes until the day time temps got down to 25 degrees and stayed that way. I was planning to try that, but I fell asleep from too much turkey, and forgot to cover them. - Tazz!

Re: Canada

Tammy in Alabama said, "I frequently disagree with you. We have very different views on any number of topics. Your final sentence in Monday's comments, though, was the first time I was truly angry at something written in RGQ."

I'm sorry to have upset you. I was only echoing the words of Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC Ret. who was not only much decorated for many campaigns, but single-handedly foiled a plot for a fascist takeover of the U.S. in the 30s. - Bob of the North

Reader Submission

Our local weekly paper ran three pages of Letters To Santa this week. I gleaned a few of the best -

"Dear Santa, I have been good. I want the Dolly that poops, a stuffed animal and the Cat in the Hat Movie. That's it. Marissa"

"Dear Santa, Please bring me a police car with lights and siren. I have been very, very good. Just don't believe what my mommy tells you. Tyler"

"Dear Santa, Can I have a ride on a bulldozer for Christmas? Grant"

"Dear Santa, I would like some playdough please and a moose and a kitty cat friend for Mr. Mouse. Luke"

"Dear Santa, I want:
Spongbob stuff
My bear - Jingle Joe I lost
P.S. I've been asking for Spongbob stuff and Jingle Joe for years. Colette"

This time of year, we all need good chuckle, hope these tidbits do it for you! Nancy L in Ohio

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Yahoo! Inc., 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

#1230

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Dec 16, 2009 6:08 am
Subject: December 16, 2009

mikereallygo...

Offline

Untitled Document

You can read this same issue in a browser version at either of the following locations:
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com
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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I was teased in high school. I was teased in grade school, too. I was ribbed in college, but by then, it didn't matter as much.

In high school I was taunted for my appearance, my scholastic endeavors, and my family relations. Even kids who had a great school experience didn't make it through completely unscathed. Every kid gets a bit of grief at some point. Some kids get picked on more than others. However, as far as I can tell, after teaching kids from kindergarten through adult education, no one is immune.

According to Boston.com, a cyber bullying case made it to a US District court in Los Angeles. Janice Hart was an eighth-grader in 2008 and was "upset and humiliated" by another student's video posted on You Tube. Janice arrived at Beverly Hills middle school in tears in May 2008. She simply couldn't go to class after a group of students had called her "spoiled," a "brat" and even went so far as to call her a "slut."

With instant communication and text messaging, she figured at least half the class had seen the video and she was too traumatized to attend classes. Janice complained to the counselor and they contacted the vice-principal and the school principal. The administrators kicked it up to the district who called the school's lawyers. The result was the girl who posted the video was given a two day suspension.

The poster, cited with "cyber-cullying" took her problem to the courts. She claimed her First Amendment rights to free speech were violated. The case reached the District Court who sided with the poster. There is a growing trend toward protecting children from the mean words and actions of their peers, making bullying of all types punishable, even calling for the criminalization of the behavior. Free speech advocates are pushing back.

Judge Stephen V. Wilson wrote in a 60-page opinion, "To allow the school to cast this wide a net and suspend a student simply because another student takes offense to their speech, without any evidence that such speech caused a substantial disruption of the school's activities, runs afoul [of the law].

"The court cannot uphold school discipline of student speech simply because young persons are unpredictable or immature, or because, in general, teenagers are emotionally fragile and may often fight over hurtful comments," he wrote.

Schools are in a position to try to limit speech and have been doing so for decades, at least. From armbands protesting Vietnam to today's off campus cyber threats, many have taken a stance of trying to stifle the free speech of students.

"People don't appreciate how much the First Amendment protects not only political and ideological speech, but also personal nastiness and chatter. . . . If all cruel teasing led to suicide, the human race would be extinct," said Eugene Volokh, a First Amendment scholar and law professor at UCLA. He is also critical of a bill in Congress making cyber bullying punishable for up to two years in prison.

Some courts are upholding the Free Speech of those said to by cyber bullying while others are protecting the feelings of those hurt by the insults. A case has not yet reached the US Supreme Court. The current state of the legal battle is based on the 1969 case of Tinker v. Des Moines School District where speech could only by limited if it caused "substantial disruption on campus."

Should schools be protecting students rights? Should they be advocating for those who are offended by what other people are saying? Should they be offering a class to students to teach them how to deal with insults and general nastiness?

Were you teased in school? Did it teach you anything - good or bad? Do you think teasing today is worse than in the "good old days?" Where is the line between Free Speech and slander?

Thick-skinned,

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Isn't it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ in your mailbox? Please click the link and direct your contribution to keep RGQ going.

"There is a past which is gone forever. But there is a future which is still our own."- F.W. Robertson

"If your enemy wrongs you, buy each of his children a drum." Chinese Proverb

Church Deacons
[Thanks Bonnie]

Two rural church deacons who were having a sociable beer in the local tavern when they saw their minister drive by and take a good long look at their pickup trucks parked outside.

One deacon ducked down and said, "I hope the reverend didn't see us or recognize my pickup."

The other replied indifferently, "What difference does it make. God knows we're in here... and he's the only one who counts."

The first deacon countered, "But God won't tell my wife."

"Art! Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?"

"Music is the wine which inspires one to new generative processes, and I am Bacchus who presses out this glorious wine for mankind and makes them spiritually drunken."

"Music should strike fire from the heart of man, and bring tears form the eyes of woman." - All from German composer Ludwig van Beethoven born on this date in 1770

Great Place To Live

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Cliff's article seems to have been eaten by the internet! Here's an archive piece.

Seasoning

It seems there is a seasoning effect on plant life. No, I'm not describing the growth of new foliage on trees & shrubs in the spring. Neither am I referring to the new growth of perennial flowers as they send out new shoots from once frozen ground. I am talking about how flowers and flowering plants seem to display their colors in groups.

Except for annuals which display a variety of colors throughout the growing season, perennial flowers seem to flower in color groups. The red tulips and others seem to want to follow the blues & purples of the hyacinths in color wheel blending. White comes in an array of shades in a myriad of species as spring flows into summer. Yellow then brightens summer in lilies and flowering bushes of many kinds. As summer wanes into autumn, reds reappear with a side-order of white.

It may be a regional thing. There are some species of plants that are very colorful that are limited to tropical areas. Placing them in our region is tantamount to buying very expensive annuals, or we must fill our house as temperatures drop. Although not a flowering plant, the "elephant ear" is quite striking & must be dug up and the tubers stored in a safe place over winter. Tropicals sometimes need the same attention. As we grow older, it seems our time is more & more limited, so we don't want to have to go to such an effort.

Or, it may be a selection thing. We had to select plants for our garden that would grow around black walnut trees. Although the black walnut trees are now all gone, their effect lasts for many years. A conservative estimate of 5 years is the common answer when the question is posed to professionals. Naturally, we were quite limited in the plants we could put in our garden. When we moved in, there was a black walnut tree every 10 feet. It was primeval when we bought the house.

Whatever the reason, our garden seems to be seasoned. As it matures it becomes more apparent. Young plants didn't flower much. Transplants seemed to be traumatized by the move & showed their anger by refusing to flower. Now, those that survived are flowering well. Bushes are bushy. Flowers are proliferous. Vines are exploding. Ground covers are filling in nicely. Each, in it's own way, provides color to the overall as most have some form of flower. As this came about, the plants with similar colored flowers are blooming together in a choreographed dance of color across our garden.

Here's your quiz:
Mary, Mary, how does your garden grow? You can answer too, Jill, Sue, John, Bob & the rest of you.
In your area, do you find similar colors are blooming at the same time?
Are you limited by climate or circumstance in what may grow in your garden?

Seasoning - Not What You Put On Your Grilled Entree

Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

My daughter called her family together the other day. My son had just informed us that his wife had been offered a terrific promotion which she had accepted. The promotion would require them to move from Ohio to North Carolina, permanently. My daughter wanted to inform her kids that their aunt & uncle, and cousins would be moving aweay and we would not be seeing them nearly as often.

As she gathered her four daughters, ages 14, 10, 6 & almost 2, they took seats in the family room, waiting to find out what Mom was going to say. Presenting the request for a "family meeting" in a somewhat somber way, my 14-year-old granddaughter took on an even more somber attitude, even to the point of almost looking disgusted.

My daughter noticing her discomfort, ignored it and began explaining the circumstances of what was taking place. After a brief question & answer session, she noticed the older daughter's demeanor had changed. Curious, my daughter asked her why the change?

My granddaughter said, "They told us in health class that vasectomies aren't 100% effective. I was afraid you were going to tell us you were pregnant again."

My daughter was struck by the relief and humor that it was only an "oh, it's only that" type of moment. - Cliff

Kirsten's article seems to have joined Cliff's. Here's another archive.

Somewhere, over the rainbow,
Way up tall,
There's a land where they've never
Heard of cholesterol.
- Allan Sherman -

Back in the days of yore, life was probably a lot simpler than it is now. In the absence of electricity, people didn't worry about what they were going to watch on TV, or whether their twelve-year-old was looking at inappropriate websites. They didn't have telemarketers phoning them at dinnertime, and they never had to deal with the horse and cart needing an oil change or a fresh pair of wiper blades. Their worries were more along the lines of, "Gee, that ferocious-looking army is getting kinda close!"

In those days, eating habits were a lot simpler too. The people lived off the land; grocery stores were still a concept of the future. The lady of the castle (or the wench, depending on your station in life) didn't have to decipher confusing nutrition labels. They didn't care whether the bacon was too fatty, whether the eggs were Omega-enriched, or whether anyone was allergic to peanuts. They had never even heard of antibiotics, probiotics, prebiotics, or any other kind of biotics. They simply woke up in the morning and had breakfast, a few hours later they had lunch, and before they went to bed they had dinner. They didn't care what the food was, simply that it was there.

Of course, life expectancies were a lot lower then. People finished their school careers by the age of ten or so, had their first kids by the time they were thirteen, and were pushing up daisies by the age of 40 or so. Those who didn't die during childbirth, battle, or a smallpox epidemic most probably got done in by bad diets, although they may not have realised it at the time.

We live in more enlightened times. We know much more about how our bodies work and what we should and should not be putting into them. We know that trans fats are bad, that obesity puts people at increased risk of Type 2 Diabetes, and that pregnant women should not consume alcohol. Some of us still can't tell a prebiotic from a probiotic, but we do know a thing or two about cholesterol.

Cholesterol is essential for our wellbeing, but in high amounts it is a serious health risk. It is produced by the liver, and is used in the production of cell membranes, Vitamin D, and certain hormones. Our bodies produce about 80% of the cholesterol flowing through our blood; the remainder comes from food sources like eggs and butter. Contrary to popular belief, the cholesterol we consume is not usually the problem; it's the cholesterol we produce. That is not to say that diet does not play an important role in our cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol does not mix easily with blood, and needs to be transported through the bloodstream with the help of a carrier. There are two kinds of carriers. LDL - what many people refer to as "bad cholesterol" sticks to the artery walls as it's travelling through our systems. It builds up and builds up until it blocks the artery. HDL, or "good cholesterol", allows clean passage of cholesterol through our arteries without leaving any nasty bits behind.

One of the biggest single factors in LDL and HDL levels is the amount and type of fat that is consumed. The rule of thumb is that saturated and hydrogenated fat will raise LDL and lower HDL. Examples of this are donuts, cream, fries, chocolate, and ice cream. Unsaturated fats are better for us. They lower LDL and raise HDL. They include olive oil, nonhydrogenated margerine, fatty fish like salmon, and nuts. Lean meat and low-fat dairy will add less LDL to your system than fatty meat and full-cream dairy. Fibre will lower LDL levels; red wine will raise HDL levels. At least there's something nice that's actually good for you - in moderate amounts, of course.

Choosing food can be a complicated business. We are all advised to read nutrition labels, but the labels can be very hard to figure out. Some health authorities are starting to push for legislation that would require labels to be in plain English (or whatever the language of the land is). We are moving ever-closer to being able to make informed decisions about what we consume. We may still make choices that are not good for us, but at least they will be choices based on knowledge.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

I had one of those days today. Oh, it started out alright. I got 12 hours sleep last night so I was well rested. I felt pretty good except for a strange pain in my knee. It was about 40�F out, not bad for this time of year. The roads were clear so I had a pretty easy drive into work. And that's when it all started going wrong.

First, my boss called in sick. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, but we're already shorthanded and Monday was an easy day. Chances are, today wouldn't be, and I was right. I got an e-mail from an instructor that had called me yesterday. Now, they are supposed to e-mail me, but she called and left her cell number and her non-college e-mail address. I sent an e-mail to that non-college e-mail address telling her to check her college e-mail address. This morning I got an e-mail from her non-college address saying she still couldn't log in to my web page. Again, I e-mailed her and told her to check her college e-mail address. This is one of the people that is shaping the minds of our future leaders. Be afraid.

Next the financial aid director came in and asked me for a report on TAP grants given to our Brooklyn students. Since 2003. We had a different system in 2003. A report like this would take me the better part of the day, but while he was talking to me, I was getting a call from the President's secretary telling me she had a virus. And we were supposed to have Christmas lunch with our VP, which usually takes a couple of hours. By the time we went to that lunch, I only had reports for 3 of the 6 years done. My afternoon was booked.

But I forgot to leave that message on my voicemail. When I got back from lunch, I had two messages from a different faculty member that couldn't log in, again leaving his cell number and off-campus e-mail address. I also had two messages and an e-mail from our associate registrar telling me that no Physician Assistant grad student could log into my web page. Another message said someone couldn't receive calls from off-campus, another person had all their messages going to voicemail. I e-mailed the professor, called the person that couldn't get off-campus calls and told them their phone was on-campus only, and left a message for the person telling them how to take off call-fowarding. I ignored the associate registrar until I got my reports done. After all, my web page doesn't discriminate because of course of study.

Besides that, general statements like that piss me off. She said 3 students came into her office and claimed that no grad PA student could log in. Did they ask every grad PA student, or could it be the three of them just forgot their passwords. PA students are a pain anyway, and will do anything to get their way. They claimed they e-mailed me "several times" but never got a response. The reason they didn't get a response is because they didn't e-mail me. They lied, and I don't take too kindly to that either, especially when I end up getting yelled at for it.

Anyway, I reset their passwords, finished cleaning the infected PC, and took care of a couple other minor little problems before it was time to leave. Unfortunately, that means I'm wayyy too beat to write for you tonight. Sorry.

Tim a'Musing Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

Place green fruits in a perforated plastic bag. The holes will allow air to circulate while retaining the ethylene gas that fruits produce during ripening.

What a difference a good line makes! Thanks Mike. Anybody else got one?

Next opening line...
The sleigh is packed ready to fly...

My guy is both naughty and nice He enjoys romance along with his vice He'll put in some porn And woo me until morn I sure hope Christmas "comes" twice! - Bonnie	My girl is both naughty and nice..... And that's a very low price..... To pay for the fun..... Of loving just one..... Better than a roll of the dice. - Skeeter
My girl is both naughty and nice..... So I get to do things twice..... To please her whim..... I'll go out on a limb..... To be sure I suffice for both naughty and nice. (A slight change of rhythm.) - Skeeter	My guy is both naughty and nice--- He has long hair just like Bo Bice--- but then he came home looking just like a gnome because it turned out that he had lice. - Cassandra in New York
My guy is both naughty and nice He earns his keep with a pair of dice. And when he wants to play He'll whisk me away To a tropical paradise. - Anne Onimous	My guy is both naughty and nice The study of nature is his vice. So while out on long walks He'll examine his rocks And then declare, "These rocks are gneiss!" - Anne Onimous
My girl is both naughty and nice One minute she's as cold as ice But then I'll soon find That soon she'll change her mind And take me to paradise. - E. Cole Aye	My guy is both naughty and nice He can both repel and entice But I always hold my own And often he's been shown Than I am both sugar and spice. - Ray of Sunshine
With Christmas just one week away I wanted a painting via parley. With cash I did bet But lost at roulette So away I walked with no Monet. - Anne Onimous	With Christmas just one week away My kids are driving me crazy! They look to the sky For reindeer that can fly And pull a jolly elf in a sleigh. - Anne Onimous
There was a girl who was bit zingy She wanted to travel to Fiji. To there she would float But not in a boat For she went with a guy who was dingy (dinghy). - Anne Onimous

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/

Re: Kirsten's Citizenship

Congratulations! I look north across Lake Erie and think what a wonderful land you've adopted. Been there a few times, have friends there. Nancy L in Ohio

Re: Cliff's Outdoors

I do NOT spend extensive time outdoors in winter, but lately, it feels like it. Our furnace decided to quit during last week's Really Cold weather. I use layers, too. Especially on my feet. I wear a pair of thinsulate knee socks with cotton sport socks over them, and walking shoes with a thick sole. When I have to go outside, I have a scarf I can pull up over my face.
I have a recommendation for your getting wet problem. Dick's Sporting Goods ( and probably others) have a wonderful waterproof poncho for very little cost. I keep one in the car all the time. Just plop it over your head and pull it down as you leave the vehicle, and you stay dry. The poncho is a one-size-fits-most thing, and is long enough to cover pants to at least the knees. They also have $1 ones that are good for one or two wearings. Get the good one. - Nancy L (up here where it really gets cold )in Ohio

I was 20 years old before I discovered the key to staying warm outdoors in winter - central heating! I was in Winnipeg, anticipating a cold walk, but my friends made snowballs. I wound up running as much as walking, and didn't get cold at all. For all-winter bike riding, I'm careful about having well insulated hands and feet, but often have to unzip my jacket. Bike racers often arrive at the top of a pass all sweaty on a cool day, and stuff their jerseys with newspaper to reduce wind chill. To change my insulation rating for changes in wind or activity, I may remove a layer or two entirely, but it is more convenient to remove a hat and/or gloves, and loosen a windbreaker. For extra cold weather, I add a shop dust mask to the ensemble. When working, I find that it keeps me as warm as a sweater - I often put one on and the other off. It also allows heavy exertion at very low temperatures, beyond -25F which can otherwise freeze your lungs as you try to keep warm. The mask can cause glasses to fog up, though, if care is not taken. Boots for walking can be much lighter than those for standing or riding. The insulation value of socks can be greatly enhanced with plastic bags to protect them from moisture from either side. If moisture is a possibility, and it always is, you want to avoid cotton in favour of wool or polypropylene. Mittens are warmer than gloves, and even if your head never feels cold, you should give it lots of insulation. Legs get two or three layers. A scarf is also very handy for neck insulation, and filling the v-neck gap that others leave over the chest. In many parts of Asia it is used as a versatile garment, wrapped tightly around the head and neck in the morning, but loosely as the sun warms things up, giving shade with ventilation.

BTW, I knew a guy who made survival gear, and he wouldn't use Gore-Tex. It was OK in moderate conditions, but then would ice up when you really needed it in severe weather. Another friend was out with the Army cadets, wearing white coveralls for snow camo over everything else. The whole platoon was cold all day, except for one kid who'd gotten tossed in a puddle in the morning, and had a glaze of ice on his whites. - Bob of the North

I live in Louisiana now, but the first half of my life I was raised in Indiana. In the Winter when the weather was bad, I never left my house to go to work without packing quilts, an extra set of clothes, and a small overnight bag. This was all in case I got stranded on the road or stranded somewhere else if bad weather moved in. You also had go out first thing in the morning and turn your car and defroster on. While you were getting ready for work, your windshield would defrost!!

Give me the South anyday!!!!! - Bonnie

Re: Joke

Mike said, "I know this is political, but I think public figures can be the butt of jokes without the need of defensive comments. Take it as a joke. I'll get the "the other guy" when I can! Thanks."
I wouldn't particularly worry about it Mike.

Over the years I have received the same joke with George W Bush, John Howard and Kevin Rudd as the named person.

Howard {being an ex} and Rudd {being the current} Prime Minister of Australia. - Jesse, Mount Isa, Australia. {who still reads but doesn't write}
[Thanks Jesse, it's sometimes hard to tell what people will consider too political. For the most part though I figure the jokes and limericks are a good place for everyone to let off a little steam. Thanks for being a longtime reader, jump in with comments more often.]

Re: Global Warming

Mike, you said that "there is quite a consensus among scientists on the idea that the earth is warming up". Accepted. But there is NO consensus on the more important question. That is, WHY is it warming, and does man have anything to do with it? That's why I point out the cycles on earth. Man doesn't cause those cycles. I guess if we really tried, we could have some effect. But increasing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere by a few hundredths of a percent won't do it.

The tractor, mechanization, and the computer were all innovations that came along on their own. They were natural advancements by human kind due to our free market system. We are now trying to force innovations. That circumvents the system, and it won't work. I'm with you, I hope soon we'll come up with something to replace fossil fuels, and I'm sure we will, because they are finite. But if the global warming crowd was serious about finding a non-polluting source of energy, wouldn't we be ramping up nuclear power plants? Wouldn't more people in key positions be excited about the Marshall System? (Check this out, by the way. http://marshallsystem.com/) Marshall has hit nothing but road blocks. It seems that if the actual aim was to limit green house gases, we would be using technologies that don't emit green house gases. But we're not, and these technologies are either vilified or ignored. So what's the deal? What am I supposed to believe?

And it was NOT lax rules that caused the economic problems we have now. That is SUCH a myth. The problem started with the Senate putting rules in place that forced lenders to make unsafe loans. They forced them to make loans to people that had no business buying houses, or to accept applications without real proof of who the person was. I hope you know this story. The rules worked fine for decades. There was no break down until the change by Barney Frank & Chris Dodd.

This IS the only conspiracy theory I subscribe to, by the way. :) It's just a little too obvious to me. There is a concerted effort by people in power to fundamentally change our way of life. - Chris in Utah

It does seem like ending pollution would be good, whether or not global warming is true. It is just like the abortion debate. Right to lifers and pro choicers should promote the hell out of birth control, and then debate what happens when it isn't used. - Lucille

Re: Canadian

Bob of the North � I frequently disagree with you. We have very different views on any number of topics. Your final sentence in Monday's comments, though, was the first time I was truly angry at something written in RGQ.

Fine, you may disagree with the politics behind the war. You may think it is all a horrible mistake. You may think the leaders in both the US and Canada are evil, scum-sucking minions of Satan summoned from the depths of Hell to drag our nations into ruin. Think that. Say that. I don't care.

But the insult you flung at the US Marines � and by extension, to our soldiers, sailors and airmen, and to members of the Canadian military as well � was out of bounds. The derisiveness with which you wrote of these brave men and women was undeserved and disrespectful of their commitment to the service of their nations.

More than 850 US and 130 Canadian troops have given their lives in Afghanistan. They deserve better than you gave them. - Tammy in Alabama

Re: Books

Sorry for the delay in responding about this.
I just wanted to suggest to all of the RGQers that there is a good use for all the books you finish reading. I take mine to a military hospital here in San Diego for the wounded troops to read. They really appreciate them. - Chet in SD.
[Great idea Chet. Thanks.]

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#1229

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Dec 14, 2009 6:02 am
Subject: December 14, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Don't you love going on vacation? Visit a new city, take in all the sights, maybe take a tour.

These days tours are offered in most major cities. You can see the homes of the stars in Hollywood. Take in the cathedrals of Paris. The art museums of New York. The slums of India's Dharavi township and Rio de Janeiro's favelas. And soon you can tour the birthplace of Los Angeles' gangs.

According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, "After a VIP preview last weekend, L.A. Gang Tours expects to open to the public in January, giving tourists a look at the cradle of the nation's gang culture -- the birthplace of many of the city's gangs, including Crips and Bloods, Florencia 13 and 18th Street."

Oh joy! I can't wait.

Of course the organizers of the tours have a reason for offering them. "'This is ground zero for a lot of the bad in this city. It could be ground zero for a lot of the good too,' said Alfred Lomas, a former Florencia member who has become a leading gang intervention worker in South Los Angeles and is spearheading the tours. 'This is true community empowerment.'"

"The nonprofit group plans to offer two-hour tours at an initial cost of $65 per adult, with profits funneled back into the community through jobs, 'franchised' tours in new areas and micro-loans to inner-city entrepreneurs. Early routes will focus largely on South L.A., with forays through Watts and Florence-Firestone."

But there are some who find the tours troubling. "It's not right to put people on display" said City Councilwoman Jan Perry. "It could be perceived as demeaning for the people who are living in these conditions. I don't know how they're going to manage those perceptions" said Francisco Ortega, a field staffer with the Los Angeles Human Relations Commission.

The biggest problem I would have with such a tour would be the fact that you are going into a part of the city known for it's crime. What's to stop the gangs from attacking the tour?

Terry Jensen, an owner of Seattle-based Duninger Corp., and one of the backers of the tour, "...acknowledged that customers will have to sign a watertight legal waiver. He said that's why it's important to spread the word through affected neighborhoods that the tour is coming -- and, eventually, generating jobs, grants and loans."

So organizers of the tour are going around the area meeting with gang leaders in order to secure "safe passage" to the areas they want to go.

First of all, what have we come to when it becomes necessary to negotiate with gangs to feel safe going into an area? Secondly, would knowing that your safety hinged on gang leaders keeping their word make you feel good about taking the tour?

I don't know. It seems that a busload of outsiders, tourist who are probably carrying cash, would be a very big target. I don't give it a week before the first bus gets hijacked.

What about it RGQ readers? Would you take the tour? For that matter would you want to tour the ghettos in India or Rio? Do you see such tours as demeaning to the people living in these areas? Do you think there could be any benefit to the people of the area by being the focus of the tours?

Staying home,

P.S. Kirsten had a very good week last week. For one thing she became a citizen of Canada. Here is a video of that ceremony. Be sure you watch past the 4:30 point. That's when the real excitement begins! Congratulations Kirsten!

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Isn't it worth $1 a month to you to keep RGQ in your mailbox? Please click the link and direct your contribution to keep RGQ going.

Regarding John Major, British prime minister � "He is such a nonentity that if his life flashed before his eyes, he wouldn't be in it." � David Lange

"The new one-pound coin should be called the Thatcher, because it's thick, brassy, and wanted to be a sovereign." � David Prowse

The President's Hooker
[Thanks Sied]

President Obama was looking for a call girl. He found three such girls in a local pub, a blonde, a brunette and a redhead.

To the blonde he said,

'I am the President of the United States. Now how much would it cost me to spend some time with you?'

She replied, $200.

To the brunette he asked the same question.

Her reply was $100.

He then asked the redhead

Her reply was, 'Mr. President, if you can get my skirt up as high as my taxes, my pants as low as my wages, get that thing of yours as hard as the times we are living in, and keep it rising like the price of gas, keep me warmer than it is in my apartment and screw me the way you have retirees, then it isn't going to cost you a damn cent!'

I know this is political, but I think public figures can be the butt of jokes without the need of defensive comments. Take it as a joke. I'll get the "the other guy" when I can! Thanks.

"I believe that the end of things man-made cannot be very far away - must be near at hand."

"You cannot work with men who won't work with you."

"A dead cow or sheep lying in a pasture is recognized as carrion. The same sort of a carcass dressed and hung up in a butcher's stall passes as food." - All from American surgeon, inventor of corn flakes John Harvey Kellogg who died on this date in 1943

Great Moments In Sports

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Preferences

I used to like winter. I don't know how I feel about it now.

I used to compare comfort levels for my evaluation. In the winter, I could add a layer of clothing if I was cold. If it wasn't enough, I'd add another layer. This would continue until I was rather toasty. Even in the most severe cold snaps, I could be warm even if I wasn't exactly comfortable. Since I worked outside much of the time, this was a key factor.

In summer, however, the reverse process wasn't as effective. As temperature and humidity rises, you can only take off so much before someone complains and you have to explain to a judge why you were nekkid in a public park.

I've been geocaching for 8 months. This is my first winter doing it. I've found I can still do the layering thing, although my activity levels are higher, so I have to moderate it a bit. I can be chilly one moment, and after a short hike up a steep hill, I can be sweating a moment later.

Living at the southern edge of the "snow belt" doesn't help. When northern neighbors are getting snow, we often get a cold rain instead. If one's clothing gets wet, it loses all it's beneficial effects. Over-dressing is as detrimental as under-dressing. Whether it is rain, or sweat, it is all the same in the effeciency department.

When you plan to be outside all day, watching weather forecasts is imperative. As my area has a wide array of climatic conditions, sometimes all of them occuring within the same 24-hour period, preparation is tantamount. My back seat of my car looks as if some homeless person is living in there. Add the extra clothes in the trunk (boot) and my car competes with my closet for bragging rights. The car wins on the variety competition. The closet wins on the quantity competition.

Here's your quiz:
Do you spend extended periods outside in winter? If so, how do you prepare?
Have you purchased special clothing simply to be prepared, if necessary?
What excuse did you use to the judge that hot & humid summer?

Preferences - Not Just A Drop Down Menu
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Today's piece is borrowed in its entirety from the Molson ? Am Canadian" rant. The last three days have just been way too eventful for me to actually think up anything original myself.
~ Kirsten ~

Hey, I'm not a lumberjack, or a fur trader....
I don't live in an igloo or eat blubber, or own a dogsled....
and I don't know Jimmy, Sally or Suzy from Canada,
although I'm certain they're really really nice.

I have a Prime Minister, not a president.
I speak English and French, not American.
And I pronounce it 'about', not 'a boot'.

I can proudly sew my country's flag on my backpack.
I believe in peace keeping, not policing,
diversity, not assimilation,
and that the beaver is a truly proud and noble animal.
A toque is a hat, a chesterfield is a couch,
and it is pronounced 'zed' not 'zee', 'zed' !!!!

Canada is the second largest landmass!
The first nation of hockey!
and the best part of North America

My name is Joe!!
And I am Canadian!!!

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten
Canadian citizen as of December 11th, 2009

Here's an archive article from Tim.

Seeing the comments that resulted from my mentioning PETA in an article, I will never mention PETA again. But since I just did, I thought maybe you'd like to hear my views.

Did you know it's a scientific fact that plants feel pain? I'm sure you've heard they are healthier and grow faster if you play music they like. I'm not sure what type of music they like best, but I'm pretty sure Britney Spears is not on the short list.

When plants are "eating", they give off oxygen. That's a good thing, I guess, because I breathe oxygen. Sure they sell oxygen at the store. Hospitals use it. But eventually, they'd run out and have to get some from plants.

Plants are basically peaceful things. They aren't very aggressive. A cactus won't hurt you unless you attack it.

Do you know what cow-tipping is? It's the cruelest of rural sports, where a person walks up to a sleeping cow and pushes it over. But cows at least have a fight-or-flight fantasy. They, well, if they were awake, could simply move forward and avoid the attack. They have teeth, so they can bite. I don't want to be behind one if you pull on it's tail.

Plants are completely lacking in the "flight" part of that fantasy. With the possible exception of the tumbleweed, plants can't run. And did you know if you pluck them out of the ground, they don't die right away? I don't know what they scream, but they scream, or at least that's what scientists say. They feel agony.

Plants don't have lawyers, so I just figured I'd speak up on their behalf. I know lawyers though, so I thought I'd create an organization and sue anyone that breathes.

I think I'll call it "People For Fair Flora Treatment", or pffft! Have a cow.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

No trees were killed in the sending of this message. However, a large number of electrons were terribly inconvenienced.

Miscellaneous Tips

Sunlight doesn't ripen tomatoes, warmth does. Store tomatoes with stems pointed down and they will stay fresher, longer.

Good ones this time, even got some make-ups.

Mike in Virginia Beach, VA felt sorry for me and sent an opening line. Thanks Mike!

Next opening line...
My girl/guy is both naughty and nice...

With Christmas just two weeks away..... She shops three times a day..... For things they don't need..... Just to satisfy their greed..... There goes another weeks pay. - Skeeter	With Christmas just two weeks away... I need to tell Dad that I'm gay--- he'll scream and he'll shout doesn't get what it's 'bout but for me it's hip hip hip hooray. - Cassandra in New York
With Christmas just two weeks away, I have to bake cookies today! There's place to go In spite of the snow, No time to goof off and play! Nancy L in Ohio	With Christmas just two weeks away, Frenzy has entered the fray! Must get Snail Mail out So the Grandkids don't pout, But the packages aren't packed today! - Nancy L in Ohio
With Christmas just two weeks away I will say a quick Hip Hooray The time and the money I've spent on my Honey And all I'll get is a roll in the hay. - Bonnie	This year I hope Santa brings me A big tall cup to hold my tea But what would be badder Is a bigger bladder So I don't so often have to pee. - E. Cole Aye
This year I hope Santa brings me Something on which I can ski. My last pair got broke When downhill I did choke And then ran into that big pine tree. - E. Cole Aye	This year I hope Santa brings me Something that really works from Acme It's really preferred I catch that damn bird 'Stead of getting my usual whammy. - Wile E. Coyote (aka E. Cole Aye)
This year I hope Santa brings me Winter weather that is balmy For this "global warming" Looks more like snow storming And it's piling up past my knee. - E. Cole Aye

Links to online editions of RGQ
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Re: Climate Change

Sorry, but this argument is getting old. Global warming is a hoax. Period. Doesn't anyone see that the same people that are putting forward this hoax are the same people that instigated our financial meltdown by making rules that destroyed our banks and lending institutions, and the same people that have created a bogus health care crisis? All of these hoaxes, plus many more, are designed with one end in mind. Destroy our way of life, take away our freedom to live as we please, and to transfer power to a select few. It's SO much more efficient, and so much safer, than trying to over-throw a republic with military force.

If there was any chance that global warming was real, there would be on-going public debate by real experts. By the way, Al Gore is NOT an expert. (He won't debate the subject either...) All we have is one side trying to shut the other side down. The believers won't debate the non-believers, they only castigate them and destroy their reputations. If you are right about an issue, and you have the facts, you put them out to other scientists in your field and have them test your conclusions without prejudice. That's the peer review process. And it hasn't been done. The computer models used to demonstrate global warming as a result of human activity have been shown to be seriously flawed, and obviously written to show only one conclusion, and when these facts are exposed, the people exposing them are attacked. The data that has been collected is shown to be skewed toward proving that global warming exists, and when people point that out they are attacked and their reputations are destroyed. The global warming crowd never answers the questions put to them, they destroy the people asking the questions.

So lets call this what it is. It's an attempt to take over a huge part of our lives, to bring down our standard of living to match the standard of living elsewhere in the world. The poor are much easier to control. The wealthy free are almost impossible to control. And every one of our modern "crises" have seemingly one solution. We need to spend all of our resources to solve it. The financial crisis needs bailouts, the health care crisis needs government control that will substantially raise costs, and the global warming crisis requires the destruction of our technology and economy and expenditures of huge amounts of money and resources to solve the supposed problem. We are under attack, and we don't see it.

Don't misunderstand. There are good people that sincerely believe that man is causing global warming. But they are not the experts. The true scientists either do not believe it is real, or are on the fence. And the true experts are not given a legitimate chance to really test the theories. We need independent experts to write the computer models without outside interference, we need independent experts to study the data collected over long periods of time, and we need independent experts to come to independent conclusions. If they all match to a significant degree, then we have actionable conclusions.

We have had global warming and cooling since this planet came to be a planet. We weren't even here for most of it. Dinosaurs lived during a tropical planet-wide warming, and woolly mammoths lived during an ice age. Those are cycles, and we can't do much of anything to stop them or speed them up. - Chris in Utah
[Chris, I think that there is quite a consensus among scientists on the idea that the earth is warming up. I think the problem is that there is a very vocal minority of scientists who are debunking the idea.

As for destroying our economy by trying to solve the problem, the same has been said for every major change in technology. Remember when the tractor was going to do away with farmers? What about when the computer was going to take all our jobs? This is the same sort of revolution. Doing away with our dependance on carbon based fuels might get rid of the oil field worker's job but what about all the new jobs created by the new technology? Even if global warming isn't the problem it appears to be, we know that oil will eventually run out. We will need new technology at some point. Why not start now and we can all enjoy the fresh air.

As for rules and regulations causing the economic problems we're seeing now, it was in fact a lack of rules and lax enforcement of existing laws that caused that problem. Some oversight and regulation is necessary because greed knows no bounds.]

My thoughts on "global warming", now known as "climate change" have always included scepticism that we could alter the worlds temperature to such an effect. I am talking not only about causing it, but also about stopping it. How on earth (pun intentional) could taxing the citizens of every country on earth stop it? This has never been clearly explained to my satisfaction. I am absolutely certain that we have squandered the resources we had, and have despoiled the earth in many places quite unconscionably, but in terms of affecting the entire globe and causing polar icecaps to melt, the arrogance of it is in keeping with our existence on this planet to date.

I am sure climate change is a reality. I was taught at school in the late 70's about the coming Ice Age..this is often cited as an example of how the science is hardly ever "settled" but I think it is salient because it indicates we learned a long time ago how cyclical the climate has always been. In reading many articles discussing this "hot" topic, one comment by a fellow reader stood out for me. They said that the biggest victim of all of this is environmentalism. We do need to conserve resources, we do need to clean up after ourselves, but the hysteria has diverted attention away from practical solutions into a global tax that will apparently miraculously save us all.

As a sceptic (person indisposed to accept popularity or authority as proving the truth of opinions), the fervent belief by supporters in the face of opposing evidence sends shivers down my spine. AGW is the new religion, and believers will brook no argument or logical debate. That alone should be enough to make rational people very cautious in allowing the high prophets of this religion wealth and power unparalleled in human history.

I would have been far more inclined to show my support for global efforts if the talk had been about adjusting to, and assisting those that will be adversely affected by, natural climate change, rather than an absurd call for taxes to stop it. - Melnz
[The idea that we were heading for a new ice age was based on the evidence of naturally occurring cycles. Based on that, the earth is way overdue for an ice age. The discovery that Venus is incredibly hot and has an atmosphere high in what is now called greenhouse gases is what brought about the idea that the earth is being warmed by these very same gasses. Gasses that are released as a byproduct of our burning of fossil fuels.

Of course you're right, we can't flip a switch and change the environment worldwide. If we could it would be simple to continue the way we are and when disaster was upon us, flip the switch and fix it. It's sort of like driving a car, you don't wait until it's completely out of control to try to avoid the ditch. A small correction early on has a big effect later.

So OK, let's say the governments of the world decide to cut emissions 1%. That costs very little and buys us a few more years to study the problem. Or we wait another few decades and discover that the doomsayers were right. New Orleans is underwater, half of Florida is underwater, costal cities across the globe are washing away. In other places there is drought and famine. Now what?

We saw what happened when hurricane Katrina hit. Those displaced by the storm went inland. The cities where these refugees went saw a huge spike in homelessness, crime, and the need for government assistance. Imagine this happening worldwide.

The point of my article was that doing something, anything, at this point is a start. It may not be needed from a standpoint of global warming, but cleaning up the air could only benefit all of us and putting out the coal fires could reduce emissions by 2-3%.]

Putting out coal fires before changing anything else has a certain appeal, but it may never happen, or the effort and resources used might come to more than is saved. We don't know. We have never put out an underground coal fire, and we have tried for centuries, sometimes very vigorously. However, we do know how to improve just about everything else that makes smoke. We may feel very attached to technology as we use it today, but is it really making us happy? Is our quality of life so great that we should throw away the possibility of living as our ancestors did? They may look glum in pictures, but that was before cameras were fast enough to catch a smile.

I remember people getting alarmed at the effects of the world population reaching 3 billion. The things we valued then are now gone. We can't restore the world I grew up in, we are already committed to more disasters, with the option of getting very very clever and energetic to build something new, in less than the time nature would use.

We often hear that we have to choose between environment and economy, but that only refers to the economy that is run by the current fat cats. There would be far more and better job opportunities for most people if we were getting serious about leaving some oil available for the indefinite future, instead of burning it as fast as it can be sold. - Bob of the North
[There's a thought for the future. What if our descendants discover that oil contained everything needed to cure all ailments and we burned it all up! Joke's on you grand-kids! I only got 18 miles per gallon!]

Re: Weather Changes

I live near the coast in SoCal. It is front page news when we get 1/4 inch of rain, but no, we do not get dramatic weather changes. The most dramatic weather change I experienced was when I lived in Idaho. It was in April when one day it was 85 degrees fahrenheit, the next day it was 28 degrees fahrenheit and snowing like crazy, whiteout conditions, then the third day it was 85 degrees again. - GrammieSammie

When the vast majority of scientists refuse big bucks to deny climate change, and 10,000 year old glaciers are suddenly falling to bits, and ancient forests are decimated by bugs from elsewhere, and extreme weather records are being set far faster than they would be - Ahh, what's the use. If you want to leave your head in the sand, happy geocaching. - Burnt out Bob of the North

Up here near the top of Ohio, we get the first wave of what you get in Cinci, Cliff. Like today. Thankfully, we're southwest of the Snow Belt. I am watching the School Closings in Ashtabula County scroll across the TV screen this morning while our weather is 13 degrees and almost still air, with maybe an inch of white stuff on the ground. But the weather a mile up the road from us is probably 15 to 16 degrees. We live in a pretty deep depression, so it's always colder down here. I've been trying to think back to the widest temperature change in 24 hours, and it wasn't in Ohio. A very long time ago in Fairbanks, Alaska, a Chinook wind blew a dramatic warmth through town in minutes. Neighbors ran outside yelling "Get Inside". The ground in Fairbanks is sand. High winds blow it all over the place. And that wind feels like your skin has been peppered with buckshot. I think the actual temperature change went from around 50 degrees to 70. (it wasn't winter at the time). fyi- summer temps in Fairbanks can get up to desert dry 90 with the sun blasting away about 20 hours a day. We tend to think of it as the Frozen North, which it is in winter, but summer up there is gorgeous! Visit in late June to early August. Tourists come to Circle Hot Springs about 90 miles north of Fairbanks to watch the Summer Solstice when the sun sits right on the horizon and never fully "sets" at all. - Nancy L in Ohio

Re: Canadian

OK, that was your last day. Part of being Canadian is not confessing to the sin of pride. My mom was really a big fan of the country, but she never used that word. I'm glad to be Canadian, considering the possibilities, but am becoming more ashamed the more I read of our history. The good bits are celebrated, but we have taken advantage of Haiti and other poor countries for decades. We maintained diplomatic relations with Cuba, publicly disagreeing with the U.S. while secretly doing their bidding through our embassy. There are dozens of similar examples where we got to play "good cop," to the point that U.S. citizens traveling abroad with backpacks would sew on a maple leaf to generate a friendly response. Now, we are being properly reviled for not even trying to meet our Kyoto commitments and trying to scuttle Copenhagen to preserve our market for the world's dirtiest oil. Our recent P.R. disaster over Afghanistan has reduced us from famous peacekeepers to the moral equivalent of the U.S. Marines, the enforcers of Wall St. - Bob of the North

Re: Books

Thank you Ruth in WA. It was Gene Wolfe. I looked him up on Wikipedia. The book I remembered the library scene from was called...I think...The Shadow of the Torturer. There are a few other titles that sound familiar and I don't know if they were written as a series but the titles do sound familiar. - GrammieSammie

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#1228

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Fri Dec 11, 2009 7:09 am
Subject: December 11, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

On Wednesday John in Oz submitted a 15 minutes piece concerning the recently leaked emails detailing questionable data in the science of global warming. This issue has further clouded the issue for many people.

Awhile back I saw a video where the global warming issue was laid out as 4 possibilities. Global warming was true or not. We try to fix it or not.

The combinations of these 4 possibilities was this;

Global warming is true.

   We can do nothing and run the possibility of huge impact on the planet and the people.

   We can try to fix the problem, with a big impact on the economy, and possibly save ourselves.

Global warming is not true.

   We do nothing and nothing changes.

   We do something and have a negative impact on our economy.

The video went on to say the choice really wasn't whether global warming was true or not. There will probably never be total consensus on that, even if waves are lapping at your doorstep.

The question should really be whether we do something or not.

If we do try to change our output of global warming gasses, and it turns out that we didn't need to, we've spent money needlessly right? Well, I think that changing our reliance on fossil fuels is not necessarily a bad thing since it would free us from our dependance on foreign oil, clean up the air, and create new jobs and technologies.

But if it turns out that the global warming alarmist were right... We might just save the world. Watch the video, he does a much better job of explaining it than I do.

So if we were to decide to limit our carbon emissions what would be an easy way to start?

According to an article I read at treehugger.com (I'm sure John cringes at the very name! Lol) at this very moment there are coal fires burning out of control all over the world that may be producing 2-3% of all industrial carbon emissions.

"Such unwanted coal fires rage or smolder in the United States, South Africa, Australia, China, India and beyond. They are burning in huge volumes in rural China and blazing in a district of India to such a great extent the flames from some surface coal fires are more than 20 feet high. Here in the U.S., they are burning in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Colorado and Wyoming as you read these words."

Probably the most well known of these fires in the United States is the fire burning beneath Centralia, PA. This fire started accidently in 1962 and is still burning today, 47 years later!

"The incident brought national attention to Centralia and in 1984 U.S. Congress allocated more than $42 million for relocation efforts."

"Coal fires have been called a 'global catastrophe', and for good reason. The world's worst are thought to be in China, India, and Indonesia, but obviously, they're endemic wherever coal stores are found. Technology is slowly being developed to aid the fight in extinguishing the coal fires--let's hope it's ready sooner rather than later, as these fires are atrocious polluters, and an unnecessary danger to human life."

If the world is serious about limiting carbon emissions doesn't it seem that more effort should be put into controlling these fires? Shouldn't we be demanding these fires be extinguished first, before you or I are asked to give up our automobiles? Wouldn't the effort to control this pollution show good faith on the part of the countries who are currently debating how to reduce emissions?

Even if global warming, climate change, or whatever you want to call it is true or not it seems to me that putting out coal fires would be good for our health and safety.

Smolderingly,

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Regarding King Edward VIII of England � "He had hidden shallows." � Clive James

Regarding Joseph Joffre, French field marshal � "The only time he put up a fight in his life was when we asked him for his resignation." � Georges Clemenceau

Wedding
[Thanks Tesser]

At a wedding I recently attended, the priest called for a moment of silence to remember the faithful dead...

As the church grew quiet, a little boy sitting in front of me turned to his father and said excitedly, 'Dad, you have some of their albums!'

"The most despairing songs are the most beautiful, and I know some immortal ones that are pure tears."

"Each memorable verse of a true poet has two or three times the written content."

"The return makes one love the farewell." - All from French poet Alfred de Musset born on this date in 1810

Christmas Is Getting Close

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Climate Change

I was out geocaching the other day. It was right after a full day of rain. We were on the back side of the weather system and were getting the benefit of an air flow from the south.

Overnight, as the weather system approached, our temperatures changed from the mid 30's to the mid 50's.I know what it was like in the cold rain that previous evening. But, when I awoke, it was warm enough to go out on the deck in shirt sleeves.

This weather event isn't too uncommon here. Summer temperatures can dramatically rise with an "inversion layer". In spring & fall, a sudden rainstorm can, and often does, seemingly appear out of once clear sky. Here in Ohio, we are in a prime location. We get the influence of weather patterns coming down from Canada we call "Alberta Clippers" in the winter. We get heavy moist air from the Gulf of Mexico as systems roil up the Mississippi valley, then meet the prevailing winds and shift to a northeasterly track.

The joke around here is, "If you don't like the weather, wait 5 minutes, it'll change." It literally came true yesterday and today. After the abrupt change overnight, the storm system passed through and the winds changed 180 degrees. No, not temperature, although it felt it had. The winds changed to coming from the north, and at a pretty good clip.

Much has been said about climate change. Controversy abounds after recent allegations and revelations. The planet has cycles of warming & cooling. Whether the human infestation has any effect or not, I'll leave that for ongoing speculation by amateurs and professionals alike. All I know is, here, climate change is inevitable, and, if one is patient, you'll witness it soon.

Here's your quiz:
Do you experience dramatic weather changes in your area?
Do you encounter weather patterns from dynamically opposite climate types?
What is the widest range of temperatures you've experienced in a 24-hour period?

Climate Change - In The MidWest, It Happens Almost Hourly
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

"I wouldn't let someone take my Canadian citizenship from me for anything."
~ Jim Kale of the Guess Who ~

This week, after a spell of some fairly moderate weather, winter arrived. Being from a place known for its sunny climes, I tend to be a big sissy where Canadian winters are concerned. My husband has told me that as of December 11th, when I receive my Canadian citizenship, I will be Canadian and therefore not allowed to complain about the weather. I wonder if I could make a case for retaining my right to complain as a Hyphenated Canadian.

My journey to Canadianism started a little over nine years ago, when I left South Africa to pursue a job offer in Toronto. I knew nobody here, I had never been to Canada, and I had no idea what it would be like. For the first year, I was desperately lonely and suffered from an off-the-boat neediness that did my head in. I heeded advice to stick it out, bestowed on me by people who had "been there, done that."

When I had been here for just over a year I met my husband. Two years after that our firstborn son arrived. When he was a few months old, I started the long process of becoming a permanent resident. After almost two years of various background checks and processes, I got my permanent resident status, about two months before the birth of my younger son.

I had to wait for a legislated period of time before applying for citizenship. As soon as I was able to - just over a year ago - I filed the paperwork. I wrote the citizenship test two months ago, and last month received a summons to swear my oath of citizenship this Friday.

As I while away my last hours of being non-Canadian, I ponder the question of what it will actually mean, to be a Canadian. Well, it means I will be able to vote - a right and a responsibility that I take very seriously. And then I will have a valid right to complain - or not complain - about whoever gets voted into office. I will get to carry a Canadian passport. That means I'll no longer be stuck with my current passport photo, which frankly makes me look as if I shouldn't be allowed onto a plane. I will be allowed to travel to the United States without a visa. I will get to call myself a Canadian, and truly identify with a nation I have come to love.

And what of South Africa? I will always have an emotional connection with South Africa. My mother, brother and various other relatives are there. My best friend is there, along with her children. I left behind people I love dearly, and I still miss them to the point of pain. I can honestly say that the Internet, with its magical way of making the world a smaller place, has been my salvation. And no matter which way you cut it, South Africa - with its lovely weather, history, and wild African beauty - will always be the land of my birth.

I will always be proud to say that I was born in South Africa. And now, as I prepare to swear my oath of citizenship, I know that I will always be proud to say, "I am Canadian."

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

Tim is having problems with his DSL connection. Here's an archive article.

Respect is a funny thing. While it has to be earned, it also has to be given. Everybody I meet, I give a certain amount of respect. If they are proven later not to deserve that much respect, so be it, but we all have our starting points. It's called being nice. But then you make an instant evaluation, and that first impression gets stuck in your mind.

I know this because people walk into our office and make an instant evaluation of me. By design, I am the first person they see. We have a four foot wide steel door protecting our office suite and server room, so automatically I'm pretty intimidating. While this is good for fending off salesmen that think we would be interested in more monitor ink, it makes people that are new to the campus more likely to just look at the directions posted outside that four foot wide steel door and wonder where to go. I can see in their eyes that they need help, so I give it to them. On more than on occasion, the director of the visitor's destination has called to thank me for my warm welcome:

Me: "Can I help you find something?"

Visitor: "Do you know where the registrar's office is?"

Me: "Yes." Then I point straight up and say, "It's right there."

I then give them directions on how to get one floor up. My lighthearted welcome made them feel comfortable. The College earned a bit of trust, and I earned a bit of respect.

The problem I have is when people have appointments with my boss. They walk in and immediately label me as an underling. We had a high-priced trainer come to our office to, well, train us. He asked where Boss was, and I pointed the way. At that point, he lessened my value on his respect scale. I'm quite certain he thought I was a secretary of some sort. The look on his face when Boss called me into the meeting was interesting, to say the least. I wasn't carrying a pad and pencil, so I wasn't there to take notes. My boss has already gone to school, so Mr. Trainer talked to him and ignored me.

During the briefing about what we were going to learn, my boss told this instructor I would understand everything he had to offer, even though I had not yet been to school. But still when I asked a question, the trainer would look at my boss and tell him the answer. He didn't look at me, and I'm the one that asked the question. He'd say "That's a good question", then tell the answer to my boss.

In order to get him to talk to me, I have to do something spectacular. Luckily, I'm really good at doing that. My boss and trainer guy were having a hard time logging into one of the accounts. Now, this was an important account that talked to all the other servers, so they couldn't just log into a different account and change the password. They had to be logged into that account to change the password, otherwise they'd have to reset all sorts of other things on all the other servers. It would set us back days if they couldn't log on to that account. They kept trying to log into the account and discussing what a disaster it would be if they couldn't get into it. Finally I asked what the problem was. When they told me, I promptly walked up to the keyboard and logged in with the correct password. The looks on their faces as their jaws dropped to the floor was priceless. My boss asked how I did that, and trainer guy wanted some of the tea I was drinking. I had saved the day, and from there on out, trainer guy looked at me when he was answering my questions.

But the truth is, I didn't do anything all that spectacular. There were only three different possible passwords, and they kept trying the wrong one over and over again. I tried one of the other ones, and got in. It was no big deal, but I had earned their respect just by using common sense. It's funny how that works...

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

Ground spices really should be replaced every 6 months or so! Unless you know you will use them up fairly quickly, buy a bottle in partnership with a friend and split the contents. You'll each benefit from fresh spices.

These are really good. Keep it up!

Next opening line...
With Christmas just two weeks away...

My secret to shopping this time--- is to look for things that will rhyme--- and so, like Bob Vila, I drank some tequila and chased it with salt and a lime. - Cassandra in New York	My secret to shopping this time Is to plan and save every dime That I can using a sale Oh, wait, what the Hell I'll just sit here and do it online - Bonnie
My secret to shopping this time Is to plan a list most sublime And go to the spice store There's just one thing more - To make sure I've got plenty of thyme. - Anne Onimous	My secret to shopping this time..... Is without reason or rhyme..... I'll spend every cent..... Even the money for rent..... And end up without a dime. (Said she.) - Skeeter
I'm marking the names off my list My Christmas shopping shall now desist. I am now so stressed I'm going home to rest By listening to some dud name Liszt. - E. Cole Aye	I'm marking the names off my list With Black Friday shopping I'm pissed All the poking, hitting, Shoving and spitting - I swear that none of that will be missed. - E. Cole Aye
I'm marking the names off my list There are no girls left to be kissed My gal is now the one With others I'm now done Besides, she has a quick left fist. - E. Cole Aye	I'm marking the names off my list But the Christmas spirit I've missed. I may be a bit dense Christmas's not 'bout presents - It's our fellow men we should assist. - E. Cole Aye

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Re: Kids And Stores

Mega stores are enough to make many sensitive people scream, but some of us don't get dragged there. However, for many kids, it might help if they get an allowance to spend themselves if they can behave all the way, and some parental time to help them shop, not just buy candy at the checkout. Around here, screaming kids still have a slight doppler effect, as their moms take them outside. - Bob of the North

i gave my children the look and i got immediate action from them.They fell in line quick. I have not one child that had a tantrum in any store. - dEE

i firmly believe that they need to hand out duct tape and leashes to all little critters under the age of 12 that enter the store and the world would be a much happier place. - Anita

Re: Life Work

Life work, huh? Right now, I'm a housewife and health care worker. I get paid by the state of Washington to provide my brother-in-law's care (he has Down Syndrome). I even belong to a union for this and have actual health insurance now! At other times I've been a student, teacher in training, musician, mother (with all the jobs that entails), retail clerk, filing clerk, security guard, and Army musician. I've lived in the state of confusion, disgust, pain, and annoyance. I think I'm a professional at all these jobs. Have you ever known a woman who wasn't a professional, to quote the cartoon B.C.? Don't wear a collar to work though, that kind of thing has always bothered me, I just wear a lot of different hats. - Ruth in WA

Re: Books

Could your mystery books possibly be the Terry Pratchett Discworld series? It sounds vaguely familiar to me, but I'm not sure this is the one you are thinking of. Possibly Gene Wolfe's books? - Ruth in WA

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#1227

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Dec 9, 2009 5:46 am
Subject: December 9, 2009

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Ho! Ho! Ho! Bah, humbug!

I had the misfortune to be at Wal-Mart twice this past weekend. I dutifully made a list and got everything on it for the first run. I was all set to begin baking my Christmas cookies. I make several kinds and use a fair amount of "groceries" to do my baking. And Wal-Mart is always quite a bit cheaper for staples.

Then, I began to assemble the goods I needed for hand crafted presents. I had a much smaller list for the second trip, but I did have to make the second trip in order to even start with the crafting. I try to hit shopping areas at off hours. It isn't always possible, but it is my goal.

Mike wrote about a girl so out of control she was tasered by the cops. His next topic was domestic abuse. Clearly, the civilized world might be just a tad short on the "civilization" portion. And that is going to be my theme as well.

Wal-Mart on the weekend is different than during the week. On the weekend it is far busier and often quite crowded. Everything moves slower from the customers in the aisles to the checkout lines. So why, I ask the air and anyone who might have an answer, do both adults come to the store together, dragging several screaming children along? Wouldn't it be easier (and MUCH nicer for the other shoppers) for one adult to stay home with the kids?

I can't even tell you the number of screaming children I encountered on my two trips to the mega-store. I'm not talking about children under the age of two who have no sense and cannot be reasoned with. But children age four and over were screaming and being ignored.

Parents are in a tight spot. They aren't permitted to swat the kid, especially in public because children's services may be called to protect the caterwauling brat. I've been seeing places online of late where parents lament the trauma they cause their offspring because they yelled at the darlings, worrying that now the children would be scarred for life.

So there isn't really anything you can do to a screaming child in the middle of a store. You can't send them to their well-equipped rooms to play video games or watch a movie. You can't give them a time out when there is no place to send them. So they scream.

It is my opinion that the job of parenting children is to teach them how to live in the world at large. You aren't teaching that lesson when there are no consequences to follow egregiously wrong behaviors. When your baby grows up and gets a job, the boss is not going to be concerned with his or her little feelings. People are hired to do a job, not be in therapy. What sort of preparation are you giving your offspring?

I realize I wasn't the only person who didn't plan properly over the weekend. I understand the pressures of the holiday season and all the extras it brings, both expenses and time commitments. I would be less annoyed if this were a one-time event, but ill behaved children in public places are getting more and more common.

Have you noticed more children "out of control" or "acting up" of late? Like everything else, can we blame this on the economy? If you have small children and they misbehave in public, what do you do? Do you have a code word, letting them know they are in trouble later? Do you act immediately to stop the behavior?

If you are out and a child is carrying on, do you ever stop and speak? If so, do you speak to the child or to the adult? Is there an effective disciplinary method to curtail bad behaviors either in public or private? Does it help or hurt the child to allow them to misbehave without consequences?

Socially,

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"The Royal Family � you can't live with them, and the Irish can't seem to blow them up." � Bill Maher

To Moshe Dayan, Israeli foreign minister � "Don't be so humble, you're not that great." � Golda Meir

Concerned Daughter
[Thanks Bonnie]

The teen-aged beauty was telling a friend that she was really worried about her mother. It seems she's always fatigued from staying up all night long.

Her friend asked, "What's she doing staying up all night? At her age, that's not good at all."

The girl replied, "Waiting for me to come home."

"Fighting is essentially a masculine idea; a woman's weapon is her tongue."

"My father dealt in stocks and shares and my mother also had a lot of time on her hands."

"Really, sex and laughter do go very well together, and I wondered - and I still do - which is more important." - All from English actress Hermione Gingold born on this date in 1897

Dancing Tree

Longtime reader and contributor John in Oz has some thoughts about the recently leaked emails concerning climate research. Take it away John. Here's your 15 minutes.

Right now I bet every Climate Research and Meteorological Office in the world is still frantically running shredder programs and hitting the delete key on their computers. The idea that 'Climategate' is restricted only to the University of East Anglia is childish at best.

I call on every person whether supervisor or research assistant, who is in a position to prevent further cover-up to exercise their every effort to do so.

For those who are unfamiliar with the scandal, or who want links to what was said and done and why it was important, I commend to you this link. The owner of the blog, Steve McIntyre is mentioned over 100 times in the leaked e-mails, usually in the context of how to hide information from him. Not despite the fact he is renowned for exposing several significant errors in climate science, but because of it.

Climate research has been pathological science for quite some time. Now the scandal has been exposed, the ideal is to disavow the fraud and deception, and rectify the errors. Too many people instead have been continuing the cover-up or excusing the dishonesty. This does nothing at all for the good name of science and implicates the excuseniks as part of the pathology.

Gavin Schmidt's response at RealClimate.org has been pathetic. Nature's editorial might have been written by Greenpeace. Scientific American perpetuates the pathology. Among a half dozen or more examples of stupid spin, they defend against a charge never made. I paraphrase: "The stolen e-mails show no massive conspiracy to defraud the world on climate (and to what end?)..."

I and most climate sceptics have never claimed a conspiracy. We see a social dynamic, similar to that which brought the plague of post-modernism to English Departments throughout the world, and spies into MI5. In all three cases the dynamic is insiders recruiting "One of us", and in each case it perpetuated ever more extreme folly. And that is exactly what is documented in the e-mails.

They continue the pathology by attacking the messenger. Sceptics are 'climate contrarians talking nonsense'. They defend the exposed researchers by saying other, respected scientists have the same results'. I respond by pointing out that other respected scientists have had their work shot out from under them because they were based on the discredited results. They say "So the 'hockey stick' (temperature graph with steep upkick at current times) is broken. So what?" So everything that depended on that being true is also broken, that's what.

There are many similar faults. Check them out yourself if you have a strong stomach. The biggest one is the idea that the fault is not with the bad science but with being caught.
The constant spin of 'the STOLEN e-mails' ignores several very important points. First, they were prepared in response to a request under the Freedom Of Information Act. That's why they were released as 'FOIA.zip'. The now stood-down head of CRU, Philip Jones is revealed in the e-mails as saying he would delete data before releasing it under FOA. (Not necessarily this data, but still a criminal act if carried out. And the megabytes of raw data the CRU now says it deleted has not been proven to have been criminally done.)

The second point is that the information is required to have been disclosed under a valid FOI request. As I understand it, they refused the request on the grounds that the request had Hadley Climate Research unit named but not 'The University of East Anglia'. "Ho ho ho, aren't we clever. We're one place for most purposes, but we're two when refusing to disclose data paid for by the taxpayer.' Presumably the whistle-blower who leaked the data did so in outrage at the scientific dishonesty of this approach.
The third point is that 'theft' as opposed to 'leaks' is an abuse of the language, solely for the sake of spin. Theft under common law or my State's criminal code, is taking in order to permanently deprive. Leaking emails that are retained does not fit this description.

Lets not pretend that the University of East Anglia is the only organisation implicated under Climategate. They're just the first to be caught.

Here's what others have to say:

As we now know (and by "we" I mean "everyone with access to the Internet"), the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU) has just been caught ferociously manipulating the data about the Earth's temperature.

Recently leaked e-mails from the "scientists" at CRU show that, when talking among themselves, they forthrightly admit to using a "trick" to "hide the decline" in the Earth's temperature since 1960 -- as one e-mail says. Still another describes their manipulation of the data thus: "[W]e can have a proper result, but only by including a load of garbage!"

Am I just crazy from the heat or were they trying to deceive us?

Global warming cheerleaders in the media were quick to defend the scandalous e-mails, explaining that, among scientists, the words "trick," "hide the decline" and "garbage" do not mean "trick," "hide the decline" and "garbage." These words actually mean "onion soup," "sexual submissive" and "Gary, Ind."

CRU was regularly cited as the leading authority on "global climate analysis" -- including by the very news outlets that are burying the current scandal, such as The New York Times and The Washington Post. The CRU alone received more than $23 million in taxpayer funds for its work on global warming.

But then last weekend -- in the middle of the "Let's Cook the Books!" e-mail scandal -- the CRU said that all its data on the Earth's temperature since 1960 had been irretrievably "lost." (Although I suspect "overcooked" might be a more apt term.)

Most disturbingly, the CRU-affiliated "scientists" were caught red-handed conspiring to kill the careers and reputations of scientists who dissented from the religion of global warming. Indignant that scientific journals were publishing papers skeptical of global warming, the cult members plotted to get editors ousted and the publications discredited.

This sabotage of global warming dissenters may be more galling than their manipulation of the data. Until now, the global warming cult's sole argument has been to demand that everyone shut up in response to the "scientific consensus" that human activity was causing global warming.

That's their idea of a free and open debate.

Professionals

The term "professional" has often been used in ways that really irked me. A farmer who worked from sunup to sundown was a "redneck" or a "sodbuster". A guy who worked from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in a bank or law office was a "professional". It seemed, at least to me, the farmer was more the professional.

Rednecks were so tagged because their work generally had them outdoors most of the time. The nape of the neck would tan differently than the rest of the body and look red. This differentiated them from the grocer, lawyer, and others who worked indoors. Of course the farmer wore his mark proudly. As did the "professionals" who were eager to note their lack of the self-same mark.

Time has changed this reference some. The "blue collar" worker has replaced the "redneck" as more industry has taken the worker indoors. The "white collar" has been the antonym given to "professionals" as they usually wore white shirts under their suit coats. Other workers were often given uniforms, usually blue, thus the "blue collar" reference. Nobody seemed to notice that the "professional" wore more of a uniform than the laborer. Almost all "professional" business requires their male employees to wear a suit & tie. Depending on the laborer's profession, he may wear a variety of clothes on the job. Sometimes the laborer has a wider array of "fashion choices" than do "professionals".

Other differentiations have popped up in the vernacular. Having a job versus having a career is one such comparison. A teller at a department store was described as having a job. A teller at a bank was attributed as having a career. The guy pumping your gas, although he may have been the proprietor, was tagged as having a job. A person processing the figures the gas station produced and drawing a paycheck from the business owner had a career.

Many people go to schools to learn how to make money doing something that interests them. Whether it is a college, trade school, or simply training on-the-job, people learn how to do something they find self-enriching in one form or another. The "grease monkey" enjoys working on cars, so he learns the trade. The production line worker is proud of the car that he had a part in making that will one day be taken in for service. The cashier is proud to work for the dealer who sold the car to the office worker who crunched the numbers for the plant who built the car that the mechanic will one day repair.

It sure seems to me that all these people are professionals. They get money for doing something that not everybody can do.

Here's your quiz:
What do you do for a living? Do you get currency, or a representative document of such from someone for performing that work?
If you receive any remuneration for your labors, do you consider yourself a professional in your industry?
What color collar do you wear to work? Does it differ day to day?

Professionals - People Who Found A Way To Make Money Doing What They Enjoy Doing
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

"When an illness knocks you on your ass, you should stay down and relax for a while before trying to get back up."
~ Candea Core-Starke ~

This past weekend officially qualified as a Bad Weekend. The badness actually started last Thursday evening, when my throat suddenly got very sore. It wasn't the kind of sore throat that develops over time. It was more of the zero-to-one-hundred-in-two-seconds variety. One minute you're fine. The next you're clutching at your throat and begging for mercy. I had felt a cold coming on for some time, so I wasn't entirely surprised.

On Friday morning, my throat was still sore, but I did not have anything else wrong with me - no headaches, no fever, no nasal congestion - so I went to work and actually had a very productive day. I had a rough time at lunchtime, when swallowing my food caused some mild discomfort. It was not until I was on the way home that evening that I started thinking that I was in real trouble. Swallowing no longer caused mild discomfort. Instead, it caused downright agony. I knew that it was hurting to swallow, and yet I kept swallowing, just to see if it would hurt. Honestly, I don't know how we humans tick sometimes.

Anyway, I got home in one piece that night, and as soon as I walked through the door, I got a serious case of the chills. I was wearing about six layers plus a couple of blankets, and I still felt as if I was buried naked up to the neck in snow in Antarctica. I could not stop shivering. Somehow, I cobbled together dinner for the kids, and while they were eating I dived into the shower in hopes of being warmed up by hot water raining down on me.

My mother-in-law made me soup, which I ate even though each swallow made me feel as if my throat was on fire. I put the kids to bed, and then went straight to bed myself. Where I discovered just how hard it is to sleep when you cannot swallow. I kept getting this build-up of saliva, and neither of the only two methods of getting rid of it - swallowing or spitting - would allow any sleep.

On Saturday my husband had to go to work, so I was alone with the two boys. Headaches were setting in and I felt as if I had been hit by a truck. Throughout the day, all I could do was provide the kids with the basic necessities of life - feed them, clothe them, ensure that they stayed safe. Beyond that, I just lay on the couch all day and hoped that the kids were refraining from wrecking the house. I tried to eat soup at lunchtime, but I only managed about two bites, which I promptly threw up. When you already feel as if you've swallowed razor blades, throwing up is not a good thing. In the evening, I thought I'd eat a bit of orange. Nutritious, soft to eat, and with a high water content - seemed like a good idea at the time. After just one segment, I regretted it. I had forgotten about the acid content of oranges - not good for either my throat or my very empty and dehydrated stomach.

On Sunday morning - after another sleepless night - my husband made me a scrambled egg and ordered me to eat it, no matter how painful it was. I almost wept with the pain, but once I had eaten the egg, I felt a little better. My husband bundled me into the car and drove me to what is probably the only walk-in clinic that stays open on Sundays. Miraculously, the clinic was empty and I didn't even have time to take out my book in the waiting room. The doctor looked at my throat, peered into my ears, and prodded around my swollen neck. He pronounced that I had a bacterial strep infection and prescribed some heavy-duty drugs. With strict instructions for me to at least drink water, he sent me on my way.

Back at home, I had another attack of the chills, so I took another jet-hot shower. I resumed my position on the couch, armed with my bottle of water and my drugs. On Sunday evening, I was still in pain, but forced myself to eat yoghurt and cut up cantaloupe. With some trepidation, I went to bed, not knowing whether sleep was in my immediate future.

As it happened, I did wake up through the night, but not because of my throat. It was because of kid stuff - in other words, the usual things that get me up at night. On Monday morning, I woke up with a throat that was sore, but not unbearable. I was able to swallow without weeping in pain, and I was able to eat actual food. Boring and plain food, to be sure, but food other than yoghurt and scrambled eggs.

At the time of writing, it is Monday night, and the sore throat has receded to a mild irritation. I have spent the day recuperating, building up my depleted strength. I have a sore neck from spending so much time lying in one position, but it's nothing a visit to my chiropractor won't fix. I'm just grateful that the intense pain of the sore throat is gone.

Just goes to show, sometimes drugs are the answer!

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

Do you have kids? Do you remember when they were toddlers and the first word they learned was "No"? Then you had to teach them not to say "No", because you want them to go to bed? Then you tell them to say "No" to drugs? It confuses me.

Luckily, I got some education in the matter. The first class I took on our administering our new system taught me, "Learn how to say 'No' to your programmers." I thought that was pretty funny, since I'm my programmer. It's a good thing I don't yell, or I think my boss would have called the guys with the white "I Love Me" jackets long ago. The next class I took was for programmers, and I learned displacement, that I could say "No" to other people. It's worked for me so far.

Unfortunately, our registrar has not learned that word. I know this because I just got an e-mail asking me to block students from seeing their grades. I haven't done that in over a year. I said "No" back in the Fall of 2008. There was a meeting and everything. You can't stop students from seeing their grades when they are trying to plan their next semester. They need to know if they passed BIO 101 so they can take BIO 102. It's why we got an automated system where people can do things on-line: It happens in real time, now, no waiting in line, none of that. You can even pay your bill on-line.

If I remember the meeting correctly, she didn't want students to see their grades because they might yell at the professor for giving them a bad grade. Umm, that's gonna happen eventually anyway.

Anyway, tomorrow I get to say "No". Again.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

When browning ground meat, brown several pounds and drain. Divide evenly in freezer containers and freeze. Unthaw in microwave for quick fixing next time.

Got a bunch today. Thanks everyone!

Next opening line...
My secret to shopping this time...

Christmas is getting quite near..... A Holy time of the year..... So don't leave Christ out..... It's Him we remember no doubt..... So let's keep our hearts full of cheer. - Skeeter	Christmas is getting quite near, So I must get lots of beer! Be Like The FROG! Fully Rely On God! - The Tazz!
Christmas is getting quite near I haven't been very good this year So presents I won't get Except maybe some shit I'll just sit at home and drink beer. - Bonnie	Christmas is getting quite near The season once was so dear Because of Black Friday With sis, Cyber Monday Being "in the red" I fear! - Maria in Illinois
Christmas is getting quite near And the kids are watching for reindeer Flying though the air (Carrying toys with care) And swearing that they've been good all year! - Anne Onimous	Christmas is getting quite near How Santa travels changes by frontier. Sometimes by surf board Or in an old Ford And maybe in a blimp by Goodyear. - Anne Onimous
Christmas is getting quite near But I think it's going to be austere. For I have no money To make Christmas sunny That "Hope and change" kicked me in the rear. - E. Cole Aye	Christmas is getting quite near So to my kids I'll bring good cheer! I'll buy each kid a toy That each one will enjoy Then for the wife a book of Shakespeare. - E. Cole Aye
Christmas is getting quite near And happiness seems distant this year What shall I do To shake feelings of blue? I'll pour me another glass of beer. - E. Cole Aye

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/

Re: Domestic Violence

Oh, Yes. Men and boys are victims of domestic violence. The statistic vary depending on who is providing them. A study in Ireland put the numbers at about 50% of abusers are women, particularly when you factor in the abuse of children. "Hell hath no fury," is a stereotype with some reality behind it. Women can go from "I love you" to "You done me wrong and now I'm going to make you pay" in an amazingly short time. Just look at the behavior of teen girls versus teen boys. The boys will fight, but the real backstabbing and vicious games are played by the girls. Men get mad; women get even. - Tom in Salem, Oregon

Recent research, much of it linked from http://www.mediaradar.org/ suggests that men and women are equally likely to initiate a physical attack, but men sustain 1/3 or less of the injuries, due to size advantage. Many men fear ridicule, and don't report violence. Many are strongly inhibited against hitting females, and will only offer passive defense, as Tiger seems to have. It can be quite risky to lay a hand on a woman these days. Recently, one friend's wife beat her own forehead against a wall, and claimed he'd done it to her. The Police were not careful enough to check the evidence; fortunately, she did other crazy stuff too to spoil her case. I had one friend who often had visible injuries from his larger wife. Mine was about my size, and I used a shield to defend myself without risking escalation, before leaving to save my sanity and/or life.

Not long ago, or far away we find people of either sex being readily excused from murders committed immediately upon discovery of marital infidelity. People consider it a natural reaction, and we may well have inherited it along with other common primate tendencies. I think that nature has compensated women for their size by making it easier for them to get men to beat each other up or cheated in other way - Bob of the North

I am disappointed that the authorities in Florida failed to investigate the possible domestic violence, either because it was "female-on-male" or because of his wealth and status.

However, I, personally, exempt humor from most criticism. Satire is always subject to criticism from the "bad-taste" self-appointed judges. - Mark

I know a couple where the man was the victim. Your last question, "Is it simply that a bigger, stronger man shouldn't hit a smaller, defenseless woman?" says why it is so difficult. If he had struck back, HE would have been called the abuser. There is no defense against a violent woman. If he fights back, he is going to be talking to the cops. If he doesn't, he is going to be battered again.

Striking someone who cannot fight back is always wrong. Whether they can't fight back because they are too weak or because they are too strong is immaterial. And BTW, some women aren't all that defenseless. Just saying. - Patti

NO one should hit anyone man or woman. If you are not pleased leave . W e are grown up adult we do not need beatings . That will not change things. dEE

AN afterthought Tiger kept hearing fore .He thought they said 4 so he got himself 4 women - dEE
[I guess we should be thankful he doesn't play blackjack where you try to get 21!]

I can't even begin to tell you how tired I am of hearing about Tiger Woods. It is sickening how America is so hooked on gossip about prominent people and seems to delight in "bringing down" the rich and famous. Gossip is very dangerous and in my honest opinion, plain evil. It is none of anyone's business but Tiger's and his and his family's. It's not like he is the President or other high elected official. I don't buy the argument that just because he promotes a "family" image to market himself business wise that it gives us the right to gossip about what should remain a personal issue. Things like that are painful enough without the gossip. Don't like what he has done? Then vote with your wallet, don't buy his stuff or talk about him. Publicity is the life blood of any product. Some even say any publicity is good publicity. Whatever... All I know is I am so sick of turning on the telly and not being to get away from all the nattering nabobs of negativism. (Thanks Spiro Agnew...or was it John Sununu? I forget, but I love the alliteration anyway.)

In my lifetime I have happened upon a couple of men who were victims of domestic abuse. They had only 2 faults...if you can call them that. They were raised to truly believed that a man should never hit a woman, and they also were dearly and deeply in love with their abuser. Odd...that last bit sounds an awful lot like what women say about their abusers they when they choose to stay with them. I would call someone like that a real gentleman with serious relationship issues and not a pansy or a woosy like they so often are referred to. Poor guys, it's not like there are any support groups out there for them. I think the 2 that I have encountered in my life were just the proverbial tip of the iceberg. I don't think that anything justifies violence in a relationship no matter what the reason. Self defense is a whole other issue. - GrammieSammie
[Your "nattering nabobs..." quote was Spiro Agnew. I'm not sure he understood all the words, but he sure used some big ones! Always reminded me of the Slim Pickens quote in Blazing Saddles "God darnit, Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a twenty dollar whore."]

Re: Convenience Stores

I REMEMBER you could credit at these stores so yes you were charged more.You could get things there like homemade sausage or some delicacy that big stores did not have. - dEE

How many Convenience Stores :
2 not connected to service stations, open until about 8 p.m.
9 connected to service stations, some open 24 hours
4 in "drug stores" - all close about 9 p.m.
Once upon a time, a Drug Store was called a Pharmacy. Today our local Walgreen carries the best cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted! And a zillion other items with no connection to health.
We buy bags of ice in the summer from the service station ones. The two not connected to service stations were once part of a chain of dairy stores, and their milk is still often better priced than at the grocery stores.
No convenience store in our area carries fabric of any kind. (nor does WalMart).
The Farm supply stores don't carry cotton feed bags any more either. Women used to make quilts out of those. - Nancy L in Ohio

Big stores are purposefully inconvenient. You have to walk past the goodies for the staples, and the checkout lineups are long enough that we sometimes shop a bit more, hoping for a shorter wait. If our time is worth anything, convenience stores can sometimes be a real bargain. One time, I saw two hungry athletes leave our campground, headed for the supermarkets of California. They came back an hour later, empty handed and even hungrier, raving about "Five Thousand Kinds of FAT !!"

There are two convenience stores in my town, one also offering movies, sandwiches and a full gas bar / car wash. The other features a laundromat, parcel express and movies. Prices are maybe 20% higher - I never have to go there. Before I get to a bigger town to the east, there are a couple of real one-store towns, and the prices sometimes beat our best. The second one has the most general store I've ever seen. It has one, and only one, power sander, amid a large variety of other items. It is really sad to see 3 year old electronics at the original price, but definitely worth a visit. It's like a museum, except they allow food. - Bob of the North

Yes, I do when I'm out of something like bread or ice and the regular store is too far to go--or I'm in the middle of making dinner or something. And only in a real emergency do we get gas or anything else there since it's too much higher than our regular store.

Would you believe we only have one that close to us? We really do live out in the boonies! There are too major chain stores a little further away that we shop at, and half a dozen restaurants, oddly enough.

The difference in the cost is quite a bit more than regular stores, but they have a captive audience and a steady client base so it's understandable that they do charge more. - Ruth in WA

Re: Security

Does this answer the "Error 11" Cloud Panda gets on a Lot of computers? Let us know. Your sister whose name is not Karen

Re: Robert Latimer

I can see how some might think it a slippery slope to give parents any license to kill their offspring, but there are so many people who are considered to have "suffered enough" just through a trial, I don't see why Robert Latimer was given any more than probation, and a caution about any other really hopeless offspring. - Bob of the North

Re: Books

I'm a low-tonnage but keen bibliophile, and two of my best were from A to Z books in Victoria. The owner, Paul, didn't seem all that happy with the sales, or otherwise inclined to leave his own reading. A few years later, he died, and we found out that not only was his old downtown store completely crammed with books, he had filled every basement on the block with his Better books.

There's one author I'd recommend for just about anybody who hopes to build anything or just likes understanding the world around them, and that is J.E. Gordon. He tells delightful stories about how the first engineers puzzled out how to do their jobs, and makes it easy to enjoy the subject and employ it with ease, economy, and originality. Almost the only math is a short appendix with a few formulas for your own back-of-envelope efforts. - Bob of the North

Would I sell them? No.

I buy them instead at Garage Sales (AKA tag sales for those in the south) or other second hand book sellers, read and enjoy them and then release them via BookCrossing.Com. It's fun to get emails telling me that books that I've enjoyed and released have been enjoyed by others and then re-released. I have friends who have released books that ended up in Europe. I love them too much to let them sit alone on a shelf for years. - Peggy in Tonawanda, New York

John in Oz, I don't know if you've got Kindle or another hand-held electronic device (I don't) to read your e-books, but I've read somewhere that you can use Ziploc bags for them in the bath. - Noella
[OK, now you're starting to worry me Noella! It's bad enough that John wants to read in the bath, but you know how.]

Help! I see there are enough bookaholics out there, maybe someone can help me. A very long time ago I read a series of books and cannot remember the author or many of the details, but it was one in which being a torturer was an accepted guild to belong to sort of. Anyway there was one part in one of the books in the series where there was a library so large that people got lost in it never to be seen again. I think they even advised visitors to have a guide or something like that and once in a while someone would be browsing the stacks and come across the skeleton of a person who had gone exploring in the library, never to been seen or heard from again. Does this sound familiar to anyone? The authors name would be cool or the name of the book series. I would like to find the series and read it, as the previous time I read only a few of the books in the series and they belonged to someone else I have managed to lose contact with. - GrammieSammie

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#1226

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Dec 7, 2009 6:53 am
Subject: December 7, 2009

mikereallygo...

Offline

Untitled Document

You can read this same issue in a browser version at either of the following locations:
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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Tiger Woods has been in the news a lot lately. Since his auto accident the morning after Thanksgiving the rumors have been flying.

Some of these rumors have been admitted to by Woods. He said he was guilty of transgressions with other women. Other rumors, concerning possible domestic violence, remain just that. Rumors.

Still, the comedians have been having a field day with jokes at Tiger's expense. One of the latest was Saturday Night Live. On this weeks show they preformed a skit depicting Tiger at a press conference, and they have come under fire for making fun of domestic violence.

I don't have any firsthand experience with domestic violence, thank God. I have, however, talked to a few women who experienced it. One thing that seems to be fairly constant in these stories is that the man, fueled by alcohol or jealous rage, uses his superior physical strength to beat the woman.

I think that's why we, as a society, might take a lighter view when the man is believed to be the victim. Most of us think that a man would be able to defend himself.

An Access Hollywood article about the Saturday Night Live skit was quite critical of the show for the way they handled Tiger's problems. They quoted several other sites and blogs where the show was discussed. The funny thing to me though was that people aren't so much upset for Woods as they were the fact that one of the guests on the show was the singer Rihanna who had been involved in domestic violence at the hands of former boyfriend Chris Brown.

"Female-oriented site Jezebel called the sketch one of the show's 'obvious missteps� when you consider that Rihanna was the night's musical guest.'"

"'The Tiger Woods sketch was terrible. Domestic abuse is NOT funny. It was even more awkward since Rihanna was there,' a commenter named Lindsey noted on EW.com"

So really, people aren't so bothered by the show making light of domestic abuse as they are that Rihanna might have gotten her feelings hurt!

So do we have a double standard when it comes to domestic abuse? Is it a serious problem that nobody would dare joke about when women are the victims, yet funny if the man might be the victim?

Do you think many men are victims of physical abuse? Have you known any men who were in this situation?

When a man is physically attacked by a woman, is it the same thing as when a man attacks a woman? Don't we tend to justify the attack as "He asked for it" by cheating? Then why would we be less likely to justify an attack by a man if the woman cheated? Is it simply that a bigger, stronger man shouldn't hit a smaller, defenseless woman?

Defensively,

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"Roosevelt proved that a president could serve for life. Truman proved that anyone could be president. Eisenhower proved that your country can be run without a president." � Nakita Khrushchev

Regarding Warren G. Harding � "His speeches left the impression of an army of pompous phrases moving over the landscape in search of an idea." � William McAdoo

Groaner
[Thanks Sied]

A long time ago, there was a beehive in the middle of a forest. Every day, as worker bees do, they would go out into their fields, gather pollen from the flowers, and bring it back to make honey.

The bees had a problem, though, because every so often an intruder would come around, such as a bear who wanted the honey, or kids who thought it'd be fun to throw rocks at the hive. Finally, the bees got tired of it.

Being the intelligent bees that they are, they built an alarm system for the hive. They built it such that one bee pulls a lever, which triggers the alarm that the bees will hear from the fields, and then the bees can come back to protect their home.

There was one bee who was exclusively assigned that job, and he was aptly named the "Lever Bee." His job was to watch for potential adversaries, and pull the lever to raise the alarm.

Now obviously, the security of the hive depends on this one Lever Bee. So he has to be constantly ready and on the alert to be able to do his job.

And that, friends, is why people say, "I'm as ready as a Lever Bee."

"Any man is liable to err, only a fool persists in error."

"A home without books is a body without soul."

"An unjust peace is better than a just war." - All from Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist Marcus Tullius Cicero assassinated on this date in 43 BC

Bad Place Names
[Thanks Tesser]

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Convenience Stores

The rural areas used to have an all-in-one store situated in a little burg back "in town". Gas pumps the size of NBA players stood guard out front. Inside, you would find all the staple items, from flour for cooking, nuts and bolts to fix the tractor, and gingham fabric for that new spring dress. The corner store had it all and it was convenient since it wasn't necessary to go to the county seat to get everyday items.

From that sprang the suburban convenience stores. Starting from gas stations who began offering staple groceries and snacks, an industry was born. Except for rural areas, urban and suburban areas seem to have at least one within walking distance. Since urban and suburban dwellers don't like to walk, you have to know that is very close.

The convenience store offered the same staple items, but also had all the snacky stuff a kid would beg mom & dad for. Soda pop, candy, chips, snack cakes, and the list grows. There were also "personal items" on a shelf nearby to make other aspects of life more convenient as well. The ever-present coolers filled to the brim with more brands of beer than a person could name without looking was the focal point.

These stores proved that the average consumer would pay a premium for something nearby that they could find considerably cheaper in a larger store that wasn't so convenient. If one looked closely, due to individual serving sizes wrapped just that way, it was not uncommon to find the price for one of something was double the price, or more, of a portion in a "family size".

The grocery stores would have beer and soda pop on sale, of course, but it would be on shelves and was warm. The convenience stores were all about that convenience, thus the moniker. The beer & soda pop was kept in large coolers so partiers could keep the party going if they ran out. Of course the consumer has to pay for the electric to cool it. Plus the fancy glass and steel coolers' costs had to be recouped. But no host or hostess who ran out of something ever stopped to question the high prices as they snatched up the endangered keystone item for their event.

Here's your quiz:
Do you shop at "convenience stores"? If so, what do you usually buy there?
How many convenience stores are within a mile of your house? (Extra credit if you actually drove around to count them.)
Have you compared "serving size" prices with the more traditional grocery store prices? What was the difference in cost you found?

Convenience Stores - Often More Convenient For The Owners
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Kirsten isn't feeling well. Here's an article from the archive.

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Tracy Latimer. Her mom and dad loved her very much and wanted the best for her. They worked hard to provide for her and her siblings. She had a roof over her head, warm clothing, and the security of a loving family. Just like millions of other little girls, right?

Wrong.

You see, Tracy had a lot of problems. She was born with cerebral palsy, and was completely unable to fend for herself. While other little girls were taking their first steps and saying their first words, Tracy was lying in a bed, hardly able to move because of a permanently dislocated hip, with no means of meaningful communication. She never said that first word, never took that first step, never fed or bathed herself.

By the time she was twelve, she had the developmental abilities of a three-month-old. She weighed a mere 40 pounds, and she had undergone countless operations for her bad hip. Her father, Robert Latimer, died a little each day as he saw his daughter suffering, and he reached the point where he did not think he could endure seeing her go through yet another operation that wouldn't work. He loved his daughter very much, and seeing her so helpless, with no hope of ever getting better, broke his heart.

And so he did what he thought was the only thing he could do. While the rest of his family were at church one day, he wrapped his sleeping daughter in a blanket and laid her in his car. He kissed her goodbye, and pumped exhaust fumes into the car.

Robert pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, and was sentenced to life in prison. This week, after seven years behind bars, he was denied day parole. According to the parole board, he had not developed sufficient insight into his actions. For the last two days, Canadians have been voicing their opinions both for and against Robert.

I can see the point of Robert's opponents. After all, the law is the law, and he knowingly broke it. You cannot just kill someone because you think it's the right thing to do, even if that person is in pain.

On the other hand, though, is the good of society really being served by keeping this man in prison? It seems clear to me that he's not going to kill anyone else. He is not a hardened criminal. He is someone who was driven by desparation to do something very extreme. He does not feel remorse for what he did, because he believes that he did the right thing. But he is certainly not happy about what he did either.

There are some who believe that murder is murder, no matter what. But murder is not just murder. Every fibre of my being screams out that it is wrong to paint Robert with the same brush as some madman who goes to shopping malls or schools and shoots people because he's angry.

Do I believe that Robert Latimer should have gone to prison? Yes.

Do I believe that keeping him there for the rest of his life is the right thing to do? No.

I think the authorities should give Robert back what's left of his life. No prison in the world could punish him as much as the prison of his own mind. He is going to be tortured for the rest of his days by what he felt he had to do.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

I've seen quite a few people get infected with viruses recently, so I figured I'd go over some things you should keep in mind while surfing the net this holiday season. The first thing you need to remember is that there are criminals out there that are trying to infect your computer and/or trick you out of your money. If you just stay smart, you should be able to keep safe. For example, you might get a pop-up window saying you are infected. You might even see the progress as it does a scan. But ask yourself if you have antivirus installed. If so, you aren't infected. The "progress" you see isn't a scan of files on your computer, it's a simple video that always turns out with you being infected. If you click in the window, even to try to close it, you will be infected. Find the power button and use it. Just turn your computer off. When you restart it, update and scan with your antivirus and antimalware. If either finds anything, scan again. Keep scanning until your computer is clean. You might need to restore to a known good configuration. Click Start -> Help and Support and search for "system restore". Follow the instructions to restore to a point before you got infected.

Very often an infection will block security sites so you can't do updates. I've seen infections delete Malwarebytes. In that case, you might be able to restart in safe mode and do your scans. That prevents some infections from starting up so your antivirus can eliminate them. Another option is download a self-booting solution like Panda's SafeCD. Burn that to a CD, boot from that CD, and allow it to scan. Again, this prevents the infection from starting up so it is easier to eliminate. A third option is to scan the drive in another computer. Simply replace the CD-ROM in that computer with your infected drive, and let that computer scan and clean it.

A friend of mine got infected and took it in to a repair shop. It cost him $200 to get it cleaned. Instead of spending all that money, he could have bought another hard drive. What you do is install Windows and your security products on the new drive, then replace the CD-ROM with the infected drive. Scan it until it is clean, then you can put it back as the boot drive, reconnect your CD-ROM, and your computer is back the way it was. This is a lot cheaper than taking it to a shop, and you have a spare disk drive to show for your efforts instead of just a big bill.

The criminals are counting on you to let down your guard over the holiday season. Don't. Question everything, and if something doesn't make sense, get away from that site as fast as you can. A little common sense will ensure that your money goes toward making your Christmas merry, not some criminal is Russia.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Security

Miscellaneous Tips

Steak Sauce With A Kick: Deglaze your frying pan (after searing your New York steaks) with brandy. Add two tablespoons of butter, a little white wine and a splash of Grand Marnier. Serve over steaks - you'll never use steak sauce again.

Good ones! Keep 'em coming.

Next opening line...
Christmas is getting quite near...

I'm marking the names off my list--- because I am so very pissed---- at those who would say that I must be quite gay because a pretty cute girl I kissed. - Cassandra in New York	I'm marking the names off my list..... Of folks by whom I've been "dissed"..... It's not just a whim..... But especially for them..... I have a place that needs to be kissed. - Skeeter
"I'm marking the names off my list"..... Said the snake as he evilly hissed..... Of the mice I have "et"..... And it's a safe bet..... I'll catch the ones that I missed. - Skeeter	I'm marking the names off my list..... As I get my Christmas kiss..... From my grandkids and the "greats"..... I sho hope they're not late..... 'Cause that's something I don't want to miss. - Skeeter
I'm marking the names off my list Boy, am I really pissed I had asked for some help All they did was whine and yelp Now their presence at Christmas won't be missed. - Bonnie

Links to online editions of RGQ
http://www.reallygoodquotesonline.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/

Re: Taser Use

I think I've heard much worse stories about Taser use and abuse. As in most instances, its proper function seems to be something that could be done far more safely with a net. - Bob of the North

I think the bloody mother should be tasered as well. If the father had been there and given the go ahead my response would have been the same.

Yes, there can be problems dealing with an extrermely belligerent child (I know), but was it really worth resorting to calling the law just because her daughter wouldn't have a shower.

FFS, let the little madam go to bed dirty and deal with it in the morning. It's not the time to run up the flag and make a death or glory stand.

To me this sounds like one of those cases where a small incident blows up out of all proportion, possibly after a whole day of minor hassles, and the adult - who is supposedly more mature - ends up seeing the final confrontation as a challenge to their authority and loses all common sense and reason. (Been there, done that, and still too ashamed to wear the damned t-shirt. Except I learned from it. 'Taser Mum' clearly isn't going to learn anything if all she does is reach for the phone and call the cops. Can you imagine what that child's life would be like if Mum had a taser of her own?.)

I feel the officer should not have used the taser unless the girl was a serious threat to others. If she'd been waving a knife around, putting her hand through a glass window, or similar then maybe yes.

As for the manufacturers saying it is a safer option... Well they would, wouldn't they? They sell the bloody things.

Rather like Zero Tolerance policies sometimes the much touted non-lethal aternative is used as an alternative to actually thinking. - Gyppo

I THINK that we can not say not being there..You would not believe the ten years olds of today's age.They are out shooting each other ..Carrying guns and everything. Running in gangs.But if this was not the case yes the cop may have tried something else. - dEE

As a former member of law enforcement, I feel that this officers actions were fair and appropriate. I have personally been through the training course for use of the taser and have myself been tased as part of my training. It is very unfortunate that parents have neglecteded their parental duties and allowed their childeren to escalate to this kind of behavior. Maybe if the kid had known the meaning of a spanking on the rear end and taught to respect their parents and law enforcement this situation would have never happened. Kudos to the officer for doing his job! - Anita Mills

Re: Unusual Animals

Thanks, Cliff, but how can I resist? I once rode my bike through town parallel to the track of a Coyote, trying to identify the black fur it was carrying. A year ago, a friend of mine shot a black wolf, the product of interbreeding with dogs. There have been a couple of wolf attacks on people that have somehow not made it onto the official records of North America, but we need them to keep the deer population down. We also have foxes, bears, moose, Bison, elk, geese, woodpeckers, muskrats, beavers and fireflies, among others, but you asked about unusual animals. Those would be the castrated bulls and other bovines, the llamas, sheep, and goats, mostly. Sometimes the white people look out of place, too. Our ladybugs seem to have been replaced by the seven-spotted variety, as in much of North America. - Bob of the North

This starts out funny, but ends up tragically. For several years I had a squirrel friend who had a tail like a rabbit and she hopped (sort of) when she ran. I called her my squabbit. She lived in a tall oak tree outside my kitchen window and I watched her raise a lot of babies over the years. She made peace with Emma, my golden re-tweeter (so named because she ate the bird's food)and she would walk right past Emma to get a drink out of the dog's water bowl. She would also sun herself on the deck rail and had little fear of me. But one day, as I walked past the window, I saw a goshawk busily finishing up the remains of my squabbit. I had never seen a bird that large and I have never seen the murderer again, but I guess I have to be thankful that I had the pleasure of a unique animal for so long, huh? Funny, my squabbit is gone and now we have a squirrel with a tail at the end of her tail. It's almost like she's the replacement times two, huh? Marian in Ellicott City

Re: Books

Four six foot tall shelves in the living room are full, and so are a couple in the den and another one in the bedroom. Love books? Ever since Mom took me to the local Library and let me get my own card ( age five). But we glean them occasionally to make room for newer things. Our method is to take a trip to Half Price Books. While they're calculating how much our books are worth, we browse the stacks and pick up new treasures. We refer to the long-term "keepers" as "Reference" - the books one turns to for ideas, art examples, answers to questions that come up in conversation, and dictionaries. I love dictionaries! For those not acquainted with the concept, there are dictionaries OF a bunch of things - phrases, myths, bios of people, history, and, of course, words and word origins. One entire shelf holds nothing but books containing Lists of stuff. For those who like American History, I have a suggestion to look for when browsing real or on-line sellers- Encyclopedia Brittanica produced a set of 24 books called "The Annuls of America". The set came out about 1977, and consists of published materials by people who lived that part of our history. The first one is a letter from Christopher Columbus to Queen Isabella. The last ones are items pertaining to the Preisdency of Richard Nixon. (I wish there was an update!) Items include the entire texts of things like the Virginia compact that was the basis for our national Constitution's "Bill of Rights". When some news item comes up about a "Right", I can read the entire passage, and usually a couple published items by people who debated that item before the final wording was approved. One gets a much better idea about what our founding fathers intended, and how badly warped some of them have become. Fuzzy about the Depression? The entire period of years and what happened when is there - plus some photos. But when my eyes began disliking small print and my hands were busy sewing, I found the wonderful world of Audiobooks, and I sop up a good half dozen a week from the library. They're wonderful company! And one gets accurate pronunciations of names and places. I browse the stacks for a couple good mysteries, a biography, a history told well, and lately (since I've almost gone through all the fiction I care to hear), I've been picking up one from three different collections of college lectures on various subjects. There's an old song that says it well - I know a little bit about a lot of things - thanks to books! Two subjects that fascinate me a lot, though, never seem to sink in! I cannot recall the names of stars and galaxies, rivers all over the world, or the pantheons of Greek and Roman Gods. I'd flunk out on Jeopardy! - Nancy L in Ohio

Well, have to say I'm a book collector too. My books even live in two states now, Oklahoma (in storage) and here in Washington where I had to start all over again. This was not something to make my cry, you understand, just wish I had them all together! I'm all for the short and sweet reviews too. Frankly, when I start a book and it's doubtful as to whether or not I want to finish it I go read the last page or so to see how it ends. If it doesn't have a good ending I don't waste my time reading any more of it. Life's too short for boring books!! - Ruth in WA

I too am addicted to words in a row. I can't sleep without a fix. If necessary I'll read the labels off a medicine bottle. The thought of selling a book is acutely uncomfortable. I tried it once, and still regret it. Even though the series were the absolute worst schlock imaginable, specifically the Perry Rhodan science fiction series. Sometimes we just feel like reading brainless mindless schlock.

Now electronic books are becoming available. There are thousands of books available free on the internet, including some that I'd otherwise actually pay money for. I save a truckload by buying electronic books, because an $8.00 book in the US costs $20.00 or more here, and an electronic version is even cheaper. The Baen Website has scores of free, plus thousands more cheap. I'm up to about 1500 electronic books. I've largely switched from using paper to fully electronic books.

Has anybody tried out the `Opera Unite' feature of the new opera Web Browser? Do yourself a favour if you don't already have it. I can use that to use my entire electronic book collection as well as my music collection anywhere while travelling. The only thing I miss from the transition to electronic books is the ability to read in the bath. - John_in_Oz

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#1225

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Fri Dec 4, 2009 6:02 am
Subject: December 4, 2009

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I'm sure most of us would agree that there are many children who are out of control.

The cause of their behavior is debatable. Some have mental problems, some are the product of parents who may be too strict in some areas and too lenient in others. The result of this can be children who harbor an enormous amount of rage.

One example of this can be seen in this video from the Dr. Phil show where the child slaps his mother.

The mother showed much more restraint than I would have been capable of. Of course my reaction, knocking the little shit to the floor, probably wouldn't have been correct either.

Many parents, due to anger or fear or both, find it necessary to call the police for help.

One such incident happened recently in the small town of Ozark, Arkansas. A 10 year old girl had gone into a fit of rage when her mother tried to get her to take a shower before bed. After the child became violent the mother called police for help.

In his report the officer who responded to the call, Dustin Bradshaw, said that when he arrived,
the girl was curled up on the floor, screaming.

According to an article at the Fox10 website, "The child was 'violently kicking and verbally combative' when Bradshaw tried to take her into custody, and she kicked him in the groin."

"'Her mother told me to tase her if I needed to,' Bradshaw said. So he delivered 'a very brief drive stun to her back,' the report said."

"Ozark Mayor Vernon McDaniel said Wednesday that the girl wasn't injured and is now at the Western Arkansas Youth Shelter in Cecil. But McDaniel said he wants Arkansas State Police - and if they decline, the FBI - to investigate the incident."

"'People here feel like that he made a mistake in using a Taser, and maybe he did, but we will not know until we get an impartial investigation,' McDaniel said."

"If the officer tried to forcefully put the girl in handcuffs, he could have accidentally broken her arm or leg, (Police Chief Jim) Noggle said. He said a touch of the stun gun - 'less than a second' - stopped the girl from being unruly, and she was handcuffed, he said. 'She got up immediately and they put her in the patrol car,' McDaniel said."

"Noggle said the girl will face disorderly conduct charges as a juvenile in the incident. The girl's father, Anthony Medlock, told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that his daughter has emotional problems, but that she didn't have a weapon and shouldn't have been Tasered. 'My daughter does not deserve to be tased and be treated like an animal,' said Medlock, who is divorced from the girl's mother and does not have custody."

A spokesman for Taser said, "...a Taser 'presents the safer response to resistance compared with the alternatives such as fists, kicks, baton strikes, bean bag guns, chemical agents, or canine response.'"

We've all seen shows such as Cops, where adults resist arrest and are sprayed with mace or beaten with fists or batons until they stop resisting. Obviously with a 10 year old these methods would have been considered too violent, so was a jolt from a Taser the best option?

Since the mother gave permission to use it, should the officer be condemned for doing so? Could it be that the mother, having dealt with this before, knew that the Taser would be the quickest way to subdue the child?

What about the father's objections? Can he really make a judgement on what force was called for since he wasn't there and doesn't live with the child so may not be fully aware of how violent she can be?

Do you think that the fact that nobody was injured proves that the officer took the correct action?

Joltingly,

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"All the president is is a glorified public relations man who spends his time flattering, kissing, and kicking people to get them to do what they are supposed to do anyway." � Harry S Truman

Referring to James Buchanan � "The Constitution provides for every accidental contingency in the Executive, except for a vacancy in the mind of the president." � Senator Sherman of Ohio

Engagement
[Thanks Bonnie]

Upon her engagement, the exuberant young woman went to her mother and said, "I've found a man just like father!"

Her mother replied, "So what do you want from me, sympathy?"

"A man lives by believing something: not by debating and arguing about many things."

"A man willing to work, and unable to find work, is perhaps the saddest sight that fortune's inequality exhibits under this sun."

"All that mankind has done, thought or been: it is lying as in magic preservation in the pages of books." - All from Scottish writer and historian Thomas Carlyle born on this date in 1795

Christmas Is Getting Close

BJ in Guthrie wanted to share his shopping tips. Take it away BJ and remind me never to shop in Guthrie!

The Alarm went off at three am Friday. I fell out of bed trying to turn it off. I staggered into the kitchen to make myself a super jolt of high octane cut of mega-caffeine coffee, black, the kind you could float a horseshoe in. The day was black Friday. It was war. I put on my socks, the ones I played football in twenty years ago, no I never washed them. I put on my tennis shoes, I would need all the speed I could muster today. Slacks, the kind with thirty seven pockets and my t-shirt that said "Death to Those that Get in My Way" bespoke my manner on this day that changed me from a normal decent man to a caveman hunter on the hunt for my bargains. I did not shower, I needed that extra BO edge, nor did I shave. I looked in the mirror and noticed with satisfaction my eyes were bloodshot, giving me the look of a fanatic. Good! I put on my Viking helmet with horns and had my empty van ready for the haul.

With tires spinning I headed for the mall. There are basically three different types of people who shop Black Friday. The first group are the zombies. They are the ones who have stayed up all night and are dead on their feet. They walk stiff legged and are no real threat. They speak in grunts.

The second group is very dangerous. They are the seventy year old grandmothers and they are only about eighty pounds but are unmatched in speed and strength, let them go. They will knock you aside and walk over you without a thought. They will rip the last purchase from your grip without breaking stride or breaking a sweat. They are demons from hell.

The last group are the abnormals normals, that is where I fall in. We are mostly normal except for black Friday. We lose a nights sleep so we can save five dollars on an item. It makes no sense, but if you do it, you can brag about it. It is in our genes as hunters.

I am in line at the first store. I am there only an hour early, but am about four hundred back from the door. The lone security guard is trying to hold everyone back, he is five feet two and one hundred and twenty pounds.... he is being pushed back into the store and the store opens about an hour early.... the rush is on. Nobody walks.... it is a race! Do not fall down or you will die. Everyone in line is wearing depends because there is no time to go to the bathroom. Baskets are gone in a flash. There is yelling and screaming...maybe a gunshot or two, but nobody cares, it is black Friday.

I grab my items and keep one hand over the top of my basket to protect my items and hurry to the cashier.

Cashier: Cash, Check or Credit Card?

Me: Whichever is fastest, I have three more stores to go.

Cashier: Paper or plastic?

Me: Just grab one, I am in a hurry.

Meanwhile another customer says, "Hey buddy that Gizmo was mine"

Me: Oh yeah.

I pull out my Uzi

I pay for my stuff and with one hand on my cart and another hand on my Uzi, I make it to the Van. I quickly load my "Kill" into the van and off I go to the second store.

The second store is more sedate...the madness not so intense. I even take off my bulletproof vest. I only have to push two people down in that store, one being a handicapped person. I made my purchases with little problem and left.

I did find three people trying to get into my van and I had to ram my cart into their backsides. I think mostly they are okay. I only saw a little blood when I left the parking lot.

The last stop turned out to be a little harry when the cops wanted to know why I had blood on my shirt. I simply said black Friday. They smiled and let me go. Being an offensive tackle in college helped train me for black Friday. I just pushed my way into the store and created a hole that a good running back could follow. I quickly got my stuff from this store, checked out and when I got to the van, noticed I was missing a finger. Oh well, you can't go through black Friday perfect.

Predators

As I've mentioned a time or two before, I've been the unwitting witness of life in action. I've seen a sizable hawk swoop down and collect his next meal from a branch near me. The squirrel I had just fed had become the center link of the food chain.

Coyotes have returned to the area. Going from an occasional sighting to daily reminders, they have become a problem. Recently, a neighbor's chihuahua survived becoming a coyote's meal only because the invisible fence unit shocked prey & predator when the coyote began to carry it off and crossed the line.

Until recently, the only predator in the area was man. Planting houses, businesses, and parking lots where trees and habitat had been reduced the indigenous population permanently. Although there is still a wide array of animals, the influx of predatory animals created an imbalance that made domesticated pets targets for the next meal. Small dogs and cats have been disappearing when allowed to roam alone in back yards. Hawks, owls, and other birds of prey have found them rather tasty. Now, with the return of the coyotes, even medium-sized pets are endangered.

Some areas are reporting that bears are returning to the region. Mauled pets and strewn refuse are testaments to the conservational techniques that successfully prevented the extinction of animals common to the region. Coyotes, bears, raccoons, and other animals that once had a pristine forest to roam now find their dining choices to be neighborhood pets and/or trash cans.

Here's your quiz:
Have you seen any unusual animals in your neighborhood? ("Bob of the North" need not reply. *grin*)
Have you lost a pet to a resurgence of once rare predators?
What would you do to protect your pets & property?

Predators - Not Just The Scroungy Guy With Binoculars Down The Street
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

"Smile."
~ The Eglinton Smile Guy ~

In the last issue, I shamefully neglected to include an important message to the readers. As announced a few issues ago, there was a death in my family recently. Chris, the young man with cancer who I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, died peacefully at home, surrounded by friends and family. The messages of support and condolence that readers sent via email, comments, and Facebook have been nothing short of amazing. I have not met most of you, and yet you feel like family. Thank you for your kind thoughts. Knowing that there are people out there with caring hearts and generous spirits makes the grieving process easier to bear.

Now, onto tonight's issue. I don't really have anything concrete to write about tonight. Well, actually I do - I just haven't had a chance to formulate it into an actual article that wouldn't make readers want to throw things at me. In fact, Cliff will be delighted to hear that I have enough material for several articles.

Anyway, instead of an article tonight, I will share a story about someone who I refer to as "The Eglinton Smile Guy". I would refer to him by his name, but since I don't actually know it, the nickname will have to do. Here's the story: I recently started carpooling with a co-worker in order to avoid the rising costs and declining standards of mass public transit. As we are driving down Eglinton Avenue on the way home from work, we usually have to stop at a busy intersection. And there, we see a homeless man walking around holding up a cardboard sign. The sign does not ask for money or describe how many mouths he has to feed. It does not ask for a job or for help of any kind.

The sign consists of just one word: SMILE. The Eglinton Smile Guy will walk up to cars, hold up the sign, and pull funny faces at the occupants until they smile. At which point the guy will give them the thumbs-up and beam back at them before moving onto the next car.

Someone asked him what he was doing a few days ago, and he replied that he just wants to do his bit to help in these troubled times. He only wants to make people smile and feel better about themselves and the world around them.

I am officially a fan of the Eglinton Smile Guy. And I do believe he makes a difference.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

A couple of weeks ago I told you about a meeting I had with our Academic Computing department to discuss how we could improve account creation for new students. We decided that I would run a report at noon on each day, and the accounts would be created by noon the next day. This would allow us to schedule time for making accounts instead of getting 4 or 5 e-mails a day interrupting what we were doing. While we would still respond to emergencies like a student showing up on campus unannounced, things would run smoother for everyone involved if time was put aside for account creation. All they had to do was supply us with a name, a SSN number, and a date of birth, and everything would work. There were a couple of things they would need to do in order to enable students to register, but there would be fewer emergencies.

So let's see how things went. On Monday, the first day of implementing this new system, I had to leave early. I notified everyone involved that I would be running the report and starting the account creation process at 11:00 instead of noon. Nobody had a problem with that. So at 11:00 I ran the report, and there were no new students. I went home, and returned the next day to an e-mail sent at 11:17 Monday about a student that needed an account. I then had somebody stop by and tell me it was an emergency, they would be on campus at 2:00. Okay, well, I left early Monday so I accepted the emergency and we got the account created on time.

Well, day two was sure to go smoothly. At noon, I ran the report. There were 12 students that needed accounts. I had 12 names, I had 12 SSNs, but I only had 11 birth dates. While I could create accounts for my web site, one student wouldn't be able to look up their e-mail password. That means Academic Computing would get a call, something our new system was designed to eliminate. I called our Admissions department and reminded them that a birth date was a required piece of data, and a student would not get an account without one. They got the birth date, and things went smoothly from there.

Wednesday was sure to go smoothly after Tuesday's reminder. So I ran the report at noon, and had nine names. I had 9 dates of birth. But I only had 8 SSNs. The SSN is more important than the date of birth as it affects several other databases, including our health services reporting. I called Admissions again and informed them of this. Without a SSN, students couldn't get to my web page. Under no circumstances should someone become a student without a SSN, but alas, it happened. In fact, every single problem we had hoped to avoid appeared in the first 3 days of running this new system.

I think there's going to be another meeting. I think this time I'll bring a gun.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

Instead of the water your recipe calls for, try juices, bouillon, or water you've cooked vegetables in. Instead of milk, try buttermilk, yogurt or sour cream. It can add a whole new flavor and improve nutrition.

Wow, if Anne hadn't found some make-up limericks I'd only have one from Bonnie! I've got to get better lines.

Next opening line...
I'm marking the names off my list...

This year I hope Santa brings me Something I don't usually see Like a new car or house Though I'd settle for a new mouse You can put it there under the tree. - Bonnie	My wife just flew in on a broom But ahead of her a wall does loom None can hold a candle She flies off the handle Then crashes and then goes boom-boom. - Anne Onimous
I've had too much candy this week Now my outlook does look bleak I feel put upon For my candy's all gone After my sugar crash, I feel weak. - Anne Onimous	I've had too much candy this week I ate all of it by the creek But now I'm so fat You'll see me in Landsat And nobody now wants to see me streak. - Anne Onimous

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Re: Shopping

I also was not out shopping--no bargain is worth that hassle to me! We will be spending about the same amount. We have had a budget for years and we tend to stick to it--not that we are really cheap or that we don't have more money at times--but people just have TOO DAMN MUCH STUFF!!! - Bonnie

In Canada, Thanksgiving is in mid-October, because that's when the harvest is in. It is now common to see Christmas displays in stores before Haloween, although I do razz the clerks putting them up.

When I do give away more than a card or two for the holiday season, I make the stuff or pass on something I have enjoyed. For instance, there's some firewood that's just too pretty to burn, but turns into art with ease. - Bob of the North

Re: Books

Hi, I'm Marian and I'm a bookaholic, too. In respnse to feedback on book reviews, it sounds like a great idea. I belonged to ChemoAngels for a few years and they had an online book review club kind of thingy and I loved it. So I vote YES. Marian in Ellicott City

NO. No book reviews. Or maybe, five words max.

I'm a reader too, but if you can't say Great! Or Junk! you're wasting my time�

I will submit the first book review for you, though � any Discworld book. Wonderful, and fascinating.

See? Easy! J - Lyn in FL (temporarily in the Deep South of the Dark Continent)

I sometimes get in a rut as to what I want to read next. I find an author and read all I can of their work and when I have read everything they have to offer I oft times find myself stuck as to what to next read. Wouldn't mind writing reviews either but don't know if anyone would be interested in reading them. My taste in books can be a bit esoteric. I read a lot of science fiction but at the present time I am reading a lot of war books, or rather books about people that were involved in wars. I just finished a book about Winston Churchill called Warlord: The Life and Times of Churchill at War. At the present time I am reading a book about FDR called A Traitor to His Class. The next book on my list is about General Sherman and his march to Atlanta. If I had any extra money tho I'd buy a bunch more books by Orson Scott Card, an award winning sci-fi writer who just happens to be a devout Mormon. I fell in love with his books before I knew his religion. (Still hard for me to wrap my mind around that.) I am still working my way through Plato's Republic and The Properties of Tungsten, but I do find Louis Lamour and Zane Grey eminently enjoyable but for different reasons.I have even read a couple of books by Danielle Steel.

Anyway, don't know that I really know how to go about writing a book review. But if it sounds like people want to read them I'd be willing to give it a try. - GrammieSammie

P.S. SELL YOUR BOOKS? ARE YOU NUTS? You can't properly call yourself a bookaholic if you do that.Shame on you.

Hi, my name is Kat, and I am a bookaholic.
(Isn't amazing how many of us know the standard AA intro, even if we haven't been to a meeting in our lives? But I digress...)

I have finally mustered up the courage to sell some of my books on Amazon. I make back a little of the money I've spent, and it makes me happy to know they are going to good homes. Like kittens or something.

When we built our loft in the family room, my husband put up long rows of bookshelves for me. They aren't full yet, but that's not for lack of trying. The office shelves ARE full, so it's time to transfer a few books out of there. I guess I figured if I move them around enough, the actual number I have won't be as noticeable. Deny, deny, deny.

At any rate, I will buy (and yes, I do eventually read every book I own) books til I die, and frankly, I don't really care a lot what happens to them after that. I'll have much more interesting things going on. My men can do with them as they choose. I would like it if my friends who are still around have first pick, especially the one with the bookstore-running fantasies (we have had wonderful conversations about that; it's nice to share a dream with someone).

I can't remember offhand who said this (it'll come to me 15 minutes from now), but I wholeheartedly agree: So many books, so little time. - OhioKat

Another closet book collector. my oldest does not have a date, but the company that published it, I have dated to 1830, Ivanhoe. I have most of H Rider Haggard's first Editions and most of them look like they are new and they are circa 1880's. I had several thousand books, but have been trimming my collection down. I had every Louis L'Amour book, every Zane Grey, every Edgar Rice Burrough book written. I carry a book with me often, I write four books a year, and read about 150 books a year. I have donated about 60 boxes of books to the library this year,,, with much pain. - BJ in Guthrie

I LOVE books too! I've always LOVED books and moreso now that we have yucky cable TV in Bolivar. I refuse to pay for dish or satellite and if I did, my husband would just have that many more channels to flip through.

My bookshelves have been moved to the basement (lucky it's dry) because they were taking up too much room in our house. If it were up to me, I'd have wall-to-wall bookshelves filled with books and probably piles on the floor too. Books give me warm fuzzies. The warmest fuzzies come from the old children's series books. I go bananas when I see the old Grosset & Dunlap tweed or the Whitman picture cover.

Like Mike I too sell my books on eBay - I LOVE paying 10 cents for a book and selling it for $3 or $4 or more. Probably my favorite sell was a large-size paperbook on building domes I got at a library book sale. It was $1 a bag day and the bag wouldn't really hold any more. They let me lay the book across the top. That "freebie" sold for $12. I read somewhere that one should never pay more than $1 per book that you want to resell unless you absolutely know what you're doing. After two years, I still am learning.

It all started with when my Dad died. He too loved books, but we had different tastes. I started selling a lot of his books at garage sales. They were mostly old, yucky-looking ragged hardbacks. One of the customers told me I had some valuable books there and that I should try selling them on eBay. So I pulled out all the old yucky-looking books and was very pleasantly surprised to find that they'd bring $5 or $6 a book or more on eBay.

Then I found out that I could buy my favorite children's series books on eBay. In effect, I turned all of Dad's old Westerns into a collection of Judy Boltons and Trixie Beldens. Along the way, I've rediscovered Kay Tracey, Nancy Drew and Penny Nichols and have been introduced to Cherry Ames and other series. I have several books on my shelves to sell, but they beg to be read first.

The joy is in the hunt. I love digging through garage sales, flea markets and antique stores. If I'm ONLY looking for books, I can get through an antique store in 15-20 minutes. And every so often somebody will call me and tell me they've got a garage full of books, do I want to go through them - that's like Christmas!

So if any of you have any of the last 8 Judy Boltons you want to get rid of, let me know. - Noella

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#1224

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Dec 2, 2009 5:00 am
Subject: December 2, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

'Tis the season to be jolly. It's official, December has arrived and it is the countdown to a variety of winter holidays. Christmas is the big holiday for many at this time of year. Others celebrate Chanukah and still more revel in Kwanzaa. Many simply celebrate the winter solstice.

Here in the US, official Christmas shopping starts the day after Thanksgiving. That would have been last Friday. It is called Black Friday, because it is said that retailers move from red ink (loss), to black (profit).

Economists look to statistics concerning shopping not only on the particular day, but over the entire weekend. And this year, the news is mixed.

Spending per person was down 8% but there were 195 million Americans out shopping on Friday. I was not one of them. I never am. Retailers had hoped for more, but I can't ever remember a year when they didn't.

"Shoppers proved this weekend that they were willing to open their wallets for a bargain," said National Retail Federation Chief Executive Tracy Mullin, according to Reuters.com. It seems buyers were more focused on making a list, running into stores, and purchasing items on sale. If the items were sold out, they were not inclined to browse and pick up substitute goods.

The stores that did the best over the weekend were discount retailers (Wal-Mart and Target), teen clothing stores (Aeropostale Inc. and American Eagle Outfitters), and high end chains (Saks).

The number of Americans shopping rose from the mere 172 million who hit the stores in 2008, but many of this past weekend's buyers were not picking up large ticket items, but instead looking for great deals or purchasing lower priced gifts. Even so, the total spending was up 0.5% from last year and hit $41.2 billion for the weekend ($10.66 billion for Black Friday alone).

Consumer spending makes up about 70% of the US economy and our spending habits will dictate how long the current recession takes to dissipate. Numbers are leaning toward another drop in holiday spending for a second year in a row, which is unprecedented.

Many shoppers who were interviewed claimed they would be spending less this holiday season and vowed to stick to their lists and hunt only for bargains - sales or rebates. Many consumers feel prices will fall even further before Christmas and so are holding out for better deals closer to the holiday.

Online retailers didn't have the same issues as the brick and mortar stores. Online shoppers spent 11% more on Black Friday than they did last year, hitting $595 million for the day. Amazon and Wal-Mart were the big winners on the online front.

For those living in other parts of the world, has your holiday shopping season officially begun? Is there a particular day when the push for Christmas or other winter holiday shopping becomes Big Business?

For all shoppers, do you plan to spend more or less than your usual holiday budget? Are you looking for ways to cut back on the gift giving? Will you be more attentive to sales or bargains this year? Does your merry-making center around indulging the kids in all their wishes?

Scroogely,

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"A dilemma is a politician trying to save both of his faces at once." � John A. Lincoln

"If God had meant us to vote, he'd have given us candidates." � Ice-T

Prayer
[Thanks Bonnie]

As the storm raged, the captain realized his ship was sinking fast. He called out, "Anyone here know how to pray?"

One man stepped forward, "Aye, Captain, I know how to pray."

"Good," said the captain, "you pray while the rest of us put on our life jackets - we're one short."

"My Latin temper blows up pretty fast, but it goes down just as fast. Maybe that's why you seldom hear of ulcers in Latin America."

"American people have the ability to laugh at themselves. It is one of the things that makes this country the great country that it is."

"Good things do not come easy. The road is lined with pitfalls." All from Cuban-born actor and band leader Desi Arnaz who died on this date in 1986

The Lady Bug Picnic!
[Thanks Cliff]

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Revealing Times

A scant few weeks ago, the trees began dropping their leaves for the annual winter cycle. Per usual, the honeysuckle and undergrowth have waited. Apparently wanting their own moment in the limelight, they held off until last week to change color and begin denuding themselves.

Behind my house is a wooded strip that lays between residential properties and a major highway. About a mile long, but only about 100 feet wide, it is still able to provide ample shelter for a variety of critters. From a multitude of moles underground, to a plethora of squirrels alternating between the branches and the blades of grass, many creatures inhabit this strip of woodlands.

This patch of green acts as a visual and auditory buffer from whatever transpires beyond it. From spring to fall, we cannot see the traffic on the highway and the neighborhood across the road all but disappears. We hear an occasional spike of activity across the way, but have no clue where it originated or who caused it. After fall, things change.

We watch as lines of traffic become apparent in rush-hour regularity, and as shoppers gang up on stores for "Black Friday". With the loss of the attenuating benefit of the foliage, we now hear the rumble of off-road tires on pavement, the boom-boom reverberations of driver's trying to deafen themselves with stereos at full blast, and the celebrations as "home team" accomplishments are acknowledged by partiers. The transformation from bland yards to Christmas decorations begins to become apparent.

Soon, the highway that divides the wooded area will begin another transformation. With the housing boom of the 90's, this area saw a disproportional growth in population. With the people, business also grew. This "Bypass" road, once the only way to get around the urban traffic, became bogged with the increased traffic to adjacent suburbs. In 2010, the 2-lane road starts to become a 4-lane expressway.

Although the highway "right of way" is already cleared way beyond necessity, we expect a wider swath will be created in the construction process. Anticipating increased traffic flow as the road becomes more commuter friendly, there has been discussions of buffer walls being erected as was done on an intersecting expressway a few years ago. These walls deflect the road noise and prevent drivers passing by from being able to look into unshaded windows. Some measure of privacy is provided and the neighborhoods across the way will forever be hidden.

Here's your quiz:
Would you prefer traffic noise and lights, or a minimally artistic wall shielding you from all that?
Would you be willing to wait until evergreen trees could grow large enough to provide buffering, or would you want the immediate benefit of traffic walls?
Would you feel "boxed in" by sound buffer walls even though they border only 1 of the 4 sides of your property?

Revealing Times - Much Like The Housing Boom May Be Coming To An End
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

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We visited the families Sunday. While with the bigger kids, we made some Buckeyes (peanut butter confections dipped in chocolate). Two of the kids helped us roll balls of peanut butter. The middle child, four-year-old Dylan, didn't want to do that. He wanted to go to the beach. He really, REALLY wanted to go to the beach. In South Carolina, it was a beautiful day and walking on the beach would have been okay. But we weren't going. Dylan figured he could coerce or urge us along by dressing the part.

He reappeared in the kitchen wearing only his swimming trunks, ready for a bit of time on the beach. Trying to draw his attention elsewhere, we began to talk about Christmas. He told me all about Santa and his elves and reindeer and method of travel. Then he told me there were Santa presents in his garage. His mother nodded and added, "Sometimes Mommies work like Santa's elves and help him out."

The kids went out to the garage to assure themselves Christmas presents were still there. Dylan then insisted I should come to the garage and look. I told him I couldn't see the presents until after Christmas. Santa would come and pick them up, take them to the North Pole, and cover them in magic Christmas dust. Only then would I look at them.

Dylan really wanted me to see these presents. He looked at me and then thought of the perfect solution. He informed me, in all seriousness, "I have magic in my pants."

Oh my! I believe that is just going to turn into the best pickup line EVAR! I mean, really .... who would like a little magic in their pants? - Patti

"Don't let your dreams go up in smoke - practice fire safety."
~ Unknown ~

On Sunday evening I saw sparks of light coming out of the electricity box, and that freaked me out a little. Don't get me wrong - I don't have anything against sparks of light per se. Sparks of light are highly appropriate at, say, fireworks displays, or on sparklers placed on birthday cakes. But all things being equal, I prefer not to see sparks of light coming out of the electricity box. Especially when they're accompanied by that "pffft" sound that is a precursor to something burning out. Double especially when said "pffft" sound and the spark of light are followed by a low constant "bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz" sound.

My husband removed the face plate from the electricity box and examined all of the wires. There was no damage that we could see, and no bad burny smell that we could detect. All we had was the memory of the spark of light and the ongoing "bzzzzzzzzzzzzz" sound. So we decided to try a simple task. What we would do was turn the breakers off one by one. If the sound stopped, we'd know it was the breaker that had just been turned off. Then we'd simply leave it off and deal with it in the morning.

Except that the sound didn't stop, even with all of the breakers turned off. We turned them all on again and waited to see what would happen next. What happened next was no big surprise - the sound continued. So we turned the mains off and then on, and only then did the sound suddenly stop.

So now we had good news and bad news. The good news was that the ominous your-house-is-about-to-burn-down sound had stopped. The bad news was that we had no clue as to what had caused it. Meaning that at any point while we were all sleeping, the house could indeed burn down at any minute. Somewhat sheepishly, we called 911 and asked for the fire department. We explained to them that we were extremely embarrassed to be calling them for what might be nothing, but they assured us that we had done the right thing. They promised to be right over.

Five minutes later, four firemen and a policeman came trooping into the house. They shone a flashlight on the electricity box. Their flashlight was a lot more powerful than ours - not surprising, since they had a fireman grade spotlight, and we only had one of the toy flashlights the kids had left lying around - but they couldn't see any more than we had. One of the firemen went back out to the truck, and came back with this thermal imaging gizmo. He aimed it in the direction of the electricity box, and immediately, we could see where the problem was. In the device's viewfinder, we could clearly see a big red blotch behind one of the breakers, representing a hotspot.

So good. Now we knew that there was a problem, where the problem was, and that we hadn't called out the nice firemen for nothing. We turned the breaker off, I had my picture taken with the firemen, and we sent them on their way with our thanks.

So my house is intact, and we still don't know what the breaker controls. I guess the electrician will figure it out. And now, I am going out to have dinner in honour of someone's birthday.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

As you probably know, I hate spam. Not the food product, the unwanted junk mail that you get promoting everything from stocks to breast enhancement pills. I hate spam so much I pay for an account at SpamCop. I can report my spam to SpamCop and they will report it to the ISP where the spam came from. If you're a criminal, you'd be really stupid to send spam to a SpamCop account. You know its going to be reported.

But evidently there is a really stupid spammer out there, because suddenly I'm getting spam sent to my SpamCop account. But what's interesting is that I actually learned something from this spam. You see, the spam used HTML like web pages do. This one happened to use tables, which allows you to create grids like you would see in a spreadsheet. But the interesting thing is that there is a way to change the font inside a table, so you can have one cell using Times New Roman and another cell using Comic Sans MF. So what's so interesting about that?

Well, my web page uses a default font that I don't like. By default, it is too tiny to read, perhaps an 8 point font. I can use a font size command, but that only lets me use font size=+1, which effectively doubles the size of the base font. That's too big. But table commands allow you to define a "style", which includes a font type and font size. I can't use a normal HTML font command because the command ends up being longer than the line length my web site allows. Creating a one-cell table solved this problem, so now I have the font and size I wanted.

I told my boss about this and he asked if I sent the spammer a note thanking him for the info. I replied, "Hell no, I reported his ass." I don't give anyone a break.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Spam

Miscellaneous Tips

Add a little lemon and lime to tuna to add zest and flavor to tuna sandwiches. Use cucumbers soaked in vinegar and pepper in sandwich instead of tomatoes. Use mustard instead of mayo to cut the fat and add a tang.

I think Maria hit the nail on the head. I've run out of lines!

Next opening line...
This year I hope Santa brings me...

Study and be all you can be Keep at it and someday you'll see, With a high paying job And a golfer named Bob Those college loans were worth the fee! - Tony in Richmond	Study and be all you can be Keep at it and someday you'll see You will run out of lines For us to make good rhymes So the task makes everyone flee! - Maria in Illinois
Study and be all you can be No need to spend life in a tree Come down and be heard Live through the written word Just like in RQG... (Okay, but it was the only way it would rhyme!! And who said I was a writer anyway? - Bonnie

Links to online editions of RGQ
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Re: DNA

I think DNA should only be collected in the case of felonies...violent or repeated major crimes, burglary, drug dealing, e.t.c. Period. - GrammieSammie

Perhaps someday people will live in a peaceful, egalitarian society, where DNA traces can help find lost people and the occasional deranged criminal. In England, the DNA database looks like a very expensive attempt to micro-manage the people considered most likely to commit petty crimes or spread dissent. Both those trends could be nipped in the bud by relatively far fewer arrests of politicians and others who commit the big crimes. We don't need DNA for that, just the sort of Justice system that could, perhaps, be trusted with the potential of a DNA database. - Bob of the North

Re: Christmas Shopping

For several years I bought online, hating the mall/shopping crowds was my excuse. But in this economy I can no longer afford that, the shipping charges alone killed. Now I am going back to how I used to shop before the internet. I shop little things all year round, then wait for holiday sales to get the bigger "Santa" presents. Of course, like most everyone else I am downsizing this year and even regifting. In some cases I am passing along personal possessions as gifts. Really, I don't need that many gold chains and fancy vases.

There are some traditional gifts I keep giving like the cheese boxes, but they're getting smaller and the traditional box of socks and underwear. I tried doing away with both of those one year and my sons raised a fuss. I also decided to try my hand at making candy this year as well as baking some cookies for gift "plates" of treats. I remember helping my Mother make fudge every year during the holidays. Also I am making an afghan for each son and a personalized trinket box that I am decorating myself with woodburned Celtic designs. I like making the afghans, it gives me a good excuse for sitting down and watching lots of television. - GrammieSammie

I USUALLY start in January by Christmas I am through.I save lots of money that way - dEE

I knew I would spend a lot on black Friday. I needed new furniture, an upgrade on my laptop, and several other items. I saved several thousand dollars on two couches and two recliners. Got my new laptop with 570 gig HD, two top of the line GPS systems for our new cars, replaced our last old TV with a HDTV flat screen. One couch was marked down 1,000, another marked down 650, each recliner marked down about 400. My laptop marked down about 200. The GPS's down about 60 each, the TV down about 40 percent. Yeah, I spent about 2,000 but I knew the whole year I would be spending the money so I had stashed it for this day and it was worth it. - BJ in Guthrie, Oklahoma

I work retail. I had to be at work at 3am on Black Friday, to open all the registers in the store. We opened at 4am. It was busy, yes, but really, at least in my department, not much worse than a really busy Saturday. I still don't understand the need for these weird store hours though. For example - we were open til 10pm last night (a Sunday). There were maybe 10 customers in the whole store between 7 and 10, and yet, because it was a nationally advertised thing, we had to remain open. It's crazy. They tell us they need to save money, as sales aren't what they used to be, and yet, they keep the store open, and pay 30 people, and utilities, to stand around and do next to nothing for a good 3 hours.

Starting yesterday, the store will be open til at least 10 every night til Christmas Eve, and starting the 16th, we will be open every night til midnight. Granted, as the day gets closer, the chances of being busy that late increase, but still - can't people shop during normal hours, and get everything they need???? Why do we need to be open at 6am, or earlier, on Saturdays? Why do we need to be open til midnight? People can't get their shopping finished up by 9 or 10 pm?

The retail business, in an effort to try to make as much money as possible, has lost it's collective mind. I won't even mention the stores that opened at midnight on Thanksgiving. I feel for their employees.
As for me, I'll do a little store shopping, but I'm doing most of my shopping on line, in my jammies. I get exposed to enough viruses and germs at work, thank you. :-)

Here's to a wonderful holiday season for everyone, however you choose to celebrate (or not). - OhioKat

Yay for internet shopping!!!!!!!!!! - Bonnie

Re: Books

I think it was Taz that replied to a comment I made a while ago when I said I would really miss my considerable library if I went blind. I've been meaning to reply but am just now getting around to it as afghan making has really had me obsessed these past few weeks.

When I said I had a lot of books, I mean A LOT of books. Last count was a few years ago and it was around three thousand, and I have bought many many books in the last 3 years. Many of the books I get are bought in volume from used book stores and at yard sales. It is not just the reading, it is also the collecting. I'm lucky to have a few valuable first editions in my library, some of them even personally autographed by the authors. Many of them are old, and hard or impossible to find. I have a book of poetry I bought in a book store that was published in 1907. I have a book of stories by Charles Dickens that is so old it has no date on it but I have had it dated to the late 1800's. It is exceptional quality, with engraved pictures covered by little pieces of tissue paper. Then there are my science fiction paperbacks and magazines from the 1950's. That is only a small sample of the kinds of books that would be difficult if not impossible to replace, or get as a recording or in braille.

I know I could probably learn to read braille and all but to have a book I would have to return to someone would be a big big problem. I no longer go to the library as I find it hard to part with a book I have fallen in love with. I gave up my library card because I got tired of paying "lost" fees. I hear they even have devices that you can pass over the pages and it will read the words to you out loud. That would be okay for some things like my National Geographic and Smithsonian magazines, but still wouldn't leave me fully satisfied. It would be like doing a jigsaw puzzle that had a lot of missing pieces.

When I said I supposed I would give my books away to the veterans hospital...I lied. I could never imagine doing that unless I died first. (Actually it is in my will that when I die my sons should choose a few of the books they really like and then donate the majority of them to the veterans hospital.)

My obsession goes into the realm of addiction. I have lied to my family about my book habit. I would rather they think I was out drinking in bars than have them know I was out buying more books. When I do buy books, I have to sneak them into the house and hide them among the old books; then when I get them down to read I pretend they have been on my shelves for years. I have so many books I forget what I have and end up buying the same book three or four times. I have woken up on occasion and found books on my nightstand that I have no recollection of buying. I buy books I may never use, but honestly, one never knows when a book on The Properties of Tungsten may come in handy. I never leave the house without a book to read and even keep one or two books in the trunk of my car just in case. I am seriously thinking of getting rid of some of my living room furniture so I can use the extra room for more shelves. I don't really need that sofa and love seat anyway. A rocking chair and a lazy boy recliner will do just fine.

Hello, I am GrammieSammie and I am a bookaholic
[Hello. I'm Mike and I'm a bookaholic too! I too hate to get rid of books. I did finally get to the point where I was buying so many books I decided to start selling them online as a way of getting extra income. This was great since it gave me a perfect excuse to buy as many books as I could find. Of course for every book you find that sells there are two more that sit on the shelves. I have now retired from the book business but have a garage full of leftovers.

I have been thinking about adding a new section to RGQ. I thought that since our readers are such a literate bunch (as shown by being subscribers!), there might be some interest in reader submitted book reviews.

Would any of you have an interest in reading book reviews? Would any of you be willing to send in reviews? Let me have some feedback. Thanks!]

Re: Airlines

I am really surprised that so many people have had terrible experiences with flying. I'm not crazy about flying, but my experiences have always been very pleasant (outside of that little fiasco in Seattle when I was flying to St. Louis on standby the Monday after a weekend World Series game between Seattle and St. Louis). Even then all airport personnel were very pleasant - well, maybe the guy in the Vancouver airport could have been a little nicer when he found me wandering around in that restricted area - I was lost because I'd received bad information from another passenger who told me I didn't need to go through Customs. I flew to Vancouver so I could get out of Seattle and get to St. Louis that way).

Flying's not my favorite way to travel - the only positive being speed. Otherwise you're cramped into a tiny bus that flies through the air with thin walls, tiny seats, short seatbelts, smaller than tiny bathrooms, and terrible food.

For the most part though, airline personnel have been very gracious - my favorites being Southwest.

My luggage has never been lost - however, my son used to work for an airline. And the common thing that happens is if a passenger is a "butt" the kids that sell him his ticket will make sure his luggage is at least delayed. So for insurance, I'd make sure to be nice to the ticket agent no matter how awful you feel. - Noella

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Yahoo! Inc., 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

#1223

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Nov 30, 2009 6:48 am
Subject: November 30, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I think in the United States we tend to think of England as this relatively crime free place full of friendly, helpful people. And for the most part that's probably true. However, lately it seems that England has become a land of draconian laws that are turning it into a police state.

What started off as an attempt to keep people safe has turned into a sad joke about being the nanny state. I'm constantly reading about some new rule or law designed to protect people but instead seems to be taking safety to an extreme.

There is a new internet law about to go into effect in an attempt to stop illegal downloading of music and films that will result in families losing their access to the internet if a member of the family is even accused of illegal downloads.

There are cameras everywhere so that citizens are watched from the time they leave home until they return. At least that's the plan. There have been stories of the camera operators turning the cameras to peep into windows, but that's another story!

But perhaps the most troubling story I've seen lately concerns England's DNA database.

I don't know, off the top of my head, how the U.K. compares to the U.S. in size and population. I do know that the annual gun violence of the entire country is surpassed by any one of many U.S. cities. Yet the U.K. has the biggest DNA database in the world.

Now it's come to light that people are having their DNA taken and entered into the database when they are arrested and they stay on the database forever even if they are never charged or convicted of a crime.

According to an article at The Times Online, people are being arrested, it seems, just to obtain their DNA. The article is accompanied by a photo of a young man who was arrested when he was 12 because a friend's father accused him of stealing Pokemon cards.

"He (professor Jonathan Montgomery, chairman of the Human Genetics Commission, an independent government advisory body) said that a retired senior police officer told the commission: 'It is now the norm to arrest offenders for everything if there is a power to do so. It is apparently understood by serving police officers that one of the reasons . . . is so that DNA can be obtained.' He said that the tradition of only arresting someone when dealing with serious offences had collapsed."

Professor Montgomery "...said that 'function creep' over the years had transformed a database of offenders into one of suspects. Almost one million innocent people are now on the DNA database."

More troubling perhaps, "The report's foreword states that the DNA profiles of 75 per cent of black men aged 18 to 35 are recorded."

"The Equalities and Human Rights Commission said the proportion of black men on the database created an impression that one race group represented an 'alien wedge' of criminality."

"The commission report said that the database should be placed on a clear statutory basis and overseen by an independent authority. Isabella Sankey, of Liberty, said: 'Not only are we stockpiling the most sensitive information of innocents who have never been charged, let alone convicted, we are also creating a perverse incentive to arrest people solely to get their details on the database.'"

The article does mention that a new Crime and Security Bill would limit to 6 years the length of time that an innocent person's DNA would remain on the register. But no limit is planned on the police power to obtain DNA from everyone arrested.

Doesn't it seem unfair that innocent people are required to submit DNA? If you are never charged or convicted should DNA be taken? Are any of or U.K. readers concerned about this?

Or do you feel that the more DNA samples there are in the database means it's more likely to be helpful in solving crimes? Should everyone's DNA be taken at birth just for future reference?

Innocently,

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"It's great to be with Bill Buckley, because you don't have to think. He takes a position and you automatically take the opposite and you know you're right." � John Kenneth Galbraith

Regarding Rona Barrett � "She doesn't need a steak knife. Rona cuts her food with her tongue." � Johnny Carson

Nine Answers Men Would Like to Give to Women's Stupid Questions ....But Never Will
[Thanks Sied]

1. No we can't be friends; I just want you for sex.

2. The dress doesn't make you look fat; it's all that ice cream and chocolate you eat that makes you look fat.

3. You've got no chance of my calling you.

4. No, I won't be gentle.

5. Of course, you have to swallow.

6. Well, yes, actually, I do this all the time.

7. I hate your friends.

8. I have every intention of using you, and no intention of speaking to you after tonight.

9. I'd rather watch a porno.

"Every man desires to live long, but no man wishes to be old."

"I never wonder to see men wicked, but I often wonder to see them not ashamed."

"It is a maxim among these lawyers, that whatever hath been done before, may legally be done again: and therefore they take special care to record all the decisions formerly made against common justice and the general reason of mankind." - All from Irish writer and satirist Jonathan Swift born on this date in 1667

Bad Place Names
[Thanks Tesser]

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Holidaze

And it begins...

As I write this, "Black Friday" is well underway. My daughter has already been shopping for several hours, an activity I distance myself from with all due diligence.

The official kick-off for the holiday season, which lasts about a month, began a scant few hours ago. Speakers in every store and restaurant began playing various renditions of songs of secular and religious themes. Red and green trimming bestows every nook & cranny . Twinkling & steady lights resembling icicles and garland drape across every facade.

Christmas decorations, trees, and paraphernalia have been on display for upwards of a few weeks already in some stores. However, the biggest sale day of the year is going on right now. "Black Friday" is the one day of the retail selling year when retailers anticipate covering all the losses encountered from having to maintain a business presence the rest of the year.

The term "Black Friday" comes from the fact that stores actually loose money all year long just from being open, termed "being in the Red". On the Friday after Thanksgiving, sales abound to draw in customers. Stores vying for the dollars to make their fiscal year profitable alter their standard opening hours to give potential customers access to the products as early as the first minute of the day. This one day can make or break a retail company. Profitability is referred to as "being in the Black", thus the moniker given to the day after Thanksgiving.

Much like planning for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and the Rose Parade in Pasadena, planning for "Black Friday" begins anew right after Christmas. Some retail chains have departments in their corporate structure strictly to focus on "Black Friday" and how to address & react for the next one. Meetings will begin the first business day after Christmas for most. Some begin the first Monday after "Black Friday", assessing the success, or lack thereof, of the results from the big sale weekend.

Then comes the inevitable & perpetual repetition of those seasonal songs. By the time Christmas arrives, people are well past caring that grandma got run over by a reindeer.

Here's your quiz:
Do you shop for Christmas all year long in hopes your intended recipient hasn't already obtained one of what you bought?
Do you spend the year creating & updating a gift list then go out on "Black Friday" to get the best deal?
Do you maintain a list and buy between Thanksgiving & Christmas when store crowds are relatively thinner?
Do you order online and let the delivery service company deal with the traffic?

Holidaze - How One Feels This Time Of Year
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

Submit Your Date From Hell | Submit your Kids Weird Words | Submit your Crazy Way You Met Your Mate

Here's another archive article for Kirsten.

Last week I went to see my doctor about my sore foot. In addition to getting my foot looked at, I got a renewed prescription for antidepressants, antibiotic cream for a rash on my arm, a flu shot, and some stuff to take for my perpetually inflamed sinuses. It was kind of like those times when you go to the grocery store for a bottle of milk and walk out with enough groceries to see you through a nuclear war. In a spectactular example of this kind of behaviour, my Mom once sent my Dad out to buy a loaf of bread, and he came back with a new car.

But I digress. I tend to do this from time to time. I have the attention span of a hamster, so I occasionally have trouble staying with one subject.

What I wanted to talk about was the flu shot. I did not go to the doctor intending to get one, but since I was there anyway I thought I may as well get it over and done with. The flu shot borders on being controversial. There are those who are in favour of it for the obvious reason that it helps protect against the flu. And there are those who are opposed to it because they believe that it (a) doesn't work, (b) can cause allergic reactions, or even autism, and (c) it creates side effects worse than the illness it is supposed to be a protection against.

Most sources agree that the worst side effect you can get from the flu shot is a sore arm. Some people experience a bit of stuffiness for a day or two, but the notion that the flu shot can cause the flu is just that - a notion. The vaccine contains dead flu viruses that cannot cause infection.

The belief that the flu shot doesn't work is largely based on the belief that it is intended to protect against colds as well. Almost every year I hear someone say, "I got the flu shot last year but I got a really bad cold anyway". Colds and flu are caused by different kinds of bugs, and protection against one does not automatically mean you are protected against the other.

The allergy claim actually does have merit for some people. If you are allergic to eggs, or if you have had a bad reaction to previous flu shots, then you may not be a candidate for the vaccine. The jury is still out - and will be for some time - on the autism debate. So far, extensive research has failed to expose a link between the flu shot and autism. I myself do not believe there is a connection. However, I have heard a number of mothers tell stories about how their kids were perfectly fine, and then started displaying symptoms of autism literally hours after receiving the flu shot. I fully respect the experiences of these families. If they believe that the flu shot caused their child's autism, what right do I have to dispute that? I am open to the possibility that the flu shot can have a very detrimental effect to children who have certain genetic predispositions.

In general, though, the flu shot is a good idea for anyone over the age of six months. People over the age of 60 are particularly vulnerable to the flu, as are people in other age groups who have respiratory weaknesses. Babies younger than six months are at risk as well, and since they cannot be vaccinated, the best way to protect them is to vaccinate anyone who comes into contact with them.

The flu can be serious enough to kill. About 35,000 Americans die each year from flu-related complications. It makes sense for us to protect ourselves and those around us in whatever way we can.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

I don't think my car likes me. Well, it's not that it doesn't like me, I just don't seem to have very good luck with it. When I first bought the car, I had to have the gas tank replaced. I've told you how my speedometer cable broke, but I don't really care about that because the car can't go fast enough for me to get a ticket. And recently I told you how the battery went dead twice in the same parking lot. It turns out that was a short in my rear window defroster. While I need it, I just have to turn it off after the rear window is cleared.

Today I wanted to go do my laundry and a bit of shopping. I got ready, loaded my laundry in the car, and got in. But when I turned the key, nothing happened. I thought perhaps the clutch wasn't depressed enough, to I pressed harder, even though it was already touching the floor. That's when I heard a very faint noise. It took me a moment to figure out what it was. It was my radio. You see, when you turn off most cars, the radio turns off as well. Not my car. I have to make sure I turn off the radio. Unfortunately, when I parked the car, I tried to turn it off, but just managed to turn it down to a barely audible whisper. It didn't click off, so it drained my battery until it was almost completely dead.

So I got one of my neighbors to help push my car, figuring I could just pop the clutch and it would start right up. So we pushed, I hopped in, put it in gear, and I popped the clutch. The car tried to come to life, but quickly died. We tried again with the same results. Apparently there has to be at least a little juice left in the battery to be able to start my car by popping the clutch. It was dead. Luckily, I bought a battery charger after the parking lot incident and was able to borrow an extension cord, so I got my car running again. But I wasn't able to do my laundry or my shopping.

That means I have to do it this week after work, which makes for a long day. Oh, and I added something to my shopping list. I'm gong to get one of those batteries you can use to jump-start your car. I just don't trust it anymore.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a on-slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Ellen's been gone a long time, but her gnu lives on in legend and rhyme!

Next opening line...
Study and be all you can be...

I decided to visit the zoo..... Changed my mind 'cause of you..... Locked up in a cage..... Showing your rage..... And maybe some other parts, too. - Skeeter	I (we) decided to visit the zoo..... After having a round or two..... I said to my friend..... "We're friends to the end....." "Even though that monkey looks just like you." - Skeeter
I decided to visit the zoo In search of Ellen's gnu It was not to be found Even though I looked all around I wonder what that gnu's up to? - Bonnie

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Re: Airlines

I've only flown one time, and the ticket was paid for because it was when I flew to Atlanta for my Vista training. The flew me United, and this was in: 2006 and my experience both going and coming back was absolutely wonderful. Even though coming back we were delayed. They changed our departure time four times, and this meant that I changed gates four times, but once on board I got the best service. Now, some of my friends said it was because I was blind, but I do not think so. I watched the staff with others, and it looked to me that they were getting as much help as I was. I would use them again for sure, and would also like to try out other airlines. Anyone want to buy me a ticket? LOL! - The Tazz!

I take Amtrak instead of flying. Sure, it takes longer, but I'm retired, so who cares? The car attendant does. The folks who operate the diner and snack bar do. The Conductor does. That totally beats the snubbing by flight attendants when you don't drink alcoholic beverages. It's way better than being told over a mike, "get off the plane. We don't have a damn pilot." (United had scheduled the same crew to fly 2 planes at the same time - they flew the other one) after you've been seated for half an hour. It definitely beats the people in charge of getting you on a plane that DOES have a pilot who think it's your fault for having to be stuck in Chicago overnight when you expected to be home at 8 p.m. that day. Going back a bunch of years, it also beats one flight attendant's nasty remarks to everyone on board because She was inconvenienced by being called in to work due to someone else's illness.

I've had some wonderful airline flights, but that was years ago. All of the above took place between 1984 and 1995. I haven't been on an airplane since. I am not impressed by crammed together seats, no meals unless you're on board for a given number of hours, attendants chattering, laughing and generally cutting up while ignoring passengers, but that's not much different than check-outs at stores these days, is it? On the train, you buy your meals if you ride coach, they're included if you take the sleeper. And the sleeper attendants often act as fussy as any Nanny about where you are when s/he has turned down your bed and you're not IN it by 11 p.m., but they always have free coffee, juice and snacks at the end of the car, and are very helpful about how the shower works and where the towels are. And you can get off at stops for a few minutes or up to an hour and look around in places you've not visited before (also to smoke - trains and planes are the same now - no smoking aboard). The only frustrating part of train travel is the rail sharing with freight trains. They are supposed to give the passenger trains right-of-way or pay a sum per mile for delaying it. Very often, they opt to pay while the passenger train sits on a siding and gets to stations late. Amtrak takes the bad rap for this when it's the freight trains that cause it! What our country REALLY needs in overland transport is dedicated passenger rail tracks in the entire system! And a better attitude by Congress about a truly great way to travel. - Nancy L in Ohio

Patti said; "The planes I have flown in have been locally owned and operated or Irish owned and operated. I'm not familiar with any other airlines."

Just wondering, if Cunard Cruise Lines and Aer Lingus merged, would they be called CunaLingus?

"How often do you fly?"

At least once a year. My wife and I have cashed in 1,000,000 air miles.

"What do you base your choice of airlines on? How much does cost factor into your choice? Do you care about reputation?"

The destination and origin airports, plus reasonable price and good reputation.

"Do you worry about d�cor?"

No.

"Does a bad experience on a flight make you stay away from the airline during your next trip? Has your luggage ever been lost and if so, did the airline handle the inconvenience to your satisfaction?"

Oh, HELL yes! If Air Canada had FREE flights, I would still be reticent to fly them again. Every flight will have a problem� late take-off, screwed up seat assignments, itinerary changes that will make you miss a connection, lost luggage, (once we got our bags back 4 weeks after we got home and they arrives with SWASTIKA STICKERS on them. I never figured out where the hell they had to go to have that happen� the Twilight Zone had been off TV for 25 years by then).

We had one screw-up with United and British Airways (I guess they work together for UK flights) when our grandaughter's Christmas presents arrived but our CLOTHES didn't. At DIA some knucklehead took our bag off the shuttlebus at United thinking it was his and we noticed it after we got off at the American stop. Our clothes ended up at John Wayne airport. It was a quick trip to Asda in Blackpool to get some cheap threads until our bag got there, but due to airline policy (the last carrier being responsible for delivering our stuff) and a mix-up at Manchester airport our bag sat safely in a special room, (after being sent from John Wayne), while we waited for the phone call for us to retrieve it thinking it was United's responsibility. 3 weeks later it all was delivered to us at home by American Airlines (our provider) because of some excellent sleuthing by a United employee in Orange County Calif. the day after we all realized that American had the responsibility of delivering it.

" Do you care about the number of layovers? The time allotted between flights can make the trip either very long (long layovers) or very nerve-wracking (short layovers with an even slightly delayed flight)."

Depends on where. The trip we leave on tomorrow was going to stop in Paris for 4 hours, but then our first leg changed to get to the hub � hour after the Paris flight took off, so no France for us this time.

" Does your choice of carrier have anything to do with the time spent in airports between flights?"

No.

"Are you flying "home" for the holiday?"

No. Going to England's Lake District to visit our daughter's family. - Bruce in Colorado

After having flown to and from Oklahoma City in February on UA--I will never willingly use that airline again. I flew there several years ago via Southwest and had a lovely time. Nice people, comfy seats, no big deal. The attendants on UA were surly and unhelpful, the seats were uncomfortable and the plane wasn't overly clean. The worst part was the layover at Chicago both ways and having to go from one gate to another across the airport and then being sent back to where I started! It's no wonder the company is in trouble even with the bad economic times. - Ruth in WA

Re: Energy

About Energy: Energy is the potential for doing work, which can be expressed as force times distance. That is one reason it is impossible for adults to imitate kids. Standing up involves moving more distance, so even if the same percentage of body mass is muscle in both cases, the adult can't keep up. Children are also more highly motivated by play, and enjoy a greater sensation of novelty to mask fatigue.
I maintain my physical capacity by making a habit of exercise, and by making sure I get B vitamins, along with a nutritious diet.

A rock sitting on the ground, unable to fall, has lost it's potential energy, and converted it into elastic strain in the substrate. While a bird's wings do store and release small amounts of kinetic energy, or momentum, with each stroke, the energy for flight is chemical in nature. - Bob of the North

Well, I sure do know what you mean about grand kids taking all of your energy. I see mine about once a week, and when I return home from my visit I'm wiped out for the rest of the day. Yet I go back for more. We will try and figure out why later.

Now, the kids are three years and three months. Both very high energy girls. The nine month old takes most of my energy because she has mastered crawling, and is almost walking as well. Her arms are most assuredly made of rubber and she can reach everything no matter where I put it, short of hanging it from the sealing.

The three year old is usually not such a problem as long as something Dora related is on TV. and as long as the nine month old keeps her, as my three year old puts it, Slobbery hands off her Dora stuff.

I've always believed that if only we could bottle up all that energy that kids have that we could make an energy drink that couldn't be beat, and that even doctors that have to work long hours would never get tired if they drank it.

My advice for visiting kids, and keeping up your energy? Get lots of good healthy things to eat, get an extra nap before they come, and always, always pray for extra strength!

Enjoy those kids, they're only little once. - The Tazz!

Maintaining my energy level - I move slower, avoid heavy lifting.

Keeping up with others - why bother? Life is good at my own pace.

Energy wasted on youth - absolutely ! The big problem is that the younger they are, the less they KNOW about how to USE energy. - Nancy L in Ohio

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#1222

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:10 am
Subject: November 25, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Untitled Document

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I am not really a seasoned traveler, but I have flown in everything from a small bump-your-head-on-the-ceiling plane to a huge beast for a trans Atlantic flight. The planes I have flown in have been locally owned and operated or Irish owned and operated. I'm not familiar with any other airlines.

My husband traveled for business for many years and he is a seasoned traveler, although he hasn't flown outside the Americas. For years he flew somewhere around the country at least three round trips per month.

The airlines have had problems over the years. Some do better than others in keeping their customer base happy so they continue to use them as their carrier of preference. Chicago based United Airlines has had its share of problems. According to Los Angeles Times.com the airline is trying to reverse the downturn of the last several years.

At the moment, United is working on giving their planes a face lift. Planes enter a large hanger and are stripped to the metal seat frames. They are tearing out the black with red stripes d�cor, called "tequila sunrise," and replacing it with soft blue.

It takes four days for mechanics to strip and replace the inside of a large plane such as an Airbus A320. They get the old colors out and replace overhead bins where needed. The first class cabin is overhauled and new leather seats are installed throughout. Every plane in the fleet is to be refitted and any reminders of Ted branding, now no longer associated with United, is removed. But ... as they say in the commercials, there's more.

They are also revamping, upgrading, and sprucing up the Red Carpet Clubs and gate areas. John Tague, United's president wants the company back to the old standard of what was once expected of a top airline like United used to be.

Between bashings on You Tube and in the Onion, the company's reputation has been tarnished. Of course, without some basis in reality, those outlets wouldn't have been able to cause any disruptions. United, like all airlines, suffered after the September 11 attacks. They have had issues with SARS, oil prices, and the current economic patterns.

They have also had internal problems with workers sullen and disenchanted with pay and pensions lost during a three-year bankruptcy. Mother Nature, always helpful, has also added to their woes by having storms hit in Chicago and Denver, damaging two of their central hubs.

Some customers say they don't care how pretty the planes are, what they are looking for is service and unless the staff changes attitudes to something marginally helpful, none of the d�cor will matter.

Back in May of 2008, the leadership at United Airlines decided to make a concerted effort to turn the company around. They put Tague in charge and he listed some goals: run on time, have clean planes and courteous employees, and work to keep costs in check.

United has worked diligently to get planes flying on time. They have increased the staffing to help turnover planes and have allotted a more accurate time interval to offload and load passengers. In 2007, United was 19th out of 20 major US carriers as ranked for timeliness. For the first nine months of 2009, they moved up to second place. Being on time also decreased the amount of lost luggage, gave cleaning crews enough time to set the plane for the next flight, and there were far fewer people missing their connections.

How often do you fly? What do you base your choice of airlines on? Do you care about reputation? Do you worry about d�cor? Does a bad experience on a flight make you stay away from the airline during your next trip? How much does cost factor into your choice?

Do you care about the number of layovers? The time allotted between flights can make the trip either very long (long layovers) or very nerve-wracking (short layovers with an even slightly delayed flight). Does your choice of carrier have anything to do with the time spent in airports between flights? Has your luggage ever been lost and if so, did the airline handle the inconvenience to your satisfaction?

Are you flying "home" for the holiday? As one airline said, "You are now free to move about the country" and we can probably include the world.

Airborne,

P.S. I wanted to let everyone know that we will be taking the day off Friday to recover from too much turkey and dressing. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. See you again on Monday!

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"The relationship between truth and a newspaper is like the relationship between the color green and the number seven. Occasionally you will see the number seven written in green, but you learn not to expect this." � Garrison Keillor

In a letter to Rupert Murdoch when she refused to take advertising space in the New York Post � "Your readers are my shoplifters." � Betsy Bloomingdale

Puddle
[Thanks Bonnie]

A man traveling down a country road was forced to stop before a giant puddle covering the entire road. Looking to the side of the road, the man noticed a farmer leaning on a fence. "Think it's safe to cross?" the man asked.

"I reckon so," replied the farmer. The car was immediately swallowed by the puddle as the man drove in. In fact, it was so deep that he had to roll his window down to swim out of his car back to the surface. As his head broke the surface the man said to the farmer, "I thought you said I could safely drive through this puddle!"

"Well, shoot!" said the farmer, scratching his head. "It only come up chest-high on my little ducks!"

"Concentrate your energies, your thoughts and your capital. The wise man puts all his eggs in one basket and watches the basket."

"He that cannot reason is a fool. He that will not is a bigot. He that dare not is a slave."

"Surplus wealth is a sacred trust which its possessor is bound to administer in his lifetime for the good of the community." - All from British-born industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie born on this date in 1835

Cool Wood Pile
[Thanks Cliff]

Click here for guidelines on 15 Minutes submissions

Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Energy

It takes energy, in one form or another, for almost everything on the planet. Whether it is potential energy of the rock sitting on the ground adding pressure to the substrate below, or the kinetic energy of the birds flapping their wings to maintain their flight, energy is all around us.

Energy is wasted. I'm not talking about mistimed traffic lights that cause a multitude of drivers to sit motionless while their cars continue to run. Nor am I talking about the power of the sun's rays falling on the bare soil doing no more than heating it up. I'm talking about kids. Feed them in the morning and they seem to have enough energy to power a small power plant until snack time when the process is renewed.

For a "weekend rendezvous", I volunteered to watch my 4 granddaughters for an entire weekend. (We will discuss the wisdom of this at another time.) Ages 14, 10, 6 and almost 2, their energy levels vary. The youngest is constantly going. She is the busiest of the bunch, and I have to do the "no, don't touch that" thing as regularly as a traffic light.

The 6-year-old isn't much different as far as energy levels are concerned. The difference is that I don't have to remind her as often about what to do or not to do. The one that is 10 is much easier to deal with. The only thing I have to do about her is keep her from fussing with the other 3. The one that's 14 is actually an assistant. Except for the occasional interdiction to mediate, she is fairly autonomous or helps deal with the younger three.

Even with the help, and most of the energy expended in non-physical ways, the whole process is quite draining. It seems, at my age, less energy is derived from sustenance than takes place with children. Given smaller portions, children seem to be able to sensitize every erg of energy from every molecule. Even with portions 7 or 8 times as large, I am only able to absorb only 10% of the energy, or less, from what it contains. As a non-scientific comparison, the baby gets 200 energy units from a couple spoonfuls of cereal. However, an oversized bowl of the same cereal that is heaping and overflowing only garners me 15 energy units. Or so it seems.

King Herod had the right idea about rounding up all the children. He got it wrong about what to do with them. Had he simply harnessed them together, he would have had enough energy to have created wonders of the ancient world so grand, they would have far surpassed those tiny pyramids in Egypt.

Here's your quiz:
What do you do to maintain your energy level?
Can you keep up with those around you?
Do you believe the supply of energy is wasted on the youth?

Energy - A Disproportionate Ability To Maintain Activity Levels As One Ages
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

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Kirsten is still out. Here's another archive article.

I call them the UberMoms. They are the mothers that other moms love to hate. They look like supermodels two days after giving birth, unlike the rest of us, who are still struggling with baby weight when our kids are well into toddlerhood. The UberMoms probably wake up several times a night just like the rest of us, but they never look tired. They are immaculately dressed in real clothing instead of old sweats. Their makeup and nails are always perfectly done, and not a single hair is out of place. They never get spit-up on their clothes or hair, and their babies never pee on them during diaper changes. Their idea of a messy house is two pieces of Lego on the living room carpet. Their kids always eat what they are given at mealtimes, they are fully potty-trained by the time they are two, and they walk demurely beside their parents in grocery stores instead of running up and down the aisles like Barbarians, playing "Toss The Merchandise".

The UberMoms read the same advice as everyone else regarding kids and television. But where I have, on a number of occasions, plunked one of my kids down in front of a Baby Einstein video just so I could unpack the dishwasher in peace or use the bathroom without an audience, the UberMoms somehow manage to shepherd their charges all the way to the age of two without exposing them to a single minute of television.

According to research, children younger than two should not be allowed to watch any TV at all, and children aged two and over should not be allowed to watch more than one or two hours of carefully selected programming. Children who watch more than that are about 30% more likely than other children to develop ADHD. Further studies link frequent TV and computer time with delayed language abilities, particularly in boys.

It cannot be denied that excessive TV comes with a host of potential problems. Time that a child spends watching TV is time that he is not spending in social interaction with his family. He reads fewer books and takes a longer time to master such basics as grammar and spelling. And because he's watching TV instead of running around playing, he is more likely to be overweight and unfit.

Unfortunately, though, TV is such an integral part of modern society that it is difficult to stay away from it. We seem to have become addicted to the sensory inputs provided by TV, and like it or not, the images shown are a great way to keep a child occupied for a little while. Is it realistic to expect a frazzled, sleep-deprived mother to enforce a complete ban on TV for her kids younger than two? I know that there are mothers who achieve that, but they seem to be the same mothers who never allow their kids to get dirty or run too fast.

The answer, I believe, lies in moderation. I do not believe that televisions should replace interaction with actual, three-dimensional people. Sadly, there are parents who have no compunction in letting their kids watch as much TV as they want - and they are doing their kids a disservice. But at the same time, I do not think it is worth the energy to impose a total ban. Children - even very young children - tend to be attracted to things they are forbidden to do. When I have the TV on, both of my kids will watch for a few minutes, but invariably they get bored with it and wander off to do something else. If the TV time is limited to brief periods of developmentally-appropriate content, and if it is balanced by interaction and physical activity, I honestly do not see the harm in it.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

I love my job. Do you want to know what I love most about my job? Well, after days like this, it's going home.

A while back I asked you what kind of national ID number you have. In the US, we have our Social Security Number. Canada has their Social Insurance number. China has a national ID number. The reason I asked for this information is because when we create accounts like for my web page and for e-mail, we use part of this number to confirm the student is who they say they are. It has to be a number they would know, but other people wouldn't.

I tried to explain this to the person running our IAA programs. She was only entering their name when she was registering students. I told her we needed a SSN and date of birth. She said Chinese students don't have SSNs. I told her to use their national ID number. She continued entering only their names. Now she has students that can't log on, so she e-mailed the person in Academic Computing that handles accounts. That person told her to e-mail me at my web site e-mail address. Pretty simple, right?

Not for this moron. Instead of e-mailing me, she e-mailed the head of her department. He e-mailed my boss, then my boss forwarded the e-mail to me. All this forwarding took about a week, but if she had e-mailed me directly, she would have had her problem solved that day. Apparently she has a real problem following instructions, so I made it a point to let her know she wouldn't be having this problem if she had followed my earlier instructions. I also told her the person she said didn't have a SSN actually did, and the other person that didn't have a SSN I e-mailed with instructions on how to log in.

I sent that e-mail to the student's College e-mail address. She can't check that e-mail unless she knows her SSN. Sometimes when you're dealing with someone as stupid as this person, you just have to fix things so they really aren't fixed. Perhaps she'll listen to me next time.

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

Don't throw out all that leftover wine: Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Good ones. Thanks!

Next opening line...
I decided to visit the zoo...

I went to sit down in my chair Noticed someone already there A pampered black cat Gave me a look that said, "What, sit down here? Don't you dare!" - Maria in Illinois	I went down to sit in my chair--- and felt something strange under there--- it felt really soft unlike hay in a loft it was someone's brand-new underwear. - Cassandra in New York
I went to sit down in my chair..... My wife said, "That's not fair..... " 'Cause I have to cook..... "And you're reading a book!!??"..... Then she pulled out most of my hair. - Skeeter	I went to sit down in my chair..... Knowing full well that while there..... I'd soon take a nap..... With the book in my lap..... And at the back of my eyelids I'd stare. - Skeeter
I went to sit down in my chair But I couldn't find it anywhere I looked and I looked And soon found it booked With my husband's ass sitting there. - Bonnie

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Re: Juvenile Justice

The Birdman of Alcatraz, Robert Stroud, was still 18 when he killed a bartender who beat the living crap out of Stroud's girlfriend. He was found guilty of manslaughter and given the maximum sentence of 12 years, rather than the 2-3 years he expected. He was shipped from Alaska to Kansas.

His brother came to visit and it was a Sunday, so the guards wouldn't let him see the prisoner and then taunted Stroud. He lost his cool and killed the guard. He was then sentenced to death and it was finally commuted to life in prison. He was shipped from Kansas to Alcatraz to finish out imprisonment. He spent a little more than 54 years in prison before he died on November 21, 1963.

Stroud knew what he had done, initially, was wrong and had turned himself in. The prison system didn't do anything to rehabilitate him and actually had a few people who were irritated by his birds and his ability to actually write books. Leavenworth, Kansas was more progressive. Alcatraz, not so much. � Patti, still loving history

Of course, kids should be treated like adults, but not until adults are treated more fairly. The cops can make people admit to things they never did by using tactics designed to do just that. Prison conditions are deplorable, and are designed to make people hostile and desparate when they do get out. Life without parole is also stupid, because it removes any insentive to behave well and try to improve. Yes, there are crimes that are so bad we never want the people who commit them to walk free among us. Most criminals are victims of their of their own bad judgment. We, as a society, should focus on rehabilitation for criminals, and education for kids who might feel isolated from the community so that they are more likely to feel they have nothing to lose by becoming criminals. - Lucille

There are a number of issues around the question of giving youths long jail sentences. In the U.S. you have to fight the businessmen who profit from maintaining prisoners, and do what they can to increase business. As Mike points out, younger offenders were traditionally considered more likely to change their ways. Brazil is still extremely lenient with them, except for the death squads they also tolerate. We now have much better tests to detect psychopaths and others likely to continue in a life of crime, which I'd be eager to pursue if there were a single religion that considered anyone beyond redemption on earth. I'd expect the sages to have noticed if some folks never changed, but some of them may have "flipped" into sainthood, or seen it happen themselves.

So, why not try something more like the Mexican prison system, where inmates are just confined to certain communities, with visitors allowed. It keeps the general population safe, costs nothing, and lets the prisoners have some control over their lives with opportunities to learn. We might also let them out for various periods, with visible electronic tracking devices on. The prison communities are expected to be self-supporting, which is good for all concerned. Weeding is a therapeutic activity for those at the bottom of our pecking order. If people are persistently prone to violence or deception, it seems best for them to be wary of the same in a community of like minded folks. - Bob of the North

Before movies made FOR teenagers providing violent and gruesome acts, before Game Boy that grew from fun to let's-play-virtual-reality-games, before parents thought of their four year olds as mature enough to make adult decisions, Juveniles WERE kids. Are they today? The only thing still Kid Like about teens is their sense of invulnerability. When any 14 year old girl thinks she won't get pregnant when she engages in sex, when it's easy to "score" drugs and access alcohol, when half a kid's life is soaked in violence, what else can one expect them to learn and copy? As far back as the 1960's psychologists were split about the effects of kids watching 3 Stooges movies. In our own house, I had one son who DID copy those slapstick antics. Thankfully, he learned it was not acceptable behavior in Real Life.
And we all know one can't turn the clock back to before all this happened, so how do we expect to correct these kids in ANY lock-up situation? Maybe long term sentences aren't a bad idea, as long as the kids can be kept in an institution apart from repeat adult offenders, where education includes courses on a person's responsibility and social behavior, plus development of skills that are productive. Maybe a structured situation that tells a kid NO ( some for the first time ever) they can actually develop and learn. I think we know now that saying No and placing limits appropriate to a child's age and knowledge will not injure a kid's "Id". - Nancy L in Ohio

Re: Drivers

I've noticed a big change in drivers since I started driving in 1969. I was 25 before I got my first drivers license and I learned to drive in St. Louis. When I moved to Springfield, MO, it scared me to drive down here. You could be driving out on I-44 or a Highway 13 and have some farmer pull right out in front of you while you were going 60-70 miles per hour.

In St. Louis, there were what was called "merge" lanes whereby when you wanted to make a left to merge into oncoming traffic, you had the time and space to speed up to match traffic speed. In Springfield, there are no merge lanes, only yield lanes which means that 99.9% of the time one has to stop and wait for an opening which usually means you have to wait for the light to change - the right turn lane is longer than the merge lane. There are no other options. (They have fairly long left-turn lanes too.)

Regarding changing lanes - it used to be that all one had to do was to turn on their blinker to tell other drivers you wanted to change lanes. People used to allow you to change lanes. Not anymore. I've driven sometimes two or three blocks before somebody would let me over. Rather than risk an accident I go to the closest exit, drive around the block (if I can - so many streets in Springfield do not go through or there are no blocks to drive around) and start over. I figure if it's that bad in a small city like Springfield - what must it be like in the larger cities?

Now that I think about it, I think I had better luck in Kansas City in the rain, at least people weren't driving bumper to bumper.

That reminds me of the time I drove in Detroit in the rain. I didn't know where I was going - I'd been given directions by a guy I was following and neither of us had cell phones at that time. The exit we were supposed to turn off at was closed, so I had no choice but to follow him. Traffic was literally bumper to bumper. If I lost him, I was totally lost - never been in the city before and had no one's telephone numbers. I HAD to make sure I didn't lose him. For the first time ever (and only time ever) in the rain, I had to drive at 60 miles per hour 1/2 car length behind him - if I left room for even one car, it would merge over between us and then I had absolutely no control of traffic after that. I did learn that the best way to follow someone is to arrange ahead of time - the car in front puts on his blinker and before he can move over, you in the car behind move over first and control traffic - he can move over in front of you and you can stay together much easier. - Noella

Daaayyum Cliff--you must live in Kitsap County here in beautiful Washington. Or else all those idiots who drive like that here have some disease that's spreading!! The bad thing is it's usually women drivers I see doing that. They may be more cautious than men--but they are definitely far worse drivers most of the time. - Ruth (Yes, I'm a woman!) in WA

Reader Comment

Here's a link you might enjoy it for a good giggle. http://blog.trutv.com/dumb_as_a_blog/dumb_criminals/
Old age ain't for sissies. - Grammie Sammie

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#1221

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Mon Nov 23, 2009 7:01 am
Subject: November 23, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Youth violence is quite a problem these days. I don't know if there is more crime, per capita, than in previous generations or if we just hear about it more these days.

Still, the problem is real and the solution is difficult to determine.

Some maintain that the way to handle juvenile crime is to try them as adults and impose adult sentences. According to the MecuryNews website, this is why California voters approved "...Proposition 21 in 2000, making it easier for prosecutors to try juveniles as adults and expose them to life prison terms."

The issue of treating juveniles as adults has come up again after four teens were arrested for attempted murder of two youths aged 12 and 13 on Halloween. The four attackers, one aged 15, two aged 16, and one aged 18, are all being tried as adults and face a potential life without parole sentence.

According to the article, "The San Jose case, which has sparked a community outcry, is hitting the local courts at a time when there is renewed public and legal scrutiny nationally on the tension between dealing with rampant youth violence with harsh sentences and the age-old presumption that juvenile offenders should have a shot at reform."

"Critics of throwing away the key for juvenile offenders say it is cruel and unusual to sentence a young teenager to life, imposing an adult punishment on a youth without a fully formed brain or sense of morality. Most juvenile offenders convicted in the juvenile courts are released from prison in early adulthood, even for serious crimes."

"'Nobody is arguing against long sentences in some of these cases,' said Barry Krisberg, president of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. 'But at a very young age, simply giving up, it makes no sense. What social purpose other than revenge does it satisfy?'"

"But Deputy District Attorney Daniel Carr ...calls the arguments against life terms for violent gang members 'hollow.'"

"'These kids are well aware of what the consequences are, and yet they choose to do it anyway,' Daniel Carr said. 'It's because the crime is so bad, they don't deserve another chance.'"

Four years ago the Supreme Court struck down the death penalty for juveniles and will now decide the issue of life without parole.

"Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in a closely watched case that will decide whether it is constitutional to sentence juveniles to life without the possibility of parole for crimes short of murder."

I personally find the argument that teens don't have a "fully formed brain or sense of morality" to be questionable. If someone doesn't have a sense of morality by the time they are 15 or 16 maybe they should be locked up forever.

However, I've written before about how there is very little in the way of rehabilitation in our prisons. What would make someone believe that juveniles would learn anything in prison that would make them a better person when they get out?

Do you believe that juveniles should be treated as adults in the criminal courts and prison systems? Is there a logical argument that juveniles could be released after some period of time, yet adults should be locked away forever? Is it fair that a 17 year old could be treated as a juvenile and given a lesser sentence while his 18 year old partner would automatically be treated as an adult? Is it ever right, no matter the age, to give up on someone and just lock them up and throw away the key?

Judiciously,

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Regarding Philip Roth � "His specialty is the varnished truth." � Paul Gray

"[Walt] Whitman laid end to end words never seen in each other's company before outside of a dictionary." � David Lodge

Mystery Meat
[Thanks Sied]

A man kills a deer and takes it home to cook for dinner.

Both he and his wife decide that they won't tell the kids what kind of meat it is, but will give them a clue and let them guess.

The kids were eager to know what the meat was on their plates, so they begged their dad for the clue.

Well, he said, 'It's what mommy calls me sometimes'.

The little girl screams to her brother, 'Don't eat it, it's an asshole!

"The dangers of a concentration of all power in the general government of a confederacy so vast as ours are too obvious to be disregarded."

"A Republic without parties is a complete anomaly. The histories of all popular governments show absurd is the idea of their attempting to exist without parties."

"Frequently the more trifling the subject, the more animated and protracted the discussion." - All from the 14th President of the United States Franklin Pierce

Bad Place Names
[Thanks Tesser]

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Speak Up!
Speak right up!

Drivers

Almost everyone I know has a driver's license. Some, it seems, got theirs from a Cracker Jack box as opposed to the traditional Bureau of Motor Vehicles application and test. I, of course, am a very good driver.

My job demands that I am on the road a lot. My pastimes do so as well. Thus, except when I'm driving my easy-chair with my eyes closed, I am seeing a lot of windshield time. In that experience, I witness just about every type of driving situation. I've seen drivers going the wrong way on an exit ramp that will put them going the wrong way on a very busy highway. I've actually seen a few who were going the wrong way on the wrong side of a freeway. It is quite alarming. Yes, I did, in fact, dial 911 to report it.

What I see most is self-consumed drivers. Let me define that a bit. For example, a driver is in the right lane on an exit ramp that has 2 right-turn lanes. Immediately after they make the turn, they put on their signal to merge left where all the drivers with forethought decided to be. Either one of two things generally happen. Either the driver in the right lane decides the fact that having their blinker on gives them full authority to cut in front of whomever they choose, or the self-absorbed driver will stop in the lane they are in and wait for someone to let them in, therefore blocking all other traffic from being able to go through.

Another example, a person notices they are really at the turn they need to make and will cut across several lanes of traffic to accomplish this maneuver. Again, the blinker, if used, means "I am coming over", not that they wish to.

Courtesy and diligence has been replaced by an "all about me" attitude. Just because they want to, they seem to think they have the right to do so. This same mentality caused a lot of empires to be formed in Europe, Asia and Africa. The same attitude caused the demise of those self-same empires.

Here's your quiz:
If you missed a chance to make a left turn, would you:
A: Turn on your blinker and wait for an opening;
B: Go to the nearest intersection, find a safe place to turn around, then return in the proper lane to your destination?
If you were in a straight through lane on an expressway and wanted to take the next exit, would you:
A: Leave your blinker off but still merge into the exit lane even if there are only inches between your bumpers and the cars ahead and behind you;
B: Drive to the next exit safely, turn around, making sure you were in the exit lane and return to your destination?
If you were entering a busy expressway, would you:
A: Force your way into the lane because your turn signal was on and it means you are coming over;
B: Use the safety berm if necessary to match your speed with traffic and allow other drivers to safely make a space for you?

Drivers - Included With Woods And Putters Makes Golfing Easier
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

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Kirsten had a death in the family and wasn't up to writing. Here's an archive article. My condolences to you and your family Kirsten.

In South Africa, there is a June day that is not quite like any other day. Long before the sun comes up, thousands and thousands of people converge on a single spot as if drawn there by an invisible force. The tension is exquisite and unbearable all at once, and all over the country, thousands of people get up early, and turn on their televisions so they can share in this moment. As the clock moves towards 5:30 a.m., noise levels drop and adrenaline levels skyrocket. And then, just as it is silent enough to hear a pin drop, just as the sun is beginning to make an appearance over the horizon, the quiet is shattered by a single shot. An instant later, up to 23000 people surge forward and start to run, to the sounds of the Chariots of Fire theme music playing through the loudspeakers.

This is the start of the annual Comrades Marathon, which was first run in 1921 to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during the First World War. This is not a race for the faint-hearted. At 89 kilometres (56 miles), it is the equivalent of running two standard marathons back-to-back and continuing for another four miles. It is an extreme test of physical and psychological endurance.

The first runners usually reach the finish line after about five and a half hours; the bulk of the field makes it in during the last hour or so before the 12-hour cut-off. People cross the finish line in extreme agony, sometimes in floods of tears, often needing to be half-carried by fellow runners who want them to feel the triumph. They never forget the pain, but they always describe it as the best moment of their lives. Most of them sign up for the following year's race before the twinges in their calf muscles go away.

It is understandable that the medical tent at the finish line is a very busy place. A doctor friend of mine who volunteered there one year jokingly told me that the volume of patients is so high that a simple screening test is necessary. As a patient is carried into the tent on a stretcher, a volunteer attempts to take his or her finisher's medal. Most patients - even the deeply unconscious - will maintain a firm grip on the medal. They are put on one side of the tent and treated later on. But if a runner lets go of that hard-earned medal, the doctor knows he is in really bad shape and tends to him right away.

In reality, most runners who go into the medical tent just need to lie down for half and hour and rehydrate. Occasionally, though, it is more serious. A run of that distance, even when undertaken by a fit marathon runner, puts enormous strain on the cardiovascular system. Sadly, in this year's race, two people died after crossing the finish line.

A few evenings ago, I came across a guy out for a run, who was in bad shape. He was having a heart attack right around the time I called 911 to come and get him. He has been one of the fortunate ones. He is alive, and will apparently be leaving the hospital tomorrow. This guy, I hear, is a seasoned runner. He is fit, in good shape, and accustomed to the exercise. But he made the mistake of running with a bad cold. That's all it takes sometimes.

The point is that it is never worth taking chances with exercise. If you have been ill, especially with something that affects the cardiac or respiratory systems, it is just not worth taking a chance like that. Your body is already weakened, and now you are making it work even harder. It's kind of like running with a broken foot - and people do that too.

As we head into the Northern Hemisphere winter, I caution everyone to exercise responsibly.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

Tim wasn't able to write today. Here's an archive article.

I'm stupid. No, I'm an idiot. I mean, if I were to think for two seconds before I did something, I would realize that it would be in my best interest not to do it. I can't predict the future, but I can pretty much tell what will happen after I do certain things. I know this because I've made mistakes before. You' think I would learn from them, but I don't. I'm an idiot.

So what did I do that was so stupid? I sent my sister Karen (not Karen's real name) another computer. It was the exact same computer I sent her before, so she only had to put her old hard drive, DVD burner, and memory into the computer I sent her. She's done it before. I know this because I've sent her other computers and spent hours on the phone with her telling her how to do things like hook up a hard drive, install a DVD burner, and reset the memory. I was sure she wouldn't have a problem.

It cost me $13 to ship the computer, perhaps that should have raised some flags. But nope, I just sent it. That night, I woke up in the middle of the night screaming and sweating after a horrible nightmare about my sister actually getting back online. I had this same nightmare every night for a week while the computer made its way to Florida. It was supposed to arrive by the close of business on Monday. I dreaded Monday night. I knew she would need technical support, and I knew she would call me.

"It didn't show up," she claimed. I was relieved. "I'll check on it in the morning, the tracking number is at work. G'night." I was safe, at least for that night. Relived, I sat back to relax. The call had come, but it wasn't a disaster. I could sleep well that night.

Or so I thought. I never expected that when the phone rang again, it would be her. "I got it. They left it on the porch." I immediately broke out in a cold sweat and managed to lie to her about how relieved I was to hear that. A short while later, I got another call. She didn't have a power cord. The next call was something about hooking up the DVD. The next was about the primary hard drive. Then the mouse couldn't be found. I even got an e-mail from her telling me how much she loves her new computer, and then she called me to tell me the computer she loved wasn't working anymore.

I've been working with computers for more than two decades, and I don't think I could break a computer that fast unless I used a sledgehammer.

Yes, the computer is working now, but the next time I get the bright idea of sending someone a computer, will someone please remind me that I don't want to send one to my sister?

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Sis

Oh, wait! She can read this now. Nevermind. ;-)

Miscellaneous Tips

Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.
[Someone try this and let me know if it works. Seems to me if you're rubbing lime on your forehead, it might be time for the other patrons in the bar to pick you up and help you home!]

Not too many this time, but what we lack in quantity we make up for in quality!

Next opening line...
I went to sit down in my chair...

The leaves are beginning to fall Without them the trees look too tall As if on a whim They start to look grim, Split and say, "See ya in Spring, y'all!" - Maria in Illinois	The leaves are beginning to fall--- and now I am having a ball--- I feel like a kid of my old age I'm rid and now I'll give all my friends a call. - Cassandra in New York
The leaves are beginning to fall..... From trees both short and tall..... You rake and you bag..... 'Til your back starts to nag..... And never seem to get 'em all. - Skeeter

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Re: Masturbation

I discovered masturbation very early, after three visits to the doctor to have my foreskin released from some kind of bond with the glans. I was trying to deal with the imposed boredom of an afternoon "nap" and wondering how the doctor had managed to push against a limp member. At that age, climax gave me a feeling resembling the stomach flutters from a roller-coaster. Nobody gave me any information or warnings; I just assumed it was how people coped with having cave-man sexual urges in a society that had suddenly developed agriculture and the potential for long lives and overpopulation.

I'm not sure if the schools should try to teach it, but I'd certainly make information available on all kinds of ways to achieve orgasm, solo or not, that don't risk pregnancy or disease. Sex is mostly about sharing intimacy, with one technique that can also make babies. Given the almost inevitable exposure to adult sexual material on the 'net, there should probably also be sex education sites for kids. The "Are you over 18?" button might be used to redirect the youngsters instead of just trying to frustrate curiosity. - Bob of the North.

Re: Birds

Flight is an interesting question. I think most of us "fly" in our sleep. I know I did. flying was great, landing was frightening. The good thing about flying? Not so many imovable objects in the way, like trees, houses, cars, other humans, rocks, etc. I assume you've heard of Bosque del Apache? It's about 65 miles south of me. As the proverbial crow flys. We have cranes, both Sandhill and the occasional Whooper. They take up a "V" pattern with a short side and a long side. Canadian Geese, and Snow Geese. Mallards. The crows hang around all winter, they love dog food. Doves and sparrows and Starlings hang around all year. Many hawks. I've seen them nail sparrows on the fly. L&K,- herm

No, I've never imagined flying south with the flock, or north, either. Around here, in northern Ohio, up very close to where they are supposed to be, we have year-round flocks of Canadian Geese. They never actually migrate anywhere, but each fall they take wing in small flocks, make a lot of noise as they zoom over the tree tops in a V formation, sweep around somewhere maybe a mile away and squawk their way back to a very large, warm industrial park pond. They do this repeatedly over a month or so. Adjacent to where they nest are large fields where hay and corn grew all summer, providing them with plenty of seed.

Robins are omnivores. Ever plant some strawberry plants in your yard? As the berries ripen in the spring, if you're fool enough to not cover them with Bird X, those sneaky critters will bite just one bite out of every ripe berry in the patch! They like a bit of veggie with their meat.
The REAL First Sign of Spring is when the Red-winged Blackbirds return. They winter down in Kentucky or Tennessee. And they always travel in flocks of about a zillion critters. When they show up here, they clean out every seed and each suet holder in the feeders daily. - Nancy L in Ohio

Re: Kirsten

So very sorry for your family's inevitable loss. It is so terrible to lose a loved one to cancer--I have way too much experience with this. In my thoughts always. - Bonnie

Re: Vision

Well, I'm a little late jumping into this article, but must as you all know put mine in here. As many of you know I am blind, and have been for much of my life. Early on I had some vision in one but never full vision. I have had many people tell me that it is amazing as to what I must've over come in my life, and at first thought I cannot really ever come up with anything, because I've had to do it for so long, but when I really sit down and think about the hoops that I have had to jump through to get to where I've been going in life I guess I have had to over come some things, but not like you'd think. Now, for you sighted people I have to say that yes, if you lost your vision after having it for many years that it would be difficult for you to do, and I do understand that even though when I lost what vision I had, I didn't really think too much about it, because I had already been trained for such an event. However, there are so many ways to over come stuff that there is just really no excuse for not doing so. For example, the person that said they had lots and lots of books, and how much they'd miss reading? Well? unless you lost your hearing too there would be no reason for missing reading because there are free lending libraries out there that will lend you just about any kind of book in audio form to read, and then of course there is still Braille. Which by the way is not that hard to learn. I did not learn it until the fifth grade. Then of course there are those of you who are actually sitting here reading this comment and thinking that you'd not be able to use your computer, but did you ask yourself how I'm using mine? Well, I could go on, and on, but you get the idea. There are just too many ways to over come something to sit down and give up if you are losing your sight, or any other sense. The kinds of technology that are out there now make it possible to do just about anything you like. While you're still sitting there asking yourself how you'd use your computer why don't you Google and see__ what pops up. - The Tazz

Re: Gay Marriage

Hello from a long time reader but first time poster. Actually it's my second post but the first never showed up; I suspect it's cos I have changed my email name format just slightly and although you still email me you don't recognise me on your list of subscribers.

Anyway, hopefully this gets to you.

I live in New Zealand, and we were one of the first countries in the world to legalise Civil Unions - marriage outside of the church between consenting adults. When gay marriage was first proposed in NZ the churches were most definitely against it, as it goes against their doctrine and the bible. Fair enough. Church and state are separate in this country however, and in the interests of allowing gays the same rights as straights in terms of access to their partner, and their joint assets, the government allowed Civil Unions which do not discriminate against anyone who wishes to be married in the eyes of the law. That was the end of the debate in NZ. If people wish to be married in a church, they need to respect the stance of that religion. If they wish to be married, and the church refuses to perform that ceremony, they are not blocked from legal marriage just from a religious one. I don't see any issues. I am hetero btw. - Melnz
[Melnz, I found your comment in the spam folder. Sorry it didn't show up earlier. As for your first post, I never saw it. Thanks for submitting. Hopfully I've fixed the problem and won't miss future comments!]

Reader Comment

I have a techie question. I received the following and was wondering if anyone else had heard about it or tried it. Thanks, Margee Lee

This may be of interest to anyone looking for a free anti-virus program from a known and reputable source.

As a longtime user of Microsoft's Live OneCare anti-virus program, I was a chagrined to learn several months ago that Microsoft would, in the future, no longer be supporting that program. Today I learned that OneCare is being replaced by a new anti-malware program, Microsoft Security Essentials (MSE). Other than the information listed below, I know nothing about MSE. I do know that its predecessor, OneCare, was a good program as we used it on three computers (two Vista and one XP) during a three to four-year period and experienced zero problems caused by malware.

The new program is free. OneCare cost $50 per year for three computers. I intend to replace OneCare with MSE on our three computers.

This is how Microsoft briefly describes it:

About Microsoft Security Essentials

Microsoft Security Essentials provides real-time protection for your home PC that guards against viruses, spyware, and other malicious software.

Microsoft Security Essentials is a free download from Microsoft that is simple to install, easy to use, and always kept up to date so you can be assured your PC is protected by the latest technology. It?s easy to tell if your PC is secure ? when you?re green, you?re good. It?s that simple.

Microsoft Security Essentials runs quietly and efficiently in the background so that you are free to use your Windows-based PC the way you want?without interruptions or long computer wait times.

Here's link to MSE: http://www.microsoft.com/security_Essentials/

You can read a review on MSE here:

http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2009/09/first-look-microsoft-security-essentials-impresses.ars

There is also a lot of information about MSE in Wikipedia's entry here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Security_Essentials Surprise, surprise! Symantec and McAfee are
not happy about Microsoft giving away malware protection that they charge money for. My feeling about that is this: It's about time that Microsoft has owned up to the security problems caused by their software (Windows operating system, Internet Explorer, etc.) and is now providing free software to protect their products, and their customers.

Finally, if you have a paid subscription to Symantec or McAfee or any other paid anti-malware programs, you may want to keep it until the subscription runs out and then install MSE. You should also consider any other services you may be getting from the paid program. If you have a free anti-malware program such as AVG and you are happy with it, you also may want to keep it.

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#1220

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Fri Nov 20, 2009 6:40 am
Subject: November 20, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

Patti brought up the subject of sex education in the last issue. For some of us that consisted of rumors and tall tales told by our friends. Even though parents didn't seem to do a very good job of teaching about sex back then, I suppose most of us figured it out.

But there was one aspect of sex that everyone seemed to know was wrong. Masturbation.

I remember hearing several of my friends say they had been told that masturbation would lead to various ills. From blindness to hairy palms, almost everyone had been told that it would harm them in some way.

This never made much sense to me. It seems like parents would rather have their children masturbating than experimenting with the neighborhood kids. After having children of my own, I decided to never give any misinformation, and most importantly, never to instill guilt.

According to an article in the U.K.'s Telegraph, in the Extremadura region of Spain, officials have started a government sponsored program to teach teens about masturbation.

"'The campaign is simple, clear, natural and easily understood by the people it is aimed at, who are aged between 14 and 17,' said Laura Garrido, president of the Youth Council of Extremadura."

"The campaign includes leaflets, flyers, a "fanzine" and workshops for the young in which they receive instruction on self-pleasuring techniques along with advice on contraception and self-respect."

They even have a catchy slogan. "Pleasure is in your own hands".

Needless to say the campaign "...has sparked political controversy and challenges traditional Roman Catholic views on sex".

"'This is an intimate subject that should be dealt with at home,' complained local opposition leader Hern�ndez Carr�n of the rightwing People's party. 'We have become the laughing stock of Spain.'"

"'They are interfering with the right of parents to educate their own children about a matter as important as their sexuality,' agreed the conservative Confederation of Fathers and Mothers of Schoolchildren."

As I said, I don't think parents or teachers should tell children that masturbation dangerous or evil, but I doubt that most countries are ready for it to be taught in the schools.

How did you learn about masturbation? Were you told that it would harm you? Were you told that it was a sin? Do you think masturbation is a healthy alternative to teen sex? Could encouraging masturbation be used to help cut the teen pregnancy rate? Did you ever discuss it with your children?

Typing with both hands,

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Regarding Timothy Leary � "His ashes were shot into space. So his body and brain could finally be together after all these years." � Jim Mullen

Regarding J. Danforth Quayle's book Standing Firm � "The year's most unawaited book." � Dave Shiplett

Shopping Trip
[Thanks Bonnie]

On a visit to Chicago, Jill was eager to visit a posh department store about a dozen blocks from their hotel. Her husband obligingly hailed a cab. They got in and he told the driver, "My wife wants to go to Neiman Marcus."

The cabby looked over his shoulder at us and said, "And the gentleman? Does he want to go to the bank or the pawn shop?"

"I am not here to parade my religious sentiments, but I declare I have too much respect for the faith in which I was born to ever use it as the basis of a political organization."

"If I were not French I would choose to be - Scotch."

"Let them look to the past, but let them also look to the future; let them look to the land of their ancestors, but let them look also to the land of their children." - All from the seventh Prime Minister of Canada Wilfrid Laurier

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Flocking

It's that time of year again. Birds, once fiercely territorial from Spring through Summer, are putting aside their differences and banding together to move en masse to areas more conducive to survival.

Large flocks of birds are seen gathering on electrical wires looking like they are waiting for a bus headed south. Masses of birds attack the berries remaining on bushes to "bulk up" for the trip.

Just this week, Robins, usually carnivores, resort to eating berries to get as much protein as possible for the energy needed to relocate to their winter homes. Usually eating bugs and worms, they suck down anything edible, going for the "quantity, not quality" method.

Clouds of birds blanket the skies as they join up for their migrations. Literally hundreds of animals fly in very close proximity to one another in an unchoreographed dance across the sky. How they manage to do so in such numbers without bumping into one another, I can only guess.

I know it is simply instinct that draws them together. It is somewhat entertaining to watch, however. Small groups are joined by other small groups and individuals. The flock grows. Unspoken directions are relayed through the group from an unknown leader and the whole flock reacts to the movements by duplicating the maneuvers. It looks more fluid than solid as the flock flows across the heavens.

It is sometimes amusing to my feeble mind to watch as a small flock soars by. Inevitably there are individuals zooming along behind, trying to catch up to the flock for that camaraderie and safety offered by sheer numbers. In my mind I can almost hear the lone speeder saying "Wait for me! Wait for me!"

Here's your quiz:
Considering that humans have difficulty in masses, often bumping into one another on roads and walkways, have you imagined yourself flying in a migratory flock?
What type of migratory birds use your skies as their "highways"?
What flocking techniques have you witnessed as birds prepare to move south for the winter, or north in the spring?

Flocking - Where Gang Activity Is Politically Correct
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn't rate a fancy 'signature pic')

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"Our care should not be to have lived long as to have lived enough."
~ Seneca ~

Today I would like to tell you about Chris. I am related to Chris by marriage. My husband has a cousin. Actually, he has a scary number of cousins, being from a good Irish family. But this one particular cousin has three children, one of whom is Chris. Chris is twenty years old and he is dying of cancer.

It all started about three years ago, when Chris was a junior in high school. He complained of a pain in his leg that wouldn't go away, so his parents took him to a doctor. When X-rays failed to show anything out of the ordinary, a battery of tests was undertaken. Chris was diagnosed with the same cancer that took the life of a Canadian hero by the name of Terry Fox.

Within the first year of Chris' illness, the cancer spread to his other leg and to his lungs. A combination of surgery and chemotherapy put him into remission, and for some time he was in reasonably good shape. He graduated high school and went to Europe with some friends.

About a year ago, the cancer reared its ugly head again. It spread into Chris' spine, and ate away at three of his vertebrae. Several weeks ago, a transplant was performed. Yes, a transplant of vertebrae - something that I had never heard of before. It was a long operation - more than twelve hours - but Chris got through it. There were hopes that the surgery and the chemotherapy that followed it would save Chris.

This week, Chris was readmitted to hospital, and we were all forced to accept the inevitable. There is no more that can be done for Chris. There is no way to patch up parts of him, replace other parts, heal other parts. Chris is now breathing with the aid of a machine, and just yesterday, doctors confirmed that he has mere days to live. His parents have been given a list of what to expect over the next few days as Chris fades away. Chris has been taken back home, where he can spend his final days in familiar surroundings, among the people who love him.

Along with the rest of the family, I am waiting. It is all we can do. That and celebrate the life of this courageous young man who we have to say goodbye to, all too soon.

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

My brain hurts. Not from actual hard work I did today, but from the meeting I just got out of. We had a meeting like this last year that lasted two hours, but that was basically because of one person attending asking questions about things that he had nothing to do with. We didn't invite him this time, but it still lasted over an hour.

So why did it last so long? Well, we wanted to make changes to the way things are done. Last year, we decided that Admissions would send me a list of people that they had accepted and are now cleared to register (we call this "moving to reg.") They would send me this list once a day, and I would create their accounts for my web page. I would then send the list to our Academic Computing ("AC") department so they could create their e-mail accounts. Now, when I create accounts, their password is the last 6 digits of their Social Security Number and they have to change it the first time they log in. When AC creates accounts, they assign passwords and have a web page that students can use to look up their username and password. The problem with this approach is that students would have the same username for my web page and e-mail, but their passwords would be different. This created some confusion with students, as they didn't know which password to use where.

Another problem we had is that Admissions would sometimes send more than one list in a day. That meant I would have to stop what I was doing, create the accounts, then send them off to AC, who also had to stop what they were doing to create accounts. There was never a set schedule for creating accounts, so this could happen at any time during the day. We wanted to fix that.

So we came up with a plan. The idea is to not have Admissions send me lists, rather I would run a report at noon on each day that would tell me who was "moved to reg" in the previous 24 hours. I would create their accounts for my web page, and send the list to AC, who would have their accounts created and the lookup database updated within 24 hours. Then the students could look up their e-mail password and change their temporary SSN password on my web page to their e-mail password. Eventually this process will be more automated, but we figured this will do for the Spring semester. This way we could set aside blocks of time to create accounts, and the students would know what their password is.

It didn't take us long to come up with this plan, as it is very similar to the plan we came up with last year. The problem is, Admissions didn't listen to us last year. There were at least 3 people sending me lists, and they did it the way they felt like it. We had to come up with a schedule that they would agree to. To do that, we had to think like they thought. We already knew what they said last year, but they didn't do that. We had to think of what excuses they would come up with this year.

And that hurt my brain. No one can think like them, nor make excuses like them. I know what they're going to say, and I don't yet know how to respond to it, except for to say, "What, are you bloody nuts?"

The next meeting -- yet to be scheduled -- is with them. Anyone got a book on procrastination?

Tim a'Musing
Having a Ball with Yarns

Miscellaneous Tips

To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Looks like we all know how to eat big!

Next opening line...
The leaves are beginning to fall...

Next week I'll have too much to eat..... I might be able to stand on my feet..... After "tater" salad, dressing and ham..... I'll marvel at how full I am..... And say "All root, all right, and all reet". (You'll have to go a long way back to understand that.) - Skeeter	Next week I'll have too much to eat..... Then a nap will be so neat..... After all that scrumptious southern cookin'..... I'll get up and go lookin'..... For a place to sit down and prop up my feet. - Skeeter
Next week I'll have too much to eat--- the matzo ball soup's really neat--- It's good and it's kosher none like it the world over it surely beats trafe-UGH-pigs' feet. - Cassandra in New York	Next week I'll have too much to eat I planned not to have any meat But when neighbors invite Then their turkey I'll sight My earlier plan's been defeat! - Maria in Illinois
Next week I'll have too much to eat So much I can't see my feet I'll slumber and snore When I can't eat no more Then I'll get up and have me a treat - Bonnie

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Re: Sex Education

I learned at school, and by experience. Just like everybody else. What was taught in school in the late 60's early 70's, was just enough to make you curious. Pink eggs with bows, and blue sperms with smiley faces. Menstruation. Animations, nothing real. My mother was pregnant before anybody had "the talk" with her. My kids grew up seeing sexuality. We had animals. I never hid anything from them. Any time they had a question, I answered it. Honestly. Even if it wasn't pretty. I don't sugar coat anything. I didn't censor anything they watched, or read, or listened to. We talked about song lyrics. They walked in on me more times than I can count. To my knowledge, they haven't had any STD's, they practice safe sex. I've told them plenty of times that I'm not ready to be a grandmother. Yet. I've got plenty of time for that. I wish I could have raised myself. L&K, - herm

The first time I asked mom where babies come from, she could have just said that they grow in mommie's bellies, and waited a year for the next obvious question. Instead, she gave me Biology 101, but left out all the social aspects. I grew up thinking that I knew all about sex, but assumed that every copulation caused conception, making it a very rare and embarrassing act. - Bob of the North
[I thought there was a distinct possibility that the event occurred just once per month, regardless. So I told people my parents tried eight times to get me, not realizing how embarrassing this was for my mother. She finally set me straight. Not eight times. Eight months. Oh.]

Would you believe we had to watch a truly horrible film in sixth grade? I remember it being very graphic about certain diseases, and we were separated into boy and girl groups to watch it. I know my mom tried to answer some things, but basically gave me a book that explained most of it. She had never had anything explained to her because her mom was very uptight about sex, which explains why she got pregnant at seventeen and got married. It's hard to believe this happened in ultra-conservative Oklahoma in the 60's! - Ruth in WA

Patti said, "The article states that children and teens aren't being given adequate information leading them to make bad choices culminating in increasing cases of STDs."

This is like saying "nuclear proliferation" is rampant because kids in 7th grade science class haven't learned enough about splitting atoms. What children need is guidance, discipline and wisdom, so they will have the appropriate tools to navigate their coming autonomy. Nobody becomes a better driver because they understand the airflow characteristics of a 3-angle valve job. Information is not the answer to this situation, but rather morality. Children enter the world as complete narcissists because they are helpless, but their environment is filled with people who take care of every need. If they never progress out of that mindset, they will look for "life" to continue to cater to them and their feelings/desires forever. Morality is the proper foundation for making relational decisions, not information, (like the difference between philosophy and mathematics� information is adequate when there is only one right answer). If moms and dads abdicate the parental responsibility of training children in sexual relationships and thrust them into adult decision making in absentia, how come they don't do the same when it comes to the question "should we move to Detroit, or buy a lottery ticket from Nigeria?" Sexual relations is an adult issue and are best navigated by "big people".

"The CDC estimated that 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year and half of them are seen among 15-to-24 year olds. This last fact says, conversely, the other half are cropping up in those over 24 years old, people who supposedly were taught how to avoid STDs by a better, less conservative, sex ed program. Or, people who should know better. Is the high rate of infection really a matter of "not knowing" or just the typical response of 'bullet proof' teens who don't believe any of the stuff adults tell them about all the bad things that can happen?"

In statistical analysis the best way to make sure something CAN'T go wrong is to eliminate errors as a factor, (to keep rodent feces out of chocolate candy, keeping mice out of the factory is more effective than 100% inspection of product). I am now 59 years old and estimate that I have had sex 5643 times. I have been married to the same woman for nearly 41 years and have NEVER had an STD. Is it because I had plenty of information to avoid those diseases or because I don't play "hide the chorizo" with other females?

"Do you think it is the school's responsibility to teach your child about sex?"

Oh, HELL no! Schools were designed to make children literate, (the textbook used to be the Bible). Schools have degenerated to an amoral humanistic abyss today and with no morality guiding the curriculum they have NO tools to have wise influence in this subject matter. It is the PARENTS who hold the responsibility for this issue and secondarily, the extended family. - Bruce in Colorado Springs

Re: Odds

Yes, I have wondered about the odds on things fairly often, and have been impressed by the logic of the relevant math. There are so many almost impossible things that could happen that it seems likely that we will see one or more. One of the longest shots I had was one night when I fell asleep early, and then woke up and was talking with my roommate much later than usual. I heard a pedestrian, and my roomie got me to say hello from our 3rd floor window. It was a guy looking for our address, but reading a 1 as a 7, on a note from a mutual acquaintance. He was soon back, and we got introduced. It turned out that we had been pen-pals when we were kids. - Bob of the North

Two things come to mind. Being in the middle of the Monarch butterfly migration that one time while I was hitchiking on that particular freeway onramp on that particular day. Pure magic.

The second thing is walking on Sunset Cliffs towards Garbage Beach one night-morning?-about 1:30 A.M. and finding a guy sitting in his parked car with the engine running and a garden hose duct-taped to his exhaust pipe and going in his wind-wing. (Anyone but me remember wind-wings?) I had been partying at the foot of Newport Street and couldn't find a ride home so I walked. It was unusual for me to walk home and even more unusual to take this particular route home as there was an enormous hill to hike up at the end of the walk. This was in the days before the 911 system. I always wonder what happened to him and hope he made it okay. - Grammie Sammie

Re: Kate's Dizzy Spells

Okay--here's one for Cliff's odds article--but it concerns yours, actually. I remember seeing a program years ago about a woman who had the same problem, crippling vertigo. She went through all the tests and no one could find out what was causing it. She finally found an ENT who had a controversial cure for problems like this. It involved a specific rotation of the head to re-align a small bone in her ear that had become dislodged. I remember that she had a great deal of relief from her problem after this. Here's a link that might give her some answers-- http://www.entandallergy.com/services/balance - Ruth in WA

Regarding Kirsten's article on the girl, Kate, who has severe vertigo. I don't really have any suggestions to help this. However, in June 2001 or 2002, I came home from work one day feeling a bit sick to my stomach. I lay down on the bed for a few minutes, then got up to go to the bathroom. After 3-4 steps, it felt like someone grabbed hold of my hair on the left side of my head and yanked down hard! Vertigo (which I had never experienced) had hit me - the world turned completely upside down and my body could not tell up from down. It kept wanting to lean to the left attempting to bend my body in half. Not only that, but it made me extremely sick - I began vomiting and kept it up for the next several hours. The only time I could get relief was to lay on the bed on the right side of my head with my knees drawn up under my chest and my behind sticking up (no laughing!) and keep COMPLETELY still. Any twitch would set off the vomiting (which by then I had nothing left to bring up). I knew I needed to go to hospital but did not want to risk moving. After approx 5 hours of this, I finally had my husband drive me. By the time we got there, I had begun feeling better and could move some without vomiting. Finding nothing else, they diagnosed vertigo. Nothing more happened for 2 years. One day I woke up, and again, it hit, but not 8as severe. It lasted a few hours, again diagnosed as vertigo and it went away. It continued to happen off and on for the next 2 years - at times it would last up to 2-3 weeks. Never as severe as the first episode. I quit going to the doctor because they could never give me an answer. At one yearly visit, I mentioned it and my doctor decided to do MRI. Nothing showed. Again, I had hearing checked, etc., nothing showed. I continued to suffer episodes off and on. My last bad episode was in 2006. I still have moments when the world tilts (sometimes quite suddenly) and I just have to wait until it goes away, but thank goodness, nothing like those earlier times! I do feel "off" on the left side of my head most of the time (which is where my body tilts to when the vertigo hits) and so have just decided to think it is ear related until something else is shown. What irritates me - these episodes have caused me to have to call in from work. When you try to explain to someone you have vertigo, they believe it is a "bit" of dizziness and can't understand how it affects my life or why I call in. I certainly feel for Kate. I couldn't imagine if it after that first time, it never went away and I continued to feel that way! I pray for her and her family and hope the doctors are able to find an answer soon. - Theresa, SC

Re: Giant Bug

One of those may be a giant bug--but the other is a giant moth. - Ruth in WA

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#1219

From: "mikereallygoodquotes" <reallygoodquotes@...>
Date: Wed Nov 18, 2009 6:25 am
Subject: November 18, 2009

mikereallygo...

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Greetings, Quotaholics:

I was going to start this article out with a bang. One word, bold, catching your attention right from the get-go. But then I figured I would just slip it in quietly, unobtrusively. Sex is important enough to get your attention no matter where I put it, right?

The Center for Disease Control has come out with some new statistics about sexually transmitted diseases in the United States. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are all increasing, especially among teens, reports Yahoo! News.

Both chlamydia and gonorrhea are remaining at unacceptably high levels while syphilis, once almost eliminated, is increasing more rapidly. The US has one of the highest STD rates of any developed country, according to John Douglas, director of the sexually transmitted diseases at the US CDC and Prevention.

The past administration advocated for an abstinence only sex education curriculum. President Obama is willing to promote a move away from this to include what to do if you don't choose to abstain.

Chlamydia cases reported to the CDC rose from 1.1 million cases in 2007 to 1.2 million in 2008. There were about 337,000 cases of gonorrhea reported. Girls aged 15 to 19 has the most cases of chlamydia and gonorrhea of any age group � 409,531.

African-American's who make up about 13% of the population in the US reported 71% of the gonorrhea cases and almost 50% of the chlamydia and syphilis cases in 2008. Syphilis was reported 13,500 times, up nearly 18% over 2007. Of those cases, 63% were among men having sex with men.

All three diseases are treatable using modern antibiotics. However, left untreated, they can cause a variety of long-term issues and even infect newborns.

The article states that children and teens aren't being given adequate information leading them to make bad choices culminating in increasing cases of STDs. It was suggested by Douglas that men in homosexual relationships should be tested at least yearly for a whole battery of STDs.

He added that African-Americans are also at increased risk, especially in impoverished black communities where a large proportion of men are jailed, leaving fewer men having sex with more women, transmitting diseases.

The CDC estimated that 19 million new sexually transmitted infections occur each year and half of them are seen among 15-to-24 year olds.

This last fact says, conversely, the other half are cropping up in those over 24 years old, people who supposedly were taught how to avoid STDs by a better, less conservative, sex ed program. Or, people who should know better.

Is the high rate of infection really a matter of "not knowing" or just the typical response of "bullet proof" teens who don't believe any of the stuff adults tell them about all the bad things that can happen?

If you have children, when do you think is a good time to have "the talk" and make sure they understand the way sex works? Do you think it is the school's responsibility to teach your child about sex?

If you don't have children or if you haven't had "the talk," did your parents tell you about the birds and the bees? If not, where did you learn about it? Was the information you were given correct, regardless of where it came from?

Sexy,