The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was the author of the nursery rhyme Mary Had A Little Lamb, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale.
We had a discussion yesterday on the blog about the decline in the middle class and how often in history when a society had no middle class a revolution ensued. We all believed if there was a revolution it would be vocal instead of with guns. I found the following article pretty interesting and relative to the discussion. The article is long but certainly worth reading.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599202251600;_ylt=AlHzDtOjb1REHURI2GaE9nis0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNranI1OTNsBGFzc2V0A3RpbWUvMjAxMDA5MzAvMDg1OTk
Scared now? This is what bad journalism, outright lies, political parties that worry more about getting elected then what is best for the country, and hate speak leads to. It just boggles the mind. What is your reaction to the article?
We also have talked about the out of control justice system. Here are two articles that will just make you want to slap someone in charge.
http://www.aolnews.com/crime/article/deaf-texan-stephen-brodie-exonerated-of-child-sex-assault-freed/19653273?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-
They questioned him without an interpreter? Then the judge allowed the interview into evidence? One man goes to jail for twenty years and those responsible for erroneously putting him there are enjoying a nice retirement with full benefits? You reaction?
From Texas to Oregon. Doesn't really matter what state you are in:
http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2010/09/sexual_abuse_charges_against_former_vancouver_police_officer_dismissed.html
There was more on the news this morning about the Spencer Case. The daughters not only recanted their testimony but said they were given rewards by the prosecutors if they answered the way the prosecutors wanted them to. Ice cream, candy, and money. Also on the news this morning was that one of the reasons the judge freed Spencer in 2005 was they found evidence in one of the investigator's house that would have exonerated Spencer.
Now I no longer wonder why innocent people hire attorneys before talking with police or district attorneys.
Your comments about anything or anywhere on the blog are always appreciated.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Getting Serious.
Today on the blog it is only serious subjects. A few days ago on the blog was a link to an article about prosecutorial misconduct. Yesterday in the USA Today was the second part of the investigative series they are doing on our justice system. Here is the link to yesterday's article:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-09-27-hyde-federal-prosecutors_N.htm
This article is extremely disturbing to me. A judge warns the prosecutors not to continue going after the man in the article because it would financially ruin him. Yet the prosecutors did so anyhow. If there hadn't of been a rich donor this man's life would have been ruined. Makes you wonder how many other lives out of control prosecutors have ruined.
When there is a society with no middle class a revolution almost always happens. The poor rebel against the rich. How close are we to having no middle class in the United States? Read the following article and weep.:
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/census-finds-record-gap-between-rich-and-poor/19651337?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec4_lnk1%7C173813
I had known from earlier reports that the gap between rich and poor had been growing since the nineteen eighties, I just didn't realize how large the gap was. Does the article surprise you?
OK, I lied, I have to share one not so serious story. This is from Pat, the dumb criminal story to end all dumb criminal stories.
http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=13205166
OK, one, two, three, all at the same time now, YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID.
Off to Mom's for most the day. Your comments about anything on or about the blog are always appreciated.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1788 and died in 1879 I was a writer and an editor. My parents believed in equal education for both sexes. I was educated by my mother and my brother Horatio who taught me what he had learned at Dartmouth. I was an autodidact. While teaching my dad opened a tavern and I met my husband the same year. We married at the tavern and had five children. After my husband died I wore black the rest of my life. With support of my husband's lodge I published a book of poems whose title would remind you of unknown smart people. My first novel made me one of the first American novelists and one of the first of either gender to write a book about slavery. I would later found a scoiety to assist the surviving families of Boston sailors who died at sea. I wrote many novels and published nearly fifty volumes of work. I retired at the age of 89. The same year that I retired Thomas Edison recorded the opening lines of one of my poems as the first recorded thing on his newly invented phonograph. During my life I believed that women shaped the morals of society, and pushed for women to write morally uplifting novels. I wrote that "while the ocean of political life is heaving and raging with the storm of partisan passions among the men of America women are the true conservators of peace and good-will, should be careful to cultivate every gentle feeling." I did not support women's suffrage and instead believed in the "secret, silent influence of women" to sway men voters. A supporter of education for women I helped found a famous women's college that is still going strong today. I am credited as being the person most responsible for the holiday sometimes referred to as Turkey Day. I also am given credit for spurring the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument. I have had a Liberty Ship named after me. If you don't know who I am by now Ewe should think of the nursery rhyme that we all recited as children. It would remind us of a Mary time. Who Am I?
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-09-27-hyde-federal-prosecutors_N.htm
This article is extremely disturbing to me. A judge warns the prosecutors not to continue going after the man in the article because it would financially ruin him. Yet the prosecutors did so anyhow. If there hadn't of been a rich donor this man's life would have been ruined. Makes you wonder how many other lives out of control prosecutors have ruined.
When there is a society with no middle class a revolution almost always happens. The poor rebel against the rich. How close are we to having no middle class in the United States? Read the following article and weep.:
http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/census-finds-record-gap-between-rich-and-poor/19651337?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec4_lnk1%7C173813
I had known from earlier reports that the gap between rich and poor had been growing since the nineteen eighties, I just didn't realize how large the gap was. Does the article surprise you?
OK, I lied, I have to share one not so serious story. This is from Pat, the dumb criminal story to end all dumb criminal stories.
http://www.nbc-2.com/Global/story.asp?S=13205166
OK, one, two, three, all at the same time now, YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID.
Off to Mom's for most the day. Your comments about anything on or about the blog are always appreciated.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1788 and died in 1879 I was a writer and an editor. My parents believed in equal education for both sexes. I was educated by my mother and my brother Horatio who taught me what he had learned at Dartmouth. I was an autodidact. While teaching my dad opened a tavern and I met my husband the same year. We married at the tavern and had five children. After my husband died I wore black the rest of my life. With support of my husband's lodge I published a book of poems whose title would remind you of unknown smart people. My first novel made me one of the first American novelists and one of the first of either gender to write a book about slavery. I would later found a scoiety to assist the surviving families of Boston sailors who died at sea. I wrote many novels and published nearly fifty volumes of work. I retired at the age of 89. The same year that I retired Thomas Edison recorded the opening lines of one of my poems as the first recorded thing on his newly invented phonograph. During my life I believed that women shaped the morals of society, and pushed for women to write morally uplifting novels. I wrote that "while the ocean of political life is heaving and raging with the storm of partisan passions among the men of America women are the true conservators of peace and good-will, should be careful to cultivate every gentle feeling." I did not support women's suffrage and instead believed in the "secret, silent influence of women" to sway men voters. A supporter of education for women I helped found a famous women's college that is still going strong today. I am credited as being the person most responsible for the holiday sometimes referred to as Turkey Day. I also am given credit for spurring the completion of the Bunker Hill Monument. I have had a Liberty Ship named after me. If you don't know who I am by now Ewe should think of the nursery rhyme that we all recited as children. It would remind us of a Mary time. Who Am I?
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Roadblocks To Happiness
The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Mary Evelyn Previte who wrote the book Hungry Ghosts, therefore the clue about reminding you of a starving Caspar.
Feeling happy today? No? You're feeling sad but want to feel happy and just don't know how. I have just the article to let you know how to be happy:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/27/happiness-roadblocks/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C173772
How many roadblocks to happiness do you participate in? Me? Believe or not, only one. I think of others, I know life isn't fair, I usually accept responsibility instead of passing the buck, I know life isn't perfect but believe or not I'm not a bottom line person. I usually don't even consider the bottom line in my emotional decisions. Then why am I not completely happy? Are you happy?
Now, I can assure you I wouldn't be happy if I had a knife in my head for even a minute let alone three years. Read about this amazing story here:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/27/man-has-knife-removed-from-head-after-three-years/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk1%7C173772
Apparently the knife blade was lodged in a place where if they removed it there was risk of brain damage. He took the risk because of headaches. What would you have done? Risk the surgery? Go with the headaches? I'm not sure but I think I'd go with the surgery.
Speaking of unhappiness I'm not very happy that Oregon drivers came in forty-third among states as the best drivers. It makes me even unhappier that Washington rated six or seven slots higher than Oregon. Everyone knows Oregon's football teams and drivers are better than Washington's. See how your state rated here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/10136_worstdriversinamericawhichstatehasthemostaccidents;_ylt=AoH70NFxbrXCbrLNHlQcH8Os0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTU0c2s2ZzRtBGFzc2V0A2RhaWx5YmVhc3QvMjAxMDA5MjgvMTAxMzZfd29yc3Rkcml2ZXJzaW5hbWVyaWNhd2hpY2hzdGF0ZWhhc3RoZW1vc3RhY2NpZGVudHMEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM4BHBvcwM1BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDd2hpY2hzdGF0ZWhh
I was kind of stunned that there were over five thousand deaths a year due to distracted driving like texting. What surprises you?
Have a happy day.
Feeling happy today? No? You're feeling sad but want to feel happy and just don't know how. I have just the article to let you know how to be happy:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/27/happiness-roadblocks/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C173772
How many roadblocks to happiness do you participate in? Me? Believe or not, only one. I think of others, I know life isn't fair, I usually accept responsibility instead of passing the buck, I know life isn't perfect but believe or not I'm not a bottom line person. I usually don't even consider the bottom line in my emotional decisions. Then why am I not completely happy? Are you happy?
Now, I can assure you I wouldn't be happy if I had a knife in my head for even a minute let alone three years. Read about this amazing story here:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/27/man-has-knife-removed-from-head-after-three-years/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk1%7C173772
Apparently the knife blade was lodged in a place where if they removed it there was risk of brain damage. He took the risk because of headaches. What would you have done? Risk the surgery? Go with the headaches? I'm not sure but I think I'd go with the surgery.
Speaking of unhappiness I'm not very happy that Oregon drivers came in forty-third among states as the best drivers. It makes me even unhappier that Washington rated six or seven slots higher than Oregon. Everyone knows Oregon's football teams and drivers are better than Washington's. See how your state rated here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/dailybeast/10136_worstdriversinamericawhichstatehasthemostaccidents;_ylt=AoH70NFxbrXCbrLNHlQcH8Os0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTU0c2s2ZzRtBGFzc2V0A2RhaWx5YmVhc3QvMjAxMDA5MjgvMTAxMzZfd29yc3Rkcml2ZXJzaW5hbWVyaWNhd2hpY2hzdGF0ZWhhc3RoZW1vc3RhY2NpZGVudHMEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM4BHBvcwM1BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDd2hpY2hzdGF0ZWhh
I was kind of stunned that there were over five thousand deaths a year due to distracted driving like texting. What surprises you?
Have a happy day.
Monday, September 27, 2010
News From Around The World.
Today is news from around the world.
Let's start with a kind of frightening article about something that went on and is probably going on right here in the United States.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_fbi_cheating;_ylt=AsIrFWmnK7IW.16bFzIIuzes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqbzl2OTduBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTI3L3VzX2ZiaV9jaGVhdGluZwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzMEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNyZXBvcnRzaWduaWY-
That makes me shake my head in fear. These are people we entrust to enforce the law, follow the rules, and protect citizens rights and they cheat on exams? I wouldn't let them take the test over. I'd fire the whole damn bunch. What would you do?
Now we move on to Iran. I'm already upset at computer cheaters because of the problem I had with my email. Now I am even more mad at the hackers:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100927/ap_on_hi_te/us_computer_attacks;_ylt=AkQZ1GiPqe_9xynGiVO5D9as0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFobWIxNm0zBHBvcwMxMzQEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl90ZWNobm9sb2d5BHNsawNjb21wdXRlcmF0dGE-
Forty-five thousand computers were infected and thank goodness most of them were in Iran. Only two percent were in the US. With the virus the hackers invented couldn't they use that virus to shut down nuclear plants in the US? It could make us vulnerable to an attack and one we couldn't respond to. What is your reaction to the article?
Now on to Albania for less frightening stuff. Misguided bank robbers. Always one of my favorite subjects, dumb criminals:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100922/od_nm/us_albania_bank;_ylt=Aq6ocP.CnLPHODssdz.KGYas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFmaDdzNGNtBHBvcwMyMDcEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9vZGRfbmV3cwRzbGsDcm9iYmVyc25hYmJl
The idiots should have considered the noise the drilling would make and used some kind of silencer. There are silencers for guns, why not drills? Should the courts go easy on the robbers because you can't fix stupid?
That is all for the day. I'm off to get dressed and head out for a business lunch that is about an hour away from home. May this be a really good Monday for you, starting the best of weeks!
WHO AM I?
I was born in China in 1932 and a politician that served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2006. I am the great-granddaughter of the founder of the China Inland Mission. As a young girl I was a student at the Chefoo School at Yantai in Shandong, China and spent three years in a Japanese concentration camp at Weifang during World War II where I was liberated by American paratroopers in 1945. Over 50 years late I began to seek out and thank, in person, each of the soldiers who had been involved in liberating the camp. At the age of fourteen I lost my right hand in a revolving saw accident. It didn't stop me as I went on to get both a B.A. and an M.A. Before running for office was the Administrator of Camden County Youth Center for over 20 years. I was the first female president of the New Jersey Juvenile Detention Association. I later would publish a book about my experience at the detention association. The books title will remind you of a starving Caspar and his friends. I have served on the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Committee, the Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice, the Assembly on the Family, Women and Children's Services Committee (as Chair), the Federal Relations Committee and the Regulated Professions and Independent Authorities Committee. I did not seek reelection to the Assembly in 2005, and was succeeded by a fellow Democrat. Who Am I?
Let's start with a kind of frightening article about something that went on and is probably going on right here in the United States.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_fbi_cheating;_ylt=AsIrFWmnK7IW.16bFzIIuzes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNqbzl2OTduBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTI3L3VzX2ZiaV9jaGVhdGluZwRjY29kZQNtb3N0cG9wdWxhcgRjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzMEcHQDaG9tZV9jb2tlBHNlYwN5bl9oZWFkbGluZV9saXN0BHNsawNyZXBvcnRzaWduaWY-
That makes me shake my head in fear. These are people we entrust to enforce the law, follow the rules, and protect citizens rights and they cheat on exams? I wouldn't let them take the test over. I'd fire the whole damn bunch. What would you do?
Now we move on to Iran. I'm already upset at computer cheaters because of the problem I had with my email. Now I am even more mad at the hackers:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100927/ap_on_hi_te/us_computer_attacks;_ylt=AkQZ1GiPqe_9xynGiVO5D9as0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFobWIxNm0zBHBvcwMxMzQEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl90ZWNobm9sb2d5BHNsawNjb21wdXRlcmF0dGE-
Forty-five thousand computers were infected and thank goodness most of them were in Iran. Only two percent were in the US. With the virus the hackers invented couldn't they use that virus to shut down nuclear plants in the US? It could make us vulnerable to an attack and one we couldn't respond to. What is your reaction to the article?
Now on to Albania for less frightening stuff. Misguided bank robbers. Always one of my favorite subjects, dumb criminals:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100922/od_nm/us_albania_bank;_ylt=Aq6ocP.CnLPHODssdz.KGYas0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTFmaDdzNGNtBHBvcwMyMDcEc2VjA2FjY29yZGlvbl9vZGRfbmV3cwRzbGsDcm9iYmVyc25hYmJl
The idiots should have considered the noise the drilling would make and used some kind of silencer. There are silencers for guns, why not drills? Should the courts go easy on the robbers because you can't fix stupid?
That is all for the day. I'm off to get dressed and head out for a business lunch that is about an hour away from home. May this be a really good Monday for you, starting the best of weeks!
WHO AM I?
I was born in China in 1932 and a politician that served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1998 to 2006. I am the great-granddaughter of the founder of the China Inland Mission. As a young girl I was a student at the Chefoo School at Yantai in Shandong, China and spent three years in a Japanese concentration camp at Weifang during World War II where I was liberated by American paratroopers in 1945. Over 50 years late I began to seek out and thank, in person, each of the soldiers who had been involved in liberating the camp. At the age of fourteen I lost my right hand in a revolving saw accident. It didn't stop me as I went on to get both a B.A. and an M.A. Before running for office was the Administrator of Camden County Youth Center for over 20 years. I was the first female president of the New Jersey Juvenile Detention Association. I later would publish a book about my experience at the detention association. The books title will remind you of a starving Caspar and his friends. I have served on the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Committee, the Advisory Council on Juvenile Justice, the Assembly on the Family, Women and Children's Services Committee (as Chair), the Federal Relations Committee and the Regulated Professions and Independent Authorities Committee. I did not seek reelection to the Assembly in 2005, and was succeeded by a fellow Democrat. Who Am I?
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Dirty Little Secrets
I am always hopeful to learn some secrets that I can hold against you becaus another update day is here.
The last week I have spent a lot of time recovering from a computer crash, working on my own IRS problems, and changing passwords due to an idiot hacker. Hackers should be put in jail and kept there for the rest of their lives. Sunday was breakfast with the guys. I spent Tuesday night and Wednesday at Mom's. Thursday was the foot doctor and minor foot surgery. Mom had an ingrown toenail and I had my quarterly procedure. We went to lunch afterwards. There was a nice dinner out Friday night with Mom, Sis and her husband. Saturday it was shopping for birthday cards and then the movie Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps. Good movie. Then I fell asleep watching football.
Today it is breakfast with the guys. Tomorrow it is a business lunch. Tuesday lunch with mom. Wednesday probably laundry, either that our buying new clothes. Thursday dinner with the family. Friday is lunch with Mom. Saturday grocery shopping for my house and Mom's house. A little something every day. I was seriously considering signing up for a standup comedy class they are now offering that starts next Sunday. This is the first standup class that they are offering in the Portland area. It involves learning how to write and perform comedy. I haven't made my final decision yet but I think I'm leaning not taking this class and waiting for the second go around. The class is every Sunday afternoon for about ten weeks and I'm just not ready to make a commitment to that many weeks during the winter months. I may change my mind but it is unlikely.
This is also birthday week in my family. My brother's birthday is Tuesday. My niece, Lisa, has a birthday today. Speaking of Lisa I have some really good news about her. Lisa has accepted a position as the morning co-anchor on Channel Eleven in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She will start on air on October 25. This is an absolutely huge break for her and I know she will run with it. Dallas-Fort Worth is the fifth largest market in the United States. The last time she was on the air was in Salt Lake, about the twenty-fifth largest market. After a five year hiatus it is huge to not only return to the air but to return to it in a market twenty slots higher. Here is a link to the web page of the channel she will be on. She isn't on the web page yet but will be in the near future. If they stream their newscast you may even be able to see her.
http://cbs11tv.com/
Now the entertainment update. David Hasselhoff was kicked off of Dancing With The Stars and I wished it had been the thug, aka, The Situation. I was surprised at how well Florence Henderson did. Finally an olderster that has some skills. Top Chef announced an all star show that will start in December. The Good Wife starts Tuesday. Amazing Race starts tonight. You can meet the teams here:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/?pid=d1gKFScKB43feDMTuUQs9N3zp_JfDy9i&vs=Clips&play=true
I kind of want Andie and Jenna to win. It is about time women won this show. If not them then one for the old farts, Gary and Mallory, the father daughter team. For no reason at all the team of Jill and Thomas already annoys me.
That's all for the day. Time to get dressed and head out to meet the guys. The blog is now yours. Tell me everything. Post whatever you damn well please as it is your day on the blog.
The last week I have spent a lot of time recovering from a computer crash, working on my own IRS problems, and changing passwords due to an idiot hacker. Hackers should be put in jail and kept there for the rest of their lives. Sunday was breakfast with the guys. I spent Tuesday night and Wednesday at Mom's. Thursday was the foot doctor and minor foot surgery. Mom had an ingrown toenail and I had my quarterly procedure. We went to lunch afterwards. There was a nice dinner out Friday night with Mom, Sis and her husband. Saturday it was shopping for birthday cards and then the movie Wall Street, Money Never Sleeps. Good movie. Then I fell asleep watching football.
Today it is breakfast with the guys. Tomorrow it is a business lunch. Tuesday lunch with mom. Wednesday probably laundry, either that our buying new clothes. Thursday dinner with the family. Friday is lunch with Mom. Saturday grocery shopping for my house and Mom's house. A little something every day. I was seriously considering signing up for a standup comedy class they are now offering that starts next Sunday. This is the first standup class that they are offering in the Portland area. It involves learning how to write and perform comedy. I haven't made my final decision yet but I think I'm leaning not taking this class and waiting for the second go around. The class is every Sunday afternoon for about ten weeks and I'm just not ready to make a commitment to that many weeks during the winter months. I may change my mind but it is unlikely.
This is also birthday week in my family. My brother's birthday is Tuesday. My niece, Lisa, has a birthday today. Speaking of Lisa I have some really good news about her. Lisa has accepted a position as the morning co-anchor on Channel Eleven in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. She will start on air on October 25. This is an absolutely huge break for her and I know she will run with it. Dallas-Fort Worth is the fifth largest market in the United States. The last time she was on the air was in Salt Lake, about the twenty-fifth largest market. After a five year hiatus it is huge to not only return to the air but to return to it in a market twenty slots higher. Here is a link to the web page of the channel she will be on. She isn't on the web page yet but will be in the near future. If they stream their newscast you may even be able to see her.
http://cbs11tv.com/
Now the entertainment update. David Hasselhoff was kicked off of Dancing With The Stars and I wished it had been the thug, aka, The Situation. I was surprised at how well Florence Henderson did. Finally an olderster that has some skills. Top Chef announced an all star show that will start in December. The Good Wife starts Tuesday. Amazing Race starts tonight. You can meet the teams here:
http://www.cbs.com/primetime/amazing_race/video/?pid=d1gKFScKB43feDMTuUQs9N3zp_JfDy9i&vs=Clips&play=true
I kind of want Andie and Jenna to win. It is about time women won this show. If not them then one for the old farts, Gary and Mallory, the father daughter team. For no reason at all the team of Jill and Thomas already annoys me.
That's all for the day. Time to get dressed and head out to meet the guys. The blog is now yours. Tell me everything. Post whatever you damn well please as it is your day on the blog.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Manners.
The answer to yesterday's question was the amazing Robin Roberts from Good Morning America.
I noticed this sign on a restaurant yesterday, "Unattended Children Will Be Given An Espresso And A Puppy."
That got me thinking about manners, one of my favorite subjects. Little did I know that today is the fiftieth anniversary of Emily Post's death. The following article states what manners she suggested fifty years ago and how those suggestions would work today:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/24/emily-posts-etiquette/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk3%7C172904
I think from reading the article and the part about live performances I can guess what she would think about those idiots that use cell phones in movies and in public. The rules about dating and houses were kind of funny. I do love the phrase the article ends with: "never do anything that is unpleasant to others"
Do you remember Emily Post? According to the article "40 percent of 18-to-44-year-olds had no idea what Emily Post was known for." I remember her and Miss Manners quite well. What do you think of her rules? Would any of them improve today's society?
We all know that texting while driving is not only bad manners but also incredibly stupid and very dangerous. A young man is trying to do something about it. The fifteen year-old has invented a device which sends an automated reply to any texts drivers receive, letting the sender know that they are behind the wheel and will respond when they get off the road.
http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/09/23/zach-veach-a-15-year-old-takes-on-texting-and-driving/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%7C173160
The young man is amazing. He invented a device that adults should have invented a long time ago. While the device may not keep drivers from texting it certainly can't hurt. I also think if someone sends a text message while driving and gets the automated message back it can only serve as a reminder that they shouldn't be texting while driving.
What do you think of the new device?
I'm off to see Wall Street the sequel or whatever it is called. As always you comments are appreciated.
I noticed this sign on a restaurant yesterday, "Unattended Children Will Be Given An Espresso And A Puppy."
That got me thinking about manners, one of my favorite subjects. Little did I know that today is the fiftieth anniversary of Emily Post's death. The following article states what manners she suggested fifty years ago and how those suggestions would work today:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/24/emily-posts-etiquette/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec1_lnk3%7C172904
I think from reading the article and the part about live performances I can guess what she would think about those idiots that use cell phones in movies and in public. The rules about dating and houses were kind of funny. I do love the phrase the article ends with: "never do anything that is unpleasant to others"
Do you remember Emily Post? According to the article "40 percent of 18-to-44-year-olds had no idea what Emily Post was known for." I remember her and Miss Manners quite well. What do you think of her rules? Would any of them improve today's society?
We all know that texting while driving is not only bad manners but also incredibly stupid and very dangerous. A young man is trying to do something about it. The fifteen year-old has invented a device which sends an automated reply to any texts drivers receive, letting the sender know that they are behind the wheel and will respond when they get off the road.
http://smallbusiness.aol.com/2010/09/23/zach-veach-a-15-year-old-takes-on-texting-and-driving/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%7C173160
The young man is amazing. He invented a device that adults should have invented a long time ago. While the device may not keep drivers from texting it certainly can't hurt. I also think if someone sends a text message while driving and gets the automated message back it can only serve as a reminder that they shouldn't be texting while driving.
What do you think of the new device?
I'm off to see Wall Street the sequel or whatever it is called. As always you comments are appreciated.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Fun Friday
Three men of faith were hiking together and were separated. They were able to make it back to camp together. Each one of them ran into a bear on their return trip to camp. Each told a story about their encounter with the bear. The Catholic priest said "I read to the bear from the Catechism and put a cross around his neck and he just quieted right down." The Protestant minister said: "I coaxed him down to the river, baptized him and left him calmly swimming away." Before the Jewish Rabbi could tell his story he was asked by his companions "How did you get all those bruises, cuts, and scratches." The Rabbi replied, "I really shouldn't have started with circumcision."
The above story was from The Edge Column in Today's Oregonian. It made me laugh and out of the laughter was a decision to make today on the blog Fun Friday. I searched the Internet for some fun and interesting facts and found the following web page which was a treasure of facts:
http://www.funfactz.com/
Here are some facts from their web page. My reaction to each fact are in parenthesis:
People spend two weeks of their lives at traffic lights (I run enough of them to reduce the time by a week.)
The only domestic animal not mentioned in the bible is the cat. (To hard to get a cat to do what you want it to.)
It is bad luck to leave the house through a different door than the one used to come into it. (I have to be more careful now. Leave through the garage, return through the garage.)
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. (Well, now I am going to. Why didn't they tell us this in health class?)
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. (Takes me longer. Does that mean I am above average or below average?)
There are more nutrients in the cornflake package itself than there are in the actual cornflakes. (I don't eat either the box or corn flakes so I'm good.)
Twenty-three percent of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts. (I've never photocopied my butt. Not going to try either.)
Forty percent of women have hurled footwear at a man. (I've never had a woman throw footwear at me. Had a few throw insults my way but never anything physical.)
In 1895 Hampshire police handed out the first ever speeding ticket, fining a man for doing 6mph! (I always knew those North Easterners were a wild bunch.)
Smelling bananas and/or green apples (smelling, not eating) can help you lose weight! (I'm heading right now to hang out at the produce section in the grocery store where I will spend the day smelling apples and bananas.Maybe I will meet a tomato there doing the same thing.)
Take your height and divide by eight. That's how tall your head is! (Mine is 8.875 inches. Those people are right, I am big headed.)
The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off! (I would have fit in during that time.)
If you would like to provide us with more fun or interesting facts go ahead. If you want to tell us how big your head is please do. Have you ever copied your butt, thrown footwear at a man, left the house from a different door you came in from, or smelled produce to lose weight? Comments about anything and everything are always appreciated here.
WHO AM I?
I have the same name as a famous baseball player but he is male and dead and I am female and alive. I was born in 1960. I was a basketball and tennis player at the high school where I graduated as the class salutatorian. My Mom was a homemaker and my dad was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. I am the youngest of four children. I graduated from college cum laude with a degree in communications. I followed in the footsteps my older sister. I went to a small college despite being offered a basketball scholarship to go to a big school. The big school was just to impersonal for me. I ended my basketball career at the small school's third all-time leading scorer and rebounder. I began my career as a sports anchor and reporter. I went on to a position as a sportscaster on the famous cable network sports channel. My catch phrase was "Go on with your bad self!". I became a news reporter for the sports channel's companion network. You woke up to me on one network channel and went to bed with me on a cable channel. I am most recently known for anchoring a series of emotional reports from the Gulf Coast during Katrina from my devastated hometown.
I've earned three Emmy Awards for sports casting and have hosted the Oscar pre-show. I have also driven the pace car at the Indianapolis 500. I disclosed on air that I had early stage breast cancer which I discovered while working on the farewell of a co-anchor who would later die of colon cancer. A mammogram didn't detect my cancer only a self-examination and ultra-sound did. I shaved my head during chemotherapy treatment. On ther air I wore a wig because I didn't want to distract viewers from the news. I quit wearing the wig after it was determined that I was now healthier than before the cancer. I followed my own advise, FROM THE HEART: SEVEN RULES TO LIVE BY. Who Am I?
The above story was from The Edge Column in Today's Oregonian. It made me laugh and out of the laughter was a decision to make today on the blog Fun Friday. I searched the Internet for some fun and interesting facts and found the following web page which was a treasure of facts:
http://www.funfactz.com/
Here are some facts from their web page. My reaction to each fact are in parenthesis:
People spend two weeks of their lives at traffic lights (I run enough of them to reduce the time by a week.)
The only domestic animal not mentioned in the bible is the cat. (To hard to get a cat to do what you want it to.)
It is bad luck to leave the house through a different door than the one used to come into it. (I have to be more careful now. Leave through the garage, return through the garage.)
Dentists have recommended that a toothbrush be kept at least six feet away from a toilet to avoid airborne particles resulting from the flush. (Well, now I am going to. Why didn't they tell us this in health class?)
The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. (Takes me longer. Does that mean I am above average or below average?)
There are more nutrients in the cornflake package itself than there are in the actual cornflakes. (I don't eat either the box or corn flakes so I'm good.)
Twenty-three percent of all photocopier faults worldwide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts. (I've never photocopied my butt. Not going to try either.)
Forty percent of women have hurled footwear at a man. (I've never had a woman throw footwear at me. Had a few throw insults my way but never anything physical.)
In 1895 Hampshire police handed out the first ever speeding ticket, fining a man for doing 6mph! (I always knew those North Easterners were a wild bunch.)
Smelling bananas and/or green apples (smelling, not eating) can help you lose weight! (I'm heading right now to hang out at the produce section in the grocery store where I will spend the day smelling apples and bananas.Maybe I will meet a tomato there doing the same thing.)
Take your height and divide by eight. That's how tall your head is! (Mine is 8.875 inches. Those people are right, I am big headed.)
The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion in Renaissance Florence to shave them off! (I would have fit in during that time.)
If you would like to provide us with more fun or interesting facts go ahead. If you want to tell us how big your head is please do. Have you ever copied your butt, thrown footwear at a man, left the house from a different door you came in from, or smelled produce to lose weight? Comments about anything and everything are always appreciated here.
WHO AM I?
I have the same name as a famous baseball player but he is male and dead and I am female and alive. I was born in 1960. I was a basketball and tennis player at the high school where I graduated as the class salutatorian. My Mom was a homemaker and my dad was a pilot with the Tuskegee Airmen. I am the youngest of four children. I graduated from college cum laude with a degree in communications. I followed in the footsteps my older sister. I went to a small college despite being offered a basketball scholarship to go to a big school. The big school was just to impersonal for me. I ended my basketball career at the small school's third all-time leading scorer and rebounder. I began my career as a sports anchor and reporter. I went on to a position as a sportscaster on the famous cable network sports channel. My catch phrase was "Go on with your bad self!". I became a news reporter for the sports channel's companion network. You woke up to me on one network channel and went to bed with me on a cable channel. I am most recently known for anchoring a series of emotional reports from the Gulf Coast during Katrina from my devastated hometown.
I've earned three Emmy Awards for sports casting and have hosted the Oscar pre-show. I have also driven the pace car at the Indianapolis 500. I disclosed on air that I had early stage breast cancer which I discovered while working on the farewell of a co-anchor who would later die of colon cancer. A mammogram didn't detect my cancer only a self-examination and ultra-sound did. I shaved my head during chemotherapy treatment. On ther air I wore a wig because I didn't want to distract viewers from the news. I quit wearing the wig after it was determined that I was now healthier than before the cancer. I followed my own advise, FROM THE HEART: SEVEN RULES TO LIVE BY. Who Am I?
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Justice Is Dead, Sexist Insults Are Alive.
The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Sara Breedlove, aka Madam C.J. Walker.
Some days my links come from several sources, Yesterday they were from the Washington Post and Parentdish.com. A couple of days ago they were from The Huffington Post and AOL news. Sometimes Wallet Pop. A lot of times they are from Yahoo news or The Oregonian. Today there are two links and they are from the same source. Today we are all about one of my favorite newspapers, The USA Today. Their front page today had two really interesting articles.
The first article doesn't surprise me. A lot in the book I am attempting to write is about the justice system not being about justice. It isn't about right or wrong or what's best. Nope. It is about winning and losing. It is about who can make the best deal. Yes rules are in place but they are often not followed. Who cares if the man is innocent as long as the DA can put a notch in his belt and send someone to prison. Who cares if the man is guilty and shouldn't be on the street as long as the defense attorney can win and enhance his or her reputation. Read the following article and weep. Weep because our justice system is dead and if not dead certainly on its last legs.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-09-22-federal-prosecutors-reform_N.htm
A couple of days ago Pat, DR, and I were discussing women in politics. I agreed with DR that it is about time that women ruled the world. Men have had the chance for years and look where that got us. I did say that we shouldn't expect perfection in women politicians because they will make mistakes too. Maybe a different type of mistakes then men but still mistakes. Pat chimed in with what a friend of hers had said "She said we should supposedly be proud that so many women are running now, but when you look at a lot of them -- Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina in CA, that super-weird O'Donnell person in Delaware (who I remember quite well from her former appearances on "Politically Incorrect"), it's hard to summon up pride in women's achievements." It made we wonder why the really solid women had a hard time getting elected. Yes we have had Susan Collins and the Hillary Clintons but they seem to be the exception to the rule. It made me wonder why the cream of the women candidates don't rise to the top more often. It may be that they are responding to the wrong attacks. I found the following article pretty interesting:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2010-09-22-sexist-insults-female-politicians_N.htm
I'm of the school that sexist comments should always be responded to and never ignored. In elections. In real life. I also think we need to work hard to change voter attitudes.
Your comments about either article in today's post are appreciated.
Some days my links come from several sources, Yesterday they were from the Washington Post and Parentdish.com. A couple of days ago they were from The Huffington Post and AOL news. Sometimes Wallet Pop. A lot of times they are from Yahoo news or The Oregonian. Today there are two links and they are from the same source. Today we are all about one of my favorite newspapers, The USA Today. Their front page today had two really interesting articles.
The first article doesn't surprise me. A lot in the book I am attempting to write is about the justice system not being about justice. It isn't about right or wrong or what's best. Nope. It is about winning and losing. It is about who can make the best deal. Yes rules are in place but they are often not followed. Who cares if the man is innocent as long as the DA can put a notch in his belt and send someone to prison. Who cares if the man is guilty and shouldn't be on the street as long as the defense attorney can win and enhance his or her reputation. Read the following article and weep. Weep because our justice system is dead and if not dead certainly on its last legs.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/judicial/2010-09-22-federal-prosecutors-reform_N.htm
A couple of days ago Pat, DR, and I were discussing women in politics. I agreed with DR that it is about time that women ruled the world. Men have had the chance for years and look where that got us. I did say that we shouldn't expect perfection in women politicians because they will make mistakes too. Maybe a different type of mistakes then men but still mistakes. Pat chimed in with what a friend of hers had said "She said we should supposedly be proud that so many women are running now, but when you look at a lot of them -- Sarah Palin, Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina in CA, that super-weird O'Donnell person in Delaware (who I remember quite well from her former appearances on "Politically Incorrect"), it's hard to summon up pride in women's achievements." It made we wonder why the really solid women had a hard time getting elected. Yes we have had Susan Collins and the Hillary Clintons but they seem to be the exception to the rule. It made me wonder why the cream of the women candidates don't rise to the top more often. It may be that they are responding to the wrong attacks. I found the following article pretty interesting:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/2010-09-22-sexist-insults-female-politicians_N.htm
I'm of the school that sexist comments should always be responded to and never ignored. In elections. In real life. I also think we need to work hard to change voter attitudes.
Your comments about either article in today's post are appreciated.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Get Mad and Then Laugh.
Get ready to get mad then get ready to laugh. First up is the maddening article:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/21/AR2010092105872.html
This is absolutely as amazing as it is troubling. I'm not sure if I fault Stephen or the company. Certainly he must have known not reading the documents was both unethical and flat out wrong. But then the company should have had some review process that would have alerted them to what is taking place in their own company. What about both internal and outside auditors? Couldn't someone see the need for hiring more people? Are you mad after reading the article? If so, who are you mad at?
Typos. We all make them. One time I ordered letterheads and the printers didn't catch my gaffe. William J. Dahn, Certified Pubic Accountant. I'm now thrilled to learn that this typo is very common. I'm thinking the school district in the following article is taking more heat than I did. I got the letterheads reprinted before anyone saw them.
http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/21/school-billboard-leads-to-pubic-er-public-humiliation/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C171958
I learned a new term from reading the article, type lice. It also amazed me that four people proof read the sign before it was put up. I do think I wouldn't be like some of the people in the article that were upset, I'd take it in stride. What would your reaction be if your school or company or organization that you were in charge of put up a billboard like the one in the above article? Laugh or kick butt?
That's all for today. Hope this finds you all in good spirits and having an enjoyable day. Your comments are always appreciated.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1867 and died in 1919. I was a businesswoman, hair care entrepreneur and philanthropist. I made my fortune by developing and marketing a hugely successful line of beauty and hair products for black women. I was born with the same name as Bristol's Mom but changed in later. I was on of six children having one sister and four brothers. My parents were slaves to a parish farm owner. After both my parents died I moved in with my sister and her husband. I married Moses when I was fourteen years old to get a home of my own and to escape my brother-in-law's abuse. I had my daughter at age seventeen and my husband died when I was twenty after which I moved to the city where my brothers lived. I joined St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, where I sang in the choir and where I was greatly influenced by women members. I married John at age twenty-seven and after nine years divorced him. At age thirty-nine I married for the third time, a newspaper sales agent but we made it only four years before divorcing. Like many women of my era I experienced hair loss. Because most Americans lacked indoor plumbing, central heating and electricity, they bathed and washed their hair infrequently. The result was scalp disease. I experimented with home remedies and products already on the market until I finally developed my own shampoo and an ointment that contained sulfur to make her scalp healthier for hair growth. I soon became known by my famous name and sold my products under that name throughout the U.S. While my daughter ran a mail order business from Denver, my husband and I traveled throughout the southern and eastern states settling in Pittsburgh. There we opened a college to train "hair culturists." I moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and established my headquarters and built a factory there. I began to lecture other black women and help them to build their own businesses. I also gave other lectures on black issues at conventions sponsored by powerful black institutions. At the biennial convention of the National Association Of Colored Woman (NACW) I was acknowledged for making the largest contribution to save the Anacostia (Washington, DC) house of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. I rose from poverty to become neighbors with John D. Rockefeller. I died at age fifty-one. At the time of my death I was considered to be the wealthiest African-American woman in America. I was known to be the first self-made female American millionaire. Among my honors was to be named one of the 100Greatest African Americans and was inducted into the Nation Women's Hall of Fame. If you don't know me by now know that I am listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the first woman to become a millionaire by my own achievements. Who Am I?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/21/AR2010092105872.html
This is absolutely as amazing as it is troubling. I'm not sure if I fault Stephen or the company. Certainly he must have known not reading the documents was both unethical and flat out wrong. But then the company should have had some review process that would have alerted them to what is taking place in their own company. What about both internal and outside auditors? Couldn't someone see the need for hiring more people? Are you mad after reading the article? If so, who are you mad at?
Typos. We all make them. One time I ordered letterheads and the printers didn't catch my gaffe. William J. Dahn, Certified Pubic Accountant. I'm now thrilled to learn that this typo is very common. I'm thinking the school district in the following article is taking more heat than I did. I got the letterheads reprinted before anyone saw them.
http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/21/school-billboard-leads-to-pubic-er-public-humiliation/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C171958
I learned a new term from reading the article, type lice. It also amazed me that four people proof read the sign before it was put up. I do think I wouldn't be like some of the people in the article that were upset, I'd take it in stride. What would your reaction be if your school or company or organization that you were in charge of put up a billboard like the one in the above article? Laugh or kick butt?
That's all for today. Hope this finds you all in good spirits and having an enjoyable day. Your comments are always appreciated.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1867 and died in 1919. I was a businesswoman, hair care entrepreneur and philanthropist. I made my fortune by developing and marketing a hugely successful line of beauty and hair products for black women. I was born with the same name as Bristol's Mom but changed in later. I was on of six children having one sister and four brothers. My parents were slaves to a parish farm owner. After both my parents died I moved in with my sister and her husband. I married Moses when I was fourteen years old to get a home of my own and to escape my brother-in-law's abuse. I had my daughter at age seventeen and my husband died when I was twenty after which I moved to the city where my brothers lived. I joined St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church, where I sang in the choir and where I was greatly influenced by women members. I married John at age twenty-seven and after nine years divorced him. At age thirty-nine I married for the third time, a newspaper sales agent but we made it only four years before divorcing. Like many women of my era I experienced hair loss. Because most Americans lacked indoor plumbing, central heating and electricity, they bathed and washed their hair infrequently. The result was scalp disease. I experimented with home remedies and products already on the market until I finally developed my own shampoo and an ointment that contained sulfur to make her scalp healthier for hair growth. I soon became known by my famous name and sold my products under that name throughout the U.S. While my daughter ran a mail order business from Denver, my husband and I traveled throughout the southern and eastern states settling in Pittsburgh. There we opened a college to train "hair culturists." I moved to Indianapolis, Indiana and established my headquarters and built a factory there. I began to lecture other black women and help them to build their own businesses. I also gave other lectures on black issues at conventions sponsored by powerful black institutions. At the biennial convention of the National Association Of Colored Woman (NACW) I was acknowledged for making the largest contribution to save the Anacostia (Washington, DC) house of abolitionist Frederick Douglass. I rose from poverty to become neighbors with John D. Rockefeller. I died at age fifty-one. At the time of my death I was considered to be the wealthiest African-American woman in America. I was known to be the first self-made female American millionaire. Among my honors was to be named one of the 100Greatest African Americans and was inducted into the Nation Women's Hall of Fame. If you don't know me by now know that I am listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the first woman to become a millionaire by my own achievements. Who Am I?
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Advise, Investigations, & A Special Day.
It has been a tough few days and like I posted on my Facebook account I'm wondering what I did to tick off the higher ups. In the last five days I received an IRS notice, my computer crashed, and when I took my car in for its normal service it needed brakes. Now I need breaks.
I think I found some interesting stuff for you today. The first thing I am going to do is give you advice because I am an advise giving kind of guy. Get your flu shot. The following article gives you another reason why:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/20/study-getting-a-flu-shot-lowers-heart-attack-
risk/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C17175
No excuses now get off your duffs and get the shot. Most likely your insurance will pay for it. If you decide not get one yourself consider getting one for your elderly relatives. I'm getting mine Saturday.
We all kind of got a little upset with Glaxco, so today lets get upset with Johnson & Johnson. The following article will tell you why we need to get upset with them.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100917/ap_on_he_me/us_j_j_recall_probe;_ylt=Aqn1oga4FYOx.OrSoNaM.vWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNua3BqcWt0BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTE3L3VzX2pfal9yZWNhbGxfcHJvYmUEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM3BHBvcwM0BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDam9obnNvbmpvaG5z
Secret recall? Are you kidding me? If this proves to be the case I hope they get a fine of all fines.
Did you know what a special day this is? Read the following article and find out:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-shriver/why-world-alzheimers-day_b_732003.html
The author is Maria Shriver the first lady of California. Alzheimer's doest distinguish between the rich and poor, it effects everyone. Some of the statistics that she states in the article are mind boggling.
Your comments about any of the above three articles are appreciated. I always appreciate your insights and your thoughts. The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Nannie Helen Burroughs.
I think I found some interesting stuff for you today. The first thing I am going to do is give you advice because I am an advise giving kind of guy. Get your flu shot. The following article gives you another reason why:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/20/study-getting-a-flu-shot-lowers-heart-attack-
risk/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk2%7C17175
No excuses now get off your duffs and get the shot. Most likely your insurance will pay for it. If you decide not get one yourself consider getting one for your elderly relatives. I'm getting mine Saturday.
We all kind of got a little upset with Glaxco, so today lets get upset with Johnson & Johnson. The following article will tell you why we need to get upset with them.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100917/ap_on_he_me/us_j_j_recall_probe;_ylt=Aqn1oga4FYOx.OrSoNaM.vWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTNua3BqcWt0BGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwOTE3L3VzX2pfal9yZWNhbGxfcHJvYmUEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM3BHBvcwM0BHB0A2hvbWVfY29rZQRzZWMDeW5faGVhZGxpbmVfbGlzdARzbGsDam9obnNvbmpvaG5z
Secret recall? Are you kidding me? If this proves to be the case I hope they get a fine of all fines.
Did you know what a special day this is? Read the following article and find out:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-shriver/why-world-alzheimers-day_b_732003.html
The author is Maria Shriver the first lady of California. Alzheimer's doest distinguish between the rich and poor, it effects everyone. Some of the statistics that she states in the article are mind boggling.
Your comments about any of the above three articles are appreciated. I always appreciate your insights and your thoughts. The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Nannie Helen Burroughs.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Research, Educated Women, & The Constitution.
We are really getting down to the bare bones with the Who Am I, we have used over four hundred women in history and learned so much about women that impacted history. Pat suggest that I cutback and only do them three or four times a week. I'm going to take her suggestion and now Who Am I will be on Monday, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I think the following news is good for those that suffer from asthma. The study found that Spiriva is as good as the more expensive Serevent in treating asthma. You can read the study here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100919/ap_on_he_me/us_med_asthma_study
What do you think of the study? I was kind of sorry to that Glaxco made the research harder and more expensive. They probably did that to protect their own interests. I think it would have been great PR for them to endorse the study and at least act like they were trying to find a cure or improve treatments for asthma. I guess I'm to much of an idealist.
More good news. After forty years the world's women are now more educated and have doubled the average number of hours they spend in the classroom. You can read the article here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100916/cm_csm/326179
I found some of the information in the article kind of surprising. Like the relation between education and mortality rate. What is your take on the article?
Last up is a little bad news. Not many Americans understand the constitution. Harry Potter is seventy-five thousand words and the constitution is only seventy five hundred words yet we understand the former more than the later.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100917/cm_csm/326383
Fifty-eight percent of us know that Bill Gates founded Microsoft but only two percent know that James Madison is the father of the constitution. Did the school system forget to educate us about the constitution? Tell me what you think about the article.
Looking forward to Dancing With The Stars tonight. Hope this has been and will be a great day for you.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1883 and died in 1961. We moved from Virginia to DC where despite not having a college degree I sought a teaching position. I didn't get the teaching position so I became associate editor of a Baptist newspaper. While there I took a civil service exam and received a high rating but I was still refused a position in the public school system. I took a bunch of temporary jobs including janitor and bookkeeper until I accepted a position as secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of The National Baptist Convention. During my tenure I began planning a professional and trade school for women and girls in Washington, D.C. The school opened in 1909 with me as the first president. I adapted the motto "We specialize in the wholly impossible" for the school. My students became self-sufficient wage earners and expert homemakers. I believed that industrial and classical education were compatible. I required my students to pass African-American history before graduating. I never married and devoted my whole life to the National Trade and Professional School For Women which was named for me three years after my death. Who Am I?
I think the following news is good for those that suffer from asthma. The study found that Spiriva is as good as the more expensive Serevent in treating asthma. You can read the study here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100919/ap_on_he_me/us_med_asthma_study
What do you think of the study? I was kind of sorry to that Glaxco made the research harder and more expensive. They probably did that to protect their own interests. I think it would have been great PR for them to endorse the study and at least act like they were trying to find a cure or improve treatments for asthma. I guess I'm to much of an idealist.
More good news. After forty years the world's women are now more educated and have doubled the average number of hours they spend in the classroom. You can read the article here:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100916/cm_csm/326179
I found some of the information in the article kind of surprising. Like the relation between education and mortality rate. What is your take on the article?
Last up is a little bad news. Not many Americans understand the constitution. Harry Potter is seventy-five thousand words and the constitution is only seventy five hundred words yet we understand the former more than the later.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20100917/cm_csm/326383
Fifty-eight percent of us know that Bill Gates founded Microsoft but only two percent know that James Madison is the father of the constitution. Did the school system forget to educate us about the constitution? Tell me what you think about the article.
Looking forward to Dancing With The Stars tonight. Hope this has been and will be a great day for you.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1883 and died in 1961. We moved from Virginia to DC where despite not having a college degree I sought a teaching position. I didn't get the teaching position so I became associate editor of a Baptist newspaper. While there I took a civil service exam and received a high rating but I was still refused a position in the public school system. I took a bunch of temporary jobs including janitor and bookkeeper until I accepted a position as secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of The National Baptist Convention. During my tenure I began planning a professional and trade school for women and girls in Washington, D.C. The school opened in 1909 with me as the first president. I adapted the motto "We specialize in the wholly impossible" for the school. My students became self-sufficient wage earners and expert homemakers. I believed that industrial and classical education were compatible. I required my students to pass African-American history before graduating. I never married and devoted my whole life to the National Trade and Professional School For Women which was named for me three years after my death. Who Am I?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
To Update & To Inform
The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Kitty O'Neil. Today on the blog is a mixture between updates, plans, and passing on a little information.
I'm still reflecting on the visit of Uncle/Dad Frank and Cousin/Sister Dixie. Every time I think of the visit I go into an emotional high. We really had an outstanding time. They and Don & Belva that joined us are very special people.. We had so many laughs. In my humble opinion, it is what we all needed. I know Mom and I have felt better since the visit. Wish they could visit every week. In honor of them I have a question for all of you. I would like to know if you had people in your life other than your parents that influenced you and made you feel like you had a second set of parents. It could be an aunt, uncle, brother, sister, cousin, or friend. Inquiring minds want to know. I certainly hope that you all had a cousin Dixie, Aunt Velma, or Uncle Frank in your lives.
Now that we talked about last week on the agenda next week is my car to the garage on Tuesday, Tuesday night and Wednesday at Mom's, Thursday it is Mom and yours truly to the foot doctor. Kind of busy but not like some of the past few weeks.
On the entertainment front. In a surprise Kevin won Top Chef and I think that was the popular choice. On America's Got Talent my favorite, ten year-old Jackie Evancho didn't win, Michael Grimm did. He then proposed to his girl friend. Tomorrow Dancing With The Stars starts and I'm pulling for Anna & Kurt. I did attend a movie this week, THE TOWN. To much shoot them up for me not to mention a couple of really stupid scenes. Near the end of the movie is the worst dying scene in movies in a hundred years.
Now let's talk taxes. Some time ago DR forwarded an email to me about taxes and I really thought the email was a scare tactic. There is going to be a lot in the papers and on the Internet the next few weeks about how we are all going to pay a ton more in taxes. What is happening is the Tax Cuts put through in 2001 and 2003 had an expiration date. It was a procedure that made the tax cuts easier to get through Congress. The expiration date was 12-31-2010. If Congress does nothing before then, the tax law reverts to what it was prior to the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. Currently President Obama has proposed legislation where some of those tax cuts are kept. There was a really good article in today's Oregonian that explains what is going to happen to the taxes. It is done as a question and answer session. Although I originally read the article in The Oregonian I couldn't find it in their online edition. I did find the article on Kentucky.com. Here it is:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/19/1441597/qa-fact-and-fiction-in-debate.html
I'm off to breakfast with the guys. The blog is now yours. Tell me what is going on in your lives. Introduce yourselves. Vent. Cuss. Spit. Yell. Smile. Whatever strikes your fancy. It is your day.
I'm still reflecting on the visit of Uncle/Dad Frank and Cousin/Sister Dixie. Every time I think of the visit I go into an emotional high. We really had an outstanding time. They and Don & Belva that joined us are very special people.. We had so many laughs. In my humble opinion, it is what we all needed. I know Mom and I have felt better since the visit. Wish they could visit every week. In honor of them I have a question for all of you. I would like to know if you had people in your life other than your parents that influenced you and made you feel like you had a second set of parents. It could be an aunt, uncle, brother, sister, cousin, or friend. Inquiring minds want to know. I certainly hope that you all had a cousin Dixie, Aunt Velma, or Uncle Frank in your lives.
Now that we talked about last week on the agenda next week is my car to the garage on Tuesday, Tuesday night and Wednesday at Mom's, Thursday it is Mom and yours truly to the foot doctor. Kind of busy but not like some of the past few weeks.
On the entertainment front. In a surprise Kevin won Top Chef and I think that was the popular choice. On America's Got Talent my favorite, ten year-old Jackie Evancho didn't win, Michael Grimm did. He then proposed to his girl friend. Tomorrow Dancing With The Stars starts and I'm pulling for Anna & Kurt. I did attend a movie this week, THE TOWN. To much shoot them up for me not to mention a couple of really stupid scenes. Near the end of the movie is the worst dying scene in movies in a hundred years.
Now let's talk taxes. Some time ago DR forwarded an email to me about taxes and I really thought the email was a scare tactic. There is going to be a lot in the papers and on the Internet the next few weeks about how we are all going to pay a ton more in taxes. What is happening is the Tax Cuts put through in 2001 and 2003 had an expiration date. It was a procedure that made the tax cuts easier to get through Congress. The expiration date was 12-31-2010. If Congress does nothing before then, the tax law reverts to what it was prior to the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts. Currently President Obama has proposed legislation where some of those tax cuts are kept. There was a really good article in today's Oregonian that explains what is going to happen to the taxes. It is done as a question and answer session. Although I originally read the article in The Oregonian I couldn't find it in their online edition. I did find the article on Kentucky.com. Here it is:
http://www.kentucky.com/2010/09/19/1441597/qa-fact-and-fiction-in-debate.html
I'm off to breakfast with the guys. The blog is now yours. Tell me what is going on in your lives. Introduce yourselves. Vent. Cuss. Spit. Yell. Smile. Whatever strikes your fancy. It is your day.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Short & Odd
I didn't do much yesterday except relax and went to a movie. It was kind of nice not to have anything on the agenda. While next week gets a little busy this weekend isn't. Today all I am doing is taking Mom to lunch and watching football. I'm also relaxing on the blog today and just doing a short post. Short and odd. Like me.
Want to know what to do with those placemats that you no longer want to use at the table? Here is an article that will give you some ideas:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/09/17/unusual-uses-for-placemats/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk3%7C171209
Do you like stale bread? Do you like stale bread so much that you would risk being fired over it?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100914/od_nm/us_germany_bread
When will it stop? How many crazy ideas for reality shows do we have to put up with before the people in charge of entertainment stop giving us these stupid shows. I'm crying uncle after reading about the following one that will actually be on air sometime soon:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100917/od_nm/us_brides_odd
What do you think of the ideas for placemats? How about the stale bread story? Personally, I think the ladies employer were idiots for firing her in the first place. How about reality shows? Got any ideas for some? You going to watch brides compete for plastic surgery. I'm not.
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Maggie Kuhn?
I was a renowned high diver and stuntwoman who was born in 1946. When I was an infant I was stricken with measles, mumps, and scarlet fever in quick succession, leaving me deaf and with no balance. My mother taught me to read lips and speak and I never learned much sign language. I was mainstreamed in a hearing school by the age of eight, and graduated from high school with honors. I competed in high diving while in high school but a year after graduation I nearly died from spinal meningitis. Two years after my recovery I won diving championships. When I was too old to compete I married a hearing stuntman who trained me in his profession. Despite being just five feet three inches tall and weighing under 100 pounds I found work as a daredevil. I set a world record for land speed by reaching 412 mph in just 3.22 seconds. I retired in 1986 and moved to South Dakota. My whole life was a SILENT VICTORY. Since Brian and Colleen were my parents and Stockard was me, they can help you answer the question, Who Am I?
Want to know what to do with those placemats that you no longer want to use at the table? Here is an article that will give you some ideas:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/09/17/unusual-uses-for-placemats/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk3%7C171209
Do you like stale bread? Do you like stale bread so much that you would risk being fired over it?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100914/od_nm/us_germany_bread
When will it stop? How many crazy ideas for reality shows do we have to put up with before the people in charge of entertainment stop giving us these stupid shows. I'm crying uncle after reading about the following one that will actually be on air sometime soon:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100917/od_nm/us_brides_odd
What do you think of the ideas for placemats? How about the stale bread story? Personally, I think the ladies employer were idiots for firing her in the first place. How about reality shows? Got any ideas for some? You going to watch brides compete for plastic surgery. I'm not.
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Maggie Kuhn?
I was a renowned high diver and stuntwoman who was born in 1946. When I was an infant I was stricken with measles, mumps, and scarlet fever in quick succession, leaving me deaf and with no balance. My mother taught me to read lips and speak and I never learned much sign language. I was mainstreamed in a hearing school by the age of eight, and graduated from high school with honors. I competed in high diving while in high school but a year after graduation I nearly died from spinal meningitis. Two years after my recovery I won diving championships. When I was too old to compete I married a hearing stuntman who trained me in his profession. Despite being just five feet three inches tall and weighing under 100 pounds I found work as a daredevil. I set a world record for land speed by reaching 412 mph in just 3.22 seconds. I retired in 1986 and moved to South Dakota. My whole life was a SILENT VICTORY. Since Brian and Colleen were my parents and Stockard was me, they can help you answer the question, Who Am I?
Friday, September 17, 2010
Brains
Today we are all about brains. Sure it is Friday and most of us really don't want to use our brains on the last day of the work week but that doesn't mean we can't learn about brains.
First up is baby brain. Makes you wonder if that is why sarcasm often rules the entertainment world.
http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/ironic-language-is-grasped-by-kids-as-young-as-four/19636880?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%7C171105
I found the article pretty surprising. I wonder if now all of us shouldn't be more careful with what we say around children. I probably won't but I might feel a little guilty about it.
Next up is women's brains. The ten things men need to know about how a woman's brain works. Click on the "start here" button on the following link:
http://www.livescience.com/health/human-brain-gender-differences-100820.html
I knew some of it but it surprised me that women take more risks as they get older. I think men take less risks as they age. I was also pretty sure that one of the worst things a man can do to a woman is ignore her.
Now I am all about fairness here so I won't talk about women's brains without also talking about men's brains. The ten things that a woman needs to know about our feeble mental workings:
http://www.livescience.com/culture/10-facts-male-brains-100406-1.html
I know myself pretty well and I thought I knew my gender fairly well but I was kind of surprised at some of the things mentioned. I knew I was emotional (see yesterday's post) but now I know I'm not alone. I knew about the loneliness thing too because women have more same gender friends than men so in and out of relationships they have their loneliness covered.
Baby brains, women brains, and men brains. Which one of the articles surprises you the most? What surprises you about each of the listed brains? Any comments about any of the brains? As always I want to hear what you have to say!
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1905 and died in 1995. I was a lifelong activist most famous for founding an organization to fight age discrimination. In addition I dedicated my life to fighting for human rights, social and economic justice, global peace, integration, and an understanding of mental health issues. From my mid twenties to my late forties I taught at the YWCA where I educated women about unionizing, women's issues, and social issues. I caused controversy by starting a human sexuality class in which I discussed such topics as the mechanics of sex, birth control, sexual pleasure, pregnancy, and the difficulties of remaining single in a culture where marriage is the norm. I encouraged women to really study their own lives and their world. During World War II, I became program director for the YWCA-USO, which was a controversial career choice due to my opposition to the war. When in my fifties I went to work for a church that forced me to retire when I was sixty-five. I banded together with other retirees and formed an organization to fight forced retirements. After an elderly woman was killed and robbed of $309 after cashing a check I enlisted Ralph's help to set up a meeting with the president of the First Pennsylvanian Bank. The bank agreed to establish special check-drawn savings accounts for people over 65 free of charge and make loans more accessible to older people. I took a stance on Social Security, arguing that politicians had created an intergenerational war over federal funds in order to divert public attention from the real budgetary issues: overspending on the military and extravagant tax breaks for the rich. I am famous for the quote "old people and women constitute America's biggest untapped and undervalued human energy source." If you don't know who I am by now know that the main organization I founded has a name with a color and a cat in it. Who Am I?
First up is baby brain. Makes you wonder if that is why sarcasm often rules the entertainment world.
http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/ironic-language-is-grasped-by-kids-as-young-as-four/19636880?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk2%7C171105
I found the article pretty surprising. I wonder if now all of us shouldn't be more careful with what we say around children. I probably won't but I might feel a little guilty about it.
Next up is women's brains. The ten things men need to know about how a woman's brain works. Click on the "start here" button on the following link:
http://www.livescience.com/health/human-brain-gender-differences-100820.html
I knew some of it but it surprised me that women take more risks as they get older. I think men take less risks as they age. I was also pretty sure that one of the worst things a man can do to a woman is ignore her.
Now I am all about fairness here so I won't talk about women's brains without also talking about men's brains. The ten things that a woman needs to know about our feeble mental workings:
http://www.livescience.com/culture/10-facts-male-brains-100406-1.html
I know myself pretty well and I thought I knew my gender fairly well but I was kind of surprised at some of the things mentioned. I knew I was emotional (see yesterday's post) but now I know I'm not alone. I knew about the loneliness thing too because women have more same gender friends than men so in and out of relationships they have their loneliness covered.
Baby brains, women brains, and men brains. Which one of the articles surprises you the most? What surprises you about each of the listed brains? Any comments about any of the brains? As always I want to hear what you have to say!
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1905 and died in 1995. I was a lifelong activist most famous for founding an organization to fight age discrimination. In addition I dedicated my life to fighting for human rights, social and economic justice, global peace, integration, and an understanding of mental health issues. From my mid twenties to my late forties I taught at the YWCA where I educated women about unionizing, women's issues, and social issues. I caused controversy by starting a human sexuality class in which I discussed such topics as the mechanics of sex, birth control, sexual pleasure, pregnancy, and the difficulties of remaining single in a culture where marriage is the norm. I encouraged women to really study their own lives and their world. During World War II, I became program director for the YWCA-USO, which was a controversial career choice due to my opposition to the war. When in my fifties I went to work for a church that forced me to retire when I was sixty-five. I banded together with other retirees and formed an organization to fight forced retirements. After an elderly woman was killed and robbed of $309 after cashing a check I enlisted Ralph's help to set up a meeting with the president of the First Pennsylvanian Bank. The bank agreed to establish special check-drawn savings accounts for people over 65 free of charge and make loans more accessible to older people. I took a stance on Social Security, arguing that politicians had created an intergenerational war over federal funds in order to divert public attention from the real budgetary issues: overspending on the military and extravagant tax breaks for the rich. I am famous for the quote "old people and women constitute America's biggest untapped and undervalued human energy source." If you don't know who I am by now know that the main organization I founded has a name with a color and a cat in it. Who Am I?
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Stark Realities.
I know I am supposed to be strong and stay strong as an example to the people in my life that depend on me. I'm not strong today, anything but. I am a weak emotional wreck and I just wasn't really prepared for the emotional floodgate that I've been experiencing the last three or four hours.
I never really cried when my dad died. Only those that have been through it know what it is like to care for a parent that has dementia. It's emotionally, mentally, and physically demanding. It takes a toll. On your life, on your health, on the people in your life. It is so hard to see the man that raised you become less than himself. You spend a lot of time asking why. Why does the man I love have to suffer? Why do I have to witness it? Why does my mom have to risk her health and watch the man she was married to for sixty years dwindle? Yes, I did cry more than once during the process. Sometimes for my dad. Sometimes for my mom. Yes, and sometimes for me. But when dad died I didn't cry. I felt relief. Some thoughtful, some selfish. I was relieved that my dad no longer had to suffer. I was relieved that Mom no longer had to spend every waking moment with her husband and spend each of those moments watching him suffer. I was relieved that I no longer had to watch dad suffer. But I didn't really cry. I've always felt guilty about that. When you love someone as much as I loved dad aren't you supposed to cry when you lose them? Since I didn't cry did that mean I didn't love him or even worse maybe I was happy that now I didn't have to deal with the stark realities of dementia?
Today I cried all the way home from the airport. After letting Uncle Frank & Dixie off to catch their flight home as soon as I pulled away from the curb I had the stark reality that I would not see my uncle again. It is just to hard for him to travel. He is ninety-three. Time waits for no one. Dad &; Frank were two peas in a pod. They were often inseparable. They were my biggest boosters. Uncle Frank still is. He was my booster from the day I was born. I was born with pernicious anemia. Because of the lack of the blood flow that pernicious anemia leads to I was born cold, so cold that they weren't sure I was going to make it. Because Uncle Frank's body temperature ran hot they gave baby Bill to him to hold. To warm me up. He held me for hours and I survived. I had two dads, Dad and Frank, and while Frank was here I couldn't stop thinking about dad. They were so much alike. Honest. Fun. Loyal. Supportive. Great fathers. Family men. The two men that were the most influence on my life. Maybe when I pulled away from the curb I cried over the loss of both my dads. Maybe I needed that to move on. Now on to the visit:
I picked Frank & Dixie up at the airport at about noon on Wednesday. Frank is a very prideful soul but he stayed in the wheelchair for me. I pushed him out to the parking garage and he road in the chair like a champ. We stopped at Burger King for lunch. Frank prefers that to McDonalds. It was fine with me because I had coupons for Burger King. We got to Mom's a little before two and it was fun to watch the reunion of Mom &Frank, brother and sister. The conversation flowed! Not much later it flowed even more when cousins Don and Belva arrived from Albany. Belva and Frank are first cousins and Belva really wanted to see Frank. Belva said she really didn't want to intrude on Mom &Frank's reunion so they weren't going to stay very long. Intrude Hell! They made the day even more special. Mom convinced them to stay for dinner. Everyone was elated that Don & Belva stayed. My Mom had cooked enough because both her and I had agreed we were going to hide Don &Belva's car keys or flatten all their tires unless they agreed to stay for dinner. Dinner was great. Even in her nineties Mom is a good cook. Salmon loaf, meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, cantaloupe, cookies, and string beans. With six people at the table there were a lot of stories to swap. It really did make the evening a ton of fun. I'm now in a position to bribe my Mom or I will re-tell some of those stories. Belva and Don went home last night. This morning Frank, Dixie, Robert, Jackie, Mom, and myself went out for breakfast. Again the conversation flowed. I really do have really great relatives. After breakfast we went to Mom's and then to sister's. Sister and her husband, Robert, remodeled their house and wanted to show it to Frank. Frank is a carpenter, not just any carpenter but a great one. My sister and her husband ended up with almost the perfect house. Sister would imagine something and Robert would put it into action. It really is the nicest house in the neighborhood. After the tour of sister's beautiful house all the good-byes were said.
Then it was off to the airport where I became a mass of emotional instability. Who Am I will return tomorrow. So, hopefully, will I.
I never really cried when my dad died. Only those that have been through it know what it is like to care for a parent that has dementia. It's emotionally, mentally, and physically demanding. It takes a toll. On your life, on your health, on the people in your life. It is so hard to see the man that raised you become less than himself. You spend a lot of time asking why. Why does the man I love have to suffer? Why do I have to witness it? Why does my mom have to risk her health and watch the man she was married to for sixty years dwindle? Yes, I did cry more than once during the process. Sometimes for my dad. Sometimes for my mom. Yes, and sometimes for me. But when dad died I didn't cry. I felt relief. Some thoughtful, some selfish. I was relieved that my dad no longer had to suffer. I was relieved that Mom no longer had to spend every waking moment with her husband and spend each of those moments watching him suffer. I was relieved that I no longer had to watch dad suffer. But I didn't really cry. I've always felt guilty about that. When you love someone as much as I loved dad aren't you supposed to cry when you lose them? Since I didn't cry did that mean I didn't love him or even worse maybe I was happy that now I didn't have to deal with the stark realities of dementia?
Today I cried all the way home from the airport. After letting Uncle Frank & Dixie off to catch their flight home as soon as I pulled away from the curb I had the stark reality that I would not see my uncle again. It is just to hard for him to travel. He is ninety-three. Time waits for no one. Dad &; Frank were two peas in a pod. They were often inseparable. They were my biggest boosters. Uncle Frank still is. He was my booster from the day I was born. I was born with pernicious anemia. Because of the lack of the blood flow that pernicious anemia leads to I was born cold, so cold that they weren't sure I was going to make it. Because Uncle Frank's body temperature ran hot they gave baby Bill to him to hold. To warm me up. He held me for hours and I survived. I had two dads, Dad and Frank, and while Frank was here I couldn't stop thinking about dad. They were so much alike. Honest. Fun. Loyal. Supportive. Great fathers. Family men. The two men that were the most influence on my life. Maybe when I pulled away from the curb I cried over the loss of both my dads. Maybe I needed that to move on. Now on to the visit:
I picked Frank & Dixie up at the airport at about noon on Wednesday. Frank is a very prideful soul but he stayed in the wheelchair for me. I pushed him out to the parking garage and he road in the chair like a champ. We stopped at Burger King for lunch. Frank prefers that to McDonalds. It was fine with me because I had coupons for Burger King. We got to Mom's a little before two and it was fun to watch the reunion of Mom &Frank, brother and sister. The conversation flowed! Not much later it flowed even more when cousins Don and Belva arrived from Albany. Belva and Frank are first cousins and Belva really wanted to see Frank. Belva said she really didn't want to intrude on Mom &Frank's reunion so they weren't going to stay very long. Intrude Hell! They made the day even more special. Mom convinced them to stay for dinner. Everyone was elated that Don & Belva stayed. My Mom had cooked enough because both her and I had agreed we were going to hide Don &Belva's car keys or flatten all their tires unless they agreed to stay for dinner. Dinner was great. Even in her nineties Mom is a good cook. Salmon loaf, meatloaf, scalloped potatoes, cantaloupe, cookies, and string beans. With six people at the table there were a lot of stories to swap. It really did make the evening a ton of fun. I'm now in a position to bribe my Mom or I will re-tell some of those stories. Belva and Don went home last night. This morning Frank, Dixie, Robert, Jackie, Mom, and myself went out for breakfast. Again the conversation flowed. I really do have really great relatives. After breakfast we went to Mom's and then to sister's. Sister and her husband, Robert, remodeled their house and wanted to show it to Frank. Frank is a carpenter, not just any carpenter but a great one. My sister and her husband ended up with almost the perfect house. Sister would imagine something and Robert would put it into action. It really is the nicest house in the neighborhood. After the tour of sister's beautiful house all the good-byes were said.
Then it was off to the airport where I became a mass of emotional instability. Who Am I will return tomorrow. So, hopefully, will I.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Hurried & Scattered.
I'm hurried today. It is only a little after eight and I've already been over at Mom's for two hours to help get tonight's dinner ready to put into the oven and now am back to post my daily blog entry before getting in the shower. Then it is off to the airport to pick up my special company. I'm so looking forward to seeing them. The rest of the day will be chewing the fat at Mom's. If I don't respond to blog comments until late tonight or tomorrow morning you will understand why! There just isn't a time for a Who Am I today, yesterday's answer was Mary Ann Shadd Cary.
Because I'm hurried I am also scattered. It always happens, doesn't it? One always follows the other? Since I am scattered so is today's blog entry.
First up is what drivers to that bothers most of us?
http://autos.aol.com/article/aggressive-driving/
While the things in the article do bother me what bothers me even more are; not using the turn signal, following to close, parking in handicap slots, and speeding up to get to a red light or stop sign. What do drivers do that want you to give them a piece of your mind?
It also bothers me when people don't was their hands in rest rooms. Does it bother you? According to the following article you should be glad you are in our lovely country:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/14/bathroom-spies-say-americans-wash-hands-more-since-swine-flu/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec4_lnk1%7C170588
it isn't surprising that more people are washing their hands now nor it is surprising that women wash their hands more than men. Anything in the article surprise you or are you going to wash your hands of the whole thing?
Don't you wish we could have do overs? One man gave people a chance to share what they would do over if they had a second chance:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/13/secret-regrets-what-one-thing-would-you-do-over-if-you-could/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%7C170595
I was really touched by some of the ones listed in the article and I was also surprised how many woman wanted do overs with the men they either ended up marrying or moved on from. I really wish the article would have also listed the top twenty regrets for men. Here are my regrets:
Never marrying. That exotic dancer from years ago, I should have ignored her background and followed her out of that restaurant.
Not traveling right after college.
Not treating my dad a little better during the past three years of his life.
And ten thousand more. What are you do overs? Regrets?
I'm looking forward to your answers! Your comments are always appreciated.
Because I'm hurried I am also scattered. It always happens, doesn't it? One always follows the other? Since I am scattered so is today's blog entry.
First up is what drivers to that bothers most of us?
http://autos.aol.com/article/aggressive-driving/
While the things in the article do bother me what bothers me even more are; not using the turn signal, following to close, parking in handicap slots, and speeding up to get to a red light or stop sign. What do drivers do that want you to give them a piece of your mind?
It also bothers me when people don't was their hands in rest rooms. Does it bother you? According to the following article you should be glad you are in our lovely country:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/14/bathroom-spies-say-americans-wash-hands-more-since-swine-flu/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec4_lnk1%7C170588
it isn't surprising that more people are washing their hands now nor it is surprising that women wash their hands more than men. Anything in the article surprise you or are you going to wash your hands of the whole thing?
Don't you wish we could have do overs? One man gave people a chance to share what they would do over if they had a second chance:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/13/secret-regrets-what-one-thing-would-you-do-over-if-you-could/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl10%7Csec1_lnk3%7C170595
I was really touched by some of the ones listed in the article and I was also surprised how many woman wanted do overs with the men they either ended up marrying or moved on from. I really wish the article would have also listed the top twenty regrets for men. Here are my regrets:
Never marrying. That exotic dancer from years ago, I should have ignored her background and followed her out of that restaurant.
Not traveling right after college.
Not treating my dad a little better during the past three years of his life.
And ten thousand more. What are you do overs? Regrets?
I'm looking forward to your answers! Your comments are always appreciated.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Words, Weddings, & Financial Collapse
Was it pride or greed that led to America's financial collapse? The following article answers that question?
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/credit/andrew-ross-sorkin-lehman-too-big-to-fail/19629341/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%7C170362
I'm not sure I agree with the article. I'm sticking with greed. Maybe you can convince me that it was a combination of pride and greed but you are never going to convince me that greed wasn't in there somewhere.
What do you think were the most used words on T.V. last season? I certainly would have never guessed:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/14/most-used-words-on-tv-reveal-depressing-trends/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec4_lnk1%7C170486
I was going to guess balloon boy or Lindsay Lohan. Do you think we are in a down cycle where most of the words that come out of TV and Radio are downers? I do.
After sharing the depressing trend on TV we need a good story. A good story and a touching one, tears aren't out of the question:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/13/dad-braves-experimental-treatment-to-be-at-daughters-wedding/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk1%7C170486
There is so much to like about the above story. That they tried an experimental treatment and it worked well enough for the father and daughter to share a special moment.
What is your reaction to the story?
My uncle, second dad, and My cousin, second sister, arrive tomorrow so I am off to spend the day at Mom's to help her clean house, etc. The caregiver did do a lot of the cleaning but there are still some things, like laundry that need finishing. Hope this is a great day for you.
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer Abigail Powers Fillmore
I'm not sure if I have been used before but Bill is in a hurry to get finished so he can take off to get to his Mom's in time to take her to the doctor so I am either new to the blog or a repeat. I was born in 1823 and died in 1893. I was the daughter of free born blacks and the oldest of thirteen children. Dad a shoemaker was also a key figure in the Underground Railroad. We moved when I was ten so I could get a Quaker education. After graduation I returned home and established a school for blacks. We fled to Canada when a law was passed in 1850 threatening to return free Northern blacks to bondage. There I founded a racially integrated school. I believed that separate churches, schools and communities for blacks would ultimately undermine the search for freedom. I campaigned for equality and integration for black people, making public speeches and addressing issues of abolition and other reforms. I married a barber and had two children with him, a boy and a girl.
John Brown held a secret "convention" at the home of my brother Isaac. In 1861 I published a tribute to Brown's unsuccessful raid. After my husband died we returned to the U.S. During the Civil War I served as a recruiting officer to enlist black volunteers for the Union Army in the state of Indiana. After the Civil War I taught in black schools in Wilmington, before moving to Washington, D.C., where I taught in public schools and attended Howard University School of Law., graduating as a lawyer in 1883, becoming only the second black woman in the United States to earn a law degree. I joined the National Woman's Suffrage Association, working alongside Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton for women's suffrage, testifying before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives and becoming the first black woman to cast a vote in a national election. If you not sure who I am by now THE BLACK PRESS AND PROTEST IN THE NINETENTH CENTURY should help you answer the question, Who Am I?
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/credit/andrew-ross-sorkin-lehman-too-big-to-fail/19629341/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%7C170362
I'm not sure I agree with the article. I'm sticking with greed. Maybe you can convince me that it was a combination of pride and greed but you are never going to convince me that greed wasn't in there somewhere.
What do you think were the most used words on T.V. last season? I certainly would have never guessed:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/14/most-used-words-on-tv-reveal-depressing-trends/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec4_lnk1%7C170486
I was going to guess balloon boy or Lindsay Lohan. Do you think we are in a down cycle where most of the words that come out of TV and Radio are downers? I do.
After sharing the depressing trend on TV we need a good story. A good story and a touching one, tears aren't out of the question:
http://www.lemondrop.com/2010/09/13/dad-braves-experimental-treatment-to-be-at-daughters-wedding/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk1%7C170486
There is so much to like about the above story. That they tried an experimental treatment and it worked well enough for the father and daughter to share a special moment.
What is your reaction to the story?
My uncle, second dad, and My cousin, second sister, arrive tomorrow so I am off to spend the day at Mom's to help her clean house, etc. The caregiver did do a lot of the cleaning but there are still some things, like laundry that need finishing. Hope this is a great day for you.
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer Abigail Powers Fillmore
I'm not sure if I have been used before but Bill is in a hurry to get finished so he can take off to get to his Mom's in time to take her to the doctor so I am either new to the blog or a repeat. I was born in 1823 and died in 1893. I was the daughter of free born blacks and the oldest of thirteen children. Dad a shoemaker was also a key figure in the Underground Railroad. We moved when I was ten so I could get a Quaker education. After graduation I returned home and established a school for blacks. We fled to Canada when a law was passed in 1850 threatening to return free Northern blacks to bondage. There I founded a racially integrated school. I believed that separate churches, schools and communities for blacks would ultimately undermine the search for freedom. I campaigned for equality and integration for black people, making public speeches and addressing issues of abolition and other reforms. I married a barber and had two children with him, a boy and a girl.
John Brown held a secret "convention" at the home of my brother Isaac. In 1861 I published a tribute to Brown's unsuccessful raid. After my husband died we returned to the U.S. During the Civil War I served as a recruiting officer to enlist black volunteers for the Union Army in the state of Indiana. After the Civil War I taught in black schools in Wilmington, before moving to Washington, D.C., where I taught in public schools and attended Howard University School of Law., graduating as a lawyer in 1883, becoming only the second black woman in the United States to earn a law degree. I joined the National Woman's Suffrage Association, working alongside Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton for women's suffrage, testifying before the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives and becoming the first black woman to cast a vote in a national election. If you not sure who I am by now THE BLACK PRESS AND PROTEST IN THE NINETENTH CENTURY should help you answer the question, Who Am I?
Monday, September 13, 2010
Scamming The Elderly,
"Hi Grandma, this is your favorite grandson and I need your help."
"This is Sammy?"
You have just been sucked into one of the most common scams of the elderly going on right now. You have already given out to much information. The caller can now go to Facebook to get personal information about your grandson, like his birthday.
Scamming the elderly is atrocious and if I wasn't a pacifist I support the death penalty for those that take advantage of one of the most vulnerable sections of our populations.
Lottery scams, paving your drive way or putting on a new roof scam, deceptive professionals, bereavement sacmes where callers try to collect debts of a dead spouse, Medicare scams, work from home scams, fake investment opportunities, and the list goes on.
Right now your elderly friend, your elderly neighbor, or elderly relatives could be on the phone right now being a victim to the lastest scam, the gram-scam. Read about it here:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/complaintdesk/2010/09/gram-scam_cons_seniors_for_a_9.html
Pay close attention to the shaded boxes next to the article where there is some tips on how to handle a suspicious call and how to clean up your online information.
Once you have read about the gram-scam checkout the next article that will let you know what other scams are out there being used to bilk millions of dollars nationwide and worldwide out of our elderly:
http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x329609411/More-scam-artists-targeting-the-elderly
How can we help? Although the following article is advising how to help keep your parents safe it has some useful information that you can use to help your elderly neighbor, friends, or relatives:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2163226_protect-elderly-parents-scams.html
Here are my added tips. Be a good neighbor. Checkout on your elderly neighbor frequently. Even a phone call helps. How much time does that take? Be a good friend. Check on your friends as often as possible, stop by and have a cup of coffee with them. Trust me, they will be happy to see you. Be aware. Aware of your surroundings and aware of the phone calls you are getting. If you are getting suspicious calls report them to the police. Notify your neighbors and friends of the calls. Even if there is the slightest doubt that the call is a scam report it, better safe than sorry.
Your comments are appreciated. Do you have any tips that you would like to add?
WHO AM I
While my birthplace is in question, the year is 1798. I died in 1853. Bill has heard of me but didn't know anything about me. My dad was a Baptist minister. My mother was the son of a Baptist minister. My stepfather was a captain. I was the youngest of seven children, five brothers and a sister besides me. I also had six stepbrothers and three stepsisters. I learned in a one room schoolhouse. I was also the first, first to come from an impoverished family. Although dad died early he left us a rich educational legacy. I received an excellent education simultaneously from my mother at home, and her brother in the schoolroom. That is were a love of reading literature was borne in me, I also became proficient in math, government, history, philosophy and geography. Before marrying my love I was a public school teacher. At age thirty I married my man at the home of my brother. I met my husband when he came to enroll for a more substantial education at the Academy where I was teaching. He was an indentured servant in farming, accounting, chopping wood for lumber and making cloth. His poverty and discipline for self-knowledge mirrored my own experience and ambition. When he abruptly left for family matters he was to poor to visit me so we did not see each other for three years but kept in touch by letter. In the interim, he apprenticed to a lawyer, began to teach professionally and was able to begin a law practice. We married and had two children, one of each. Hubby went on to become second in command before becoming head honcho. I didn't not attend his VP Inauguration. He became head honcho upon the death of the main man. When I became the first I received the unusual distinction of being referred to in the press by my first name. Many notes of appreciation will attest that I was attentive to citizens who needed my genuine help. I was always with the boss at public ceremonies. During my time I became friends with Washington Irving, Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray. The innovation most frequently attributed to me was the newly-created White House library in the second floor oval room. It was said that my hubby never any made important steps without my counsel. When we left the big white house I went back to teaching. If you haven't figured out who I am by not I am not going to fill you with any more details but my husband's last name is contained in this sentence, you just have to put two words separated by three other words together. Who Am I?
"This is Sammy?"
You have just been sucked into one of the most common scams of the elderly going on right now. You have already given out to much information. The caller can now go to Facebook to get personal information about your grandson, like his birthday.
Scamming the elderly is atrocious and if I wasn't a pacifist I support the death penalty for those that take advantage of one of the most vulnerable sections of our populations.
Lottery scams, paving your drive way or putting on a new roof scam, deceptive professionals, bereavement sacmes where callers try to collect debts of a dead spouse, Medicare scams, work from home scams, fake investment opportunities, and the list goes on.
Right now your elderly friend, your elderly neighbor, or elderly relatives could be on the phone right now being a victim to the lastest scam, the gram-scam. Read about it here:
http://blog.oregonlive.com/complaintdesk/2010/09/gram-scam_cons_seniors_for_a_9.html
Pay close attention to the shaded boxes next to the article where there is some tips on how to handle a suspicious call and how to clean up your online information.
Once you have read about the gram-scam checkout the next article that will let you know what other scams are out there being used to bilk millions of dollars nationwide and worldwide out of our elderly:
http://www.eagletribune.com/newhampshire/x329609411/More-scam-artists-targeting-the-elderly
How can we help? Although the following article is advising how to help keep your parents safe it has some useful information that you can use to help your elderly neighbor, friends, or relatives:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2163226_protect-elderly-parents-scams.html
Here are my added tips. Be a good neighbor. Checkout on your elderly neighbor frequently. Even a phone call helps. How much time does that take? Be a good friend. Check on your friends as often as possible, stop by and have a cup of coffee with them. Trust me, they will be happy to see you. Be aware. Aware of your surroundings and aware of the phone calls you are getting. If you are getting suspicious calls report them to the police. Notify your neighbors and friends of the calls. Even if there is the slightest doubt that the call is a scam report it, better safe than sorry.
Your comments are appreciated. Do you have any tips that you would like to add?
WHO AM I
While my birthplace is in question, the year is 1798. I died in 1853. Bill has heard of me but didn't know anything about me. My dad was a Baptist minister. My mother was the son of a Baptist minister. My stepfather was a captain. I was the youngest of seven children, five brothers and a sister besides me. I also had six stepbrothers and three stepsisters. I learned in a one room schoolhouse. I was also the first, first to come from an impoverished family. Although dad died early he left us a rich educational legacy. I received an excellent education simultaneously from my mother at home, and her brother in the schoolroom. That is were a love of reading literature was borne in me, I also became proficient in math, government, history, philosophy and geography. Before marrying my love I was a public school teacher. At age thirty I married my man at the home of my brother. I met my husband when he came to enroll for a more substantial education at the Academy where I was teaching. He was an indentured servant in farming, accounting, chopping wood for lumber and making cloth. His poverty and discipline for self-knowledge mirrored my own experience and ambition. When he abruptly left for family matters he was to poor to visit me so we did not see each other for three years but kept in touch by letter. In the interim, he apprenticed to a lawyer, began to teach professionally and was able to begin a law practice. We married and had two children, one of each. Hubby went on to become second in command before becoming head honcho. I didn't not attend his VP Inauguration. He became head honcho upon the death of the main man. When I became the first I received the unusual distinction of being referred to in the press by my first name. Many notes of appreciation will attest that I was attentive to citizens who needed my genuine help. I was always with the boss at public ceremonies. During my time I became friends with Washington Irving, Charles Dickens and William Makepeace Thackeray. The innovation most frequently attributed to me was the newly-created White House library in the second floor oval room. It was said that my hubby never any made important steps without my counsel. When we left the big white house I went back to teaching. If you haven't figured out who I am by not I am not going to fill you with any more details but my husband's last name is contained in this sentence, you just have to put two words separated by three other words together. Who Am I?
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Ahead Of Schedule Upate
The answer to yesterday's Who Am I was Mary L. Cleave. I know I said that Update Day would be every other Sunday but so much happened in the last week that I am going back on my word and for the second Sunday in a row we are having Update Day.
Last week started Sunday with a Labor Day party at sister's. Monday was laundry day and work day. I completed two work assignments for Mark & Paul. Tuesday when I woke up I realized my tags for my car expired that day. I quickly dressed and headed out for the DEQ smog center. In Oregon you do everything at one place, if your car passes the smog test they give you the tags right then and there. Sometimes the longest line at the DEQ center is on Tuesday. They are closed on Monday so Tuesday is their Monday. I lucked out because this Tuesday was the first day of school for most of Oregon, the line was really short. My car passed, I paid the ninety-eight freaking dollars, and got my tags. Writing this I just realized that I haven't put them on the car yet! I really am an incurable doofus.
Tuesday night was the football kick off party. The food was delicious, the conversation never stalled, the guys were nice, and we all thought we did well in the fantasy football draft. This is an unusual group. In attendance were Dave owner of the heating & cooling company where we had the party, Greg a retired paralegal, Randy a pharmacist, Bill a court reporter, Tom an attorney who works for Ted who is another attorney that was there, Doug VP of Purchasing at Kaiser, Jared owner of a window tinting company, Adam the manager of a popular bar that one night a week has line dancing classes, Jay a CPA, my brother an attorney from Wyoming, and yours truly. I got home a little after ten. To save money rather than have the caterer pickup the chafing dishes I chose to return them the next day. I was up until midnight cleaning those damn things. Next time they pick up.
Wednesday morning my sister and her husband took off for Texas. My nephew, Robin, is retiring from the air force and his parents wanted a tour of Fort Hood and to see everything before he retired. They will be gone a week. That puts the responsibility for Mom back squarely in my hands. I was up at five Wednesday morning and at Mom's by six to spend the day with her. We played some Scrabble, took off and did some errands together, I cooked her both a dynamite lunch and a dynamite diner. I got home at seven that night pretty exhausted and hit bed early.
Thursday morning I was up at four-thirty and to Mom's at five. Mom and I played a few games of Yahtzee. Then I had to run a couple of personal errands. To Rose's to get the cake for the company picnic and to stop by Mark & Paul's to drop off the completed work assignments. Then back to fix Mom lunch and make dinner for her and the caregiver. At one-thirty I took off for the N & Company, company picnic. I really love that they include me in their company events. I'm not an employee, I'm only there three months a year, and am part-time while I'm there. Most firms wouldn't even consider inviting someone that fit that criteria. The food was really good. The people working there were really nice and fun to talk to. Being who I am I thanked them for including me and the response was, "we want to make sure you come back." When I left there I was reminded of that famous Sally Field Oscar acceptance speech. Isn't it weird that I don't think the work that I do there is all that good and I can do better. Yet they think my work is outstanding. Maybe I need to consider how hard on myself I am.
Friday was grocery shopping for Mom's house and my house. I took mom out for Tacos for lunch. Then we spent the afternoon playing Scrabble. I made sure her and the caregiver had dinner before I left and I made it home by five. Saturday I was over at Mom's at ten. I actually got to sleep in! Mom and I went out for lunch, then when we came back to Mom's I shredded a bunch of Mom's documents. She removed the staples from them, I looked them over, and shredded the suckers. After an hour of shredding Mom went in and took a nap. I cooked pork roast for dinner for her and the caregiver that night. I set up two plates, pork roast, string beans, cantaloupe, and ice cream and put the main stuff in the fridge and the ice cream in the freezer. All they had to do when they were ready for dinner is to Nuke it. Then I went home and got home in time for the Oregon-Tennessee game. Oregon won.
This week? Today is breakfast with Ted and the guys. Then to Mom's by one for more shredding then on home to start getting my house ready for some special company this week. Tomorrow is paying bills, finishing the housekeeping, and if I get caught up a relaxing movie. Tuesday is taking Mom to the doctor. Wednesday & Thursday my Uncle Frank and My cousin Dixie are going to be here. Not really uncle and cousin, more like second dad and second sister. I'm so excited about seeing them.
That was my week. How was your week? Tell me everything. Dirty little secrets are always fun to hear. The blog is now yours, post anything you darn well please! I absolutely love hearing about what is going on in your life. I'd also love it if you have been reading the blog for a while and haven't posted that you step up to the plate and introduce yourself!
Off to breakfast. Looking forward to hearing from all of you!
Last week started Sunday with a Labor Day party at sister's. Monday was laundry day and work day. I completed two work assignments for Mark & Paul. Tuesday when I woke up I realized my tags for my car expired that day. I quickly dressed and headed out for the DEQ smog center. In Oregon you do everything at one place, if your car passes the smog test they give you the tags right then and there. Sometimes the longest line at the DEQ center is on Tuesday. They are closed on Monday so Tuesday is their Monday. I lucked out because this Tuesday was the first day of school for most of Oregon, the line was really short. My car passed, I paid the ninety-eight freaking dollars, and got my tags. Writing this I just realized that I haven't put them on the car yet! I really am an incurable doofus.
Tuesday night was the football kick off party. The food was delicious, the conversation never stalled, the guys were nice, and we all thought we did well in the fantasy football draft. This is an unusual group. In attendance were Dave owner of the heating & cooling company where we had the party, Greg a retired paralegal, Randy a pharmacist, Bill a court reporter, Tom an attorney who works for Ted who is another attorney that was there, Doug VP of Purchasing at Kaiser, Jared owner of a window tinting company, Adam the manager of a popular bar that one night a week has line dancing classes, Jay a CPA, my brother an attorney from Wyoming, and yours truly. I got home a little after ten. To save money rather than have the caterer pickup the chafing dishes I chose to return them the next day. I was up until midnight cleaning those damn things. Next time they pick up.
Wednesday morning my sister and her husband took off for Texas. My nephew, Robin, is retiring from the air force and his parents wanted a tour of Fort Hood and to see everything before he retired. They will be gone a week. That puts the responsibility for Mom back squarely in my hands. I was up at five Wednesday morning and at Mom's by six to spend the day with her. We played some Scrabble, took off and did some errands together, I cooked her both a dynamite lunch and a dynamite diner. I got home at seven that night pretty exhausted and hit bed early.
Thursday morning I was up at four-thirty and to Mom's at five. Mom and I played a few games of Yahtzee. Then I had to run a couple of personal errands. To Rose's to get the cake for the company picnic and to stop by Mark & Paul's to drop off the completed work assignments. Then back to fix Mom lunch and make dinner for her and the caregiver. At one-thirty I took off for the N & Company, company picnic. I really love that they include me in their company events. I'm not an employee, I'm only there three months a year, and am part-time while I'm there. Most firms wouldn't even consider inviting someone that fit that criteria. The food was really good. The people working there were really nice and fun to talk to. Being who I am I thanked them for including me and the response was, "we want to make sure you come back." When I left there I was reminded of that famous Sally Field Oscar acceptance speech. Isn't it weird that I don't think the work that I do there is all that good and I can do better. Yet they think my work is outstanding. Maybe I need to consider how hard on myself I am.
Friday was grocery shopping for Mom's house and my house. I took mom out for Tacos for lunch. Then we spent the afternoon playing Scrabble. I made sure her and the caregiver had dinner before I left and I made it home by five. Saturday I was over at Mom's at ten. I actually got to sleep in! Mom and I went out for lunch, then when we came back to Mom's I shredded a bunch of Mom's documents. She removed the staples from them, I looked them over, and shredded the suckers. After an hour of shredding Mom went in and took a nap. I cooked pork roast for dinner for her and the caregiver that night. I set up two plates, pork roast, string beans, cantaloupe, and ice cream and put the main stuff in the fridge and the ice cream in the freezer. All they had to do when they were ready for dinner is to Nuke it. Then I went home and got home in time for the Oregon-Tennessee game. Oregon won.
This week? Today is breakfast with Ted and the guys. Then to Mom's by one for more shredding then on home to start getting my house ready for some special company this week. Tomorrow is paying bills, finishing the housekeeping, and if I get caught up a relaxing movie. Tuesday is taking Mom to the doctor. Wednesday & Thursday my Uncle Frank and My cousin Dixie are going to be here. Not really uncle and cousin, more like second dad and second sister. I'm so excited about seeing them.
That was my week. How was your week? Tell me everything. Dirty little secrets are always fun to hear. The blog is now yours, post anything you darn well please! I absolutely love hearing about what is going on in your life. I'd also love it if you have been reading the blog for a while and haven't posted that you step up to the plate and introduce yourself!
Off to breakfast. Looking forward to hearing from all of you!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Ligther Side.
We all know what today is. We really can't avoid it, it is everywhere. On Facebook. On MySpace. On TV. In the newspapers. On talk shows. We shouldn't avoid it and we should always remember the tragic event of September 11, 2001. I know you remember it. You know I remember it. We all have the thousands of Americans we lost that day in our hearts. Today on the blog I am going to give you a break from the 9-11 remembrances and keep it light.
Where do you hide your money?
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/09/crazy-places-people-hide-money/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C169769
I don't hide my money, I don't have enough of it to worry about it. If I did have a lot of cash I'd hide it in the freezer so I could always have cold cash available. Seriously, when I win the lottery what I don't give away will be kept unsafely in banks. Where are you hiding your money? You can tell me, it will be our secret.
We all have been on job interviews. A lot of us here have conducted job interviews. I think it would be a safe bet that we wouldn't have said anything during the interviews to get a mention in the following article:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/09/09/interview-answers/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%7C169810
Time to confess. Have you ever done something really dumb during a job interview? Have you ever done anything dumb if you were conducting an interview? I can honestly say no to both questions.
Speaking of jobs there are a lot of people out there looking for work. There has been a few times that I had the trauma of looking for a job and during that time I was willing to look for help almost anywhere. Since I don't drink now, I'm not sure this is a place I would go for job hunting help:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100910/od_nm/us_germany_pub_odd
What do you think? Good idea or bad idea? Would you imbibe in their services?
Hope this weekend is going well for you and will continue to be a great weekend for you!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Lynne Cherry.
I am a flying high engineer born in 1947. I am the middle of three sisters. I received my Bachelor of Degree from CSU, my Masters of Science in Microbial Ecology from Mormon State University and also received my Doctor in Civil Engineering from The State College in the State that Bill's sister moved from a little less than a year ago. I held graduate research, research psychologist and research engineer assignments in the Ecology Center and the State Water Research Laboratory at that university. My work included research on the productivity of the algal component of cold desert soil crusts in the Great Basin Desert. I was selected for a special occupation in 1980. My technical assignments have included flight software verification. I could be described as being out of this world twice and in space for over ten days. I was grounded becoming Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate in D.C. The words of Neil when he landed on the moon made me want to be a space cadet and while Ride Sally Ride had a song about her I didn't. If you don't know who I am by now check out STS-61-B Atlantis (Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, 1985) and that could help you answer the question, Who Am I?
We remember, the event and the people lost.
Where do you hide your money?
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/09/09/crazy-places-people-hide-money/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec1_lnk3%7C169769
I don't hide my money, I don't have enough of it to worry about it. If I did have a lot of cash I'd hide it in the freezer so I could always have cold cash available. Seriously, when I win the lottery what I don't give away will be kept unsafely in banks. Where are you hiding your money? You can tell me, it will be our secret.
We all have been on job interviews. A lot of us here have conducted job interviews. I think it would be a safe bet that we wouldn't have said anything during the interviews to get a mention in the following article:
http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2010/09/09/interview-answers/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl4%7Csec1_lnk3%7C169810
Time to confess. Have you ever done something really dumb during a job interview? Have you ever done anything dumb if you were conducting an interview? I can honestly say no to both questions.
Speaking of jobs there are a lot of people out there looking for work. There has been a few times that I had the trauma of looking for a job and during that time I was willing to look for help almost anywhere. Since I don't drink now, I'm not sure this is a place I would go for job hunting help:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100910/od_nm/us_germany_pub_odd
What do you think? Good idea or bad idea? Would you imbibe in their services?
Hope this weekend is going well for you and will continue to be a great weekend for you!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Lynne Cherry.
I am a flying high engineer born in 1947. I am the middle of three sisters. I received my Bachelor of Degree from CSU, my Masters of Science in Microbial Ecology from Mormon State University and also received my Doctor in Civil Engineering from The State College in the State that Bill's sister moved from a little less than a year ago. I held graduate research, research psychologist and research engineer assignments in the Ecology Center and the State Water Research Laboratory at that university. My work included research on the productivity of the algal component of cold desert soil crusts in the Great Basin Desert. I was selected for a special occupation in 1980. My technical assignments have included flight software verification. I could be described as being out of this world twice and in space for over ten days. I was grounded becoming Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate in D.C. The words of Neil when he landed on the moon made me want to be a space cadet and while Ride Sally Ride had a song about her I didn't. If you don't know who I am by now check out STS-61-B Atlantis (Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, 1985) and that could help you answer the question, Who Am I?
We remember, the event and the people lost.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Guy Talk.
After some whirlwind days today is going to be a piece of cake. No parties on the agenda just about six hours at mom. I slept in the morning and got up at five-thirty. Then I read three newspapers while having a relaxing breakfast. Now as soon as I finish this blog post it is off to Mom's and on the way drop off some information at the guys that bought my practice.
Today is guy talk. Want to know what we talk about when women aren't around? Women and Sports. My circle of friends never are demeaning to women because if a sexist comment comes one of the other guys will point out the errors of their ways. We also talk jobs, family, and what to get the wife or girl friend for their birthday or what to get them to get out of the dog house. Couches are really not all that good to sleep on. We also might talk about articles like I am sharing today.
We could talk about the following article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100909/od_nm/us_fathers_shelter_odd
Most of us would say we don't need no stinking shelter, come on guys suck it up and get over it and move on. What would you say about the article?
After reading the following article a lot of us would get right up and try to bust a move. Our goal would be to make John Travolta jealous. After a few minutes of busting moves we would end up putting Ben Gay on all our muscles and come to the stark reality we aren't going to attract women with our dancing. We are just going to have to rely on our charming personalities and references from our Moms & Parole officers. What attracts you? Should we put on our white outfit and make fools of ourselves on the dance floor or should we just approach it differently?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_on_sc/eu_britain_male_dancing
We also might talk about equipment. Big equipment will almost always make men cry. Check out the following article:
http://blog.tvfr.com/2010/08/27/firefighters-in-king-city-help-make-a-dream-come-true-for-4-year-old-cooper-albright/?wpmp_switcher=mobile
If you see a group of guys with a newspaper in hand and all of them are crying, chances are we reading an article about a young man with his sights set on big equipment. Would you hold it against a man for crying at such a touching article?
That is it for the day off to get in touch with my inner parenting because yes roles do reverse and I am now my Mom's parent. May this be a great day of all of you!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer Helen Caldicott.
Here is a new rule for the Who Am I of the day, if you had never heard of the before don't feel bad because most likely I've not heard of them either. Instead feel good that you have the research skills to answer the question!
Today's Woman In History That Most of Have Never Heard of:
I was born in 1952 and am now an Illustrator and Children's book author. My dad was a pharmacist, and Mom was an illustrator. I graduated from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. My first job in New York was as a paste-up artist and designer. I later worked as a book designer. After a sting doing illustrations for Xerox Education Publications at the age of twenty-three I started my own business devoting my time to illustration. Continuing my illustration work decided to try My hand at writing. My writings were said to have perspectives and points of departure that encouraged active thinking about ecology. I am currently residing in New York, continuing to work on writing and illustrating my books. If you don't know who I am by now try answering the question WHO'S SICK TODAY of find A RIVER RAN WILD and then you will be able to answer the question, Who Am I?
Today is guy talk. Want to know what we talk about when women aren't around? Women and Sports. My circle of friends never are demeaning to women because if a sexist comment comes one of the other guys will point out the errors of their ways. We also talk jobs, family, and what to get the wife or girl friend for their birthday or what to get them to get out of the dog house. Couches are really not all that good to sleep on. We also might talk about articles like I am sharing today.
We could talk about the following article:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100909/od_nm/us_fathers_shelter_odd
Most of us would say we don't need no stinking shelter, come on guys suck it up and get over it and move on. What would you say about the article?
After reading the following article a lot of us would get right up and try to bust a move. Our goal would be to make John Travolta jealous. After a few minutes of busting moves we would end up putting Ben Gay on all our muscles and come to the stark reality we aren't going to attract women with our dancing. We are just going to have to rely on our charming personalities and references from our Moms & Parole officers. What attracts you? Should we put on our white outfit and make fools of ourselves on the dance floor or should we just approach it differently?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100909/ap_on_sc/eu_britain_male_dancing
We also might talk about equipment. Big equipment will almost always make men cry. Check out the following article:
http://blog.tvfr.com/2010/08/27/firefighters-in-king-city-help-make-a-dream-come-true-for-4-year-old-cooper-albright/?wpmp_switcher=mobile
If you see a group of guys with a newspaper in hand and all of them are crying, chances are we reading an article about a young man with his sights set on big equipment. Would you hold it against a man for crying at such a touching article?
That is it for the day off to get in touch with my inner parenting because yes roles do reverse and I am now my Mom's parent. May this be a great day of all of you!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer Helen Caldicott.
Here is a new rule for the Who Am I of the day, if you had never heard of the before don't feel bad because most likely I've not heard of them either. Instead feel good that you have the research skills to answer the question!
Today's Woman In History That Most of Have Never Heard of:
I was born in 1952 and am now an Illustrator and Children's book author. My dad was a pharmacist, and Mom was an illustrator. I graduated from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. My first job in New York was as a paste-up artist and designer. I later worked as a book designer. After a sting doing illustrations for Xerox Education Publications at the age of twenty-three I started my own business devoting my time to illustration. Continuing my illustration work decided to try My hand at writing. My writings were said to have perspectives and points of departure that encouraged active thinking about ecology. I am currently residing in New York, continuing to work on writing and illustrating my books. If you don't know who I am by now try answering the question WHO'S SICK TODAY of find A RIVER RAN WILD and then you will be able to answer the question, Who Am I?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
It's All Good.
Been going strong since yesterday. The football party was last night and I didn't get home until a little after ten. This morning I was up before five to head over to Mom's to spend the day. After posting this I am heading over to Mom's this morning and will be there before I head out to the company picnic. The picnic is from two-thirty to four-thirty. Of course I will make and set out Mom's and the caregiver's dinner before I head to the picnic. After the picnic I will either head home or stop by Mom's depending on how Mom is feeling. Being so busy I decided what I need was to remember the good. To share the good. That means all of today's articles are good. It's all good today.
I never have liked the phrase, "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished." In fact I think just the opposite, that good deeds are contagious. That is what happened with the first good deed in the following article:
http://www.gnn.com/article/93-dollar-club-raises-100000-for-second/1255483?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk3%7C169167
What do you think of the article? Have you ever helped a stranger? When you did, did it lead to another good deed? I've helped many strangers and it has almost always lead to more good deeds. I love the above article because the person originally helped paid it back with a bonus.
Speaking of strangers helping strangers what about strangers helping a ninety year old veteran celebrate his ninetieth? I love the following article on so many levels. It makes me smile.
http://www.urlesque.com/2010/09/07/followup-operation-birthday-boy-william-lashua/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%7C169208
Does the article make you smile?
The final good story of the day it is about a company giving back:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100908/ap_on_he_me/us_j_j_un_donation
The story would go from good to great if American women and children were included in the donation but I applaud the company for the effort they are making.
What's good in your life today?
Off to Mom's, I will respond to comments tonight when I get home. I also apologize for how poorly today's entry is written, I just don't have the time to edit it today!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Mollie Beattie.
DR found a quote that Mollie had said, here it is, "I've always worked hard never to allow my lifestyle to rise to the level of my income or my expectations of my career to be one of an endlessly ascending trajectory. I've worked very hard on those two things so I'm always free to go, because I know where my lines are. If you have to put it on the line, you have to put it on the line. There's a place past which it isn't worth it."
Love the quote.
TODAY'S WHO AM I?
I am an Australian physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate who has founded several associations dedicated to opposing the use of depleted uranium munitions, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons proliferation, war and military action in general who was born in 1938. I received my medical degree at age twenty-three and later joined the staff of the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, and taught pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Following the Three Mile Island nuclear accident I left my medical career in order to concentrate on calling the world's attention to what I refer to as the "insanity" of the nuclear arms race and the growing reliance on nuclear power. I founded the Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) which was later renamed Women's Action for New Directions. For my work I received the Humanist of the Year award from the American Humanist Association. I also founded the Nuclear Policy Research Institute, headquartered in Washington, DC. A 2004 documentary film by my niece provides a look into my life. I have been awarded 20 honorary doctoral degrees and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I was awarded the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom and The Australian Peace Prize. IF YOU LOVE THIS PLANET, you should be able to answer the question, Who Am I?
I never have liked the phrase, "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished." In fact I think just the opposite, that good deeds are contagious. That is what happened with the first good deed in the following article:
http://www.gnn.com/article/93-dollar-club-raises-100000-for-second/1255483?icid=main%7Chtmlws-sb-n%7Cdl1%7Csec3_lnk3%7C169167
What do you think of the article? Have you ever helped a stranger? When you did, did it lead to another good deed? I've helped many strangers and it has almost always lead to more good deeds. I love the above article because the person originally helped paid it back with a bonus.
Speaking of strangers helping strangers what about strangers helping a ninety year old veteran celebrate his ninetieth? I love the following article on so many levels. It makes me smile.
http://www.urlesque.com/2010/09/07/followup-operation-birthday-boy-william-lashua/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl8%7Csec1_lnk3%7C169208
Does the article make you smile?
The final good story of the day it is about a company giving back:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100908/ap_on_he_me/us_j_j_un_donation
The story would go from good to great if American women and children were included in the donation but I applaud the company for the effort they are making.
What's good in your life today?
Off to Mom's, I will respond to comments tonight when I get home. I also apologize for how poorly today's entry is written, I just don't have the time to edit it today!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Mollie Beattie.
DR found a quote that Mollie had said, here it is, "I've always worked hard never to allow my lifestyle to rise to the level of my income or my expectations of my career to be one of an endlessly ascending trajectory. I've worked very hard on those two things so I'm always free to go, because I know where my lines are. If you have to put it on the line, you have to put it on the line. There's a place past which it isn't worth it."
Love the quote.
TODAY'S WHO AM I?
I am an Australian physician, author, and anti-nuclear advocate who has founded several associations dedicated to opposing the use of depleted uranium munitions, nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons proliferation, war and military action in general who was born in 1938. I received my medical degree at age twenty-three and later joined the staff of the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, and taught pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Following the Three Mile Island nuclear accident I left my medical career in order to concentrate on calling the world's attention to what I refer to as the "insanity" of the nuclear arms race and the growing reliance on nuclear power. I founded the Women's Action for Nuclear Disarmament (WAND) which was later renamed Women's Action for New Directions. For my work I received the Humanist of the Year award from the American Humanist Association. I also founded the Nuclear Policy Research Institute, headquartered in Washington, DC. A 2004 documentary film by my niece provides a look into my life. I have been awarded 20 honorary doctoral degrees and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I was awarded the Lannan Foundation Prize for Cultural Freedom and The Australian Peace Prize. IF YOU LOVE THIS PLANET, you should be able to answer the question, Who Am I?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Potpourri.
Wanted to remind you guys to check out the comments from Monday, Dona added one for DR and Mary added one for Dona.
Miscellaenous stuff today. I am calling it potpourri. First up, does money make people happy? The first reaction all of us will have to that question is no. The following article would disagree with us?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_sc/us_sci_money_can_buy_happiness
I don't think being rich would make me happy but if I had enough money so that there weren't any limitations in my life that would most likely make me happy. But if I was filthy rich I'd probably give most of it away. How about you does money make you happy?
What would you want to see if you visited Germany? The beautiful outdoors? Well here is a guided tour you may be interested in:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100903/od_nm/us_toilet_tours_odd
So when you visit Germany is the above tour going to be number one on your list of tours to take?
I am a fan of lists. I love a good lists. The following would qualify as a good list:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/09/03/what-to-do-with-mason-jars-projects/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk1%7C168421
Are you getting rid of hand soap now? Any things that you want to add to the jar list?
I'm at Mom's today so may not respond to comments until tonight. I also have to return the chafing dishes and other stuff to the caterers today. Will report on the party later this week. Probably will report on both the guy party and the company picnic on the same day. May this be a great day for all of you!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer, Lillian Wald.
I was born in 1947 and died in 1996. I was an American conservationist who graduated degree in philosophy and had two master's degrees, one in forestry and on in public administration. My Harvard education led me to a position I oversaw the successful reintroduction of the gray wolf into northern Rocky Mountains. Conservationists immediately embraced my appointment to that position as the ultimate victory. My grandmother was a self-educated botanist and landscape artist who knew every tree by its Latin name. I said of grandmother "Her wackiness intrigued me as a kid, she seemed a little freer than everybody else." My grandmother would be seen outside in her nightgown at 5 a.m. toting her 4-10 shotgun in search of opossums disturbing her garden. My Mom also has a fiercely independent streak and devotion to nature. As a young girl I would catch mice in the winter and make them a home in an aquarium, feeding them hamster food. In spring, when food was more plentiful, I would release them. Heading an agency was not easy for me. A few months after my arrival in D.C. I was quoted as saying "My hardest adjustment was the lack of darkness at night, living in a place that's never quiet. The confinement of it. I'm used to absolutely unadulterated privacy. That's hard. It's a real loss that I can't just wander off into the woods." During my watch at the Fish and Wildlife Service, another 15 wildlife refuges were added, more than 100 conservation habitat plans were agreed on between landowners and the government, and the gray wolf was reintroduced into the Northern Rockies. There was no television in my house, and in the living room hung a painting of a woman standing with her hand on an oak tree. The woman is depicted speaking, but instead of words, oak leaves are coming out of her mouth. The picture was titled "A Woman Who Speaks Trees." I served as the first woman director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Who Am I?
Miscellaenous stuff today. I am calling it potpourri. First up, does money make people happy? The first reaction all of us will have to that question is no. The following article would disagree with us?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_sc/us_sci_money_can_buy_happiness
I don't think being rich would make me happy but if I had enough money so that there weren't any limitations in my life that would most likely make me happy. But if I was filthy rich I'd probably give most of it away. How about you does money make you happy?
What would you want to see if you visited Germany? The beautiful outdoors? Well here is a guided tour you may be interested in:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100903/od_nm/us_toilet_tours_odd
So when you visit Germany is the above tour going to be number one on your list of tours to take?
I am a fan of lists. I love a good lists. The following would qualify as a good list:
http://www.shelterpop.com/2010/09/03/what-to-do-with-mason-jars-projects/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk1%7C168421
Are you getting rid of hand soap now? Any things that you want to add to the jar list?
I'm at Mom's today so may not respond to comments until tonight. I also have to return the chafing dishes and other stuff to the caterers today. Will report on the party later this week. Probably will report on both the guy party and the company picnic on the same day. May this be a great day for all of you!
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer, Lillian Wald.
I was born in 1947 and died in 1996. I was an American conservationist who graduated degree in philosophy and had two master's degrees, one in forestry and on in public administration. My Harvard education led me to a position I oversaw the successful reintroduction of the gray wolf into northern Rocky Mountains. Conservationists immediately embraced my appointment to that position as the ultimate victory. My grandmother was a self-educated botanist and landscape artist who knew every tree by its Latin name. I said of grandmother "Her wackiness intrigued me as a kid, she seemed a little freer than everybody else." My grandmother would be seen outside in her nightgown at 5 a.m. toting her 4-10 shotgun in search of opossums disturbing her garden. My Mom also has a fiercely independent streak and devotion to nature. As a young girl I would catch mice in the winter and make them a home in an aquarium, feeding them hamster food. In spring, when food was more plentiful, I would release them. Heading an agency was not easy for me. A few months after my arrival in D.C. I was quoted as saying "My hardest adjustment was the lack of darkness at night, living in a place that's never quiet. The confinement of it. I'm used to absolutely unadulterated privacy. That's hard. It's a real loss that I can't just wander off into the woods." During my watch at the Fish and Wildlife Service, another 15 wildlife refuges were added, more than 100 conservation habitat plans were agreed on between landowners and the government, and the gray wolf was reintroduced into the Northern Rockies. There was no television in my house, and in the living room hung a painting of a woman standing with her hand on an oak tree. The woman is depicted speaking, but instead of words, oak leaves are coming out of her mouth. The picture was titled "A Woman Who Speaks Trees." I served as the first woman director of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Who Am I?
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
The Good:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100901/ap_on_he_me/us_med_tb_test
I am really excited by the above article. It looks like TB can be diagnosed quickly and correctly and then just as quickly treated. What do you think of the test?
The Bad:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_he_me/us_med_healthbeat_blood_pressure
I'm disappointed in the above article that the hormone test isn't going to used anytime soon when it could do so many people so much good. I do, however, think the above article is a reminder for us to take our meds to our next doctor's appointment and then review all are medications with him or her. What is reaction to the article?
The Ugly:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/02/brain-exercises-may-speed-up-dementia-in-old-age/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk3%7C168135
The above article is disturbing in many ways and it seems to go against all the prior research about dementia. I'm coming down on the side that I think the above article is bull and I'm going with the previous research over this one. What are you going with?
That is all for today. A short day today because I'm taking Mom to lunch and then I have the guy party tonight. I will be out of touch from about four to ten tonight at the party and then will go directly to Mom's from the party to spend the night. One freaking busy day! Hope this is a good day for you.
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Alice Waters.
I was born in 1867 and died in 1940. I was a nurse; social worker; public health official; teacher; author; editor; publisher; activist for peace, women's, children's and civil rights; and the founder of American community nursing. I was born into a comfortable family, my dad was an optical dealer and my mom was a housewife. I attended an English-French Boarding and Day School for Young Ladies. After graduation I tried to enter Vassar College was denied for being to young at age sixteen. I then went to a training school for nurses and then took course at a Woman's Medical College. After working at an orphanage where children were kept and conditions were poor I started to teach a home class on nursing for poor immigrant families. Not long after I became a visiting nurse. I worked in this area for forty years. During the time there I authored two books. Not content to improve people's heaalth I taught women how to cook and sew, provided recreational activities for families, and got involved in the labor movement. Out of her concern for women's working conditions I helped to found the Women's Trade Union League. I lobbied against child labor laws, to allow all children to attend school. Another of my concerns was the treatment of African-Americans. As a civil rights activist I insisted that all classes that I taught be racially integrated. An advocate for women's suffrage and for peace I organized New York City campaigns for suffrage, marched to protest the United States’ entry into World War I, joined the Women's Peace Party and helped establish the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. The New York Times once named me as one of the twelve greatest living American women and I later received the Lincoln Medallion for my work. I never married. I died in 1940 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of seventy-three. A few months after my death twenty-five hundred people filled Carnegie Hall to hear statements from the president, governor, mayor, and others testifying to my ability to bring people together and effect change. If you don't know who I am by now you should probably visit THE HOUSE ON HENRY STREET and then answer the question, Who Am I?
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100901/ap_on_he_me/us_med_tb_test
I am really excited by the above article. It looks like TB can be diagnosed quickly and correctly and then just as quickly treated. What do you think of the test?
The Bad:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100906/ap_on_he_me/us_med_healthbeat_blood_pressure
I'm disappointed in the above article that the hormone test isn't going to used anytime soon when it could do so many people so much good. I do, however, think the above article is a reminder for us to take our meds to our next doctor's appointment and then review all are medications with him or her. What is reaction to the article?
The Ugly:
http://www.aolhealth.com/2010/09/02/brain-exercises-may-speed-up-dementia-in-old-age/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl3%7Csec3_lnk3%7C168135
The above article is disturbing in many ways and it seems to go against all the prior research about dementia. I'm coming down on the side that I think the above article is bull and I'm going with the previous research over this one. What are you going with?
That is all for today. A short day today because I'm taking Mom to lunch and then I have the guy party tonight. I will be out of touch from about four to ten tonight at the party and then will go directly to Mom's from the party to spend the night. One freaking busy day! Hope this is a good day for you.
WHO AM I? Yesterday's answer was Alice Waters.
I was born in 1867 and died in 1940. I was a nurse; social worker; public health official; teacher; author; editor; publisher; activist for peace, women's, children's and civil rights; and the founder of American community nursing. I was born into a comfortable family, my dad was an optical dealer and my mom was a housewife. I attended an English-French Boarding and Day School for Young Ladies. After graduation I tried to enter Vassar College was denied for being to young at age sixteen. I then went to a training school for nurses and then took course at a Woman's Medical College. After working at an orphanage where children were kept and conditions were poor I started to teach a home class on nursing for poor immigrant families. Not long after I became a visiting nurse. I worked in this area for forty years. During the time there I authored two books. Not content to improve people's heaalth I taught women how to cook and sew, provided recreational activities for families, and got involved in the labor movement. Out of her concern for women's working conditions I helped to found the Women's Trade Union League. I lobbied against child labor laws, to allow all children to attend school. Another of my concerns was the treatment of African-Americans. As a civil rights activist I insisted that all classes that I taught be racially integrated. An advocate for women's suffrage and for peace I organized New York City campaigns for suffrage, marched to protest the United States’ entry into World War I, joined the Women's Peace Party and helped establish the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. The New York Times once named me as one of the twelve greatest living American women and I later received the Lincoln Medallion for my work. I never married. I died in 1940 of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of seventy-three. A few months after my death twenty-five hundred people filled Carnegie Hall to hear statements from the president, governor, mayor, and others testifying to my ability to bring people together and effect change. If you don't know who I am by now you should probably visit THE HOUSE ON HENRY STREET and then answer the question, Who Am I?
Monday, September 6, 2010
Update Cotinues & Off The Shelf Items.
Just some cleanup items from yesterday and a couple of off the shelf articles I've been holding for a while. I want to thank Dona for giving me things to write about today and also sharing some pictures of absolutely beautiful quilts that she made. So man talented folks read this blogs.
When Dona shared with us she was taking Zumba Classes there was a question, what is Zumba? Here is a video on You Tube that answers that question. It is nine minutes long and fun to watch but if you don't have that much time you will get an idea what it is half way through it. Everyone that I know that takes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BILiNvLA-lo&feature=related
Here is what Dona had to say about the quilts:
"The Blue Jean Rag Quilt is the first quilt I ever attempted. I made it for my first Grandson. I had saved all my maternity clothes and all of my only son's baby clothes. So this is made up of all my maternity jeans/my sons jeans/ and some jeans from my dad. The back side is Yellow Flannel from all the blankets I saved from when my son was a baby.
The second quilt and the one I finished a couple weeks back, was for my Daughter-in- law. She asked me to make her 12 year old one similar to the Jeans Quilt. She had several saved T-Shirts she wanted incorporated into it especially for the wording and the memories. The 12 year old is a boy and into Army colors or camouflage, so she wanted the backing of this color. This was hard. I took this one apart and resewed it a million times. I had no idea of what I was getting into. It was a total trial and error quilt and I didn't have the time or T-Shirts to make too many errors. Little did I know that T-Shirt material wasn't good for Ragging of a Rag quilt. But I did the best I could do. He loved it."
The amazing art work of Dona follows, you can click on the picture to enlarge it:
Now the off the shelf articles. I'm probably one of the few men that love the first article and think it is about time. I've never understood why it was so traumatic for men when women made more than they did. Seems selfish to me. The second artilc just boggles the mind, what is so offensive about the word boobs?
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/careers/young-single-women-earn-more-than-men/19616664/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk1%7C167920
http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/01/school-objects-to-i-love-boobies-bracelets/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk2%7C168273
As always your comments about anything posted today or any day are greatly appreciated.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1944 and could crush those weak contestants on Top Chef. I really should be on Top Chef Masters but I would win hands down. I graduated from Hippie U after transferring from Santa Barbara and received a degree in French Cultural Studies. During college I studied in France, where I learned to love the preparing and enjoying fresh, seasonal foods. I brought this style of cooking and eating back to California where I popularized the concept of market-fresh cooking with the local products. At age twenty-seven I opened my first restaurant which has become one of the most renowned restaurants in the world, consistently ranking as one of the world's fifty best restaurants. My restaurant was named for my favorite character in a trilogy of Marcel Pagnol films. I have been called the Mother of American food and have been cited as the most influential person in food in the past fity years. Besides cooking I have authored several books and am one of the most well-known food activists around the world. During college I worked on the congressional campaign of a man that was the icon of anti-Vietnam War politics. I was named Best Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation and was the first woman to win this award. I also won the lifetime achievement award given by the S. Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants association. I was the third recipient of the annual award, and am the only female winner in the award’s history. In celebration of my restaurant’s 25th anniversary I founded a Foundation whose mission is to transform public education by using food to teach, nurture, and empower young people. I was married to a French Filmmaker and to an Italian Olive Oil importer. I have one daughter. If you don't know who I am by now maybe you should read THE ART OF SIMPLE FOOD and then answer the questions, Who Am I?
When Dona shared with us she was taking Zumba Classes there was a question, what is Zumba? Here is a video on You Tube that answers that question. It is nine minutes long and fun to watch but if you don't have that much time you will get an idea what it is half way through it. Everyone that I know that takes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BILiNvLA-lo&feature=related
Here is what Dona had to say about the quilts:
"The Blue Jean Rag Quilt is the first quilt I ever attempted. I made it for my first Grandson. I had saved all my maternity clothes and all of my only son's baby clothes. So this is made up of all my maternity jeans/my sons jeans/ and some jeans from my dad. The back side is Yellow Flannel from all the blankets I saved from when my son was a baby.
The second quilt and the one I finished a couple weeks back, was for my Daughter-in- law. She asked me to make her 12 year old one similar to the Jeans Quilt. She had several saved T-Shirts she wanted incorporated into it especially for the wording and the memories. The 12 year old is a boy and into Army colors or camouflage, so she wanted the backing of this color. This was hard. I took this one apart and resewed it a million times. I had no idea of what I was getting into. It was a total trial and error quilt and I didn't have the time or T-Shirts to make too many errors. Little did I know that T-Shirt material wasn't good for Ragging of a Rag quilt. But I did the best I could do. He loved it."
The amazing art work of Dona follows, you can click on the picture to enlarge it:
Now the off the shelf articles. I'm probably one of the few men that love the first article and think it is about time. I've never understood why it was so traumatic for men when women made more than they did. Seems selfish to me. The second artilc just boggles the mind, what is so offensive about the word boobs?
http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/careers/young-single-women-earn-more-than-men/19616664/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk1%7C167920
http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/01/school-objects-to-i-love-boobies-bracelets/?icid=main%7Chtmlws-main-n%7Cdl5%7Csec3_lnk2%7C168273
As always your comments about anything posted today or any day are greatly appreciated.
WHO AM I?
I was born in 1944 and could crush those weak contestants on Top Chef. I really should be on Top Chef Masters but I would win hands down. I graduated from Hippie U after transferring from Santa Barbara and received a degree in French Cultural Studies. During college I studied in France, where I learned to love the preparing and enjoying fresh, seasonal foods. I brought this style of cooking and eating back to California where I popularized the concept of market-fresh cooking with the local products. At age twenty-seven I opened my first restaurant which has become one of the most renowned restaurants in the world, consistently ranking as one of the world's fifty best restaurants. My restaurant was named for my favorite character in a trilogy of Marcel Pagnol films. I have been called the Mother of American food and have been cited as the most influential person in food in the past fity years. Besides cooking I have authored several books and am one of the most well-known food activists around the world. During college I worked on the congressional campaign of a man that was the icon of anti-Vietnam War politics. I was named Best Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation and was the first woman to win this award. I also won the lifetime achievement award given by the S. Pellegrino 50 Best Restaurants association. I was the third recipient of the annual award, and am the only female winner in the award’s history. In celebration of my restaurant’s 25th anniversary I founded a Foundation whose mission is to transform public education by using food to teach, nurture, and empower young people. I was married to a French Filmmaker and to an Italian Olive Oil importer. I have one daughter. If you don't know who I am by now maybe you should read THE ART OF SIMPLE FOOD and then answer the questions, Who Am I?
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