Needle in a New Groove [NIANG]

A Quick Note About People Confusing Opinion with Facts and the Real World.

2012-01-26T17:40:00.000-05:00

A Quick Note About People Confusing Opinion with Facts and the Real World.

Speaking to one of the residents here said, "Warren Buffet just wants his name in the paper." I burst out laughing.
I think I have a grasp of why people vote against their interests. But this? I refuse to waste time on this guy's views. Rude as I think I was, he didn't seem to notice or care.
I'm sure I'll see him tonight, and I'll point out that Obama pays more taxes than he has to.

I hope to catch up, let everyone know what's going on with me. I've got so many posts written, I only have to transcribe them. Dragon is not working, so I need a new disk.
The new format will slow things down until I get used to it.
Missing all my virtual friends. I'm not elitist, but I need an infusion of clever wit, creativity and intelligence you all share with me. I NEVER take any of you for granted.

Blue Kuan

2011-12-11T02:02:00.001-05:00

Juan yiin

2011-12-11T01:58:00.001-05:00

Testing

Heat Photo

2011-12-11T01:46:00.001-05:00

Changes Related to Google Buzz and Reader

2011-12-10T16:32:00.000-05:00

PEOPLE FOLLOWING MY READER OR BUZZ: B/C CHANGES ARE HERE, SUCH AS BUZZ IS GONE, YOU MAY GO TO MY BLOGS. MOST OF MY SITES ARE LISTED ON MY BLOG. WHEN I CAN, I WILL ENSURE THEY ARE ALL LISTED ON MY BLOG. SIGN IN AS ANONYMOUS IF YOU NEED TO. THE MOST UPDATED POST SNIPPET IS LISTED WITH MY BLOG ROLL--THERE ARE TWO. I KNOW SOME OF YOU ARE LIVING UNDER REPRESSIVE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND IF I CAN HELP YOU COMMUNICATE, COME TO ANY OF MY BLOGS, FACEBOOK OR TWITTER. ALSO NOTICE MY CELL NUMBER ON MY BLOGS. SEND TEXTS TO THAT NUMBER AND I'LL GET IT. I WILL POST NOTICES ON THE LEFT ONCE I MAKE THE CHANGES. LEAVE SUGGESTIONS ON MY BLOG, OR GO TO GOOGLE+. Sweet tides, and may your higher self succeed.

PRICELESS IMAGE WORTHY OF SCOTUS

2011-12-07T23:29:00.001-05:00

I have posts ready to type up, but Chazz came across this perfect sign:

How To Save a Life

2011-12-01T18:18:00.000-05:00

Black man. White murder victims. No physical evidence. Sentenced to death despite massive doubts.Sound familiar?

This is Reggie Clemons. Like Troy Davis before him, Reggie has been in prison for 20 years, waiting for his home state to end his life.

Will you write a letter to save a life? Sign up now to Write for Rights!Rally for Reggie during Amnesty International's Write for Rights Global Write-a-thon. Don't wait - this event begins on Saturday, Dec. 3, less than a week from now.

Yes, I'll pledge to write a letter for Reggie and for other urgent cases! Sign me up - and count my letters toward your 250,000 letter goal.

Read Reggie's story and other priority cases by clicking on the link. The above is quoted from a mailing from Amnesty International. Every letter helps, and to become a member, you can pay as little as you want. You don't have to be a member to receive mailings and to write letters.
http://www.kintera.org/TR.asp?a=uwK2JaMWIiJVJoL&s=adJJLNOiG3LILUNtEpF&m=cnLLIUPyFeKDKWK

Chillcrust Valley: Home of Short-Term Thinkers

2011-11-17T10:59:00.001-05:00

At Chillcrust Valley, we are allowed to smoke. Supervised smokers can only go out at specified times, and even though they should get 30 minutes, they barely get time to smoke two cigarettes. Independents like me can smoke officially between 9am and 2 pm.
The keys to get out to the Gazebo and smoking area are placed on a thick, long stick. There is also one that's shorter. Both have a lighter on one end, and the key on another.
The problem with the key is that someone is always taking it. Because management doesn't know how to deal with the problem, stealing the key compounds the problem, and lends a filthy smell of bad faith (which is fairly frequent around here.)
Maintenance staff usually have the key. It was after hours, but we found out that the Artist Known As Leimeister, a very talented painter, was still here. He was paged, and while my friend went to meet him at the access door, I finished talking to a staff member about what possibilities we could set up for the rest of the night, because the next day is The Great American Smoke Out, and I wanted to get my last cigarettes in. That particular staff person had no idea, except to page him, something the nurses wouldn't do.
So I joined my friend, who was already outside.
I said, "What did Leimeister say?"
"Nothing. He let me out."
"And what about tonight?"
"What about it?"
"Did you make arrangements for tonight," meaning, did he explain to Lee that he had the only key.
He looked puzzled.
I said, "You are a Republican, aren't you?
After a pause, I made clear that I wasn't talking about politics. I wanted to know if he had a party affiliation, that he was Republican.
"Why? How did you know?"
Now this is something I've learned from reading conservatives, and writing in Neo-Cons when only one person identified himself that way.
How did I know he was Republican?
Short-term thinking.
My friend the Republican should have made some kind of arrangement with the Last Key-Holder. Instead, he though about that cigarette and his need for it, and forgot others would need the key, or that he would need the key.

A Surprising Idea About Knowledge of Christ.

2011-11-14T02:39:00.000-05:00

How many Christians, especially Catholics or Anti-Semites, realize that Jesus Christ was Jewish?
I mentioned this to a student while he was hanging out with some friends. They all said they would "check with Father Bruno."
Father Bruno was a Cuban Priest, one who "relocated" to Mexico sometime in the 1970's.. I practiced my Spanish and German with him.
This lack of awareness is not limited to Mexico. In fact, I see it with some regularity here in the United States.
German anti-semites think McDonald's was started by a Jew, one who chops and grinds up corpses, to serve them as hamburgers.

This ignorance or unwillingness to make this fact clear, I find, is quite disturbing.

Elmer Fudd Day on Google and No One Told Me?

2011-10-25T23:46:00.001-04:00

Any search I've done tonight has the following:

Show mowe wesuwts fwom:

followed by whatever source had multiple listings. It's as if it's in the voice of Elmer Fudd, who sings "Kill the Wabbit, Kill the Wabbit." I like to point out to people that 'wabbit' is a real word. Commonly used by the British, when the "Iron Maiden" (Maggie Thatcher) retired and asked how she felt, she said, "A bit wabbit," meaning tired.
The difference here is that both the letters 'r' and 'l' are replaced by 'w'.
I'm sure everyone knows what's going on but me, so if anyone has an answer, please let me know.

The New Pollution: A New State of Consciousness Is Coming

2011-10-16T14:03:00.000-04:00

I wrote this and a few other posts before the occupations around the world began. I am absolutely delighted as recent developments unfold. The media claims there really isn't a political movement, that it is a social movement. This is a wise move on the part of the protesters. This IS a socio-political movement, much like the Tea Party. The exception is that the Tea Party is "carrying the water for the very people exploiting them." The Tea Party, once elected to Congress, showed they don't have a clue about true leadership and the making of laws.

I'm grateful for the protesters who are out there at great risk to themselves. I've been trained in civil disobedience, and right now I can't partake in that.

So I'm redacting the original post, b/c this movement has changed the endgame. The post started with this:

When will this end? Maybe 2012, which will not bring Doomsday in the form many expect.
The House tells the majority of Americans to "Piss Off". The decision by SCOTUS on Citizens United may as well have said, "No Money, No Job, No Good."

Obviously, the game is changing, and talking about Congressional action, (if you can find any) seems like a lot of nothing.

As I said, I'm grateful for the protesters that are out there. On Wall Street, which is the Home of Freedom of Speech, when it was under Dutch Rule, the protesters are pitching tents. They've already promised to return in the Spring with grass seed.

The response from the so-called Masters of the Universe? "The 1% doesn't care." (displayed in a window.) If they are so smart, they should remember how the French Revolution started. Perhaps they wouldn't be so cocky.

to be cont.

Maybe This Time ..

2011-10-11T21:42:00.004-04:00

This will post. I am writing daily. We are in quarantine, but this must be one of the silliest attempts at controlling a small population. There is plenty to write about. Setting up a decent work environment, proper equipment and a totally sterile, everything in its proper place are conflicting goals. Since visitors see my room before any others, the administration insists on neatness. I should have told them from the start.

I AM A WRITER. I ONLY CLEAN WHEN I'M THINKING THROUGH SOMETHING OR I AM PROCRASTINATING.

So while I'm waiting for my desk to be fixed, I found myself an extra curtain. Now I can save those poor suffering visitors that are so offended because my bed is made, but there are papers on it, and this constitutes a mess. I will simply retreat behind my curtains and every one will be happy!

P.S. The point was to see if Blogger on my phone works, and it does! Once again, I'm trying Blogger-droid (I think? and can't get through. I will give it another chance. The rest of the stuff is true.
to be cont.

Hells Angels Provide Breaking News?

2011-09-24T23:42:00.001-04:00

I saw this on Facebook from Welcome to Planet WTF? The quote has the original link.

BREAKING NEWS: Hells Angels President Killed in Gun Fight
www.8newsnow.com
Police in Nevada say the man killed in a gun battle between two rival motorcycle gangs at a hotel-casino in Sparks was the president of the San Jose chapter of the Hells Angels.

We've had Hells Angels around forever. So why all the attention now? They murdered and buried three people. One of the victims--wrong time, wrong place. Since when has the media given them so much press? And why? It's like saying "The Latin Kings are going after the Crips." Gang news used to be covered in public restrooms. It's "It's Breaking News?"

Now Gang News makes the front page. WHY?? 24/7 NEWS ATTENTION CAN'T FIND SOMETHING ELSE? What about African politics? Shouldn't someone do some more international news. After all, what about Mugabe, whose personal hero is Hitler???

I'm just sayin'..........IMHO

WHAT CLASS WARFARE?

2011-09-24T20:34:00.000-04:00

A review of the movie Clap on Netflix:

Clap DVD(2005) NR
Filled with street tales from a variety of artists -- including Camron from the Diplomats, Young Buc from G-Unit, Maino from Hustle Hard, J-Hood from D-Block, Ice-T, Cyssero, Jojo Capone and Pisstol Pete -- this hard-knocks collection of clips also reviews the five essential codes to survival in the 'hood. Sure, you might live in the safety of suburbia … but that doesn't mean you can't see how the other half lives.
Genre:
Music, Urban & Dance, Rap & Hip-Hop
Availability:

DVD

ENO IS GOD: "Dead Finks Don't Talk"

2011-08-15T07:02:00.002-04:00

I have been looking for this song for much longer than necessary. We have the album, "Here Come the Warm Jets," and there are a few reasons I had to find this. [the albums hiding out in a storage facility."

First, about Brian Eno. I wrote Eno is God, b/c when I went to NYU, in the middle of Washington Square Park, someone had spray painted it on a crosswalk. I want to do a post on the brilliance of Eno, but for now just a few facts for those unfamiliar:

Were it not for Brian Eno, we would not have the Talking Heads, U2, 801, and so many other bands. He has played with the greatest, including extensive work with David Bowie and David Byrne. He was the first to use a typewriter on a Moog. And when he broke his leg, he was the first to use continuous loop. He put on Pachobel's Canon, and as a result, he wrote three variations, along with an original composition, all contained on the album Discrete Music.

You've probably heard Eno, and you aren't aware of it. He's written albums like Music for Film, Music for Airports, and one of his works was used for the original miracle of birth movie, where you see the fetus developing.

Given all this, Brian Eno is primarily a rocker, and don't forget it. Like most iconoclasts, he has a very unique path that he's taken. He's very good at defying labels and pigeonholes, so to say that he is a rocker alone is not sufficient.

I recently read an interview with him on Creativity, but this is all for now. I just had to get that song. Oh, the most important reason? A friend wrote 'headless chicken' and that reverberated throughout my brain, and I just had to track it down.

How Can Anyone Claim Life is Boring?

2011-08-11T00:18:00.002-04:00

One more update, and when I can, I will delete the first. On Sunday morning, I had a heart attack. Chazz was awake, and had me at the hospital in two minutes. I'm feeling so much better. I can't type right now, but as soon as I'm on my feet I will go into detail.
I hope every one is in good spirits, and have a loow pain time. Sweet tides, Linda

From NationofChange: "Tea-Bagged Boehner

2011-08-05T16:16:00.001-04:00

When I saw the title on this great rendition of "The Orange Man," I had quite a different picture in my mind. Take the original meaning of "Tea-Bagging" or "Tea-Bagged." Then, use the pronunciation that Weiner suggested he "embrace," and I think you can see what I saw when I read the title, before I saw the sketch. It's just too funny, in a raw way. http://www.nationofchange.org/tea-bagged-boehner-1312296439

Even funnier, after all that Kabuki Theatre, with Orange Man twisting and turning just to please the Tea Baggers, not a single one of them voted for this phony crisis. They know how to create conflict, but don't have a clue about governing and rule of law. Big surprise. And yet, look what damage has been done to the Market. (Longer post needs editing.)

About the Artist:
ABOUT STEPHEN PITT
Stephen Pitt is NationofChange's art director. Stephen is a southern California artist whose work focuses on matters political, social, and economic. In 2004 Stephen began drawing and painting political imagery to communicate his sincere displeasure with disturbing changes set in motion by ideologues acting in bad faith. With a background in figurative drawing and respect for color, Stephen traded the 6B pencil for a digital stylus and went to work. Published by the San Francisco Chronicle and Z Magazine, Stephen’s work has since been seen on Truthout and Firedoglake

The Eight Irresistible Principles of Fun

2011-08-05T15:48:00.000-04:00

Watch the videos afterwards. They are a hoot!

A Cool Find on Windows 7, and Some Good News

2011-08-05T12:07:00.000-04:00

ON TO THE COOL THING: I use Chromium, so there are a number of ways I can bookmark or otherwise tag a blog. Windows 7 will place the name of the blog on your START MENU. Well, it knows your default browswer, (that is, if Live doesn't steal your mail, and Bing continually pops up as your default search, and IE your browser.)

I just love the idea. Instead of bookmarks, I can have entire columns, and when in the mood to read them, I just jump from my Start Menu, and I'm there. That's cool to me.

As some of you know, I occasionally write goals and some of my failings onto a post that has little to do with the subject. But it's not entirely non-political. It's like having a Bill in the Senate that's for, say, naming a bridge after Ronald Reagan. Just to get the bill through (usually a more important Bill,) you'll find a certain Senator tack on, "Any state that begins with the letter "U" will no longer pay taxes."

How many states begin with the letter 'U' ? (I have found that people outside the U.S. know the states and their capitols better than most Americans.) First, it shouldn't take political junkies long to realize it was Orrin Hatch. Why do you think he and Teddie were such good friends? Hatch is FUNNY. And secondly, I swear to all that I am and know, IT'S A TRUE STORY. The Bill was more important, but he really put it in there!

So this post is sort of like the state of scribadiva. On a completely different matter: I've got well over 3000 bookmarks I've just recovered (YAY!) The hard part is I have a lot of blogs listed there that I promised to check out, and I will do my best. It will take a long time, but if I set a goal of two a day, I might get through them by the end of the year.

I'm still negligent and not very good at tagging, so if any boy has a notion, besides Wikipedia or its computer counterpart, please let me know.

Thanks to TimeThief for the importance of permalinks, or backtracking, all of which I briefly read about before, but neglected. I can think of a lot of sites that deserve it. Now I'm going to take her advice and use it.I just need to read more about it. I'm also looking at other social media outlets to see what would be a good fit for both politics/current events on this one, and disability, pain, medical advances and the law.

GREAT NEWS: I was whining about needing an intern, and after the surgeries, I'll be able to get one or two to begin with from one of the high schools, as long as they get credit for it, which I'm assured they will. In the high school I attended nearby, I took two years of independent study on China, from the very beginning to the "Gang of Four." I also took a year in Genetics, but mostly for horticulture.

MORE GOOD NEWS! have a partner! We are still working on details, and we both have other time constraints getting in the way. I have a few friends that want to learn about blogging, so I've set up 'scribadiva demo,' blog. I just have to let them know I'm ready to go!

N.B. Thank you for your birthday wishes. I didn't know I could use it as a Cause, and found out too late. My friends usually give me gifts during the year, and normally I do, too. I went to see my PCP, tell him I'm willing to go into a kind of nursing home--it rehab before surgery. I can't put this off; soon it will be too late. When he wrote my script, he noticed it was my birthday, and he gave me this cool piece of petrified wood that is as solid as stone. You can see the rings on it. It's Jasper stone, but I think there are Jasper trees in the South. I have to look it up today.

If I go to Pre-hab, I'm taking my computer: The phone and the NextBook will not do. No computer, no pre-hab. I told my doctor that's a deal-breaker.

I'm sure I'll delete this in a few days, at least the personal stuff. For at least 5 hours, I spent writing, and it will keep me in posts for at least a month. Add to that all the drafts I haven't finished on both blogs....so much to write, so little time.

Hope you are all having a great summer!

Michael Jackson Plays Edgar Allen Poe? From Wired

2011-07-30T22:10:00.004-04:00

Yes, this is what you get when publishing with Blogger-droid. Guess I'll try the other one available on the market.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

Destiny - Broowaha

2011-07-30T01:18:00.000-04:00

Destiny - Broowaha

American Association of Pain Medicine

2011-07-30T00:40:00.000-04:00

State by state legal regs involving opiods, you can get there from USPF, or go to http://tinyurl.com/3ldxm33

A Guide to State Opioid Prescribing Policies | Medscape

www.medscape.com

A Guide to State Opioid Prescribing Policies Too many rumors going around. Check your state for the real law. THIS LINK CAME FROM United States Pain Foundation on Facebook, or directly to their site.

Justice Department Investigates Bullying Against GLBT Teens

2011-07-28T19:41:00.007-04:00

CNN Presents produced a story on the pattern of abuse suffered by teens in Michelle Bachmann's District. This clip is an update from Lawrence O'Donnell's Show. The result has been a number of suicides, even of teens that weren't gay. The Justice Department is investigating the School Administration's laisse faire approach to this issue, which you would think would be their top priority. . The best part is Bachmann's "intellectual" dishonesty, where she is worried about First Amendment Rights. Apparently, no one told her about hate speech and crime being a federal offense!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Clearly, she hasn't an ounce of compassion for anyone. Her husband is an unlicensed therapist for "Pray Away the Gay," which he had admitted, albeit in the name of "what the patient wants." Maybe. Maybe not.

Michelle Bachmann claims to be a Constitutionalist. But she didn't read far enough to get to the 14th Amendment, Paragraph 4, which states that we can NOT ignore our bills; they must be paid. And yet, she doesn't want to raise the debt ceiling.

AS OF MIDNIGHT, IT IS A BACHMANN HOLIDAY ON FACEBOOK CAUSES. So Enjoy!

Meet the Secretary of Treasury Lil' Jon: Outta Your Mind

2011-07-05T20:01:00.008-04:00

this song has ADULT LANGUAGE.

Okay, maybe I'm a little angry, but this song is now my ringtone! I'm a little fed up. I'm posting this for another reason.
In this song, you can hear him repeat "What" an awful lot.

So Chazz and I were thinking: When Obama became President, we thought he would become the perfect head of the Treasury.

"Hey, I'm from Countrywide, we need $3 Billion."

"WHAT?"

"Forget them. We're from Goldman, Sachs. We need $25 Billion, and WE are too big to fail."

'WHAT?"

"TOO BIG TO FAIL!"

"WHAT?"

'Okay, who is really in charge here?"
In a very calm, reflective tone, Secretary of the Treasury Lil' Jon, first pauses, and then says:

"I am, and I reject your request not only on the basis of audacity, but also your complete lack of manners. How dare you ask for Corporate Welfare while you created the worst economic disaster since the Depression. You expect the American people, whom you defrauded, to pay you so you can defraud them again? In fact, you've stolen from the entire world, and thrown all of humanity into a depression based solely on your greed. Quite distasteful. You are a disgrace to the nation. " He turns to his aide, and says, "Call Security. Good Day, sir, and I use the term loosely."

Yes, Lil' Jon is very surprising. He doesn't only say, "What?" And I'm sure he'd give the money to, say, Stimulus Programs.

I know Goldman, Sacks paid us back, but they're such a good target since they are TOO BIG TO FAIL. In comparison, I'm a speck of dust, but I still have to "share in the sacrifice." I wonder if they take organs as payment. Because.....I'm Outta My Mind! "YEY-AH!"
Maybe you have to see the other video. Ever see Dave Chappelle's impersonation of Lil' Jon? http://youtu.be/9WVmWKB9xj I also have a playlist of Chappelle on my YouTube Channel. Sorry, I can't embed this.

Or you can watch this: THIS IS DEFINITELY X-RATED,NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUTH.

Stop the Execution of Mark Stroman

2011-06-23T22:13:00.004-04:00

No more killing

"Why do we kill people to show that killing people is wrong?"© Rais Bhuiyan

Isn't that a good question? How insane is that??!?

"Mark Stroman is scheduled to be executed on July 20 for killing Indian immigrant Vasudev Patel in a series of shootings of people he believed to be Middle Eastern after the attacks of September 11, 2001. One of his intended victims, Rais Bhuiyan, survived and opposes the execution. Join Rais in taking a stand against the perpetuation of the cycle of violence by taking action to stop the execution." from Amnesty International

Please follow the link,and sign/amend the letter.

Use Fried Eggs to write story together

2011-06-23T00:28:00.001-04:00

140 characters.
10 participants or more.
Write a line or two for the story.
Number each entry.

We did this when I was in high school. I'd pass my journal around, and either one or a team of two would write a line or two. Just enough to express the idea, while leaving room for the story to take a twist. And twist they do! They were always really hilarious, and extremely meaningful at the same time.
There shouldn't be a deadline, but b/c we are not in the same room, some kind of time allowances should be established. Fried Eggs is a great forum, It will also bring people to the site; I've mentioned this to a few people who are interested, although at first I said Twitter.

There is a danger, without numbering, or skipping an element in the story, that a person may split off and create a new universe! Like the cat in the box!
Now how much fun is that?

Help Write Lyrics To this Melody

2011-06-23T00:14:00.000-04:00

http://youtu.be/I8yBO1yBTNM MELODY WITHOUT LYRICS
Below, find the proposed lyrics to the melody. NOT MINE.

Melody by Kinia Grannis

v 1 main melody ) They say that if we seek then we shall find they say that, pain is just a state of mind, they say to lose is better. than having nothing to recall. and that time will make us whole and let all heal, (v2) Who writes best , the bleeding poet or the thief , who drinks deepest, from the welling pool of grief, ohhh'ahh'ohhh who sends the young upon a darkling dance, while their elders darkly grieve. their face a mask.set hard, so we'll all yet believe.

Dustypilgrim1 1 y

BULLYING: AN AMERICAN PERSONALITY CRISIS

2011-06-22T23:44:00.002-04:00

I understand. If I had kids, and one killed him/herself because of being bullied, I'm not sure I'd be rational, and could possibly hurt someone seriously. As it is, someone screws with a friend, and they will live to regret it. (I've pointed out before that,
You may think bullying has changed, but it really hasn't. It reaches the newer generations by more advanced methods, like Facebook, school websites, etc. I really felt for that Princeton student, who hadn't come out yet, and could not face others thinking about what he did in bed. I get it.
But really, only the technology has changed. It still boils down to one bully, surrounded by lemmings, because for the most part, when action is taken against the bully, their cohorts suffer, too.
The answer, though, is not putting restrictions on the bullies. Deny it all you want, but American culture reveals bullies, and culture before ours. It is if very much like LBJ "whippiing it out," and proudly shouting, "You think Ho Chi Min's got this?"
What makes a good stock analyst or broker? How about hockey players? Or, for that matter, doctors and lawyers. the latter succeeds through arrogance, as well as hiding resource materials from the library, etc. There's a fine line between arrogance and bullying.
In general in America, who "wins?" Many times bullies do.
So please, you can waste your time with a PTA meeting, or your local Board of Education, and if you get some kind of punishment for bullies, well, BULLY FOR YOU.
But don't tell yourself you are truly protecting your children, They are going to meet bullies at work, in the street, girlfriends, boyfriends, their husbands and wives. It is a fact of life, and without being totally aware of it, WE CONDONE IT. WHOEVER HAS THE MOST TOYS WINS? Do you look up to the "Masters of the Universe?" Seriously. You are in denial and blind if you think American culture doesn't revere bullies. In fact, there's only one type of person we look up to other than the bully:

THE PERSON WHO STANDS UP TO THE BULLY

Cleaning Up, Packing Up: My Drama, My Trauma

2011-05-31T05:45:00.001-04:00

I can sit again! At least for an hour or two, so my priority now is cleaning up the messes my blogs have become. I'm almost done updating my Blog List, so if I'm following you, and you don't see your blog, you may still be in the the Links, but I think I've gotten almost everyone. Have to check and double-check. Don't be shy.
The pain blog is more than an embarrassment to me. I've seen clearly now what the mission of the blog will be. In addition, I've got about 100 links to retest. I've been collecting those for over a year in a to do list, which I might try to post the list, rather than re-typing them one by one.
At the same time, I'm packing. Where I am going, I'm still not sure. It could be around the corner, or Southern California. I have to admit I'm an East Coast kinda gal, although the North West is beautiful.
The next posting will be one of the drafts for Compassion. I Have 5, but I'm first going with the short story behind Kuan Yin. I think her story is an example of how giving compassion makes it grow inside you: if you squeeze water in your hands, you will lose it, and that's true with compassion as well. In a mechanical paradigm, it would the perpetual motion machine, one that generates more energy than it uses.
Also, seeking advice on a few matters, so don't be surprised to hear from me for your opinions, as I value them all.

David Byrne sues former Florida governor for copyright infringement

2011-05-25T00:14:00.000-04:00

David Byrne's Journal: 05.25.10: Yours Truly vs. The Governor of Florida

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.7

The Housebound Writer: Me an award? You're joking right???

2011-04-30T02:16:00.003-04:00

The Housebound Writer: Me an award? You're joking right???

Andrew is currently using his award to pay it forward. Once I am able, I will lay out the details, and be receiving the same award. If you can't wait, there's the link! Rules follow after the jump.

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Me an award? You're joking right???

I was given this award by Johnny Madrid aka Tim E. who writes an awe inspiring blog that you can find by following this link: Just Johnny... http://thetimebi.blogspot.com/ and I can't thank him enough for it. I don't exactly win a lot of awards for anything let alone this oddball collection of ramblings and scribbles I call a blog so I am very thankful indeed. Now there are some rules to receiving this award you give a thanks and a link back to the person who gave it too you (which goes without saying) you also have to share 7 things about yourself (I'll get to that in a bit), award 5-15 other bloggers yourself and of course contact them and tell them of their award.

I didn't have to give to much thought to who I would in turn give this award too so here are the people receiving this award from me in no particular order...

Linda Martin             http://www.needleinanewgroove.com/
Aheila the Writeaholic http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com/
Jeremy Janson http://hailingfromgeorgia.blogspot.com/
Ursa Hawthorne   http://www.dyerintherough.com/
Sam Bowron       http://anightmareonsamityvillestreet.blogspot.com/

OK so 7 random facts about me this will be hard to think of stuff I haven't already written on one of these 70+ blog posts so far but here goes nothing...

1. I have lived in the UK all my life (best part of 30 years) and I have only visited London once and it was for a football game this year strangely it was a Scotland game why it wasn't played in Scotland I have no idea.
2. Ironically as a guy who stands anywhere between 6'6" and 6'8" depending on how bad my back is hurting me I have a problem with heights I don't like them be it on a ladder or high building I don't like it at all haha.
3. I am a diehard Airdrie United Football fan but have been to so few games over the last five seasons I feel like a fraud for saying so.
4. As a writer I find writing about dark subject matter much easier than anything else so either I'm nuts or I just have a good imagination........ I think I may be nuts haha.
5. For my work experience placement at high school I spent a week working at my local newspaper learning everything from reporting to printing and loved every minute of it.
6. In the last 6 months I was assigned to write a web series but after seeing the poorly executed 8 minute pilot episode I had my writing credit changed from Andrew Carson to Randal Fleming Jr. to try and distance myself from it but saying that if a second series goes into pre pro Randal will be happy to return to writing duties for a rewarding fee.
7. I am planning to either make it or break from it this year when it comes to my writing. If I don't sell something before the end of the year I will find some other kind of profession and just write as a hobby. No pressure then on me to succeed huh? haha.

Thanking you
The Housebound Writer

6 comments:

Ursa said...: Aw, so sweet of you! Thanks! oh, I owe you an email.... :-) best, Ursa; 22 April, 2011
Andrew G. Carson said...: Hi Ursa, you deserve this award for your outstanding blog and your ability to switch between genres and writing styles.; 22 April, 2011
Ursa said...: *blushes* You'll be pleased to know that I've now blogged to pay forward the love :-); 22 April, 2011
Johnny Madrid aka Tim E. said...: Awesome! You deserve it my friend! I see you've already spread the love. Nice one mate :); 26 April, 2011
scribadiva said...: I am so honored, Andrew. I'm not going to start on it now:Today I spent 14 hours now just to get on the Internet. I got support, and for the most part, I reversed everything he did, and this is my first communication! I will pay it forward. And I have to say that you are as handsome as I suspected! Finally, more than just eyes. fyi, under website for Facebook, put your blog site. It's easier for Networked Blogs to stay connected. Now you've never seen a line on Facebook asking for your blog address, and yet Networked Blogs works through Facebook! So relax, you are not doing anything immoral or corrupt! I must come by more often; I'm hoping this machine keeps working. By tomorrow, I may have the same problems as I did today at noon. I have an Inspiron minitower, and so far, the hard disk was replaced, and now, who knows? I will be in touch ASAP, and if I've embarrassed you, delete this. Sweet tides, Andrew, and take care.; 30 April, 2011
scribadiva said...: I have to read this over again. I'm squeezing in as much time as possible online--My blogs are a mess! The yellow flowers definitely helps the appearance, but I'm not sure what link, etc. to place on it. Let me know when you can.. ..Sweet tides, Andrew; 19 June, 2011

If the 20th Century Belonged to the Devil.....

2011-04-19T04:13:00.000-04:00

then the first decade of the 21st Century belonged to Sandra Day O'Connor. And believe me, she knows it.
Every atrocity the "W" Presidency committed is on her. That Administration's determination to rid every good thing about this country from FDR to Lyndon Johnson, killing not only our military people, the middle class, education...do I really need to go on?
In the 2000 elections, when it was determined that George Bush won the election, it was Sandra Day O'Connor's vote that made him President. Why did she have faith in "W"?
She thought he was like his father, a true conservative, one who had principals.
I'm bringing this up because the current Republicans in the House and across the country are thugs, just like Bush. Now Democrats are going to let them hammer in the coffin nails on social services, education, the EPA (created by Nixon, btw.) Even Nixon looks good compared to these idiots that says the Founding Fathers stopped slavery, and the wars for Independence took place in New Hampshire, not Massachusetts. This from the well-educated Michelle Bachman: Can anyone tell me what law school she went to?
Now everyone wants Obama's head for Libya, calling for impeachment? The Senate voted on it 27 days beforehand. THEY DENY IT NOW! FORCING THEIR STAFF TO LIE, LIKE SENATOR BUDDHA. Now Paul Ryan wants to privatize Medicare, the most effective program the government has ever administered, and kill Medicaid for the poor?
If they kill Medicaid, all the Wal-Mart employees won't have medical coverage! That's no joke.
I'm just sayin...

This is Getting Repetitive....

2011-04-08T16:21:00.000-04:00

...but hopefully this will be the last time. New computer (refurb) finally arrived, a gift from the guilty culprit who destroyed our tiny network. Destroy is such a harsh word, don't you think? Especially since he went out of his way to replace my computer with something a little more powerful.

I expect it to take a couple of days, moving wires, and furniture and such, but when I return, I should be back for good.

My thanks to everyone who has been supportive of me; the encouragement I've received has really given me a boost.

Shut Down the Government? STOP Congressional Pay and Benefits!!

2011-04-04T17:41:00.000-04:00

LeftAction.com is taking up the cause! THE RETHUGLICANS SHUT DOWN THE GOVERNMENT, THEN CONGRESS GETS NO PAY, NO BENEFITS, INCLUDING THE STAFF. Yay! I've been trying to get that message through to people. I have the phone numbers of Senators and House Reps: I know that it seems cruel to include the staff, but this way pols get pressure from everyone...the people who answer the phones, write their policy papers...

I added to the petition to Boehner::

You are the government, so all in favor of shutting it down, surrender your pay AND benefits, including your health care. Your staff shouldn't be paid as well, so you see what it's like up close and personal. For a man who ostensibly climbed up the ladder, this fellow climber finds you totally without conscience for those who cannot climb.. Who knows? Maybe you can go on unemployment? After 2 years of refusing to do your jobs, by saying no, no, no, Republicans should return their salaries. Finally, the treasonous message of destroying our President should be punished.

What I'd like to see: A Petition for a Referendum in each state demanding the above.

What you can do: Please sign the petition at LeftAction.com.

Link: http://leftaction.com/action/shut-down-your-pay-first.

When A Southern Woman Rambles...: Who Am I?

2011-03-28T21:09:00.000-04:00

When A Southern Woman Rambles...: Who Am I?

Essential reading for the aspiring....

Maynard James Keenan -21st Century Schizoid Man- RARE & NEW

2011-03-23T10:23:00.141-04:00

I knew this song would be coming up sooner or later. I saw today the first preview for the movie 'Limitless.' If the decade of the '90's were "The Decade of the Brain," no one was smart enough to notice, and this film wouldn't necessarily be fiction. It still boggles my my mind that it took someone all these years to think, "Hey, you know we have these comatose patients, or those in vegetative states? They aren't really busy. Why don't we see if they are conscious?"
Dr. Jim, brushing egg crumbs out of his bushy beard, answered , "Why? The lights are on, but no one's home, your mind is not your own," and, with a chuckle, was caught in some reverie of a Robert Palmer video, and one of the white-faced models is about to kiss him, and she says, "Jim, did you ever think of USING the PET Scan?" Bam! Hmm? Ooooh." Oh. Right. Yes. Ah, I mean no. Sure, sure, you give it a shot. I'll sign off on it, and get you a few people to staff it." Dr. Jim wasn't sure what he had just agreed to.
"You know, it's really good to see there are still young, idealistic doctors that care," reflecting how marvelous his genius at bull s*%ing was: As a physician, he had always thought that was his greatest skill. Humming "Addicted to Love," and wondering where his true love was, he left the cafeteria with seemingly no deliberate direction. 'Where is my cherry-lipped model go wearing that black mini-dress. What he really missed was the feeling it gave him.
Dr. Sid, the Young, Idealistic, Doctor, thought, "If they had only studied the brain in the 1990's, he'd have that woman waiting for him outside the cafeteria." Who knows what we could have achieved."
We know what evil lurks in the heart of men, but shudder at the thought of 98% of Dr. Jim's imagination directed at, well, any one thing. We know that be it's a good thing that humankind can't use his entire brain. Of this, we are sure. Besides, without the concomitant growth in morality, empathy and compassion, how much more lethal would we become? A Twenty-first century schizoid race? We do know one more thing: Dr Sid evaluated a middle-aged tennis player with the aid of a PET Scan, and said, "Play tennis." And she did just that. That woman played tennis in her mind. The portions of the brain necessary to play a game of tennis lit up like a Xmas tree.
So a decade later, we know THEY ARE ALIVE.INSIDE. We are all hoping that he will win the Nobel Prize, and every other prestigious award there is, even if the award is really a badge of shame to every doctor, every neurologist that ever walked the earth.
Let me know if you see the movie and what you think.

Worst Persons For March 20 2011 | FOK News Channel

2011-03-20T14:24:00.000-04:00

Worst Persons For March 20 2011 | FOK News Channel

FOK is Friends Of Keith, a non-profit blog full of Keith! And funny, and pulling no punches.

BIRDIES FOR CHARITY SELECTED US PAIN FOUNDATION

2011-03-20T11:54:00.000-04:00

Hey, folks
This is awesome news for U. S. PAIN FOUNDATION, and FOR ALL OF US PAIN PATIENTS, CAREGIVERS AND OTHERS WHO UNDERSTAND OUR STRUGGLE FOR DECENT MEDICAL CARE, AND OTHER ISSUES.
PLEASE READ IT CAREFULLY. IT IS VERY SIMPLE-- FOR ONE PENNY, YOU CAN MAKE A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!
Happy Saturday everyone,

I wanted to pass this on to all of you. US Pain was lucky enough to be asked to be one of a few selected non profits to be a part of the BIRDIES FOR CHARITY PROGRAM.
This is a unique opportunity for US Pain to raise much needed awareness as well as raise some money for our programs.

Pledges start at one penny, YES - 1 cent. I am not asking any of you to make a pledge, all I am asking is if you can forward the link below to family, friends, doctors, companies and others, asking them to fill out the form and pledge at least a penny per Birdie.

I would suggest writing a nice personal note along with the link as to why we need their help and pledges.

We also have paper forms if some do not want to use the link, they can mail it in.

The wonderful and exciting thing about this program is:

1) The Non Profit with the most pledges, not the most money raised just the most number of pledges wins $5000 and even more exciting

2) We get to have an Advocacy Tent at a Major Golf Outing where over 300,000 people will be in attendance over 3 days and we will get national media attention.

The link below takes people to our personal pledge page, where they fill out all the info, and the rest is taken care of. Just copy and paste and send to as many as you can.
https://events.r2it.com/BIRDIES/DefaultPage/TravelersChampionship/Default.aspx?site=TravelersChampionship&siteId=32&charity=USPainFoundation&charityId=28056
If anyone needs actual paper copies to give out, we will mail you as many as you like to hand out.

Thank you for your help and dedication to making US Pain a household name.
--
Founder/President
US Pain Foundation inc.
P.O. Box 2182
Shelton, CT 06484
P:1- 800 - 910-2462F: 1 - 800 929-4062E: uspainfoundation@gmail.com www.uspainfoundation.org www.invisibleproject.org
PLEASE PASS THIS ON TO FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS, NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY. YOU WILL BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TOUCHED IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER BY CHRONIC PAIN.

A Non-Poem Raging, Whining, A Good Joke, and a Silver Lining

2011-03-11T04:41:00.003-05:00

A Non-Poem: Raging in Gerund

While the U.S. is undergoing class warfare, I am

seeing a parallel in China,

becoming aware that our Gateway motherboard was made under

working conditions that, by the blood, sweat and tears of Foxconn laborers.

resulting in a near- epidemic of suicides, and

pinning a Web around Foxconn buildings in a million-people complex,

confounding me while dreaming about how they are living, working, sweating, crying

guilting many, including me (see cover of this month's Wired)

obliging me to writing and obsessing.

gerunding, indeed, torturing my reader(s)

consisting of me and my OCD-ing necessity of writing,

blogging and instructing others, about life before Our Union had unions,

cataloging a history of murdering and beatings so unions collective

bargaining, lobbying and protecting our working classes and ensure their

living a decent life, but now,

While Rethuglicans are and will be lying, possessing, burning books,

loving power and money, willing, killing, and smiling in ugly American,

rethuglicking: union-busting, gerrymandering and guaranteeing

hungering, dying infants, reclaiming women's bodies as wards of their state,

burying our wise elders who won't be

telling our youth how bad things were, are and will be.

Whining

We are still struggling with the network meltdown here at home. It takes a long time without good recovery/partition software to reconstruct a hard disk. We do have multiple backups, but the problem is our carousel-like, revolving drive assignations. Normally, each hard disk would have a C: drive, and a partition for D: for recovery. Every time I turn the computer on, this changes. So I started with C: as F:, even though my hard drive was the Master. Chazz had J. Now, I have C: as my drive, recovery is E:, and the CD/DVD slot became K:. Chazz has D: as his hard disk, the recovery partition is J. The only consistent drive is the first terabyte external drive, which is L.

I do have some posts on my phone, but was reluctant to send it, since the world goes round and round, and we'd have to make up a treasure map to find it, because the wireless isn't working well, either.

A Good Joke:

Subject: A good question !

The commanding officer at the Russian military academy (the equivalent of a 4-star general in the U.S.) gave a lecture on Potential Problems and Military Strategy.

At the end of the lecture, he asked if there were any questions.
An officer stood up and asked, "Will there be a third world war? And will Russia take part in it?"
The general answered both questions in the affirmative.
Another officer asked, "Who will be the enemy?"
The Russian general replied, "All indications point to China."
Everyone in the audience was shocked. A third officer remarked, "General, we are a nation of only 150 million, compared to the 1.5 billion Chinese. Can we win at all, or even survive?"
The general answered, "Just think about this for a moment: In modern warfare, it is not the quantity of soldiers that matters but the quality of an army's capabilities. For example, in the Middle East we have had a few wars recently where 5 million Jews fought against 150 million Arabs, and Israel was always victorious."

After a small pause, yet another officer - from the back of the auditorium - asked, "Do we have enough Jews?"

--- from Dr. Jeff via Chazz

Silver Lining

Democrats are remembering who and what they stand for.

People are standing up and fighting for justice.

Other people are getting inspired.

Still others understand what is truly in our best interest.

Racists and bigots are going off the deep end, exposing their hatred.

The world is watching Foxconn.

The world IS watching the Rethuglicans.

Illinois dropped the Death Penalty!

We had backups of our work.

Chazz got his new machine, and all his music is intact.

I am slowly, but surely, reconstructing my directories.
I wiped my disk clean, resolving now-ancient problems and minor annoyances.

I am finally scheduled in three weeks for a pain clinic assessment. Yay!

I have my very own Jew, and we are yin-ing and yang-ing. (Okay, mixed blessing.)

I found a few apps that I can use to play and compose music on my phone and pad!

I found a new cluster of groups: A Perfect Circle, Tool, and Puscifer.

And I still have a group of on-line friends that never quit inspiring me.

And helping me heal.

Shock and Awe: The Perfect Circle

2011-02-25T01:46:00.002-05:00

RUMSFELD'S "NON EST MEA CULPA"

2011-02-22T14:01:00.001-05:00

If we throw water on Rumsfeld, will he melt into a "quagmire?"
I DON'T MEAN THE FAMILY GUY CHARACTER.

Zach Anner: Superman with CP you Have To SEE!

2011-02-20T21:46:00.001-05:00

Listen to the Zach Anner Theme Song

I met Zach the same time the song writer did. Go check his opening video at

and go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/ZachAnner

Friends: Tech Meltdown and Blessings in Disguise

2011-02-20T20:39:00.004-05:00

The Blessing in Disguise as Catastrophe: If you panic, or give up, you are missing the chance to learn things you wouldn't have thought of looking into. That said, go ahead and SCREAM, THEN WAIT. Because otherwise, you may do something worse. Take a deep breath. You are going to learn something important.

We are having so many technical problems that it will be hit-or-miss with me. I can keep up with my emails.
Note to Chromium users: Before you find yourself in a situation where you have to hard boot, read up on Google's Help on PREFERENCES CORRUPTED. You'll find easy ways to back up your bookmarks regularly (In tools) getting extensions back, and hopefully finding your passwords. BECAUSE ALL OF MINE ARE GONE, INCLUDING MY EXTENSION FOR PASSWORDS. So, I lost both my passwords stored in Chromium and my Password Extension. DO IT NOW.
Chrome/Chromium: To save bookmarks regularly, from Nakro:

every once in a while (i do it once a month at most)
i do
Ctrl+Shift+B which opens the bookmark manager
and i export my bookmarks (Tools->Export) and e-mail them to myself

For Everyone: There is a tool on CNET called
'FavBackup 2.0.2'

I haven't gotten there yet, and because we are down to one machine for at least another month, it will be difficult to get on line at all. I will check my email and respond when I have links. Luckily, I didn't sync afterwards until I had enough settings. The NextBook isn't set up yet, but I'm working on it.

PLEASE: WHEN YOU HEAR 'ONE [OR TWO] CRITICALLY WOUNDED IN KEYBOARD WRESTLING FIGHT: ONE SAYS, FRIENDS PLEASE DON'T JUDGE ME...YOU HELPED ME GET MY VOICE BACK AND NOW I CAN'T USE IT!

Party Like it's 1899!

2011-02-20T02:24:00.002-05:00

The Republican Job Plan appears quite simple. Destroy the Unions by negating Collective Bargaining. Cut all entitlements, especially for the poor and working class, and wait until a city in the United States looks like Calcutta. Or Bangladesh. Then manufacturing will return, and offer us $2 an hour. That is, the people who live through that.

Some will be hired as Pinkertons* to beat and kill the protesters.

Do you have another explanation for Wisconsin's Governor and his response?

So we party like it's 1899!

*When we were kids, we'd sneak into Columbia U.'s football field; try as they might, they couldn't catch us. So we laughed when we called them Pinkies.

Another thing from childhood that isn't funny anymore.

N.B. We also dove from the C Rock into the Hudson. I don't advise that. In fact, you will wish you did crash and die on the rocks when you see what's in that dirty water we love. Including fish without eyes.

The U.N.: Geographically-Challenged?

2011-02-20T01:54:00.002-05:00

I think it's Crisis Time when our high schools can't produce students that think China is in Mexico and so is Paris. But the U.N.?

I'm not sure if it was the Foreign Minister or the Ambassador from India, but he got up on the podium and began reading a speech.

A few minutes into the speech, he says "We, the people of Portugal..." And continued reading.

An aide finally got to the podium, and whispered in his ear. The speaker's response?

"Does that mean I have to read it all over again?"

By the way, I'm not joking about docking the pay of the Republicans for the last two years. Saying NO, and offering no option means they didn't work. Just like all those lazy people that love being on unemployment.

RUSS FEINGOLD IS BACK, BABY!

2011-02-17T00:46:00.003-05:00

I cried when I heard that Russ Feingold, the Democratic Senator from Wisconsin, lost in the last election. I was angry that the Party did not put in enough money to his campaign. Perhaps the Party had this in mind all along.
Whether or not this was the plan, Feingold has launched the Progressives United.
One headline I saw tonight, just as I was listening to Maddow's show makes one of its priorities up front and center:

Progressives United will fight Citizen's United.

"We are going to do a lot more than that...regardless of your political affiliations," any one that recognizes the degree of influence that Corporate America has now on politics in this country should sign. Money is the equivalent of Free Speech? Next, The Supreme Court will rule that Free Speech is a right we give up when we elect our officials. Let me correct that. We will lose Free Speech to the Electoral College elects our officials.

For information on the positions, activities, see what they are up to, and see if you want to get involved, go to link below, quoted from his newsletter below. I'd love to hear what you think. Some links don't work, but this one does, and it will lead you to his video appeal.
http://www.progressivesunited.org/

Is Pete Townsend a Child Molester? For the Record:

2011-02-07T15:13:00.000-05:00

No.

Tuscon: Denial, Abdication of Responsibility, Victim Sister Sarah?

2011-01-18T18:38:00.008-05:00

Here's another reason people are half-crazed. The Democrats are responsible for the attempted assassination of--a fellow Democrat. And we Democrats are all rejoicing. Because this is exactly what we wanted.

Are you feeling squirrelly yet?

Now, most people don't have the time to listen closely enough. They have two and three jobs, houses about to slip away under their children's feet, car payments, food on the table. This is hard enough with two parents; what about single moms and dads? The so-called "loafers" on unemployment don't even have time. Believe me, it's a full-time job living on 60% of your income, never mind being poor. I know. Here I am.

I stayed away from any news after it was clear what happened in Tucson. In part, I wanted to see if my political skills and understanding had waned. It had nothing to do with the minor infection I had that ripped my immune system to shreds, and slept the entire weekend.

Nevertheless, I was right. About denial. About abdication of responsibility. And, of course, the right blaming the left. Poor Sarah Palin is the victim. Blood Libel, you say? Rather than post everything that FAIR has covered, I give you Keith Olbermann, who, along with John McCain, apologized in case he was misunderstood. And John McCain said, the rhetoric has to be toned down. As I said in my previous post, the government is not some monolithic, symbolic entity. It consists of human beings. I think the long list of thoughtless, angry people interested in their own power base are taking advantage of this situation. The list seems endless, but Mr Olbermann manages to keep it lively.

Not that it's any easier to stomach.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

This behaviour is so ludicrous, that I really don't want to waste time on it. I'm right now more worried about the future of Julian Assange. Please sign the petition on Facebook. There's link on Twitter. It's at FAIR. Fairness in Accuracy in Reporting. On Violence and a Media Advisory, see http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=4233

On the subject of mental illness, let us not forget it was Ronald Reagan who had the noble idea of treatment of the mentally ill in the community, where they could be close to family and friends. Noble--and never funded, leaving countless numbers of the mentally ill on the street. To this day, they are neglected and abused. Many of them end up in Prison; for more on that, check the Public Broadcasting series on Frontline.

N.B. From Wikipedia, Definition of Blood Libel:

Blood libels are false and sensationalized allegations that a person or group engages in human sacrifice, often accompanied by the claim that the blood of the victims is used in various rituals and/or acts of cannibalism. The alleged victims are often children. ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_libel
A false belief which has endured since the 1st century BCE. It states that members of a religious group kidnap, abuse, ritually murder and sometimes eat the body of a member of another religion. ...
www.translationdirectory.com/glossaries/glossary007_b.htm

What the definition only hints at is this is a particular slur against Jewish people. I've studied anti-semitism in depth. You'd be hard pressed to find someone on the Left that is a rabid Zionist. I take offense when the Embassy from Norway was closed during the conflict last year in Lebanon, because "[Jews] should know better." Sarah Palin claims she knew what it was when she referred to it in a video. Is it merely that, historically, the first scapegoat is always the Jewish people? From my own research (5 years spent on my thesis, and anti-Semitism was a huge chunk of it,) it always is. Even African-Americans, who have a short memory about who also lost their loves and who funded very generously the Civil Rights Movement.

Another note: Why is it that the Right has NO knowledge of what Closed-Captioning is, and how it appears in a Public Arena? During a tribute to a much-beloved Senator from Minnesota, to last week's vigil, they insist that the "Applause" sign is a command, like they are on Jay Leno. It is to inform the hearing-impaired: The applause sign is a description of what's happening that they can not hear.

Both of these points lead me to the conclusion that we are reliving the 1950's, only Fear isn't built on a Bi-Polar world, but rather a bi-polar country, with Fox creating the fear. Remember, the person that put up the money for THE COMMUNITY CENTER A FEW BLOCKS FROM WHERE WTC WAS, is Rupert Murdoch's biggest investor. That in itself, along with it still being referred to as "Ground Zero Mosque," is enough to rip my hair out, raise my heart rate, blood pressure and glucose all at the same time. In fact, every thing in this note drives me insane.

Do you feel squirrelly yet?

Authorial Intent Advocates, Learn Something!

2011-01-17T07:11:00.000-05:00

"I would define the poetic effect as the capacity that a text displays for continuing to generate different readings, without ever being completely consumed." Umberto Eco

Fans of House: A Note of Concern

2011-01-17T04:23:00.000-05:00

I had heard that one woman in the Chronic Pain Community diagnosed herself by watching House. I think that's great, because she was right. There is a part of the plot that is very, very dangerous for the young, and not so knowledgeable: House's addiction.

My first pain specialist was really great. He taught me a lot about myself, my body, conditions, and medications. House seems to eat a lot of Vicodin. HERE'S THE DANGER:

First, no doctor in his right mind would abuse Vicodin as depicted in the show. He would chose Loritabs over Vicodin, and even that's bad. Loritab has twice the opiate in it than Vicodin, although it is the same drug.

Secondly, any doctor in his right mind would not: even take that much Loritab. Why?

BOTH DRUGS CONTAIN 500 MGS. OF ACETAMINOPHEN, commonly referred to as Tylenol in the States, Paracemetol in Canada, and any other British colonies.

Some people that are depressed and suicidal take these drugs in high quantity because they think the opiates would kill them.

The sad fact is the overdose of acetaminophen is what kills them. And it's a very painful death.

So our Dr. House is literally poisoning his liver, not with the opiates.

Fiction, or good fiction, is supposed to allow you to the point where there is a "suspension of disbelief." That is, every thing you see should at least ring true. That is why I can't watch it anymore.

So, for example, when Wilson or Cutty chide house for his medication abuse--in spite of them knowing he is in pain--no one EVER brings this fact up. They go out and DRINK ALCOHOL with him. You are NOT supposed to drink while taking any Tylenol. They finally had to write it on the bottle. READ IT.

I enjoyed the show, and once in a while I'll watch it. But it really gets under my skin. Dr. House (the character) would have long ago died of some kind of liver disease before he would hallucinate!

I learned the hard way. My first pain specialist warned me, and told me I should go on daily medication. At the time, I was taking as little Percoset and Codeine after a car accident, and I wasn't on any other daily medications. It took me a year, and something very scary.

I donated blood, and it was rejected! Liver enzymes were too high. I immediately called my pain specialist, and said you win. My primary care didn't like that, but he didn't like me anyway. My pain specialist increased my life span by at least 10 years.

Now, if I could just find a new decent pain specialist, so I can get my knees!

So go ahead, enjoy House. But don't emulate him!

Stop, Listen, What's that Sound? Is it Neurosis or Psychosis?

2011-01-17T03:44:00.001-05:00

   A friend asked, "Is it neurosis?" I've been giving this very little thought today, but this certainly is the week to address that question. It's easier for the Secret Service and law enforcement, and every one in government, really, to say, "Oh, it's a lone gunman, he's insane." Will he be considered insane at trial? Dubious. I just read that he will be tried in California. The way that the charges are pulled together, he faces both Federal and State charges, all eligible for the death penalty. If he is deemed insane, they may allow the ten years' or so mandated in most states for appeals, then kill him. If they kill him as quickly as they killed McVeigh, that would tell us he really isn't insane.
   All in all, we will never know the full truth. Honestly, how many people know that Nichols' wife is Fillipina, and that Nichols visited his father-in-law, without her, and upon searching the house in the Phillipines, the police found an Al-Queda manual on bomb-making? Or that the first test bomb failed, Nichols takes his trip, comes back, and the second bomb worked?
   Plenty of people in Oklahoma are still angry and what the FBI did or more to the point, didn't do, and won't admit. You have to look for the information, like reading books. [I know if something is on the Internet, it makes it true, but I'm talking about Facts. Irrefutable Facts.

Back to the question at hand. What happens when there is Truth out There, but you have a media cabal telling you, no, This is the truth. Don't trust your senses.
It's like living with a person that tells only lies. Not meaningful ones, just for the sake of lying. You would start to doubt what you know is true. And this is what can make you crazy.
There's obviously a deeper lesson in this. One would be: Those in government have the same ability to deny, deny, deny, just as every individual can. It's not a conspiracy. It's human nature. Now I have to think about this some more.

I know I have an awful habit of adding a song to my posts, but a friend sent this, and it seems appropriate.
(to be cont.)

Holidays are Zombie Time!

2011-01-12T17:23:00.001-05:00

Oh, be still my heart! Zombie movies, in fact all horror, was what got me through the holidays. I really don’t have holidays anymore; I miss putting together our traditional XMAS dinner parties, for our neighbors, (we were all friends,) people in our building and others, who couldn’t go home, lived alone, had no family, or didn't practice any religion. Charlie and I would do this almost every year. Christmas Eve and the day before, we would go to Haymarket, spend $300 on food and $300 on booze. I would make a roast and a turkey, all the fixins', and at least 2 pies, Pumpkin and Pecan. In spite of our small one bedroom, with a large foyer, we managed two-three seatings. I've thrown a lot of dinner parties, in New York and Boston, but the XMAS parties were the best.

Now that I'm ill, Zombies fill the void. In that spirit, I indiscriminately put together a playlist on YouTube for a friend, Web Essentials. The list is repetitive and not organized at all. But I included “Zombies in Plain English,” telling my friend, “Some day, you will thank me."
Here’s the link; it’s not one of the above.

http://www.youtube.com/user/scribadiva?feature=mhum#p/c/8406E848F6D95AB4

My friends thanked me profusely. How stupid I would feel if I came across a Zombie and wasn’t prepared! It’s similar to not have bottled water, batteries, and canned food, in case we get snowed in. The above shorts are courtesy from a riveting copy of a newsletter from Blog Catalog, Blog Catalog feels like home to me, too.

A Video thats Too Much Fun Not to Share, Courtesy Pacific Melody

2011-01-05T04:47:00.000-05:00

You have to give them a minute or so. I rated this at 5 smiles.

Technology Review from MIT: How much will Chrome OS Know About You?

2011-01-05T02:57:00.000-05:00

How much info is too much? We all know that, even with machines of all types, if humans are involved, room for error increases. How many people on Death Row lost their lives to a faulty sample, or a DNA technician just making it up, because the police/DA's say someone is guilty.

So, too, with gathering our information. Remember the man from the Northwest, who, as his luck would have it, shared a 5 point match with the fingerprint of a known and wanted terrorist? You think, oh, that won't happen to me. Really? Because you are innocent of wrong-doing? So was the man from the Northwest.

Follow the link, and you can read the article, or listen to the podcast. I will download it eventually, but I didn't plan on writing this.

http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/26936/page1/

How much is Enough with Google? on Mexico, Part I

2011-01-04T05:02:00.000-05:00

I mailed the last post to a friend in GMail. The ads at the top of your mail box? They are customized to fit your interests. I got..

Puerto Morelos Luxury Condos minutes from the beach... With a link.

So I don't have to check or call friends to find out how much it's changed. Bummer.

"If you hear 'taka, taka, taka" Behind You, Don't Look, RUN!" Part I

2011-01-04T04:50:00.002-05:00

WTF??
Sorry, I'll start from the beginning. My husband and I married in Rochester, NY, because my mother was there. It was a lovely wedding, everyone wore a tux, with the exception of my mother and me. I wore a little black dress, with combat boots and a very detailed necklace made by my last boyfriend, with skulls interlaced with pounded silver and lace. Wish I still had that
.
We didn't go on a honeymoon until the following Spring. We flew to Cancun, during Semana Santa, the week of Easter. That and the following week are the most popular for Mexicans to take to the beaches. And you thought it was about Spring Break! Unfortunately, all the thieves are in attendance, too.

I'll skip the part where we couldn't get a hotel, slept in the car after I went swimming at midnight, and were almost robbed of our passports and all our money on the dashboard, until my husband woke up and barked like a dog, and scared the living s**t out of them. I'm going to skip that part.

The day after we arrived, we drove about 30 minutes south of Cancun to a sleepy little town, Puerto Morelos. Sleepy isn't really the appropriate word. Dead is more like it. So dead that we started calling it Muerto Morelos. After a while, we got to know people, and then it was more fun. On the weekends, the thieves from Mexico D.F. would liven things up. I set up surfing lessons (once again,) but it wasn't the right kind of place to surf. So I went diving and snorkeling.

But back to our first full day. My husband, who is Mexican, usually went and set up deals, and I would wait FAR AWAY. Because if they see an American, the price on every thing triples. (It's hard for an American woman to hide, without a birka, anyway.) So he would go to set up the deal, whatever it was. Oh, and he's white. (It may surprise most that Mexico has only 10 per cent white people; I'm not mentioning this because I'm racist, but Mexico has it's own caste system. No kidding, it's heavy.)
About an hour later, my husband returned, and found 3 really nice places, all very cheap per month--$200--and right near the beach, about a block away. We picked this cute little place, 1 bedroom, with an awesome shower (3 heads.) There was a back door in the bedroom, and the door had a 4-inch gap from the floor to the door. I thought, I don't want critters, so I'll stuff towels or something.

We dumped our stuff from the car, and started walking towards the beach, heading to the center of town to pick up food. As we are walking, my husband was ahead of me, and that's when he says it: "Momma, if you hear "taka, taka, taka," don't look back, just RUN!"
He continues walking.
What? What does that mean??
STOP!! Stop walking!! What is that supposed to mean?
"Crocodillos, mamma. You saw the sign on the highway? I did. I didn't give it a thought.
In Spanish: "Crocodile Farm: Take next left."
Which didn't connect, because we took the next left, but it was over a mile down the road, left, then another mile to the town ..."How big is this farm?"
"Not too big. But there's a lagoon in back, and that's our new backyard. I spoke to a taxi driver, when the crocodiles escape, they can block traffic for days, and we're stranded in town. In any case, if you hear their little toenails go taka, taka, taka, don't look, run. OK?
LITTLE TOENAILS? What, they have GM crocodiles now with LITTLE TOENAILS?
"Oh yes, they are so little. But they have very BIG mouths, so run, ok?" He says this in his cute voice we use with each other.

OK. I've been to Florida backpacking more times than I can count. A friend and I ate lunch not 10 feet away from an alligator. So I'm no whimp. We decided it must be a baby, because he was only 12 feet or so. Any way, he looked content, and he was sun-bathing.

It occurs to me, while my husband has this happy smile on his face, that I'm some kind of insane person. I practically pet alligators, and they have dainty crocodiles in my back year. CRAZY PERSON. THAT'S ME.
Just for kicks and giggles, I ask, when the crocodile blocks the road to civilization, don't they call the person from the farm? What am I saying? That has to be a zoo, a killing zoo?
"Oh, yes. They call. But remember, now we are in Mexico. You know."
Yes, time runs differently down there. It's a cultural thing. Someone calls someone at the farm/killing place, and someone says, "Ahorita," meaning, this very minute. And this very minute can take up to 2 days to come.
Then I realize I AM A CRAZY PERSON AND IN MEXICO.

Enough for now. The lesson here is, you hear a killing machine thats probably hungry, don't look, run!

Part II is a different kind of insanity, a prophetic one, to some. I'm too tired to edit. Until next time,

Miracles vs. Gratitude: Is There a Difference to You?

2011-01-01T14:16:00.000-05:00

Regarding the odd post of mine yesterday--yes, I'm aware it's somewhat disjointed--I don't want to lose a central idea in it. As I said, miracles happen every day. Even every minute, if you are being Mindfull. This post on the blog Compassion in Politics explains in detailed way what I was trying to convey.
I deleted the portion where I was trying to say that theoretical physics are not incompatible with any religion, I don't think. This link will bring you to a well-written list that explains what I left out.

It will take you less than a minute to read the list.
http://tinyurl.com/2f8d9vy

From Google: 20 Things U Should Know....

2011-01-01T13:45:00.000-05:00

I love this 29 Things You Should Know from Google Give it to your computer-shy or challenged friends.http://tinyurl.com/3amdxul

It's a cute booklet, with illustrations, and humor. You can print it or download it into Google Docs or your computer, if you don't have Docs.

You really should have Docs. As you'll read in the booklet, I don't have to worry about my computer getting smashed. The Privacy issue, though, is a legitimate one.

My life in Mexico: San Juan de los Lagos

2010-12-30T16:25:00.003-05:00

I heard this song somewhere: I had forgotten about XTC. I think no matter what religion you are a part of, we all have these questions: Why do bad things happen to good people? Why doesn't god care?
I don't believe any god does. And I'm not going to tell you that we need the bad so we can enjoy the good. If you are on that page, read Milton's Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Or the book, why bad things happen to good people.
Please don't assume I'm an atheist. Far from it. After much thought all my life, I've got a vision of the universe that is not neatly packaged.

At the end, I'm a recovering Catholic, and I do go to Church, at times, daily, especially in Mexico and Germany. I am still loyal to the Church, and I still believe in good works. It disturbs me when people claim that because Jesus is their personal savior, well, you can kill someone, and good works are not required. Whatever my spiritual beliefs are, I will never believe that good works are not required. Even atheists, or secular humanists believe in good works.
I lived in the second most popular pilgrimage spot, San Juan de los Lagos, which has changed dramatically since I was there last. The Wikipedia makes it sound like it turned to hell. Yet, I still have friends and my husband's family there, although many left for Guadalajara, about 3 hours south of San Juan de los Lagos.

It may seem contradictory that I still go to Church. What I did learn in San Juan is you can never deny the power of faith. Every day, I saw pilgrims, and it is an AWESOME sight. Once you see pilgrims that have walked from Mexico City (5 hours by car,) with their feet bleeding, you never look at faith the same way. A pilgrim will come, for example, to visit Virgin of San Juan. He made a promise to visit her, if she would only save his sister's life. Those pilgrims have made a solemn oath, and they keep it. Relatives are often waiting in town, and when the pilgrim arrives at the Basilica, the pilgrim will crawl on his knees at the entrance. A relative will bring cardboard, so the pilgrim doesn't bleed. The floor of the Basilica is wooden, old and splintered.

In this setting, it doesn't matter what I believe. Because I've witnessed miracles. Those miracles come from the heart. I believe every one of us can create miracles, if you just take that oath to whatever god you choose, but ultimately, yourself.

If you want to hate me for this, go ahead. I'm in the United States of America. I have a brother that is a minister and a missionary, and while I may not agree with some of his beliefs, and he avoids me because of it. I am still very proud of my big brother and his family. They are working on building an orphanage in Costa Rica. That counts as good works to me, and I still love him for that.

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 7 FOR DOWNLOADING TAZTI

2010-12-29T02:19:00.001-05:00

PLEASE WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 7 FOR DOWNLOADING TAZTI

I RECEIVED A VERY KIND LETTER FROM THE DEVELOPER OF THIS SPEECH-TO-TEXT PROGRAM. I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE i LEARNED THAT THERE IS A COST INVOLVED , BUT ONLY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN GAMING AND A FEW OTHER ADDITIONS TO THE BASIC PROGRAM
ALSO, HE EXPLAINED HOW THEY ARE TAKING THE TIME OVER THE HOLIDAYS TO PERFECT THE PROGRAM SO PLEASE WAIT UNTIL JANUARY 7 TO DOWNLOAD IT i WILL PROVIDE THE LINKS FOR THE DOWNLOAD AT THAT TIME.
I'M USING IT RIGHT NOW AND IT'S NOT TOO SHABBY! I'M REALLY ENJOYING IT. i SEE THIS PROGRAM AS A FORMIDABLE TOOL fOR THE DISABLED, WHETHER IT'S CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME, OR OSTEOARTHRITIS AS IS THE CASE WITH ME AND MANY OTHERS.

I THINK MY WRITING, AND EDITING, WILL IMPROVE WITH THIS. I'M PUTTING AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE TO EVALUATING THIS.

THE COST IS 29.95, BUT AS I SAID, THAT'S ONLY FOR THE PREMIUM PACKAGE. GAMERS WOULD HAVE TO PAY, BUT FOR ME, SO FAR, THE BASIC PACKAGE IS WORKING FINE. I THINK I WILL GO TO THE PREMIUM, AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY WHEN I FINISH EVALUATING IT.

Bradley Manning: Whistleblower Doing Hard Time without Verdict

2010-12-24T01:23:00.000-05:00

The video speaks for itself.

Wikipedia Fund Raising

2010-12-24T00:59:00.001-05:00

You know how much you use it. You know nobody gets paid. It's all run by volunteers and us. So if you have $5 to help them out, why not?

I found out about the appeal while I was looking up the difference between gadgets and widgets. To paraphrase, years ago, the topic would have been comedic; today it is a serious discussion.

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/WMFJA051/en/US?utm_medium=sitenotice&utm_campaign=20101223JA056&utm_source=20101223_JA028A_US&country_code=US

There's the link. While you are doing that, I will break down the essential differences between widgets and gadgets. Because I don't know. But Wikipedia does. And that's worth $5 to me.

(I think we all know what the economic definition of a widget is: it's a word for "generic product" being made & sold in the marketplace.

Barkha Dhar's Blogs on Social Issues: Say No To Dowry

2010-12-19T13:54:00.000-05:00

Barkha Dhar's Blogs on Social Issues: Say No To Dowry: "Marriage is an entity of benign omens and configurations made in the heaven, performed on the earth. It’s a gracious threshold to unificat..."

I will be putting Barkha Dhar's Bog on my BlogList with a feed to keep up with her. I also recommend her YouTube Channel, which is already listed. She's created a video to go along with her post. It's really two posts on the same subject. BD never ceases to amaze me. She is, to me, the best multimedia artist that has a sociological and political statement right up front. If you look back on my blog, you will see how often I've posted her videos and her work. So if you are an advocate or activist for any cause, see how well you can reach out to people by looking at her work.

Freedom and Surveillance:No one is Invincible

2010-12-17T17:44:00.001-05:00

If you think that, because you are innocent of wrongdoing, so you would never lose your freedom, think again.
Google the stats for Death Row Inmates that were murdered and innocent. Whenever humankind does anything, there's bound to be mistakes. You are like everyone else, and that is you are vulnerable, not invincible.

Two Updates:
1. I normally read the legal rights that are mostly being taken from me, like access to my friends, to what I write, what I say on the phone. Honestly, if it weren't for the great people I've met on social networks, I wouldn't agree to what they ask of me.
I must have been ill, but it turns out that Twitter CAN use my image, put words into my mouth about a product I have never been in contact with, not even aware of it's existence.

2. Strongly related to No. 1, on my YouTube Channel, you will find Masterpiece Contemporary The Last Enemy. It was shown a year before Great Britain was about to institute Federal ID Cards. It's considered Science Fiction, but if you watch this, you will see how far the slippery road we've gone. Orwell would be flabbergasted. http://www.youtube.com/user/scribadiva?feature=mhum#p/c/E013A1661C2A8869/4/8kbqCKe8Ymo

Remember, I got it from YouTube, so you don't have to watch it on my channel. I need to fix my YouTube gadget. (I think I need to check the difference between widget and gadget. Which means it's break time!)
N.B. The shortened URL didn't work, so use the long one.

Support Free Speech: Sign the Petition at Fairness in Accuracy and Reporting [FAIR]

2010-12-17T00:53:00.039-05:00

Well, this sham of a conspiracy is just sickening. I say conspiracy because, as Keith Olbermann put it, and I'm paraphrasing, Mastercard, Visa and PayPal now are in charge of foreign policy?
I can not believe people were so angry about Olbermann's tweet which put rape in quotes. He refused to remove the quotes, primarily because Assange is not charged with rape. Keith had to shut down his account until people calmed down.
When the Swedes announced that Assange was wanted for sex crimes, TV talking heads and journalists literally laughed. It was such an obvious set up.

The charge by the Swedes is something that's not illegal in this country: SEX BY SURPRISE. The condom broke! Tell me that's never happened to you, or that he did it on purpose. It's ludicrous, and would be funny....if it didn't involve a journalist that was just doing his job. Since when does Interpol care about RAPE, much less a broken condom?
So I've reposted the page with links for Wikileaks. I heard the Pentagon and others were trying to hunt down the 20+ servers and all the mirrors. At first, the Europeans blocked what they could, but now lifted the restriction.
He's been set up. Why? He's exposing war crimes that our government didn't think we needed to know.

As if fighting the war in Iraq based on a million lies wasn't bad enough.

Julian Assange is being punished for doing his job. The intelligence community just "can't handle the truth." After all he's been going through for the past two years, as well as others working with him, it just proves his commitment to the truth. And in my book, that makes him a Hero.

I don't know if putting up the page, printing it, saving it, will do any good, but it soothes me.
Sign the petition at:http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/

or use this shortened URL for the petition: http://bit.ly/hsKUT8

While you are there, check out the blog. This initiative is the child of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. I know I learn a thing or two there. Link: http://www.fair.org/blog/.

Wordpress Bloggers: Check out Google Friend Connect for You!

2010-12-16T17:46:00.000-05:00

I know this has been available for a while now, but I just realized that maybe people aren't aware of it. Google Friend Connect has a gadget that will work on WordPress Blogs. I should check it out myself, but I don't use that blog that often.
This way, you can avoid using the subscription model for every post. I think you will find that you hold on to more people, although I can't swear by that--haven't checked the stats.

Here's the link:http://googlesocialweb.blogspot.com/2009/10/strengthen-your-blogs-community-google.html

You can shorten it on the left.

Disabled Vets with PTSD Should be Protected under ADA

2010-12-05T05:50:00.001-05:00

PTSD disabled vets should be protected under the Federal Americans with Disability Act.

When I heard about 4 years ago that our troops was routinely being denied treatment for PTSD, and then systematically discharged dishonorable, I cried. I'm not kidding. The military establishment didn't want to spend the money necessary for treating these Vets. Trumped up charges, accusations, and outright lies were used to "get rid of them."

We have seen the results once they come home. Some become suicidal, others homicidal. Everyone suffers.

It's clear that these Vets need the protection afforded to all disabled people. The ADA certainly isn't perfect, but at least it would help those who were denied something they deserved.

Please follow the enclosed link to Facebook and Vote for the Petition.

http://www.causes.com/causes/488457-ptsd-disabled-vets-should-be-protected-under-the-federal-americans-with-disability-act

Aaaargh! Piracy, Privacy, Survive Zombies, and Carry Sand with You ALWAYS

2010-11-21T13:18:00.018-05:00

I know how guys love to say that, so for all of you "movie pirates," this title is for you. It's also the sound I made when I discovered I was being "used."

Well, not quite. I hadn't looked at my Google Buzz for over a week (more like four weeks.) During that time, while I was in bed wanting to die, I came to the conclusion that Twitter has some new cool software "that rocks."

Quite a feat, because I couldn't type that on my phone, I just started re-using Twitter for very specific purposes, and one of the reasons was certainly NOT to shill for some company or product. No, I never buzzed about what ever the product was.

I was so angry, I deleted it, and decided I had to write this post before the post I had hoped to write. And I will spread it all over the social sphere. If I had tested it, and felt that way, I still don't want anyone pretending they are me (with my oh-so-common avatar and name.)

Have I made it clear that I never tweeted anything having to do with a product? And I was very upset?
I'm sure most people would feel the same way.

While we are on the subject, it is recommended that you check your privacy settings in Facebook at least every month. Your settings can be changed without your notice. Now having bought a smart phone, most applications want the right to delete things from your SD card. I'm sure some good soul was just worried about an accident and a lawsuit, but what happens when a competitor is on you SD card?

I'm going to start carrying sand in my purse. The world is getting more slippery than usual, and I hate that kind of surprise. If you go to this link, you will find many videos explaining old and new concepts.

I managed to put together a playlist of descriptions of different aspects of the Internet, use of various products, and instruction in English. Some of them overlap, and some are just funny. Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/user/scribadiva?feature=mhum#p/c/8406E848F6D95AB4/0/ddO9idmax0o

You may get sick of the repetition on Cloud computing and sales pitches, but at least you get some of the essentials, look for similar topics on YouTube (like mobile computing, which I will add.) And think: you can have one of Rachel Maddow's Cocktail Moments, go to parties, and be surrounded by people because you are now HOT, with both brains and beauty, (or gorgeous and brawny,) and change your life. As a public service, I added how to protect yourself against Zombies in the playlist.. Someday, you will thank me.

War" What is it Good For? Don't Blame Our Troops

2010-11-20T12:10:00.000-05:00

USO is asking for notes (500 char. max) to send to our troops. I hate the war, but I have the utmost respect for our people there. All the men in my family served. Yes, when I was 8-12, I wrote Nixon nasty letters, my bro was in VietNam and his friends came home in body bags. Since my brother was 10 years older, and I spent those first 8 years with him and his friends, it instilled me with anger that led to my involvement in politics.

My Dad lied about his age, and at age 16, he was at Pearl Harbor. His brother, and m Godfather, 2 years older, was a lifer, and became a Corporal in the Army/Air Force, working with the hotshot pilots. Sounds like common sense now, but he doubled the air capacity for pilots by designing aluminum air tanks, which were much lighter.

I can't say I'm a complete pacifist; need I remind anyone that there is such a thing as The Good War? It's not romantic, like a Hemingway novel. It's bloody, tragic, and insanely inhuman at times. But in the interest of Life, against those who would take it from you, or 11 million people, can you really turn your cheek? I'm sickened by Darfur, and the inaction of the U.N. for so long. Just as George Clooney said, "This is happening on YOUR watch." He meant the U.N., but it is happening on OUR watch, every person on earth.

Anyone who wanted to know the truth about the Iragi War could find it. I did, and I don't have connections. Case in point: Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden HATED each other. And the only terrorist camp in Iraq was run by a man who refused to pledge any allegiance to bin Laden--that is, until the "Coalition" came. Then, he wrote bin Laden, (we have the letter on a disk,) paraphrased: I will pledge my allegiance to you if you allow me to be the head of the fight against the infidels in the name of Al Queda."

Back to the U.S., when we weren't met with flowers, and it was clear there was no exit plan, by year 2--and I predicted this would happen--Cheney/Bush said, "that was our intent all along. Let the terrorists fight in Iraq, and not attach us at home." So they send our men and women to the desert to--die?

This is the neo-con definition of OPERATION: IRAQI FREEDOM. Was it to save Iraqis from a ruthless Dictator, or a ruse to keep the terrorists in Iraq--killing mostly Iraqis in the process?

I suppose that death is a kind of freedom. And if we neglect history, and we have our troops in Afghanistan, they'll be free, too.

These should not distract us from the commitment our troops are making on OUR behalf. Whether you are for, or against the wars, don't take it out on them!.

The USO has a campaign: "Thanks from Everyone." The link to USO is for Massachusetts, but you can find your state here too:http://links.e.uso.org/ctt?kn=7&m=3529486&r=MTUxMDUzOTEyMDAS1&b=0&j=MjA4NTE5OTMxS0&mt=1&rt=0

http://www.youtube.com/user/scribadiva?feature=mhsn#p/f/7/LBdeCxJmcAo
And for one of my fav songs on the subject: Country Joe

Mad World - Gary Jules

2010-11-18T11:11:00.000-05:00

Old Tears for Fears song: I love this version. I think it's more true today than ever.

The Ties That Bind Can Post-Modern Male Adornments

2010-11-10T09:01:00.003-05:00

This is something that's been bothering me for years. The purpose of males wearing ties. I am not talking about tribal gear, and other indigenous culture, where the very idea of a tie is anathema.
Do you remember Isadora Duncan, the dancer? And, most famous, Jane Mansfield? The former was, as I said, a dancer; Mansfield was an actress in Hollywood. What do they have in common? Very long scarves to keep them warm while riding in a convertible. Unfortunately, they just lost their heads, and not figuratively speaking, although I'm sure that some could think it's related to their figures. But no, their heads were either broken, or snapped off.
I bring this up, not only because it is a gruesome thought. Rather, two other things come to mind. The first is in my mind the minute I walk out the door, because I do wrap a silk scarf on my neck. Secondly, more importantly: Why do men in business and otherwise, face each other, knowing they could easily kill the other? It is not at all difficult to strangle one other. Is it an extension of the Cold War, where MAD defined our international relations: MUTUALLY ASSURED DESTRUCTION.
I do think men just think like a "suit." A piece of cloth, posing as an affectation, or a little personality. Now, the knotting of it, after years of tying the know for my brother, my father, my boyfriends, I can come to only one conclusion.
I'd want to preface this by saying I held some cavemen, especially caveman poets. This was long before the Geico commercials (which is poking fun at Affirmative Action, and a thinly veiled reference, to whom? We should all think about that!
Businessmen are nothing but cavemen. They distrust the world, which is amusing, because the "wall street masters of the universe" who are ostensibly well-cultured, are following this barbaric custom wearing an artifact. Which tells me, Laissez Faire, hands off the markets, for an "invisible hand" to regulate their greed, etc. is not enough. The Invisible Hand can dip down on you and strangle you with ease if he doesn't like the deal. I'm more that happy to discuss this at length. In fact, Adam Smith, who first used the phrase in anticipation of some kind of regulation....another topic all together. So, I will address this in another post, since I already crashed, and luckily had this saved elsewhere.

Any theories on ties? I haven't "officially" looked into the history, although a bit about sewing, and you name it in that field, and we can have a long discussion. I can see the machine is breezing...

American People in Desperation: Democrats Live in Ignorant Bliss?

2010-11-08T17:32:00.000-05:00

I AM DEVASTATED. The BBC described the election thusly: "Republican Party has seized control of the lower body of Congress."* Isn't that a little dramatic? NO. People are desperate, and while I'm desperate, I'd never consider bailing. Keith Obermann's problems at MSNBC is also depressing. the fact that my own party did not court the generation that will guide our future; five million votes were lost for that mistake. Dr. Howard Dean wouldn't have made that HUGE error. And the American people just handed the keys back to the proven drunk driver on probation for Vehiculer Manslaughter, meaning Murder.

Hungry people, Homeless People, or Very Ill People in Pain (like me) do desperate things!

Okay, no dwelling, it's done. Now, can we tell the Republicans, "Screw you and the horse you rode in on?" for the next election?

*Feel like I need to make my position clear for those that didn't take time to watch the video on the last post.

"I'm Voting Republican,"--NOT!!! Provided by Pacific Melody

2010-10-24T01:58:00.001-04:00

Must Watch!!

USING THE WRONG VOCABULARY IN POLITICS

2010-10-18T18:17:00.000-04:00

Mosque=false Community Center with prayer rooms for all=true
Ground Zero=false 2 blocks way=true
ALREADY IN USE=TRUE, LET THEM BUILD IT?=ALREADY TRUE
Paid for by Fox News parent co.=TRUE
FEAR MONGERING BEGAN BY FOX NEWS=TRUE
News Corp. owner of Fox New Murdoch's partner paid for the building=TRUE
This is common knowledge=true
Fear produced by FOX NEWS=TRUE.
Use of words like Mosque=MISINFORMATION
Language is essential to understanding our world,especially in politics=TRUE
FOX SUPPORTING CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIA CARL ROVE AND CROSSROADS=TRUE
CARL ROVE ADMITTED THIS ON CAMERA=TRUE
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE=MONEY FROM 89 FOREIGN COMPANIES AND WHO KNOWS WHO ELSE=TRUE
LAW REQUIRES THEM TO SHOW DONORS B/C THEY PRODUCE ADS=TRUE
If the post below with the details is too much to read, maybe now you get the point. I am not a xenophobe. Unclear? Ask me. I'm from New York, and I'm 2 hours away now.

From: Aphorism of the Day: Friday's Wisdom: Remind You Of Someone?

2010-10-17T21:02:00.004-04:00

APHORISM OF THE DAYMY DAILY APHORISMS. REFLECTIONS ON LIFE, DEATH, BEAUTY, CHANGE, LOVE, HAPPINESS, ETC., WRITTEN IN A POETIC AND WHIMSICAL STYLE.

THIS IS A WORTHWHILE SITE TO CHECK, ESPECIALLY ON A BUSY DAY.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2010
Cast yourself upon the waters. Trust in your ability to swim.

Lots of Circus but No Bread, Part I

2010-10-14T04:24:00.003-04:00

   The press is still referring to the "mosque" they are building "at ground zero." It's not a mosque, it's a community center. Prayer rooms for every religion, (nothing for atheists) and the rooms set aside for Muslim prayer are already in use. I've worked in many schools, and it was not unusual, for Muslims and Christians, to ask for an unoccupied classroom. Muslims pray five times a day: Are they supposed to use the bathrooms? Would you supplicate your body on ANY public bathroom? (And I don't mean "dirty dancing," I think you know what I mean.)
  The Community Center is two (2) blocks away from the site of the World Trade Center. (I will not refer to it as "Ground Zero" simply because plenty of chicken hawks and journalists just won't give up with distributing misinformation. I think it makes a lot of them feel tough.)
   Prayer rooms for Muslims were available in the World Trade Center before the attack. Yes, Muslims died, too.
   Let me make this clear: I am no xenophobe. I don't think America is the melting pot; it's more like a stew that, left on the stove (or in the ground) long enough, becomes a soup, and that's who and what we stand for. Having foreign companies buy our elections? That's a different story, one that began in the year 2000, when we became officially a Banana Republic.
   How about some more circus? The wing-nuts are questioning the integrity of an Imam that's organizing the Community Center, the same one that's been working with the FBI, going around the world to preach tolerance for ten years
. Here's the real twist: Fox News is the so-called "News Network," that is stirring up hate, prejudice, racism, all rooted in one valuable tool, essential for human survival. Fear. And if you doubt that, consider this fact, not mentioned that much: In fact, not once did I hear this. Charlie, my best friend and caregiver, picked it up (very little gets by him!)

The following quote is from Baptist Life http://forums.baptistlife.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8621, which I'm using because it put it the most succinctly without an added helping of paranoia:

As recently revealed, the largest shareholder (or 2nd largest, by some accounts) of News Corporation, Fox News' (the network that has stoked hatred against the proposed Islamic community center near Ground Zero) parent company, is Rupert Murdoch's business partner, a Muslim (Alwaleed bin Talal) who is th head of the Islamic organization that is funding what Fox News refers to as the "terrorist mosque" in New York (and other "terrorist" mosques around the world as identified by Fox News).
As Jon Stewart points out, the so-called "terrorist mosque" is thus being funded by Fox News viewers and supporters.
As a funder of Islamic terrorists, the entertainment network that goes by the name Fox News should be shut down by the U.S. government immediately, and its executives sent to Gitmo.

I can see some pleasure in thinking about Rupert Murdock dining on his own views at Gitmo, but of course, I'm against Gitmo. And the Community Center is not a terrorist enterprise. Rachel Maddow's blog reports the same info, as does other reputable sources. Instead of revealing in this, consider the implications..

See Wikipedia for the "Political Activism," including the $ million dollars to the Republican Governor's Association and now, the Chamber of Commerce:

   Now, it has come to light exactly where the donations are coming from to the Chamber of Commerce and Crossroads, via "Turd Blossom" Carl Rove. Politico discovered that 84 of the contributors are from companies out of the country, including an oil company from Bahrain.
   The SEC recently wrote a ruling, backed up by a court decision, that any entity supporting political organizations must disclose their board members to the SEC and the shareholders. Also, share holders would have the power to elect the board members.
   The Chamber of Commerce is appealing the ruling, stalling until the election is over. The attorney representing them. His name is Eugene Scalia, son of our Supreme Court judge. I guess it's a small world, right?
   This is how the Democrats outline the danger:

Foreign corporations want to buy our elections publicly, they can simply create U.S. subsidiaries. If they want to buy our elections secretly, they can launder their money through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which aggressively raises foreign money, or through Karl Rove's secretive American Crossroads GPS, both of which are spending millions in this year's elections.That means foreign leaders like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, Hu Jintao of China, and King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia can use their enormous wealth to steal millions of Americanjobs, keep us dependent on foreign oil and even make us fight their wars.The Supreme Court put America's national security in danger. They were absolutely wrong and their ruling (Citizens United v. FEC) must be overturned.
Urge your Representatives to co-sponsor the DISCLOSE Act to require full disclosure of all corporate campaign spending and ban foreign corporate spending.
Urge your Representatives to co-sponsor the Shareholder Protection Act to require public shareholder approval of all corporate campaign spending.
And urge your Representatives to co-sponsor a Constitutional Amendment to keep all corporate money out of American politics. [Democrats.com]

   What about the intent of these organizations, since Scalia and many conservatives believe in the "original intent" of the authors of the Constitution, where, by the way, African Americans are 3/5's of a person, women can't vote, and in fact, only white men of property and standing were allowed to vote. (Since this is a concept in literature that I also disagree with, I will write another post on that.)
   I think the intent of this unholy alliance, with Carl Rove crying, "I'm the victim!" as if we didn't know his track record for the last ten years, the intent is quite simple: Buy the Senate, and oh, how about putting aside an extra $50m to buy the House as well.
Feingold fought and voted against the Patriot Act. He is well-known for his commitment to campaign finance reform (individual small donations, matched by the public coffers, with limits, as Britain does. Feingold also demands full disclosure of contributors, whether a Democrat or a Governor, It looks like their first priority is getting rid of Harry Reid.. In actuality, it's Feingold that has a tight race, and not enough money. His opponent recently received $14m, so Al Franken and others through "Fire Dog Lake" are asking for even $5.
   Now, as a person on SSDI, I'm not ashamed to say I live on less that 1k a month, and that's because Massachusetts pays for my Medicare A and B, and they subsidize Medicare Part D. In New York State, I was paying 40% of my income towards health care. And if you thought, along with Monty Python that "Nobody expects the Grand Inquisition," believe me, no one expects to get Type I diabetes after a half-century of living. I am blessed, because my caregiver and former husband, Charlie, got me this computer, printers, and a new smart phone, trying to keep my spirits up. Of course, I asked him if it was ok, because we pool our money, but he knows how important Feingold's presence in the Senate: It's worth $5 to me..
   If you don't feel like donating, because you are dissappointed or angry at the Democrats, So am I.
I can't see any American, save the people who are doing this, could think this is a good thing. Here is the link to a petition you can sign that will be sent to your Federal Reps. and Senators.
http://www.democrats.com/stop-the-foreign-takeover?cid=ZGVtczU1Mzg1OGRlbXM%3D
ttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corporation
http://feingold.senate.gov/ If you are interested in Feingold, or you are from Wisconsin, this is his main site, one of the better ones from what I can see. I've subscribed to his podcasts; they'll be available on my blog. Or check the newspaper's site for the story when he won the Profile in Courage Award at the JFK Library in Boston. The Cap Times Re-elect Russ Feingold — our profile in courage  http://host.madison.com/ct/news/opinion/editorial/article_89e01d6c-58a1-5b3c-b83d-e93fccc10d08.html

HTML Google Great Addition for the Disabled Voice to Text on GMobile:

2010-10-12T16:57:00.000-04:00

Google has added a Voice to Text app for Mobile Phones. This is a HUGE benefit to the disabled, like me. Typing can be painful, so I'm so excited by this. Most of my friends knew I was getting a smart phone-- HTC Hero from Credo. I'm thrilled. The camera along, 5.0 (although I prefer more control, with a DSLR. But this camera can make a world of difference in my work. It comes with a 2GB SD card, but I replaced that with my 8GB from my MP3 player. Typing on the touch screen is difficult, but eventually, I'll be able to do it at length. (Just a bit of optimism.)
I understand there are some kinks to work out. Watch the video below on Google Voice, and other videos on what's available here.

Sources for Citation on the Internet: The MLA Style Sheet

2010-10-08T14:04:00.000-04:00

In high school, our English teacher had us memorize the format of all kinds of citations according to Strunk & White. Throughout college, I used the Chicago Manual of Style, which is one of those reference books you grow to love. By the time I got to Hampshire College, most of the professors were using the Modern Language Association's (MLA) Style Sheets. (This is not to be confused with Microsoft Word's Style Sheets, or any other number of software packages.)

I finally found the most recent MLA Sheet for 2010 at Purdue's site. It's an entire section on how to note sources on the Internet, and I believe we can use it to inform us as to when things are underlined, in quotations, or to be cited at all. I'll read through the guide, and look for others. But for now, the link is:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/2/

If there is something other people have been using, please let me know. I'll read through what I have, and then check a few other schools' sites, like Hampshire College, or New York University, and other schools I've attended and would expect something to be available online.

A final word to the wise: If you are in high school, or college-bound, save yourself a lot of time and grief by memorizing formats for bibliographies, footnotes, rules of punctuation. Purdue also has info on how to handle style for research papers, such as all work being done in double space. " are worth looking through if you are having any trouble with any classes. I found an excellent introduction to statistics, which I've also taught.

I was very grateful that my English teacher had us memorize it: You don't want to spend your writing time looking up the correct format for a footnote, where commas go in the footnote; bibliographies have different rules...you get the idea.

I would think it would be obvious that I MUST read the rules. I'm falling back on rules for research, and at that time, besides "Bulletin Boards," Bitnet was the only thing really helpful for communication. (Our Bulletin Board was besieged with issues, and rarely worked properly.)

Let me know if you have other links along these lines.

Is it a Paper Tiger, or a Snarling, Hungry One? True Danger v. Manipulation

2010-10-07T19:16:00.019-04:00

I read a psychologist’s view of Fear in relation to our current situation in the Huffington Post by Rick Hanson, Ph.D..(See links for more info on his books.) We all know about the “Fight or Flight” survival mechanism by which we, and others in the animal kingdom. And Dr. Hanson makes a persuasive argument about fear and the evolutionary imperative: "scientists call a "negativity bias" that makes it prone to feeling threatened. This bias developed because the ancient mammals, primates, and early humans that were all mellow and fearless did not notice the shadow overhead or slither nearby that CHOMP! killed them." But how do we distinguish true threats from “bogus ones?” The essential question for American society is being able to make this distinction; unfortunately, that decision is in the hands of law makers, who use adifficult, almost incomprehendible color scale instead of fully describing what danger we face. I know at times, the oxymoronic “military intelligence” community can not disclose the danger, without tilting their hand to the enemy.
Dr. Hanson talks about this in the context of Stephen Colbert’s satirical claims to “March to Keep Fear Alive.” Before Colbert’s testimony, the right wing in this country tried to claim him as their own. All that proves is how desperate the Right is for any outlet to promote their ideas, or more appropriately, lack thereof. During his testimony at Congress, Colbert broke character once. The Republican response: Mr. Colbert made a fool of himself. That’s what I love: Projection in Action!
Dr. Hanson describes the cost of needless fear in the human brain, body and inevitable costs to society. His solution answers the question, “Where does true courage come from?” Courage is not reckless or the absence of fear; if it were, we would never succeed. Instead, courage comes from the assessment of the situation and the mastery of fear. [I wrote a post on courage: See archives.]
You may also want to read Dr. Hanson’s posts, as he is going to write how we can distinguish true threats from “paper tigers,” and how we can personally feel stronger and safer. [see link.] He closes the post with an important note that is essential to a post I started, and plan to finish this weekend. The post has to do with News Corp., parent company to Fox News, and a little-known fact about the Community Center a few blocks from the former site of the World Trade Center.
"Meanwhile, let's not do anything more to keep fear alive. Mother Nature [referring to irrefutable laws of physics as proof of global warming] and Fox News are already doing a very good job there. Instead, let's do more to keep courage alive. A great first step is to laugh at paper tigers."
This issue has been on my mind. The recent legislation requesting further data from the Internet has been fully rejected by the ACLU, with a response, “Seriously?” This Administration doesn’t get it; having a Constitutional Professor as President hasn’t been helpful for the most part. Violating our privacy, along with our Constitutional Rights isn’t stopping these recent office-holders. Apparently, they aren’t aware, or don’t care about the uselessness of collecting massive amounts of data sans any truly helpful Artificial Intelligence to sort through the rubbish. Information, no matter how much you have, is garbage if you have no tools to sort through it. Or, as we used to say, (and maybe still do?) GIGO--Garbage In, Garbage Out.

For links and more info, including following Dr. Hanson’s Post and books, visit the the link below.

Books & More From Rick Hanson, Ph.D

My Favorite Pols: Rohm is Leaving

2010-10-02T11:37:00.000-04:00

If you've read my posts on the Humboldt Squid, you know they are intelligent, and can get into a feeding frenzy, eating their friends and themselves in the process. There's a political corollary: At the most extreme, we are talking genocide. But in a civilized society, we have to scale it back a bit.
Rohm Emmanuel, I think, has the equivalent force, drive and intelligence. Remember when the press showed up at his daughter's school after a recital? The press described the encounter mildly, saying he expressed a certain disapproval. Never happened again. At a dinner, Rohm took out a list of naysayers and "enemies" of the party, took a fork, and stabbed it over and over, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Please, my peace activist friends, he's just passionate. What's not to love? I was never into idols as a teenager, but I have a small picture of him that I cut out and framed from Vanity Fair. Now that he's leaving, don't fret, I already have another hero. Rohm says he understands.
Stephen Colbert.
Just felt like sharing that before I take some time off.

"Your Boyfriend is on..." What's a Word Worth? and other jokes gone bad

2010-09-27T18:51:00.001-04:00

   I swear, all I said was I thought Vincent D'onofrio is a good actor. So anytime he's got even the smallest part (the murder victim in The Player) or working hard (Law and Order: Criminal Intent), I hear the bear roar, "Your boyfriend is on!" Criminal Intent is on at least 300 channels now, so I hear it a lot more than I care to.
  I really can't walk at all, so I know most of the cab drivers here. If I don't, they are usually new. But this particular Friday, I met a driver that worked there for years, but only on Fridays. So I took a good look at him.
  "Anyone ever tell you that you look like the actor, Vincent D'onofrio?" (I wanted to say, "back when he was hot," but I have to bring it down a notch sometimes, but not often enough. Besides, he's married and has a ton of kids.) I named some of his work, but he didn't know him.
   So I tell him about this very disturbing ritual that I endure at home.
  He said, "You know, my dad did that all the time to my mom. I thought to myself, "Mommy has a boyfriend? Is she leaving me? And then my mom started saying, 'Your girlfriend's on.' Dad has a girlfriend? Are they BOTH leaving me? Where will I go? What will happen to me?"
  His imagination ran wild.
  Because he was 5 years old.
  I couldn't help myself; I burst out laughing. And asked him, is this really true? I got a grip, and thought how totally awful. Doing that around a kid?
  There's a lot of morals in this story, but without getting into perception, semantics, psychological effects on children, I'll just say this:
WORDS HURT. CHOOSE THEM CAREFULLY.
Readers, of course, are free to extrapolate any intellectual or emotional pursuit they like. I'd love to hear what you think. I can take this in so many directions. But, I gotta go.

And yes, I get full bios from anyone I decide to talk to, which is almost every body. I'm so honest and direct, but most people in general can tell I'm not nosy or mean no disrespect. Part of it is to inform my writing, and more important things, but never to compare anybody to myself. (Pacific Melody reminded me why I only compare myself to myself--she sent me a copy of Desiderata. Thank you!" I ask intimate questions of strangers and friends. Some men I know have said, "You're not my girlfriend!" But they only revealed how they really felt, every one of them.
   Lately, I've learned the most from other disabled people, and they love talking about it. They never question my motives: They can see for themselves (even if they are blind.) I have gotten a tons of stories, great advice and information on doctors, social services...it's one- stop shopping. Of course, the people that approach me and tell me their pain stories are not part of this; they don't give me the chance. Which definitely means I have to put their stories out there. (see post Maybe It's the way I walk, or Jungian collective unconscious) (See on YouTube widget,What's a word's worth, Tom Tom Club)

STAND UP TO POVERTY and Support the Millennium Development Goals

2010-09-14T19:40:00.006-04:00

Forgive me the indulgence, but it's almost last call, and I have to hear my song!

Did I neglect to mention the Chamberlain Brothers' Song "Time (has come today) is about homelessness?

http://www.youtube.com/user/scribadiva?feature=mhum#p/f/12/ms3bYnszDt4

Watch the video of a 45 in mint condition. It will take you back.

Now what's here! The Stand Up To Poverty in support of Millennium Development Goals!

Between September 17-19, we will blog to Stand Up To Poverty, as well as the other MDG's. It so happens that if you look at the other goals, they also entrap people into poverty, most in a cause-and-effect, or you lose everything due to, say, lack of universal health care, or lack of education because you are ill. We are not talking 3rd world countries, unless you consider our position. Now that cash=free speech, we are further down the line to becoming a Banana Republic. (That 'slippery slope' began with the Bush Election in the year 2000.)

There are new links, which I will go fetch. In the meantime, you can still sign up; Now that Stand Up To Action has linked itself with our cause these days, we will have a HUGE AUDIENCE. If we don't have the numbers, they may drop us...I don't know. But if you are in Bloggers Unite, this is the time to show up. Brian, along with assistance from Tony B. have worked very, very hard on this. I WOULD HATE FOR THE WORLD TO THINK WE ARE LIMOUSINE LIBERALS WHO ONLY SHOW UP WHEN IT SUITS THEM. OR SOME SUCH "FIXED NEWS" LABEL FOR US.

Really, tell me true, does this make us the professional left? And, if so, what does that make "fixed news?"

UN Millennium Campaign http://www.meetup.com/Stand-Against-Poverty/20830/
email: info@endpoverty2015.org
web: http://www.endpoverty2015.org

. A bit of serendipity. Stand Against Poverty who is overseeing the worldwide mobilization we are taking part in has made Meetup Events for all online and on street events. You can see it with this url http://bit.ly/atBAKq

I have changed the BloggerUnite Make NOISE site so it goes there. From there you can go to their Facebook site, Twitter site, main site and back to here. Because its geo-based it uses my hometown but this is a global online event. Do me a big favor and to to http://bit.ly/atBAKq and click on I'm interested.

It's the way I walk, with a bit of the Jungian "collective subconscious:" or ether

2010-09-14T18:26:00.002-04:00

For the past few months, I've been working on another blog, thepaingame.org. Now I'm doing some advocacy work for the American Pain Foundation. September is Pain Awareness Month. If you have pain, or you are a caretaker of someone in pain, or know someone from your past, please get involved. The link to the American Pain Society is below, but i will link it to this post when I finish.

I started writing this on another blog, and realized I've been reluctant to talk about what I've been through, and I'm still going through. This portion has more to do with why I need to do these things related to pain.

Something I didn't expect to happen did. Repeatedly. And it still happens.

I 've known a lot of pain patients. Without going into details, I was in touch with 4 of my fellow patients. Heavy guilt trip, like you have the skills, you have to get out there for us, and for everyone else like us. They are all dead now. But I started getting these strange reminders.

With enough medication, I can walk, sort of. People see me struggling, and offer to help. That was surprising, but not as strange as this. If I was walking down the street, or in the store, a single person--all genders, all races, all ages--they approach me, and tell me the horror story that they managed to live through.

This doctor, he had me go through 7 operations on my legs? They were all unnecessary, and I grew up not being able to walk.
You know the pain clinic here? They nearly killed me. That I heard so often, I refer to it as the painful clinic.
I broke my back, and they did nothing. Six weeks of medication, I was out of work for 2 years.Possibly the worst: 10 years, chronic pain, Invisible, until I found the right doctor. During those 10 years, my wife left me, my family dumped me, saying I was crazy. Now I have a good doctor, but everything else is gone.

The stories aren't strange. Believe me, I know well over 300 people that are pain patients, or what's left of them. It's the manner in which they told me. They popped out of nowhere, tell me what happened, and just as I was about to empathize, say I'm sorry, or even ask a question, they'd turn around and walk away. Like I had a sign on my back, saying "tell me your pain."

That's why my blog thepaingame.org is so important. I originally wrote a post about "Fixed News" and the boycott, but it disappeared and I don't know why. So I'm writing this first, then....This is the most important thing I can do. Along with my other favorite causes, LIKE STAND UP TO POVERTY and MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS FOR 2015. Change the world one post at at a time.

Classic film of Squid in Formation for Implantation of Eggs

2010-09-05T14:29:00.005-04:00

Humboldt Squid In Dana Point from Walter Marti on Vimeo.

I hope this posts. I was recommending this site, but I never noticed there were other pages. Check this out; it really is beautiful. A Shark should be featured in the frame after it plays. If this works, it makes my day.
The creator and credits are in the videos; go to his site for questions. Mike Bear Posted this on his site, Squid Encounters. I have the link, but you could do a search in the meantime.

2010-09-01T19:58:00.001-04:00

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Octopus - Cached

Panic over "Kill the Web" More Fear Mongering

2010-08-26T18:47:00.025-04:00

The Panic surrounding "The Web is dead," or "Google's agenda is to destroy the Web/Internet" is just like any other panic and misinformation. One other panic and hatred over the so-called 'Ground Zero Mosque" is not at ground zero (2 blocks away,) nor a mosque (It's a community center, and interfaith as well: The top two floors will be used for prayer and services, because Muslims pray five times a day.) People have to remember that language can be manipulated. Statements can be partially true. If you are not precise about your choice of words by neglect, you are providing a disservice to your readers. But if you want to stir up anger and hatred, that's manipulation. And we all know the best lies have an element of truth in it. Ask any historian of the right-wing in America, or neo-conservative watchers, like myself.

Now the bad guys are Google; why I don't know. The 'Web' and the 'Internet" are not homonyms; they don't mean the same thing. I read the article that brought all this up in Wired. And here's the New York Times' article that reported on the article in Wired:

Today’s idea: The Web as we knew it is dead, argue a pair of articles in Wired. With the rise of mobile phones, the general-purpose browser is being eclipsed by specialty apps. At the same time, the Web’s countless entrepreneurs have been overshadowed by old-style media moguls.

Internet | “The Web Is Dead. Long Live the Internet,” declares Wired in its latest issue. In the cover package, Chris Anderson says the shift from personal computers to wireless mobile devices has meant “the move from the wide-open Web to semi-closed platforms that use the Internet for transport but not the browser for display”:

"Because the screens are smaller, such mobile traffic tends to be driven by specialty software, mostly apps, designed for a single purpose. For the sake of the optimized experience on mobile devices, users forgo the general-purpose browser. They use the Net, but not the Web. Fast beats flexible."

Separately, Michael Wolff heralds the eclipse of the Web entrepreneur with the resurgence of the traditional media mogul — “a ruthless paragon of everything the Web was not: rigid standards, high design, centralized control.” Cases in point: Steve Jobs of Apple and Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook. Mr. Wolff writes. "We are returning to a world that already exists — one in which we chase the transformative effects of music and film instead of our brief (relatively speaking) flirtation with the transformative effects of the Web.Upshot: Web, R.I.P. But not everyone agrees. [Wired]

Read the article yourself. I've just started subscribing. Two years for $18. THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT FOR SUBSCRIBING TO WIRED. Your local library may have it, and I'm sure it's on the Internet somewhere.

If you want fear-mongering, and conspiracy theories, just search "kill web." On Google Search, you'll find things like 'Google deleted links to "kill the web." Of course, if you search, you will find things like this (a copy of one link and snippet:

"Google Plans To Kill Web In Internet Takeover Agenda : Infowars ...

Aug 19, 2010 ... Doomsday scheme will silence independent voices for good Paul Joseph Watson Prison Planet.com Thursday, August 19, 2010 The.info wars.org/.../google-plans-to-kill-web-in-internet-takeover-agenda/ - Ireland'

Now If Google were trying to kill the story, would it leave this gem out?
Note to my solipsistic self: It's not perfect, but I can post!!

Fish=ghoti, Just One More Spelling; Anybody Have Another?

2010-08-22T22:47:00.039-04:00

Someone took credit for this without being the originator:
ghoti = The correct spelling of the word 'fish'
You take the 'gh' in trough, the 'o' in women, and the 'ti' in action
ghoti=fish
"You can give a man ghoti and feed him for the day, or teach a man to ghoti and he will eat for the rest of his life."
This is a a quote of George Bernard Shaw. It is not attibuted to him in the Urban Dictionary. Shaw said it in support of reforming the English Language, precisely because of the difficulty.
Example: There are plenty of phesu in the ocean.

Take the ph in phone, e in 'women' (not 'o'), and the su in 'sugar.'
phesu=fish=ghoti
   Play with it. This one took less than five minutes. Use the cbox or chatter area, or comment below, to add yours. btw, it doesn't have to be the word fish.
   While I'm ~~showing off~~, sharing, I may as well mention that I had a definition published in the "Urban Dictionary." The song, Trimm Trabb, by Blur, was a mystery to me. I thought perhaps it was the name on a stamp that is used on bags of heroin. I did my research, and it turns out it was a style of sneaker by Reebox. There was a Trimm Trabb 2 as well. It fits into the song. "Trimm Trabb like the Flash boys have..." (The song should still be on my YouTube player at the bottom-left.) (And I totally stole the redlining technique from Aheila.)
   The story of hunting down first the song, then the meaning of trimm trabb and submitting it to the Urban Dictionary, was a long, arduous project that took over 59 hours in 3 days. I won't put you through the pain of reading what happened, if you don't mind. You would never come back. Hell, I would never come back.
   Oh yes, Aheila, I'm stealing the strike-out from you.

While Waiting for Windows to Load

2010-08-19T16:50:00.002-04:00

I'm watching the screen intently, with a cigarette burning out of the side of my mouth, while imaginary pictures flash through my head.

1. Hunter Thompson doing the same exact thing, with a cigarette holder hanging out of the side of his mouth. Berating the computer first by mumbling, then overt threats.

That's where the similarity ends. We all know he hated computers, and mayhem would possess him, destroying the mechanical beast.

2. Hunter Thompson riding his lawn mower in one of the multiverses that's the next step for us all. He's talking to himself, as he rides slowly to Daniel Shorr's place, to give him

the skinny on the rules of physics over there.

O.K., they aren't pictures, they are tiny videos. They came to me for I am going to quit smoking. It has NOTHING to do with a certain half-Samoan friend I made.

N.B. On Saturdays' when listening to Scott Simon interview Daniel Shorr about the past week, I always pictured Shorr in a rocking chair, with Simon sitting at his feet.

I grew up listening to Daniel Shorr. I remember when CBS fired him for the Pentagon Papers, and I loved Shorr for his actions. My brother was in the war, and I was really angry.

Agapi Studios 1111: New Work …. From The Studio

2010-08-16T20:24:00.000-04:00

Agapi Studios 1111: New Work …. From The Studio

BarkhaDhar has created her own video! Copyright DharBarkha.blogspot

2010-08-07T18:00:00.002-04:00

Scuba Girls in Gear!

2010-08-06T01:20:00.002-04:00

Best Short Stories Blog: The Award goes to Aheila

2010-08-06T01:14:00.000-04:00

"The Guide to Art Schools Named Aheila as one of the 43 best short stories blog. Congrats! Check her out! She's promised to stay away from 12-step groups. http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com"

This Collective Soul Song Makes Me Think of MDG's

2010-07-29T14:59:00.021-04:00

I've always believed that, in literature, art and the law, the intent of the author is interesting, but to me, what makes a piece of art meaningful is what it says to the observer. This song, The World I Know, by Collective Soul, speaks volumes to me. I've lived on the edge. I've been homeless, hungry and poor. I don't regret the choices I made to do that. I made a decision that no one was going to live MY LIFE for me, and I wasn't going to use literature or art at that time to stop my experience of life. I am still poor, and I had no way of knowing that disability would be my fate. But there are Billions of people that can't make that choice. They live in circumstances beyond their control. And that's'where BLOGGERS UNITE comes in.
I've found that some cliches or sayings that at one time were funny aren't funny anymore. When I was a kid, in the winter, my family would say, "Remember the penguins are sweating." Funny then, not funny now. In the same way, I'd like to say, LET'S KILL 8 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, referring to the Millennium Development Goals, (MDG's) but after the spill, I don't think that's funny anymore.

The 8 goals are 1. End Hunger and Poverty 2. Universal Education 3. Gender Equity 4. Child Health 5. Maternal Health 6. Global Health, 7. Environmental Sustainability 8. Global Partnership, including all science, technology and entrepreneurial efforts.

So, as I said, and it bears repeating: LET'S KILL 8 BIRDS WITH ONE STONE, referring to the Millennium Development Goals. After the spill, I don't think that's funny anymore.

SO, CAN ANYONE COME UP WITH SOMETHING, LIKE HITTING 8 PINS WITH ONE BOWLING BALL?

EIGHT GOALS THAT ARE CLOSE TO EVERY BLOGGER'S HEART HERE

2010-07-29T14:34:00.057-04:00

The Millennium Development Goals sound so lofty, but it's really about stuff that Bloggers Unite do every day. The Eight Goals are:

1. End Hunger and Poverty 2. Universal Education 3. Gender Equity 4. Child Health 5. Maternal Health 6. Global Health, like ending HIV and AIDS 7. Environmental Sustainability 8. Global Partnership All science, technology and entrepreneurial efforts.

Every one recognizes that these goals are ambitious, but what happens if we do nothing? The future of the planet, your kids and grandkids? What will our legacy be?
If you think things are bad now........ You can imagine what the future holds if we do nothing.

At Bloggers Unite, we tackle these subjects individually, usually in 8-10 days. Why don't we do them together September 17-19th?

I'm in. For more info, go to these links: http://grou.ps/makenoiseformdgs
http://anewmillennium.blogspot.com/
http://briandrpm.blogspot.com/

Petition: Stop All Offshore Drilling: Today Another Incident

2010-07-29T13:38:00.000-04:00

Dear Linda,
Just this morning, a tug boat hit a wellhead in the Gulf near a Louisiana marsh, and oil is gushing 20 feet into the air. How much more oil can Gulf wildlife take?
We need to change. We need a comprehensive clean energy and climate bill that creates jobs, increases our energy independence, and protects the planet. We don't need more drilling.
Tell Congress to Stop the Drill and start moving towards a clean energy future:
http://www.democrats.com/stop-new-offshore-drilling
Thanks for all you do!
Bob Fertik

Dear Activist,
The Gulf Coast economy is suffering, and endangered sea turtles, dolphins and other marine mammals are turning up dead on beaches.

In response to the disaster, the President announced that he is suspending Arctic offshore drilling, canceling lease sales in the western Gulf of Mexico and off the coast of Virginia, and extending the moratorium on deepwater drilling for six months. This is an important step in preventing the next offshore oil disaster, but it's not enough.
Tell Congress to Stop the Drill and start moving towards a clean energy future:
http://www.democrats.com/stop-new-offshore-drilling
The only way to prevent this from happening again is by ending all offshore drilling. A clean energy future is possible.

The Deepwater Horizon accident should serve as a wakeup call – offshore drilling is a dangerous and dirty way to get energy. This disaster is an unfortunate but perfect example of the hazards of offshore drilling.

We need to make sure the future of our oceans is not threatened by the pursuit of dirty energy. Please support a climate bill that advances a clean energy future.
Tell Congress to Stop the Drill and start moving towards a clean energy future:
http://www.democrats.com/stop-new-offshore-drilling

I felt compelled to post this; both letters came in the same email, even though the point is the same. I have been having nightmares of oceans full of oil & dead sea life. If you want to sign the petition, but not be included in their future mailings, there is an option at the bottom of the page. And after you sign, you may be brought to a page to contribute; it is NOT NECESSARY. Organizations do that in case you are so inclined.

Validation from Huffington Post

2010-07-28T19:41:00.003-04:00

I've always said that Republican are either "stupid, selfish or both." The following is a blog link to the Huffington Post:

Impending Release Of Bush Memoir Has Republicans Concerned: 'Selfish And Stupid'

Elyse Siegel

If you are a friend of mine and a Republican, don't fret. My Dad was a Goldwater Republican; it took Nixon's actions in his second term to say, "Enough!" He was neither stupid nor selfish. He had a family to take care of, and in his tax bracket, he didn't like what he was expected to contribute. The upper middle-class pays more than the very rich.

Let's see, the point of this is??? OH, EVEN REPUBLICANS ADMIT IT. I AM RIGHT.
(I'm not always right, so I have to pump it up when I am.)

About the Post on Wikileaks

2010-07-26T09:49:00.002-04:00

The links seem to be working now, but not all of them. Grab them while you still can. We have a right to know these things. Click on link at top of page for the second page with the links from Wikileaks. W. has 20 servers around the world, but soon Google may block us in the States from getting to any of them. Please, no tags.

I'm Coming Out!!!

2010-07-22T12:01:00.002-04:00

People have commented how "honest" and "candid" I am. For me, that is the greatest compliment anyone can give me. I especially despise intellectual dishonesty. Witness that Tea Bagger destroying a dedicated woman's reputation, and calling the NAACP "racist." We will be talking about this at least until Sunday. At this time, the Secretary of the USDA offered Sharon Sharrod a promotion, along with his apologies. And maybe, finally, the White House will realize that bowing to Fox News in any way, shape or form is a very, very bad idea.
Back to the subject at hand. There's one thing I've neglected to mention in this blog. It's painful to say, because so many people just don't get it. They think I'm perverse, and worse!!! So, to live up to the fine people that think of me as an honest person, I have to come clean:
I love Humboldt Squid.

I know what you are thinking. What kind of freak is this? Normally only seen in the Sea of Cortes, they are moving up the West Coast for cooler waters. Now every one knows they are ruthless cannibals. They hide like vampires during the day, and come to the surface at night to feed. Fishermen die to catch them. Once they start to feed, a frenzy ensues where they eat anything in their path, including each other and, (gulp) themselves. That's how crazy they are.
Did I say crazy? Crazy as foxes. A diver, thinking, "I know this is dangerous, and man, I'm going to be a chick magnet for this." He woos the Humboldt by using a flashing red device, because the Humboldt flashes red. So he's communicating with something, but he doesn't know the language. So the squid flashes, "oh, you a player?" (I am fluent in Humboldt.) So the diver goes into a cage (like a little girl), shuts the door, locks it, and puts the key in a pouch on his diving suit.
Does the Humboldt hit the road? Left to fight another day? Oh, no.no:
The Humboldt tries to get the key out of the pouch.
So what is NOT to love about this strange beast from the deep that's going to steal your keys. take your car with the kids in it and your passport, stop in Tijuana, drink a lot of beer using your credit cards, and you'll be stuck in Mexico, which, anybody can tell you, is not so good a place to be stranded.
Sigh. That's a relief. I think the people that truly care for me will accept me for who I am.

P.S. For the record, I don't eat them. I no longer eat lobster, but that's another story.

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The Housebound Writer: Me an award? You're joking right???

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Me an award? You're joking right???

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