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Friday, August 07, 2009
I did something this afternoon that I've never done before in my life.
I stood at a corner during rush hour traffic holding a home-made sign
as part of a mini-Tea Party gathering.
It was a new rally and I expected only 4-6 people to be there. The
count was more like 25 and the response by the people in traffic was
quite rousing, with waves of horn honks and thumbs up. Some people took
pictures including one guy who risked being rear-ended when he stopped
in moving traffic to get photos. My favorite response was from a few
people who yelled out, "Thank you!" Of course there were some negative
responses too, a few thumbs down or shouts at the group.
I'm a wallflower and since most of my friends and co-workers are
liberal, I tend to keep my political opinions mostly to myself. I've
written letters to my political representatives, but this is the first
foray into being part of any demonstration. It's about time! It won't
be the last.
There are many issues that have caused me to turn off the TV and get
out of the armchair and onto the street. The issue for me today is
government health care. I believe that government health care must be
stopped; the result of this program will be a total disaster to our
country. One elderly lady's sign at the roadside rally today said it
best: Govt Health Care, Shovel-Ready for Seniors.
The government program is designed, over time, put all Americans onto a
one-payer government program. This is exactly what Obama stated he
wanted to his special interest groups but which he denies now. It will
destroy the best health care system in the world and overwelm the
system. Once that happens there will be drastic health care rationing,
all decided by radical czars subscribing to eugenics philosophy and
methods. Three of these people are heath care advisors and regulators
already in the Obama White House.
None of this is being shown in the media or allowed to be part of the
health care discussion. I urge people to view this video in it's
entirety and to consider that there might just be more going on that
should be brought to light before we allow programs to be signed into
law that will affect all of our lives.
Posted at 8/7/2009 10:35:06 pm by lifeonhold
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Tuesday, July 07, 2009
Adopt a Big Brother Hammie
THIS BLOG ENTRY IS FOR BIG BROTHER FANS ONLY A few of us that watched The Bachelorette together in chatHT played a 'game' where we randomly assigned bachelors to each of us; we are going to do the same with the Big Brother 11 houseguests. We are inviting all to participate in this 'game' which I'll describe below:Two hammies will be assigned at random using a computer randomizer program for each participant. I will do the randomizing and posting. Requests for your hammies can be made by contacting me via this blog, email, Hamstertime.net via PM, or in chatHT. Put Adopt a Hammie in the Subject line.These are your "adopted" hammies for the duration of the season. There is no other element of the game other than your ongoing shame or ability to champion your hammie. Like family, you don't get to pick. This adds a small amount of personalization and interest to the behavior of your hammies in the Big Brother house. Self-mockery for your loser hammie is always a good thing. There is no tracking, winning, or anything else. Just your own balls and chains. Ignore them, tout them, dress them up, they're yours to play with.Obviously, since we're one big cross-bred family, other participants will also have links to your losers. Think of it as a clique ...Anyway, if you want to adopt two hammies, contact me in one of these ways:This blog entry - email me using the Contact Me link above my avatar
Facebook - send me a message - Mary L Nelson
Hamstertime - PM me - lifeonhold
ChatHT - ask when I'm in chat
Again, I'll need an email address or other way to respond.I will open up a message thread on Facebook for some summaries and for us to message about our adopted hammies once we are underway.
Posted at 7/7/2009 6:55:09 pm by lifeonhold
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Wednesday, July 01, 2009
A few days ago I was happily contacted by the fellow who rescued my cat, Honey, from life on the streets. He volunteered at the shelter where I got her back in December 2003 and followed up on her early months with me via my blog entries. It's been a long time since she's had an entry so here goes ...Honey is doing very well. Honey has dropped so many of her fears. Of course she began fearful of me, and everything, but those days are long past. Her only remaining ongoing fear is of thunderstorms, but she no longer salivates and cries continually or runs under the bed. Instead she comes to where I am and huddles near my feet and I pet her.In this past year she has learned to come onto my lap for brushing. She has several cat beds including her "condo" - bed on top of a table and a secure area below it hidden by a quilt "curtain". Recently I added another bed at the elbow of my easy chair where I sit with my laptop in the evening.She cuddles next to me on my bed at the beginning of every evening and then in the morning. If I stay up too late for her she acts like a mommy cat to try to get me to bed. After the cuddle time she goes to her condo for the rest of the night.She loves to watch the birdies at the bird feeder and to play with toy balls across the floor. She is very loving, grateful, and happy. She has also been in good health, although she is the same plump cat she was in the shelter.I can pick her up now which she tolerates for a little bit of time.I received her in December 2003 and at that time the estimate was that she was about 5 years old, so that will make her about 11 years old now. She is always a joy and often restores my humanity after the daily 'wars'.
Posted at 7/1/2009 6:30:55 pm by lifeonhold
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Monday, June 08, 2009
I'm slowly de-constructing my desktop computer's set-up and finding ways to make my laptop the computing hub. The only thing my desktop has been used for is my scanning project and subsequent file storage on external hard drives and to connect to my printers.
As an aside about the HDs, one is for Photos, one for Music/Audio, and one for Household Documents/Memorabilia.
I've wanted to get the external hard drives over to my laptop, but space and methodology has been a problem, but this weekend I designed a workable solution to have everything at hand and mobile.
Introducing the External Hard Drives Cart:
The cart is from Staples with 3 drawers removed. I got a thin piece of
wood at Home Depot and had them cut it into pieces to make a shelf for
each HD. I covered the wood in contact paper [black or dark would have
been better; I can re-do that later] and taped them in place in the
front & back so the shelf won't slide off. The power converter for each of the HDs reside in the drawer below the lowest HD. All the cords are taped up onto the frame so they're not dragging all over the floor. All the elements are labeled: drive, converter, plugs, and USB ends. The top drawer contains Remotes for my BlueRay & Roku, USB sticks, digital camera, and USB cords to upload from my camera and to manage my mp3 player content. My laptop sits on a wire shelf rack and the power cord and mouse cord is attached using velcro strips. When not in use on my lap, the shelf-laptop assembly sits on top of the cart. A power cord with 3 plugs resides on the floor at the base of the cart when in use or, unplugged, draped over the leg of the laptop shelf along with the laptop power cord. If I desire the external HDs to connect back to the desktop computer I need only to roll the cart over to that workstation and make the appropriate connections for the task at hand. I get jazzed when I find a functional solution to my space and usage dilemmas so I have to show it off.
Posted at 6/8/2009 1:02:50 am by lifeonhold
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Wednesday, May 27, 2009
If any of my few readers are alarmed by efforts to impose very costly increases in our energy via another government restriction that shifts our money to big government and big business, here are where you can make your voices heard.Cap and Trade creates a new 'commodity' for the government to regulate and tax. ALL costs will be passed along to the consumers and they are not small; the estimates are in the range of $1,600 - $3,000 per year, and some even go higher when you factor in the increases in cost of manufacturing goods which will be passed along to the consumers also. It will make America less competitive, cost jobs, and make the cost of living dramatically rise for everyone. It will cripple our economy.Barack Obama, during the campaign, stated that this will mean a steep rise in energy costs. Any 'offsets' that the government puts in place to 'help the poor' makes lower, and even middle class, more dependent on the government for survival. This increases the control and power of government.I'd like to remind people what just a $2 increase in the cost of gasoline did to our economy. We are still working through the impact of just that 4-month increase. The people pushing this bill have a vested interest in it's passage - government to get more money for it's programs and therefore more power; GE - the largest manufacturer of wind turbines (increased market share, influence, corporate power) and even Al Gore - HEAVILY invested in structures and programs that will benefit from this bill; he is set to become the 1st "Green Billionaire" from his strategies behind the scenes. Cap & Trade and Green Job creation has failed in places like Spain where it has cost 2 jobs for every 1 green job created and at a cost of $600,000 per job. ---- Pam Fowler of the CT Tea Party Patriots compiled this contact information below:The American Clean Energy & Security Act of 2009 – Update The
Cap & Trade (ACES) Act has been referred to eight committees; these
are the targets we need to focus on right now. Our research indicates
that Waxman doesn’t have enough votes to pass HR 2454 on the floor so
it has been moved into these committees. Why is this bill being put back into committees? Sweet heart deals? The
most effective thing do is get to the Committees themselves. Tell the
committees NO MORE government limits on our rights! NO more hidden
taxes! NO to HR 2454 (ACES)! *** Be SPECIFIC. DO NOT say Cap and Trade. Say HR 2454 (ACES)Committee on Energy and Commerce, (202) 225-2927 http://energycommerce.house.gov/ Committees on Foreign Affairs, (202) 225-5021 http://foreignaffairs.house.gov/ Financial Services, (202) 225-4247 http://financialservices.house.gov/ Education and Labor, (202) 225-3725 http://edlabor.house.gov/ Science and Technology, (202) 225-6375 http://science.house.gov/ Transportation and Infrastructure, (202) 225-4472 http://transportation.house.gov/ Natural Resources, Agriculture, (202) 225-6065 http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/ Ways and Means, (202) 225-3625 http://waysandmeans.house.gov/ May 21st Mark Up on HR 2454 http://energycommerce.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=art...
Posted at 5/27/2009 12:13:12 pm by lifeonhold
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Tuesday, May 26, 2009
After 5 years of good performance, my Dell laptop told me she wanted to go into her retirement. I had been dealing with her aches and pains for several months and even took her to the computer doctor a while back. She would work fine for a few hours and then overheat and freeze up and her 'good hours' were getting shorter and shorter. Friday night she let me know that she just couldn't keep up with my demanding schedule anymore. With Big Brother beginning in 6 weeks, I didn't want to wait for the new hammies to stroke out the Dell.
Saturday I lucked into a sale on the HP laptop I wanted at Best Buy [see link] and purchased it for $499.99; the next day the sale was over. Luckily, I could defray about half of my overall cost of the system and software by my recent bonus. Good timing!
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9167947&type=product&id=1218041998788
I loooovvvvee my new laptop! The wide screen will help with all the multitasking I do every day. Streamed video and movies from Netflix are stunning in HD. The Altec Lansing speakers are a huge quality and volume improvement over the Dell. The dual-core processor is fast. There is more HD space.
On the downside, the computer keys are stainless steel and the letter imprints are not very prominent; I wonder if I'll lose my lettering with repeated use. Also, I thought I'd like having the connections on the side of the laptop, but find they are just slightly bothersome in these positions, particularly the A/C cord. These are minor things.
Vista seems quite intuitive and I look forward to learning it's features.
I spent most of the remainder of the long weekend 'moving in the furniture':
Windows OneCare Security - needed Microsoft tech support because my disk was for XP; they added the new laptop from their end and the issue was resolved quickly.
Wireless Connectivity - I could not find my security key for my encrypted router. Needed to call the manufacturer and spend $74 for them to retrieve it for me. I'm usually extremely careful to record this type of info. I'll probably find it next week. Despite the expense, the problem was resolved quickly.
Loaded the household furniture:
Mozilla Firefox - my browser of preference. Of course I had to totally set up my bookmarks again.
AIM - Aim software for Chat & IM-ing.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7.0 - essential for the BB photochops, banners, and other creations
Jing - free software to quickly do screen captures. www.jingproject.com. All you BB fans will love it.
Adobe Reader - to view .pdf files, free download.
Microsoft Office Home & Student 2007 Edition - on sale. Should be compatible with my work system which will allow me to update my files transferring back and forth using a USB stick.
iTunes - free. Need my podcasts! Set up podcast subscriptions.
RealPlayer - free (until BB). Music player of choice when I'm not using iTunes.
Sound Editor - (forgot the name); googled free sound editor, did a trial and then paid for their basic version $30; I use it to edit Glenn Beck and other podcasts to save content clips of interest.
iRiver Manager - allows me to load and manage the audio files on my mp3 player. This was a challenging set-up. I had to go to the manufacturer's site and get instructions and upgraded software, but it is now good to go.
Games - I didn't need to download any of these; my favorites were included in the package: Freecell Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, and Mah Jhonng.
Not loaded, not sure if I'll need yet:
CD and Data disk creator, such as Roxio
ScantoPDF - great utility to scan files into PDF format. Since I don't have my scanner attached to the laptop I don't need it, yet.
Snag-It - it's an excellent program for capturing web pages, content, photos, and streaming video. I've used it in the past for BB video and screen captures. However I'll probably get the BB Reloader software and with Jing I can manage for my BB needs. Therefore, it isn't essential at this time.
I did have to purchase the tech support and some of the software; due to the security alerts placed on all my credit cards due to the recent fraud, the card I was using for all the software triggered an alarm condition. Unfortunately, this came at a time Netflix was trying to bill me for the monthly fee and since my card was suspended until I verified the purchase, Netflix suspended my service. I was on the phone with them and the credit card company at 3 AM early Monday morning getting everything resolved.
So, I've taken care of the problems and equipped my new lappy. Now I'm ready to PLAY! I think it is about time to make a new blog banner ...
Posted at 5/26/2009 1:07:12 pm by lifeonhold
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Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I just told TIME not to renew a subscription I've maintained almost continually over 25 years.
I always used to consider it to be rather middle of the road and generally I've liked the quality and range of of its content.
In this past year, however, I just hit my overload of halo-ed Obama photos and in-the-tank stories. I no longer will support publications or 'news' shows that will not honestly express my opposition views. I repeatedly see how the nightly news and publications like TIME hollow out or disfigure my voice, my concerns, my arguments and even demonizes me.
Well guys, at least I've stopped paying for you to do it.
Posted at 4/21/2009 1:05:10 pm by lifeonhold
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Tuesday, March 03, 2009
A Real-Life Haunting Story
Tonight in ChatHt the topic briefly touched upon hauntings and I
mentioned it happened to me once. The details were too much for a chat
discussion so I promised to write it out.
It was back in the mid-70s when I was in my mid-20s. I was looking for
a roommate and ended up moving in with another 20-something named
Ellen. The house belonged to Ellen's grandmother who had recently
passed away.
My bedroom was on the small 2nd floor which consisted of my room and,
across the hall, a small room that just had old items of storage; that
room was always closed. Ellen had the downstairs bedroom.
Here are some of the happenings in that house:
* My two cats used to get freaked out and follow something around the
room with their eyes. They also pawed at the door to the storage area
across the hall and acted like they wanted to get into there really
badly. They never did this type of thing before, or after, this time
period.
* My bed was right next to the only window in the room and there was no
screen on it. One afternoon one of my cats raced up the stairs at top
speed, jumped on and across the bed, and continued racing RIGHT OUT THE
WINDOW. He was definately chasing something that only he could see. I
was totally amazed. He looked like a cartoon character that runs off a
cliff and then falls. He did fall, but it was a very small house so a
short trip to the ground and some tree branches helped break his fall.
He was ok. **
* I had nightmares frequently while living there which included having
the sensation of being blinded and in the dark and trying to turn on
lights in the house but they would not turn on. This was a re-occuring
'dream'. When I would awaken I would often find my bedroom light on
when I knew I'd turned it off when going to sleep.
* One time in the shower I had a VERY strong sense that I was being
watched by eyes that were in the bathroom in the corner near the
ceiling.
* I didn't talk to Ellen about these things for quite a while, but when
I finally did she told me that she had been seeing a black form,
man-like, in her room. She got a bad feeling from 'him'. She had
multiple experiences of this and it bothered her a lot.
* Ellen confided in me that there was a lot of family fighting going on
concerning the grandmother's inheritance, which included the house.
These incidents ended suddenly and I seem to recall that Ellen said the
family had resolved their differences. Perhaps we were considered
trespassers!
** As a humourous note to these events, my cat Herbie, the one who raced
out of the window, apparently was not daunted by the experience. When I
would sleep in some Saturdays or Sundays he used to 'let himself out'
but jumping out that same window to the ground. It was totally
different, though; he would very carefully leap from the window sill.
Posted at 3/3/2009 11:02:04 pm by lifeonhold
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Saturday, December 27, 2008
I'm keeping this little journal primarily for my own purposes, to have some record of my
symptoms & recovery.
Some of the swelling has gone down now and some areas of localized pain have
come into better focus.
The day after my accident I had a strong metallic taste in my mouth. My teeth had
been 'rattled' and felt loose. Now tonight I have at least one lower molar that is
suddenly sensitive to heat and cold.
I still have all the tingling in the limbs and from time to time part of my face (right
side) feels tingly and my right eye does not feel right. On Wednesday I had ringing
in my right ear too.
My right side is definately worse than my left, but I do have some tingling there too,
particularly when I raise my left hand to hold a phone to my ear.
My shoulders are painful, including between my shoulder blades. When I bend my
head back so as to look up towards the ceiling it hurts down to between my
shoulder blades.
I still have pain mid-back and in my lower back and my upper arms.
I'm a little less foggy and feel a little better today overall. I was able to get the dishes
done a little better, but I noticed I had trouble lifting a pan of water with my right arm
alone.
I still have some trouble breathing at times, particularly laying on my back in bed
and if I bed forward.
I have moments of short stabbing pains around my mid-section both above and
below my waist.
I've been fatigued easily and sleeping 10 - 12 hours and foggy and slow when
awake, although today I had less of that.
Posted at 12/27/2008 6:59:07 pm by lifeonhold
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Friday, December 26, 2008
[Originally written and posted on my Facebook Notes on 12/24.]
It's always something. I spent Tuesday evening [12/23] in the Emergency Room
of the local hospital after taking a 6 PM fall on the ice in the parking lot at work.I fell hard on my right shoulder and heard a "crack" sound around my neck or
back. After I overcame the initial pain, I noticed alarming symptoms:
difficulty breathing and swallowing on the right side, tingling in the fingers
and toes on my right side, some visual distortions, mental fogginess, headache
and muscle aches, and even a metallic taste in the mouth.
 When I got home, I called the 24-hour Nurse Consultant service provided by
my Health Provider and he said I should go to the Emergency Room and get
X-rays and maybe a CAT scan. After a long night the x-ray results were that I
did not have broken bones, but just contusions.However, the symptoms continue although some are a little less. The "crack"
has not been explained and so I still have symptoms and concern. The
paperwork says that recovery may take days to weeks. I've been in a fog mentally since the accident and can't seem to do more that
the minimum. I haven't done any of the preparation work for my Christmas meal
or for the appetizers. I am home, and VERY thankful for that. VERY thankful!Update - 12/25/08 Christmas eveningNow that the widespread pain has decreased, the probable sites of the damage
are starting to reveal themselves. I do plan to follow up with my primary physician.
I want what cracked tracked down and treated. I found a diagram in my health files from decades ago when I used a TENS unit for lower back pain:  I suspect damage at C8-T1 since I can't raise my arm without having numbness,
like when I have to hold the phone to my ear. Also, I have tingling and
numb sensations in my hands even when they aren't elevated.Also the T8 - T10 part of my spine hurts and I have pains in my upper abdomen.I also have some difficulty swallowing which might be C4.L4 & L5 too - with tingling and pain in the feet.Hopefully all of this is just from swelling and pressures, but I did hear that crack,
and that wasn't the ice.Some of the swelling has gone down in the neck region and I'm less mentally
cloudy.My lower back above the waist hurts quite a bit and seems to be bulged on the
left side.My spine hurts right between the shoulder blades when any pressure is put on it.I can't stand for long at a stretch and even sitting is painful. When I bend forward
I have some strain breathing.Last night the vertabre in my lower buttocks 'unfroze' which made that region
feel somewhat better.I'll keep you posted. Please keep me in your prayers.
Posted at 12/26/2008 12:48:45 am by lifeonhold
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