Tomorrow, Friday 23 June 2006, will be the first meeting for NAMI's Golden Triangle Affiliate. NAMI is National Alliance on Mental Illness, a non profit organization. All of our services are free, and include family education and support for families of people with Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia. The Affiliate will form to make decisions about how NAMI will serve the community. Professionals, family members and those with illnesses in recovery are welcome. The meeting will be held at East Mississippi Community College main campus, which serves the Golden Triangle Area, based in Mayhew, MS.
Support groups are already available in the Golden Triangle, with one in Columbus and one in Starkville; we plan to establish one in West Point, as well. However, NAMI offers so much more than support groups only. For more information on NAMI, go to: www.nami.org
Earlier this week, NAMI's Golden Triangle Affiliate received an invitation to participate in the 7th annual Health Fair at United Methodist, in Starkville, on Saturday 5 August, 9a to noon. This is a very good opportunity for us to help people in the community, through education, awareness, support meetings, and so forth. I am thrilled that this will be one of the first things we do as a newly established affiliate.
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It's a not-for-profit, grassroots organization that educates, supports, and advocates people who are impacted by mental illnesses. The National Convention is at the end of this month in DC. NAMI Mississippi's Annual State Conference is usually in Jackson, in the Fall of the year. To better serve the community's needs, we are establishing NAMI's Golden Triangle Affiliate. Our focus will be primarily within Clay (West Point), Lowndes (Columbus), and Oktibbeha (Starkville) counties. One of my main objectives is to make our presence known in the Golden Triangle!
NAMI has had support groups in Columbus and Starkville for just shy of a year, now. We offer support for those affected by Mental Illnesses &/or Brain Disorders. This may be consumers (individuals with the conditions), family members, care-providers, friends, employers, other service providers, etc. Our support meetings are held on the second Thursday each month. For more information, please contact me at 662/324-8443 or via eMail at: dkb1116@peoplepc.com.
NAMI does offer so much more than support. Education workshops, printed materials, and multi-media presentations are a few ways we can help consumers, family members, and care-providers cope with the impact mental illnesses can have on our lives and the ones whom we love and serve. Children benefit from many of our services, as we help to better prepare care-providers through education, support, and advocacy. In particular, NAMI offers three classes: Peer to Peer educates consumers; Family to Family assists family members with their own boundaries and issues, as well as how to help their loved ones cope; and Visions for Tomorrow is specifically designed to effectively address children with mental illnesses &/or brain disorders. Another educational presentation is called "In Our Own Voices: Living with Mental Illness". I have given this hour long, multi-media, interactive presentation that has been tailored to suit specific audiences' needs. In some cases, attendees can receive continuing education credits/units. This presentation is highly effective and enjoyable, and can be modified to each group's purposes. If you are interested in this presentation, would like more information, contact me and I will be glad to work with you to meet yourneeds.
For more information about NAMI and the three most common mental illnesses (depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia), please visit our website at: www.nami.org. Obviously, I can ramble about all we have to offer!
I do realize that posting to my journal may not be a very effective way to let folks know about our group in particular; however, NAMI has affiliates in every state, most cities, and many rural areas. To find out what is located in your area and how you can be involved, please visit the website: www.nami.org &/or comment here, write eMail, and I will be more than happy to answer your questions regarding NAMI, mental illnesses &/or brain disorders, where you may find more information in your own local area, etc.
thanks!
22 June 2006
20 June 2006
That's the way it is, but it don gotta be
There are very few people whom I just cannot tolerate. But there
are many who work my nerve to the nth degree. I can
intellectualize and rationalize all I want. I can remind myself
that my frustration is only harming me, eating at me, chipping away at
my cool objectivity until I resemble some seething, writhing mass that
I pity.
I have not even met this miserable mass with whom I am ashamed to claim shared womanhood. But, am I really any better? Why do I put up with this? Am I a glut for punishment, eating the bitter filth because it's there and keeps coming on? That's it, swallow and gulp, fast as you can. Open up and say ahhh! down the hatch, good girl!
My guy was married, but he has been divorced several years now. His ex instigated the divorce, pushing and pushing for it. Giving birth to it, through demanding labor. She stormed into the lawyers office and stirred a flurry of paperwork about, demanding that my guy go and sign. He did.
Her lawyer took him aside and told him that he was getting royally screwed. But, my guy just wanted it done, over, had enough. So he signed, walked away from an amazing amount of goods, agreed to pay for her health insurance for an absurd amount of time (COBRA, mind you, even more expensive than a "regular" dependent), washed his hands...or did he?
She fiddled and farted, frittered and wasted, squandered and pilfered, and spent the money her father (!) gave her to pay her lawyer's fees (of which my guy had already paid half). She spent the money on her habits, truly digging herself deeper and deeper, ending up in rehab, yet again. Bringing misery to most, but especially those who allowed it to continue.
Finally, my guy realizes that this will continue indefinitely, he will also continue to pay her COBRA insurance because the divorce was not finalized and only then would the time period he agreed to BEGIN. So he goes to the lawyer, and pays her half of the divorce. The papers go through the judge's approval that very day and are popped off in the mail. She receives her copies, calls, crying, screaming, wailing, carrying on about how she had thought that they would work it out and get back together. Back together? After a marriage of absence and abuse and what "together"ness and intimacy was there? Nothing. Or so I thought. More fool me.
Her meal ticket, get out of jail free card, rescuer with the credit card and ruined credit was walking. She'd pushed, but she despaired of his withdrawl. Now, she mourned her loss of a whipping post. She was beginning to realize she had messed a good thing. Or had she? Had she really messed a good thing?
Years later, umpteen rehab visits gone by, a few more scrapes with the law, and her own parents pressing charges. She calls him, writes him, leaves messages, approaches his friends and family now. Still.
When they were married, she only called upon him to come bail her out of this latest mess. Taking off for days at a time, no messages, til the dark wee hours with a collect call from this or that county jail. Yet he would resign himself, heave a sigh, go get her ass.
Why? He tells me that he thought he deserved that. Really? I tsk, tsk, there now, you po'babee, how I bleed for you. But now, I wonder...
She truly puts the con in con-artist. Cunningly manipulative, seductive in her approach, her methods of sneaking, sliding, slithering coyingly into his life through his mother. Oddly though, she has never left.
He didn't wash his hands, still willingly soiling them in the greasy muck of her acquaintance. He didn't walk away. He does nothing to discourage her, and yet protests that he doesn't see how the very act of not discouraging her is encouragement.
He allows it to continue, I allow it to continue. This endless barage of contact that escalates as time passes instead of diminishing and fading, sour grapes and slinking away.
No, she hasn't messed a good thing. She still has him. Such a slick grip. Not even physically here, not in the same town, not in the same county. No, she has a hold all the same. A pull that he cannot, will not resist. He won't shut himself of her.
He tells me, there is no harm. How does this hurt you? Yes, it's true that she and my mother hated each other with a passion and yet now are thick thieves in the guise of Christianly tolerance and Christly love.
I wonder, am I seeing this clearly? Is it something that I can bear? Does his vanity feed of her continued attentions and ploys of affection and supposed caring? When will it end? How will it end?
It could endwith me. I could end this. I am beginning to see that he will not see. He will deny that it thrills him. He will continue deny that it pains me. Perhaps the ending, is soon, with me driving away. Not washing, not walking, not staying, not fooling, deluding myself and others.
It could end with me, not allowing it to continue. I cannot control others actions, but I can my own reactions. What is more, I can pro-act, and choose to tolerate no more. To leave this mess. To wipe the woven webs away.
I have not even met this miserable mass with whom I am ashamed to claim shared womanhood. But, am I really any better? Why do I put up with this? Am I a glut for punishment, eating the bitter filth because it's there and keeps coming on? That's it, swallow and gulp, fast as you can. Open up and say ahhh! down the hatch, good girl!
My guy was married, but he has been divorced several years now. His ex instigated the divorce, pushing and pushing for it. Giving birth to it, through demanding labor. She stormed into the lawyers office and stirred a flurry of paperwork about, demanding that my guy go and sign. He did.
Her lawyer took him aside and told him that he was getting royally screwed. But, my guy just wanted it done, over, had enough. So he signed, walked away from an amazing amount of goods, agreed to pay for her health insurance for an absurd amount of time (COBRA, mind you, even more expensive than a "regular" dependent), washed his hands...or did he?
She fiddled and farted, frittered and wasted, squandered and pilfered, and spent the money her father (!) gave her to pay her lawyer's fees (of which my guy had already paid half). She spent the money on her habits, truly digging herself deeper and deeper, ending up in rehab, yet again. Bringing misery to most, but especially those who allowed it to continue.
Finally, my guy realizes that this will continue indefinitely, he will also continue to pay her COBRA insurance because the divorce was not finalized and only then would the time period he agreed to BEGIN. So he goes to the lawyer, and pays her half of the divorce. The papers go through the judge's approval that very day and are popped off in the mail. She receives her copies, calls, crying, screaming, wailing, carrying on about how she had thought that they would work it out and get back together. Back together? After a marriage of absence and abuse and what "together"ness and intimacy was there? Nothing. Or so I thought. More fool me.
Her meal ticket, get out of jail free card, rescuer with the credit card and ruined credit was walking. She'd pushed, but she despaired of his withdrawl. Now, she mourned her loss of a whipping post. She was beginning to realize she had messed a good thing. Or had she? Had she really messed a good thing?
Years later, umpteen rehab visits gone by, a few more scrapes with the law, and her own parents pressing charges. She calls him, writes him, leaves messages, approaches his friends and family now. Still.
When they were married, she only called upon him to come bail her out of this latest mess. Taking off for days at a time, no messages, til the dark wee hours with a collect call from this or that county jail. Yet he would resign himself, heave a sigh, go get her ass.
Why? He tells me that he thought he deserved that. Really? I tsk, tsk, there now, you po'babee, how I bleed for you. But now, I wonder...
She truly puts the con in con-artist. Cunningly manipulative, seductive in her approach, her methods of sneaking, sliding, slithering coyingly into his life through his mother. Oddly though, she has never left.
He didn't wash his hands, still willingly soiling them in the greasy muck of her acquaintance. He didn't walk away. He does nothing to discourage her, and yet protests that he doesn't see how the very act of not discouraging her is encouragement.
He allows it to continue, I allow it to continue. This endless barage of contact that escalates as time passes instead of diminishing and fading, sour grapes and slinking away.
No, she hasn't messed a good thing. She still has him. Such a slick grip. Not even physically here, not in the same town, not in the same county. No, she has a hold all the same. A pull that he cannot, will not resist. He won't shut himself of her.
He tells me, there is no harm. How does this hurt you? Yes, it's true that she and my mother hated each other with a passion and yet now are thick thieves in the guise of Christianly tolerance and Christly love.
I wonder, am I seeing this clearly? Is it something that I can bear? Does his vanity feed of her continued attentions and ploys of affection and supposed caring? When will it end? How will it end?
It could endwith me. I could end this. I am beginning to see that he will not see. He will deny that it thrills him. He will continue deny that it pains me. Perhaps the ending, is soon, with me driving away. Not washing, not walking, not staying, not fooling, deluding myself and others.
It could end with me, not allowing it to continue. I cannot control others actions, but I can my own reactions. What is more, I can pro-act, and choose to tolerate no more. To leave this mess. To wipe the woven webs away.
all choked up, gleefully
Bipolar mood swings can cause vertigo. All revved up, excited,
accomplishing scads, and that feeds into the fast pace, and it all just
goes on in a seemingly never-ending vicious cycle, going as fast as I
can til I didn't bank and overshot the curve and plummet off the cliff
with no drag to slow me down, I now crash as quickly and as hard as I
was running on high octane fumes scant moments before. Then my
synapses fire off in some weird combination and I am jolted alive with
the frantic need for speed and whoooooooosh! I am off to soar on some
random updraft that sucks me into warp overdrive up and up and up and
spinning like a dervish, dizzying heights, my eyes on the sky until I'm
unbalanced and falling, catapulted into the depths of volitile emotions
of rage, frustration, overwhelming euphoria...
Sucks to rapid cycle.
Sucks to rapid cycle.
19 June 2006
a picture worth more than a thousand names
i like to see pictures that are made up of lots of other
pictures. john scalzi features some occassionally on his journal,
one in particular was "starry starry night" which was made up of tiny
pix. some ads use this technique, especially if it is about
networking, linking people together.
this poster is heartwrenching and yet serves as a wonderful reminder: the sun, a limited edition tribute of the WTC, 9/11 victims. take a gander.
this poster is heartwrenching and yet serves as a wonderful reminder: the sun, a limited edition tribute of the WTC, 9/11 victims. take a gander.
Students in Flight
In memory of:
Bernard Curtis Brown, Sarah Clark, Asia Cottom, James Debeuneure, Rodney Dickens, James Joe Ferguson, Ann Judge, and Hilda Taylor.
Imagine yourself as an eleven year old, a student in fifth or sixth grade, from DC. You have been selected as one of three students in your area to travel to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, near Santa Barbara, California. Imagine how wonderfully excited you would be to have this opportunity.
James Joe Ferguson, Director of the National Geographic Education Outreach Program, contacts John Fahey, Jr. (the President of the National Geographic Society) on Monday 10 September 2001 to verify some details regarding the educational trip. Fahey knows that Ferguson has tried his best to make this perfect in every way. The following morning, Ferguson meets Ann Judge, travel office manager for the National Geographic Society, at the airport. She has been on several trips that she helped to coordinate for National Geographic and is looking forward to meeting these three children and their teachers that will be flying with them to California.
American Airlines Flight 77 would never land in California. That morning, 11 September 01, it crashed into the Pentagon. There were 64 people aboard. Included were three students, age 11, who no longer would have soaring educational futures.
Asia Cottom, Backus Middle School student, was accompanied by her teacher, Sarah Clark, on this trip which was sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Bernard Curtis Brown and Rodney Dickens were students at Leckie Elementary School, accompanied by teachers Hilda Taylor and James Debeuneure (he taught fifth grade at Ketchum Elementary).
Please show some compassion for the victims of 9/11. Visit this site for more information. Read about the individuals, see their pictures, place yourself in their shoes, and let this moment in history become real for you.
Bernard Curtis Brown, Sarah Clark, Asia Cottom, James Debeuneure, Rodney Dickens, James Joe Ferguson, Ann Judge, and Hilda Taylor.
Imagine yourself as an eleven year old, a student in fifth or sixth grade, from DC. You have been selected as one of three students in your area to travel to the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, near Santa Barbara, California. Imagine how wonderfully excited you would be to have this opportunity.
James Joe Ferguson, Director of the National Geographic Education Outreach Program, contacts John Fahey, Jr. (the President of the National Geographic Society) on Monday 10 September 2001 to verify some details regarding the educational trip. Fahey knows that Ferguson has tried his best to make this perfect in every way. The following morning, Ferguson meets Ann Judge, travel office manager for the National Geographic Society, at the airport. She has been on several trips that she helped to coordinate for National Geographic and is looking forward to meeting these three children and their teachers that will be flying with them to California.
American Airlines Flight 77 would never land in California. That morning, 11 September 01, it crashed into the Pentagon. There were 64 people aboard. Included were three students, age 11, who no longer would have soaring educational futures.
Asia Cottom, Backus Middle School student, was accompanied by her teacher, Sarah Clark, on this trip which was sponsored by the National Geographic Society. Bernard Curtis Brown and Rodney Dickens were students at Leckie Elementary School, accompanied by teachers Hilda Taylor and James Debeuneure (he taught fifth grade at Ketchum Elementary).
Please show some compassion for the victims of 9/11. Visit this site for more information. Read about the individuals, see their pictures, place yourself in their shoes, and let this moment in history become real for you.
18 June 2006
and i need to do what...?
I've been a member of the gym since January. In May, I received
my first copy of the gym's monthly newsletter. I'm not sure, but
I think that someone drove out to my place and has been checking my
mail for four months, stealing only my gym newsletter. It's
thinking like this that provides fecund fodder for my therapy sessions.
So, I was rereading June's edition, cuz I mighta missed something very important in those 4 pages, when I thought, "hey! look at that! info on checking credit reports. for free! yippee!!" That's for me, cuz I like free. I've never seen a copy of any version of my own credit report. It sounded like a fine thing to do.
Well, sorta.
I went to the main site. I entered the basic core data. It sent me then to other sites to collect my credit reports from three agencies. All three of them use the basic core data to access my report. Then, there are verification questions, so that they can give you the impression that your credit report is safely secure and only legitimate people can access it. The idea is that only you will know the answer to one or more questions based on info in your credit report. Answer the question(s) correctly and PRESTO! you can access your credit report, but wait! that's not all! cuz you can even print it out! yippee!!
Now, the first agency asks me to verify either past addresses, current bank accounts, past work history, or current credit &/or loan account information. Currently, I do not have any credit cards, debit cards, savings, checking, or other sorts of bank accounts. So I opted to verify a past address.
Now, I realize that I have moved lots. I am no longer certain of exactly how many times I have changed addresses cuz I just round off at the 50th move and let it go at that. But I can tell you which states I have lived in and which ones I have not. Ditto for countries.
So, I feel fairly confident that I can verify some form of some past address somewhere. Up pops four street names, no towns, but state abbreviations are included. The instructions are to pick one, provide the number for the domicile on that particular street in that particular state at which I have lived. They do tell me that they intentionally list bogus locations along with the legitimate choice.
Well, yes, they did list bogus locations. But there was not a legitimate choice. Really, folks, I know that I have not lived in California, Rhode Island, or West Virginia. The fourth choice was for British Columbia. I've never lived in Canada.
So, I thought, well that's disconcerting. Wow, if they got that info wrong, I wonder what else in my report is wrong. So, I chose the work history option for the verification question.
Now, I'm 35. Currently disabled (which is in part why I have no bank and credit accounts at the moment) and have been for a few years. But I do have a work history. Without that, as an adult, one can not qualify for disability no matter what the health complication is or your current ability to be gainfully employed.
The verification question is: please list your employer for the following month/year. Technically, that's not a question, but I'll list the info anyway cuz I really, really wanted to see what this agency had listed in my credit report. I would have listed the info too. If I could have. I tried "no one" and "unemployed" but that apparently didn't match the misinformation they have listed on my report.
See, the month/year listed was: May 1978. At which time, I was 7.5 yrs old. I was unemployed. I was busy being a child. There are child labor laws in effect, and there were at that time too. Besides, my folks wanted me to finish the second grade. Silly, I know, but it was essential for the continuation of my education.
Now I am thoroughly alarmed. What sorts of erroneous claims are listed on the report at this agency?!? What sort of effect might this misinformation have on my future?
I begin to search the site and its various pages for instructions on what to do, how to contact them, etc. Time after time, place after place, I keep coming across the same statement: if you have a question that is not answered on our FAQ page, eMail us your question. No other contact information was listed anywhere. No phone number (toll free or otherwise) and no mailing address.
I should say that no contact information was available, period. There was not the suggested eMail address found on any page. There was not the option of entering any sort of question on any sort of feedback form.
I thought that perhaps I misunderstood. So I searched again. They said to email them, but did not provide an address or any method of contact.
I shouldn't have been surprised. I mean, given the misinformation already seen, why should I have expected there to be an actual solution to my problem (or anyone else's). Silly me.
sigh.
I did revisit the original site, and went on to verify my information, and accessed my credit reports (and printed them out, too!) at BOTH the other agencies. All three use the same basic core information. I didn't even access that section after I completed it. That was before the first attempt to access the report at the first agency. Both the other agencies were easy to navigate. One report was more complete and accurate than the other. But both were accessible.
A few hours later, I receive eMail from the first agency. They are reminding me that I did not complete the process and to please verify so that I can access. I send a reply and it comes back with the message that because eMail is not secure, they do not accept posts.
Interestingly, my guy also checked his reports and encountered the same problem with the first agency: no legitimate answers/choices listed among the verification questions. He too had no problems accessing the reports with the other two agencies. His evaluations of the whole process were similar to mine.
argen fargen.
So, I was rereading June's edition, cuz I mighta missed something very important in those 4 pages, when I thought, "hey! look at that! info on checking credit reports. for free! yippee!!" That's for me, cuz I like free. I've never seen a copy of any version of my own credit report. It sounded like a fine thing to do.
Well, sorta.
I went to the main site. I entered the basic core data. It sent me then to other sites to collect my credit reports from three agencies. All three of them use the basic core data to access my report. Then, there are verification questions, so that they can give you the impression that your credit report is safely secure and only legitimate people can access it. The idea is that only you will know the answer to one or more questions based on info in your credit report. Answer the question(s) correctly and PRESTO! you can access your credit report, but wait! that's not all! cuz you can even print it out! yippee!!
Now, the first agency asks me to verify either past addresses, current bank accounts, past work history, or current credit &/or loan account information. Currently, I do not have any credit cards, debit cards, savings, checking, or other sorts of bank accounts. So I opted to verify a past address.
Now, I realize that I have moved lots. I am no longer certain of exactly how many times I have changed addresses cuz I just round off at the 50th move and let it go at that. But I can tell you which states I have lived in and which ones I have not. Ditto for countries.
So, I feel fairly confident that I can verify some form of some past address somewhere. Up pops four street names, no towns, but state abbreviations are included. The instructions are to pick one, provide the number for the domicile on that particular street in that particular state at which I have lived. They do tell me that they intentionally list bogus locations along with the legitimate choice.
Well, yes, they did list bogus locations. But there was not a legitimate choice. Really, folks, I know that I have not lived in California, Rhode Island, or West Virginia. The fourth choice was for British Columbia. I've never lived in Canada.
So, I thought, well that's disconcerting. Wow, if they got that info wrong, I wonder what else in my report is wrong. So, I chose the work history option for the verification question.
Now, I'm 35. Currently disabled (which is in part why I have no bank and credit accounts at the moment) and have been for a few years. But I do have a work history. Without that, as an adult, one can not qualify for disability no matter what the health complication is or your current ability to be gainfully employed.
The verification question is: please list your employer for the following month/year. Technically, that's not a question, but I'll list the info anyway cuz I really, really wanted to see what this agency had listed in my credit report. I would have listed the info too. If I could have. I tried "no one" and "unemployed" but that apparently didn't match the misinformation they have listed on my report.
See, the month/year listed was: May 1978. At which time, I was 7.5 yrs old. I was unemployed. I was busy being a child. There are child labor laws in effect, and there were at that time too. Besides, my folks wanted me to finish the second grade. Silly, I know, but it was essential for the continuation of my education.
Now I am thoroughly alarmed. What sorts of erroneous claims are listed on the report at this agency?!? What sort of effect might this misinformation have on my future?
I begin to search the site and its various pages for instructions on what to do, how to contact them, etc. Time after time, place after place, I keep coming across the same statement: if you have a question that is not answered on our FAQ page, eMail us your question. No other contact information was listed anywhere. No phone number (toll free or otherwise) and no mailing address.
I should say that no contact information was available, period. There was not the suggested eMail address found on any page. There was not the option of entering any sort of question on any sort of feedback form.
I thought that perhaps I misunderstood. So I searched again. They said to email them, but did not provide an address or any method of contact.
I shouldn't have been surprised. I mean, given the misinformation already seen, why should I have expected there to be an actual solution to my problem (or anyone else's). Silly me.
sigh.
I did revisit the original site, and went on to verify my information, and accessed my credit reports (and printed them out, too!) at BOTH the other agencies. All three use the same basic core information. I didn't even access that section after I completed it. That was before the first attempt to access the report at the first agency. Both the other agencies were easy to navigate. One report was more complete and accurate than the other. But both were accessible.
A few hours later, I receive eMail from the first agency. They are reminding me that I did not complete the process and to please verify so that I can access. I send a reply and it comes back with the message that because eMail is not secure, they do not accept posts.
Interestingly, my guy also checked his reports and encountered the same problem with the first agency: no legitimate answers/choices listed among the verification questions. He too had no problems accessing the reports with the other two agencies. His evaluations of the whole process were similar to mine.
argen fargen.
17 June 2006
pet peeves
yes, i do have a few. some were not really meant to become pets,
ya know what with all the upkeep, the feeding and tending to pet
peeves, they can tend to get rather burdensome. but, try as i
might to take the rational high road (ya know the one that goes
something like this: why be peeved, and let this stuff annoy
you? all it does it annoy you and does not seem to have ANY
effect on others. and it is NOT positive or productive to be
annoyed, so let the damn peeve go. or at the very least, drop it
off along some backass dirt and gravel country road...) i seem to still
end up saddled with the pet peeves that find their way back into my
life. sigh. i oughta work on that.
but in the meantime, let me get a few off'n my chestee...
two huge pet peeves which are not mutually exclusive and when they do occur simultaneously require huge amounts of self-restraint on my part not to address the rude pompous assholes directly (THAT road never leads to any constructive sort of end, let alone fostering happy joyous goodwill feelings) are: lack of cell-phone courtesy and lack of volume control courtesy.
dude, i really do NOT need or want to hear your conversation about how you randomly and thoughtlessly picked a last-minute card that happened to actually be somewhat of a tear-jerking that left your mother sniffling and how your opinion on this was "dude, it was GOLDEN! I mean, I so did not even read the damn thing and yet mom was all weeping". not only do i not want or need to hear this bragging to your pathetic frat boy friends, but i really would have appreciated you employing some volume-control courtesy and, although it might be a bit much to ask that you realize that others don't care about your thoughtless gesture, actually kept your voice at conversation level, so that only your water-downed margarita swilling table-mates could enjoy your tale of tastelessness, instead of broadcasting what you apparently thought was a rollicking cackle worthy retelling to the other roomful of diners. i'm not sure at what volume you feel compelled to speak, but a moderate suggestion is that if i can hear you more than clearly, from across the restaurant, chances are that your guffawing croonies experienced a much more than adequate volume braying voice.
sigh.
but, even more so, to conduct this conversation (let's just call it like it is, it is not a conversation, it is a monologue of montrosities that should never be aired, let alone in such a fashion as this) on a cell-phone, while in a restaurant, ignoring your supposed-friends who are physically withing your personal vicinity is even more appalling. this is just a suggestion, again, but technology has advanced quite a bit and no longer do you need to shout into a phone in order to be heard. chances are the other person has the cell phone implanted in their ear, but if not, shouting is NOT necessary. also, it is rude to ignore those who are in your company in favor of someone not even present, let alone to share a snicker rather than some important vital piece of information like, "omg, the contractions are how far apart?!? k, i'll leave RIGHT now..." as you rush out of said restaurant.
i suppose i could go on, but it seems all it would do is irritate and annoy me, while not having the desired effect of prompting some serious introspection along the lines of, gee what a moron i must be for engaging in similar sorts of behavior. i have a feeling that i am preaching to the choir. thanks for reading my rant and allowing me to share my pet peeves.
my mother usta ask me while i was observing a screaming spoiled brat who wanted that (toy, candy bar, insert your own item) and you the parent are just the meanest person for not indulging in whims of this nature, and i hate you!! mom usta say, doncha wish you had 6 just like em?
but in the meantime, let me get a few off'n my chestee...
two huge pet peeves which are not mutually exclusive and when they do occur simultaneously require huge amounts of self-restraint on my part not to address the rude pompous assholes directly (THAT road never leads to any constructive sort of end, let alone fostering happy joyous goodwill feelings) are: lack of cell-phone courtesy and lack of volume control courtesy.
dude, i really do NOT need or want to hear your conversation about how you randomly and thoughtlessly picked a last-minute card that happened to actually be somewhat of a tear-jerking that left your mother sniffling and how your opinion on this was "dude, it was GOLDEN! I mean, I so did not even read the damn thing and yet mom was all weeping". not only do i not want or need to hear this bragging to your pathetic frat boy friends, but i really would have appreciated you employing some volume-control courtesy and, although it might be a bit much to ask that you realize that others don't care about your thoughtless gesture, actually kept your voice at conversation level, so that only your water-downed margarita swilling table-mates could enjoy your tale of tastelessness, instead of broadcasting what you apparently thought was a rollicking cackle worthy retelling to the other roomful of diners. i'm not sure at what volume you feel compelled to speak, but a moderate suggestion is that if i can hear you more than clearly, from across the restaurant, chances are that your guffawing croonies experienced a much more than adequate volume braying voice.
sigh.
but, even more so, to conduct this conversation (let's just call it like it is, it is not a conversation, it is a monologue of montrosities that should never be aired, let alone in such a fashion as this) on a cell-phone, while in a restaurant, ignoring your supposed-friends who are physically withing your personal vicinity is even more appalling. this is just a suggestion, again, but technology has advanced quite a bit and no longer do you need to shout into a phone in order to be heard. chances are the other person has the cell phone implanted in their ear, but if not, shouting is NOT necessary. also, it is rude to ignore those who are in your company in favor of someone not even present, let alone to share a snicker rather than some important vital piece of information like, "omg, the contractions are how far apart?!? k, i'll leave RIGHT now..." as you rush out of said restaurant.
i suppose i could go on, but it seems all it would do is irritate and annoy me, while not having the desired effect of prompting some serious introspection along the lines of, gee what a moron i must be for engaging in similar sorts of behavior. i have a feeling that i am preaching to the choir. thanks for reading my rant and allowing me to share my pet peeves.
my mother usta ask me while i was observing a screaming spoiled brat who wanted that (toy, candy bar, insert your own item) and you the parent are just the meanest person for not indulging in whims of this nature, and i hate you!! mom usta say, doncha wish you had 6 just like em?
15 June 2006
I DO remember...
Tuesday night, my guy and I watched "Walk the Line". It was a
good movie. I'm not a huge Cash/Carter fan, so I have no idea how
accurate it is. I did note that it is based on his
autobiographical works. So I would imagine that it is fairly
accurate, especially as the children are alive and well. Roseann
and Carlene are both successful musicians in their own rights. I
remember the first time I heard Carlene Carter, my mother explained who
her mom, June Carter, was. I'd heard of Cash, of course, but was
woefully ignorant of Carter/Cash and any of the history. I'm only
a little less ignorant now. A step in the right direction.
bridging the gap
Tuesday, I had a hellacious headache and so I don't believe I did much
of anything. Yesterday, I visited a couple friends and we
lunched. It was wonderful!! Today, I've been dragging butt,
tired, but I am making a dent in the laundry. I have my father's
card ready to send, lacking a stamp. I'm not that familiar with
Oxford and even though I saw the post office the other day, I don't
recall how to get there. I could look it up, I'm sure, or simply
call and ask directions. Tomorrow is another day.
12 June 2006
Munich, the movie
We watched Munich late last night. A thought provoking movie, to
say the least. In some ways, it was a very good movie, both in
retelling the events and in the cinematography choices. Some
scenes were extremely moving, some were very effective, and yet there
were a few features that left me rather confused.
Overall, I'd say that if you like movies with depth, based on true events, and dealing with dilemmas, then Munich is a good choice for you. If you are bothered by dangling ends that are neatly tied (and obviously) into pretty bows, then this movie will disturb you greatly. I happen to like movies with depth and am bothered by dangling ends, so I found the movie very good and disturbing. I'd watch it again, to puzzle more of the pieces.
Overall, I'd say that if you like movies with depth, based on true events, and dealing with dilemmas, then Munich is a good choice for you. If you are bothered by dangling ends that are neatly tied (and obviously) into pretty bows, then this movie will disturb you greatly. I happen to like movies with depth and am bothered by dangling ends, so I found the movie very good and disturbing. I'd watch it again, to puzzle more of the pieces.
11 June 2006
Muggy Mississippi
Earlier today, my guy and I had noticed that the temp was at 100
degrees. We both have been guzzling water. So've my doggies.
Tonight, after the sun went down and the heat of the day passed, we went for a walk. Rather, Ziggee and I walked, a little over a mile. My guy and Shaddow ran for about two miles. We all were sweating and panting by the time we were through!
The really good thing for me is that the debilitating lower back pain that made walking so painful in the past, has eased up considerably. Currently, it does get some sore, but not anywhere close to what it used to be. I know a large part of that is due to some weight loss, muscle toning, and core strengthening. It makes it much easier to continue to WANT to be active if I'm not in pain with every step.
We plan to go swimming tomorrow. I forgot to bring my suitee up to my guy's place, so we got another one. Now, I have three suits that are the same style, just different colors. I won't need a new one til I shrink so much that these fall off me!! And although I am losing weight, I am not doing so at a rapid pace. So I anticipate that I will not need a new suitee yet this year. Ya know, unless I go some place and forget to take one of the three I already have!!
Hope you are enjoying the start of your summer!!
Pssst, congrats are in order for BON and Mal Mott...she's coming outta the darkness, into her vibrant self. Bon, we miss ya!!
Tonight, after the sun went down and the heat of the day passed, we went for a walk. Rather, Ziggee and I walked, a little over a mile. My guy and Shaddow ran for about two miles. We all were sweating and panting by the time we were through!
The really good thing for me is that the debilitating lower back pain that made walking so painful in the past, has eased up considerably. Currently, it does get some sore, but not anywhere close to what it used to be. I know a large part of that is due to some weight loss, muscle toning, and core strengthening. It makes it much easier to continue to WANT to be active if I'm not in pain with every step.
We plan to go swimming tomorrow. I forgot to bring my suitee up to my guy's place, so we got another one. Now, I have three suits that are the same style, just different colors. I won't need a new one til I shrink so much that these fall off me!! And although I am losing weight, I am not doing so at a rapid pace. So I anticipate that I will not need a new suitee yet this year. Ya know, unless I go some place and forget to take one of the three I already have!!
Hope you are enjoying the start of your summer!!
Pssst, congrats are in order for BON and Mal Mott...she's coming outta the darkness, into her vibrant self. Bon, we miss ya!!
05 June 2006
I'm off!
That virtual model is based on my proportions, height (5'7"), weight
(215), coloring, hair-cut, and such. It actually does look
similar to me. So does the suitee resemble mine!
When I get "after" pix, I'll post the "before" shots, taken on New Year's Day.
I'm off to the gym!!
When I get "after" pix, I'll post the "before" shots, taken on New Year's Day.
I'm off to the gym!!
getcher swimsuitee on
As you may or may not recall, my guy gave me a year's membership at the gym, as per my request, for Christmas. January began with my weight at an all-time high, 235 pounds. eeek!!
I was diligent in my attendance, my workouts, and my swimming. Days when my body hurt, I was careful to stretch in the warmer water of the hydrotherapy pool. I continued going to the gym thru the second week of April. My weight was 215 then.
As the spring progressed, my allergies caused complications. I felt under the weather, for several weeks. Finally, I hauled my miserable self into see the GP.
She clucked and chided, and set me on a course of antibiotics. Not wanting to take a chance of sharing my ill-health or contracting anything due to a lowered immune system that was already being taxed, I avoided the gym and other public places. It turned out, that antibiotic round didn't do much.
In summary, I had been running a low-grade fever and fighting infection for about six weeks before I finally kicked it. Then, I went to visit my folks for a spell. So I'd been away from the gym, and my routine, for about eight weeks. sigh.
So, my guy came to visit, and we went to the gym for the Sunday afternoon hours. I slipped into my suitee and slithered in the pool for about an hour and a half. Yea!!
I missed the pool. Since I am still awake, and they open soon, I may go get a dip in early today. Get myself back into the swing of things, so to say.
Oh! I weigh a little less than I did two months ago, when I left the gym routine. Yippee!! Go me!!
So, I am hoping to start slimming down some more. I cannot believe that June is here already. pft.
I was diligent in my attendance, my workouts, and my swimming. Days when my body hurt, I was careful to stretch in the warmer water of the hydrotherapy pool. I continued going to the gym thru the second week of April. My weight was 215 then.
As the spring progressed, my allergies caused complications. I felt under the weather, for several weeks. Finally, I hauled my miserable self into see the GP.
She clucked and chided, and set me on a course of antibiotics. Not wanting to take a chance of sharing my ill-health or contracting anything due to a lowered immune system that was already being taxed, I avoided the gym and other public places. It turned out, that antibiotic round didn't do much.
In summary, I had been running a low-grade fever and fighting infection for about six weeks before I finally kicked it. Then, I went to visit my folks for a spell. So I'd been away from the gym, and my routine, for about eight weeks. sigh.
So, my guy came to visit, and we went to the gym for the Sunday afternoon hours. I slipped into my suitee and slithered in the pool for about an hour and a half. Yea!!
I missed the pool. Since I am still awake, and they open soon, I may go get a dip in early today. Get myself back into the swing of things, so to say.
Oh! I weigh a little less than I did two months ago, when I left the gym routine. Yippee!! Go me!!
So, I am hoping to start slimming down some more. I cannot believe that June is here already. pft.
03 June 2006
some saturday silliness
Sometimes, I'm a sillee girl. Sometimes, I'm mindful. Other
times, more often than not, at least here lately, I am mindful
regarding sillee stuff. This may make me a sillee smart girl.
For the past few weeks, my sleep hygiene has be skewed. This is generally not a good thing. It effects me in some predictable ways, in which most folks are affected when faced with little sleep, late nights, odd dreams, etc.
Thing is, for me, changes in my sleep patterns can trigger manic periods.
Leaping to a different tangent, Shaddow and I are roughly the same age, according to some nify neato birthday calculator sorta sillee site. Thanks, sweet andi!!
For the past few weeks, my sleep hygiene has be skewed. This is generally not a good thing. It effects me in some predictable ways, in which most folks are affected when faced with little sleep, late nights, odd dreams, etc.
Thing is, for me, changes in my sleep patterns can trigger manic periods.
Leaping to a different tangent, Shaddow and I are roughly the same age, according to some nify neato birthday calculator sorta sillee site. Thanks, sweet andi!!
31 May 2006
summer-time
Memorial Day is the unofficial start of the summer season. Forget
this end of June, summer solstice, official proclaimation; we are
already experiencing the high temperatures, the humid heaviness, the
riotious growth of all this green, and the variety of produce
available. The first cook-out has been had, the first watermelon
has been enjoyed, the first mowing is long past.
My guy and I went to see my folks. It was great to spend time with them. We caught up on all the comings, goings, and other doings. They invited neighbors and friends over for a cook-in, which included all the cook-out, picnic, summer foods but prepared and eaten indoors. It was good to meet the people in their community and hear the news tid-bits.
While we were there, my guy and I did a few things that focused on the two of us. We went for a small walk along some very scenic trails and, for the first time in years, I meandered in the woods for some length of time. We also found a swimming hole and enjoyed some time together, the cool waters, and antics of those hurling themselves off rock-formations into unknown depths.
I enjoyed the entire trip tremendously. Yes, there were the intrusive headaches that caused nausea and vertigo. Yes, there was a general slow sluggishness that dragged me into quiet, fitful slumber. Yes, there were scattered flights of fancy that made focus a near impossibility. But it was great to see my folks, wonderful to spend time with my guy, and good to see the beauty of the land.
I hope that your summer is starting just as nicely.
My guy and I went to see my folks. It was great to spend time with them. We caught up on all the comings, goings, and other doings. They invited neighbors and friends over for a cook-in, which included all the cook-out, picnic, summer foods but prepared and eaten indoors. It was good to meet the people in their community and hear the news tid-bits.
While we were there, my guy and I did a few things that focused on the two of us. We went for a small walk along some very scenic trails and, for the first time in years, I meandered in the woods for some length of time. We also found a swimming hole and enjoyed some time together, the cool waters, and antics of those hurling themselves off rock-formations into unknown depths.
I enjoyed the entire trip tremendously. Yes, there were the intrusive headaches that caused nausea and vertigo. Yes, there was a general slow sluggishness that dragged me into quiet, fitful slumber. Yes, there were scattered flights of fancy that made focus a near impossibility. But it was great to see my folks, wonderful to spend time with my guy, and good to see the beauty of the land.
I hope that your summer is starting just as nicely.
21 May 2006
yippittee skippittee!!
Doing the Debra Dance
My guy finished his second year in the PhD program and I absolutely couldn't be more proud of him!!
Way to go, honey!!
My guy finished his second year in the PhD program and I absolutely couldn't be more proud of him!!
Way to go, honey!!
18 May 2006
kinkee
An 85 year old man goes to the doctor to get a sperm count. So
the
doctor gives him a jar for the man to give a sample in the next
day.
The old man comes back the next day and the jar was empty. The doctor
asks what happened. The man says, "I asked my wife to help.
First she
tried with her mouth,with her teeth and then with her teeth
out, nothing. Then she tried with her hand, first with left then
with her
right, still nothing. Then we called over my neighbor, Taylor, still
nothing." The doctor interrupts, "you asked your
neighbor?!?" The old man says, "yeah ,but we couldn't get that
damn jar open!"
Random Thoughts
"99 percent of lawyers give the rest a bad name"
"A day without sunshine is like, night."
"Honk if you love Peace and Quiet"
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."
"I love cats...they taste just like chicken"
"42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot."
"As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools"
"Laugh alone and the world thinks you're an idiot."
"Sometimes I wake up grumpy; Other times I let him sleep"
"The gene pool could use a little chlorine."
"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian."
"He took an IQ test and the results were negative."
"When there's a will, she wants to be in it!"
"Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check?"
"If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?"
"Time is the best teacher; Unfortunately it kills all its students!"
"It's lonely at the top, but you eat better."
"Forget about World Peace.....Visualize Using Your Turn Signal!"
"Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear."
"Give me ambiguity or give me something else."
"Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot."
"He who laughs last thinks slowest"
"Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math."
"Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes."
"Consciousness: that annoying time between naps."
"3 kinds of people: those who can count & those who can't."
"Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?"
"Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"
Hukdt on foniks workd for me.
"A day without sunshine is like, night."
"Honk if you love Peace and Quiet"
"Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine."
"I love cats...they taste just like chicken"
"42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot."
"As long as there are tests, there will be prayer in public schools"
"Laugh alone and the world thinks you're an idiot."
"Sometimes I wake up grumpy; Other times I let him sleep"
"The gene pool could use a little chlorine."
"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian."
"He took an IQ test and the results were negative."
"When there's a will, she wants to be in it!"
"Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check?"
"If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?"
"Time is the best teacher; Unfortunately it kills all its students!"
"It's lonely at the top, but you eat better."
"Forget about World Peace.....Visualize Using Your Turn Signal!"
"Warning: Dates in Calendar are closer than they appear."
"Give me ambiguity or give me something else."
"Make it idiot proof and someone will make a better idiot."
"He who laughs last thinks slowest"
"Lottery: A tax on people who are bad at math."
"Very funny, Scotty. Now beam down my clothes."
"Consciousness: that annoying time between naps."
"3 kinds of people: those who can count & those who can't."
"Why is 'abbreviation' such a long word?"
"Ever stop to think, and forget to start again?"
Hukdt on foniks workd for me.
Food for Thought
Everyone should eat healthy. I realize some don't carrot all, but you
just can't beet a nutritious vegetable or fruit. Sometimes I don't eat
just one fruit, I eat a pear.
I yam in love with potatoes. When I was very small, I used to watch my mom cook in the kitchen quite a bit. I guess you could say I was just a speck tator.
Did you hear Mr and Mrs Potato Head had a baby? She was a real sweet potato. I knew a couple kids in school that smoked potatoes.. they got really baked.
I like eggs. Some people find them rather fowl. I think you can't beat 'em. It really boils me when people say they don't like the way they taste. I guess it should crack me up, but I'm scrambling to try to understand.
Cheese is grate. I dairy you to convince me otherwise. I once heard this big argument and it went something like this: "Liver alone, cheese mine!" "Cheese Nachos, Cheese mine!" I could only listen for so long before I got feta up with it.
Don't have a cow, I realize I'm trying to milk this one a bit, but you've got to be really sharp to think of all these cheesy sayings.
Well, I think that's enough to chew on for now. Orange you glad I'm ready to end this battle of words? Really, I just ran out of thyme.
I wish you all love, peas and happiness.
I yam in love with potatoes. When I was very small, I used to watch my mom cook in the kitchen quite a bit. I guess you could say I was just a speck tator.
Did you hear Mr and Mrs Potato Head had a baby? She was a real sweet potato. I knew a couple kids in school that smoked potatoes.. they got really baked.
I like eggs. Some people find them rather fowl. I think you can't beat 'em. It really boils me when people say they don't like the way they taste. I guess it should crack me up, but I'm scrambling to try to understand.
Cheese is grate. I dairy you to convince me otherwise. I once heard this big argument and it went something like this: "Liver alone, cheese mine!" "Cheese Nachos, Cheese mine!" I could only listen for so long before I got feta up with it.
Don't have a cow, I realize I'm trying to milk this one a bit, but you've got to be really sharp to think of all these cheesy sayings.
Well, I think that's enough to chew on for now. Orange you glad I'm ready to end this battle of words? Really, I just ran out of thyme.
I wish you all love, peas and happiness.
Bumper-Stickers &/or T-Shirts
1. Constipated People Don't Give A Shit.
2. Practice Safe Sex, Go Screw Yourself.
3. If You Drink, Don't Park. Accidents Cause People.
4. Who Lit The Fuse On Your Tampon?
5. If You Don't Believe In Oral Sex, Keep Your Mouth Shut.
6. Please Tell Your Pants It's Not Polite To Point.
7. If That Phone Was Up Your Butt, Maybe You Could Drive A Little Better.
8. My Kid Got Your Honor Roll Student Pregnant.
9. Thank You For Pot Smoking.
10. To All You Virgins: Thanks For Nothing.
11. If At First You Don't Succeed, Blame Someone Else And Seek Counseling.
12. Impotence: Nature's Way Of Saying "No Hard Feelings"
13. If You Can Read This, I've Lost My Trailer.
14. Horn Broken ... Watch For Finger.
15. It's Not How You Pick Your Nose, But Where You Put The Booger.
16. If You're Not A Hemorrhoid, Get Off My Ass.
17. You're Just Jealous Because The Voices Are Talking To Me.
18. The Earth Is Full - Go Home
19. I Have The Body Of A God ... Buddha
20. This Would Be Really Funny If It Weren't Happening To Me
21. So Many Pedestrians - So Little Time
22. Cleverly Disguised As A Responsible Adult
23. If We Quit Voting, Will They All Go Away?
24. The Face Is Familiar, But I Can't Quite Remember My Name
25. Eat Right, Exercise, Die Anyway
26. Illiterate? Write For Help
27. Honk If Anything Falls Off
28. Cover Me. I'm Changing Lanes
29. He Who Hesitates Is Not Only Lost But Miles From The Next Exit
30. I Refuse To Have A Battle Of Wits With An Unarmed Person
31. You! Out Of The Gene Pool!
32. I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To
33. Where Are We Going And Why Am I In This Handbasket?
37. If Sex Is A Pain In The Ass, Then You're Doing It Wrong.
38. Fight Crime: Shoot Back!
39. If You Can Read This, Please Flip Me Back Over...[Seen upside down on a jeep]
40. Remember Folks: Stop Lights Timed For 35 mph Are Also Timed for 70 mph.
41. Guys: No Shirt, No Service - Gals: No Shirt, No Charge
42. If Walking Is So Good For You, Then Why Does My Mailman Look Like Jabba The Hut?
43. Necrophilia: That Uncontrollable Urge To Crack Open A Cold One.
44. Ax Me About Ebonics
45. Body By Nautilus; Brain By Mattel
46. Boldly Going Nowhere
47. Cat: The Other White Meat
48. Caution - Driver Legally Blonde
49. Don't Be Sexist - Bitches Hate That
50. Heart Attacks ... God's Revenge For Eating His Animal Friends.
51. Honk If You've Never Seen An Uzi Fired From A Car Window
52. How Many Roads Must A Man Travel Down Before He Admits He is lost?
53. If You Can't Dazzle Them With Brilliance, Riddle Them With Bullets.
54. Money Isn't Everything, But It Sure Keeps The Kids In Touch
55. Saw It ... Wanted It ... Had A Fit .. Got It!
56. My Hockey Mom Can Beat Up Your Soccer Mom.
57. GROW YOUR OWN DOPE --- PLANT A MAN.
58. All Men Are Animals, Some Just Make Better Pets.
59. Some people are alive only because it is illegal to shoot them
60. I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
61. WANTED: Meaningful overnight relationship.
62. BEER: It's not just for breakfast anymore.
63. So you're a feminist...Isn't that precious?
64. I need someone really bad...Are you really bad?
65. Sore/Loserman 2000
a study, without funding
Recently, I have been reading studies, about studies, results of
studies, funding for studies, and other study-related materials.
I came across this and wanted to share it with you. Apparently
there is quite a bit you can learn about a man by the way he urinates
in public.
If a man is: Then he usually:
Excitable Shorts half twisted around, can't find hole, rips shorts.
Sociable Joins friends in pee, whether he has to go or not.
Nosey Looks into the next urinal to see how the other guy is fixed.
Cross-eyed Looks into urinal on the right and left, pees into one in center.
Timid Can't urinate if someone else is watching, flushes urinal anyway.
Indifferent If all urinals are being used, pees in sink.
Clever No hands. Shows off by fixing tie, looks around, pees on floor.
Worried Is not sure of what he has been doing, makes a quick inspection.
Frivolous Plays stream up and down and across urinal, tries to hit fly.
Absentminded Opens vest, pulls out tie, pees in pants.
Disgusted Stands for a while, gives up, walks away.
Childish Leaks directly into the urinal bottom, likes to watch bubbles.
Patient Stands very close for a long time waiting, reads newspaper with free hand.
Efficient Waits until he has to take a crap, then does both.
Tough Bangs dong against urinal to dry it.
Fat Has to stand back to take a long blind shot, misses, pees in shoe.
Little Stands on box, falls in.
Drunk Holds left thumb in right hand, pees in pants.
Impatient Always in a hurry, pees down back of guy ahead of him.
Withdrawn Places feet in urinal, pees down leg so no one hears.
Sneaky Farts silently while peeing, acts very innocent, knows that the man in the next stall will be blamed.
If a man is: Then he usually:
Excitable Shorts half twisted around, can't find hole, rips shorts.
Sociable Joins friends in pee, whether he has to go or not.
Nosey Looks into the next urinal to see how the other guy is fixed.
Cross-eyed Looks into urinal on the right and left, pees into one in center.
Timid Can't urinate if someone else is watching, flushes urinal anyway.
Indifferent If all urinals are being used, pees in sink.
Clever No hands. Shows off by fixing tie, looks around, pees on floor.
Worried Is not sure of what he has been doing, makes a quick inspection.
Frivolous Plays stream up and down and across urinal, tries to hit fly.
Absentminded Opens vest, pulls out tie, pees in pants.
Disgusted Stands for a while, gives up, walks away.
Childish Leaks directly into the urinal bottom, likes to watch bubbles.
Patient Stands very close for a long time waiting, reads newspaper with free hand.
Efficient Waits until he has to take a crap, then does both.
Tough Bangs dong against urinal to dry it.
Fat Has to stand back to take a long blind shot, misses, pees in shoe.
Little Stands on box, falls in.
Drunk Holds left thumb in right hand, pees in pants.
Impatient Always in a hurry, pees down back of guy ahead of him.
Withdrawn Places feet in urinal, pees down leg so no one hears.
Sneaky Farts silently while peeing, acts very innocent, knows that the man in the next stall will be blamed.
15 May 2006
eMail from PA is cute and chuckilicious
since i can't sleep, i decided to check my eMail and i'm glad i did,
cuz i get to share this with you, the Constant Reader (as Stephen King
acknowledges).
Need a good laugh?
A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class and she presented each child in her class the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!
1. Don't change horses............................until they stop running.
2. Strike while the....................................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before.....................Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of ....... termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but ........ how?
6. Don't bite the hand that .................... looks dirty.
7. No news is........................ ..................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a......................... Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new ............ math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll ...........stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust .................................... me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ................ pigs.
13. An idle mind is.....................................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's .............. pollution.
15. Happy is the bride who...........................gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is .............................not much.
17. Two's company, three's ..................... the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what ........ you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry......... and you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as .................Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not .........spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed ............... get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you ...... see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind ............. get out of the way.
And the WINNER and last one:
25. Better late than ................................pregnant.
Need a good laugh?
A first grade teacher had twenty-five students in her class and she presented each child in her class the first half of a well known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders. Their insight may surprise you. While reading these keep in mind that these are first graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is classic!
1. Don't change horses............................until they stop running.
2. Strike while the....................................bug is close.
3. It's always darkest before.....................Daylight Saving Time.
4. Never underestimate the power of ....... termites.
5. You can lead a horse to water but ........ how?
6. Don't bite the hand that .................... looks dirty.
7. No news is........................ ..................impossible.
8. A miss is as good as a......................... Mr.
9. You can't teach an old dog new ............ math.
10. If you lie down with dogs, you'll ...........stink in the morning.
11. Love all, trust .................................... me.
12. The pen is mightier than the ................ pigs.
13. An idle mind is.....................................the best way to relax.
14. Where there's smoke there's .............. pollution.
15. Happy is the bride who...........................gets all the presents.
16. A penny saved is .............................not much.
17. Two's company, three's ..................... the Musketeers.
18. Don't put off till tomorrow what ........ you put on to go to bed.
19. Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry......... and you have to blow your nose.
20. There are none so blind as .................Stevie Wonder.
21. Children should be seen and not .........spanked or grounded.
22. If at first you don't succeed ............... get new batteries.
23. You get out of something only what you ...... see in the picture on the box.
24. When the blind lead the blind ............. get out of the way.
And the WINNER and last one:
25. Better late than ................................pregnant.
Too Tired
I've been feeling tired today. Too tired. I can't even take a nap, I'm so tired!
Yesterday, my guy and I went to Tupelo's Gum Tree fest. It was nice to see the crafters and the vendors. I loved the demonstrations, especially the black-smithy. There were entertainment stages and a wide variety of foods and drinks. I'm glad we went.
We stopped at my guy's mother's house, but she wasn't there. So we left the stationery and cards on the table. Then we drove to one of his sister's, thinking maybe she might be there. His sister told us that great great aunt went into the hospital the night before, and that that's where his mother was. So after a bit, we dropped by the hospital and visited them both.
She is an amazing woman, this 95 year old great great aunt. The first time I had met my guy's family, I had met her too. She has a sharp mind, wonderful wit, and is a true lady. I feel very comfortable with her.
Her oxygen level is low. Her white blood cell count is high. She snoozed a bit while we were there. If anyone deserves to be tire, it is this lovely lady.
Yesterday, my guy and I went to Tupelo's Gum Tree fest. It was nice to see the crafters and the vendors. I loved the demonstrations, especially the black-smithy. There were entertainment stages and a wide variety of foods and drinks. I'm glad we went.
We stopped at my guy's mother's house, but she wasn't there. So we left the stationery and cards on the table. Then we drove to one of his sister's, thinking maybe she might be there. His sister told us that great great aunt went into the hospital the night before, and that that's where his mother was. So after a bit, we dropped by the hospital and visited them both.
She is an amazing woman, this 95 year old great great aunt. The first time I had met my guy's family, I had met her too. She has a sharp mind, wonderful wit, and is a true lady. I feel very comfortable with her.
Her oxygen level is low. Her white blood cell count is high. She snoozed a bit while we were there. If anyone deserves to be tire, it is this lovely lady.
14 May 2006
My Mother, a tearful woman of strength
I know that most people will say, "my mom is the best." To them I
say, "to you she is, and that is a good thing." To me, my mom is
the very best of all possible moms to have. We are a good fit,
for the other.
Perhaps even more important is that we would choose to be friends, even if I was not her daughter and she were not my mother. We like each other. We do love each other, yes, but we enjoy each other's company.
We tell each other of incidences that will bring tears of laughter. We confide doubts, concerns, hurts, troubles, and regrets that bring tears of compassion. We share triumphs, victories, goals, and dreams that bring tears of joy. We share all the things inbetween, things that make us human, things that make us women, things that make us mother and daughter.
My mother is a solid model for me to emulate. She is wise, strong, and true to herself. She is human, with all the wonderful attibutes and acceptable flaws inherent to our species. She possesses great grace, warm humor, considerate wisdom, and an unbeatable drive.
My mom, my mentor. Happy Mother's Day, memom.
Perhaps even more important is that we would choose to be friends, even if I was not her daughter and she were not my mother. We like each other. We do love each other, yes, but we enjoy each other's company.
We tell each other of incidences that will bring tears of laughter. We confide doubts, concerns, hurts, troubles, and regrets that bring tears of compassion. We share triumphs, victories, goals, and dreams that bring tears of joy. We share all the things inbetween, things that make us human, things that make us women, things that make us mother and daughter.
My mother is a solid model for me to emulate. She is wise, strong, and true to herself. She is human, with all the wonderful attibutes and acceptable flaws inherent to our species. She possesses great grace, warm humor, considerate wisdom, and an unbeatable drive.
My mom, my mentor. Happy Mother's Day, memom.
eMail sends me snickering
A married businessman meets a beautiful girl and agrees to spend the night with her for $500. He spends the night with her but before he leaves, he tells her that he does not have any cash with him, but he will have his secretary write a check and mail it to her, calling the payment "RENT FOR APARTMENT." On the way to the office he regrets what he has done, realizing that the whole event was not worth the price. So he has his secretary send a check for $250 and enclosed the following typed note:
Dear Madam:
Enclosed you will find a check in the amount of $250 for rent of your apartment. I am not sending the amount agreed upon, because when I rented the apartment, I was under the impression that; 1) it had never been occupied; 2) that there was plenty of heat; and 3) that it was small enough to make me feel cozy and at home. However, I found out that it had been previously occupied, that there wasn't any heat, and that it was entirely too large.
Upon receipt of the note, the girl immediately returned the check for $250 with the following note:
Dear Sir,
First of all, I cannot understand how you expect a beautiful apartment to remain unoccupied indefinitely. As for the heat, there is plenty of it, if you know how to turn it on. Regarding the space, the apartment is indeed of regular size, but if you don't have enough furniture to fill it, please don't blame the landlady. Send the rent in full or we will be forced to contact your present landlady.
10 May 2006
eMail from (yet another) friend
Passing the chuckles on to you...
A young lady goes to her local pet store in search of an exotic pet. As she looks about the store, she notices a box full of live frogs. The sign says: "Sex Frogs! Only $20 each! Money Back Guarantee! Come with complete instructions." The girl excitedly looks around to see if anybody's watching her. She whispers softly to the man behind the counter, "I'll take one." The man packages the frog and says, "Just follow the instructions." The girl nods, grabs the box, and is quickly on her way home. As soon as she closes the door to her apartment, she reads the instructions and reads them very carefully. She does exactly what is specified:
1. Take a shower.
2. Splash on some nice perfume.
3. Slip into a very sexy nightie.
4. Crawl into bed and place the frog down beside you.
5. Allow the frog to follow its training.
She then quickly gets into bed with the frog and to her surprise, nothing happens! The girl is very disappointed and quite upset at this point. She re-reads the instructions and notices at the bottom of the paper it says in small print "If you have any problems or questions, please call the pet store." So, the lady calls the pet store. The man says, "I'll be right over." Within minutes, the man is ringing her doorbell. The lady welcomes him in and says, "See, I've done everything according to the instructions. The damn thing just sits there." The man, looking very concerned, picks up the frog, stares directly into its eyes and sternly says: "Listen to me! I'm only going to show you how to do this one more time!"
A young lady goes to her local pet store in search of an exotic pet. As she looks about the store, she notices a box full of live frogs. The sign says: "Sex Frogs! Only $20 each! Money Back Guarantee! Come with complete instructions." The girl excitedly looks around to see if anybody's watching her. She whispers softly to the man behind the counter, "I'll take one." The man packages the frog and says, "Just follow the instructions." The girl nods, grabs the box, and is quickly on her way home. As soon as she closes the door to her apartment, she reads the instructions and reads them very carefully. She does exactly what is specified:
1. Take a shower.
2. Splash on some nice perfume.
3. Slip into a very sexy nightie.
4. Crawl into bed and place the frog down beside you.
5. Allow the frog to follow its training.
She then quickly gets into bed with the frog and to her surprise, nothing happens! The girl is very disappointed and quite upset at this point. She re-reads the instructions and notices at the bottom of the paper it says in small print "If you have any problems or questions, please call the pet store." So, the lady calls the pet store. The man says, "I'll be right over." Within minutes, the man is ringing her doorbell. The lady welcomes him in and says, "See, I've done everything according to the instructions. The damn thing just sits there." The man, looking very concerned, picks up the frog, stares directly into its eyes and sternly says: "Listen to me! I'm only going to show you how to do this one more time!"
07 May 2006
eMail from my friend
An eight-year-old boy walks into the local grocery store and picked out a large box of laundry detergent. The grocer walked over, trying to be friendly, and asked the boy if he had a lot of laundry to do. "Oh, not laundry. I'm going to wash my dog," said the boy.
"But you shouldn't use this to wash your dog," the grocer said. "It's very powerful detergent and if you wash your dog in this, he'll get sick. In fact, it could even kill him." But the boy was not to be stopped and carried the detergent to the counter and paid for it. The grocer continued to try to convince the boy, but it was no use. The young boy's mind was made up.
About a week later, the boy was back in the store to buy some candy. The grocer approached the boy and asked him how his dog was doing. "Oh, he died," the boy said sadly.
"I'm so sorry son. I tried to warn you that the detergent could kill your dog," the grocer said.
"Well," the boy replied. "It wasn't the detergent that killed him."
The grocer was a bit relieved. "What was it then"? he asked.
"Mom said it was probably the spin cycle."
05 May 2006
Bear in Mind
There are alotta reasons why folks can't just "snap out of it" and "pull (themselves) out" of depression and/or other chronic states. This is just one that helps me have some patience when I begin to impose my rules (for instance, a time-table) on others and their conditions. Maybe it will make sense to you, too.
We know very little about the brain. But more and more research is showing that the more often things occur (events, thoughts, feelings, opinions, self-talk, etc), the deeper those pathways are established in our brains. That becomes our reality. It becomes easier to follow back into those patterns. Think of it like having mental-habits, analogous to physical addictions. We do what is familiar, with little or no thought.
This is true for all of us, those with or without mental illnesses. I sometimes feel like viewing the condition from this standpoint helps me to be more understanding of others. I hope it makes sense and is helpful for you.
03 May 2006
Flat ~zi trend
I was thinking about whether or not a Flat Debzi would be
appropriate. It would have to be a Fat Debzi, though. Then,
I realized, Fat Debra already exists!
May you be happy
May is Masturbation Month. Let's all lend a hand!!
I think that June is National Blindness and Low Vision Month.
Ya think there might be a connection?
I think that June is National Blindness and Low Vision Month.
Ya think there might be a connection?
02 May 2006
Health and Wealth
The Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) has published a
study which started with the fact that Americans spend more money on
health than the British do. The hypothesis is that more money
spent equals better health. I'm sure you can see where this is going, but bear with me please.
In self-reported surveys, data which measure health, income, and education were matched. To control for racial/ethnic differences (such as health issues related to black and/or latino populations and the population percentage found in each society), only non-hispanic whites' data were used. The focus remained on the age 40 to 70 segment of our populations. All this is to control for as many variables as possible.
Mainly the variables under analysis were markers of biological diseases.
The results are: "The US population in late middle age is less healthy than the equivalent British population for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, lung disease, and cancer....
The conclusions are: "Based on self-reported illnesses and biological markers of disease, US residents are much less healthy than their English counterparts and these differences exist at all points of the SES (socioeconomic status=occupational prestige, education, and income) distribution....
Now, here's the thing: it isn't the wealth of the populace that makes the difference. It probably doesn't even have much to do with priorities, as in preventive care. I would bet that the nations' states of health have more to do with the delivery system of health care.
I haven't conducted a study of the magnetude that this one reflects, but I do have a little knowledge of medical sociology, particularly when taken into account cultural differences in belief systems and practices dealing with medical and health related matters. The single most important factor when examining health status across societies is the manner in which services, equipment, and medication is delivered.
Delivery systems entail factors such as how practioners are paid, who pays them, and in what amounts. Our system is FOR-PROFIT. This means that everyone is acting as a capitalist, from the doctors' offices to hospitals, to insurance companies, to pharmaceuticals, to pharmacies, to ....
Our practicioners and institutions are often paid per procedure, so every little anything is documented and billable. What motivation do we have, from a business perspective, to encourage our citizens to take preventative measures, to not indulge in risky behaviors, to be well, to be health? Medicine is a huge industry here, in ways I haven't even touched upon.
If memory serves correct, I think that most other industrial countries approach health care through a more socialist means. Everyone chips in (taxes) and pays to the fund so that every one receives equal opportunity to access the needed, appropriate health care. Practicioners are not paid per procedure. There is a different sort of base-rate payout from the government to health care providers. Doctors have much prestige in those countries, but the income is not even close to what we have here, although education (but not cost of education) is remarkably comparable.
So I contend that the prime motivator for health care delivery systems is a matter of wealth of the medical industry itself. As the potential profit of the health care system increases, the health of the populace decreases. As the motivation for profit is removed from the system, societal health status increases.
That's a hypothesis for a study that I'd like to see gain wide-spread press and attention.
In self-reported surveys, data which measure health, income, and education were matched. To control for racial/ethnic differences (such as health issues related to black and/or latino populations and the population percentage found in each society), only non-hispanic whites' data were used. The focus remained on the age 40 to 70 segment of our populations. All this is to control for as many variables as possible.
Mainly the variables under analysis were markers of biological diseases.
The results are: "The US population in late middle age is less healthy than the equivalent British population for diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, myocardial infarction, stroke, lung disease, and cancer....
The conclusions are: "Based on self-reported illnesses and biological markers of disease, US residents are much less healthy than their English counterparts and these differences exist at all points of the SES (socioeconomic status=occupational prestige, education, and income) distribution....
Now, here's the thing: it isn't the wealth of the populace that makes the difference. It probably doesn't even have much to do with priorities, as in preventive care. I would bet that the nations' states of health have more to do with the delivery system of health care.
I haven't conducted a study of the magnetude that this one reflects, but I do have a little knowledge of medical sociology, particularly when taken into account cultural differences in belief systems and practices dealing with medical and health related matters. The single most important factor when examining health status across societies is the manner in which services, equipment, and medication is delivered.
Delivery systems entail factors such as how practioners are paid, who pays them, and in what amounts. Our system is FOR-PROFIT. This means that everyone is acting as a capitalist, from the doctors' offices to hospitals, to insurance companies, to pharmaceuticals, to pharmacies, to ....
Our practicioners and institutions are often paid per procedure, so every little anything is documented and billable. What motivation do we have, from a business perspective, to encourage our citizens to take preventative measures, to not indulge in risky behaviors, to be well, to be health? Medicine is a huge industry here, in ways I haven't even touched upon.
If memory serves correct, I think that most other industrial countries approach health care through a more socialist means. Everyone chips in (taxes) and pays to the fund so that every one receives equal opportunity to access the needed, appropriate health care. Practicioners are not paid per procedure. There is a different sort of base-rate payout from the government to health care providers. Doctors have much prestige in those countries, but the income is not even close to what we have here, although education (but not cost of education) is remarkably comparable.
So I contend that the prime motivator for health care delivery systems is a matter of wealth of the medical industry itself. As the potential profit of the health care system increases, the health of the populace decreases. As the motivation for profit is removed from the system, societal health status increases.
That's a hypothesis for a study that I'd like to see gain wide-spread press and attention.
The CarnivAOL's Come to Town!!!
A funny thing happened on my way to town...
I was on my way to town, cuz I heard that the carnivAOL (ecks eye eye) was coming and I wanted to see the amazing Flat Scalzi and his Canadian nemisis Flat Paulzi when my vehicle became too hard to handle. Now, I am blonde, so it took awhile to figure out that the CarnivAOL was not in town literally, but ya know in virtual J-land. Go check it out! You have no excuse, no matter what color you dyed your hair!
As for the Flats, well, you can track them down. I did have all the pages open so I could put all the lil linkies in this entry. But I have dial-up and it's not wise to open too many pages. Besides there was a breeze and so I shut the windows.
Ok, so I adjusted my fan, and reread my opening paragraph (cuz I get distracted easily). Say, have you tried that Lady Gray tea? It's like her hubby's, Earl's, but with a citrusness. That'd probably be the lemons.
Oh, my car? So glad you asked! How'd you know I was having car problems anyway?
So, I'm driving to town. My steering gets very floaty, when going straight. Very difficult, when turning right. And I can't turn left, at all. It was like driving a boat, in circles.
Long story somewhat shorter, Charlie called from the garage (where I am on first name-basis with all the guys, they love me, they really love me). It's my rack-and-pinion and my pressure switch. My power steering needs help. My rack was always sufficient, I thought. But apparently the boys felt differently, once they got to peeking under...
So to the tune of $600+ , I should have my vehicle back and be able to make those tricksee left hand turns soon.
I was on my way to town, cuz I heard that the carnivAOL (ecks eye eye) was coming and I wanted to see the amazing Flat Scalzi and his Canadian nemisis Flat Paulzi when my vehicle became too hard to handle. Now, I am blonde, so it took awhile to figure out that the CarnivAOL was not in town literally, but ya know in virtual J-land. Go check it out! You have no excuse, no matter what color you dyed your hair!
As for the Flats, well, you can track them down. I did have all the pages open so I could put all the lil linkies in this entry. But I have dial-up and it's not wise to open too many pages. Besides there was a breeze and so I shut the windows.
Ok, so I adjusted my fan, and reread my opening paragraph (cuz I get distracted easily). Say, have you tried that Lady Gray tea? It's like her hubby's, Earl's, but with a citrusness. That'd probably be the lemons.
Oh, my car? So glad you asked! How'd you know I was having car problems anyway?
So, I'm driving to town. My steering gets very floaty, when going straight. Very difficult, when turning right. And I can't turn left, at all. It was like driving a boat, in circles.
Long story somewhat shorter, Charlie called from the garage (where I am on first name-basis with all the guys, they love me, they really love me). It's my rack-and-pinion and my pressure switch. My power steering needs help. My rack was always sufficient, I thought. But apparently the boys felt differently, once they got to peeking under...
So to the tune of $600+ , I should have my vehicle back and be able to make those tricksee left hand turns soon.
30 April 2006
a partial update
i say partial, cuz i cannot give a full update. there are a few
things in the works yet and i want to wait til i have definitive
answers before i give details. also, there's just so much stuff
going on that i don't think i can purge in one post!
my guy has one week left of class and then finals. yea! this is the first weekend we've spent together that he didn't have a ton of stuff to do for school &/or work for months.
his vehicle is on its last legs and there may be a newer vehicle in his future. my vehicle has problems with either the power steering or a tie-rod end. either of which can cause the steering to become harder and jerkier when making turns at more than 75 degrees. my guy was/is thinking of taking my car with him on monday, but i'm not sure if he will, cuz the steering is so difficult.
my friend whose father died earlier this year is experiencing a new batch of problems. her father's pension is too much income for her mother to continue being covered by medicaid but not enough to cover her nursing home stay, where she's been since 99. there are several possible solutions to check into, but the timing is very odd. the nursing home wants my friend to set up a trust fund which would give the nursing home access to the funds, and allow her mother to be eligible for medicaid once again. otherwise they release her TOMORROW. no pressure, huh? her mother is bed-ridden, non-communicative, with advanced stages of dementia and severe schizophrenia, with a feeding tube, and in need of 24 hr supervision. home care is not a realistic option. so, we'll see what happens. i think at this point, she is likely to set up the trust fund, but i am not so sure that signing it over to the nursing home is the best idea. neither of us know much about trust funds, and aren't too sure who to turn to for advice. i would think a lawyer or bank official, but given the time frame for the whole mess, that might not be an option.
also, this same friend will have a check-up and her brain scanned again, to be sure that the brain tumor has not grown and her cancer has not come out of remission. that is among the last things she would need to deal with at a time like this. she just needs to catch a break somewhere along the way!!
i'm in the process of pleading forgiveness for my student loans. it may occur. but i'll feel tons better if i were to have the final document in my grubby lil hands. i think it may involve my first-born (thus far, non-existant) child...
my guy has one week left of class and then finals. yea! this is the first weekend we've spent together that he didn't have a ton of stuff to do for school &/or work for months.
his vehicle is on its last legs and there may be a newer vehicle in his future. my vehicle has problems with either the power steering or a tie-rod end. either of which can cause the steering to become harder and jerkier when making turns at more than 75 degrees. my guy was/is thinking of taking my car with him on monday, but i'm not sure if he will, cuz the steering is so difficult.
my friend whose father died earlier this year is experiencing a new batch of problems. her father's pension is too much income for her mother to continue being covered by medicaid but not enough to cover her nursing home stay, where she's been since 99. there are several possible solutions to check into, but the timing is very odd. the nursing home wants my friend to set up a trust fund which would give the nursing home access to the funds, and allow her mother to be eligible for medicaid once again. otherwise they release her TOMORROW. no pressure, huh? her mother is bed-ridden, non-communicative, with advanced stages of dementia and severe schizophrenia, with a feeding tube, and in need of 24 hr supervision. home care is not a realistic option. so, we'll see what happens. i think at this point, she is likely to set up the trust fund, but i am not so sure that signing it over to the nursing home is the best idea. neither of us know much about trust funds, and aren't too sure who to turn to for advice. i would think a lawyer or bank official, but given the time frame for the whole mess, that might not be an option.
also, this same friend will have a check-up and her brain scanned again, to be sure that the brain tumor has not grown and her cancer has not come out of remission. that is among the last things she would need to deal with at a time like this. she just needs to catch a break somewhere along the way!!
i'm in the process of pleading forgiveness for my student loans. it may occur. but i'll feel tons better if i were to have the final document in my grubby lil hands. i think it may involve my first-born (thus far, non-existant) child...
24 April 2006
Whatta gift!
A few years back, my mother had come to my rescue, yet again. On
the TV, in the motel room, there was a daughter saying to her
frustrated, wheel-chair bound mother, "don't you know what a gift you
are?" I had turned to my mom and said, "I'm such a gift."
We laughed, but there was a good point that had come to the surface. It's the great people who reach out and assist those of us who get to be grateful. Conversely, without those of us who are in need, others wouldn't have a chance to demonstrate their abilities to meet those needs.
Like the mother in the movie, there are times when we all could use a little help. Like the daughter in the movie, there are times when we are happy to assist. I've been in both positions. Most everyone has. I get more enjoyment when I assist someone else, than when I accept it myself. Giving is truly a gift.
We laughed, but there was a good point that had come to the surface. It's the great people who reach out and assist those of us who get to be grateful. Conversely, without those of us who are in need, others wouldn't have a chance to demonstrate their abilities to meet those needs.
Like the mother in the movie, there are times when we all could use a little help. Like the daughter in the movie, there are times when we are happy to assist. I've been in both positions. Most everyone has. I get more enjoyment when I assist someone else, than when I accept it myself. Giving is truly a gift.
Talkin' 'bout my guy
I haven't been writing regularly, here in my online journal. So,
all the nitty gritty details of my life are not showcased.
Neither are some fairly large important ongoing themes discussed.
Well, let me take a step toward recitifying that!
My guy has been finishing year 2 in his PhD program. I'm so very proud of him. He is almost through with classes. His first placement begins this summer. His comprehensive exams are scheduled for August. He is at a crucial stage in his schooling.
I know he is tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. He has every right to be. He has been working and going to school non-stop for years now. Situations that should not be occuring, are. Situations that should be, aren't. The red-tape is double-sided and stronger than duct-tape.
I haven't been as supportive this term as I usually am. He needs me to be more supportive and I need to be more demonstrative in my support. I love him so very much, it's time that I show that love is indeed a verb.
If you read this, sweetie, please know that I do love you, am very proud of you, and that I have tremendous confidence in you and your abilities. You go, guy!!
Well, let me take a step toward recitifying that!
My guy has been finishing year 2 in his PhD program. I'm so very proud of him. He is almost through with classes. His first placement begins this summer. His comprehensive exams are scheduled for August. He is at a crucial stage in his schooling.
I know he is tired, frustrated, and overwhelmed. He has every right to be. He has been working and going to school non-stop for years now. Situations that should not be occuring, are. Situations that should be, aren't. The red-tape is double-sided and stronger than duct-tape.
I haven't been as supportive this term as I usually am. He needs me to be more supportive and I need to be more demonstrative in my support. I love him so very much, it's time that I show that love is indeed a verb.
If you read this, sweetie, please know that I do love you, am very proud of you, and that I have tremendous confidence in you and your abilities. You go, guy!!
21 April 2006
Punny eMail
Let The Puns Begin:
Two antennas met on a roof, fell
in love and got married. The ceremony wasn't
much, but the reception was excellent.
A jumper cable walks into a bar.
The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start
anything."
Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one
was a salted.
A dyslexic man walks into a
bra.
A man walks into a bar with a slab of
asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer, please, and one for the
road."
Two cows are standing next to each
other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially
inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you,"
says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!"
exclaims Daisy.
An invisible man marries an invisible
woman. The kids were nothing to look at
either.
Deja Moo: The feeling that you've
heard this bull before.
I went to buy some camouflage trousers
the other day, but I couldn't find any.
I went to a seafood disco last
week and pulled a mussel.
What do you call a fish with no eyes?
A fsh.
Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak
were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it
too.
A group of chess enthusiasts checked into a hotel and were standing in the lobby
discussing their recent tournament victories. After about an hour, the
manager came out of the office and asked them to disperse. "But why,"
they asked, as they moved off. "Because", he said, "I can't stand chess-nuts boasting in an open foyer."
A woman has twins and gives them up
for adoption. One of them goes to a family
in Egypt and is named "Ahmal." The other goes to a family
in Spain; they name him "Juan." Years later, Juan sends a picture of
himself to
his birth mother. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband
that she
wishes she also had a picture of Ahmal. Her husband responds, "They're
twins! If you've seen Juan, you've seen
Ahmal."
Mahatma Gandhi, as you know,
walked barefoot most of the time, which produced an
impressive set of calluses on his feet. He also ate very
little, which made him rather frail and with his odd diet, he suffered from bad breath. This made him, a super calloused
fragile mystic hexed by halitosis.
Cock-a-doodle-do, he crows
AN OLD FARMER WENT TO TOWN TO SEE A MOVIE. HE TICKET AGENT ASKED, "SIR, WHAT'S THAT ON YOUR SHOULDER?" THE OLD FARMER SAID, "Oh, THAT'S MY PET ROOSTER, CHUCKY. WHEREVER I GO, CHUCKY GOES." "I AM SORRY SIR," SAID THE TICKET AGENT. "WE CAN'T ALLOW ANIMALS IN THE THEATER."
THE OLD FARMER WENT AROUND THE CORNER AND STUFFED THE BIRD DOWN HIS OVERALLS. HE RETURNED TO THE BOOTH, BOUGHT A TICKET AND ENTERED THE THEATER. HE SAT DOWN NEXT TO TWO OLD WIDOWS NAMED MILDRED AND MARGE. THE MOVIE STARTED AND THE ROOSTER BEGAN TO SQUIRM. THE OLD FARMER UNBUTTONED HIS FLY SO CHUCKY COULD STICK HIS HEAD OUT AND WATCH THE MOVIE.
"MARGE," WHISPERED MILDRED.
"WHAT?" SAID MARGE.
"I THINK THE GUY NEXT TO ME IS A PERVERT."
"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK SO?" ASKED MARGE.
"HE UNDID HIS PANTS AND HE HAS HIS THING OUT," WHISPERED MILDRED.
"WELL, DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT," SAID MARGE. "HELL, AT OUR AGE WE'VE SEEN 'EM ALL"
"I THOUGHT SO TOO," SAID MILDRED, "BUT THIS ONE'S EATIN' MY POPCORN!"
19 April 2006
A Stash of tea
My tea has a prominent position of importance in my kitchen. It
occupies the entire counter that runs under my cupboards and is the
first thing you see when you enter my home. I have some of the
odd and end bags sorted and arranged in one of the first baskets that
my mother made for me. The melon basket's peach and white reeds
have faded slightly to a softer cream and lightly blushed comfortable
possession.
I've boxes of bagged teas. There are tins of loose teas. I have herbal "teas" of all sorts of flavors. I'm not particular about brands, sampling from here and there.
Years ago, my very first favorite tea as a child was nutmeg tea. It came in a little white tin with black and brown print. I loved watching my mother fill the stainless steel egg with the spiney black fragrant pieces and then she would pop it into the pot. I always wanted to dunk it about and then after it had drained, I would screw it apart, and tamp the wet leaves which reminded me of my father filling his pipe with cherry tobacco. I was rather surprised to find that the damp tea didn't taste remotely the way the cherry smoke smelled!!
Then for many years as a teen, Celestial Seasoning's "Sleepy Time" was a favorite. I loved everything about it, right down to the comfy bear with the snoozing kitty. Sometimes, I would place unused bags between my pillow and its case, just so I could inhale the scent deeply, holding it in my lungs, as I fell asleep.
Stash tea tickled my fancy as I left undergrad school in PA and moved to Portland, OR. I read what I could and was enthralled with visiting the company. Well, the idea appealled, but I never quite made it there for a tour.
Now, I always loiter in the tea section of the grocery. Even though I have more tea than China (which is no mean feat, as I own very little China!), I still purchase the occassional box to add to my stock. There are the old reliables to keep on hand. Yet, some of the newer blends pique my senses.
Have a cuppa, sit back, and relax.
I've boxes of bagged teas. There are tins of loose teas. I have herbal "teas" of all sorts of flavors. I'm not particular about brands, sampling from here and there.
Years ago, my very first favorite tea as a child was nutmeg tea. It came in a little white tin with black and brown print. I loved watching my mother fill the stainless steel egg with the spiney black fragrant pieces and then she would pop it into the pot. I always wanted to dunk it about and then after it had drained, I would screw it apart, and tamp the wet leaves which reminded me of my father filling his pipe with cherry tobacco. I was rather surprised to find that the damp tea didn't taste remotely the way the cherry smoke smelled!!
Then for many years as a teen, Celestial Seasoning's "Sleepy Time" was a favorite. I loved everything about it, right down to the comfy bear with the snoozing kitty. Sometimes, I would place unused bags between my pillow and its case, just so I could inhale the scent deeply, holding it in my lungs, as I fell asleep.
Stash tea tickled my fancy as I left undergrad school in PA and moved to Portland, OR. I read what I could and was enthralled with visiting the company. Well, the idea appealled, but I never quite made it there for a tour.
Now, I always loiter in the tea section of the grocery. Even though I have more tea than China (which is no mean feat, as I own very little China!), I still purchase the occassional box to add to my stock. There are the old reliables to keep on hand. Yet, some of the newer blends pique my senses.
Have a cuppa, sit back, and relax.
A motherlode
All hail the queen and her 99 "exact twins".
Buckingham Palace hosted a lovely luncheon for the Queen and her 99 guests who all share her birthday. All 100 of them will be 80 on 21 April. They came from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada to visit the mother-country for the event.
Most were surprised to find the Queen so different than they had thought. She is a warm, genuine person who takes interest in folks, not just as her subjects, but as peers. One woman affectionately says that the Queen is very small, just a slip of a thing.
The Queen gave heartfelt thanks for their company and wished them all a very happy birthday.
Buckingham Palace hosted a lovely luncheon for the Queen and her 99 guests who all share her birthday. All 100 of them will be 80 on 21 April. They came from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada to visit the mother-country for the event.
Most were surprised to find the Queen so different than they had thought. She is a warm, genuine person who takes interest in folks, not just as her subjects, but as peers. One woman affectionately says that the Queen is very small, just a slip of a thing.
The Queen gave heartfelt thanks for their company and wished them all a very happy birthday.
18 April 2006
Miffed, Moussaoui 'mentally ill'
Ok, dudes. sigh. Let me vent here.
The BBC is covering the Moussaoui trial. The aspect I want to focus on for a minute here, is the use of the idea of Mental Illness, the associations and connotations to the further perpetuation of stigma, and the defense's strategy. "Defence lawyers are trying to persuade jurors to spare his life because there is evidence he is mentally ill."
First of all, I have mental illnesses and brain disorders. However, I am responsible for all my actions, thoughts, and attitudes. Society and certain individuals may influence my perceptions, but when it comes down to brass tacks, I blame no one else for any of my faults.
I am responsible for the consequences of my behavior. This includes not only overt acts of commission, but also the consequences of non-behavior (omission). For instance, if I realized that I couldn't keep a previous engagement, and didn't notify the person, then I acted irresponsibly by not picking up the friggen phone.
I understand that sometimes we are under the influence of chemical reactions, medications, etc. However, we are not absolved of our responsibilities at such times. I don't say, "well ya know, I couldn't help myself because I was impulsive due to mania, so I shouldn't be held accountable for..." the bills I ran up, or the case of STDs that I got, or whatever...
Those are minor things compared to what Moussaoui's defense team admits he's done. They are not pleading that he didn't do those acts of atrocity. What they are doing, is they are saying that he should not be held accountable for his behavior.
It angers me that the concept of being mentally ill should be invoked to excuse some one of something they are responsible for. I am not to blame for having Bipolar, but I do take responsibility for my actions. This holds true even when I am in the throes of acute mania.
Mental Illness, folks who deal with mental illness, and those who are mentally ill deal with negative assumptions from others on a regular basis. Every time we as a group take steps forward on busting stigma, there is something which serves to be a reinforcer of incorrect assumptions. He didn't do this because he was paranoid schizophrenic. He didn't do itbecause he is mentally ill. He did it because he didn't choose not to do it.
If I did something that I planned, after having reviewed the possible consequences, knowing what was probable to occur...I don't get to say, well, mentally ill. That's my ticket. Nope. That is not my get out of jail free card.
The BBC is covering the Moussaoui trial. The aspect I want to focus on for a minute here, is the use of the idea of Mental Illness, the associations and connotations to the further perpetuation of stigma, and the defense's strategy. "Defence lawyers are trying to persuade jurors to spare his life because there is evidence he is mentally ill."
First of all, I have mental illnesses and brain disorders. However, I am responsible for all my actions, thoughts, and attitudes. Society and certain individuals may influence my perceptions, but when it comes down to brass tacks, I blame no one else for any of my faults.
I am responsible for the consequences of my behavior. This includes not only overt acts of commission, but also the consequences of non-behavior (omission). For instance, if I realized that I couldn't keep a previous engagement, and didn't notify the person, then I acted irresponsibly by not picking up the friggen phone.
I understand that sometimes we are under the influence of chemical reactions, medications, etc. However, we are not absolved of our responsibilities at such times. I don't say, "well ya know, I couldn't help myself because I was impulsive due to mania, so I shouldn't be held accountable for..." the bills I ran up, or the case of STDs that I got, or whatever...
Those are minor things compared to what Moussaoui's defense team admits he's done. They are not pleading that he didn't do those acts of atrocity. What they are doing, is they are saying that he should not be held accountable for his behavior.
It angers me that the concept of being mentally ill should be invoked to excuse some one of something they are responsible for. I am not to blame for having Bipolar, but I do take responsibility for my actions. This holds true even when I am in the throes of acute mania.
Mental Illness, folks who deal with mental illness, and those who are mentally ill deal with negative assumptions from others on a regular basis. Every time we as a group take steps forward on busting stigma, there is something which serves to be a reinforcer of incorrect assumptions. He didn't do this because he was paranoid schizophrenic. He didn't do itbecause he is mentally ill. He did it because he didn't choose not to do it.
If I did something that I planned, after having reviewed the possible consequences, knowing what was probable to occur...I don't get to say, well, mentally ill. That's my ticket. Nope. That is not my get out of jail free card.
It starts with one...
Today, one little red paper clip...
Tomorrow, a house!!
This dude builds his dream of moving a paper-clip into owning his own home. His name is Kyle MacDonald, a crazy Kanook who is out to do a remarkable thing. He has already moved up to a year's free rent...
But, wait! It's not over yet!
Kyle uses CraigList. One day he thought, "hm, it'd be interesting to see what I can do with this..." while staring at a red paper-clip. So, he set the goal of owning his own home, through a series of barters, starting with a small ordinary do-dad.
He posted the picture of the red paper-clip on the CraigList and traded up for a fish-pen. That was the embarkment on an amazing bartering adventure that has carried him from one place to another, all over the continent. See what a goal, motivation, and a zestful spirit can accomplish?
For the full details, go here.
Tomorrow, a house!!
This dude builds his dream of moving a paper-clip into owning his own home. His name is Kyle MacDonald, a crazy Kanook who is out to do a remarkable thing. He has already moved up to a year's free rent...
But, wait! It's not over yet!
Kyle uses CraigList. One day he thought, "hm, it'd be interesting to see what I can do with this..." while staring at a red paper-clip. So, he set the goal of owning his own home, through a series of barters, starting with a small ordinary do-dad.
He posted the picture of the red paper-clip on the CraigList and traded up for a fish-pen. That was the embarkment on an amazing bartering adventure that has carried him from one place to another, all over the continent. See what a goal, motivation, and a zestful spirit can accomplish?
For the full details, go here.
15 April 2006
Sharing
...yet another to pass along.
This is what marriage is really all about...
He ordered one hamburger, one order of French fries and one drink. The old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half. He placed one half in front of his wife. He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them. As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them kept looking over and whispering. You could tell they were thinking, "That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them."
As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said that they were just fine - They were used to sharing everything.
The surrounding people noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink. Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said "No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything."
As the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked "What is it you are waiting for?" She answered, "The teeth."
This is what marriage is really all about...
He ordered one hamburger, one order of French fries and one drink. The old man unwrapped the plain hamburger and carefully cut it in half. He placed one half in front of his wife. He then carefully counted out the French fries, dividing them into two piles and neatly placed one pile in front of his wife. He took a sip of the drink, his wife took a sip and then set the cup down between them. As he began to eat his few bites of hamburger, the people around them kept looking over and whispering. You could tell they were thinking, "That poor old couple - all they can afford is one meal for the two of them."
As the man began to eat his fries a young man came to the table. He politely offered to buy another meal for the old couple. The old man said that they were just fine - They were used to sharing everything.
The surrounding people noticed the little old lady hadn't eaten a bite. She sat there watching her husband eat and occasionally taking turns sipping the drink. Again the young man came over and begged them to let him buy another meal for them. This time the old woman said "No, thank you, we are used to sharing everything."
As the old man finished and was wiping his face neatly with the napkin, the young man again came over to the little old lady who had yet to eat a single bite of food and asked "What is it you are waiting for?" She answered, "The teeth."
whatcha sayin'?
...and another gem to share.
"Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?"
"Sure."
"Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?" she asks.
"No, I can remember it."
"Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. You'd better write it down because you know you'll forget it."
He says, "I can remember that! You want a bowl of ice cream with
strawberries."
"I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, so you'd better write it down!" she retorts.
Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down, I can remember it!
Leave me alone! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!" Then he grumbles into the kitchen.
After about 20 minutes the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment and says - "Where's my toast?"
A
couple in their nineties are both having problems remembering
things. They decide to go to the doctor for a checkup. The doctor
tells them that they're physically okay, but they might want to
start writing things down to help them remember. Later that night, while watching TV, the old man gets up
from his chair.
His wife asks, "Where are you going?"
"To the kitchen" he replies.His wife asks, "Where are you going?"
"Will you get me a bowl of ice cream?"
"Sure."
"Don't you think you should write it down so you can remember it?" she asks.
"No, I can remember it."
"Well, I'd like some strawberries on top, too. You'd better write it down because you know you'll forget it."
He says, "I can remember that! You want a bowl of ice cream with
strawberries."
"I'd also like whipped cream. I'm certain you'll forget that, so you'd better write it down!" she retorts.
Irritated, he says, "I don't need to write it down, I can remember it!
Leave me alone! Ice cream with strawberries and whipped cream - I got it, for goodness sake!" Then he grumbles into the kitchen.
After about 20 minutes the old man returns from the kitchen and hands his wife a plate of bacon and eggs. She stares at the plate for a moment and says - "Where's my toast?"
Raising the bar of expectations...in the Court Room
In my eMail box are several jewels that I would like to share with you, my friends.
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts,
These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts,
and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court
reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were
actually taking
place.
ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
____________________
ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?
WITNESS: July 18th.
ATTORNEY: What year?
WITNESS: Every year.
__________________________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
____________________
ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?
WITNESS: July 18th.
ATTORNEY: What year?
WITNESS: Every year.
__________________________________
ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I,
Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan.
_______________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
___________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh?
_________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law...
WITNESS: My name is Susan.
_______________________
ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
________________________________________
ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Would you repeat the question?
______________________________________
ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
___________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
_____________________________________
ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
_______________________________
ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him!
________________________________
ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Huh?
_________________________________
ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law...
11 April 2006
belly-dancing
Belly-dancing is rich in cultural meanings. But it can be a great
way to work those abs, to become more familar with your own body, and
tone up. I recommend visiting www.shira.com for more information.
Yoga Booty Ballet
gasp!
Ya know there's all kinds of exercise programs out there. Some are gimmicky. Some are legit. And some are legitimately gimmicky.
I was surprised to see this one. I don't know why. I guess cuz I think of yoga as a solemn thing. Yes, it can be fun. But somehow, booty and yoga are just not terms I mix. Neither are booty and ballet. Altho, both yoga and ballet are good for the booty...
It's just that the name tickles me!
Ya know there's all kinds of exercise programs out there. Some are gimmicky. Some are legit. And some are legitimately gimmicky.
I was surprised to see this one. I don't know why. I guess cuz I think of yoga as a solemn thing. Yes, it can be fun. But somehow, booty and yoga are just not terms I mix. Neither are booty and ballet. Altho, both yoga and ballet are good for the booty...
It's just that the name tickles me!
10 April 2006
Finding myself
Over here!!
No, here!!
Under that document. No that other document.
Ta-Da!! Here I am!!
Sometimes, I can be rather self-absorbed. I think it is because for so long, I didn't think of myself. I didn't think I deserved to think of myself. I didn't think I even had a self to think about. And if I did, well, I certainly shouldn't be thinking about it, now should I?
So, swinging way to the other end of the spectrum, I became giddy with the notion that I have a self. And it is ok to look at me. And it is ok to think about me.
But, in the course of discovering more about myself, I sometimes focus on me so much so that I am blinded and deafened to the others around me. I forget to take into consideration other people. This can hurt other people, me, and my relationships with other people. I need to learn that balance between self-denial and self-absorbtion.
No, here!!
Under that document. No that other document.
Ta-Da!! Here I am!!
Sometimes, I can be rather self-absorbed. I think it is because for so long, I didn't think of myself. I didn't think I deserved to think of myself. I didn't think I even had a self to think about. And if I did, well, I certainly shouldn't be thinking about it, now should I?
So, swinging way to the other end of the spectrum, I became giddy with the notion that I have a self. And it is ok to look at me. And it is ok to think about me.
But, in the course of discovering more about myself, I sometimes focus on me so much so that I am blinded and deafened to the others around me. I forget to take into consideration other people. This can hurt other people, me, and my relationships with other people. I need to learn that balance between self-denial and self-absorbtion.
04 April 2006
FlyLady
Last night, I was down at my landlord's. I jabber with her for
awhile, then give her the rent (that way she must chit-chat, in order
to get her rent...sort of a counselor session, or a
rent-a-friend). Anyway, she told me about FlyLady.
Flylady.com will take you to flylady.net so either way, ya get where ya need to be. Just remember FlyLady.
I'm not gonna say anything else, except it's clean. go, shoo, go, shoo-fly!!
Flylady.com will take you to flylady.net so either way, ya get where ya need to be. Just remember FlyLady.
I'm not gonna say anything else, except it's clean. go, shoo, go, shoo-fly!!
Time, a fairly fluid concept...sixth
alright, due to all the eMails that are flocking to my box about this
whole thing that is suppose to be happening tomorrow, i gotta have me
say. you knew that was coming, didn't ya? for those of you
who didn't know, this is what is going on:
01:02:03 04/05/06
the third second after the second minute of the first hour of the fifth day of the fourth month of the sixth...wait not the sixth year...
since we are using shorthand for 2006, most numerologist say, it's no big deal.
still others dispute that the year is 2006, saying that we are off on our calculations altogether.
and other cultures base the year on their own political or religious figures or events. i mean, isn't that what we did? so to some, it is not even 2006.
some say that if we are going to use shorthand for the year 2006 (06), then what's to stop us from using shorthand for 13:02 (1:02 pm).
many countries put the number of the day first, then the number of the month. So for many places, 01-02-03-04-05-06 happens at 1:02 a.m. May 4.
and then there is the whole daylight savings time thing to consider....
maybe i woke on the wrong side of the bed!! or in the wrong year... or the wrong
place....
01:02:03 04/05/06
the third second after the second minute of the first hour of the fifth day of the fourth month of the sixth...wait not the sixth year...
since we are using shorthand for 2006, most numerologist say, it's no big deal.
still others dispute that the year is 2006, saying that we are off on our calculations altogether.
and other cultures base the year on their own political or religious figures or events. i mean, isn't that what we did? so to some, it is not even 2006.
some say that if we are going to use shorthand for the year 2006 (06), then what's to stop us from using shorthand for 13:02 (1:02 pm).
many countries put the number of the day first, then the number of the month. So for many places, 01-02-03-04-05-06 happens at 1:02 a.m. May 4.
and then there is the whole daylight savings time thing to consider....
maybe i woke on the wrong side of the bed!! or in the wrong year... or the wrong
place....
Tea for one, or two, or three...or more!
What's the difference between white, black, red, and green teas?
Gosh, I am sooooooooooo glad you asked! Cuz now I can provide an answer. How the pickings are processed is the biggest difference between "color" teas.
Most tea comes from the plant "Camellia sinensis". Black, red, and green teas use the upper leaves; while white tea comes from the early tender buds at the end of the lower branches. Black and red teas are really the same; what americans call "black", the chinese call "red".
Oolong is a mid-step between the green tea (processed some) and black tea (processed more). So green tea is usually unoxidized, oolong is partially (or somewhat) oxidized, and black is fully oxidized. White tea is the closet to leaves off the plant. Green tea is unfermented, while black is aged moreso.
What about orange pekoe, Debra?
Again, so glad you asked!! Cuz, again, I get to explain (and hey! it's my journal, so I get to do what I wanna...most of the time). The actual origins are lost, but now the name no longer refers to what it did at one point in time in our past.
Orange may refer to the color of the brewed liquid (a copperish tinge) or it may refer to the blossoms that used to be packed with the tea when it was exported (to disguise any um unpleasant scents and tastes cuz it is fermented) or it may even refer to the political powers that were. And/or all three explanations came into play through history.
Pekoe, earlier, meant the fuzzy white new buds and new leaves. But now, it refers to black teas only. So tradition has changed through the years. Now when we read orange pekoe on regular bags/boxes of quantity tea, we can rest assured that it really is just regular, processed, fermented, black (or red, depending if you are here or there) tea.
Rooibus is a different matter all together. It is not really tea, in the same sense the above are teas. It comes from a different type of plant. And it's for another post, some other time. As are the benefits and other traditions, flavorings, etc.
Gosh, I am sooooooooooo glad you asked! Cuz now I can provide an answer. How the pickings are processed is the biggest difference between "color" teas.
Most tea comes from the plant "Camellia sinensis". Black, red, and green teas use the upper leaves; while white tea comes from the early tender buds at the end of the lower branches. Black and red teas are really the same; what americans call "black", the chinese call "red".
Oolong is a mid-step between the green tea (processed some) and black tea (processed more). So green tea is usually unoxidized, oolong is partially (or somewhat) oxidized, and black is fully oxidized. White tea is the closet to leaves off the plant. Green tea is unfermented, while black is aged moreso.
What about orange pekoe, Debra?
Again, so glad you asked!! Cuz, again, I get to explain (and hey! it's my journal, so I get to do what I wanna...most of the time). The actual origins are lost, but now the name no longer refers to what it did at one point in time in our past.
Orange may refer to the color of the brewed liquid (a copperish tinge) or it may refer to the blossoms that used to be packed with the tea when it was exported (to disguise any um unpleasant scents and tastes cuz it is fermented) or it may even refer to the political powers that were. And/or all three explanations came into play through history.
Pekoe, earlier, meant the fuzzy white new buds and new leaves. But now, it refers to black teas only. So tradition has changed through the years. Now when we read orange pekoe on regular bags/boxes of quantity tea, we can rest assured that it really is just regular, processed, fermented, black (or red, depending if you are here or there) tea.
Rooibus is a different matter all together. It is not really tea, in the same sense the above are teas. It comes from a different type of plant. And it's for another post, some other time. As are the benefits and other traditions, flavorings, etc.
03 April 2006
ahem, tain't the size that counts...
us lil peoples need our say-so, too! (she pipes up)
Medicare, nor Medicaid, will not reimburse licensed professional counselors (LPCs) who have private practices. Those agencies will only reimburse clinics (those who worked inside the clinic are not paid as per insurance reimbursements, rather they are paid a flat salary/wage regardless). The idea is that doctors (gasp) are involved and so the treatment must be superior to that which a person might receive if a doctor were not in the building and/or associated with said clinic (the doc is frequently elsewhere when clients are being counseled, sometimes in a different county even). Actually, most LPCs especially in private practice, are supervised by a doctor. So, THAT whole concept doesn't hold water as a justification.
This policy is extremely unfair to clients and counselors alike. Clients do not have a choice of counselors as they must frequent the clinic and not any of the private practicioners. In our area, there is one clinic, per county. These clinics are all apart of the same organization (Community Counseling). In some cases, recipients of Medicare/Medicaid have no place to go to receive services at all (as sometimes Community Counseling is not available for them, such as if a relative works within the system, then services for the entire system is closed to them, not just that particular office). The counselors who work for the organization are way over-loaded and cannot devote the time, energy, and other resources for all of their cases because the demand surpasses the supply. So burn-out and high turn-over results, and that is not good for the client who must start all over with a new counselor and it is not good for the incoming counselor who has to wade through the mess, often drowning and suffering severely before sinking and moving on. Nor is it good for the outgoing counselor who is often more than a little soured on public-service positions, which leads to further shortages of qualified counselors who are willing to serve in those agencies.
Nor is it fair to the licensed professional counselor who practices in private practicioner settings. They either cannot take clients who have Medicare/Medicaid or they have to accept a pittance for their services if they do take on a patient who has this type of insurance (as usually the client cannot afford even the self-pay rates, cuz ya know, their income level is sorta low, to make an understatement). There are some LPCs who will make an exception to the rule, but that's just that, an exception.
Representative May Whittington (MS) has been the latest in a long-string of legislative folks to take this issue up as one of her causes. She feels that we ought to pass an amendment which would allow a bill to be law, stating that Medicare/Medicaid must reimburse LPCs even if they don't practice in a clinic setting. Hurray for May!!
Unfortunately, this bill has been floating around in the cesspool of congressional sessions for sometime. It keeps getting sunk into the murky depths of rejection. However, it bobs to the surface and someone swoops and scoops it up and carries it back in to the current session only to be bombed again. sigh.
Please, write or call your representative about this matter. I have the pertainnent info here in MS, but your state has a similar bill bouncing around too. If anyone wants help in finding out specific information about the legislature in your state, let me know and I will help you find it!!!
For Mississippi:
"House Bill 447
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-117, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972,
TO PROVIDE THAT MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR (LPC) WILL BE REIMBURSABLE
UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES."
Copy and paste:
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2006/html/
HB/0400-0499/HB0447IN.htm
Medicare, nor Medicaid, will not reimburse licensed professional counselors (LPCs) who have private practices. Those agencies will only reimburse clinics (those who worked inside the clinic are not paid as per insurance reimbursements, rather they are paid a flat salary/wage regardless). The idea is that doctors (gasp) are involved and so the treatment must be superior to that which a person might receive if a doctor were not in the building and/or associated with said clinic (the doc is frequently elsewhere when clients are being counseled, sometimes in a different county even). Actually, most LPCs especially in private practice, are supervised by a doctor. So, THAT whole concept doesn't hold water as a justification.
This policy is extremely unfair to clients and counselors alike. Clients do not have a choice of counselors as they must frequent the clinic and not any of the private practicioners. In our area, there is one clinic, per county. These clinics are all apart of the same organization (Community Counseling). In some cases, recipients of Medicare/Medicaid have no place to go to receive services at all (as sometimes Community Counseling is not available for them, such as if a relative works within the system, then services for the entire system is closed to them, not just that particular office). The counselors who work for the organization are way over-loaded and cannot devote the time, energy, and other resources for all of their cases because the demand surpasses the supply. So burn-out and high turn-over results, and that is not good for the client who must start all over with a new counselor and it is not good for the incoming counselor who has to wade through the mess, often drowning and suffering severely before sinking and moving on. Nor is it good for the outgoing counselor who is often more than a little soured on public-service positions, which leads to further shortages of qualified counselors who are willing to serve in those agencies.
Nor is it fair to the licensed professional counselor who practices in private practicioner settings. They either cannot take clients who have Medicare/Medicaid or they have to accept a pittance for their services if they do take on a patient who has this type of insurance (as usually the client cannot afford even the self-pay rates, cuz ya know, their income level is sorta low, to make an understatement). There are some LPCs who will make an exception to the rule, but that's just that, an exception.
Representative May Whittington (MS) has been the latest in a long-string of legislative folks to take this issue up as one of her causes. She feels that we ought to pass an amendment which would allow a bill to be law, stating that Medicare/Medicaid must reimburse LPCs even if they don't practice in a clinic setting. Hurray for May!!
Unfortunately, this bill has been floating around in the cesspool of congressional sessions for sometime. It keeps getting sunk into the murky depths of rejection. However, it bobs to the surface and someone swoops and scoops it up and carries it back in to the current session only to be bombed again. sigh.
Please, write or call your representative about this matter. I have the pertainnent info here in MS, but your state has a similar bill bouncing around too. If anyone wants help in finding out specific information about the legislature in your state, let me know and I will help you find it!!!
For Mississippi:
"House Bill 447
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 43-13-117, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972,
TO PROVIDE THAT MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING SERVICES PROVIDED BY
A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR (LPC) WILL BE REIMBURSABLE
UNDER THE MEDICAID PROGRAM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES."
Copy and paste:
http://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2006/html/
HB/0400-0499/HB0447IN.htm
Odd couplings
My friend, Beverly, loves boston terriers. She's had them all her
life. Her Mandy, 3, was run over and killed a few weeks
back. Beverly was just devastated.
Enter Sweet Pea.
Beverly picked up the 6 week pup a couple weeks ago. She was describing her to me, since we live a few hours away and chances are I won't see the pup while she is still a pup. I got to giggling, then chuckling, which degenerated into snorts and chortles, which I was glad Beverly couldn't hear.
Cuz Sweet Pea really does sound precious.
It's just, well, her mixed heritage. I usually am not a snob when it comes to parentage, mixed or otherwise, but this just tickled my fanciful side a bit too much. I still giggle, gurgle, and gasp at the picture I imagine.
Sweet Pea's mother is a boston terrier. Now I realize that boston's come in all shapes and sizes, but this was a not a small boston (small for the breed, I mean). So how in the hell Sweet Pea's dad got him a piece of that boston pie, well, I am picturing perhaps a step being involved, or even a ladder. Cuz Sweet Pea's dad is a teacup chihuahua.
Dude, tell me you're not snorkling over this and I say you've got no sense of humor a'tall. nope, none.
Enter Sweet Pea.
Beverly picked up the 6 week pup a couple weeks ago. She was describing her to me, since we live a few hours away and chances are I won't see the pup while she is still a pup. I got to giggling, then chuckling, which degenerated into snorts and chortles, which I was glad Beverly couldn't hear.
Cuz Sweet Pea really does sound precious.
It's just, well, her mixed heritage. I usually am not a snob when it comes to parentage, mixed or otherwise, but this just tickled my fanciful side a bit too much. I still giggle, gurgle, and gasp at the picture I imagine.
Sweet Pea's mother is a boston terrier. Now I realize that boston's come in all shapes and sizes, but this was a not a small boston (small for the breed, I mean). So how in the hell Sweet Pea's dad got him a piece of that boston pie, well, I am picturing perhaps a step being involved, or even a ladder. Cuz Sweet Pea's dad is a teacup chihuahua.
Dude, tell me you're not snorkling over this and I say you've got no sense of humor a'tall. nope, none.
mint-tea, mint-tea, mint-tea
I was reading (cuz i like to do that) about drinking tea (cuz i like to
do that, too) whilst drinking mint-tea (cuz i...oh, you get the
point). The article was about how folks who are allergic to
pollens might not oughta be drinking certain types of tea because the
main ingredients are harvested in areas where hay, ragweed, and other
pollens might be comingled. So, the main culprit appears to be
chamomile, but be advised that other primary stuffs like rose-hips
(those voluptuously heartee parts) and mints (there are lots more kinds
of mints than i had thought, catnip is a mint, didj'all know THAT?) may
also be, gulp, contaminated with pesky pollens.
and here i thought mint would be good for opening my sinuses, that chamomile would be wonderful for those edgy nerves (can't be throwing fits ALLlll the time, nor everywhere), and that rose-hips would be good for soothin my throat (or just plain good for all my parts, after all, who can't use a few good rose hips throwing curves at ya every now and then?). show's ya what i know!
and here i thought mint would be good for opening my sinuses, that chamomile would be wonderful for those edgy nerves (can't be throwing fits ALLlll the time, nor everywhere), and that rose-hips would be good for soothin my throat (or just plain good for all my parts, after all, who can't use a few good rose hips throwing curves at ya every now and then?). show's ya what i know!
02 April 2006
well, didja evah?
Ya know how you can do something that is so embarrassing that later you
make it worse by being ashamed and apologizing when the other party
didn't even think it was a big deal to begin with...? or maybe it
is just me. muttering, shrugging shoulder, raising one palm
and eyebrow. sigh.
Alright, well then, ya might know how silly, embarrassed, shamed-faced, and regretful I felt on Friday afternoon. Cuz boy did I pitch a fit at the gym, standing at the front desk in a bathing suit, two towels, and my sandles. I didn't mean to. It just kinda get away from me.
I did apologize profusely once I calmed down. And then I burst into tears, which made as all uncomfortable. I hate bursting into tears like that. sigh. seems sorta childish.
Of course, I would have a full-blown panic attack, complete with hyperventilation and woozy wibble-wobbles (like the weeble-people, remember them?). I tried to stifle it instead of letting it run its course. That made me panicky cuz I was panicking, see the vicious cycle here?
Fortunately, I think we got everything squared away. I apologized, they apologized, they calmed my panic attack and I took my jittery butt to the pool. I sat on the edge and dangled my legs til I got it all together and then did some relaxing strokes til all the tension was gone.
Upon reflection, I realized that I most likely was beginning to feel the effects of missing several doses of my anti-depressant. I forgot to get it filled. So, Saturday I got all my drugs for the month. And I think I feel much better for the most part.
Now if I could just do something about my allergies. The pollen is wrecking my sinuses. Even though I take allergy meds, this time of the year is hard on me. The post-nasal drippage is tearing up my throat, which in turn is messing with my ears and that is throwing off my balance. It's a dizzying experience.
Alright, well then, ya might know how silly, embarrassed, shamed-faced, and regretful I felt on Friday afternoon. Cuz boy did I pitch a fit at the gym, standing at the front desk in a bathing suit, two towels, and my sandles. I didn't mean to. It just kinda get away from me.
I did apologize profusely once I calmed down. And then I burst into tears, which made as all uncomfortable. I hate bursting into tears like that. sigh. seems sorta childish.
Of course, I would have a full-blown panic attack, complete with hyperventilation and woozy wibble-wobbles (like the weeble-people, remember them?). I tried to stifle it instead of letting it run its course. That made me panicky cuz I was panicking, see the vicious cycle here?
Fortunately, I think we got everything squared away. I apologized, they apologized, they calmed my panic attack and I took my jittery butt to the pool. I sat on the edge and dangled my legs til I got it all together and then did some relaxing strokes til all the tension was gone.
Upon reflection, I realized that I most likely was beginning to feel the effects of missing several doses of my anti-depressant. I forgot to get it filled. So, Saturday I got all my drugs for the month. And I think I feel much better for the most part.
Now if I could just do something about my allergies. The pollen is wrecking my sinuses. Even though I take allergy meds, this time of the year is hard on me. The post-nasal drippage is tearing up my throat, which in turn is messing with my ears and that is throwing off my balance. It's a dizzying experience.
Spring has Sprung
Now that the clocks have been adjusted and we are starting Daylight
Savings Time, we are THAT much closer to saying "b'bye" to the bad
weather, namely cool temps. And ready to say "heya" to other
forms of bad weather, namely tornadoes and rain rain rain (with wind,
oh, could be those are hurricanes). This is tornado season (the
fall is hurricane season).
The pollen is coating all with thick heavy greenish yellow (or yellowish green, either way, it's disturbingly similar to hhhhhhhhhhhhhhawktue mucus). People are sadly mistaken if they think that rain helps to dampen and therefore calms pollen so that allergy sufferers get a break after a storm. Not so. That same storm that leaves your yard looking tossed to the winds, that same storm that leaves the road scattered with debris like branches and the occassional tree-limb, that same storm that makes your hair feel electrified, that same storm that made your livestocks' eyes roll widely is the same storm that wrecks havoc on pollen, stirring it up and pushing it into crevices and other supposedly airtight vaccuums. Rains actually cause pollen to be more apt to be breathed into the body, irritating the sinuses and lung-lining. This in turn can make mildly mannered folks turn into savage snotty beasts.
But gosh the budding trees, bloomin' flowers, and lush green grass are sure purty!
The pollen is coating all with thick heavy greenish yellow (or yellowish green, either way, it's disturbingly similar to hhhhhhhhhhhhhhawktue mucus). People are sadly mistaken if they think that rain helps to dampen and therefore calms pollen so that allergy sufferers get a break after a storm. Not so. That same storm that leaves your yard looking tossed to the winds, that same storm that leaves the road scattered with debris like branches and the occassional tree-limb, that same storm that makes your hair feel electrified, that same storm that made your livestocks' eyes roll widely is the same storm that wrecks havoc on pollen, stirring it up and pushing it into crevices and other supposedly airtight vaccuums. Rains actually cause pollen to be more apt to be breathed into the body, irritating the sinuses and lung-lining. This in turn can make mildly mannered folks turn into savage snotty beasts.
But gosh the budding trees, bloomin' flowers, and lush green grass are sure purty!
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