Maroon 5: "Wake Up Call"

I go through these spells of listening to music.

Maroon 5's "Wake Up Call" got me... just listening to the ups &
downs in it.

DEVO homage: YouTube - "Weird Al" Yankovic - Dare To Be Stupid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEB0Xe2e76I

and while we're at it... here's Al Yankovic's page on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/alyankovic

he has a lot of great stuff on there... it's pretty low-bandwidth as
movies go, and of course...

IT'S ALL STUPID!

(but fun)

Jeff

Timothy Karr: Verizon Blocks Pro-Choice Text Messaging

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/timothy-karr/verizon-blocks-prochoice_b_66058.html

"The Verizon network crowd that famously shadows users wherever they go"...

glorious new world of AHMADEINEJAD? I'm skeptical.

This is a follow-up to my previous post regarding Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

I watched as much of his speech at Columbia University as I could. It
was really really boring.

And scary.

I started watching the speech because I was curious after reading the
transcript of the interview of him at

http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/interviewing-ah.html

In the beginning of his speech at Columbia he pretty much re-defined
science as Discovering the Truth of Islam. There would have been a lot
of questions I would ask him, if I weren't sure that the answer would
be worthless. His glowing words of peace and tolerance in the earlier
interview would appear to be a ploy or at least a twisting of the
meaning. His tolerance is for those who accept Islam.

Just what we need is another bunch of religious people with guns telling
us what the truth is (or for that matter, any bunch of people with
guns). Another point to convince me that mixing religion with
government is poison.

Yours Skeptically,

Jeff

Now you can search Movie Reviews at The New York Times

http://movies.nytimes.com/ref/movies/reviews/index.html

> Browse or search 28,000 New York Times movie reviews. Included in
> the free review archive are all films reviewed since 1960, reviews
> of all Best Picture Academy Award winners, as well as The New York
> Times guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.

A benefit of them making their previous "for pay" site available to
us unwashed multitudes!

What religion, please tell me, tells you as a follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its people? Please tell me. Does Christianity tell its followers to do that?

http://ezraklein.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/interviewing-ah.html

> AHMADEINEJAD: Well, is Mr. Bush a religious man?
>
> PELLEY: Very much so. As you are.
>
> AHMADEINEJAD: What religion, please tell me, tells you as a
> follower of that religion to occupy another country and kill its
> people? Please tell me. Does Christianity tell its followers to do
> that? Judaism, for that matter? Islam, for that matter? What
> prophet tells you to send 160,000 troops to another country, kill
> men, women, and children? You just can't wear your religion on your
> sleeve or just go to church. You should be truthfully religious.
> Religion tells us all that you should respect the property, the
> life of different people. Respect human rights. Love your fellow
> man. And once you hear that a person has been killed, you should be
> saddened. You shouldn't sit in a room, a dark room, and hatch
> plots. And because of your plots, many thousands of people are
> killed. Having said that, we respect the American people. And
> because of our respect for the American people, we respectfully
> talk with President Bush. We have a respectful tone. But having
> said that, I don't think that that is a good definition of
> religion. Religion is love for your fellow man, brotherhood,
> telling the truth.
>
> PELLEY: I take it you can't think of anything you like about
> President Bush.
>
> AHMADEINEJAD: Well, I'm not familiar with the gentleman's private
> life. Maybe in his private life he is very kind or a determined
> man. I'm not aware of that. I base my judgment on what I see in his
> public life. Having said that, I think that President Bush can
> behave much better. There were golden opportunities for President
> Bush. He should have used them better.

Ok. So now I find myself in agreement with this guy I'm supposed to
hate. What a bummer.

Anything But Computers

http://nocomputers.blogspot.com/

Here's where you'll find what's on my mind at the moment. Bookmark it. I also have several other blogs, most of which you'll find if you click on the about me link.

jeff

The iPhone, The iPod Touch, and Electronic Books of the Future

For years I have been trying to find a way to read ebooks and actually enjoy reading them.

It occurred to me a couple days ago that the iPod Touch and the iPhone are hints of the future.

What started me thinking on that was seeing people flipping album covers just dragging their finger across the iPod Touch in the Cover Flow view.

The touch action was very much like the way I flip pages in a book or magazine.

So... imagine that you have a iBook Touch 12 inches wide & 9 inches tall (nothing magic about those particular numbers). Imagine it has display density of 200 dots per inch, which is what the iPod Nano has.

Further, imagine that when you turn it on you see an image of a book... possibly the one you have been reading, open to a particular page... you see a two page view. It is a psuedo 3D image. You can drag with your finger to flip pages.

Drag across the "edge" of the book to rapidly zoom back and forth through the book, just like you do with a real book.

The 200 DPI image makes it easy to read. The fast processor flips pages rapidly.

You have a catalog of all your eBooks. I imagine it being like a visit to a library.

I'm ready.

Dreams and Dashiell Hammett's "The Glass Key"

More regarding my re-reading of Dashiell Hammett...

Working my way through "Dashiell Hammett: Five Complete Novels"...

The novel "The Glass Key" is very sublty based on dreams.

The title is a key that appears in a dream to one of the characters.  This is revealed by her (the character in question) in the last scene of the novel;  her and the main character of the book had revealed to each other somewhat earlier in the book that each had a dream shortly after they met,  but she reveals in the final scene that she had left out some details and added to her earlier recount of the dream.

The Dreams Summarized:

1. Ned's dream:  he and the Senator's daughter are fishing in a mountain stream.  He catches a brightly colored trout,  but she throws it back in the water.

2. Her dream (as she first told it): They are walking in the woods.  They come to a house and knock on the door.. there is no answer... they look in the window & there's food on a table inside.  Knock again no answer. Try opening the door... no luck.
  She remembers that people typically hide a key under the doormat... she looks and there it is. They unlock the door and open it... the floor inside is covered with snakes that start coming toward the door.  Close the door.  They climb onto he roof... he leans down unlocks the door & pushes it open... the snakes come out & go into the woods.  They go inside and eat the food.  It's really good.
  (AS SHE TOLD IT ON LAST PAGE OF NOVEL): [same up to finding the key] It is a glass key.  Turning the lock is difficult... it turns and unlocks,  but the key shatters.  She opens the door... the snakes rush her... she is covered with snakes.  She wakes up screaming.

So... the story of the novel has been about gangsters pushing politicians around, about speakeasys, about gangsters beating people up.  About murders.  About lying and cheating and lowlifes of all varieties.  But the last few paragraphs reveal that the whole book is a metaphor for human existence.

Essence is that in reality, we are all besieged by snakes in life (of life?).  That we have beauty in hand and throw it away.  That dreams tell us something about our life.  That while life may be a floor of snakes, if we work at it we may overcome it. That dreams tell us what we need to work on.

New York Times to End Charges on Web Site - Including archives

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/18/business/media/18times.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

> In addition to opening the entire site to all readers, The Times will
> also make available its archives from 1987 to the present without
> charge, as well as those from 1851 to 1922, which are in the public
> domain.

Thoughts on Dashiell Hammett

I recently started re-reading Dashiell Hammett...

Dashiell Hammett - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "'[Hammett] took murder out of the Venetian vase and dropped it into the alley... [He] gave murder back to the kind of people who do it for a reason, not just to provide a corpse; and with means at hand, not with handwrought dueling pistols, curare, and tropical fish.' Raymond Chandler, in The Simple Art of Murder"

The surprise was that "The Maltese Falcon" still reads well after having read it and seen it so many times. Even in spite of Sam Spade being a sexist bum, he comes across as a sympathetic character. Now I'm ready to go back to the movie... I'm thinking the novel was used word for word in most of the movie, & I'd like to check that.

BANJO - Curtis Eller - NEW YORK - Alternative / Folk Rock / Acoustic - www.myspace.com/curtiseller

http://www.myspace.com/curtiseller

wonder if he's any relation to the Eller we know? Unlikely, but it
crossed my mind.

after I thought you might like the banjo

jeff

NASA - Mars Rovers Survive Dust Storms, Ready for Next Objectives

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mer/mer-20070907_prt.htm

Howstuffworks "Black Bean Burgers"

found through google search (*http://tinyurl.com/2btbjm)....*

http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/black-bean-burgers-recipe.htm

> Yield: Makes 6 burgers Ingredients: 1 can (about 15 ounces) black
> beans, rinsed and drained, divided
>
> 1/3 cup green onion tops
>
> 1/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
>
> 1/4 cup corn
>
> 1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper
>
> 1 egg white
>
> 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
>
> 1 teaspoon onion powder
>
> 1 teaspoon dried oregano
>
> 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
>
> 1/2 teaspoon salt
>
> 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
>
> 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or more to taste
>
> Nonstick cooking spray
>
> 6 whole wheat hamburger buns
>
> Salsa (optional)
>
> Avocado slices (optional)

Could replace peppers with tomatoes,  maybe a little less salt & pepper, to tone it down a bit.

Chuck Hagel Reads Petraeus - Crocker the riot act

Watching the Petraeus - Crocker testimony this morning...

turned it off once... too boring watching the "statements"...

turned it back on & there is Chuck Hagel (R - Nebraska) explaining to
them why he's doubtful of what they're saying.

And now P&C are spinning. Not addressing "what happened to the south?"

We'll see how much more of this I can stand.

Ceremonial Tea on Flickr - Hyougushi

http://flickr.com/photos/hyougushi/61541094/

A nice change from all the crap in the news!

- jeff -

Tom Smith sings: WikiPirates

http://filkertom-itom.blogspot.com/2007/08/049-wikipirates.html

A song for all those who have ever had problems with "moderation" on
wikipedia (or elsewhere, e.g., dmoz).

Jeff

About 3 miles from Larry's Place in France... YouTube - extremely low level flying in fighter jets

Filmed about 3 miles from their place...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njyhTcqtmto

He was looking for info on low tide & high tide in the bay, and
found this

publishing: geneology [genealogy, as Amazon 'splained to me!], True Crime

ebook & Print On Demand publisher that Organized Writer (http://

www.organizedwriter.com) uses:

http://search.booklocker.com/search-bl.cgi?q=geneology&t=&SEARCH=Search

they do not publish fiction.

Amazon search on genealogy [I learned something NEW!... How 2 spel]:

http://tinyurl.com/2nunua

115,280 results, but at least somewhere
in there is some ranking by sales.

Amazon search on True Crime:

http://tinyurl.com/2p7j4t 15,521 results, but the number 2 result
caught my eye immediately:

http://tinyurl.com/2qcsuk

mostly because it shows what a good
publisher will publish.
We should probably get some of these through interlibrary loan.
Plus the Berry Gang book

fitPod | Fitness + iPod = fitPod

http://www.fitpod.com/

Ok... I'm going to be getting my show on the road.... soon....

Jeffy's Dance & Fitness Lab

Religious Humor

http://www.patcondell.net/

Ok. A warning... Pat Condell's home page may offend some people.

I think it's funny. I like the cute little pig....

The Secret to a Healthy Body - lifehack.org

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/the-secret-to-a-healthy-body.html

I'm having a lot of fun reading http://www.lifehack.org

http://zenhabits.org and http://lifelearningtoday.com

those 3 are good proof that there are great uses of the internet and the
computer other than just more computers.

jeff

Moka Express Coffee Maker

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_Express

We bought one of these for $0.50 at a garage sale. It works great. Use about half as much coffee as you expect...

The Moka Express is a stovetop coffee maker, based on the principle of preparing coffee by steam. It was created by Alfonso Bialetti in 1933. It is made from aluminium with bakelite handles. In Italy, where Bialetti (the manufacturer) is based, the Moka Express (or cheaper imitations) is in almost every home.

Fig.1 cross section

A Moka Pot produces a rich dark brew

Fried Green Tomatoes with TVP

http://catsatgooseberryhill.blogspot.com/2007/08/fried-green-tomatoes-with-tvp.html

After quite a struggle I got this composed, and then published it to the
WRONG BLOG!

It was supposed to go to my health/eco/age blog:

http://www.stopmowing.com/healthblog.html

Ok. Maybe with more hours of work it could be fixed. But for now,
it's with the Cats. Which is a kind of joyous thing anyhow.

Jeff

Friday Cat Blogging... Cats At Gooseberry Hill

http://catsatgooseberryhill.blogspot.com/

Slashdot | American Red Cross Sued For Using a Red Cross

http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/07/08/09/125203.shtml

> Swampash sends us a story that even this community may find hard to
> believe. Johnson & Johnson, the health-products giant that uses a
> red cross as its trademark, is suing the American Red Cross,
> demanding the charity halt its use of the red cross symbol on
> products it sells to the public. It seems J&J began using the
> trademark in 1887, 6 years after the Red Cross was formed, but 13
> years before the charitable organization was chartered by Congress.
> Lately the ARC has begun licensing the symbol to third parties to
> use on fund-raising products such as home emergency kits.

So... how can either of them "License" it? I'm sure they've been
using it since before 1900. Is trademark eternal, unlike copyright?

Corn Tortillas What they are & What to do with them...

Looking at Aldi's... corn tortillas in a bag are really cheap, low fat, low sodium, no chloresterol...  so what's to lose???

from: http://www.geocities.com/napavalley/7035/tortilla.html:

Corn Tortillas

Unlike four tortillas, corn Tortillas usually do not contain any added oil. They can be made with corn flour, but the traditional recipe uses something called masa harina or masa flour.

Masa harina is made from corn soaked in lime and then dried and ground into a powder. I know it doesn't sound very appetizing, but masa is a traditional ingredient in many dough containing Latin American dishes, such as tortillas and tamales. Masa can be found in any Hispanic neighborhood and some larger supermarkets as well. The brand I usually buy is made by Quaker, an American company. Many hot sauce catalogs also sell masa, though usually at an exorbitant price. If you can not find masa, try the recipe with regular corn flour (not corn meal or corn starch). The results are acceptable, but they are not authentic in taste and usually tougher in texture than tortillas made with masa.

Google Search:

Recipes Using Corn Tortillas:

  http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf28427895.tip.html

simple living... Date-Dabitur : Forget Food, Its Coffee I Care About

http://date-dabitur.com/?p=345

Interesting site about simple living.

Maybe a little too religious for me, but I think they're doing a
good thing.

Jim Forbes: ForbesOnTech: Life Post Stroke

http://forbesontech.typepad.com/my_weblog/life_post_stroke/index.html

Great stories from a survivor of a stroke.

Including tales about the critters in his gardens.

Weasels, Kangaroo Rats, Alligator Lizards, horned worms.

Life as therapy.

jeff -- http://nocomputers.blogspot.com

Welcome To The FuMP - The Funny Music Project [in tradition of Weird Al]

The Funny Music Project...

http://www.thefump.com/

to quote from their page:

> "One of the best things to happen
> to funny music since Al got weird."
> -Dr. Demento

I don't know what has happened to me, but I'm on a Roll today.

Another creative use of the internet. A Humanistic endeavor.

Woo Hoo! Happy Monday!

jeff

http://nocomputers.blogspot.com

ring ring ring ring ring ring rin Bananaphone

the totally fun web page:

http://bananaphone.andi-h.de/

the totally fun music:

http://bananaphone.andi-h.de/bananaphone.mp3

I'm not sure why this even exists, but it sure is fun!

And it's for sure we all need fun in our lives.

jeff -

http://nocomputers.blogspot.com

Working out Improves Sleep Patterns

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/articles_print.asp?id=373

> Wake Up to the Importance of Exercise
> Working Out Improves Sleep Patterns

PlayTagger: Pages tagged with "system:filetype:mp3" on del.icio.us

http://del.icio.us/tag/system:filetype:mp3

new way of putting mp3s in a web page.

fun to explore mp3s on del.icio.us

when you have time to "waste"

found this thru a reference to "PlayTagger": http://del.icio.us/help/playtagger

Artella Mae's Altered Ancestors

http://www.artellawordsandart.com/AlteredAncestorsBook.html

> Artella Mae's Altered Ancestors: 50 Techniques for Using Vintage
> Photos in Art
>
> This 57-page eBook is our FREE gift to you when you sign up for our
> free ARTELLAGRAM!
>

I have looked at this ebook, and it has some seriously useable ideas.

New Artella Land (Online Community (& Store?) for artists and writers)

http://www.artellawordsandart.com/index.html

I think this is a store. Also writers' "contests".

I haven't looked at the details yet, but from the surface, it's a
very creative way to do a website.

You can look here:

http://www.artellawordsandart.com/passport.html

for a chance to figure out what Artella Land really is.

And if you figure it out, please let me know!

Jeff

Center for Sustainable Community - Chickenomics

Raising chickens, a methodology:

http://www.centerforsustainablecommunity.org/Events/Chickenomics.htm

Since you liked zenhabits.net, try lifehack.org

http://www.lifehack.org/

really.

Use your computer against itself

:)

I know I've covered this before... ArtRage 2 free painting program for Windows & Mac OSX

http://www.ambientdesign.com/artragedown.html

They just came out with a new version. However the old version is
available FREE for Windows & Mac OSX.

And it's a fun program.

jeff

An entertaining exercise for the mind...

First... go read this article:

  http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq19jul19,0,886772.story?coll=la-home-center


Then... watch this:

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo

So the question is:  How are they related?

Cloth Wipers, Cotton Rags, Wiping Rags, Paper Wipers and Cotton Wipers Clean Messes

http://www.uzrags.com/wiping_rags01.shtml

possible source for replacements for paper towels. One mentioned is $18
for a 50 lb case!

No Impact Man: Oh no, here come the weirdos with the cloths

http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/2007/04/oh_no_here_come.html

an interesting comment from the above linked page:
>
>
> Maybe you will start Americans using the versatile "tenugui". This
> is the traditional cotton handtowel Japanese people always used to
> carry with them. It is used as a head wrap, a bandage, and with
> dozens and dozens of stenciled designs, is still given as gifts or
> promotional items today. When you retire it, it becomes a dusting
> and cleaning cloth. Sushi chefs and karate and kendo martial
> artists wear them as sweatbands. http://tinyurl.com/2yz2sy
> We could use bandannas for the same thing. I used to carry them,
> years ago, and they always came in handy. Great idea.
>
> Posted by: Christine Cassidy | April 09, 2007 at 06:11 PM
>

found this while searching for info about stopping use of paper
towels (at home): http://tinyurl.com/ywapmw

Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock - suspense, camera angles, style, editing, basics

http://www.borgus.com/think/hitch.htm

also useful for video bloggers, and writers of all stripes.

Do Hummingbirds Sleep?

http://www.cvco.org/science/audubon/Nov2002article.htm

We think of hummingbirds as being migratory, and most of them are. That does not mean, however, that they cannot survive cold weather, as hummingbirds don't sleep the way other birds or animals do. They practically go into hibernation every night. Their body temperature, heart rate, and breath rate drop significantly. This is called torpor (TOR-per). These go up in the morning, and the hummer wakes up and goes about its business. In this country, there is a western species called the Rufous Hummingbird that has been seen many times on the east coast in the middle of winter and has survived just fine. Many Rufous Hummingbirds nest in Alaska and arrive there when it is still quite cold. There are also hummingbirds in the rainforests in South America that live high in the mountains, where it can be quite cold. When they go to sleep at night the temperature  drops to near freezing, yet the hummingbirds survive there just fine.

Firefox Toolbar for eBay - My Friendly Fox

http://www.myfriendlyfox.com/extensions/ebay-toolbar/

this is in competition to the soon-to-be-released official Mozilla eBay
sidebar. Has some benefits such as blocking external ads and shows
thumbnail pictures of items found on eBay, even if the seller didn't
pay to have thumbnails posted.

How to Actually Execute Your To-Do List: or, Why Writing It Down Doesn’t Actually Get It Done | zen habits

http://zenhabits.net/2007/07/how-to-actually-execute-your-to-do-list-

or-why-writing-it-down-doesnt-actually-get-it-done/

this is accidentally quite hilarious, but very true!

jeff

Howstuffworks "How to Solve Cat Behavior Problems: Tips and Guidelines"

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-solve-cat-behavior-problems.htm

very detail support pages at this http://howstuffworks.com site. For
cats & lot of other "stuff"

Howstuffworks "How to Repair Small Engines: Tips and Guidelines"

http://home.howstuffworks.com/how-to-repair-small-engines2.htm

boy do I need this.

Working on keeping an old Toro mower going. I love that mower.

Duotrope's Digest (Markets for Writers) - mostly fiction

http://www.duotrope.com/index.aspx

has free online submissions tracker

Firefox Companion for eBay

This might fix some of the problems we've been experiencing with eBay...

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/add-ons/ebay/

We need a test case to be sure, but this is new as of JULY 6, 2007!
(As far as I can tell).

Best cool summer drink: Lipton "Diet Peach Iced Tea Mix"

google search http://www.google.com/search?q=lipton+%22Diet+Peach+Iced+Tea+Mix

from Lipton's site:

http://www.lipton.com/our_products/tea_mix/mix_diet_peach.asp

> LIPTON Diet Peach Iced Tea Mix > > Enjoy the refreshing taste of LIPTON Iced Tea and the sweet taste > of peaches without the sugar! > This is a calorie-free treat that will make the whole family smile.

We really like this stuff!

Impeachment is an option (Scripting News)

http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/07/06/impeachmentIsAnOption.html

>
> Impeachment is an option
>
> Friday, July 06, 2007 by Dave Winer.
>
> General William Odom: "Congress clearly and indisputably has two
> powers over the executive: the power of the purse and the power to
> impeach. Instead of using either, members of congress are wasting
> their time discussing feckless measures like a bill that 'de-
> authorizes the war in Iraq.' That is toothless unless it is matched
> by a cut-off of funds."

> We're never going to get change in this country until we start
> routinely using the power to impeach and remove officials who
> aren't serving the interests of the country.
>

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: How cool is the iPhone?

http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2007/07/how-cool-is-iphone.html

don't blame me! I thought the whole thing (including comments) was
interesting.

10 Free Minimalist Word Processors for Greater Productivity

http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/22/10-free-minimalist-word-processors/ JDarkRoom JAVA based text editor. On mac, the program is only about 120k! A totally simple text editor... no scrollbars, no menus. Sort of like the old AppleWriter without the macros. Writer which has an AMBER screen preset! Online, available from anywhere with a web connection. I can't find any (easy) way to get rid of all scrollbars and the Mac menubar; I managed to cobble together something that woulddo it, but there were serious side effects, and when it was truly full screen, the actual editable text was in a box in the upper half of the screen and there was a really cool purple glowing border around the edit text box. I'm sure someone somewhere loves that purple glow, but I find it distracting. So... all in all JDarkRoom is a better writing environment for me. Maybe there's some way to make it an applet and some good person would host it free for the world.

A Simple Playlist for Tranquil Exercise, Productivity and Calm Living | zen habits

http://zenhabits.net/2007/06/a-simple-playlist-for-tranquil-exercise-

productivity-and-calm-living/#more-394

from zenhabits.net:

> There are times when I want to crank up the metal and get myself
> pumped up.
>
> But many times, I find that playing some mellow tunes helps me
> focus, calm myself, and enjoy life much more.
>
> Your mileage may vary, but I would recommend some simple tunes if
> you'd like to enjoy your exercise (a quiet sunrise or sunset run is
> wonderful), or be productive, or just go about your day with some
> tranquility.
>
> It tends to drown out the chaos of the world, and allows me to
> focus inwardly. And that's a necessity at times.
>
> Here are some songs that work well for me:

go look at the music

have you been turned down because you don't fit the fitness instructor image?

I have long pondered why "fitness instructors" seemed to have been
stamped out with the same cookie cutter, and they have seemed so
inappropriate to everyone except people like themselves. (Yeah, I
know that's a biased statement, but you know: people who are young
or bouncy or atheletic or good looking or a combination.)

Then I heard from my sister that a friend from our home town had
spent many months and dollars getting "certified" as a fitness
instructor and when it came to the final test they DENIED her because
she "didn't fit the image of a fitness instructor". What BS! And I
am not surprised.

So I finally got around to making a Google Search on "have you been
turned down because you don't fit the fitness instructor image?" :

http://tinyurl.com/283fxe

Of course a lot of the results don't answer the question, but just
digging through the results is an interesting experience.

iPhone Security Squad!

http://fakesteve.blogspot.com/2007/06/were-deploying-iphone-security-

squads.html

just for fun

youtube owns us...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boZLA5F1oYE

rock and roll

good stuff

PocketMod: Make a free travel Sudoku book

http://www.pocketmod.com/sudoku.html

really cool idea, plus it's a free sudoku creator

Coffee Calculator: Break the Starbucks habit and Save big!

this is great...

http://www.hughchou.org/calc/coffee.cgi

Stop Buying Expensive Coffee and Save Calculator

A new calculator suggested by Erika Lim from Caffeine Central (Seattle, WA). I, too, have been amazed by folks who bring in coffee from a Starbucks or convenience store every single day instead of just contributing to the local "coffee pot fund". I know office coffee may not stack up to the store bought versions, but is it really worth the long term costs? Many folks drink the equivalent of a wide screen TV every year!

Now to find a gasoline expense calculator!

Sharing life with cats

Wanda comes over needs her cuddling this morning. She only quits crying
when she's in physical contact, getting old, blind.

So right this minute I have cats on both sides of me.

Wanda on right.

Little Cat on left... in corner of couch, watching me with one eye.

Me, typing.

jeff

http://nocomputers.blogspot.com

How to have a dynamic interesting blog...

Ok... don't do things like I'm doing...

cats!

Matt Lauer must hate Sarah Jessica Parker

She (S.J.P.) was on the Today Show this morning, demonstrating her new
line of inexpensive clothing, and he showed nothing but disrespect for
her, in my opinion.

Talking over her when she was talking. Talking to the models while
S.J.P was talking.

So he can use the excuse that he was short on time. But I think he was
short on respect. He could have sped up the show in a respectful
manner, but he didn't.

Getting Things Done - what & how I've been doing it.

general tools & info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done

http://zenhabits.net/

http://lifelearningtoday.com/

my mac tool of choice,  iGTD: http://bargiel.home.pl/iGTD/

what I'm doing:

I basically use iGTD as a daily planner... I set up a project for the next 3 days,  and list all the little tasks I know I need to get done.

If I don't get them done in the period in question,  I move them to a new project (which is the next 3 days).

Of course, since I'm retired I can be pretty relaxed about all this.

the flaw in all this?  daily life emergencies tend to derail it.  But so far it's been useful.


jeff  http://nocomputers.blogspot.com

James Brown in The Blues Brothers....

John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, James Brown.

Singing and dancing! I love these guys.

A Happy Thing

Simple GTD : Organize your stuff online

http://www.simplegtd.com/

 What is Simple GTD?

Simple GTD is a completely free web-based tool which help you in organizing your stuff and will assist you to applying "GTD Principles" in your daily life.

What is GTD?

From Wikipedia: "Getting Things Done, commonly abbreviated as GTD, is an action management method, and the title of a book by David Allen. GTD rests on the principle that a person needs to move tasks out of the mind by recording them somewhere. That way, the mind is freed from the job of remembering everything that needs to be done, and can concentrate on actually performing those tasks."

I've been using iGTD on my mac... maybe this will be easier, more universal, and useable with any computer anywhere with a net connection.

  Jeff

All the Britney Spears you'll ever need...

Smokin' Hot Britney « TMZ.com Photo Gallery:

http://photos.tmz.com/galleries/britney_spears_is_smokin_hot

Retro Thing: Apple II Turns 30 Years Old

http://www.retrothing.com/2007/05/apple_ii_turns_.html

"June 5th will mark the 30th birthday of the Apple II computer. There were other affordable hobbyist computer kits available before, but the Apple II was the first computer that was ready to run out of the box. It's not surprising that an Apple II was the first computer that I used in elementary school since Apple made inroads with the U.S. educational system from their earliest offerings. What may be a surprise is that the Apple II was manufactured up until 1993 (with some redesigns and cost-reduced versions), with many still in operation today. Between five and six million of the putty colored machines were sold"

More thoughts on Dawkins' The God Delusion

The central chapter is "Why it is almost certain there is no God"

Upon completing this I find myself wanting to read Darwin's Origin of
Species. Read and understand.

My original idea that he conducts his arguments in a "smarty" way is
valid, but he explains why he's being such a smart ass: it is
important to understand that Darwin discovered a new way of
explaining why all this biological stuff which appears to be designed
exists without a designer. And he explains why he thinks we will
discover a similarly brilliant explanation of the existence of the
physical universe as well.

Dawkins really is smart.

Lucky Mojo Curio Co. Catalogue: Occult Shop, Magic Spells, Love Magic Mojo Hands, Amulets, Books, Candles, Information

http://www.luckymojo.com/catalogue.html

They have peony fragrance oil. Can't find many places that do.

I think I'm back online

my old mac from 1999 is still going. Not too many more lives left in
it I bet, but I hope.

thanks to google, all my browser bookmarks are/were saved

thanks to ".Mac" my email accounts info was saved.

got all my email and other documents saved to basement while the
computer would crash...

copy copy copy, crash; copy copy copy crash...

and luck of lucks, it all got put back together.

and works.

still stuff that needs fixing, but "IT'S ALIVE!"

City Repair [The City Repair Project]

http://www.cityrepair.org/vbc7/

The City Repair Project is an organized group action that educates and inspires communities and individuals to creatively transform the places where they live.

In hopes that someday people will be able to live together

From comments on Dave Winer's Scripting News,  http://www.scripting.com

Lost Episode Guides - Recaps and Summaries - Episode Recaps for Lost

http://lost.about.com/od/episoderecaps/Lost_Episode_Guides.htm

I'm trying to find out when the May 23 Finale will be rerun.

Plus this whole http://lost.about.com site is interesting

[Vietnam] Sir No Sir! - About the [anti war] Film

http://www.sirnosir.com/home_about_film.html

I hadn't realized how much resistance there was in the armed services
itself.

This probably explains why there isn't a draft for Iraq.

I would like to see this film

Summer Of Love: 40 Years Later (San Francisco Chronicle)

Great article at the SF Chronicle

http://www.sfgate.com/summeroflove/

Bob Weir

Grateful Dead

Musician in the band RatDog.
Watch video | Read transcript

Country Joe McDonald

Country Joe and the Fish

Musician, Berkeley resident and father of two teenagers.
Watch video | Read transcript

Michael Rossman

Free Speech Movement leader

Writer who continues to focus on counterculture topics and building a huge poster archive at his home in Berkeley.
Watch video | Read transcript

Tomorrow: Dr. David Smith

Founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic

Recently left the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic to start his own practice specializing in addiction medicine.
(video tomorrow) | Read transcript

Keeping insects out of your pants legs

Living in woods.  Working in yard.

I get so bit up.  And now to avoid West Nile Virus in FIRST ILLINOIS COUNTY to report it in 2007!

great review of all things having to do with "Bug Suits":

Getting The Bugs Out Of Hunting - North American Hunting Club:

http://tinyurl.com/285lny

Also I'm ordering "Boot blousers" from Georgia Outfitters:

http://www.georgia-outfitters.com/tabs.shtml

Took a while to find a name for these things.

What I'm doing:

1. high shoes
2. high socks
3. OFF!
4. I do have bug hat... hate to use it.
5. may have bug shirt somewhere here
6. Long pants
7. Long sleeve shirt over t-shirt
8. dump all water containers.

Why I'm doing this:

1. trying to keep yard wild
2. reducing invasive weeds
   
3. pulling up poison ivy

There is of course no end.

West Nile killing off beloved U.S. birds: study | Science | Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/scienceNews/idUSN1735085420070518

Includes house wrens, robins, tufted titmice, blue jays, and crows.

Hard to believe. I'm not sure what they mean when they say only house
wrens and blue jays have recovered from their 1995 decline. Did West
Nile virus go away? Or What?

And... does this mean I should quit hanging out with the wrens?

A Wren Landed on My Hat!

I was sitting in the drive, reading Asimov's Magazine. Just
reaching the end of a story called "Always", when there was a
powerful fluttering noise and something landed on my hat.

Then it flew away. Took me a second to spot it.

Earlier I had seen this wren in a tree near our tool shed, and
wondered why it was watching me and squawking.

The wren's house was about 30 feet away. I think it didn't like my
summer hat competing with it for being hot stuff.

And don't doubt it, wrens are hot stuff.

I must have been so concentrated on the story that I hadn't moved for
a while, & the wren had got brave enough to check me out.

What a charmer.

Do Squirrels Eat Tomatoes?

My Mother In Law (MIL) swears they do!

Her neighbor's tomatoes were eaten by squirrels. He took a gun and shot
them, even though doing so was against community regulations.

Strangely, in all my (not so many) years, I have never seen a squirrel
eating a tomato or tomato product.

I asked her if she had seen a squirrel eating her neighbor's tomatoes...
she reluctantly said she had not actually seen this happening, but her
neighbor had assured her it was true.

I assured her that no such thing happened. That someone was full of "it".

Teaching History Backwards

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2007_05/011294.php

An interesting discussion about whether it is better to teach history
from the past to the present or from the present to the past.

have you ever looked at the C-SPAN website?

http://www.c-span.org/

Today is the FIRST time I have ever looked at their website. As a
news site, it's probably the most informing I've ever seen.

Hah. Learn something new every day they say..

Jeff

How to show affection.

http://tinyurl.com/3aozfm  (another google search)

Continuing in my search on how to show someone you love them,  is this search: How to show affection.

On the first page there are several items of interest.

• How to show affection to a cat (important around here)
• How to show affection to Your Children.... quotes Maya Angelou
• Two links to articles on epinions.com

Worthy reading... about "Not Computers"

How do you let someone know you love them?

http://tinyurl.com/34gf6g

For various reasons this is a topic I need to know about.

What's interesting to me is that just by typing the question into the Google search engine as is,  I get a lot of what appear to be good quality "hits".  Google does a great job of doing a relevant search.

And now we are owned by Google.  All our base are belong to Google

as detailed by Wikipedia (http://tinyurl.com/69rzz):

"All your base are belong to us" (often shortened to "All Your Base" or simply AYB) is an "Engrish" phrase that sparked an Internet phenomenon in 2001 and 2002. The text is taken from the opening cut scene of the English version of the 1989 Japanese video game Zero Wing by Toaplan. Its brief but intense popularity derived in part from its poor translation into English and partly from its near-accidental adoption by a core group of Internet humorists. While the wildfire has died down, "All Your Base" is still a well-known reference among gamers and programmers.

 

Chicago circus collector buys early 1900s posters in Vincent

YAY! http://www.messengernews.net/include/articles.asp?articleID=9144

Messenger photo by Gloria Tjaden This 1910 circus poster appears on the side of a building owned by Tanya and Shane Harrison in Vincent. A Chicago circus memorabilia collector, Ken Harck, is planning to have it moved and restored.

[...]

He plans to have them restored to original condition

By GLORIA TJADEN, Messenger correspondent

VINCENT — A recent renovation project has garnered quite a bit of local interest and even nationwide fame. Tanya and Shane Harrison, of Vincent, discovered circus posters from August 1910 while uncovering the side of a building she plans to use for a fabric store. The posters advertise the Ringling Bros. circus coming to town.

Old, old, Mural... Circus Poster Uncovered -- The Messenger - Fort Dodge, Iowa

http://www.messengernews.net/News/articles.asp?articleID=8823

VINCENT — Crowds gathered in Vincent Saturday afternoon to see the circus.

Camels pulling carts, performers in colorful costumes, horses standing inside giant kegs — it all paraded across the side of the old grocery store along County Road P71, the little town's main street.

Ringling Bros. World's Greatest Shows posters were uncovered when the siding and tar paper were pulled off the old building as part of a renovation project.

Poster images link: http://www.messengernews.net/galleries/news/crcs_posters/index.html

They say it can't be preserved, but I bet otherwise. Not that it will be. Thanks to Ze Frank for the link.

Jeff

Bootie LA - Los Angeles's monthly mashup bootleg party

http://bootiela.com/

Bootleg music, not for reproduction. But irritatingly BETTER than
the originals!

Love the music but I'm such a bore... there's no way I'd stay up till
midnight to go to a show.

Could have, maybe, when I was 20.

Anne Feeney: unionmaid, hellraiser and labor singer

I have to thank Anne Feeney for Dick Meister's article "The Real May Day",  and so, here is a link to all things Feeney...

http://annefeeney.com/

Welcome to my web page.

I'm an activist, organizer, songwriter, folksinger, troublemaker and hellraiser from Pittsburgh, PA. I graduated from high school in 1968 and worked for a year to save up enough money to buy the beautiful Martin D-28 guitar that I still play.

The Vietnam war and the Civil Rights Movement shaped my conscience and consciousness. I worked for a dozen years or so as a trial attorney and served as President of the Pittsburgh Musicians' Union. I have two great kids, Dan and Amy Berlin.

...Now, I'm on the road 200+ days a year... all over the US and Canada, and more recently, Sweden and Denmark. If you're on strike, or in an organizing drive, or doing community organizing for women's rights, the environment, human rights, anti-poverty or anti-racist work, I want to be there.

The most current news about what I've been up to is on my blog. You can also email me at unionmaid@annefeeney.com

The Real May Day

Celebrated as "labor day" the whole world over....

http://www.dickmeister.com/id183.html

 from Dick Meister's labor and other writings site:

Employers responded to the so-called Haymarket Riot by mounting a counter-offensive that seriously eroded the eight-hour day movement's gains. But the movement was an extremely effective organizing tool for the country's unions, and in 1890 President Samuel Gompers of the American Federation of Labor was able to call for "an International Labor Day" in favor of the eight-hour workday. Similar proclamations were made by socialist and union leaders in other nations where, to this day, May Day is celebrated as Labor Day.

Workers in the United States and 13 other countries demonstrated on that May Day of 1890 -- including 30,000 of them in Chicago. The New York World hailed it as "Labor's Emancipation Day." It was. For it marked the start of an irreversible drive that finally established the eight-hour day as the standard for millions of working people. 

Tremblin Wolf at The Therapeutic Drumming Foundation

http://www.todrumfor.com/tremblin.html

The Wolf strolled into the office one day and offered to bring his band along to help with our work. He told us how he'd been looking around for while for a place to suit his style. He'd got this idea that the division between audience and performer should be broken down and that participation in creative activity could be the saving of the human race.

Now, where could I get a grant to send me to the U.K. for this

Dave Winer's TV news of the future

What could TV news of the future look like?  Dave Winer has some ideas...

Dave Winer's original note: http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/04/23/tvNewsOfTheFuture.html

his mock up: http://www.scripting.com/futureNews.html

his "how to" where he calls it Checkbox News:

http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/04/24/checkboxNews.html

More of his ideas:

http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/04/25/checkboxNewsDay3.html

To all of which I add my fantasy....

We're sitting around with our iPhones in the living room,  watching our Apple TV;  all of us can set individual news preferences (we can create the Jeff Channel or the Judy Channel or the Dave Channel),  answer our phones or make calls, choose music or movies or play games using only the iPhones.  We can share our Channels on the internet,  add our own commentaries. Etc etc.

I can't imagine that Apple isn't on this already.

  

      Jeff

Pat Tillman, humanist?

from this ESPN article: http://tinyurl.com/e9slt  (thanks to http://atrios.blogspot.com for the link)

In a transcript of his interview with Brig. Gen. Gary Jones during a November 2004 investigation, Kauzlarich said he'd learned Kevin Tillman, Pat's brother and fellow Army Ranger who was a part of the battle the night Pat Tillman died, objected to the presence of a chaplain and the saying of prayers during a repatriation ceremony in Germany before his brother's body was returned to the United States.

Kauzlarich, now a battalion commanding officer at Fort Riley in Kansas, further suggested the Tillman family's unhappiness with the findings of past investigations might be because of the absence of a Christian faith in their lives.

In an interview with ESPN.com, Kauzlarich said: "When you die, I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don't believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt. So for their son to die for nothing, and now he is no more — that is pretty hard to get your head around that. So I don't know how an atheist thinks. I can only imagine that that would be pretty tough."

Asked by ESPN.com whether the Tillmans' religious beliefs are a factor in the ongoing investigation, Kauzlarich said, "I think so. There is not a whole lot of trust in the system or faith in the system [by the Tillmans]. So that is my personal opinion, knowing what I know."

Asked what might finally placate the family, Kauzlarich said, "You know what? I don't think anything will make them happy, quite honestly. I don't know. Maybe they want to see somebody's head on a platter. But will that really make them happy? No, because they can't bring their son back."

Kauzlarich, now 40, was the Ranger regiment executive officer in Afghanistan, who played a role in writing the recommendation for Tillman's posthumous Silver Star. And finally, with his fingerprints already all over many of the hot-button issues, including the question of who ordered the platoon to be split as it dragged a disabled Humvee through the mountains, Kauzlarich conducted the first official Army investigation into Tillman's death.

That investigation is among the inquiries that didn't satisfy the Tillman family.

"Well, this guy makes disparaging remarks about the fact that we're not Christians, and the reason that we can't put Pat to rest is because we're not Christians," Mary Tillman, Pat's mother, said in an interview with ESPN.com. Mary Tillman casts the family as spiritual, though she said it does not believe in many of the fundamental aspects of organized religion.

"Oh, it has nothing to do with the fact that this whole thing is shady," she said sarcastically, "But it is because we are not Christians."

After a pause, her voice full with emotion, she added, "Pat may not have been what you call a Christian. He was about the best person I ever knew. I mean, he was just a good guy. He didn't lie. He was very honest. He was very generous. He was very humble. I mean, he had an ego, but it was a healthy ego. It is like, everything those [people] are, he wasn't." 

My Mother In Law Loves Richard Simmons

Got a vcr & some used tapes in her room. So now, at age 86, she is
sweatin' to the oldies.

Richard is quite a character. Women love him. He puts on a great
exercise show.

Yelling at people does not help..

I'm thinking of what I would call loudmouth coaches or personal trainers.

I saw a guy yesterday... on the outside track... yelling at his "ward"
(I guess client would be a better term).

This is a nice track. Seems like if he needed to "coach" her (standing
there yelling "you can do it" "lengthen your stride" "just 10 more
minutes". So anyone out there can hear. Hear what a jerk he was
anyhow. Standing there with his arms folded while she was working her
way around the track.

It occurred to me that he could just as easily use a walkie talkie with
a headset. And thus not prove to the world how insensitive he was, and
not raise his blood pressure at the same time. Or mine.

----

Why is it that people have this feeling that yelling at someone does a
better job of communicating?

Preachers that yell at their congregations.

Coaches that yell at their athletes.

---

When I hear someone say "Listen Up", I automatically start looking for
the exit.

Interest Designs and Oddities

http://www.notcot.org/

a blog about many design, art, architecture, and just plain odd but
interesting items.

CCCO: That's Them!

The Central Committee for Conscientous Objectors http://

www.girights.com also

http://www.objector.org/ccco/whoweare.html

to whom I donated for many years. I was so glad there was someone
who took the risk to fight the madness of war.

So, I just sent them another donation.

Jeff

The GI Rights Hotline (800) 394-9544

These people helped a young relative of mine:

http://girights.objector.org/

Please consider donating.

Edging Toward The Treadmill

Well this is the day. Cancelled trip to aerobics class because
Mother In Law is awaiting a phone call from her dying husband. So
I'm dedicating today to walk on treadmill.

It's all an issue about staying well. I read yesterday that over 60%
of people age 65 and older are completely inactive. Meaning they
just sit there.

I'm dedicating myself to NOT be one of them.

So I'm cleaning house, putting things away, checking laundry, ...
all those things we do to AVOID.

And of course, I set this up to post to multiple blogs at one
time... another AVOID activity.

So..... Bye Bye Computer, Hello Treadmill.

Bye for now... Jeff.

Godless For God's Sake (QuakerBooks)

http://www.quakerbooks.org/godless_for_gods_sake.php

I will be reading this book soon.

I've been to some Quaker meetings, met some great people there.

Quaker House: Working for Peace & GI Rights in the Fayetteville-Fort Bragg community since 1969

Fitness of another kind...

http://www.quakerhouse.org/index.php

I wonder when humans will quit beating each other.

Seems like all the churches and praying that have been going on for the
last few thousand years has not helped.

More Romance - Josh Ritter with Erin McKeown - "Tonight You Belong to Me"

http://tinyurl.com/2vfvk9

If this isn't Love,  What is?

Why People Hate "Exercise"

Particularly me.

Quote from http://assets.aarp.org/rgcenter/health/activity_synth.pdf

Imagery and tone are very important in motivating people to be physically active.   People 50+ are motivated by images they can relate to, not by elite senior athletes that  make them feel discouraged or overwhelmed.  For a variety of reasons, a “no pain, no  gain” message often used to motivate younger audiences to exercise is not motivating  to this age cohort.  Similarly, a confrontational or critical “get off the couch” approach is  not effective.   

So true.  On top of which it's the constant "boxing" theme that gets to me.  Somewhere in my life I came to believe that hitting someone is not the way to deal with problems