Windows ShareWare Programs
Topics:
computing
The Paul Gerhart Software Page
"The home of these Windows 95/98/NT/2K ShareWare programs..."
Friday, February 28, 2003
Thursday, February 27, 2003
The Muppets Take Mordor
Note: I have never seen any of the Lord of the Rings movies, but I know that some of you have, and, hence, will appreciate the humor in this bit. Just imagine the Lord of the Rings as Muppets, preparing to start the show. Roll camera! Action!
The Lord of the Rings, or The Muppets Take Mordor
by Ghost of Ann Landers
Elves:
It's time to pack the lembas,
It's time to fight the fights,
It's time to walk to Morder with the Fellowship tonight.
Orcs:
It's time to put on chain mail,
It's time to dress up right,
It's time to give the business to the Fellowship tonight.
Gandalf: Why did we ever come here? (whacks Saruman)
Saruman: I guess we'll never know. (grabs Gandalf's beard)
Gandalf: It's like a kind of torture (pokes Saruman in the eye)
Both: To have to watch this show! (Saruman pushes Gandalf off the balcony)
Gollum (screams)
"My Precioussss!"
(Gollum makes a run at Frodo, but he gets trampled by Dwarves, the Nazgul, three
Ents and some Gondorian sheep)
Sheep:
Baaaaaaa!
Fellowship:
And now let's get things started...
The Dead Men of Dunharrow:
Why don't you get things started?
Frodo:
It's time to get things started
All:
On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, Tolkien-ational
(Boromir blows his horn, then gets hacked to death by orcs)
via forwarded email from that goofy guy known as Matt L.
Music in My Mind
Topics:
music
Apparently this is real, but is is a bad thing? I've often considered the "music in my mind" to be the "soundtrack of my life."
Anne Wilson: The Music in My Mind
Airman Responds to Cindy Williams Military Pay Article
(previous text deleted)
Open mouth, insert crow.
If you happened to read the text that previous existed in this post, then I apologize for spreading misinformation. Had I done a little background research, I would have realized that the text in that post, which I'd received via email from someone, was false.
Thanks to James for providing the feedback:There is a lot about this piece that is false, as a quick google search will reveal. The first being that the author Cindy Williams was not the actress, but someone from MIT. Posts like yours only further the slander.
Please accept my apologies and let's all remember: Friends don't send friends chain letters and email hoaxes.
Long, Overdue Spam Rant
It's not just for dinner anymore
Periodically, I take some time to post the subject lines of spam that arrives in my Junk Email folders, editing where necessary of course. It's been awhile since the last one, so here I go:
R.I.P. Fred Rogers
Topics:
in the news,
RIP
From the "Life's but a walking shadow" Department...
R.I.P. Fred RogersMay it always be a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
Steel Beach BBQ
My friend and brother in Christ, Dave F. is serving in Operation Enduring Freedom somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. In a recent email, he mentions something called a "Steel Beach BBQ":Tomorrow we are having a Steel Beach BBQ. It's call the steel beach because it will be on our flight deck. We have been out for almost 2 months. It's the command's way of letting us blow off a little steam. Unfortunately we will not see land. This was something I was really hoping for.
Either way I am looking forward to tomorrow. It is the first day we have had to just relax and kick back. It should be fun. I heard talk about a Volley Ball game. I don't see this happening. Diving for the ball on the "Non-Skid" surface will end most peoples game.
Can you say 'Ouch'?
Wednesday, February 26, 2003
I Can't Hear You
Something's happened to this computer, and now I can't get any sound to come out. Maybe another reboot is in order. Stay tuned. Update: That must have helped. I can hear you now. Or, maybe it was that I had Mute on...
Ouch! My backBlog Hurts!
At the time of this posting, backBlog is down. But fret ye not, gentle readers! You can still leave me a guidepost by sending me email at danimal0416-at-hotmail-dot-com. Please inform me in your email whether you wish your info not to be posted; otherwise I may post it here.
Now, continue on the journey!
Update: backBlog appears to be back up. Keep the email info handy, however.
2005 Update: No longer using backBlog since Blogger has its own comments system now.
Handling a Phone Call from Creditor
Topics:
car
a tiny peek into our life, brought to you courtesy of one of our creditors:
Them: Hello. Can we speak with Jennie?
Me: Who is this?
Them: Can I speak with Jennie?
Me: (more emphatically) Who is this?
Them: It's Maria.
Me: We don't know any Maria (except Maria H. from church, but I knew this wasn't her.). What's this about? This is her husband.
Them: Can you hold on a moment?
Me: Sure.
Them: (muffled, to a coworker) Can we talk to the husband?. (then to me) This is regarding your _____ account.
Me: We cannot pay anything on that right now.
Them: We're showing a balance of $____ that's been past due for some time.
Me: (more emphatically) We cannot pay anything on that right now.
Them: We can even take a post-dated check over the phone.
Me: (more emphatically) We cannot pay anything on that right now. Here's the situation. My wife's not working, and I just filed for unemployment, and yet even with that, we're only able to concentrate on certain things like paying the mortgage, the car payment, gas in the cars, and keeping food on the table. I understand that these calls are sometimes monitored, so I'd like to say this to the person listening as well...
Them: (tries to interrupt)
Me: (continues, uninterrupted) ... it's not that we are not interested in taking care of our outstanding debts, it's just that, given our present circumstances, we're having to concentrate on other things right now. I understand that, given your nature of business, you'll probably have to make this phone call again, soon, so I guess we'll just plan on have this conversation again in between the times that we screen our incoming phone calls.
Them: I understand.
Me: Thank you and have a wonderful day. (click)
Thoughts about Infertility
looking back... looking forward has a list of 10 things not to say to infertile couples.
Also, you may want to check out my earlier post about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and infertility. Also, I don't normally do this, but since PCOS and my wife's health condition are in the forefront of my mind, I'll provide a link to my talk with God about it all.
More reminders that we are weak, fragile human beings very needy of a loving God.
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
Away from Home
At least for a little bit.
Greetings from the Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library! I've been checking email and doing some other blogging (see Letters to God). I wish I didn't have such a huge fine on my library card - one that I am unable to pay right now - because I found a book entitled Teach Yourself CGI Programming in a Week. Maybe I can stop by every day to read it...
Anyhow, I got pretty honest about how I've been feeling in today's Letter to God. Please pray for our family.
Time to go feed the parking meter or head home. I'll probably just head home for a bit.
L8R!
Depression: In Your Genes or Just Simply Environmental?
"Exactly what is the link between our genes and depression? Are our moods an inherited albatross? Does being female make one more vulnerable? Or are life's stresses -- even an individual's temperament -- the triggers of depression? Recent studies expand our knowledge of this link." The big conclusion: Genetics Plus Temperament Affect Mood Disorders
Read more on this from the folks at WebMD...
Depressed? Look to the Sun
For those of us living in the Northern Hemisphere, the present reality of winter can get us down, especially with the reduced amount of sunlight, according to a recent study. People with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) develops symptoms of depression during the winter months when there is less daylight. The study indicates that the brain produces more of the mood-lifting chemical serotonin on sunny days than on darker days -- there is a direct correlation to the duration of sunlight and the rate of serotonin production.
"The researchers say their study shows that the prevailing amount of sunlight clearly affects serotonin levels in healthy individuals, but more research is needed to see if people predisposed to SAD are affected in the same way by environmental factors." Read more of the article...
Monday, February 24, 2003
Erma Bombeck
Topics:
dayton
Kathryn writes about something that is close to home. Well, actually, it is home, since it's about Dayton, Ohio and Erma Bombeck.
TV Networks Plan Flood of Reality Programming for Summer
New York Times | TV Networks Plan Flood of Reality Programming for Summer (registration required)
It looks like I'll be catching up on some reading and outdoors fun this Summer.
2005 Update: removed reference to the NYT link.
Sunday, February 23, 2003
Franco-American Relations - Humorous Letter
An actual letter to home from a Marine with the multinational force in Bosnia:
Dear Dad,
A funny thing happened to me yesterday at Camp Bondsteel (Bosnia): A French army officer walked up to me in the PX, and told me he thought we (Americans) were a bunch of cowboys and were going to provoke a war in Iraq. He said if such a thing happens, we wouldn't be able to count on the support of France.
I told him that it didn't surprise me. Since we had come to France's rescue in World War I, World War II, Vietnam, and the Cold War, their ingratitude and jealousy was due to surface (again) at some point in the near future anyway. I also told him that is why France is a third-rate military power with a socialist economy and a bunch of pansies for soldiers. I additionally told him that America, being a nation of deeds and action, not words, would do whatever it had to do, and France's support, if it ever came, was only for show anyway. Just like in All NATO exercises, the US would shoulder 85% of the burden, and provide 85% of the support, as evidenced by the fact that this French officer was shopping in the American PX, and not the other way around.
He began to get belligerent at that point, and I told him if he would like to, I would meet him outside in front of the Burger King and whip his a** in front of the entire Multi-National Brigade East, thus demonstrating that even the smallest American had more fight than the average Frenchman.
With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Dad, tell Mom I love her.
Your loving daughter
Mary Beth Johnson
LtCol., USMC
via email from Mom
9 March 2005 Update: This letter is a hoax, according to the folks at Snopes.com: "Tell It To The Marines"
I apologize for this misinformation.
Just Get Happy Already!
Topics:
dayton
I was just visiting damash, and had to post a comment. Here's an excerpt from his post:Just browsing round a few different "Christian" blogs, there's one thing that stands out. Most people are not having the best of times. Why is that? Why are we never happy? Do you think it's all to do with your perspective? I do. Think about it. Christians should be the happiest people on earth. If you're a Christian, you have nothing to worry about! You know what your future will be. What you do day to day is important, yes, but what you do in eternity is infinitely more important. You should be able to live your life confidently and happily right now because you know where you'll be spending most of eternity.
I might not have been reading his post in context, and it may be that it's 1:15 AM here in Dayton, Ohio USA, but I commented:Dave, I tend to agree with you, although not wholeheartedly. I think it is important to understand that no one can be "UP" 100% of the time. Even Jesus had his moments of sorrow and grief. Some people, myself included, are more predisposed to depression and anxiety than others. God still commands us to be joyful always and not to worry, yet for many, it comes so easily.
There. I'm gonna try to get some sleep before Keisha wakes up again.
Having mental illness is not something that I've been able to accept that easily. I've often felt, "Hey! You're a Christian! Snap out of it, why don't you?" It's not that easy, and it's rather insensitive for someone to think that way.
I'm learning to accept that my mental illness is partly biological in nature, and, I need to do what I can to manage it, but I also need to accept that God still is with me, even during dark times.
I've also learned that you can have Joy despite the circumstances. THAT is where the perspective comes into play. Paul pleaded for the Lord to take away the thorn in his flesh, but Jesus said, "My power is made perfect in weakness." This caused Paul to rejoice in his weaknesses.
That's my two pence.
Yet Another Winter Advisory
I just realized that the link for Yahoo! Weather - Dayton is updated periodically, so if you happen to read the earlier post "As White As... Well... Snow" and click the link, you won't find the same info I saw when I wrote that post. Heck, if you click the link now, which I've provided here, you probably won't see the same info I'm seeing. So, if you're somehow still tuned in here, let me share it with you:Butler oh-champaign oh-clark oh-fayette in-franklin in-greene oh- Miami oh-montgomery oh-preble oh-union in-
Spring is definitely my favorite season.
1015 PM EST Sat Feb 22 2003
...Winter weather advisory tonight...
Periods of snow will continue overnight. Snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches are expected by Sunday morning. Northwest winds of 20 to 30 mph will cause blowing and Drifting of snow. Also...Visibilities will be reduced to less than a half mile at times. Snow will gradually end across the region by dawn Sunday morning.
Listen to noaa weather radio and other Media outlets for further details or updates.
NewsMonster
Sure, it looks pretty cool, but will I be able to use it? We'll see. I'm still waiting for someone to explain to me how this works.
Update: It appears that Jason knows more about this than I do.
Dealing with Another's Pain
Topics:
dayton
Acute otis media - that's the medical term for an acute ear infection.
Within the last 48 hours, Keisha has gotten earaches - one for each ear. She has not been wearing her hearing aids, naturally, so we've been using sign language to communicate with her where needed. We've wondered whether this is related to her getting her 6-year molars, since she describes pain from the back of her jaw to her ear, as though her 6-year molars were coming in. Here's what happened:
Friday night we took her to Urgent Care at Children's Medical Center here in Dayton, and the doctor confirmed that she had an ear infection in her left ear. Saturday morning Jennie took her to the pediatrician, who diagnosed an ear infection in the right ear as well.
When the pain is present, it exists as a constant hurting, and all she can do is moan in agony. Fortunately we have her on Children's Tylenol and Motrin, along with the antibiotic Cefzil (insert respective trademarks where applicable). She just isn't her normal self.
Jennie and I, in a way, appreciate times like these, in which we get to care for our lovely 5-1/2 year old baby girl, yet we also hurt, seeing her in pain.
I can personally relate to the pain that Keisha feels. From the time I was born until I was about 7 years old, I would get ear infections at least once a year. My most vivid memory is lying on the couch while my other siblings were around - Mom, too - moaning in agony because the pain was so acute, as I waited for my stepfather to return from the pharmacy with my medicine.
Yet there is someone else who can most definitely relate with the pain Keisha feels: Jesus Christ. And God the Father can most definitely relate with the hurt I feel for Keisha. God the Father watched his One and Only child suffer and die.
I praise you, Heavenly Father, for helping me to know you so much better as a result of the present situation with Keisha.
So Jennie and I are doing "round-robin" duty tonight, which means that, as Keisha wakes up, we'll alternatively meet her needs. I am so grateful to have a Father in Heaven who doesn't need sleep and who provides strength and peace. He watches over us while we sleep. It makes me wonder what he thinks about...
Saturday, February 22, 2003
Another Happy Birthday!
Topics:
birthday
Let me give a shout out to my brother in Christ, Dave F., who is currently somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, serving the USA in Operation Enduring Freedom. Dave turns 31 today! I found some good words of wisdom from Dr. Seuss for him:"If you'd never been born, well what would you be?
You might be a fish! Or a toad in a tree!
You might be a door knob! Or three baked potatoes!
You might be a bag full of hard green tomatoes!
Or worse than all that... why, you might be a
WASN'T!
A Wasn't has no fun at all. No, he doesn't.
A Wasn't just isn't. He just isn't present.
But you... you ARE YOU! And now, isn't that pleasant!"
-- Dr. Seuss, from Happy Birthday To You!
Friday, February 21, 2003
Happy Birthday Alan Rickman!
Topics:
birthday
Alan Rickman, also known as Severus Snape from Harry Potter fame, celebrates his 57th birthday today.
Harry Potter gets new headmaster
Michael Gambon will replace the late Richard Harris as Albus Dumbledore, and Gary Oldman will be the Prisoner in the upcoming film "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." I have read all four books and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the fifth this June. A trip this week to a bookstore, accompainied by my daughter Keisha, led me to a book that analyzes the Harry Potter books, looking at the symbolism and other techniques author J.K. Rowling has used to spin these masterful tales. The actual title has slipped my mind. Maybe I should get a Remembrall.
2005 Update: removed link to obsolete MSN page
Maybe it's me
Topics:
officials
Well, hello all. It may be that I'm using a dialup connection or all those blogrolls I have on this site (gotta do something about that), but I've been dialed in for almost 45 minutes and I can't even get this blog to load. It may also have something to do with other folks trying to get here. It may also have something to do with a certain publishing company recently getting bought by one of the world's largest search engines.
Reminder: Stay off the 'Mooch List' (see post from 2/14/2003 3:45 PM for more info)
Whatever the case, I'm glad you're here, and I hope you can stay in touch. Some have wondered, "Where's his email address?" Good question; I guess I forgot to put it somewhere, so here it is: danimal0416-at-hotmail-dot-com
You can also leave a comment (We call them 'guideposts' around here. Get it? 'Guideposts' for the 'Journey'?). I'm also looking for folks who would like to become an Official of this website. It doesn't really entail much, except that you stop by every now and then to give an update. For example, Mark C Morris has asked to become the "Official Iowan of Journey Inside My Mind." Reminder to self (update the 'OtherBlogs' blogroll to reflect this).
Thursday, February 20, 2003
Dan Johnson Caches In!
Dan Johnson Caches In! - blogs4God.com
Welcome to all of you visiting from blogs4God!
BlogStreet Visual Neighborhood
This looks like a neat tool. Now if I could just understand what it does...
Living in a Winter Wasteland
Okay, that's probably over-exaggerating it a bit. Maybe a lot. I've actually had a great attitude about the wintery storm and the aftermath. You could even say that I've had a great sense of humor.
We live in a cul de sac, which means that our section of the street is far down on the list when it comes to being plowed. In fact, it was just yesterday, probably at the request of the Dayton Public Schools, that someone finally came and plowed our street, five days after the storm hit. We've had some fun moments getting cars unstuck as we've turned into our street, which reminds me of a funny story that happened a few days ago:
Our driveway is on an incline, and, unless we keep it salted, it can be difficult, once we've taken the car out of the garage, to get it back up in the garage. We've discovered that, if we come down the street at enough speed, we'll have enough momentum to take the car up the hill. Naturally, there have been a few moments over the last couple of days that we've had to leave the car parked at the bottom of the driveway.
But it takes a lot for me to back down. Well, maybe not that much. On Monday I really wanted our car to get into the garage for some reason. I probably didn't want to have to deal with scraping snow or ice off the car - something stupid and trivial like that. Jennie had just come home from work and, after a brief struggle to get the car up the driveway, she parked it at the bottom. Let me have a go at it, I thought.
"Man is the only animal that blushes -- or needs to." -- Mark Twain
So, while she, Mom, and Keisha were inside the nice, warm house, I took up the gauntlet. I hoppe in the car, put it in reverse and headed down to Hillcrest, the major road that is only about 500 feet from our house. I turned right and head down a few blocks. Noticing that there wasn't much traffic in either direction, I decided to pull a stunt. I yanked the emergency brake and turned the car left so that it could spin around quickly, which it did.
Then, Mr. Stuntdriver, took off, heading back toward our street. I paused to let oncoming traffic pass, and then I gunned it and made the left turn onto our snow/ice/slush-covered street, and the car immediately slid over, getting stuck on the side of the road. No problem, I thought. We only live 500 feet away, so I turned the car off and ran - if that's what you call trudging in winter boots and the slush/ice/snow mix - back home to get our shovel, hoping that Mom and Jennie didn't notice me.
Too late. They'd already noticed me pulling the car away from the driveway moments before. "No, I don't need any help. I've got it under control. Thanks!" Mr. Prideful said. I "ran" back to the car and began digging out around it.
A few minutes later, some neighbors drove by, and seeing the predicament I'd gotten myself into, got out to help. I got in the car while they tried to push the car out of the way. No luck at first.
Well, then, I look toward our house, and I see Jennie and Mom, now dressed up in their winter coats, heading my way. Mom thought she was going to help push. Yeah, right. If there is a gene for pridefulness, I may have inherited it from her. Mom, with fibro myalgia and other back problems. Four foot eleven inches Mom. I appreciated her heart and desire to help, but I didn't want her to jeopardize her own health in the process. She made a good supervisor anyhow.
Jennie climbed into the car and, combined with our neigbors pushing and me wielding the snow shovel, she was able to drive the car out of where it was stuck. Then she drove it back to the bottom of the driveway, where it was before.
It was good exercise and helped to relieve the boredom, though.
Wednesday, February 19, 2003
I hate when that happens
Have you ever used a pen to scratch an itch, only to realize later that you had taken off the cap beforehand?
Commuter Crossword Puzzles
Also from HP we have some daily crossword puzzles that you can download and use on your commute to work, for example. That is, if you commute by bus, train, or plane. Definitely not a good idea if you drive yourself. Also, you can't play these on your PC or laptop. The monitor would probably get messy anyway.
Tuesday, February 18, 2003
Update on me
Last Friday was the last day of my assignment at LexisNexis. I have some more potential work there, but nothing is confirmed yet. So, I'm in limbo. I contacted my guy at ManPower, and I'm going to forward him my updated resume today. I also have a couple other irons in the fire, warming up.
Please pray for our family and for others in situations like these. Thanks!
Letter from Boot Camp - A Letter From a Farmer, now at Camp Pendleton
Dear Ma & Pa; Am well. Hope you are. Tell brother Walt & Brother Elmer the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile. Tell them to join up quick before maybe all of the places are filled.
I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but am getting so I like to sleep late. Tell Walt & Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay. Practically nothing. Men got to shave but it is not so bad, they git warm water.
Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc..., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie and other regular food. But tell Walt & Elmer you can always sit between two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you till noon, when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on "route" marches, which the Platoon Seargent says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it is not my place to tell him different. A "route march" is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet, and we all ride back in trucks. The country is nice, but awful flat. The Seargent is like a schoolteacher. He nags some. The Capt. is like the school board. Majors & Colonels just ride around & frown. They don't bother you none. This next will kill Walt & Elmer with laughing.
I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk and don't move. And it ain't shooting at you, like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes. Be sure to tell Walt & Elmer to hurry & join before other fellers get into this setup & come stampeding in.
Your loving daughter, Gail
P.S. Speaking of shooting, enclosed is $200 towards a new barn roof & ma's teeth. The city boys shoot craps, but not very good.
from Steve K.'s forwarded email
Sunday, February 16, 2003
Happy President's Day! - February 17, 2003
Some words from The Presidents of the United States:
in crucial things, unity --
in important things, diversity --
in all things, generosity."
-- George Bush, 41st President of the United States of America (1989-1993)
As White As... Well... Snow
Topics:
weather
From the Yahoo! Weather Station (I don't normally go there, by the way, but I wanted to have something to link back to):Champaign oh-clark oh-darke oh-fayette in-franklin in-greene oh-Miami oh-montgomery oh-preble oh-union in-wayne in-
Mike mentioned earlier in the week that we could have the Iditarod here in Ohio. I fully agree. The major highways and byways that we're not supposed to be using would be available...
500 PM EST Sun Feb 16 2003
...Winter storm warning for tonight through Monday morning remains in effect...
Snow will continue tonight with 3 to 5 inches of additional accumulation forecast. Sleet and freezing rain will accumulate up to a quarter of an inch of ice on Monday. Due to the additional snow and ice...The treacherous travel conditions will continue into Monday.
Northeast winds around 20 mph will create considerable Drifting of snow and near whiteout conditions tonight.
Remember...A Winter Storm Warning means severe Winter weather conditions are imminent or highly likely.
This is an extremely dangerous Winter storm. Persons are urged to implement Winter weather procedures. Travel is not advised. If you must travel...Remember to leave with a full tank of Gas. Carry essential supplies with you...Such as a hat...Gloves...Shovel and Non perishable foods. Listen to noaa weather radio or local Media outlets for updates on this Winter storm.
(with a slight bit of envy)
Hope you folks in the Southern Hemisphere are enjoying your summer!!!
No Contest
I recently received an email from an acquaintance who is in training as a truck driver. He mentioned a close call he had as he was driving down a mountain highway. He also advised to never, if you're involved in an accident, openly apologize to someone else, because that opens you up for a lawsuit. I can tend to agree with that.
I was involved in a car accident in 2000. It had been raining and I was following the car ahead of me too closely and rear-ended them. I had received a ticket and had heard from Clark Howard, a nationally-syndicated consumer advocate, whose show is broadcast on AM radio in our area, that even paying the traffic ticket in that case could be considered an admission of guilt and open myself up to a lawsuit.
I sought advice from a lawyer, who recommended that I go to court and plead 'No Contest'. That way, if I was found guilty, I still wouldn't be openly admitting it. Other than having to take some time off work, God really blessed me. The judge wound up finding that I was guilty, but he let me off without having to pay a fine and even waived the court costs, provided that I never show up in his courtroom again. So all I got were some points against my driver's license. God even provided for us to be able to get financed for a slightly-used car.
Some Facts About Your Birthday
Topics:
birthday
Friends! Romans! Laymen and gentlepeople! I don't claim to know anything about your birthday, but if you click this link and enter your birthday when prompted, you'll find out some interesting stuff about it. It's not a gag or anything.
Friday, February 14, 2003
Most Painful Sports Heartbreakers
Let's face it. We give it up. We give it all up for our favorite teams and players. We put so much into it. Most of the time, we get something back. A victory over a hated rival. A Hall of Fame induction.ESPN.com - Page2 - The List: Most painful heartbreakers
Sometimes we even get a championship, all gift-wrapped and everything, and it goes down better than Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
But just like every other love, so much of the time, we're left heartbroken. So just to bring you down from that chocolate high, we recall the most heartbreaking moments in sports history. We've left out most of the tragic deaths (all but two). Heartbreaking just isn't word enough for those.
Get Off The Mooch List
Topics:
officials
You know who you are. You stop by the website, checking things out, but you never let me know you're here. You take and take and take.
But that's okay. I'm not disappointed in you. I want to give you an opportunity to get off the Mooch List and reveal yourself. You can leave me a comment (we call them 'guideposts' around here) or you can send me an email at 
. In either case, just tell me that you want to get off the 'Mooch List'.
I'll even let you become an official part of this site, if you'd like. For example, if you're a Java programmer, you can become the Official Java Programmer for Journey Inside My Mind. Then you can tell everyone that you are an important person, because you are. To me. (from the FAQ page: What does it mean to become an "Official" of your weblog?)
I look forward to hearing from you.
Education Reading Website for Working Families
Hey Kids!
We know you like computers and reading! Well, guess what? There's a website designed for you and your mom, dad, grandma, grandpa - really anyone else in your family (even your dog!) - to sit down at the computer and enjoy a short story together! Point your browser to Storydog.com!
Storydog.com: Education Reading Website for Working Families
Census Bureau Fact Sheets
Looking a Gift Resource in the Mouth:
The U.S. Census Bureau gleans demographic and economic subject information to produce these collections of statistics that are pertinent to a particular holiday or special observance, serving as background for reporters who write or broadcast feature stories.
Right and Wrong Kissing
Whenever I forget the right way to kiss, I now know where to look for the answer:
Wired News: Study: Couples Love Kissing Right
Valentine's Day: Love, American Style
Topics:
dayton,
valentine's day
The link I originally used to is no longer valid, and I was unable to find the story within the Dayton Daily News archives. Maybe you'd like to try to find it. Here's the original link:
http://www.activedayton.com/auto_docs/epaper/editions/today/lifestyle_4.html
Wednesday, February 12, 2003
How to Fix a Traffic Jam
This is something for the Civil Engineer in you, me... all of us.
On this site you can explore how you can unravel a traffic jam. (Hint: keep a good distance between you and the car in front of you, no matter how fast traffic is going).
Thanks to Victor for the link.
Chocoholism Reaches Near-Epidemic Proportions
(ROFL)
This article actually uses the term "brown sweetmeat" to refer to chocolate!! I still prefer steak.
2005 Update: removed reference to an obsolete link from Yahoo!
Valentine's Day 2003
Topics:
valentine's day
Here are a couple reasons why Valentine's Day is special for me this year:
- One year ago, on February 14, 2002, you could say that this blog, Journey Inside My Mind, gave birth to two additional blogs. They are
- Letters to God and
- QuotesBlog
- More importantly, however, what makes this year's Valentine's Day special is that it was on February 14, 1993 that I asked Jennie Doddy if she would be my steady girlfriend. I'll have to blog the story behind that some other time, but for now, let's just say that my life has been oh so different (much better) since then! I fell in love with her and told her so for the first time on Memorial Day weekend 1993, and by October 1993, I was convinced that she was the one for me. The rest is history, which also makes up for good content on blogs, by the way.
Tuesday, February 11, 2003
Blogging the Past
I'd like to do some more writing, but I feel a bit distracted by this sinus infection. So I've taken to adding quotations to my QuotesBlog. This exercise has been interesting in that I've been going through old planner pages, since they had daily quotes on them. In addition to culling the quotations, I'm also reading what I'd written for those particular days.
For instance, I'm currently travelling back in time to six years ago, 1997, the year that Keisha was born. I'm amazed now, as I look back, that I was able to get anything done. My job was totally overwhelming me, and, of course, we were getting ready for our new baby. Here are some interesting items of note:
That's about as far as I've gotten. I am so glad I recorded some of these things. Especially now, since we're coming up on the 6-year anniversary of them happening.
Did you know that every six years the date is on the same day of the week? It would be seven years if we didn't have a leap year somewhere in that period.
I wish I could express my feelings about reading through these memories. The stuff going on at work would eventually lead to my separating from them in September 1997. As of April 3, 1997, we could now officially call our baby Keisha. I'm close to tears even now as I type this. I've only included small bits that I'd recorded. So many other things were recorded back then, that are important within the context of my life. It definitely feels profound to me.
If You Call Me, I Won't Be There
I'm home sick from work today. I left home early yesterday, at about lunch time. When I came home, I went straight to bed and slept until dinner time. Well, I had to first finish Harry Potter and the Prisoner from Azkaban. Then I slept. I wound up turning in between 9:30 and 10 PM, which is rather early for me.
Monday, February 10, 2003
'Focus' ing on Ford
Topics:
tv
Speaking of 'Alias', earlier, I was reminded at how Ford Motor Company positioned itself during last night's episode. During one commercial break, Ford did a commercial, touting its new Ford Focus. Then, as we resumed watching the episode, we were treated to a high-speed scene involving Agents Vaughn and Bristow driving none other than a Ford Focus. We could tell because for one moment during the scene, the camera zoomed in to show the brand logo on the car, which was a nice-looking, brand-new blue model.
Do I smell a trend?
Beginning of the Week, Heavily-Censored Spam Rant
Let not your heart be troubled, gentle reader, but allow me a brief moment to empty my Junk Mail folder:
Excuse me while I got dump this out...
Spy Another Way
Topics:
tv
Saturday, February 08, 2003
The Sinus 'Crud'
I forgot to mention yesterday that our family, except for my daughter and the dog, are sick with sinus infections:
Yesterday, Jennie and I went to our old family doctor, and, since we don't have health insurance right now, paid for the office visits out of our own pocket: $51 each for the office visits, totaling $102. Then we went to the pharmacist to get our prescriptions filled, again paying out of our own pocket: $181 for three prescriptions, two of which were not available in generic form. Because my mom receives MedicAid for her medical stuff, her office visit and medicine didn't cost us any out-of-pocket money.
Nevertheless, I was a bit upset for having to pay so much for medical care, and I prayed on the way home for God to help me be grateful that we even had the money and access to the medical care. I also prayed for the medicine to do its job. Ultimately, God is in control, and I need to trust in him. I guess that is one of the biggest things I am learning in my life: that I need to concentrate on the stuff that I can handle and leave the rest up to God.
I encourage you to please pray for us, as these new circumstances just add to the strenuous ones we're already dealing with.
Friday, February 07, 2003
Could Depression Cost You Your Job?
According to this WebMD article, it could if you don't seek help for it. People with depression are more likely to call in sick and be otherwise unproductive at work. In a study that tracked 5000 people over five years, the researchers found that "42% of those who showed symptoms of depression in the study's first year eventually lost their jobs."
Lead researcher Mary A. Wooley, MD, writes:
There's a huge stigma associated with depression. People need to realize that depression is a disease just like diabetes and that there are plenty of treatments that offer relief from suffering and can also help you keep your job. People need to overcome the stigma and not be so embarrassed about saying: 'I need help.'crossposted at Get That Job!
Wednesday, February 05, 2003
Somehow You Found It, Part Deux
Topics:
birthday,
creative writing
Checking the referrer logs for QuotesBlog, I'm not surprised that a number of the referring pages were web searches. What did intrigue me is what people were searching for. Consider the following:
Somehow you all got there, and perhaps you found what you were looking for. Others decided to link back. For this I thank you.
Tuesday, February 04, 2003
Somehow You Found It
Browsing through the referring URLs for 'Streams of Consciousness', I uncovered that that weblog was listed as a result for the following:
A little bit scary, dontcha think?
Bad Day to Be a Thief
MSNBC - News of the Weird
Edward Blaine, 61, who served 20 years in prison for a 1963 bank robbery, apparently is becoming even less competent with age, as he was arrested in January and charged with robbing the Union Bank & Trust branch in Port Royal, Va. Police said Blaine fled with the stash while $100 bills were falling out of his pockets, and then he realized as he arrived at his getaway car that he had locked the keys inside. He grabbed a log to smash the window but tossed it away in frustration, only to have it hit Emmett Lowe's truck, thus angering Lowe, who grabbed a gun and chased Blaine for 150 yards. In a struggle, Blaine shot at Lowe but hit himself in the leg, just before Lowe shot Blaine in the same leg. [Washington Times, 1-17-03]
You Know It's 2003 When...
You Know It's 2003 When...
I am the only one...
... from Ohio whose blogs are listed with 
It doesn't have to be that way, though.
Net Widens Phone Options for Deaf
Topics:
deaf_hoh
Wired News: Net Widens Phone Options for Deaf
This news about AT&T's recent launch of its Video Relay Service, another option for deaf and hearing-impaired people to communicate with others, is good news, provided that you have a PC, webcam, and a high-speed internet connection. Most of my deaf friends don't have this yet. According to the article, with the above-mentioned configuration, "a deaf person signs in American Sign Language to an interpreter. The interpreter then speaks to the hearing person on the other end of the line."
The most common method of communication for deaf and hearing-impaired people is to type a message in a TTY or a TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf), which transmits it to an operator, who then relays the message to a hearing person on the other end.
Promising news.
D.L. Stewart | Hey, there’s no dressing on the table
(http://www.activedayton.com/ddn/local/daily/0202dl.html
The article talked about how food was being served on top of naked models in some areas around the world.)
Literally. I sure hope this doesn't come to Ohio.
DDN | Here’s some good news for those who love chocolate
I still prefer steak, although chocolate is on my list of favorite foods.
Just Wondering
I have sometimes wondered about...
... the economics and marketing behind soda and candy bar vending machines.
Rusty Wallace's In-Car Cam Feed
NASCAR Fans! Rusty Wallace's In-Car Cam Feed
Also, Rusty Wallace will probably have a few more fans cheering for him at this year's Daytona 500. NASCAR.com reports: "If Wallace wins the Daytona 500, all fans in attendance will receive a coupon for a free six-pack from Miller, Wallace's sponsor announced Tuesday."
'Pooh' In the Courtroom!!
Eww! There's 'Pooh' In the Courtroom!!
Reuters reports that "media giant Walt Disney Co. Monday asked a Los Angles court to dismiss a lawsuit over royalties from 'Winnie the Pooh,' arguing that the company that holds rights to the character withheld vital documents and hired a convicted felon to steal from Disney's trash." Get the 'dirty' details...
Hoax Warning - jdbgmgr.exe
Hello all readers out there in cyberspace! I just received an email stating that the jdbgmgr.exe file on my computer is a virus. I've checked the F-Secure Hoax Information Pages and have verified that this message is a hoax. The big clue is that the email describes the icon for the file as a Teddy Bear.
Now, also be warned - from the same page at F-Secure, that "a worm has been found that actually uses the jdbgmgr.exe filename." For more information on this, please go to http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/recory.shtml.
Be careful out there...
Monday, February 03, 2003
More Customer No-Service, Part 2
Last week I ranted about the customer no-service mentality of our local public school transportation system. I found out this afternoon that my daughter was again dropped-off at home an hour later than what was originally promised.
(seethes)
I feel a combined Letter to the Editor and Letter to the Superintendent coming... Stay tuned.
Roadrunner Doesn't Like Blogger, Among Other Things
Apparently, that's the case. According to Steve Jensen from Blogger, "it appears that RoadRunner is now blocking FTP from any non-RoadRunner IP's (including Blogger) to it's home.nc.rr.com server where many RoadRunner [users] host their blogs."
Better Than Chocolate!
Topics:
food
Also yesterday afternoon, we went to Golden Corral, where we got to partake of their Steak Buffet! (fanfare, jubilee, uh oh, the PETA police are coming!) "Grilled, seasoned to perfection." Here's more:
My mouth waters as I type those words. So tender, I must have gone to the buffet about 4 or 5 times. "This is better than dessert!" I exclaimed to the group of folks at the neighboring table, who kept glancing at me with these weird looks on their faces. "I guess I should be careful," I muttered. "I wouldn't want to OD (overdose) on steak now, would I?" Smiles. Snickers. Grins. "Although there are worse fates than 'Death by Sirloin'!" Actual chuckles.
So steak has now risen to the top spot in my list of favorite foods. Pizza had previously been the leader, but now, alas, it resides at number two. Now I know what to ask Santa for when Christmas rolls around this year!
Alias Season 2 Episode 14 - "Double Agent"
Topics:
tv
Did I mention that 'Alias' was great again last night?
In a way, it's good to know that Francine's (I've begun to say good-Francine and evil-Francine) character has been given more depth, to put it one way, I guess. I also find it intriguing that 'Alias' is becoming the show for guest appearances. I don't think I've got them all, but let's try: Roger Moore, Faye Dunaway, Ethan Hawke, and, next week, Christian Slater... That's more than enough fodder for the argument on whether Alias has yet "Jumped the Shark". I don't think so. Not yet. It all makes for good entertainment, IMHO. Let's just hope that Ted McGuinley doesn't make a guest appearance.
Hard to Post on Saturday
It was hard to post anything on Saturday, with the Columbia tragedy and all. John Ludwig mentions that he's put the flag at his house at half-mast. My comments to his post:We have a flag that normally hangs at a 45 degree angle. My mom figured out how to set it so that it, too, is half mast.
After a little while, I had to turn the news off, because it was continuing to be depressing. I grieve and mourn with the families, mind you, but it was a bit much to take.
National Driver's License Database
Welcome to the National Driver's License Database -- kind of frightening, as John remarked. I never knew my driver's license picture was that bad. Yikes! Fortunately, I have to renew it this year.
link found by John
Yesterday I Visited My Past
Topics:
cincinnati
After church in Cincinnati yesterday, we bought a Kodak single-use camera and drove around the northwestern suburbs of Cincinnati to the places I used to live:
I'd stop by the houses and take a picture of what they look like now. I also stopped by some of the schools I used to attend.
So many memories, so hard to capture in just a single photograph. Especially since it's been so many years ago. The playgrounds are different, the running track has become unkempt. Names of schools have changed somewhat, and people have done some extensive remodeling to houses where I grew up.
In a way, I was jealous. I often long to go back to those times, to relive those moments, the pleasant and unpleasant. Things seemed so much bigger back then than they are now. I don't want those memories to be forgotten, lost forever.
Death by Spam... in a Pineapple Sauce!
Continuing the tradition of a periodic spam rant, here I go again:
And this list does not account for the items that somehow never made it into my Bulk/Junk Folder. Excuse me, while I go, um, dispose of this properly.
WW2.5 In Flash Animation!
When you have some time to kill (no pun intended), you can check out this game, written by someone else with a lot of time on their hands.
Feeling poorly today
I've finally caught my mom, wife, and daughter's cold. I've heard it said that when you're the last to get it, you get it the worst. Let's pray that is not the case.
Has anyone ever heard of a device that works like liposuction, but is for your sinuses? I think I'd love to have a "sinusuction" right now, something to pull the gunk out, continuously, if possible. Yuk.
