Tuesday, August 31, 2004

More on Scab Picking

"Daddy, you need to stop picking."


So said Keisha tonight as she looked at the scabs on my legs and arm. My daughter now realizes that I have a problem with self-injury.

Jennie asked me Sunday night about how I've been feeling because she's noticed I've been picking my scabs a lot more frequently of late. It took awhile for me to get there, mostly because I didn't really know. I finally concluded that I've been picking my scabs as a way to deal with the emotional stress I've been feeling with respect to the other, circumstantial stressors in my life.

I talked to the psychiatrist about this, and I believe that I pick the scabs because it's something I can control, whereas I feel that so much else in my life is out of control. I cannot control/fix my wife's health, nor can I fix my daughter's bladder problems. I have no immediate fix for our financial woes either.

I can control opening the scabs. I can take care of the bleeding and apply antiseptic and so forth. Seeing the blood provides a bit of relief from the emotional stress.

Saturday, August 28, 2004

Voice of Bart Simpson Enjoys Anonymous Fame

"I love being a celebrity where nobody knows my face." -- Nancy Cartwright, Dayton, Ohio native and the voice of Bart Simpson and others on the popular Fox TV show "The Simpsons" for more than 330 episodes, via Reuters article, "Voice of Bart Simpson Enjoys Anonymous Fame"

crossposted to QuotesBlog

How Are We Supposed To Live Without You? | RIP Laura Branigan

Yahoo! News - 'Gloria' Singer Laura Branigan Dies at 47

Thursday, August 26, 2004

Happy Birthday, Dad!

My Dad, Daniel Johnson, Sr., turns 55 today! Happy birthday!

Growing up, whenever I'd give him his birthday card, I'd write "Big " where was how old he was at that birthday. I would do it to tease him a bit about how old he was getting. I myself am now older than he was when I did that to him.

I remember one Christmas, maybe four or five years ago, I gave him a plaque that included some thoughts I had. In it I expressed my gratitude to God for giving me my Dad.

I'm glad that I have my Dad's name. It's one of the many ways I see that he and I are alike.

Wipeout - Followup

Remember when I posted about crashing my bike while on my way to work? I still haven't fixed it. I recently bought a spoke wrench, but I didn't know how to go about getting the back wheel 'unwarped' (if there is such a word). It turns out that the term is "untrue", and I found a few weblinks that gave me some help.

Hopefully I'll be cycling again soon!

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Some Interesting Referrers

I just browsed some of the referrers, and I saw these interesting ones, which are brand-new:

Can You See Me Now?


Time for an extreme closeup!

Ready for Dinner


I know what I'm gonna have for dinner, what about you? (Taken in 2002)

Kindergarteners and Money

Last year the art teacher at Keisha's school asked her and her fellow kindgergartners what they would do if they had one million dollars. Then they drew their ideas. Here's what they said:

I'd buy clothes and make-up. - Zaire

I'd buy a Game Boy and games. - Wyatt

I'd go to Kings Island 1200 times. - Ashle'ana

I'd buy a haunted house with a skeleton, owl, bat, spiderwebs, Frankenstein, and a $5.00 bill. - Jibri

I'd BUY Kings Island and the Golden Corral and a convertible. - Chamari

I'd buy a big Barbie car and a real house. - Faith

I'd buy make-up, jewelry, and lip gloss. - Jonna'e

I'd buy a cotton candy machine and some fingernails. - Daejah

I'd buy a Barbie car. - Miranda

I'd buy a Pokemon game, a Game Boy, and movies. - Kyree

I'd buy a Play Station and a big T.V. - Remey

I'd buy a big Barbie doll, a Barbie clock, a bicycle, and a motorcycle. - Keisha

I'd buy a REAL Barbie car. - Ashley

I'd buy a truck and some jewelry. - Ja'lynn

I'd buy a dog and an X-box. - Jaion

I'd buy a Barbie and some babies. - Kaylen

I'd buy a swimming pool, a house, and a new folder. - William

I'd buy a radio, a remote control car, and a house. - Eric

I'd buy a magic castle. - Mackenzie

I'd buy a football, a church, an alien, and a poster. - Von

Sunday, August 22, 2004

A Doozy of a Day - Sunday Recap

Keisha and I woke up this morning before Jennie got home. We started getting ready for church. Jennie had planned to attend with us. Yesterday we planned today out - the bus rides and such.

Jennie packed some snacks for us to carry in our backpacks; I'd made some coffee and had a bowl of cereal. We left home, walked to the bus stop, and caught the number 7 bus.

The 7 took us downtown, where we transferred to the 11, which took us to Kettering Medical Center, across from where we were having church.

This Sunday was the first Sunday where I'd seen the entire church in three weeks. With the Olympics happening, it was a special service. A couple from the Cincinnati church came to visit. When we used to visit the church once a month some years back, they taught Keisha's Kingdom Kids class. Rozelle and Janine Winters. Before the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Janine was selected as one of 2000 torch bearers in the Olympic relay. She got to keep her jogging suit and torch, which, for one brief moment, carried the single Olympic flame one-quarter mile to the next runner.

Today's sermon was entitled "Heart of a Champion". Our minister read some excerpts from some stories of actual Olympians that exemplify the heart of a champion that disciples of Jesus Christ.

Keisha had a wonderful time in her class. They are going through a unit about Esther, and they learned how respectful she was, not only with her uncle Mordecai but also to everyone else around her.

After church we caught the 11 bus back to downtown and hooked up with the number 16 this time. The 16 would take us to the Meijer in Englewood, and Jennie was able to get off as we got close to home. She needed to sleep. Keisha and I continued to Meijer.

We needed some lunch, and hence we stopped at Steak N Shake (map) for a Steakburger and a Shake. My shake was Chocolate Mint; Keisha's was Strawberry. I had her go to the restroom while I paid the bill. After I'd done that, I needed to go myself. I didn't tell Keisha where I went, and she had a noticably worried expression when I saw her after I emerged from the restroom.

We went into Meijer, and Keisha got a shopping cart that has a seat for older/bigger kids to sit in. We went to the Sporting Goods area because I wanted to see whether they sold bike wheels (mine had been damaged in a recent crash). I saw instead a spoke wrench, which, for $1.99 wasn't a bad deal and might even do the job.

Then we pulled out the shopping list Jennie had given me. We got juice, hot dogs, metts, napkins, and hot sauce. We went through the U-Scan system and got some money back so that we could buy stamps and get two rolls of quarters for laundry. (Aside: the U-Scan system works in English and Spanish; sometimes - just for fun - I'll press the Spanish button. I don't know exactly what's being said, but I get the gist from having used the system so often.)

While Keisha and I waited for the bus, she and I came up with some games to play. When the bus finally came, we got on, and I nearly fell asleep. Keisha spoke up, and I signaled for the bus to stop. We walked home, and, after putting the groceries away, Keisha put a movie in while I took a nap next to Jennie.

An hour and a half later, I realized that I still needed to do laundry and get dinner started. I got three loads of laundry started, and got the charcoal lit in the grill. I admit that I had to pack the white clothes in the washer.

45 minutes later I returned to transfer the clothes to the dryer, and I discovered that the washer hadn't drained. So I had to manually wring the white clothes before placing them in the dryer. I tried to let the washer drain by placing another $1.25 in the washer - for a load without clothes in it.

An hour later, the white clothes were not dry yet, and the washer still hadn't drained. I need to report it. I added another $1.25 to the dryer and waited an hour.

In the meantime, I had to wake Jennie up so that she could help with dinner. The grill wasn't warm enough to cook the meat as fast as I needed. Keisha was hungry, and it was getting late. Tomorrow is a school day.

At first Jennie seemed very eager to help. It was she who urged me to not put any new loads of laundry in - because of the time. While I battled the laundry, she took care of getting dinner ready.

We ate dinner, and Jennie read a couple books to Keisha so that she could record them on her weekly reading report for school. Then Keisha got ready for bed, and Jennie went back to bed - for 45 minutes before she had to get up.

Jennie had gotten upset because she wasn't able to get a full 8-hours sleep. That has been a major challenge since she started working 3rd shift. I told her that she could call me in the middle of the night to wake me up if she wanted to. She said she would, lol.

Now, I need to head back to the laundry room. Hopefully the white clothes are dry now. Keisha needs some extra bedding to help with her incontinence. I already woke her up once, and I'll need to wake her up again before I head to bed.

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Question

Why is it that when you eat more healthy, your gas smells worse?

Maybe someone should put this in the "Ask the Danimal" section. I don't know the answer myself, but there have been many recent moments (i.e., while currently sitting in this chair) that I've wondered.

totally true. except when it's not

I happened to see the URL for this blog among my referrers, and with a name like "threehell", I knew I had to check it out.

It turns out that MerMer is attending Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Hence, I give a big shout out to a local blogger! After all, Oxford is not that far from Dayton.

See what I'm talking about:

totally true. except when it's not

Just Chillin'

On the computer is a huge mix of music, which I've entitled "Chillout Mix". I didn't realize exactly how long it was until, this morning, when I first awoke, I heard it still playing.

It's basically a collection of music to which I can chill out to. Some of it is classical, some pop, some rock, some gospel -- some of just about anything. I guess that's why the mix is so big.

Incompetency Surpassed by Ineptitude

I just returned from putting a load of laundry in the building next door. I saw that our local power company placed a disconnect notice on the apartment door adjacent to the laundry room.

A closer look revealed that the power company rep got the address wrong! Same street number, same apt number, but wrong street! Even more so, this particular apartment is vacant!

And now, for an aside:

Teacher: Jimmy, please spell the word "wrong".
Jimmy: R-O-N-G
Teacher: Sorry, Jimmy you spelled it wrong!
Jimmy: I thought that's what you wanted!

Inside Jokes

... are those kinds in which only a select few understand and appreciate the humor. I remember once, while on summer vacation, the phrase, "I'll just have an orange" was humorous to my dad and other adults.

Jennie was just reading a picture book to Keisha, and she just started laughing at the following phrase:

fuzzy monkey
This is the part where I might explain the humor, but because this is a G-rated blog, I'll pass.

This all makes me wonder, what are some inside jokes you know? Not that you have to explain them per se, but feel free to share.

Friday, August 20, 2004

Mid-American Consumer Electronics Show

It's that time again -- Time for the area's largest computer and technology show at Hara Arena, now called the Mid-American Consumer Electronics Show... M-ACES Here are the details:

Mark your calendars now!

When:
Saturday, August 28th, 2004 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and
Sunday, August 29th, 2004 from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Where:
Hara Area Complex, 1001 Shiloh Springs Rd, Dayton, OH 45415
MapQuest map
M-ACES, formerly Computerfest®, now features three exciting events lasting two full days. Computerfest continues on as one part of our show, but is now joined by ImagiSpace and the Dayton LANfest.

COMPUTERFEST®
Still the area's largest computer fair, Computerfest features vendors from across the country offering that widest selection of computers, computer parts and software available under one roof.
IMAGISPACE
New to the show, the area features exciting new products from a wide range of household technologies such as digital cameras, digital crafts, voice activation software, home theater technology and other gadgets for the digital home.
DAYTON LANFEST
Having broken all records for the largest computer gaming event in Ohio, Dayton LANFest continues to grow into one of the top computer gaming venues in the nation. This show's LAN Party will feature gaming tournaments as sponsored as qualifiers for the World Cyber Gaming national finals to be held in Anaheim California.

Nationally ranked gamers from across the country will be competing to qualify for the nations later this fall. Some $10,000 in prices and giveaways will be available to the 250 plus players expected to participate. Registration is available on line at www.daytonlanfest.com
"INTO TOMORROW" LIVE BROADCAST
M-ACES is proud to have the nationally syndicated technology talk show "Into Tomorrow" with its host Dave Graveline to broadcast live from our show on Sunday. "Into Tomorrow" is syndicated over 100 plus markets nationally as well as on Armed Forces radio and over satellite radio.
TICKETS
Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8.00 at our pre-show outlets. Tickets are available on line at www.dma.org.

They may also be purchased at over a dozen locations in the Miami Valley list on the Computerfest website. Your Saturday ticket gets you into the show on Sunday.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
As always, volunteers are needed to make the weekend long event possible. Volunteers may participate in a variety of activities to earn a free pass to the show as well as an invitation to the traditional Volunteer's appreciation pizza party on Saturday evening. Volunteers may also work to earn additional prizes and rewards including hats, T-shirts, coffee mugs and a host of other goodies. Sign up to volunteer at www.computerfest.com.

MyQBox | What are some descriptive words that begin with R?

Keywords: thesaurus, dictionary.com, words, letter R


I am not a dictionary; nor do I play one on TV. Why not look up some words in a dictionary, such as on Dictionary.com?

Here are a few conciliatory words, however:

racy, remorseful, random

Wednesday, August 18, 2004

Noisy Neigbors Arousing Suspicions

We got some new neighbors across the hall from us about a month ago. The previous tenant was a single mom with two school-aged kids. In general, they were a quiet bunch. That's quite a contrast to the current tenants. The new neighbors are generating a lot of suspicion around here.

I have no idea how many people actually live there. We've seen so many people going in and out of that place that I almost think they should install a revolving door. Traffic exists at all hours of the day. There have been several occasions where I and others have been bothered by the loud noise coming from cars (stereo systems and horns blaring).

I had to address one vehicle this evening. A blue van arrives, and shortly after parking, starts to blare their horn. Several times.

Keisha and I were playing frisbee in an adjacent field while Jennie was resting. I got indignant at this driver and hollered, "Hey! Cut that out! Some people are trying to sleep around here! Why don't you just get out and go knock on their door?"

The driver said something like her foot was broken so she couldn't get out. She asked if I could go knock on the door herself. I then saw that she was talking on a cell phone, apparently to the tenants of the same apartment. She hung up and told me that they were coming out.

Why couldn't she have just called in the first place?

Another thing I've noticed is that there is a lot more litter around our building than there used to be. I am peeved that people are too d*** lazy to take their trash to the dumpster, which is less than 50 feet away.

Another neighbor, with whom we've been to a neighborhood watch meeting, talked with me tonight. He and his wife have begun to take down license plate numbers of vehicles that are frequenting this residence. They believe that these signs all point to drug activity. They've seen people come by with an air compressor, some hubcaps. He said that what also makes him think this way is that it's not only black folks but also white folks that are coming and going.

Tuesday, August 17, 2004

John Heffron Industries -The Journal

Give it up for the Last Comic Standing!

John Heffron Industries - The Journal

August 25, 2004 Update: John's journal has been suspended for now.

Monday, August 16, 2004

Preacher and the Deacon - JOKE ALERT

There once was this deacon and this preacher, and they had been friends for a long time. One day the deacon got sick and was put in the hospital, so the preacher decided to go and see his old friend.

When he walked into the hospital room, the preacher noticed all the hoses and medical equipment attached to the deacon. The preacher walked over and kneeled by the bed and asked, ''How ya doing?''

The deacon motioned at a pad and pen on the nightstand. ''You want that?'' the preacher asked him, and the deacon nodded his head yes. So the preacher handed his friend the pad and pen and the deacon began to write. All of a sudden the deacon died.

At his funeral, the preacher was asked to deliver the service. ''He was a good man and I'll never forget him,'' the preacher said, ''I was with him when he died and as a matter of fact I have his last thought in my coat pocket here.''

The preacher reaches into his pocket and pulls out the paper. ''Please, get up! You're kneeling on my oxygen hose!'

What a Good Boy!


Who's a big puppy dog? That's right! Our dog Jake.

That Face!


Hello, it's me!

Sunday, August 15, 2004

The Bob and Tom Show

Regular listener to this show, especially since they've cleaned themselves up since the beginning of the year.

Walgreens.com - Online pharmacy and drugstore, prescriptions, health information

I found information about our local store within a few clicks. Very convenient! I suppose other pharmacies have this info abailable, but this is the one that we chose, and we like it.

Wednesday, August 11, 2004

Yahoo! News - Messages Can Be Forever

I suppose that achieving immortality, to some extent, is therefore possible:

Yahoo! News - Messages Can Be Forever
Be careful out there.

Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Attracting Girls - JOKE ALERT

Brad, a guy on the local beach, just couldn't make it with any of the girls. He heads over to the lifeguard tower to see if the lifeguard has any advice for him.

"Dude, it's obvious," says the lifeguard, "you're wearing them baggy old swimming trunks that make you look like an old geezer. They're years outta style. Your best bet is to grab yourself a pair of Spandex Speedos - about two sizes too small - and drop a fist-sized potato down inside 'em. I'm tellin you man...you'll have all the babes you want!"

The following weekend, Brad hits the beach with his spanking new tight Speedos, and his fist-sized potato, and for cryin' out loud! - it's worse than before!

Everybody on the beach acts disgusted as he walks by, covering their faces, turning away, laughing, looking sick! So Brad goes back to the lifeguard again and asks him, "What's wrong now?"

"Jeez!" says the lifeguard, "The potato goes in front!"

found on Jokes and Humor Weblog

Monday, August 09, 2004

Ask the Danimal - Follow-up

In a previous post I announced that I added a box where you can ask me a question. Any question for which there is not an answer in the knowledge base gets sent to me via email.

The important thing in order for this to work is that the questions be phrased as questions. Ask your questions the same way you would ask another person. Keep it short and simple for best results.

In the past day or so, someone entered the following items into the Ask the Danimal as follows (i.e., I'm showing verbatim what was typed):

  • Email
  • Spondylolosis
These were not phrased as questions, so I cannot answer them. Try again.

By the way, I wanted to know what 'spondylolosis' was. A search in Dictionary.com found no entries for that word. The websited suggested 'spondylolysis', so, for giggles I looked it up
:
spon·dy·lol·y·sis ("spän-d&-'läl-&-s&s) n.
Degeneration of the articulating part of a vertebra
via Dictionary.com

Sunday, August 08, 2004

Carrot, Egg, Coffee - A Parable

(THINK ABOUT THIS WHEN YOU ARE HAVING A ROUGH TIME)

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee... Believe me, you will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life, and how things were so hard for her. She said she did not know how she was going to make it and felt like she just wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling... It seemed as if when one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother calmly took her into the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first pot, her mother placed carrots; in the second she placed eggs; and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying a word.

In about 20 minutes, she turned off the burners. She then fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them into a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Her mother brought her over closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee... The daughter smiled, as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the exact same adversity ... boiling water. And each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak, more pliable. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid-like interior, but after sitting in the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?” she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

-------------------

Think of this: 'Which am I?'

Am I the carrot that seems strong... but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit... but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same... but on the inside am I bitter and tough, with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water... the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor.

If you ARE like the bean... when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you.

When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest... do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Count your blessings, not your problems...

Pass this on.

via email from Corky

Franklin, on getting things done

Eric Mack Online sounds like a blog I might want to check out more often. He shares something from an essay he did on Ben Franklin's views on time and its use.

Thanks again to Ian for the link!

STANDUP FOR THE LORD - How Funny Can a Christian Comedian Be?

This is a really interesting article. Much thanks to Ian for pointing it out.

HTML CODE for 'Help Make Blogs More Visible' Post

Below is the HTML code used for the previous post, Help Make Blogs More Visible. To make it display, I've enclosed it with the <XMP> tag, which I uncovered at the Lycos Webmaster - Display HTML code page. Hopefully this will make it easier to copy and paste into other blogs without having to copy/paste each individual hyperlink.

Help Make Blogs More Visible! <br /> <br />NOTE: Be sure you paste live links for the Path List below. <br /> <br />There are by some estimates more than a million weblogs. But most of them get no visibility in search engines. Only a few "A-List" blogs get into the top search engine results for a given topic, while the majority of blogs just don't get noticed. The reason is that the smaller blogs don't have enough links pointing to them. But this posting could solve that. Let's help the smaller blogs get more visibility! <br /> <br />This posting is <a href="http://novaspivack.typepad.com/nova_spivacks_weblog/2004/08/what_is_a_gomem.html">GoMeme 4.0</a>. It is part of an experiment to see if we can create a blog posting that helps 1000's of blogs get higher rankings in Google. So far we have tried 3 earlier variations. Our first test, <a href="http://novaspivack.typepad.com/nova_spivacks_weblog/2004/08/a_sonar_ping_of.html">GoMeme 1.0</a>, spread to nearly 740 blogs in 2.5 days. This new version 4.0 is shorter, simpler, and fits more easily into your blog. <br /> <br />Why are we doing this? We want to help thousands of blogs get more visibility in Google and other search engines. How does it work? Just follow the instructions below to re-post this meme in your blog and add your URL to the end of the Path List below. As the meme spreads onwards from your blog, so will your URL. Later, when your blog is indexed by search engines, they will see the links pointing to your blog from all the downstream blogs that got this via you, which will cause them to rank your blog higher in search results. Everyone in the Path List below benefits in a similar way as this meme spreads. Try it! <br />Instructions: Just copy this entire post and paste it into your blog. Then add your URL to the end of the path list below, and pass it on! <br /> <br />Path List <br /> <br />1. <a href="http://www.mindingtheplanet.net/">Minding the Planet</a> <br />2. <a href="http://www.wireless--lan.com/">Wireless LAN</a> <br />3. <a href="http://www.writing-resources.com/">Writing Resources</a> <br />4. <a href="http://www.bill-austin.com/billboard/">BillBoard</a> <br />5. <a href="http://www.stockhelp.net/">Stock Quotes Stock Trading Stock Help</a> <br />6. <a href="http://www.christmaschristmaschristmas.com/">Christmas All Year</a> <br />7. <a href="http://www.quotesfromfamouspeople.com/">Quotes from Famous People</a> <br />8. <a href="http://www.worldfamousrecipes.com/recipes/">Recipes at World Famous Recipes</a> <br />9. <a href="http://www.wireless--lan.com/jobs_and_employment.html">Jobs and Employment</a> <br />10. <a href="http://www.quotesquotes.com/">Quotes</a> <br />11. <a href="http://www.jokes-joke.com/">Jokes and Humor</a> <br />12. <a href="http://www.480guide.com/">480 Area Code Guide</a> <br />13. <a href="http://www.evindex.com/">Phoenix Arizona East Valley Community Index</a> <br />14. <a href="http://www.azhttp.com/azblog.htm">HTTP in Phoenix AZ</a> <br />15. <a href="http://www.famous-quote-famous-quotes.com/His_Word.html">Daily Bible Verse</a> <br />16. <a href="http://www.lovepoemslovequoteslovesongs.com/love_contributions.html">Love Poems</a> <br />18. <a href="http://smarterdollar.hypermart.net/topsites/topsites.html">World Famous Recipes</a> <br />19. <a href="http://www.recipesrecipe.com/">Recipes Recipe</a> <br />20. <a href="http://members.cox.net/katheesue/">Members Space</a> <br />21. <a href="http://journeyinsidemymind.blogspot.com">Journey Inside My Mind</a> <br />22. (your URL goes here! But first, please copy this line and move it down to the next line for the next person). <br /> <br />NOTE: Be sure you paste live links for the Path List or use HTML code.

Saturday, August 07, 2004

Help Make Blogs More Visible!

Help Make Blogs More Visible!

NOTE: Be sure you paste live links for the Path List below.

There are by some estimates more than a million weblogs. But most of them get no visibility in search engines. Only a few "A-List" blogs get into the top search engine results for a given topic, while the majority of blogs just don't get noticed. The reason is that the smaller blogs don't have enough links pointing to them. But this posting could solve that. Let's help the smaller blogs get more visibility!

This posting is GoMeme 4.0. It is part of an experiment to see if we can create a blog posting that helps 1000's of blogs get higher rankings in Google. So far we have tried 3 earlier variations. Our first test, GoMeme 1.0, spread to nearly 740 blogs in 2.5 days. This new version 4.0 is shorter, simpler, and fits more easily into your blog.

Why are we doing this? We want to help thousands of blogs get more visibility in Google and other search engines. How does it work? Just follow the instructions below to re-post this meme in your blog and add your URL to the end of the Path List below. As the meme spreads onwards from your blog, so will your URL. Later, when your blog is indexed by search engines, they will see the links pointing to your blog from all the downstream blogs that got this via you, which will cause them to rank your blog higher in search results. Everyone in the Path List below benefits in a similar way as this meme spreads. Try it!
Instructions: Just copy this entire post and paste it into your blog. Then add your URL to the end of the path list below, and pass it on!

Path List

1. Minding the Planet
2. Wireless LAN
3. Writing Resources
4. BillBoard
5. Stock Quotes Stock Trading Stock Help
6. Christmas All Year
7. Quotes from Famous People
8. Recipes at World Famous Recipes
9. Jobs and Employment
10. Quotes
11. Jokes and Humor
12. 480 Area Code Guide
13. Phoenix Arizona East Valley Community Index
14. HTTP in Phoenix AZ
15. Daily Bible Verse
16. Love Poems
18. World Famous Recipes
19. Recipes Recipe
20. Members Space
21. Journey Inside My Mind
22. (your URL goes here! But first, please copy this line and move it down to the next line for the next person).

NOTE: Be sure you paste live links for the Path List or use HTML code.

Wipe Out!

I was running late for work, as usual. I brought the bike out, backpack on, and began the trek to work. I quickly shifted to the higher gears.

I have a slight hill to go down before I make the turn onto Main Street. I saw that I had the green light, so I shifted to 15th gear (the highest) and started pedaling as fast as I could.

By the time I made the turn, I was probably going about 25-30 mph. Work's parking lot is less than 1/4 mile, and I saw that I had a clear turn, so I kept on going at top speed.

As I turned into the parking lot, I had to turn the front wheel hard to compensate for how fast I was going. I didn't have control of the bike, and before I knew it, I'd crashed into a flowerbed, landing on the ground.

Fortunately, I was wearing a bike helmet. After a few seconds, I got up and walked the bike, which was noticeably different in its behavior, to the lamp post and locked it up.

I hurried inside, removed my helmet, and clocked in. One of the managers noticed that the back of my shirt was dirty from the fall and had me change into a clean one.

In the restroom, as I removed my dirty shirt, I saw that I had a scrape on the bottom right side of my belly. I also had scraped a little piece of skin from my left pinky finger.

Throughout the night I had a headache, and, by the time I came home my right hip was feeling sore, too.

As I left work, I saw that the bike chain had derailed. I put it back on the gears and tested it out. It turns out that the rear tire is seriously warped. Also the seat is loose; I had to adjust it while I was riding home.

I mentioned the accident to Jennie when I got home. She encouraged me to put some ice on and take some anti-inflammatory medicine. She also said I should have told my bosses and had them send me to the ER. I didn't think that was necessary at the time.

I'll probably need to get a new back tire. Ugh. I've only had this bike for less than three months!

Diabetic Gourmet Magazine

I saw the link to this website at Carla's blog, Across the Pond. Here's an excerpt from their About Us page:

Since 1995, The Diabetic Gourmet Magazine has been the premiere online magazine dedicated to diabetes related health issues as well as diabetic dining and cooking information. It is composed of original content written and designed by our editorial staff, material offered to us for publication by agencies such as FDA, CDC, NIDDK, and USDA, and material contributed by seasoned food editors, authors, specialists and journalists. We believe that the diet of the diabetic gourmet should be seen as selective, not restrictive.

Friday, August 06, 2004

Our Family In Brief

JENNIE

Jennie has been feeling really depressed. I guess you could say that she's been that way for quite some time. Other emotions: anger, resentment, frustration. I've felt these same feelings and have often shared them here.

Yesterday morning she came home from work in time to head back out to an appointment. I later saw her when she came into the restaurant where I work. By the time I arrived home (circa 4:15 PM), she hadn't gone to bed yet.

She had a lot on her mind, and I let her talk. Then I got a little scared when she said she was having suicidal thoughts. Whereas I use self-injury to cope, she uses food, namely sugar.

I'd been urging her to call the Crisis Care hotline so that she could speak with someone, and even get help for her depression, etc. Finally, I called the number and handed the phone to her. She talked with a woman on the phone for some time. This woman asked if she wanted to go to their office last night; Jennie said she was feeling like she'd be okay just to go in tomorrow (this morning). So she made an appointment for 10 AM.

I remember, two years ago, when my mom first moved up here, that my mom wound up in the hospital for a week. I really hope that isn't necessary for Jennie, although I have to consider the possibility.

I feel sad and a little worried for my wife. She is the love of my life, and I want her to feel better.

I've seen her pull back from God so much over these past couple of years. I've encouraged her to draw near to him, thinking that, maybe he's allowing all the things that are going on to happen so that she will turn back to him. "What if God is allowing all this to happen to humble you?" I inquired gently.

She has expressed that she feels it's useless to pray. It's as though doing all the spiritual things like praying, studying the Bible, meeting with others, are not working. I know I've felt that way at times myself.

I told her that I was committed to being there for her no matter what. When we got married, I sang Steven Curtis Chapman's song "I Will Be Here" to her as part of my wedding vows. I told her that I Will Be Here no matter what happens.

I need to be careful of using pat phrases like that, however. Because they can and have been overused, in time they seem to lose their meaning. It's a little bit like singing the same songs again and again at church; after awhile we get so used to the words that we stop meditating on their meaning.


KEISHA

Keisha has also had a tough week. Her school is conducting Terra Nova testing, which is supposed to give an idea of how kids might perform on future standardized tests. I guess it also may indicate where the school can improve in their instruction, etc.

She loves to read, which fires Jennie and I up to no end. It's becoming so common for her to pick up a picture book we get from the library and read it out loud to us. Some of the multi-syllable words I help her sound out. Then after she's read it to me, I sometimes review it with her to verify she understood what the story was about.

I love going to the library to pick out books for her. Because I want reading to be fun and the time we read together to be fun, I've opted for Humor books. Our library places a humor sticker on those books deemed as such, which makes them easy to spot.

Keisha also loves to draw. It's evident in that her default activity is to grab some paper and some crayons, markers, etc. and start drawing.

But math appears to be a bit more difficult. Perhaps it's because it can be rather abstract to see numbers on a page and not be able to instinctively see their meanings. I try to think back to when I was learning addition and subtraction and how I was. Unfortunately, I cannot remember.

She also gets easily frustrated when she's not picking the information up. I'm challenged by this because I can be the same way. I also have to be careful not to get impatient with her and be sure to encourage her.

There were some particular problems she had for homework that were bothering her. I finally had the idea to use pennies out of her bank as visual aids. That seemed to help. What helped even more, according to Keisha, was that I was there to help her.

I'm not a psychiatrist and I know I'm not qualified to diagnose my daughter, but, as someone with ADHD, I can say that I see some signs of it with her. As I would talk with her about her homework, she would play with her pencil and eraser - distracted. I found that frustrating because I felt that she wasn't paying attention to me.

ME

I'm learning to take advantage of my day planner. I look forward to using colors, etc. to make appointments, etc. stand out. (I realize that this might sound a bit strange to you all.) If I can make my organization system fun, colorful, and interesting, then I think I'll have a good chance of keeping up with it.

I would love to have a coach; someone to help keep me on track, etc.

I'm learning to use timers: for example, the kitchen timer has gone off four times since I began this post to remind me that I need to leave for work. My watch alarm has a "snooze button" effect in which it sounds five minutes after I touch the particular button. I use that to remind me that I need to take my medicine and when I need to get ready to leave work, among other things. I'm using other alarm clocks, too.

I hope that eventually stuff like this will become second nature to me and help me be more effective.

There is so much more that I could probably talk about - I need to talk about - but I need to go for now. (like we found out yesterday that our Transitional Medicaid expires at the end of this month for Jennie and I. This means we'll have no insurance. Ugh!)

Pray for us.

Thursday, August 05, 2004

100 Things About the Danimal - The Crossword Puzzle!

You might have heard of the 100 Things about Me concept around the blogosphere.
You might have even done one yourself.

Now, for the first time ever, I am proud to present to you the same concept in a Crossword Puzzle!

You read that right, ladies and gentlemen. I've updated my 100 Things page to include the following links:

The clues and their answers can all be found within the list of 100 Things About the Danimal.

Have fun and let me know what you think!

Ralph Fiennes to Play Voldemort in 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'

"It's 'Rafe', actually." -- Ralph Fiennes, from the IMDB Biography for Ralph Fiennes
The 41-year old actor has recently been confirmed to play the role of Voldemort, aka He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and You-Know-Who. Until now, we've only known Voldy in spirit; that is, he has not been a full character in the flesh.

That changes in the fourth installment of the Harry Potter series.

Wednesday, August 04, 2004

Suspense Authors

I found this at the local library recently.

If you like Nora Roberts, you might try...
  • Elizabeth Adler
  • Rochelle Alers
  • Sandra Brown
  • Anita R. Bunkley
  • Stella Cameron
  • Catherine Coulter
  • Barbara Delinski
  • Kristin Hannah
  • Kay Hooper
  • Jayne Ann Krentz
  • Debbie Macomber
  • Fern Michaels
  • Judith McNaught
  • Francis Ray
  • Karen Robards
  • J.D. Robb
  • LaVryle Spencer
  • Erica Spindler
  • Katherine Stone
  • Crystal Wilson-Harris

Nine Mile Walk Needed

While McDonald's says that they offer a variety of meals that meet the requirements of a balanced diet, nutritionists still feel that their food has too many calories. They say it would take a nine mile walk to burn off the calories in a single Big Mac Meal, for example.

Tuesday, August 03, 2004

Find Inner Peace By Finishing Things Off

This comes via email from Brian B.:

I am passing this on to you because it has definitely worked for me...and as we start summer we all could use a little calm, by following the simple advice I read in an article.

I have finally found inner peace. The article read: "The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started"

So I looked around the house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished... and before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white wine, the Bailey's, Kahlua and Wild Turkey, the Prozac, some valium, some cheesecake and a box of chocolates.

You have no idea how freakin' good I feel... You may pass this on to those you feel are in need of Inner Peace.

whack-a-me

If you find that you have some time to waste or are even just a bit curious, then head over to Mike's whack-a-me to vent some frustration. Click repeatedly on his picture several times to rack up points and really put the hurt on him.

Monday, August 02, 2004

What Parents Need to Know About Bedwetting

Also from KidsHealth:

Every night across America, 5 to 7 million children are turning off the lights, going to sleep, and wetting their beds.

The medical name for bedwetting is enuresis - "the involuntary voiding of urine beyond the age of anticipated control" - and it's a common condition in children. It's also a very stressful one for parents and children alike. For the child wetting the bed, it's often a major embarrassment. For parents, there may be a mixture of annoyance and sometimes a little anger. They wonder if bedwetting is done on purpose or because of laziness. Read more...

BenGay Not For Sunburn!

This past Wednesday I went on an outing at Adventure Golf with some coworkers. I got a pretty good score. I also got sunburned on the back of my neck.

I just put some BenGay® on it to help it feel better, but it has made it feel worse! Ouch!

What is AD/HD?

A parent wrote into the Q&A forum, asking if AD/HD was hereditary. His child's behavior is a lot like his when he was younger.

This article describes symptoms and signs of ADHD and tells how parents can help their children if they find out they have ADHD.

Sunday, August 01, 2004

IreneQ is Back

IreneQ, theOfficial Blogger of Introspection, has recently returned from a holiday in Bali.

Welcome back!

Previously in the Journey...

I often like to post to remind myself of previous entries. Since today marks the beginning of August 2004, let's check the archives for 2003 and 2002:

  • August 1, 2003:Bookworm, Buggy Blogger, and Jennifer Garner Keeping 'Alias' Until '08
  • August 1, 2002:3 H's | Hazy, Hot, Humid - The Saga Continues... Ozone Action Day

Adventures in Bus-Riding

This morning Jennie, Keisha, and I caught the bus to church. Most of the congregation is camping at Hocking Hills, located in southeastern Ohio, but some members, such as us, stayed home.

It really helps to plan trips like these in advance. We took the 7 south to Main & Third, i.e., the epicenter of Dayton, Ohio (the hub from which all major RTA activity occurs). Then we transferred to the number 5, which took us down Far Hills Avenue just past Dorothy Lane. From there we walked 1/4 mile to our friends' home, where we had a house church service.

I really am glad we went because it wasn't just a communion service. We alternated singing songs about the cross with reading passages from the Bible about the cross. Nearly everyone in attendance got to read. It felt like I was hearing some of these passages for the first time, in some cases. The one I read was Colossians 1:15-23 and 2:13-15

After the service, we walked back to the bus stop. I saw that the next bus would not arrive for another 50 minutes. So we walked about 3/4 mile north to the Dorothy Lane Market. Jennie bought a smoothie while Keisha and I got some bottled water. We then walked to the closest bus stop and waited.

Now we're home, and we'd all love to take a nap. Jennie, however, has just put some laundry in. I'll be heading to work in an hour. Jennie will be going into work this evening. May God give us strength.