David's very own Blog

Waterton Trip: Red Shirts

2011-10-16T11:41:00.001-05:00

Continuing a family tradition, Rachel brought everyone in the family matching shirts. James took the group shots, so I am just posting a few random 'Red Shirt' pics that I took.

Thanks again Rachel!

Visit from a behavior specialist

2011-10-16T11:41:00.000-05:00

John's self injuring behavior has beeen escalating, so we sought the advice of a behavior specialist. She came out to visit last Wednesday morning.

For whatever reason, John starts hitting his head precisely at 9:00 am every day. We timed the visit so the specialist would get there about fifteen minutes beforehand. Precisely at 9:00 am, he started hitting his head. He and I went into some wierd performance art where I struggled to restrain him for the next forty-five minutes or so. Once the specialist left, he calmed down.

I left for the office soon after. When I arrived, I had numerous co-workers ask me what was wrong. It was a very rough morning for all of us, and I guess it showed on my face.

Later that day, John had a visit to the dentist where he had his teeth cleaned and examined. Naturally, he was very cooperative and easy to handle.

Self Injury

Perks of reaching 50 or being over 60 and heading towards 70!

2011-07-06T09:54:00.000-05:00

From my friend Tyg

Kidnappers are not very interested in you.
In a hostage situation you are likely to be released first.
No one expects you to run--anywhere..
People call at 9 PM and ask,"did I wake you?"
People no longer view you as a hypochondriac.
There is nothing left to learn the hard way.
Things you buy now won't wear out.
You can eat supper at 4 PM.
You can live without sex but not your glasses.
You get into heated arguments about pension plans.
You no longer think of speed limits as a challenge.
You quit trying to hold your stomach in no matter who walks into the room.
You sing along with elevator music.
Your eyes won't get much worse.
Your investment in health insurance is finally beginning to pay off.
Your joints are more accurate meteorologists than the national weather service.
Your secrets are safe with your friends because they can't remember them either.
Your supply of brain cells is finally down to manageable size.
You can't remember who sent you this list.
And you notice these are all in Big Print for your convenience.

Church

2011-05-15T11:48:00.000-05:00

Made it through another service at church today with my son John. I thought we were going to have to leave as soon as we went into the sanctuary, John did everything he could to start hitting his head. I was able to restrain him with one hand and cover his mouth to mute his screams with the other. And I have the scratch marks to prove it. He drew blood this time.

Once the service started though, John calmed down and I recalled the reason I put myself through this every week. Though I don't get as much from the service as I probably would if I didn't have to take care of John, I get enough.

Some random thoughts.

I don't recall anyone in my congregation ever criticizing me because I couldn't control John.
When I have had to take John out of the service, I have been told that I need to take him back in because he wasn't bothering anyone.
I have never been shushed in the hallways. That one is a big one for me, I still have nightmares from my previous congregation.
I have had people come up to me and offered encouragement and hugs.
For whatever reason, John is at his best during the sermon, which I am grateful for, it allows me a better chance to listen and comprehend.
I am amazed that the same people will sit in front of us week after week. We try to sit out of the way so as not to disturb others.
John gave our pastor a hug on our way out of church today, which was nice and more than a little surprising.

In her sermon, our pastor used a desert island joke. I found a variation of it and I am re-blogging it below. I am glad that I found an accepting church for both me and for John.

A man is rescued after many years on a desert island. As he stands on the deck of the rescuing vessel, the captain says to him, "I thought you were stranded alone. How come I can see three huts on the beach?"

     "Well," replies the castaway, "that one there is my house and that one there is where I go to church."

     "And the third one?" asks the skipper.

     "Oh, that's the church I used to go to."

The Good Samaritan

2011-05-01T11:47:00.000-05:00

In her sermon today spoke about the parable of the Good Samaritan. One of the questions of course is why did the Samaritan stop when the regular clergy did not. The other question I ask myself of course is, would I have stopped?

In the sermon, our pastor referenced a study at the Seminary at Princeton university where students were tested to see if they would stop to offer help to someone who appeared to need help.

They varied the amount of urgency they told the subjects before sending them to the other building, and the task they would do when they got there. One task was to prepare a talk about seminary jobs, and the other about the story of the Good Samaritan. In one condition they told the subject they were late for the next task, in the other they said they had a few minutes but they should head on over anyway.

It would seem like the students who were thinking about the story of the Good Samaritan would of course be more likely to stop and help. The results were pretty surprising.

Check out Darley, J. M., and Batson, C.D., "From Jerusalem to Jericho": A study of Situational and Dispositional Variables in Helping Behavior". JPSP, 1973, 27, 100-108 for the details.

Why do good things happen to bad people

2011-03-20T11:46:00.000-05:00

That was the title of today's sermon at church.

One of the things that I had never thought about is that there are people who think that I am bad, and they are probably surprised when good things happen to me. It got me to thinking what makes a person bad. In no particular order, I came up the following, I am sure I could add many more entries.

religion
political party
race
creed
color
socioeconomic status
sexual orientation
gender
appearance
intelligence

Head Banging

2011-02-26T21:39:00.000-06:00

Not mine, my son John's. I noticed something pretty darn interesting a few weeks ago. For whatever reason (and I am totally open to suggestions), John has decided that he needs to hit his head at precisely 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

For example, we were at IHOP this morning and a few moments before 9, I changed seats at the booth so I could sit right next to him. Right on schedule, he had lifted his hands to hit his head (and you have no idea how unnerving this can be to the uninitiated), but I was able to grab them in time. At 9:01, I moved back to my side of the booth and we finished breakfast without any further incident.

My own theory? Too much Mary Poppins. There is a scene in the movie where a neighbor sets off his cannon at a given time and the entire household is involved in making sure that the shock from the cannon does not damage any of the household breakables.

Agony

2010-12-31T11:24:00.000-06:00

Rachel is blogging about her Christmas visit and noted:

My sister-in-law Sarah Jane had an astounding realization: every time my dad leaves the house, my brother John plays the song "Agony" from Into the Woods. Every time. Apparently he even played it in the car today.

I suppose that is what I get for letting John listen to the soundtracks of Broadway musicals. It kind of reminds of me of something I heard in meetings, "alcoholics don't make friends, they take hostages."

Mouse To Mouse Resuscitation

2010-12-28T15:23:00.000-06:00

Mouse To Mouse Resuscitation: "

(Pet Store | WY, USA)

(An irate customer comes flying through the door and slams a soaking wet, dead hamster on the counter. I recognize her as a woman I had sold a hamster to an hour ago.)

Me: “Oh my goodness what happened?!”

Customer: “I took this hamster home and he didn’t even live 10 minutes!”

Me: “Why is he all wet?”

Customer: “From being in the aquarium! He swam for awhile, but then he just dropped dead!

Me: “I’m sorry, are you telling me you put him in an aquarium full of water?”

Customer: “You told me hamsters can live in aquariums! You said I didn’t need to buy a cage specifically for hamsters!”

Me: “Hamsters can live in an aquarium, but not in water! When you were picking him out didn’t you notice the others are in empty aquariums with bedding?”

Customer: “You told me he could live in an aquarium! I demand a new hamster! One that is alive!”

Me: “I really don’t think any of our animals are going to work out for you.”

Oh Call Him At Home, Where The Phone Charges Roam

2010-12-28T15:22:00.000-06:00

Oh Call Him At Home, Where The Phone Charges Roam: "

(Call Center | Victoria, BC, Canada)

(A customer calls in to report his cellphone as stolen 3 weeks earlier while he was on vacation in Vietnam. He had just received a bill for a few thousand dollars for international usage. I asked if I could put him on hold while I checked into his problem. I used the time to confirm the billed calls from Vietnam were to numbers from previous bills; numbers he called all the time. I looked up his to see where the phone was currently registering and was unsurprised to find it registered to a US cell tower. I decided to call it.)

Me: “Hello sir, this is [name] from [service provider]. We were just having a conversation about this phone being lost on your other line. You do realize that what you are attempting to do is fraud? Given the amount of money involved it would be considered a felony.”

Customer Cell Phone: *click*

Landline: *click*

(I dialed into his voicemail and left a very detailed message about prompt payment and made copious notes on the account. The account was paid in full and on time.)

Comparisons

2010-12-26T10:56:00.000-06:00

Years ago I heard someone say "I was always comparing my insides to someone else's outsides."

I have a corollary to that now which is that one should never compare one's life to another person's Christmas newsletter. I got a call from someone who said that he had hesitated to call before because he didn't think that he was as successful as I was. Naturally, I didn't think that I had it together as well as he did either.

Happily, we cleared up the misconceptions and had a very nice chat. I am glad he called.

The Grinch Who Shocked Christmas

2010-12-24T23:37:00.000-06:00

The Grinch Who Shocked Christmas: "

(Bookstore | PA, USA)

(It is December and Christmas decorations have been recently put up throughout town. I recognize our town manager, in the store. She is responsible for all the towns’ decorations.)

Me: *as I am ringing up her books* “I love all the lights downtown!”

Town Manager: “Thank you!”

Me: “My favorite is the reindeer topiary garden!”

Town Manager: *scowling* “Well they do look nice, but unfortunately the children like them too.

Me: *confused* “Excuse me?”

Town Manager: “The children! They are always trying to touch the reindeer.”

Me: “I’m sure they’re very excited about Christmas, and hearing all about Rudolph.”

Town Manager: “The decorations are for looking at! Not for touching! I suggested electricity but no one liked that idea.”

Me: “You suggested what?”

Town Manager: “Just a light jolt, to discourage the children!”

(I am stunned and silent.)

Town Manager: “No, no one else liked that idea either.”

Me: “Here are your books! Happy holidays!”

Find Missing Manuals for PCs, Printers, and More

2010-12-23T22:43:00.000-06:00

Find Missing Manuals for PCs, Printers, and More: "With a library of more than 100,000 downloadable instruction guides for all manner of electronics, Retrevo is a great place to start your search.

"

Quote Details: Kurt Vonnegut: There is a tragic... - The Quotations Page

2010-12-23T16:14:00.000-06:00

There is a tragic flaw in our precious Constitution, and I don't know what can be done to fix it. This is it: Only nut cases want to be president.
Kurt Vonnegut, "Cold Turkey", In These Times, May 10, 2004
US novelist (1922 - 2007)

In Need Of A Better Outlook

2010-12-22T14:06:00.000-06:00

I think I know her.

In Need Of A Better Outlook:

(Tech Support | Riverside, CA, USA)

Customer: “I’m having issues with my Outlook.”

Me: “Show me the problem you’re having so I can see if I can fix it for you.”

(She has six passwords each over twenty characters long, Bios password, Windows password, Zone Alarm Password, Outlook Password, etc…)

Me: “You don’t need to have your passwords that long for security’s sake.”

Customer: “I read on the internet that sniffers give up if the password is too long.”

Me: “I’m happy you did your research, but you don’t have to have it longer then 15 characters long.”

Customer: “Well I’m afraid if someone steals my laptop, the programs that can recover passwords can’t detect past twenty letters.”

Me: “That’s true, but no one really does that anymore. In this business we have customers coming in all the time to have us remove the password for them because they forgot it. For instance, I can get into your laptop in less then 2 – 3 minutes without your help.”

Customer: “No way. I’ve made precautions.”

Me: “I will be more then happy to show you that I can. But I would have to charge you a half hour fee and you would have to sign the work order giving me permission to.”

Customer: “And if you can’t? ”

Me: “Then I will be more then happy to refund you the money and you would have won this war.”

(Customer then pays the fee and signs the work order.)

Me: “Give me a moment.”

(A minute later.)

Me: “Here you go, I’m logged in to your Outlook.”

Customer: “Oh my God! How did you do that?”

Me: “If your really worried about someone stealing your laptop, you shouldn’t have laminated your passwords to the laptop.”

Daniel J. Boorstin

2010-12-22T09:36:00.000-06:00

Daniel J. Boorstin: "'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some hire public relations officers.'"

Quote Details: Isaac Asimov: The most exciting phrase...

2010-12-22T09:29:00.000-06:00

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka!' (I found it!) but 'That's funny ...'
Isaac Asimov
US science fiction novelist & scholar (1920 - 1992)

Victoria at the office

2010-12-21T22:52:00.000-06:00

After Russell was sworn into the Texas Bar, he and Sarah Jane went over to the Texas Bar office so Barbara and I took Victoria with us. We waited at my office to join up with Russell and Sarah Jane for lunch. Victoria amused herself by exploring the Christmas tree in the lobby of my office.

Yukon Not Believe This Juan, Part 2

2010-12-20T12:11:00.000-06:00

Yukon Not Believe This Juan, Part 2: "

(Military | Richmond, VA, USA)

(Canadian Army Reservists go to Fort Pickett in Virginia to train with the National Guard. I am in the last flight out of the U.S. and back to Nova Scotia. I am in my uniform, waiting for to be processed through security when a fellow traveler approaches me.)

Traveler: “Thank you so much for protecting us! We are so proud of the bravery of soldiers defending the United States!”

Me: “Thank you ma’am, but I’m not an American. I’m from the Canadian Army.”

(She looks confused, so I point to the small Canadian flag on my shoulder.)

Me: “You know, your friendly neighbours to the north?”

Traveler: “Oh! Mexico!”

Related:

Yukon Not Believe This Juan

Gratefulness

2010-11-21T16:44:00.000-06:00

The sermon at church today was on gratefulness. Since our pastor used to be an English teacher, I am sure she used the word gratefulness as opposed to gratitude for a reason. The dictionary definition of both seems to be about the same.

Anyhow, today is my son John's 24th birthday. We had breakfast at IHOP and the manager paid for our meal because we are such regular and loyal customers. Something to be grateful for, the free breakfast and the fact that we are welcome there. When several servers started singing a birthday song to John, he started to hit his head, so I had to grab his arms and hold him until they were finished singing.

John seems to have a hard time with special occasions. I don't know if he is reacting to some disappointment that things don't live up to his expectations or what, but it is something that I have to work around. Holidays are especially bad and I have to remove John to my office where he is not over stimulated.

We last for a couple of minutes at church today before I had to take John outside because he started hitting his head again. This is one of those weeks that I am surprised that I don't get a visit from some adult protective services agency. I am the one with the injured hand from the experience, not John. We went for a walk and John calmed down and seemed pretty happy. We went back into the service and I ended up holding him pretty tightly for most of the service.

With all of that, I am sure that I did not pay 100% attention to the sermon, but I did catch a few ideas that I am going to have to think about.

What I heard was that for a given situation, I have a choice of asking myself "Why me?" or looking at it as an opportunity for gratefulness. Whether or not Rev. Karen actually said what I heard or not probably doesn't make much difference.

Since John was diagnosed with autism some 21 years ago, I have had a lot of "Why me" moments. IHOP and taking John from church this morning come to mind. Not as many gratefulness moments though. Like I said, something to pray and think about.

Love Thy Culturally Homogenous Neighbor

2010-11-11T14:29:00.000-06:00

From Not Always Right.

(Grocery Store | Orlando, FL, USA)
Me: “I hope you’ve found everything to your liking!”
Customer: “Oh, thank you, I have! It’s so nice to meet a polite Christian girl nowadays! You know, it’s always best to love thy neighbor.”
Me: “Oh, actually, I’m not Christian. But yes, I agree.”
Customer: “Oh. Well, as long as you love Jesus our savior!”
Me: “Actually, I’m Muslim and Jewish.”
Customer: “What?”
Me: “Well, my mother is Jewish and my father is Muslim.”
Customer: “Oh. When I said ‘love thy neighbor,’ I didn’t mean you!”

Sadly, There Is No Cure For Rudeness

2010-11-02T12:32:00.000-05:00

I have Ichthyosis, so I totally understand where this guy is coming from....

CONVENIENCE STORE | NORTH BATTLEFORD, SK, CANADA

(I have psoriasis, a hereditary condition which leaves me with large red patches on my scalp. This occurs while I am waiting in line at a convenience store with a woman standing behind me.)
Customer: “What’s wrong with you?”
Me: “I beg your pardon?”
Customer: “Those ugly blotches all over your head. What do you have?”
Me: “Oh, it’s a highly contagious flesh eating disease. Very painful.”
Customer: “Oh my gosh! Really? How contagious is it?”
Me: “Well, you probably already have it.”
Customer: *rushes out of the store in a panic*

First Things First

2010-10-29T18:52:00.001-05:00

Police arrest man after beer found in child safety seat » Corpus Christi Caller-Times

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Getting Old(er)

2010-08-30T14:30:00.000-05:00

The Three Joes. My dad, brother and grandfather.

I was looking at some of my family pictures from when I was a kid today. It is kind of fun, looking at my siblings and myself and then comparing them to photos of my grandchildren.

I then had the very frightening thought that in those pictures, me and my siblings are the age of my grandchildren, my parents are in my children's age range, and that I am closer to my grandparent's age.

For example, in this picture, my dad would have been in his early 30s and my grandfather (his dad) would have been in his late 60s. It is worse when I think about my maternal grandparents, they would have been several years younger than I am now.

My son leads when communion time comes

2010-08-28T08:47:00.000-05:00

There is a terrific piece in the Austin American Statesman today written by a man who has two children with autism. Here is an excerpt.

No, this is not an old picture of me and John.

Jeffrey has a diagnosis of Pervasive Developmental Disorder, Not Otherwise Specified, which we call "autism" for convenience. So here's my dilemma: Jeffrey doesn't have any understanding of Communion. Zero. He's not even baptized, and in fact, he had recently summarized his theology for me as, "At the end of the Bible, Jesus finally gets to come down from the cross."

So, I defer. But the next week he springs up again, as if "The gifts of God for the people of God" were spoken to him personally. He doesn't know about the historical controversy over Transubstantiation, he doesn't know that the Early Church believed that if you took Communion in the wrong way or with the wrong attitude, in the words of a local pastor, "God could freaking kill you."

Most of all, he doesn't understand my conflict with Communion. It is so laden with expectations, with the trappings of human authority, with a presentation that emphasizes transaction, with quid pro quo. Do this and get that. It can and often does feel forced.

Most weeks, my son John goes to church with me, and he is very welcomed there.

When he first started attending, I had a conversation with my pastor, and I said that I didn't know if John understood much about God. She replied, 'Who does?' And she of course is right. What works for me and John today is to let him participate as much as he wants and is able. Most weeks that turns out fine.

Victoria

2010-08-07T20:19:00.001-05:00

playing with my new phone

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.9

Victoria's Birthday Cake

2010-08-07T18:25:00.000-05:00

Victoria totally loves avocados, so her birthday cake was made with avocado frosting. Victoria loved it!

Victoria is such a wonderful baby. I am so thankful for the time we have together.

playing with my phone

2010-08-03T19:34:00.001-05:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.4.9

This one made me cry

2010-07-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

Will recovering from his burns and Anna on oxygen for a respiratory problem.

Knowledge is power, if you know it about the right person.

2010-07-22T11:13:00.000-05:00

Ethel Watts Mumford (1876 or 78? - 1940) was a U.S. author, a New Yorker.

I have noticed that the people who are late are often so much jollier than the people who have to wait for them.

2010-07-21T15:44:00.000-05:00

Edward Verrall Lucas (11 June/12 June 1868 – 26 June 1938) was a versatile and popular English writer. His nearly 100 books demonstrate great facility with style, and are generally acknowledged^{[by whom?]} as humorous by contemporary readers and critics.

Fun with Victoria

2010-07-17T14:10:00.000-05:00

While Barbara was off to Utah and Idaho to help with Will, along with Will's parents and siblings, I got to spend a lot of time with my beautiful granddaughter, Victoria.

Victoria and Will - June 2010.

My son Russell, his wife Sarah Jane, and Victoria are living with us right now. Russell graduated from UT law school last spring, and has been very busy since getting ready for the bar exam which will be held at the end of July. When Sarah Jane is at work, Barbara has been taking care of Victoria. Victoria will start day care next month after she turns one.

Russell needs to keep his full attention on his bar exam review, so I happily volunteered to watch Victoria during the day. I will have to say that it has been a long time since I spent so much time with an 11 month old. I now have an even greater appreciation for those who regularly take care of small children. Victoria is literally into everything that she can think of, so it has been a lot of fun keeping up with her.

This is how my last week went:

Get myself and John up and ready for the day before Sarah Jane handed over Victoria.
Drive John and Victoria to John's adult care. I discovered that the snaps in children's car seats were not designed for older fingers.
Run short errands before returning home.
Feed Victoria. Change Victoria. Repeat as needed.
Put Victoria down for a nap. Pick up Victoria because she doesn't want to nap.
Feed Victoria.
Put Victoria back down for a nap. I discovered if I lay down on the bed next to her crib, she eventually decides that if Grandpa is tired, she must be too.
Log into work and try to get some work done while Victoria naps.
Pick up Victoria when she wakes up for nap and feed her again. I found if I put the high chair next to my laptop on the kitchen table, I can answer emails while Victoria and I are eating.
Take Victoria to pick up John from his adult care.
Kill some time by going to Target and buying baby things.
Bring John and Victoria to the office. Get John signed on and then take Victoria around for visits. Victoria is very popular among my co-workers, some of whom do very odd things trying to get her to smile.
Change Victoria. One of the days she had a super poopie diaper that required a trip to the men's room. Luckily, one of my co-workers took her off my hands so I could wash those hands and dispose of the diaper. The same co-worker said he doubted if his grandfather ever changed any of his grandchildren's diapers. We discussed how things have changed, and for the better.
Follow Victoria as she crawled down the hall way. The elderly mother of a co-worker in the next office from mine passed away, so my co-worker has been out. She decided to come back into the office yesterday afternoon just so she could do something besides deal with her mother's death. In her absence, Victoria has been crawling up to her door and was irritated that she couldn't crawl in. She was happy that the door was open yesterday and my co-worker was very happy to have Victoria visit. I think it brightened up both their days.
Sarah Jane comes by on her way home from work and picks up Victoria. I then spent a few more hours at work with John trying to keep caught up.

This has been probably one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for me, spending so much great time with Victoria. I know she won't remember when she gets older, but I don't think I will ever forget it.

Wonderful News About Will

2010-07-12T20:09:00.000-05:00

Will's checkup went much better than anticipated. Short version, Will only needs skin grafts on some of his fingers on one hand. This is totally amazing considering what was anticipated only a few weeks ago.

Click on James' blog for all the details. He was trying to tell me some of the medical details on the phone until I had to remind him who he was speaking with. There is a reason I work with computers.

Thanks for everyones kind thoughts and prayers.

Power to the iPod People

2010-07-11T16:24:00.000-05:00

My favorite podcast is Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me from NPR.

I was listening to the July 10th 'best of edition' in my car, and when I heard the 'Power to the iPod People' segment, I laughed so hard I had to pull off the side of the road.

At church this morning I heard the message that I needed to lighten up. This helped a lot.

More on my Grandson Will

2010-07-10T15:21:00.000-05:00

The old adage of a picture being worth a thousand words is certainly still true. In this day and age, it is so much easier to get those pictures out there also. My imagination was certainly running wild, so even though I am the last person who wants to see these kind of pictures, I was glad to see for myself the extent of the burn damage. Ever since I got word of his accident, I had been imagining much worse.

I have to hand it to him, he is certainly a lot more chipper than I would be. I suppose being 3 rather than 59 has a lot to do with it.

Barbara left yesterday (Friday) for Salt Lake City. As I understand it, James and Emily will drive down from Idaho on Monday to take Will back to the burn center at the University of Utah. The doctors will determine whether or not Will needs skin grafts on his fingers and back. If so, Barbara will stay with Emily and Will while he recovers at the hospital. If not, she will go back to Idaho Falls with them.

My small part in this is to stay home and keep tabs on John. I am also watching my granddaughter Victoria during the weekdays so her mom Sarah Jane can go to work and her day Russell can study for the Texas bar exam at the end of this month.

Continued good thoughts and prayers on Will's behalf are much appreciated.

We all have strength enough to endure the misfortunes of others.

2010-07-09T17:28:00.000-05:00

François VI, Duc de La Rochefoucauld, Prince de Marcillac (15 September 1613 – 17 March 1680) was a noted French author of maxims and memoirs. The view of human conduct his writings describe has been summed up by the words "everything is reducible to the motive of self-interest," though the term "gently cynical" has also been applied.^[1] Born in Paris in the Rue des Petits Champs, at a time when the royal court was oscillating between aiding the nobility and threatening it, he was considered an exemplar of the accomplished 17th-Century nobleman. Until 1650, he bore the title of Prince de Marcillac.

If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.

2010-07-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) was an American actress, talk-show host, and bon vivant.^[1]

Even the Best Fall Down Sometimes

2010-07-04T11:48:00.002-05:00

My lovely daughter-in-law Emily posted this earlier today.

I don't have what it takes to visit people in a burn unit and sing to them (composure or vocal talent), but I am glad that are folks who do.

I wasn't familiar with the song, but I liked it.

Everyone rises to their level of incompetence.

2010-07-01T08:41:00.000-05:00

Dr. Laurence Johnston Peter (September 16, 1919 - January 12, 1990) was an educator and "hierarchiologist," best known to the general public for the formulation of the Peter Principle.

Delusions of grandeur make me feel a lot better about myself.

2010-07-01T08:39:00.000-05:00

Jane Wagner (born February 26, 1935) is an American writer, director and producer. Wagner is best known as Lily Tomlin's comedy writer, collaborator and life partner.^[1]

People ask for criticism, but they only want praise.

2010-06-29T18:31:00.000-05:00

William Somerset Maugham (pronounced /ˈmɔːm/, mawm), CH (25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English playwright, novelist and short story writer. He was among the most popular writers of his era, and reputedly, the highest paid author during the 1930s.

Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Give a fish a man, and he'll eat for weeks!

2010-06-29T09:30:00.000-05:00

Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata, Animal Crossing: Wild World, 2005

Animal Crossing: Wild World, named Oideyo Dōbutsu no Mori (おいでよどうぶつの森^?, lit. "Come to Animal Forest") in Japan, is a video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and the follow-up to Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube. It was released in Japan on November 23, 2005, North America on December 5, 2005, Australia on December 8, 2005 and Europe on March 31, 2006. A follow-up to Wild World, Animal Crossing: City Folk, was released for the Wii on November 16, 2008.

Adventure is just bad planning.

2010-06-27T11:04:00.000-05:00

Roald Engelbregt Gravning Amundsen (Norwegian pronunciation: [ˈɾuːɑl ˈɑmʉnsən]; 16 July 1872 – c. 18 June 1928) was a Norwegian explorer of polar regions. He led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole between 1910 and 1912. He was also the first person to reach both the North and South Poles.^[1]^[2] He is known as the first to traverse the Northwest Passage. He disappeared in June 1928 while taking part in a rescue mission. Amundsen with Douglas Mawson, Robert Falcon Scott, and Ernest Shackleton, was a key expedition leader during the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration.

Illegal aliens have always been a problem in the United States. Ask any Indian.

2010-06-25T15:32:00.002-05:00

Robert Orben (born March 4, 1927) is an American magician and professional comedy writer. He is also an author of books for magicians. He wrote a book called "Speaker's Handbook of Humor".

The very purpose of existence is to reconcile the glowing opinion we have of ourselves with the appalling things that other people think about us.

2010-06-23T08:42:00.000-05:00

Quentin Crisp (born Denis Charles Pratt, 25 December 1908 – 21 November 1999), was an English writer and raconteur. He became an icon of homosexuality in the 1970s after publication of his memoir, The Naked Civil Servant, brought to the attention of the general public his defiant exhibitionism and refusal to keep his sexuality private.

Sanity is a madness put to good use.

2010-06-23T08:40:00.000-05:00

George Santayana (December 16, 1863, Madrid, Spain – September 26, 1952, Rome, Italy), was a Spanish-American philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist. A lifelong Spanish citizen, Santayana was raised and educated in the United States, wrote in English and is generally considered an American man of letters. Of his nearly 89 years, he spent 39 in the U.S. Santayana is perhaps best known as an aphorist, most famously for his oft-misquoted remark "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."^[1] Similarly, a line of Santayana's, "Only the dead have seen the end of war,"^[2] is often falsely attributed to Plato

Even More Waterton!

2010-06-17T11:17:00.000-05:00

Both Emily and Rachel have posted to their respective blogs more pictures!

Here is a totally unflattering one of me (it makes me look as old as I really am), but it is a great one of Victoria and Will.

Rachel's photos are here and Emily's are here. It was so good seeing everyone in one place.

You don't stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing.

2010-06-16T09:36:00.000-05:00

Mike Dirnt (born Michael Ryan Pritchard (sometimes known as Mr. Kidner) on May 4, 1972) is an American musician who is currently the bassist and backing vocalist for the American rock band Green Day. While at school, he would play "air-bass." While pretending to pluck the strings, he made the noise, "dirnt, dirnt, dirnt," so his schoolmates started to call him "Mike Dirnt."

Underneath this flabby exterior is an enormous lack of character.

2010-06-15T08:59:00.000-05:00

Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906 – August 14, 1972) was an American pianist, composer, author, comedian, and actor. He was more famous for his mordant character and witticisms, on the radio and in movies and television, than for his music.

If only all closed minds came with closed mouths.

2010-06-14T17:14:00.000-05:00

As seen on a button at evolvefish.com.

More Red Shirts

2010-06-14T16:58:00.000-05:00

Emily just sent this photo, what a great shot! She and James are getting very good at this.

Thanks again to Rachel for providing the red shirts. On the back are numbers that would correspond to a genealogical family group sheet starting with Barbara and me. Very clever!

Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget us.

2010-06-13T08:19:00.000-05:00

Georg Henrik Tikannen (9 September 1924 – 19 May 1984) was a Finnish author, known primarily for anti-war literature. Several of his works are either autobiographical or semi-autobiographical. Though Finnish, he published primarily in the Swedish language. He was born and lived much of his life in Helsinki, and died of leukemia in Espoo. He was married to the Finnish writer Märta Tikkanen.

Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago.

2010-06-12T10:45:00.000-05:00

Bernard Berenson (June 26, 1865 – October 6, 1959) was an American art historian specializing in the Renaissance. He was a major figure in pioneering art attribution and therefore establishing the market for paintings by the "Old Masters".

Huffington Post: PHOTOS: 48 States, 48 Ridiculous Signs

2010-06-12T10:23:00.000-05:00

		PHOTOS: 48 States, 48 Ridiculous Signs

Sent from my iPad

Let us make a special effort to stop communicating with each other, so we can have some conversation.

2010-06-11T16:46:00.000-05:00

Judith Martin (née Perlman, born September 13, 1938^[1]), better known by the pen name Miss Manners, is an American journalist, author, and etiquette authority. Martin's uncle was the distinguished economist and labor historian Selig Perlman.

Waterton Trip: Saying Goodbye

2010-06-11T15:39:00.001-05:00

We stayed at Water Lake Park for a week. In some ways it seemed like a long time, especially when John got tired of not having constant internet access or a local IHOP. In other ways, it seemed short.

I would again like to publicly thank Barbara's Aunt Barbara for letting us use her cabin for that week. It is a trip that had been long hoped for.

It was wonderful to see Rachel, James, Emily, Harris, Jack, Will again and to meet Anna for the first time. It was a lot of fun to fly up there with Barbara, John, Russell, Sarah Jane and Victoria. I thank all of them for arranging their schedules so we could all spend time together.

James and his family had to leave a few days before the rest of us. They drove to Nampa Idaho to attend a graduation. It was sad to see them leave.

I don't think Will every saw a camera he didn't like, probably because he is so darn cute and photogenic. He is all ready to leave.

Harris and Jack are all buckled in for their long ride to Nampa.

Slate.com: Scientists Uncover Genetic Basis for Autism

2010-06-10T12:39:00.000-05:00

I do hope that they figure this out before I die. Every time I read something like this, I feel a little less guilty and a little more hopeful.

Researchers at the Autism Genome Project have released the biggest study to date on the genetics of autism, comparing the genes of 996 people on the autism spectrum with those of 1,287 people without the disorder. They found that people with certain genetic variations (CNVs) were 20 percent more likely to be autistic than people without them, but also that "most people with autism are probably genetically quite unique, each having their own genetic form of autism." The study was published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. Scientists believe that as many as 300 genes may be implicated in connection to autism and that the targeted genes are linked to cell formation and nervous system development. "These are not random hits in the genome," a geneticist at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory told Science Now. Still, "only 1 percent of the genetic defects were shared among the study participants," AOL News says, and very few were inherited from parents. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in 110 children is on the autism spectrum, and the "the prevalence of autism among eight-year-olds has increased 57 percent from 2002 to 2006." The Guardian writes that uncovering the genetic basis of autism could "help further allay parents' fears of a sinister environmental cause" and assist in developing treatments for other diseases linked to CNVs, including learning disabilities, mental disorders, and epilepsy. In the meantime, scientists have enlisted 1,500 new participants to finish sequencing the whole genome.

Read original story in Discover | Thursday, June 10, 2010

Waterton Trip: Red Shirts

2010-06-10T10:54:00.000-05:00

Continuing a family tradition, Rachel brought everyone in the family matching shirts. James took the group shots, so I am just posting a few random 'Red Shirt' pics that I took.

Thanks again Rachel!

Waterton Trip: Tuesday Morning

2010-06-09T16:25:00.000-05:00

Barbara, Rachel and Russell got up early and went to Cardston to attend a session at the LDS temple. The rest of us stayed at the lake. It was still overcast and chilly, but all the snow had melted away, so it was time to take some more pictures.

After I took John for his morning trip to Pearls for internet and hot chocolate, we went out for a walk at the lake.

It was still overcast but not as bad as it was on Sunday.

While we were out, we bumped into Sarah Jane and Victoria.

James and Emily were outside also enjoying the morning. Here is a shot of Jack, Harris and Will.

James and Emily have become serious about their photography. I can't wait to see the results from the trip. Here is James going after a shot of the boys.

Cameron Lake

2010-06-09T11:35:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday we took a drive to Cameron Lake. This is what it looks like on a nice day.

This is what we saw. The lake was frozen over solid. The grandsons wanted to test out the frozen part, but we wouldn't let them.

I was interested to know that I could see British Columbia and the United States from here. I got the following from Google Maps.

Here are some more photos that I took. A winter wonderland.

Here are John and Barbara. John didn't look any too interested in staying out in the cold.

Waterton Trip: Monday

2010-06-08T19:57:00.000-05:00

It was still overcast on Monday, but thank goodness the snow was starting to melt. I live in Texas for many reasons, one of them being that I don't like snow.

We decided that it would be a perfect day to drive over to Raymond. Barbara was born there and spent part of her childhood there, plus she has a bunch of family members who still live there.

On the way, we stopped in Cardston which is home to the LDS Alberta temple. Here are some quick shots of my family in front of the temple.

We then drove on to Raymond and ate lunch at the one and only burger place in town called Burger Baron & Pizza. It was small, but packed. I had a Raymond burger. Not bad.

We then went on to see one of Barbara's aunts and other family members. John lasted a few minutes, so he and I went for a very brisk, long walk so everyone else could visit.

On the way out of Raymond we stopped at the cemetery where Barbara's parents are buried.

Waterton Lake

2010-06-08T10:05:00.001-05:00

Lake

Waterton - Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow

2010-06-08T10:04:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning, I went for a walk with my grandson Harris to check out Waterton and all the snow.

Here we are in front of the cabin. Harris lives in Idaho Falls, so for him, snow is no big deal.

Waterton Lakes National Park

2010-06-08T09:25:00.004-05:00

We got back from our vacation to Waterton Lakes National Park late Sunday evening. It was cool in many ways. I wasn't expecting to see snow the last weekend in May.

Check out the Wikipedia link to learn more about Waterton.

We flew to SLC with John, Russell, Sarah Jane and Victoria, and then met up with Rachel who flew in from Washington D.C. We then flew up to Great Falls Montana and then drove up to Waterton.

I was very surprised to see snow blowing sideways as we approached the park.

James, Emily and their children drove in a few hours later. It was a wonderful reunion. I got to meet my new granddaughter Anna for the first time ever. It was also great to see James. He looked pretty much like he did a year ago which is amazing considering that only a few months ago he was going through chemo.

Back Home

2010-06-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

Things are back to normal, John is enjoying a good Internet connection again. His favorite part of the trip was his twice daily trips to the coffee shop so he could surf the web. YouTube about brought the connection to it's knees.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dear Margo: Autism Awkwardness

2010-06-04T18:46:00.001-05:00

Sent to you via Google Reader

Dear Margo: Autism Awkwardness

How does a mother handle strangers who complain when her son has an outburst? Margo Howard's advice …

Margo Howard | Today 12:00 am

Autism Awkwardness

Dear Margo: My husband and I have a 9-year-old son with severe autism. I cope well enough most of the time, but I would really appreciate your advice about how to handle shopping.

My son may look like a typically developing 9-year-old, but if a loud noise startles him, or if he likes something and wants it, or maybe even for no apparent reason, he will make loud noises or say a few words repetitively, getting louder and louder. He can even have a full-blown meltdown (which is like a temper tantrum on steroids). When that happens, I try to finish my shopping as quickly as humanly possible, grabbing only the bare essentials (milk, bread, etc.) and leaving, apologizing and explaining if ...

Sent from my iPad

Malcolm Forbes

2010-06-03T10:21:00.002-05:00

Sent to you via Google Reader

Malcolm Forbes

"There is never enough time, unless you're serving it."

Sent from my iPad

Mitch Hedberg

2010-06-03T10:21:00.000-05:00

Sent to you via Google Reader

Mitch Hedberg

"I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later."

Sent from my iPad

The Forbidden Fruit

2010-05-31T10:32:00.000-05:00

Sent to you via Google Reader

The Forbidden Fruit

Client: Hey, just one final question before I send the deposit. Do you use a PC or a MAC?

Me: I use a MAC.

Client: That is a problem. Do you have access to a PC? I am not a supporter of Apple products.

Me: No, I don't have access to a PC, but this will have little to no effect on the work itself.

Client: I am a Christian and Apple products are sinful, I do not want our website to be created by a product made by this corrupt group. You need only look at their logo, an apple with a bite taken from it. Do you not know the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden? If I allowed you to create my website on a MAC I would be just like Adam, taking a bite of the forbidden fruit.

[Silence]

"Take my advise, destroy your mac and repent for when judgement day comes. It shall be you who is cast to hell for your sins."

Me: [Block Contact]

Sent from my iPad

If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts he shall end in certainties.

2010-05-25T09:42:00.000-05:00

Francis Bacon, 1st and Only Viscount of St. Alban, KC (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, scientist, lawyer, jurist and author. He served both as Attorney General and Lord Chancellor of England. Although his political career ended in disgrace, he remained extremely influential through his works, especially as philosophical advocate and practitioner of the scientific revolution. His dedication brought him into a rare historical group of scientists who were killed by their own experiments.
His works established and popularized deductive methodologies for scientific inquiry, often called the Baconian method or simply, the scientific method. His demand for a planned procedure of investigating all things natural marked a new turn in the rhetorical and theoretical framework for science, much of which still surrounds conceptions of proper methodology today.
Bacon was knighted in 1603, created Baron Verulam in 1618, and Viscount St Alban in 1621; as he died without heirs both peerages became extinct upon his death.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain - and most fools do.

2010-05-25T09:40:00.000-05:00

Dale Breckenridge Carnegie (originally Carnagey until 1922 and possibly somewhat later) (November 24, 1888 – November 1, 1955) was an American writer and lecturer and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking and interpersonal skills. Born in poverty on a farm in Missouri, he was the author of How to Win Friends and Influence People, first published in 1936, a massive bestseller that remains popular today. He also wrote a biography of Abraham Lincoln, titled Lincoln the Unknown, and several other books.

One of the core ideas in his books is that it is possible to change other people's behavior by changing one's reaction to them.

Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge.

2010-05-25T09:37:00.000-05:00

Scott Raymond Adams (born June 8, 1957) is the American creator of the Dilbert comic strip and the author of several nonfiction works of satire, commentary, business, and general speculation.

We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful what we pretend to be.

2010-05-23T11:12:00.000-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (pronounced /ˈvɒnɨɡət/; November 11, 1922 – April 11, 2007) was an American novelist who wrote works blending satire, black comedy, and science fiction, such as Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), Cat's Cradle (1963), and Breakfast of Champions (1973). He was known for his humanist beliefs as well as being honorary president of the American Humanist Association. He is widely considered one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century.^[2]

I respect faith, but doubt is what gets you an education.

2010-05-22T07:58:00.000-05:00

Wilson Mizner (May 19, 1876, Benicia, California - April 3, 1933, Los Angeles, California) was an American playwright, raconteur, and entrepreneur. His best-known plays are The Deep Purple, produced in 1910, and The Greyhound, produced in 1912. He was manager and co-owner of The Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles, California, and was affiliated with his brother, Addison Mizner, in a series of scams and picaresque misadventures that inspired Stephen Sondheim's Road Show.

The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons.

2010-05-20T09:05:00.000-05:00

Ralph Waldo EmersonUS essayist & poet (1803 - 1882)

From Wikipedia

Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803 – April 27, 1882) was an American essayist, philosopher, and poet, best remembered for leading the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. His teachings directly influenced the growing New Thought movement of the mid-1800s.^[1] ^[2] He was seen as a champion of individualism and a prescient critic of the countervailing pressures of society.Emerson gradually moved away from the religious and social beliefs of his contemporaries, formulating and expressing the philosophy of Transcendentalism in his 1836 essay, Nature. As a result of this ground-breaking work he gave a speech entitled The American Scholar in 1837, which Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. considered to be America's "Intellectual Declaration of Independence".^[3] Considered one of the great orators of the time, Emerson's enthusiasm and respect for his audience enraptured crowds. His support for abolitionism late in life created controversy, and at times he was subject to abuse from crowds while speaking on the topic. When asked to sum up his work, he said his central doctrine was "the infinitude of the private man."^[4]

I can't understand it. I can't even understand the people who can understand it.

2010-05-19T18:03:00.000-05:00

Queen Juliana, of the NetherlandsQueen of Netherlands 1948-1980 (1909 - 2004)

I knew nothing about Queen Juliana until I looked her up on Wikipedia.

Juliana (Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina; 30 April 1909 – 20 March 2004) was Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. She was the only child of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Henry. She was married to Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld, with whom she had four children: Princess Beatrix (born 1938), Princess Irene (born 1939), Princess Margriet (born 1943), Princess Christina (born 1947). During the Second World War she lived in exile with her children in Ottawa, Canada. She became Queen of the Netherlands with her mother's abdication in 1948 and was succeeded by Queen Beatrix after her own abdication in 1980. During her reign both Indonesia (Dutch East Indies) in 1949 and Suriname in 1975 became independent from the Netherlands. Her birthday is celebrated annually as Koninginnedag, Queen's Day.

If Someone Asks You If You’re With God, You Say Yes

2010-05-19T16:24:00.001-05:00

If Someone Asks You If You're With God, You Say Yes

(Church | Brighton, UK)

Patron: "I would like to make a complaint about God."

Me: "Pardon me?"

Patron: "I come in here all the time! I am told this is the house of God and I never see him!"

Me: "You do realize that you won't physically 'see' God in the Church? House of God means you can come here to communicate with him, or seek council from those who do."

Patron: "Is that you?"

Me: "I am qualified, yes."

Patron: "So you're in direct communication with God?"

Me: "I interpret the scriptures for guidance, and I pray. I don't have direct communication."

Patron: "So you're not with God?"

Me: "I study him and his will."

Patron: "You're not friends?"

Me: "No."

Patron: "Not even colleagues?"

Me: "No."

Patron: "Anyone around here higher up that might be?"

Me: "No more than anyone else I'm afraid."

Patron: "What about that Pope guy? He's always talking about what God said."

Me: "You could try."

Patron: "Is he around? Can you call him down?"

Sent from my iPod

The trouble with jogging is that the ice falls out of your glass.

2010-05-18T09:31:00.000-05:00

Martin MullUS comedian and actor (1943 - )

What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes!

2010-05-17T09:56:00.000-05:00

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg (1742 - 1799)

was a German scientist, satirist and Anglophile. As a scientist, he was the first to hold a professorship explicitly dedicated to experimental physics in Germany. Today, he is remembered for his posthumous notebooks, which he himself called Sudelbücher, a description modeled on the English bookkeeping term "waste books",^[1] and for his discovery of the strange treelike patterns now called Lichtenberg figures.

Honest criticism is hard to take, particularly from a relative, a friend, an acquaintance, or a stranger.

2010-05-17T09:54:00.000-05:00

Franklin P. Jones

Unfortunately, the identity of Franklin P. Jones is not clear. Some quotation sites on the Internet refer to him as an American businessman who lived from 1887-1929, while others refer to him as an American humorist who lived from 1853-1935. A bit of research has identified a Franklin Pierce Jones who was born on February 23, 1851 and who died in Virginia on November 29, 1935. There also seems to have been a Franklin Pierce Jones who lived between 1874 and 1953 and had a successful furniture store in Clinton, Oklahoma, after working as a farmer in Missouri.

1. Never tell everything at once.

2010-05-16T11:28:00.002-05:00

: Ken Venturi, Ken Venturi's Two Great Rules of Life

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

2010-05-16T11:26:00.000-05:00

Albert Einstein, (attributed)US (German-born) physicist (1879 - 1955)

But then again, what did HE know?

You know you're getting old when you stoop to tie your shoelaces and wonder what else you could do while you're down there.

2010-05-15T11:41:00.000-05:00

Boy, isn't that the truth.

George BurnsUS actor & comedian (1896 - 1996)

Not Always Right: Some Customers You Just Have To Let Slide

2010-05-14T10:23:00.000-05:00

(Cellphone Store | Wichita, KS, USA)
Me: “Good afternoon, this is [cellphone store]. How may I help you?”
Customer: “I came in to your store today and you sold me a defective phone!”
Me: “I’m sorry, sir. What is your full name and phone number so I can pull up your account?”
Customer: *gives information*
Me: “Okay, thanks. I see, you bought a [phone]. What seems to be the problem?
Customer: “The keyboard on this piece of s*** won’t come out!”
Me: “Have you tried sliding it the other way?”
*really long pause*
Customer: “Well thanks a lot b****!, now you made me feel like a f***ing idiot!” *click*

Saturday Night Special: The Skivvies

2010-05-14T10:13:00.000-05:00

I wonder why they ever thought this was a good idea.

Not that I have room to be critical... but the guy on the left probably should have worn boxers at least.

When I was a kid my parents moved a lot, but I always found them.

2010-05-14T09:34:00.000-05:00

Rodney DangerfieldUS actor & comedian (1921 - 2004)

The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet.

2010-05-13T09:39:00.000-05:00

William GibsonUS science fiction novelist in Canada (1948 - )

That is okay. I still have a large supply of past to tide me over.

It is not necessary to understand things in order to argue about them.

2010-05-12T09:36:00.000-05:00

Pierre BeaumarchaisFrench businessman & comic dramatist (1732 - 1799)

Wired: Only Old Fogies Hate the New Facebook, Research Suggests

2010-05-11T16:59:00.000-05:00

Guilty as charged.

The current backlash against Facebook for having turned its privacy promises inside out is likely being driven by adults over the age of 35, according to survey data from YouGov’s Brandindex.

As for 18- to 34-year-olds, Facebook continues to be the hottest thing on the net since YouTube, according to the company’s daily profile.

Working 10 Hours or More a Day Raises Heart Risk, Study Finds

2010-05-11T16:56:00.000-05:00

I guess this shouldn't come as too much of a surprise... I don't work long days as much as I used to, but still too often.

May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Working 10 hours or more a day may harm the heart, according to a study of more than 10,000 British civil servants.

People who added three or more hours to a seven-hour day had a 60 percent greater risk of heart attack, angina and death from cardiovascular disease than those with no overtime work, researchers from the U.K., Finland and France reported today in the European Heart Journal. The findings are from the Whitehall II study, which has tracked British civil servants since 1985.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

2010-05-11T13:36:00.000-05:00

Hunter S. ThompsonUS journalist (1939 - 2005)

In my business, weird is the norm.

We are none of us infallible--not even the youngest of us.

2010-05-10T13:43:00.000-05:00

W. H. Thompson

He hoped and prayed that there wasn't an afterlife. Then he realized there was a contradiction involved here and merely hoped that there wasn't an afterlife.

2010-05-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

Douglas AdamsEnglish humorist & science fiction novelist (1952 - 2001)

44 Ways to Ruin Your Financial Life By Age 30

2010-05-08T19:45:00.000-05:00

I am quite happy to say that I did avoid many of these pitfalls when I was younger.

I am quite sad to say that I did not avoid all of them.

Live and learn.

Admiration, n.: Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.

2010-05-08T09:11:00.000-05:00

Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's DictionaryUS author & satirist (1842 - 1914)

The glory of great men should always be measured by the means they have used to acquire it.

2010-05-07T09:55:00.002-05:00

Francois de La RochefoucauldFrench author & moralist (1613 - 1680)

UT study: No proof that eliminating gluten, casein from diets of autistic children is effective

2010-05-04T09:41:00.000-05:00

We tried putting John on a gluten and casein free diet for awhile. He did not like the diet and I didn't any improvement.

Here are some of what I thought were the more interesting quotes. Check out the entire article here.

But the study says there is no scientific evidence that the diets help, and in fact, they can lead to reduced bone thickness and cause other harm.
"As I reviewed the research, I developed the theory; the diet doesn't have anything to do with autism," Mulloy said in an interview.
The UT study concludes that such diets should only be used on children with autism who have "acute behavioral changes, seemingly associated with changes in diet, and/or (when) medical professionals confirm through testing the child has allergies or food intolerances to gluten and/or casein."

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.

2010-05-04T09:35:00.000-05:00

William BlakeEnglish engraver, illustrator, & poet (1757 - 1827)

More Cuteness

2010-05-03T10:16:00.001-05:00

Great pictures from Emily.

Sent to you by davidaustex via Google Reader:

More Cuteness

via Murdocks and Sons by Emily M on 5/2/10

I feel like Anna is already getting a little more chubbiness in her cheeks. These are from three or four days ago, so I need to take some more! She's been a lot more awake lately, and she's beginning to lose that fresh-from-the-womb appearance. Fun, but sad, too.

And a whole slideshow....

Things you can do from here:

Subscribe to Murdocks and Sons using Google Reader
Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Nobody realizes that some people expend tremendous energy merely to be normal.

2010-05-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

Albert CamusFrench existentialist author & philosopher (1913 - 1960)