Why people become Technicians?
Unless you have a rich Uncle, Aunt, or soft Grandparents, Mother or Father (divorced naturally trying to buy your affection), you had to buy your first computer yourself. Probably could only afford a cheep assed piece of shit (like most people without credit cards). You would be forced to learn how to tweak it and install stuff, rip and tear and rearrange through trial and error until you found what worked. You've begged guidance from everyone you could ask either in person, over the phone, online or even taking classes.
So the only reason, I believe, anyone becomes a computer technician is we get tired of all the crap we have to go through to make our puny computers work properly. But true, like in all things, there is always the exception. There are a few out there that actually like becoming a computer nerd and developing bad eyes and poor circulation, no muscles or muscle tone and only virtual friends. It is either that or they were in this condition before ever learning anything about a computer. This individual would have to be pushing 90 now or has lived in a box for the past fifty years.
A perfectly normal individual makes the transition slowly enough; because, it's like the old story about boiling a frog.
Over time, remaining inside, the unsuspecting future technition begins to turn a faded color from lack of sunlight. Then the metamorphism continues: ruining eyes from too many hours staring at a screen, loosing good circulation and muscle tone in the legs from not enough movement. Carpel tunnel starts in the wrists and hands; arms begin loosing tone and strength. During this time the body begins to puddle and take on a pear shape while thickening from all the munchies and drinks eaten instead of going to the table and eating like a normal person. By the time this poor individual realizes what is happening, it's too late. They have become hooked; line and sinker. Every waking minute becomes filled with input until when asked what is wanted for any gift occasion the inquirer is deluged with information while trying to interpret the nerd speak.
Especially around the Holiday Season they begin seeing visions of new computers dancing in their heads in sweet dreams of software and hardware all top of the line. Bright and shiny new out of the box with mega processors faster and faster; with storage galore and happy ever after's. Oh the array of new gadgets and gismo's, magazines and web sites devoted to their surfing habits. It makes a heart twitter in an ecstasy of expectation.
There are even jobs to be had in this fast developing ever changing field. It has to be fate that has lead them down this road.
Yep! I'm convinced, because it only took me four years to take the bate. Four years ago, like Snow White, I was given an apple. I learned to do lots of things with it and then decided to take a few classes. OMG, I need an IBM compatible! So I gave the entire thing to a unsuspecting computer virgin friend, like I used to be, and bought a brand new bastard make; which I promptly returned. I then got a rebuilt Dell OptiPlex GXa 233M; Intel Pentium II with Windows 98. And just two short years later, after installing more drive and upgrading to 98SE and many other changes, my system just doesn't hack it any more.
Oh Santa! Guide me to a place that will teach me how to build my own "Super Computer" and get me a job online so I can work from home.
Someday, when I grow up; I want to be a Computer Technician.
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Mission Accomplished
I called the woman at the Sweater Factory and asked if she had sold any of the hats.
She said, yes but didn't have time to talk. I gave her my phone number one more time; as usual
I was beginning to get just a tad bit miffed at the woman. This was suppose to be a means to help the homeless.
I make hats, and to date I've crochet 2,763 skull cap, beanie style, simple, basic, funky hats. Most of these I've donated to the Union Gospel Mission in Aberdeen, Washington.
My daughter jokingly says I'm out to hat the world; because, recently I made 41 hats for the local High School Football team. Last Christmas I made 38 hats for the Early Childhood Education busload of kids I was driving at the time. I made each hat with a critter on the top, or the hat itself was a critter or character. They looked so cute when they marched across the street to show them off. A duck, a swan, a monster and there was Sponge Bob, a snowman, a terradacdle. They looked like a mini Macy's Day Parade of floats on their heads. An Indian, a hat filled with bugs, a mouse and even a girl with long blond hair bangs and a pony tail. There was an A B C hat, a crocodile, a hickory-dickory-dock; the mouse ran up the clock hat. Needless to say they were a hit with everyone, and the kids didn't get as sick last year because they were wearing their hats.
I got the brainstorm idea to approach the lady at the factory about letting me put some of my hats in the store for sale, to raise money for the Union Gospel Mission; to help them out to get food for the homeless. I was targeting Thanksgiving.
I had already sent my 100 hats for the Christmas gifts for the Mission recipients for when they made up their boxes, so I had time to make more to put into the store.
I had received half of the money for all of the hats a few months ago and had driven the envelope up to them on a Saturday. The place was closed but there was a gentleman who let me in so I could drop the envelop into the drop slot.
So with Thanksgiving approaching I wanted to get whatever money there was from the remaining 12 hats that had sold. I called and each time got the same answer. "I can't talk right now; what's your phone number; I'll call you."
Well, it was the day before Thanksgiving and all wasn't well in the house. I was still not getting anywhere with the Mission's money from the hats. So I called again, and this time I reminded her it was Thanksgiving and these were homeless people and that is what this was all about in the first place; had she sold any more hats?
I also asked if she would like me to come and pick up the remaining hats and quit pestering her, that I could take them to someone else.
I guess she came to her senses, because she said she'd write me a check. Whoh! Wait a minute! I said, Don't write me a check; the money isn't for me, it's for the Mission. Make the check out for the Union Gospel Mission, I don't want to pay taxes on something I'm trying to do for charity for them. It would look like income for me. Just make it out to them, and I'll be in to pick it up around noon today.
Okay, so I'll be getting the check; but how the heck do I get it to the Mission? I'm low on gas.
I get the brainstorm and call them, asking for Linda. She wasn't there but I made arrangements for one of the people there to meet me half way to South Bend and pick up the check.
It was blustery and the rain was whipping thicker in spots and nearly sideways in others; the early Thanksgiving traffic was horrible.
We met at the area next to the Montesano cut-off, where people park and car pool to work.
I got half my by then cold fries eaten and a slurp or two of my coke when Gary in the white Dodge pulls in.
I recognized him from the newsletter I get every month. He's the pastor at the Mission; out running last minute errands between meetings on the day before the big turkey dinner they and other volunteers will be serving to the hundreds of homeless in our area.
I was tickled to hand him a check for $140.00. God Bless you and you too we said as we pulled back out to head our separate ways into the building storm.
On the way home, I know this sounds nuts, but I was saved from a potential head on collision.
Boy am I thankful for that final blessing.
So let me pass on that thank filled blessing to you. God Bless you as you bless others and give you too a reason to be thank filled.
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There's a war going on in my computer.
There's a war going on in my computer. Internet Explorer is fighting being replaced by Mozilla Firefox, which is a much better browser. If I didn't know they were only programs, I'd swear they were acting like humans.
Ever watch a politician that was about to be replaced? How about a CEO or for that matter a Supervisor over a worker. They all have one thing in common. They don't want to be replaced so the start fighting dirty.
That's exactly what IE is doing. IE acts like it has squatter's rights and no greenhorn is coming in and take over; attitude.
Firefox tries to open and gets to the page and IE works like a virus and blanks out the page then puts in it's own information. Microsoft has put in some sort of back door street fighter thug. So while I can get out onto the Internet I'm spreading the word. If you want to save your computer, get rid of Internet Explorer before it does the ultimate dirty trick and blows up your computer.
I've sent for the Firefox CD and will be ripping the old IE out as soon as it gets here. Until then; I too will play dirty and continue to use IE. Two can play dirty and I'm just the girl to show IE where it can go. I'm the boss here and I say, "IE your fired!" If you need a reason: I'm the boss, what I say goes... not what you want, when you get around to doing it; which by the way is forever loading. I swear I could get pregnant sometimes waiting on you to load a site, and your none to swift on the switching from one site to another. You don't play nice with the other programs and it's for damn sure you don't offer anything better than Firefox.
I've read many reviews and find I'm not the only one that is sick of your thug tactics. Your nothing but a bratty child of Microsoft and like all spoiled poor little rich kids, you don't know how to get along with others.
It is always me me me and no us or our, so since you forgot your place and tried to usurp my authority I'm giving you the old heave ho into the shit can where you belong. You best hope I don't chop you up into bits beforehand. A disk is a terrible thing to waist; you could still have some recyclable use, but if you give me any more trouble, I swear I'm going to break you into so many pieces you wouldn't even make a good fake mosaic.
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St. John's Wort or Mother's little Happy Pill
St. John's Wort sounds like a medieval disease one might find on a knuckle or palm, but it is a dietary supplement touted to enhance mood. St. John .........sounds religious. Could it be that a monk named John got bored one day and decided to smash the tops of the flowers of the Hypericum Perforatum plant and cook it down making an extract? Well that's were it comes from, but why in the name of God would anyone originate such a tedious task and what did they have in mind to use it for originally?
Many of our early medicines came from Friars and Monks as well as the ancient Chinese and Egyptians. Some were used as aphrodisiacs, others as herbal cures for what ales ya; from warts to the gripe (irritated bowel syndrome) and yellow eye (jaundice).
My own paternal grandmother was an herbologist and for many years was the nearest thing to a doctor there was in the backwoods of Ohio. She was born in the Allegany mountains and was taught by her family's own herbalist/midwife relative.
I can appreciate their dedication, because it takes up a lot of a person's time to go out and gather herbs, roots, moss, fungus, lizards, leeches, toads, snakes, berries, nuts and assorted weeds, cat tails, pods, seeds, flowers and you name it for all the concoctions. No wonder some were called witches and warlocks. To the novice it would be unseemly for someone to devote their lives to these endeavors. But as time has proven, these people were only doing their best to help people to be well and happy.
Researchers have studied many of these herbal medicines and found them to be extremely helpful in promoting the well being of the patient. As with St. John's Wort for example: used to supplement nutrition for helping alleviate aches and pains that have no physical origin such as menopausal symptoms; a mood enhancer (keeps one from being a shrew or in modern terms 'a bitch').
Hypericum Perforatum, is a perennial weed of European origin recognized as a major problem in pastures and grazing. Humm is that why they say contented cows? Could it be that now that they have been fighting the pesky weed so long that they have all but obliterated it in the fields, could that be why there is now a (pardon the pun) Mad Cow disease? "Oh! St. John, Where's your weed?"
All seriousness aside; I wouldn't be a normal person without it during our rainy season. I'm one of those poor souls that get melancholy when it rains for too long and the sun doesn't come out and shine gloriously for a break in the monotony. I get so low I cry. I cry over stupid stuff: Someone smiled at me. I lost my hairbrush. My bird won't talk to me. I don't know when I'm going to get to go shopping without an umbrella. I dropped my coat in the puddle and the damn dog walked on it. I called my kid and she didn't have time to talk to me. My pants shrunk in the dryer. My brand new pants got stains on them at the Laundromat; there's another $30.00 down the drain. I'm getting old.
Baaaaaaaaa Haaaaaaaaaaaaa snivel sniff.
No, that's the way I am without my happy pill. But when I start getting gloomy I have to be careful and only take one; because if I take 2 or even follow the directions on the package, I get down right stupid happy. Boy, talk about a cheep cartoon; that's me on 3 St. John's Wort 2 days in a row. Go ahead.... say hello.... I dare you... Ha! Ha! Ha!
Deep belly laughing till the tears flow, sides aching laughter. Yep, Mother's little happy pill probably kicked St. John's Wort in the dirt; so he had to have been making it to stay happy in a dreary monastery during medieval times. It was cold and dank and gloomy in England and the cows seemed happy eating those weeds so what the heck, what could it hurt to try it out himself. From then on he sold little bottles of the extract; carried a hip flask and laughed his sandals off on the way to vespers.
Ah, my man St. John, thanks everso for being one of those weirdo's tripping through the fields and woods; you've made my life so much happier. And.......... it only costs me about $7.00 a month at the local drug store.
St. John, Your the man!
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Thoughts on Thanksgiving
Busy days grocery shopping, hustle and bustle; preparing in advance for expected guests. Baking pies, bread and rolls to accompany the belt loosening, tummy groaning feast, topped off with cakes, torts, fruit salads, ice cream and nummy munchies only made once a year, and put on the buffet along with the overflow specialty dishes brought by the guests.
The table gets decked out with the best linens and china; not that cheep flatware used every day, but the good silver and cut crystal. The children's table is set with a vinyl imitation of the linen cloth, and grandma's good willow dishes that every child is fearful of breaking.
Coats, scarves, sweaters and outerwear are all piled on the bed in the master bedroom. Boots and such are lined up on the porch. Wet shoes in a line on the floor heaters to dry from the heavy snowfall left overnight.
Dad and the uncles went hunting early Thanksgiving morning in hopes of bagging some additional game to share with the family while they are visiting. Funny, they never seemed to bring anything back on Thanksgiving day, but no one ever minded. It was a tradition with the men in the family, just as the women sharing gossip and recipes while in the cooking and baking frenzy together; all very happy the men were out of the way.
I remember the year I was invited to the adult table. My father even invited me to go groundhog hunting with him on the weekend. Being the oldest and a girl; I was so proud I could have busted my buttons.
That was the year my aunt Mary, God Bless her, brought some of her home made bread for our feast. It became a doorstop we later Varnished and laughed about for many years to come.
Ohio winters can be brutal, but they all fade into the background when I picture a happy time with family gathered around a Thanksgiving table, where we never took one bite until the little artificial loaf of bread that held individual cards with scripture verses on them were read; one by each person around each table.
Then anyone that felt the nudging to give a prayer of thanksgiving offered their prayer(s).
Thanksgivings then were followed with children's complaining about doing dishes; who would wash and who would dry and who would put them away. Adults played games on that same table stripped down to the shiny mahogany top, and were later joined by the children when their chores were done.
We just never thought of television then; after all, there was enough to play a good game of canasta, monopoly or scrabble or poker or, or, or.
Oh for that simple time with loving family gathered around.
But you know what? I like my simple Thanksgivings now too; because, I can relive those times and laugh, as I pop my TV dinner into the microwave and eat my thanksgiving dinner watching It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story. No football in this apartment thank you.
My birds fly free and crap wherever they want. I laugh and belch and fart whenever I want, and I remember Thanksgivings past and am truly thankful I don't have all that work to do anymore. Thank God times change!
Amen
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United People of America; Our only Hope for a Positive Future.
United people of America sounds like something that might have been said in the past history of a young United States of America doesn't it? It probably was a rallying call then as it should be now, to call all people of America together, united in purpose to creating a better and brighter future for our country and each individual citizen. Sadly though I fear our political machine has gotten to powerful, and it will take something to jar the average voter and those apathetic Americans who don't even bother to vote.
The present two party system has maneuvered their positions to insure their places in the Senate and House and now one party system is taking over. This is not conducive to a healthy country, especially when the ones in charge only look out for the rich. If you don't believe me; look back into history at the countries of the world who were once great but fell into decay and ruin. Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt; and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It is true; to much power leads to a corrupt society with only one purpose; ensuring their own unchallenged power. The dictatorships in the world crush the spirit of people into submission. Submissive people are too afraid to rock the boat. Afraid their lives will be in jeopardy or the lives of their families, and this is exactly what the Marxists, Talabans, Maoists, Mussolini's, Castro's, Hitler's, Attila's, Napoleon's, Alexander's, Royals and even the Religious Right and ACLU's agenda's all share that common thread; fear. Just as McCarthy's inquests murdered and marked innocent people so too do these other radical factors scar the lives of American citizens with the new Patriot Act and Homeland Security.
How much freedom do we really have any more when our lives can be made so much nothing by a system that has turned away from the principals of freedom by masking truth, justice and right in self ordained definitions. Those who would be so bold as to speak for the living God; who choose to interpret God's meaning and purposes and stuff those interpretations down everyone's throats as the only way, have perverted God and made God into their own image.
When primary elections don't even allow all the parties to be represented, but force citizens to affiliate themselves with only the Democrats and the Republican parties and no others are considered worthy of being on the ballots; we have taken the rights of American citizens to vote their choices and bound and gagged liberty.
Is this what we stand for now? My rights are whatever someone with money who has bought and paid for their seat in the House or the Senate or even the White House says my rights are? When judges dictates can overturn what the people have voted as their wishes; where are our rights? And who places those judges in that position?
How can representatives in the House and Senate and the White House know anything at all about every day Americans when they are nearly all millionaire's and some billionaire's many times over? They have no concept whatsoever of the every day struggle facing the average citizen. Jobs; their jobs are secure and their pays are guaranteed for life, even after retirement. Health care; theirs is the best available, the most modern up-to-date drugs and technology, and instant access to the finest medical facilities and staff at all times. Homes; they can afford four and five and more homes anywhere they want in the world. Education; they go to nothing but the finest schools and universities without worry of how to pay for that education or how to survive while going. How can I trust these people to do their best for me and mine when they don't ever walk in my shoes? They come to my level when they want to convince me they are worth putting into office again for another 4 years; when they have more shallow promises that are cast at me like bones to a hungry dog.
These people have so much power they could have people disappear. Ever hear of the wittiness relocation program? How do you know these people are still alive? How do you know you can believe the newscasts? Evidence? They have the toys, money and power; we have the scraps left and lots of illusion. There was a movie made titled Wag the Dog that shows just how vulnerable our trusting society really is.
Lets take a good look at what this so called caring society does for it's trusting aged and infirmed.
If you don't have money to care for you when you get old, I'll guarantee you will be warehoused in some over crowded under staffed old folks home. You'll sign over every penny you may ever get or be entitled to again, and what will you get for this money? A bed, small dresser that holds all your worldly possessions, in a small shared room with a shared TV mounted on the wall. You'll be herded like cattle to and from showers and meals and be fed barely enough to keep a fly alive. Your dignity and respect will be checked at the door and you'll be left to lay in your own excrement until they get around to helping you. Then you'll have someone that hates their job because they don't get paid enough and the benefits suck; they can't give the kind of care they would like, IF, they are the kind that cares. It will get to the point that you will be parked in a hallway day in day out; nothing to do but sit and wait to die. Or, you can rot in bed; alone and ignored by your family.
Do the politicians care? Hell no! If they did, they would do something to change things. You can bet their last days won't be like this. Do you still think they can relate to our lives? Our futures?
So what's the answer?
Get rid of the electoral college. Make them work for us and for every vote.
Do away with the IRS. Make the government run on what it gets from sales tax and limit the sales tax to 5%; never, ever allowed to go over 5%. Why? Because the population grows every year. Just a base population would bring in more than enough for the government to do the job they are elected to do. The extra income would be coming from illegal aliens, foreign visitors, criminals such as drug dealers, and even the wealthy; because, no one would be exempt from paying sales tax on any purchases they made. There would be no loop holes for these people to avoid paying taxes like they do now.
Do away with all the perks and extras and outlandish paychecks for the representatives and elected officials.
Make them live on a paycheck like we do.... hourly wage and pay their own gas and supplies, plane fares and all those extras like papers and lunches. Vacations and holidays; coming to work when they feel like it not showing up to vote on issues. No show, no vote....equals ,.... no pay. Watch and see how fast they change their ways.
Do away with rider bills. Each issue gets it's own vote.
Do away with companies loop holes such as those that move to other countries to avoid taxes. If they have moved to another country to avoid paying taxes or get cheep labor make them pay those foreign workers the same benefits they would have had to paid the American worker or they won't be permitted to sell their product in this country. So they may as well stay here and pay our workers.
Create jobs by improving our roads, bridges, and schools
Have another land rush; in the desert there are lots of acres that could be given to the homeless to homestead. Like the land rush in Oklahoma of years past, land could be had by staking the claim and living on it; improving it and making a new life in the desert. Desperate people could be given a chance to make something of the land and themselves.
So the next time you get the opportunity to voice your opinion through any means; do it. Vote, speak out in the crowd and at home; you'll find there are many people all over our great Nation that agree and have wonderful ideas for a better future for all of our citizens; from our elected to the alleys huddled masses, yearning to be free. Our hope for a positive future is in our hands. If we truly believe in God; we must let him be God and do what Jesus told us to do..." Love our neighbors as ourselves"; because, we are only as strong as our weakest citizen.
Let our credo be...
We will show the ones we love that we love them by our actions; not our words.
Jan
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A Word of Encouragement to A Friend
I received and read a journal entry of a friend who's day sounded more like a living nightmare than a bad day at work. We've all had these days: "If it don't stop......I'm going to kill something"! or "Mess with me one more time and your dead meat!" or "Stop the world----I want off"! Unfortunately those days seem to go on and on like a dream sequence where we run from danger but somehow the person or thing we're running from gets closer. I don't know about you, but when I had those days, my own weaknesses made me even more angry. I tend to get embarrassed when I cry. When I'm extremely angry it comes out in nervous shaking. Nervous shaking always seems to me as if I'm afraid, and just the opposite is the case. I'm straining so hard on the leash of the animal inside me that my antagonist isn't even aware how close they are to real danger. I'm not alone here, for our society has gotten so volatile that at any time anyone could blow their top, and it amazes me that we don't have more really bad happenings than we do.
There's a joke "Shit runs down hill" (the meaning is self explanatory; it's called gravity ). But stop to think about it. The ordinary person working to survive (which is 95% of the American population) is in the basic slave category; because, the one controlling the money controls our lives. So we are all slaves. Slave to the job of providing for and caring for our own self preservation and preservation of our loved ones. (IE. we kiss a lot of asses for our paychecks). That is not an easy thing to do 365 days a year, and anyone that thinks it is is only fooling themselves.
In order to meet the demands of our days: we all need good peaceful rest (however many uninterrupted hours our body requires, not what someone thinks we should be able to get by on), plenty of liquids (preferably water), proper nutrition (whatever is being touted as safe to eat this week), personal feelings of self-worth and achievement (what do we think of ourself), and a sense of belonging through actions or deeds (love ). Then comes a degree of happiness which will motivate a person to carry on when all else goes haywire. When any one of these things gets thrown off kilter our natural survival instinct takes over. It's called flight or fight by those in the shrink world, and it is also a perfectly natural, valid and most necessary feeling for every human being.
So how do we cope in a world that's gone goofy on us and is doing a damn good imitation of a Twilight Zone episode?
The answer is: The very level best we can.
Remember this: We are all here on this planet experiencing the same things at different times on different levels, but we are all the same scared kids inside fighting the same old nemeses that's been bullying us all our lives. One day we have to face that bully and tell them the truth and if it comes to blows; let them throw the first one..... then wipe up the f'n floor with the S O B!
My father "God rest his soul" taught me well how to deal with these times. I tell you now to repeat this one phrase to yourself; use it often, and it won't do you wrong. "Don't be afraid of anyone, or intimidated by anyone; because, they all shit through hair the same as you do." LOL Now Pop was a little crude, but he got his point across. From that time on I was able to handle the rough days with laughter. I pictured them shitting through long curly hair and busted out laughing. Let me tell you something. When someone is giving me a ration of crap (talk about a pun) and I look right at them and start snickering; then bust out in a full belly laugh, they get a little unnerved. They get quiet and look at me strange, or they, are now the ones coming unglued. Which is quite alright; because, I'm happy.
What do I care anymore; I'm laughing my ass off at the mental picture of a fat juicy turd squeezing through a clump of long curly locks. Now that is a funny mental picture. LOL (Sometimes I even envision different colored hair, but that's a whole different posting.) LOL Yes, it's sick, but I'm the one laughing and laughter heals a hurting soul; it doesn't leave scars when I'm the one laughing.
So friend, try what my dear old Dad taught me the next time you get into one of those times, and add to it a saying of my Irish Mother's, "If someone has to be mad, I'd rather it was them."
God Bless you with laughter.
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Ignorance is Painful.....Sometimes!
I used to make a joke saying,"Too bad ignorance isn't painful." Well this statement backfired on me, because I learned it is painful, sometimes.
I recently got the brainstorm I should add my picture to my Blog. Sounds reasonable enough doesn't it, but the follow through to completion is becoming quite exasperating. Don't get me wrong; I do like the idea of Hello and Picasa and even Google. It's great they all fit together so nicely; however:
1. I don't know what the heck I'm doing. No it isn't an inherent problem, usually.
2. I can't find any help that explains it's detailed application. Maybe I need new glasses?
3. I've downloaded everything there is to download, some even twice. Didn't help.
4. I've waisted oodles of time trying to figure out this conundrum. I could have been waisting my time somewhere else.
5. There is still no picture miraculously appearing on my blog. Maybe next time?
6. I'm developing a complex. E-gads, my complexes are breeding.
7. AND.... I'm developing itchy red splotches on my mouse finger. Athletes finger-----hummm----maybe?
I don't know if this will help or not. Here's the address see what happens.
Picasa Web Exports\Jan Myers' Creating Expressions\index.html
Ha! Ha! Don't bother going there, you won't get through. I can but you can't.
See what I mean. I've been here now this time since 8:30 and still haven't gotten anywhere and it is now 11:35 A.M.
Guess I'll break for lunch and attack this puppy later. As all great people keep advising us; Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. See there it is painful, it's a royal pain in the ______ . You fill in the blank.
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