Talk, Talk

Identity theft is a world-wide problem.  Everyone is potentially exposed and vulnerable.  Credit security has come a long way, but identity criminals are keeping up.  It is so incredibly easy to obtain names, addresses, mother’s maiden names, social security numbers and credit card numbers.  Any of us could be a victim and not know it until life finally unravels.

Talk, Talk by T. C. Boyle is the tale of one such victim who only discovers she has been compromised when, after being stopped for a traffic violation, she is arrested.  To complicate things, she is deaf.  It is difficult for the police to explain the charges against her, and she spends the weekend in jail not even knowing why.  She finds out that there are warrants out for her in two states.  She also discovers that someone has stolen her identity and is masquerading as her.  At least that person has been paying the bills, til now.  Imagine her shock when she finds out that this individual is a MAN!

The discovery of who this person really is, and pretending to be, leads to a pursuit across the country.  The bad guy takes his new family and runs, all while impersonating yet another person.  It is most satisfying when this guy is finally found out by his new girlfriend and the police.

The frustration of the main character is palpable.  Her sense of impotence and aggravation practically jumped off the page and slapped me in the face.  Her  boyfriend is a rock, and he becomes quite involved in the pursuit and capture of this thief.  It ends rather well, as far as capture goes, but I did want a “happily ever after” type of ending over all.  (Oops, hope that didn’t blow it for you)

Talk, Talk was entertaining and somewhat enlightening.  We should all check our credit more often.  Or at least hope the thief pays the bills and improves the credit score.  However, identity theft should not be tolerated or condoned.  It should also be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.  I am sure that no one disagrees with that.

This story is, unfortunately, probably all too common.  I did enjoy this one, though.  I think you might, too.

Hunger is hard – part 2

Last week I began an experiment on hunger.  Initially, it was a reaction to an insensitive comment.  But common sense (sorta) prevailed.  I wanted to see if I could remember what hunger actually felt like.

From Friday to Wednesday, I only nibbled on food.  I did not eat anything resembling a meal.  No junk food.  Only a few drinks.

I suppose this part was the easy part??  The only real change I could notice was crankiness.  I admit it.  I did fly off the handle and over-react on Wednesday.  Check this out.  I came home from the store in the afternoon.  Apparently my man had gotten hungry and cooked some potatoes and eggs.  That was OK.  What was NOT OK was the fact that almost every plate, pot, pan, lid, piece of silverware and counter top were involved in the making of that breakfast!!!  How is that even possible???  I was a little miffed.  Had to stomp around, wave my arms, make a fuss – then bring in the groceries, clean the counters and wash the dishes.

I guess I was in some type of eating withdrawal.  I admit I might not have been at my most pleasant.

I’m over it now.  All extraneous man-making-meals privileges have been revoked.

Well, Thursday rolled around.  Thanksgiving.  I still was not hungry.  However, this was the day to eat, even overeat.  My mother lives out of state, so that duty was not existent (yeah!).  My mother-in-law was somewhere else, avoidance number two.  A holiday with a minimum number of people!  Bliss!

Nevada is the land of the Extreme Buffet.  My man and I opted for eating at one of the local casino buffets.  Let it be said – whenever you go to a buffet, bring your appetite.  That way you get your money’s worth.

I have not had any “real” meals or large amounts of food for five days or so.  I should have been fainting or something – at least feeling a little hungry.  Not so.  We got to the casino, and I had every intention of behaving myself and eating lite.  I did have a small appetite – not REAL hunger – not yet.

There is something about choice that I like.  It is my way to work a buffet by trying a little of everything.  I like to start with dessert.  After all, life is short and chocolate is cheep.  Then soup and salad.  Then entrees, then coffee and dessert.

Actually, I did try a little bit of just about everything – except shellfish, which does not agree with me.  It was more satisfying to try some of everything than to gorge on one or two or three things.  There was french toast, omelets, sausage, a bunch of different salads, three kinds of soup, turkey and works, roast beef, ham, lamb chops, pork roast, Mexican food, Korean BBQ, on and on.  Oh, and twenty types of cheesecake, ten kinds of pie, cookies, ice cream.  Wow!!! I am stuffed just writing it!

Today is Saturday.  I am back to being conscious of how I am feeling when I wonder into the kitchen, then open the refrigerator door looking for food.  I vow to try to maintain control – at least most of the time.

From this experiment I believe I have learned something.  I think we have all been trained to eat at certain times of the day, whether we feel hungry or not.  I know that some people have body chemistry’s and health issues that require sustenance more often.  But must a feeding schedule equal poor food choice?  Do we even need feeding schedules?  Shouldn’t we eat (good food) only when we are hungry?  I suppose that is the theory.

I like junk.  I like food.  I love cookies.  I am as normal as anyone else.  Whatever that means.

I still want to find out if I remember what hungry feels like.  This is part two.  I will keep trying.  I think I may be closer.  We shall see.

Chain Book

As seen on a fellow blog,  http://mycrzylife.wordpress.com/2008/11/25/the-nearest-book/, just for kicks, pass it on.  Good books will come to you.

• Grab the nearest book
• Turn to page 56
• Go to fifth sentence
• Post, with title and author, and these instructions.

“Joy rose up in him like a champagne reflux.”

Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins

That was fun.  Thanks, My Crazy Life.

What Does Hunger Feel Like??

I have been conducting a little experiment since Friday night.

On Friday, November 21, Number6 was being a jerk and told me I was fat.  I am not really fat, only ten or so pounds overweight.  Kinda like most of the people in America.  Considering I am in my mid-40’s and have had two children, my clothes still fit.  He was a jerk!

I got to thinking anyway.  Perhaps a small diet was in order.  After all, this is the season to overeat.  I don’t keep a scale in my house.  I judge my weight by how my clothes fit because they are all the same size.

I resolved that I would not eat a meal until I felt hungry.  I am not a psycho or an anorexic or bulimic.  I have had plenty of water, a few beers and a nibble here and there.  I have not sat down and eaten a meal though.

Today is Tuesday, November 25, 2008.  This is the fourth day of this experiment.  I have not felt hungry yet.

This is bizarre.  I would have thought I would feel hungry by now!!!

Early data from this experiment tends to show some things about the way that the average American eats.

• American people, men, women and children, have been conditioned to having three meals a day.  This has nothing to do with hunger.  It is a habit.  It is a habit that has been ingrained since early childhood.
• American people have also been conditioned to snack throughout the day.  Most of us have heard the adage that six small meals is better than three large ones.  This leads to the conclusion that in addition to three meals, Americans also have three snacks.
• The quality of the three main meals has now become “fast.”  This means “fast food.”  This means eat on the go.  This means eat quickly because we have too much to do.  Jam that food down your throat as quickly as possible.  Drive through and take-out express.
• The quality of snacks is pretty poor.  How often do you observe someone snacking on an apple?  If a person is snacking on raw veggies, are they dipping into ranch dressing?  Ever check the label on that dressing?  Most snacks are on the line of muffins, cookies, candy, chips, etc.  Three times a day.  Do the label math.  I bet some people take in more calories on snack than on real food.

This leads to an early conclusion regarding hunger.  Have we been so conditioned to eating on a schedule that we no longer recognize hunger?  Would this mean that we are addicted to the action of eating?  Could this be a reason, in all honesty now, why we eat so much, so often?  Could the instant gratification of putting food, any kind of food, into our mouths be a key reason behind our consumption of food?  Could this addiction to chewing and swallowing be the reason America overeats?

There have been dozens of real-type scientific studies on why American children and adults are “fat.”  Some even claim that people are addicted to sugar, carbohydrates, fats, meats, whatever.  This may be true.  I have a hard time putting down the chocolate box once I start.

I checked out Google.  I saw a bunch of sites claiming to help with “food addiction.”  What if food is not the problem?  What if it was all about having something in our mouths?  Smoking is out, so we can’t put a cigarette in our mouths.  Some babies have pacifiers until they are five!  (gross and disgusting)  No thumb sucking allowed!  Food, of course, is still acceptable.

With all that edible stuff entering our mouths on a regular basis, on schedule even, is it any wonder at all that we do not know what hunger feels like?  I know what compulsion feels like.  Miss a feeding and it feels like something is missing.

You know what I mean.

I am curious though.  How long will it take before I feel something like hunger?  I don’t mean third-world, starving-child syndrome.  I am by no means fainting or weak.  I am sure I have enough fat on my butt to sustain me for at least a couple more days.

What does hunger feel like?  I will let you know.

Twilight… Didn’t Work For me…

There has been an awful lot of hoopla over Twilight by Stephenie Meyer – both movie and book series.  I want to believe that the movie will entertain me.  I haven’t seen it yet, maybe this weekend.

The book, however, didn’t really work for me.  Am I missing something?  Did I give up too soon?  Should I try again?

Normally I have no problem with vampires or love stories.  For some reason I just could not get into this book.  OK, maybe it starts out slow.  By the second chapter, I could tell it wasn’t going to work.

So.  Help me out.  What am I missing?  Should I give it another try?

Three Wishes

Advertising.  What a great thing…at first.  Now?

After World War II, all those returning soldiers had to have jobs.  Some of those working women wanted and/or needed to continue working.  Factories not only wanted to continue manufacturing, they wanted to increase their bottom lines.  Radio was everywhere.  Television was on the horizon and closing fast.

What to do, what to do.

OK.  We know.  Advertise,  of course.  Time goes on and Madison Avenue expanded, no, boomed.  More businesses equals more stuff.  More people working equals more paychecks.  Keeping people working through expansion of business equals consumer credit to buy stuff.  More credit equals more debt because we buy stuff.  More debt equals more people having to work to buy stuff.  Long story short – The business of advertising is about money for stuff.  Your money, their stuff.

I can buy stuff all year round.  What is the huge push to buy, buy, buy?  It starts around October and lasts until the second week in January.  This is known as the fourth quarter.  It’s all about business.  It’s all about them.  It used to be about taxes, inventory and property taxes.  Tax assessments are made at the end of the fourth quarter.  Who wants to write a big check??? (raise your hands)

The push to buy was directed by Madison Avenue advertising companies for companies in the business of selling you something.  All those companies had to take inventory on February 1 of every year.  Whatever number they got after counting everything on the shelves, in storage and ready for sale was the basis for the yearly inventory (property) tax.  The emptier the shelves in January, the smaller the tax.

Wow, what holiday falls right before January?  Christmas!  Get your credit cards out!  In fact, advertising got inside the consumer’s head.  The objective was to make you feel bad, left out, inferior, etc if you did not spend, spend, spend.  Even Jesus got gifts in the manger.  Did he now?  Hard to say.

Oh, by the way…Jesus?  Religion?  Chanukah?  Kwanzaa?  Yule?  I don’t know about you, but I am able to feel The Spirit without wrapping paper.  I cook every day of the year.  I hang seasonal decorations and flowers all year.  However, I refuse to put up so much stuff that it takes more than one hour to take it down.  I give gifts throughout the year, without expectation or obligation and because I like to.  Don’t get me wrong – gifts and trees are great.  I like presents.  I like trees.  I just feel that it has all gotten out of hand.

Tax structures have changed dramatically over the years and many states no longer have inventory taxes.  Some states have dramatically changed property tax assessment statutes.  That big push-push to buy, buy, buy is more habit than necessity.  It’s OK when we have money.

The state of the national economy is sad.  The stock market has not seen this much upheaval in 50 years or longer.  Businesses are failing everyday.  Unemployment figures are high, way high.  Homelessness is on the rise.  Even billions of dollars in bailout is barely keeping some heads above water – and the tide is coming in.  Many are saying that this crisis is relative to the Great Depression of the 1930’s.  Yes?  No?  Maybe So?  Who knows?  I guess we all find out when the movie comes out.

I feel bad, but it is the nature of business, sometimes.  Some businesses must die so that others can be born.  Economists call it “correction of the market.”  Correction is just what this country needs.

Now is the time to truly take stock.  Of ourselves, our families, our values.  It is time to consider just what, exactly, is really important.  Personal question, I know.  But let’s face it.  Let’s get it out in the open and on the table.  Values, not stuff.  Family, not things.  People, not credit cards.  Spirit of the Season, not gross commercialization.  (sorry, couldn’t resist)

I wish I saw more advertisement for hope, for happiness, for family, for values.  I wish I saw more advertisement that extolled the positive aspects rather than making sport of the negative.  I wish I saw more advertising encouraging people, not making people feel inferior if they don’t buy a whatis 3000.

I smell a revolution.  From three wishes?  From three wishes.

What if they MEANT to do that?

What if the bailout doescn’t work out the way they planned?  Will hostile takeovers and corporate raiding become the norm?  What if the banks foreclose on the government? (yeah, right)

I just watched CBS Evening News and was fascinated by their story Lawmakers Blast Shifts in Bailout Plan.  Senators Issa, Kucinich and Cummings were questioning Neel Kashkari, Interim Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability in the United States Department of the Treasury.  He also heads the Office of Financial Stability.

What a title.  Does this guy get paid by the letter?

It seems that constituents and Congressmen are not exactly happy with the reports and actual performance of the Bailout Program.  The Department is being accused of the diversion of funds designated for the purchase of assets (mortgages) to providing banks with capital in order to shore up credit card, auto loans and other non-bank business.  This bait and switch tactic is breaking with congressional intent.  The people are highly dissatisfied and are accusing the Department of not caring about the people.  Kashkari also defended enormous corporate bonuses (while some companies may be seeking bankruptcy protection in the future or bailout funds) as being part of a previously guaranteed agreement from a separate fund.

Go figure.  At least the price of gas has come down.  But my utility bills went up.  And the price of food.  There are more people living (with stuff under bushes) full-time in the park.  Eight people went through my garbage can this morning looking for aluminum cans to recycle.  One thousand people lost their jobs today.  Hundreds defaulted on mortgages.

This got me thinking about the Federal Reserve.  Must be all the money that is counted with billions and trillions.  Lots of zeros.

Every once in a while a new argument comes out concerning the legality of the Federal Reserve.  The Federal Reserve has the power to determine legal tender, regulate banks and protect the credit rights of consumers, maintain the stability of the financial system and to provide financial services (lend money) to the US government.  The term “Federal Reserve” is used in a general way.  It is actually the Federal Reserve Board (14-year terms) supervising twelve Federal Reserve Banks.  It gets worse.  These banks are private corporations performing a part-time governmental service.  As private corporations, they can be sued, but as part-time government, they don’t have to pay taxes.

It has been stated that the Federal Reserve is an evil institution intent upon the rape and pillage of the American middle class, that it exists merely to profit at the expense of the people.  These banks hold most of the paper attached to credit debt of all types.  Credit is highly encouraged in this country, to the extent that many people are hopelessly in debt and in default.  The Federal Reserve has been accused of using that debt to control the economy and the American people.  The Federal Reserve lends money to the government, who never pays it back, but keeps accruing interest.  The United States Government owes money to practically everyone on the planet.

When this great money making machine was started in 1913 the national debt was just over one million dollars.  Today that debt is over TEN TRILLION DOLLARS!!!  Think of the interest on that.  My calculator won’t go that high.

However, at that rate, no wonder the Reserve wants to keep the money machine going.  Why should they care about the average guy?  They already have all of your cash, and they feel entitled to all the cash that you will have because they are nice enough to lend money to you.  They lend you money so you can buy stuff sold by corporations that are owned by the banks.  The Private Banks.  The Federal Reserve.

Think it is all getting out of control?  What else has been concealed from the general public?  What if it was all on purpose?  What if they meant to do that? The people of the WORLD are at their mercy now.  We were before, but now it is forever.  Oh, and who, exactly, owns the Private Banks controlled by the Federal Reserve?

OK, so, if the Federal Reserve regulates banks and credit, aren’t they in charge of lending practices in general?  It seems the buck stops there.  Was the Reserve Board negligent in not enforcing standards in mortgage lending that allowed so many more-than-risky loans?  Why is their financial irresponsibility being rewarded?  Bad debts are written off on corporate taxes as a loss, including money that was supposed to be made but wasn’t.  Since the banks are private corporations and able to be sued, will all those people get together in a class act law suit?  Is anyone going to prison?  As tax-payer funds are used to buy stocks in publicly held corporations, will each American tax payer receive dividends?  Can I keep my shares until the market recovers?  By the way, when will I see my copy of the papers?

This whole situation is such a disaster.  If I had a ka-jillion dollars, I could buy the United States.  If there was anything left to buy.

I couldn’t do any worse.

I love America

As we spend the two weeks between hoopla’s (Halloween, election, Thanksgiving) I want to take this opportunity to take a deep breath.  Take two even – they’re small.  I want to think about America.

There are so many things to love about this country. There is an amazing diversity across the land, everything from flat land to tall mountains, oceans, lakes, rivers.  The people that make up the population come from everywhere.  I don’t think that there is a corner of the earth that is not represented.

The one thing I love most about the United States is our freedom to choose.  We have the freedom to choose what religion we practice, where we live, how we travel, what we work at, what we read, what we write, who we vote for, etc.  Our freedom to think independently and make our own decisions should be cherished.

There are also consequences associated with all that choice.  So many people exercising individuality without conflict is practically impossible.  Laws are established to maintain order.  Justice is in the eye of the beholder.  Politicians…blah, blah, blah.

Let’s get back to the people.  People are what is important – much more than things.  Most of us know that, at least deep down in the pit of our souls.  The choices that we make will have an impact.

What is the point here?

The point is – let’s make responsible choices from now until the end of 2008.  That is not such a long time – only six weeks or so.  I understand that it is the consumers job to support the economy, but this year do not go into debt.  Put the plastic away for emergencies – times are tough.  We are not obligated to making our economic hole deeper in order to support companies that only want to sell you something.  Just how much junk do we need when we are looking hunger and homelessness in the face???  Walmart has been pushing Christmas crap since the beginning of October.  By the time Thanksgiving rolls around I am sick of the whole thing.  I am not alone.

As the holiday season approaches I choose to spend my valuable time with people – my family, my friends and someone in need.  Thanksgiving is about taking the time to be with our people and to take one minute to be thankful.  Christmas is about celebrating the birth of one of the most giving and selfless people ever born.  Neither of these holidays is about giving stuff to people who already have stuff.

Instead of gifts this year, I am going to give my time.  It is not just because money is scarcer this year, although that is one reason.  I have had time, during this period of unemployment, to really observe the outside world – the place I live.

It hurts that the greatest country on the planet, America, can feel such pain.  That in the face of that pain, we are inundated with demands to buy, buy, buy.  I am going to give.  I love America.  And I want to help get her back on her feet.

Too many people are without this year because of the fall of big business, because of bad decisions with dire consequences.  Hopefully, this decision will have positive consequences for those who need an extra dose of confidence this year and into the next.

Think about it.

Jude

I heard from my son that “everyone” was reading Jude by Kate Morgenroth.  I got it out of the library for him, so, naturally, he did not read it.  His friends told him it was”good.”  He pretended that he was going to read it.  After three weeks, I was going to return it, but I read the dust jacket instead.  The writing on the cover drew me in.  I decided that I would read it if the boy would not.

This story is about a boy who grows up with a drug dealing father who gets shot in the first part of the novel.  The cops want to believe that he knows who did it, or maybe did it himself.  A hidden birth certificate identifies his long lost mother as the current district attorney.  Jude moves in with her, but the good life does not work out for him.  Set up for a crime he did not commit, Jude is sent a maximum security prison for five years despite the fact that he is a minor.  Many years of self discovery later, Jude finally finds out the truth about his father, mother and his step-father.

Even though I figured out who the bad guy was early in the story, there were enough plot twists to propel the story.  There is a happy ending.

I understand why “everyone” might be reading this book.  Some of the issues contained in this book are glamorized in the mass media, but Jude does not do that.  Jude makes the statement that even being associated with drugs and drug people can make a person guilty by association.  The price for association, no matter how noble or innocent, is often quite high.

Most teen readers should like Jude.  It has an easy style, and the flow of the story is quite fast.  Enjoy.

The Velvet Room

The depression era of 1937 was a very tough time for a lot of people.  Human migration in search for jobs, any work of any kind, forced many to live in cars with their children and all of their stuff.  At least there was fruit to pick in California.  The Velvet Room by Zilpha Keatly Snyder is one such story.

After their old Model T blows a tire in front of an old house, the Williams family winds up working on an apricot ranch just down the road.  They are given a house to live in and the chance to go to the same school for the whole year.

The middle girl, Robin, explores the grounds during one of her “wanders.”  Robin is especially fascinated with the old house which has been boarded up.  She meets an elderly lady who lives near the old house.  She gives Robin a special key, and Robin eventually makes the old house her special place.  Inside, there is a library furnished with books and red velvet curtains.  Robin comes to love the place.

Robins charachter is especially poinqant.  After being on the move for so long, she makes friends on the ranch.  When someone wants to destroy the old house, Robin is forced into action.  When the family is offered a job somewhere else, the decision is partly left in her hands.  As she confronts her emotions and motivations, Robin discovers some very important truths about friends, family and people.

The Velvet Room is a nice read, especially for younger readers.  Although the story takes place during the depression, the warmth of the characters overshadows the bleakness of their position.  The values and interests of the story are as important today as they ever were.  This book is enjoyable and highly recommended.

Once upon a time there was a girl who felt that her story should be told.  I am that girl.  Well, if you divide everyone into boys and girls.  I am over 40 and have done a lot of different things.  For example, I have been married six times.  Not all of those marriages was the down-the-aisle type.  I also include any relationship that I behaved as the Mrs., the “old lady”, etc.  I will refer to these special men as Numbers 1-6.  I also have two kids – one of whom lives with me and No 6.

I am currently a union plumber by trade, mostly in new construction.  That means that almost all of the work that I do is with brand-new, never been installed pipe.  In the construction business, especially in field work, women are a very small percentage of the job.  Lucky me – I am often the only woman on a job with 600 men.  However, in this small part of the world, the construction industry has fallen.  Some of the guys have had to travel to other states to keep working.  I will tell the story of how I came to be in the construction business.

Six weeks ago I was laid off.  This has given me the opportunity to catch-up on some of the stuff I have been missing while working for a living.  Anyone who has tried to do it all probably can relate to just how much has to be prioritized and just plain not done.  I can’t believe how much the Internet has changed in the last few years!  Technology has left me behind!  I am, however, struggling to catch up.  Watch me learn.  Some of this stuff is frustrating at first, but I am sure that I will get there.

I have had other job descriptions, and I will get into them as time goes on.  Now I am trying to figure out how to make another living.  I have always liked helping people, so I will be trying to get a web site up that will do just that.  This is one of those learn-as-you-go things?  Practically painless, o yes.

Remembering How

In elementary school we are all taught the very basics of English – specifically reading and writing.  Reading is good, but a topic for another day.  This day is about writing.

In kindergarten printing the alphabet is center stage.  We trace the letters over and over, we pronounce their names and sing the ABC song.  We learn how to print our names.  By the end of first grade we have managed to string together simple sentences.  We have a budding grasp of basic grammar.  As we progress through school, this skill is built upon and expanded until we should be able to put together a book report, an essay, a term paper.

What, exactly, is involved here?  Why are there so many people who reject writing of any type?  Was it the deadline for the book report in sixth grade?  You know it was because you didn’t read the book.  What about the term paper in the tenth grade?  That was because this boy sat in front of me, and not only was he cute, he was funny, and a junior!  He never asked me out, but I did waste a lot of time daydreaming about him.

How about focus?  Where do you get your ideas?  How do you keep on subject?  I admit it, sometimes I am a victim of the world around me.  I would rather play solitaire, do the laundry or the dishes.  Other times I feel brain-dead and just-plain-tired.  I even come up with brilliant ideas that keep attacking my mind so that I never really get to the point.

There are five simple, basic things that have to happen for a piece to be written.  Maybe you can get away missing one or not developing something.  Maybe not.  Is OK just good-enough?  These five things are:

• Topic
• Body – Content
• Conclusion
• Proofread
• Walk Away
  

The Topic is the central idea of the article, paper, essay, whatever.  This can be one sentence or one paragraph.  If you don’t know what you are writing about, you will never get to the end.  Many people have trouble coming up with an idea, but if you don’t have a clear idea of what your topic really is, you may become a victim of Babble.  Babble is writing whatever comes into your head until you either run out of paper, time or steam.  The topic is the point that you want to prove, support or discuss.

The body is the central portion of the paper.  This is where the real content lies.  An outline is often helpful, or you can just jot the points down.  It is good to back-up your topic with at least three key points that support the topic.  Each point should be an individual paragraph.  Each point should also relate back to the topic of the paper.  This is probably where the most babble and lack of continuity enters the paper.

The conclusion is where you wrap it all up.  The simplest way is to restate the topic, then quickly use your three points to sum up the topic.  Lastly, you can pat yourself on the back for proving your point.

This point is probably the most neglected aspect of the everyday person.  Proofreading.  I cannot stress enough the need for Spell check, Grammar check and any other tool available in most word processing programs.  This goes double for e-mails!  Spell check should be automatic and always used.  Then, save your work.  Come back in five minutes and re-read it.  Does it still make sense?  Time is usually an ally for the proper perspective and for revision.  Anything that reads strangely should be rewritten at this point.  Do not be afraid to change what needs to be changed.

Finally, know when to walk away.  Stop writing.  Put down the keyboard.  Walk away.

The educational system has been struggling to instill basic skills.  This begins at the earliest level and continues throughout the highest.  Yet, there is still a large portion of the population that neglects some aspect of these skills.  I know that I am not perfect – not by a long shot.  I do know, however, that anything I write may be read.  I want it to be as well written as possible.  I want my readers to continue to read my work, and not because they are looking for mistakes.

Teaching a Dog New Trix

I suppose I have been away, working at a J-O-B.  Computers and the Internet have sure come a long way in the last few years.  Cruising the Internet over the last month or so has certainly been an eye-opener.

I have working the J-O-B for four years.  I don’t really like working, but I really don’t like living in my car.  Throw in Boy1 and the dog, and working was the only solution.  Now, however, I am laid-off and using my time as wisely as possible by trying to learn new Trix that will, hopefully, lead to home-based employment.  Much as I like staying at home and fixing dinner everyday, making sure Boy1 makes it to his first class, and spending quality time without tiredness with Number6, free-time without cash is not the same.  On the positive side, I did get the bedroom and hall painted.  The bathroom is scheduled for two weeks.

The last time that I used a computer daily was nearly ten years ago when I had my own business doing medical transcription at home.  It was your basic desktop model, Windows 98.  Last month, I decided that I would buy myself a new computer.  I shopped around.  I dragged Boy1 with me, for information purposes.  I also read various magazines.  I finally decided on a laptop.  It came loaded with the newest version of Windows Vista.

Back in the olden days, ten years ago, Microsoft used to load full versions of their software – Windows 95/98, Word, Excel, etc.  Now, of course, they load with only a full version of the current Windows platform.  Microsoft Office is only a trial program.  It does have Works and Word pad,  but they are not the same.  Microsoft did not leave us all hanging in the wind.  I understand where they are coming from, though.  Why should they give away something when people will pay for it, and the folks that don’t use it won’t have it cluttering up their disk drives.  I used to type for a living, so figuring out word processing programs is pretty easy.

Most of the new programs use a lot of memory.  However, the new programs really can do so much more than previous versions.  Just check out PhotoShop and any video-producing program.  This is great stuff.  It is a good thing that computers have kept pace with the memory race.  Processor chips have especially advanced.  It was practically amazing to me to find out how much memory is now considered to be standard.  Ten years ago you could barely get one gig.  Now, if you have less than 200 gigs, you are starting to slip behind.

I also needed to hook-up to the Internet.  Since their was no access in my house, I would have to add this.  I am not completely oblivious.  I know about dial-up, DSL and cable.  In fact, I have used all three of these previously.  I have not used WiFi, though, but I did work in a coffee house that had it.  My new laptop would definitely need some sort of Internet access.  Laptop equals wireless, right?  I wanted the latest technology.  Enter the Air Stick.  I must admit, this is cool.  An Air Stick is this small, eraser-size gadget that uses cellular technology to access broadband.  It plugs into a USB port and BAM!  Instant Internet!  With the cellular technology, I can take my laptop practically anywhere.  The only down side is the tendency for cellular service to drop.  Fortunately, Verizon brags that they have fewer dropped calls.  To this date, I have only had it drop twice in two months.  Not too bad.

After accessing the Internet, I had to surf.  There has been a HUGE increase in the number of web sites!  Naturally, one of the first sites that I visited was Google.  I did a search on some topic, and Google returned over ten million sites!  That was big.  In fact, getting a search to return less than one million requires some definite narrowing of the search parameters.  I also checked out Yahoo! and Tripod.  The Internet has certainly grown.  Many people now have personal sites.  Almost all businesses have sites.  I started to feel left out because I did not have a site.

Web site hosting has become readily available for just about everyone.  All of the large communities (AOL, Google, Yahoo and Tripod) have free hosting and site development tools available for everyone.  Tripod even lets you have more than one.  Templates for making your own page, whether personal or business are easy and free to download.  Pay-for hosting companies seem to be everywhere.  No wonder I am overwhelmed.  The vastness of the space is starting to lessen, however.  After all, I am a city girl at heart.  The latest and greatest thing is, of course, blogs.

I admit it.  I am not really sure when I first heard of blogs, but it really was not that long ago.  After some research, I found out that blogs have been around for over ten years!  It is just in the last few years that they have really started to catch on.  Blogs are a great way for people to share and learn.  Commenting is also very popular in Blog World.  We all have opinions, positive and negative.  Blogs really add to the diversity that is the Internet.

How many New Trix have I learned so far?  Four? Five?  The fact remains.  It is possible to learn new Trix, sometimes it just takes a little longer.  It also requires some patience and a little research.  I love to read, and I am not afraid of libraries.  Libraries are filled with helpful books, and they are way cheaper than buying books.  I did not learn all of this is one or two months, though.  It has taken me two months to catch up to this point.  As for being old, maybe I’m not so old after all.

Stay Away from Solitaire

About five years ago I worked for a temp agency.  Most of the jobs they send you out on are entry-level office jobs.  This includes the position of receptionist.  Well, they sent me out to this company that sold nuts, bolts and washers.  The office manager showed me what to do, told me what to say, explained how to pull the daily report from their weird-wired computer system.  She also told me that the phones were very  busy first thing in the morning and in the middle of the afternoon because this was the prime time for contractors to order nuts & bolts.  I also was responsible for pulling a daily report by 10:00.  Their system was overlapped in a strange way, but it was not exactly rocket science.

The phones were very busy first thing in the morning.  She was right about that.  The report took a few minutes to pull, but, like I said, it was not exactly rocket science.  The office manager was a little delusional about that.  What about the rest of the day?  Five hours of not much to do.  I was supposed to remain at the reception desk.  If I had to get up or go to the bathroom I had to get someone to cover the phone.  That’s all really, really good.  However, rarely did ANYONE ever come through the front door.  The nuts and bolts were usually delivered to the contractors or to job sites.  Also, after about 10:00, the phone NEVER rang.  Never.

What’s a temporary receptionist supposed to do?  I have a hard time sitting still and staring into space.  I brought a book to read under my desk.  I read the newspaper, which in this town is pretty small.  I did find one thing that I could do.  I could be at my desk, ready to answer the non-ringing phone, ready to greet the non-visitors.  I would have the appearance of working on the computer.  I could play SOLITAIRE.

I got away with this for about three days.  I noticed that all of a sudden salesmen and office workers were coming by my work station.  They were sneaking up behind me.  They were trying to catch me not staring into space!  This was the most boring J-o-b on earth.  I let the office manager see me playing solitaire.  She fired me.  Thank God!  The temp agency sent me out to a much better job with much more to keep me busy.  They were also cool with the solitaire.

Computers and the Internet are great tools for getting things done.  It is also handy for learning just about anything.  Researching topics has never been easier.  The first thing many people do in the morning at home and at work is boot up the computer.  Checking email is one of the primary items on the to-do list.  Games are also a popular place to begin.  Then, there is solitaire.

Solitaire is a card game.  The object of the game is to make suits king through ace.  Sometimes the suits are all one color.  Sometimes the colors alternate.  I think that most of us know all this.

I Google’d solitaire.  There are 37,800,000 sites for solitaire!  Are you kidding me?  For solitaire games there are 1,380,000 sites, and for most solitaire games there are 1,800,000.  Apparently I am not the only one who plays solitaire.

I like to play solitaire.  I especially like to play on the computer because the game rarely lets you cheat.  Whenever I would play with a deck of cards, I would often find myself peeking so I could cheat.  I don’t mind losing.  Some of the games are a little harder than others, but you can catch on quick.  The computer also lets you set a difficulty level.  It was pretty cool when they started adding solitaire to computers.  Good thinking.  It passes the time while virus scan is running and stuff like that.  It is also a great way to avoid doing work.

Sorry, Number6, I didn’t do anything all day but play solitaire.  I am playing Spider on medium.  I surfed for a little while, worked on some stuff.  I kept coming back to solitaire.  I think I’m hooked – at least until I get all the way through expert.  I wonder how many other people spend hours playing this game?

Donation to the Gambling Gods

I live in Reno, Nevada.  Gambling is legal here.  I grew up in San Diego, California.  Gambling is not legal there.

On Interstate 80 east, very near the CA-NV border, there is a small casino called Gold Ranch.  One day the owners of this casino realized that the California border was on their property.  Not a group to miss an opportunity, they quickly built a small building at the rear of the property on top of the state line.  In fact, the line runs through the building.  On the California side they intended to sell California lottery tickets.  Usually in Nevada, a casino cannot sell lottery tickets.  But this was different.  The two buildings are far enough apart that the casino is not technically selling the tickets.

Every Saturday morning I drive to Gold Ranch from my house in Reno.  It is about ten miles or so.  Saturday is not Saturday without taking this drive.  I have been playing the same numbers for the last three years.  I play both the Super Lotto and the Mega Millions.  I get a two-draw ticket.  I spend $20 a week.  That’s around $1000 a year.  Not terrible, not great.  I have won around $300 total.  You can’t win if you don’t play.  Please let me win!  I’ll do whatever!

This is mostly a donation to the gambling gods.  This is a gambling state.  Everyday we all gamble – in all sorts of different ways.  Most of the time we don’t really think about it.  However, we must remember that the gods are there.  I have noticed that a lot of people pray – Please let me win!  I’ll do whatever it takes!  The gambling gods?  God?  Whatever.

Time:  1984     Place:  A small hole-in-the-wall restaurant in San Diego CA

First, let me describe this restaurant – there are 18 booths and a counter that seats four.  It is located in a small strip-type shopping center on a fairly busy road.  There is a discount store, a dark-bar, a Rexall drug store and a post office nearby.  It is also less than 1/2 mile from my house.  Actually it is my in-law’s house, where I lived with Number1.

Most of the customers to this restaurant are neighborhood locals.  You could see the same people nearly everyday.  I wait table at this restaurant, and I get to know exactly how you like your food.  I am particularly fond of the breakfast shift.  There are two specials:

1. The Basic Breakfast – Two eggs any style, hash browns and toast or pancakes and coffee.  $0.99
2. The Full Breakfast -  Choice of bacon, ham or sausage, two eggs any style, hash browns and toast or pancakes, orange juice and coffee.  $1.39

I make pretty good money at this restaurant.  I am fast with the coffee.  I get your order right.

One day, some customers give me five scratch-off lottery tickets for my tip.  They had come in with a roll of about 100 tickets.  California had started a state lottery that day.  I only won $2, but Love for Lottery was born.

In 1984 the government of California needed to come up with something that would add much needed funds to the state treasury.  Certain programs were becoming underfunded, programs like schools.  They came up with the idea of the California State Lottery.  First there were scratch-off, instant win tickets.  Then there was the Powerball.  Now, California participates in a twelve-state lottery.  Sometimes the prize is over $100,000,000!!!  Think you could live on that?

Who Let the Blogs Out?

I like to read.  I read a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction.  The library is one of my favorite places because there are sooo many books to choose from.  I often have ten or more books on my headboard, where I keep the library books so they don’t get lost.

This week I have read several books.  The most influential of these is Who Let The Blogs Out by Biz Stone.  This book was published in 2004.

Biz Stone has been blogging since the beginning of blog-time.  This is around 1999.  He started Xanga with some other people, worked with Blogger.com before they were bought by Google in 2003.  At the time of publication, he was working at Google in San Francisco.

His writing style is his voice.  He speaks to his audience.  His audience responds.  Deep down, this is  the purpose of most blogs.  His style has been honed through over 2000 posts – probably many more by this time.  His writing is clear and concise.  It is obvious that he loves what he does and wishes to pass it on.  This book is full of Tipz and Trix for blogging success.

I Google’d Biz Stone Blog and got back 381,000 sites.  I went to his web site to find out more.  He is also the co-founder of Twitter.  He has been the busy guy.

All in all, I recommend this book.  I realize that I’m pretty new at all things web, but books and I are very well acquainted.  I read this one all the way to the end, something I may not do with tech-type books.  This is much more in the social commentary vein.

I have a lot to learn.  I intend to enjoy the journey.

Sunday Surfing

Sunday is probably the laziest day of the week, at least for me.  The house is pretty clean.  The yard has been picked up of all the dog poop and dropped fruit.  I call that The Joy of Ownership.  I don’t go to church, unless you count the NFL.

Sunday is also the day that I allow myself to do some of the time wasting things that I should not devote too much time to during the week.  This includes indulging in the Sunday paper, sleeping late, chowing on leftover food in the fridge.  The activity that takes up the most time is reading email and surfing the web.  Don’t get me wrong.  On a daily basis, I try to keep up on research, response and my new favorite – blogs.  However, on Sunday I cruise a lot more, read some things that I have saved for later and clean out the mail boxes.

I have been using email for as long as anybody else.  For a long time, that is all that the Internet meant to me.  Surfing was often a time-waster, and I don’t really have a lot of time to waste.  It was the j-o-b thing that used up a lot of the day.  I have a lot more free time now that I’ve been laid off.  (Side note – I heard that 7,000,000 people lost their jobs last month!)

I have five email accounts.  Unless I am expecting something important or earth shattering, I open them briefly and then get the heck out of there.  Checking all these email accounts can take an hour or more.  One of these accounts is for anything that might bring on the spam.  I go through and delete the junk, then read the ones that I want.

There are some basic trust of content issues involved with email.  Viruses, worms, Trojan horses and malicious code have all been known to travel within the content of certain emails and email attachments.  I am sure that by now anyone who uses email is aware of all of this.  Cookies and all of that get removed on a daily basis.

Surfing, on the other hand, is way more entertaining.  I have so many interests that it is difficult to keep up with them.  That is why I devote most of Sunday to surfing.  It gives me the chance to go to sites that I might never see otherwise.  I follow links.  I look stuff up.  I spend a good part of the day this way.

Ah, if only I could stay away from the fridge!

Dog War

I read the book,  DOG WAR by Anthony C. Winkler over the last few days.  It was a sweet little read – not to long, not to short.  I was able to sympathize with the main character, and yet, her story made me laugh.

The main character, Precious, is a Jamaican woman whose husband suddenly dies.  She eventually moves in with her police-officer daughter in Miami, Florida.  Anyone who has ever had to move in with family members can understand some of the tensions that develop due to different nesting styles.

Precious decides that she must get a job to defuse some of the tension.  She applies for a housekeeper’s position for a very wealthy, eccentric woman whose life partly revolves around her dog.  The dog loves Precious, maybe even too much.

Overall, this was a most enjoyable book.  The author uses Jamaican patois to establish environment, culture and character.  It is easily understood and adds a unique flavor to story.

I would definitely recommend DOG WAR to anyone who likes a good story.

Twitter and RSS

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.  It has been around since 1997, when it was begun by Dave Winer.  This man is legendary for his contributions to the web world that we know today.  Like all things computer-ish, it went through several transformations until it evolved into the present day system.

RSS did not start gaining in popularity until about late 2003 or so.  Originally designed for news, many other services are available.  Both Internet Explorer and Firefox have feed readers available.  Content is added by simply subscribing.  The feed is updated almost constantly.  Great news!  It is now possible to get the latest information instantly.

Twitter, on the other hand, is the real new comer.  Originally released in October 2006, it is beginning to catch on as more people become aware of its availability.  Using real-time technology, Twitter is an excellent way to stay in touch with friends, family and even your j-o-b.

Known as a “social networking” service, brief messages can be sent to just about any device enabled with the Internet.  Microblogging from cell phone to cell phone is more and more common.  It probably won’t replace text messaging, not anytime soon anyway.

Both RSS and Twitter are useful in today’s world.  They keep us up-to-date on the latest news in both the world and in our personal circle of friends, family and colleagues.  As the Internet grows and the world becomes a smaller place more technology will come our way.  I can’t wait.

Explorer vs Firefox

In the beginning, the mid 1990’s, there were two main browsers – Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator.  You had to buy a browser for your computer if you wanted to visit the Internet.  The Internet was not as friendly then as it is today.  Few people understood what all the noise was about and even fewer were interested.

Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator have always been in competition.  Internet Explorer was released with Windows 95.  It has gone through several upgrades over the years until we reach the present day with Internet Explorer 7.  Netscape Navigator was released around the same time.  It also went through various changes and upgrades.  In 2004, the Mozilla Firefox project was released.  It was designed to make Navigator faster and more up-to-date.

Replacing Navigator, Firefox is a fairly recent addition to the browser world.  It includes a few things that Explorer does not.  The Mozilla project includes Seamonkey, which is a web design program using WYSIWYG and HTML, Open Office and Thunderbird.  Firefox 3.0 is the latest edition of this browser.  Firefox must be downloaded from the Internet to your computer.  Firefox is easy to use and installation is a breeze.  The Mozilla project should definitely be investigated.

Internet Explorer is the comfortable shoe of the Internet.  As it is installed on most PCs with Windows, it is extremely convenient.  It takes you to all the portals that you want – AOL, Yahoo!, Google etc.  You are able to customize Explorer.  Most people already are familiar with Explorer.

Personally, I like Firefox.  It has a cleaner, more streamlined look than Explorer.  Firefox has a lot of add-ons available to customize your experience, and I can go everywhere on the Internet easily.  With Firefox, I am not being constantly bombarded with upgrade requests for toolbars from Google and Yahoo like I was on Explorer.  Pop-ups are also few and far between as Firefox naturally blocks them.  You can import bookmarks and favorites.  I also don’t have three toolbars cluttering  up the top of every page.

I am sure that Explorer is here to stay.  However, I believe that Firefox is a viable contender.  I use Firefox, and I recommend that you check it out if you haven’t already.

Five-Cent Solution

Time:  Late July -August          Place:  Walmart

Do you have little post-its all over the place?  Do you have a zillion passwords?  Can you never find a piece of paper when you need on?  Do you forget ideas and stuff because you did not write it down?  Do you have paper clutter all over your desk?  Do you lose the grocery list and important messages

I have the solution for all these problems and it will only cost you five cents.

Every year, late July through August, Walmart puts school supplies on sale.  You can get pens, pencils, crayons and spiral notebooks.  The five-cent solution is the spiral notebook.

I purchase school supplies at that time of year just like all the other moms out there.  I go to Walmart because they are the cheapest, and I am on a tight budget.

I buy 20 of these notebooks, total cost one dollar, for Boy1 who is 16.  I wish he was the type of student that took enough notes to warrant 20 notebooks.  Just like students everywhere, he loses them, forgets them at school, or gives one or two to his girlfriend.  At the end of the school year all of the notebooks are gone.

This year I got first dibs.  I took five of the notebooks for myself.  I told him he had to make-do with the rest of them – or buy his own.  I use one notebook for all of the passwords, code words, etc that you need while you are on the Internet.  Personally, I have a different password for everything.  There is no way that I could remember all of them.  Also, I hate little pieces of paper everywhere that get lost when you need them.  I keep one on the side table to take notes while read various books for research.  I also keep one in my purse (yes, it’s big) in case I get a brilliant idea when I am away from the house.  The fourth one I keep in the kitchen with a pen on a string so that the family can write notes and leave messages to each other.  The fifth notebook is a spare in case one gets lost or filled up.

There you have it.  The five-cent solution to keeping track of passwords, grocery and other lists, important messages, getting rid of old post-its and pieces of paper.  Five cents to end the clutter.  Good luck.

Last word:  Sorry that this tip is posted in October and not in July.  Better late than never. 

“Old Lady” is a Job Description

Many people use the term “old lady” casually.  They refer to their mothers, wives, girlfriends.  Sometimes they refer to women who happen to have more years than the speaker.  “Old lady” is not the same as old woman.

I have been called “the old lady” since I was 19 years old.  This seems kind of young.  Why would anyone refer to a 19-year-old girl as old?  Was I even a lady?

During the late 1960’s through the 1980’s, and even until today, “Old Lady” was mostly a term of respect.  Joining the establishment by getting married was not very cool.  Living together was common.  Couples still came together, and traditional roles were distributed.

People, of course, had been trained by their parents who had grown up twenty years or more earlier.  They had different values and views of society as a whole.  To be known as a lady, a female to be respected, was the ideal.  Wives and mothers were also respected (generally) by default, as members of the gentle sex, as ladies.  However, they were usually respected for their roles in the home.  Women did not really have an identity as anything else until the mid 1970’s when Woman’s Liberation caught on.  Finally, women could be female, capable of anything and everything.  They could be professional and respected for their other, lesser realized yet still important, roles.

Time:  1981      Place:  San Diego, CA

When I was 19-years-old, I met a friend of a friend of a friend.  It was love at first sight.  He was six years older than me and had an air of life experience about him.  Little did I know.  All that aside, I wanted to get to know him, and I did.  Three months later we were living together.  I kept the house and went with him on visits to friends.  He was a member of the underground economy.  After a period of time, he and all of his associates trusted me.  I was young, and they were much older than me.  These people referred to me as “Number1’s Old Lady.”  In fact, most people did not even know my name.

In my position as Number1’s Old Lady, I had various responsibilities.  I kept phone numbers in my head and took messages.  Sometimes I ran little errands, and I ran interference with others.  This position allowed me entrance to places and situations that many legal wives could not.  I was trusted, I kept secrets to myself.  I was always polite and respectful of the hierarchy.  I was professional.  I also took pride in my position.  I behaved as his wife, and he behaved as a husband (most of the time).  We never got married, but we lived together for over nine years.

Time:  Present day

So, what is an “old lady” anyway?  Mostly, the old lady is the wife, the significant other, the partner we love and trust and the mother of our children.  The old lady is also my mother and my mother-in-law.  The old lady takes on responsibility.  She is the most familiar woman in my daily life, the most comfortable shoe, the one I tell my troubles to.  The old lady takes care of my house and makes sure that everyone eats.  The old lady makes sure the old man makes it to work and the kids make it to school.  The old lady even works outside the house, making a valuable contribution to the household accounts.

All of that is a pretty tall order. The job is still the same, but we have so much more flexibility.  We usually handle the responsibility well.   It is a full-time job, albeit an unpaid one.  The job description is huge.  As an “old lady” I am all of those things – female, woman, lady, wife, mother, daughter, organizational genius.  At least, the benefits are good, most days anyway.

Bring Back Common Law Marriage

Way back in olden times, men and women came together to share their lives, much as they do now.  The couple remained together for as long as they wanted.  They were accepted as husband and wife by society.  This type of union was usually beneficial to both.  When circumstances changed or the union became intolerable due to personality or habits, the union was quietly dissolved.  Hurt feelings were kept to a minimum.  Both parties moved on.

The modern concept of marriage was mandated by the Roman Catholic Church about the mid 1500’s.  They sought control of the average man during the Protestant Reformation.  The Church of England got in on the act during the mid 1700’s.  Common law marriages were recognized as legal entities in the future United States until the early 1800’s when civil ceremony or religious wedding was required.

The issue of common law marriage continues to be a newsworthy topic today.  Many people live together without legal ceremony, sometimes forever.  This is usually referred to as Domestic Partnership.  Domestic partnerships are defined as two people who live together without civil union or marriage.  This definition refers to both same-sex and different-sex couples.

Living together has become accepted as an alternative to marriage.  Should things not work out, separation is usually easier than divorce.  Divorce is rarely friendly.  If there are children, systems are in place to ensure that they are supported until adulthood.  Of course, this is a “perfect world” scenario.  I have been there five times.

Common law marriage should be recognized for several reasons.  The term “domestic partnership” should be replaced with “common law” because of bias based on sexual orientation.  Many of these partnerships are heterosexual.  A standard number of years should be established for eligibility of benefit, and a simple statement could be required for affirmation of relationship.  Health benefits could be made available for the spouse as well as social security benefits.  The joint tax deduction for Federal Income Tax should be made available, also.  What about the right not to testify against your spouse?  Adoption?  Property law?  Military benefit?  Dissolution should be simple, and children must be supported.  Too bad hurt feelings will always be with us.

I have nothing against traditional wedding and civil ceremonies.  It is awesome when you meet people who still like their spouse after living with them for years and years.  In the real world, however, marriage is not for everyone, and other alternatives should be available.  Positive relationships are a wonderful thing, in whatever form they come in.

Why Bother to Blog?

What is so great about blogging? Why would anyone want to blog?  Why should I?

As I am fairly new to blogging, I wanted to investigate blogging in general and personal reasons in particular.  Blogger has been around since 1999 and really caught fire after Google bought the program in 2003.  WordPress joined the party in 2003 also.  WordPress  is now the largest self-hosted blogging site in the world – according to WordPress.org.

Blogging, first of all, gives you the chance to really hone your writing skills.  The daily exercise of writing short articles helps you organize your thoughts in a logical manner while creating a readable document.  Developing the discipline of clear and concise thought can be useful in different aspects of business and in the personal world.  Editing skills will naturally develop when you take the time to read over, spell and grammar check documents, then revise or re-write sentences or paragraphs.

Often, basic research is required to back-up and substantiate the article.  Internet skills are developed while cruising the web seeking documentation.  Searching for information can be time-consuming and labor intensive, but it is usually worth the effort.  Both web sites and other blogs are full of interesting content on every subject imaginable.  Learn something new every day!

Blogging provides the chance to express your expertise.  You may be an expert on a subject and not even know it until you begin sharing that knowledge with others.  Weaker areas of knowledge can be explored and strengthened.

Valuable personal insight can be brought to the forefront of your daily mind.  Self-expression is extended to the world and tested on a grand scale.  The increase in self-esteem is enormous through this form of self publishing.  Every person is unique and provides an exceptionally personal insight.  Diversity is great.

The world wide web provides an enormous potential audience.  Connecting through the power of words is very dynamic as ideas, thoughts and expressions spread throughout the planet.  Conversation and exchange foster of spirit of relationship across the globe.  English is a common language.  Who knows who might read your post?

The informal testing of ideas and opinions in a global market can help develop content for a more formal environment.  Professionals can benefit from the experimentation of concept offered by blogging.  Feedback and commentating dispel any illusions that may be hidden within hypotheses.  Chicanery and defect are often exposed by the readership.  “Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.”  Bertrand Russell

Have you ever wanted to be famous?  even slightly well-known?  Blogging provides that outlet.  Your name is presented to the world as worth while, as unique, as valuable.  What you write reflects who you are.  What you write about validates your life and your experiences.  How you write mirrors characteristics within yourself.  Even your screen name, titles and subjects expose aspects of your personality and intellect.

Reading the blogs of others connects you to an inner sanctum of opinion and fact.  Up-to-the minute news and information is distributed at lightning speed.  The example of 9/11 is most common.  Bloggers were sharing real life experiences almost immediately.  This was certainly faster than even the network news.  The addition of personality made these blogs hugely readable and informative.  This incident alone probably contributed more to the arena of blogging than any other.

Lastly, did you know that if you write 100 words a day for one year, you have written a book?  Or multiple books?  We all have stories to tell, experiences to share, things to warn others about and a need for catharsis of the soul.  Blogging is an outlet for all of these.

So, why should we blog?  We should blog because we are all human.  The human experience is best when shared.

Laptop Freedom

Air Card?  Air Stick?  Does it really matter what you call it?

An air card, also called a mobile broadband card, is a small device that plugs into a USB port or card port on your laptop, cell phone or PDA that allows you to connect to the Internet with broadband.  There is no need to search for “hot spots.”  There are no wires or shared connections.  It is a lot like cell service for your laptop.  This allows you complete mobility.  After all, isn’t mobility the idea behind laptops?

Service for air cards is usually through major cell phone providers such as AT& T and Verizon.  Anywhere you can receive a signal, you can cruise the Internet.  I have been all over northwestern Nevada and have yet to find a spot where there is no service.

When I bought my laptop, Best Buy was having a special on the air card through Verizon.  I could get the air card for free with my laptop and one month of free service.  It sounded like a pretty good deal, so I went for it.  The plan is a little high ($50) for 5g, but I feel that my freedom is worth it.  The card is easy to use (just plug into USB port), and the broadband is fast!

Laptop to me means freedom.  I had only seen an air card being used once before.  At the time, I did not really recognize it for what it was.  Now, however, I am fully informed.  I am also very satisfied with the air card and the wireless broadband service.

I believe that the air card is the future.  The device has been available since about December, but it is starting to catch on.  I expect that we all will see more of this device.

Broke is the New Rich

It seems that there are two types of people – those that live on credit and those that live on cash.  Of course, the truly wealthy and those people with large amounts of cash in the bank don’t count.  I talk about the average person.

The economy in the United States is front page news throughout the world.  Many of the world markets follow the American market.  Everything that Americans are now trying to do is exposed through the international media.

First, the housing market fell because people could no longer pay their mortgages.  These people probably should never have been qualified for loans that were potentially out of their reach.  Mortgage lenders chased as many people as they could offering all types of adjustable rate mortgages, interest only loans and other risky lending practices.  Mortgage payments were doubling and tripling.  People started losing their jobs next.  Finally, Countrywide Financial was sold to Bank of America.  Then Washington Mutual collapsed.    Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were also in trouble.  These bad mortgage debts started a landslide in the United States economy.

The stock market has been on a steady decline since the early part of 2008.  It had it’s up days, but values have been slowly slipping.  However, after the Countrywide Financial and Washington Mutual fiascoes, the stock market stopped slipping and began to FALL.  The last week as seen average drops in the Dow Jones of over 400 points.  Pension funds and retirement accounts have taken very hard hits.  Consumer confidence is extremely low.

The economic bail out plan was approved by Congress after several re-writes and much argument.  Some people feel that the government should not spend our tax dollars this way.  Others feel that the average person will still be unemployed with too much debt.  Will it work?  Only time will tell.

So, what does this have to do with the two types of people?

The credit people are heavily into the system of borrowing money to acquire consumer goods.  The credit people want to own a home no matter what the cost.  The credit people are very concerned with their credit scores.  The higher the score, the more credit you can get.  Having credit is how they live.  Credit people will never be rich because their debt to asset ratios are usually negative.

I have lived in the credit card world.  Shoes, I love shoes.  My credit card debt got to be too much for me.  I found myself unemployed for a while, and I could not make my payments.  I did what every other person does who can’t pay those bills did – I defaulted.

The cash people do not use credit cards.  They pay with cash.  Some cash people have credit cards, but they save them for emergencies or make a point to pay them off every month.  Paying with cash means that when the money is all gone, you stop spending.  If there is something that you want and you don’t have the cash, you either save for it or do without.  This is not the hardship that some people would have you believe.  Cash people also keep an eye on their credit scores, but they are looking for signs of identity theft.

I am a cash kinda gal.  I like it that way.  I use money orders to pay the bills I have to mail, and I pay cash for the bills with offices in town.  Most larger grocery stores can pay your utility bills for you.  I still have a few debts left over, though.  I have to prioritize and pay them off one at a time.  Word to collection agencies – No, I can’t write you a check for $10,000!

So – if you have enough money to pay your bills and you don’t have credit debt or a mortgage, your debt to asset ratio is positive.  You might FEEL like you’re broke, but you’re not.  You are the New Rich!

Your House is NOT an Investment

There is a piece of information widely distributed that is not accurate.  This information is often used as part of a sales pitch.  ”Invest in Real Estate,” becomes a battle call.

Year:  2003     Place:  Reno, Nevada

The housing bubble in this area began last year.  Prices have begun to escalate.  An influx of buyers from neighboring states is fueling this expansion.  Construction of new commercial buildings, homes and condominiums is supporting the new comers to this part of the state.  Real estate agents are attaining licenses at an astounding rate, myself included.  Competition is fierce.  Offers to sell your home regularly flood the mail.  Even renters receive requests to sell.  Mortgage brokers are everywhere chasing sales for commissions, offering loans for anyone with the stamina to listen.  Many do listen.  Many believe.

Present day:  2008

Most of us are well aware of the crisis in the real estate market.  Values are dropping.  Default is high.  Lenders are collapsing.  The picture is bleak.  We continue to hope for recovery.

I believe that there is a basic flaw in the American concept of real estate, especially pertaining to their home.

An investment is something that pays a consistent and regular dividend.  This usually refers to rental units.  Total cost must be subtracted from total revenue to arrive at profit.  Attaining 100% occupancy without cost overrun is one way to receive a return on that investment.

A speculation is a bet that the value of a piece of real estate will increase.  This is where most home owners stand.  They buy a house betting that the value will increase over a period of at least two years.  However, inherent in the nature of any bet is the fact that you might lose.  This is the state of the real estate market today.

Anyone who embarked on home ownership feeling that they are guaranteed an increase in value has not been fully informed.  The cold, hard truth is that you should buy a home as a place to live.  You should never purchase anything that could potentially become unaffordable.  Always keep in mind that bad things DO happen.  I don’t mean that anyone should be pessimistic.  I mean that people should be REALISTIC.

Hopefully, the real estate market will recover soon.  Unfortunately, the lessons learned have been very hard for a lot of people.

I feel the pain.

Don’t Burn the Cupcakes

When I bought my laptop, it came with Windows Vista installed.  Vista is new to me.  I have never used Windows XP, so I cannot compare the two.  I did want to check out Vista.

First, I wanted to find out which version I have.  I went to the Welcome Center to view my computer details.  I have Vista Home Premium.  This is pretty cool.  This version has Aero technology which enables transparent windows so you can see through them.  You can also enable 3-D effects.  There are new games, including Chess.  There is a new Media Center.  Search is also available in every panel.  This is handy when you can’t remember exactly where something is hidden.  Photos and videos are easily edited and either sent to friends, made into slide shows or burned to CD or DVD.

I spent quite a while cruising around in the control panel changing colors, themes and then changing them again.  I investigated the media center, file system and all the other goodies.  I have had this version for two months now, but this is the first time that I checked out everything in the program.

I actually had such a blast that I almost burned the cupcakes I was making.

Anyone who is thinking about upgrading to Windows Vista should do so.  I recommend the Premium version.

Cure for Writer’s Block – Shower!

I, like everyone else, sometimes run a little short on ideas.  Writer’s block attacks just after opening a text box or word processing program.  The blankness of the page seeps into my brain.  No amount of refrigerator foraging stimulates inspiration.

I know that the best ideas visit at the most unlikely times, such as when walking the dog or when driving.  The most prominent site for idea creation is, of course, the shower.  The arousal of the thought process may be activated by soap or shampoo.  Perhaps the needle action of water upon the head is as galvanizing as scalp massage.  Whatever the reason, it is certain that showering may be the ultimate cure for writer’s block.

As topics begin to bombard the revitalized mind, the average person quickly realizes that there is no means by which to take advantage of this situation.  Paper gets wet, ink runs, pencil is illegible and computers die.  Is there no solution?

I suppose have a secretary or trusted note-taker available would be handy.  The availability of small recording devices do not really lend themselves to a wet environment.  Writing in the steam on the mirror only works if not too far away and only when there is steam.  Soap crayons are an option, but they sometimes run when wet.

By the time towel has touched body, ideas have fled.  Even running as quickly as possible to a source may cause the inspiration to flee.

What to do, what to do.

I wish I had the perfect solution for this problem.  Perhaps there is an inventor out there with the technology to help us out.  We need a writing implement that is water-resistant yet cleans easily.  This implement should write on tile, glass and fiberglass yet not stain.  It should not run or smear.  It would be nice if it came in colors.  I would prefer not to mount anything to the walls.  I may know how to transcribe, but I realize that transcribing is often a pain and more often neglected.  I am sure others feel the pain.

Inventions, anyone?

Voter Reg Hacked???

Last Thursday I was welding down at the union hall.  One of my union brothers came up to me.  He told me that I was not registered to vote.  I thought this was pretty weird.  I have not missed an election in ten years.  I had even voted last June.  How could I possibly NOT be registered to vote?

The union brother explained that he had gone through the rolls at the hall to check on voter registration.  The up-coming presidential election is going to be important – especially for us regular folk.  This brother wanted to make sure that everyone in our local was registered on time.

I immediately filled out the form so he could get it into the registrar on time.  At this point I thought that it was some kind of glitch, that it was just me.

This week on the local news there has been a story about a group, ACORN, in Las Vegas that had fraudulently registered a large number of people using false social security numbers.  The investigation is ongoing, and a number of people have been arrested.  See:  Las Vegas Review Journal, October 8, 2008.

According to the local news here in Reno, there are now over 700,000 voters that “fell off” the rolls and are no longer registered to vote.  The local news stated that the Secretary of State said that this was due to “human error.”  I tried to contact the news station for clarification, but I had to leave a voice mail.

This problem is now showing up in other states.  Where did ACORN get these social security numbers?  Did they make them up?  Is ACORN the real reason that over one-third of the entire population of the state of Nevada suddenly “fell off” the voting rolls??  Are these same numbers consistent in other states?

I wonder whether someone hacked into the data bank for the registrars of voters and manipulated the social security numbers?  I find it difficult to believe that a small group of people could just “make up” that many numbers.  What about other states?  Can anyone say for sure?  Will this investigation ever be completed?  How will we know?

Government offices and companies that have identifying numbers, such as social security numbers, in their  data banks should be held accountable for the security of their listings.  These data banks can be very large and contain many pieces of information.  For that matter, how much of this information is available to the public?  Is it any wonder that identity fraud is so prevalent?

I thank my union brother for bringing up this problem with me.  If he had not been checking the rolls for our local I would never have known that my social security number had “fallen off.”  I am sad that this problem is only coming to light on the very last days of voter registration.  This issue poses so many questions.  I hope that I am not the only one who is concerned.

Mafiya

The book, Mafiya by Charlie Stella, was one of the most entertaining novels that I have read this year.  It is a crime novel that takes place mostly in Brooklyn, New York, New York.  It involves a snuff film, Russian mafia members and a hooker gone straight. This novel contains all of the elements for an entertaining thriller.

This was a non-stop page turner.  The sense of impending justice kept me reading.  I could sympathize with the characters.  The woman seeks justice for her friend who is the victim of horrible foul play.  The boss of the Russian crime family is a strong leader who does not tolerate disobedience from the family.  When his step-brother commits the ultimate crime, the boss handles him right away.  This does not completely solve the problems associated with the crime.  There are other mob members, crooked cops, a retired cop, turf war and an extremely wealthy Saudi arms dealer.

Statements on the jacket compare this novel with Mario Puzo and Elmore Leonard.  In regards to these comments, I must agree.  This novel was well written and brought this reader into the plot.  I could not stop reading it, and I finished it in one day.

The subject of the snuff film might turn some people off.  However, it was handled with tact and some emotion.  I recommend this novel to everyone who enjoys a great crime novel.

Duck Widow

Saturday was opening day of duck season.  The men in my family are avid duck hunters.  Sometimes I tag along, but most of the time I don’t. Thankfully, the men are members of a hunting club so over-nighting is not too uncomfortable.  I am all about indoor plumbing and heated living quarters.  It may not be the Ritz, but it sure beats a tent!

What is it about going somewhere for the weekend that inspires someone to pack too much stuff?  Not only do you have to bring food and clothing, there are creature comforts, like blankets and pillows, that have to travel along.  I also have to bring reading material, games and DVDs.  Since I spend most of the time by myself – both Number6 and Boy1 hunt, I have an excellent opportunity to sleep late and catch up on my reading.  We do have satellite TV, but the club is far enough out of town that cell phone signals (and Internet) are very unreliable.

In a way, I don’t get hunting.  I understand about controlling the population, etc, etc.  What I don’t understand is getting up at 4:30 in the morning to hike through mud and swamp, to lay on the cold ground waiting for a bird to fly over you.  Then, after a few hours, you return to car or club house to eat breakfast and rest for a few hours before going out in the afternoon to shoot again before dark.  If you are really lucky, there is snow and ice to add to the fun.

I think hunting goes back to the days when it was kill or be killed.  Back to the days before supermarkets and refrigeration.  Returning to the times when if there was no food, there was no eating.  I suppose that deep down there is the belief that you are providing for the family.  I also think that hunters just like to kill things.   I like my meat on a Styrofoam tray wrapped in Saran Wrap, thank you.  I also subscribe to the theory – You catch it, you kill it, YOU clean it.  I do not clean fish.  I do not clean ducks.  I do, however, make a darn good breakfast.

I have heard that there is a national decline in hunting.  You would never notice out here.  Everyone has at least one item of camouflage.  One of the local casinos even gives away camouflage t-shirts.  There is a lot of wild life in this part of Nevada.  Duck hunting, turkey hunting, deer hunting and fishing are all very popular activities.  Sporting goods stores do pretty well here.  The parking lot at Cabela’s is almost always full.

Opening day was a success, I guess.  They got ten ducks.  I read a good book.  To each their own.

Anyone have any good recipes for duck?

Outlaw Biker – My Life at Full Throttle

This is an autobiography with help.  Richard “Deadeye” Hayes in Outlaw Biker – My Life at Full Throttle reveals how and why he became a member of Los Valientes, a motorcycle club in St. Paul, Minnesota.  He is assisted by Mary Gardner.

This book was really entertaining.  The forthright style of Hayes is easy to read and understand.  His honesty shines through his personal stories and anecdotes.  Ms. Gardner does an excellent job of bringing the stories together in a cohesive retelling of the biker life.  There are personal photos in the center of the book.

This is a short book, but the content is full and vibrant.  I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys real-life stories, and to everyone else who just enjoys a good read.

Right to Work as Union

This article is not about the long-standing debate on whether labor unions are good or bad.  It is not about the potential profit margin of Walmart.  It is also not meant to be an endorsement of unions in general.  I can only speak about my experiences and why I made the choice to join.

The state of Nevada is one of 22 states known as “right to work” states.  The right to work law, which may be different in other states, secures the right of employees to decide for themselves whether or not to join or financially support a union. An employee does not have to join a union as a condition for obtaining or maintaining employment.  You cannot be denied employment if you refuse to join union.  An employee has the choice whether or not to participate in strikes without any loss of privilege.

State that are NOT known as “right to work” are often called “forced unionism” states.  An employee can be required to join a union or to pay union dues.  Should there be a strike, the member must strike.  Union members often respect the strikes of other labor unions.  If the member does not want to participate in the strike, he/she must withdraw from the union.

A labor union  is defined as any organization whose main purpose is to represent the employee while dealing with employers regarding grievances, wages, hours, etc.  Union representatives participate, on the behalf of union members, in collective bargaining agreements with employers.  They negotiate terms and conditions of employment such as wages, working hours, conditions and responsibility of the trade.  Often both union members and nonmembers benefit from collective bargaining agreements.

There are two sides to the issue of unionism and right to work.  In Nevada, and in the other 21 states, we have the right to choose.  We hear both sides of this issue.  I know of people who refuse to join their trade union.  I know of other people who enjoy the association of a trade union.  There are viable reasons on both sides.

I chose to join a trade union for several reasons.  As a single parent, I needed to make a living.  I wanted to earn enough to pay the rent, keep the electricity and heat on, put food on the table, get around town and, most importantly, provide the things that Boy1 needs.  I knew that unions take apprentices into their trade.  An apprentice is required to attend school and master a variety of classes.  There is also on-the-job training where the majority of the craft is learned.  Union work sites in northern Nevada have good working conditions with reasonable work hours and non-mandatory paid overtime.  In this part of the country, work is usually all-year-round with little lay-off time.  Because of the current economic conditions, this is the first time I have been laid-off in four years.

Overall, I feel that joining a labor union was one of the best choices I have ever made.  I became well-trained in a craft where I had no experience in the beginning.  I am accepted by my peers as a capable hand in the trade.  I like what I do, and I like where I do it.  I participate when and where I can in my union, and I support my brothers whenever necessary.  I also make a decent living and can support myself and my children.  We have good health insurance, too.

I feel great pride and a sense of accomplishment when I drive past a building, and I can say, “I built that.”

Processing Processors

Computers are fascinating objects.  They have come a long way since computer technology was explored in the 1940s.  Our world would be a very different place without computers.  The technology has spilled over into other products such as cell phones, game stations and automobiles.  In fact, everywhere we look there probably is an item that is computerized, or will be soon.

The most important part of any computer is the CPU.  The central processing unit is the brains of the computer.  Its basic function is to run programs and applications.  The nuts and bolts behind this technology involves logic, algorithms. electrical circuits and other complicated aspects of computer science.  All that means is that the CPU tells the computer what to do and how to do it.

Computers, and the science behind them, were first explored in the late 1940’s.  They were made from tubes and wires and were pretty slow – faster than people though.  By 1964 IBM had come up with a new generation of mainframe computer that was capable of various applications.  Tubes and wires were no longer necessary as the real advance in technology were transistors and integrated circuits.  Although still room-sized, computers were much smaller and faster.  Semi-conductors led to microchips and the microprocessor was born.

Personal computing caught on when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak introduced the Apple.  By the mid-1980’s, it was obvious to the average person that this was not a fad or limited to corporations.  Soon, desk-top computers were everywhere, being used for just about everything.  Microprocessors became smaller and faster.  The competition was on.

Over the last few years, great strides have been made in the microprocessor world.  The latest thing, of course, is the dual-core processor.  A dual-core processor has two independent processing units that work together as an integrated circuit all on one silicon chip.  This technology allows the operating system to perform many tasks at the same time.

There are definite benefits to dual-core processors.  It is all about power. Multi-tasking with increased speed and the ability to work in many applications at once is one of the major selling points.  Graphics, images and games have improved and 3D images are readily available.  Music, video and photo editing are easier and quicker.  This is just the tip of the iceberg as manufacturers increase production of software that takes advantage of this dual-core technology.

Dual-core processors are becoming the new standard in computing.  While single-core processors are still around, old-school computers are much slower in comparison and they may not run all applications and software programs entering the market.  There is very little difference between the Intel Core 2 Duo 64-bit and the AMD X2 64-bit technologies. In the future we will see quad-core and even eight (octi ?) core processors as technology, computers and users advance in demands.

Bottom Line – Dual-core processors are the way to go.  Most new computers in the market take advantage of this technology.  I feel that pricing is in line with technology, and pricing should drop as consumers realize the new power available with dual-core processors.

So What??

The upcoming presidential election incites strong feeling in many individuals.  I am involved in an election campaign for the first time ever.  I volunteered at the local Democratic Headquarter.

Seeing the number of people who are truly interested in the outcome reminds me of the Nixon-McGovern election in 1972.  I was ten years old that year.  It was also the year that I really became aware of the ongoing politics and events happening around the world.  The war in Viet Nam was on the minds of everyone.  The shootings at Kent State and police brutality were fresh in people’s minds.  Shirley Chisholm, an African-American woman, attempted to get the nomination of the Democratic Party as candidate for president.  Political consciousness was very high.

The presidental campaign is going strong.  Barack Obama is the first African-American ever to be nominated by the Democratic Party.  The American people are involved like never before, emerging from the imagined safety of their homes to knock on doors, to talk to strangers.  The war in Iraq, the sinking economy, health care and taxes are the issues of today.  The issue of race is also, unfortunately, a big topic.

I am truly bothered by the prejudicial statements that are uttered in regards to both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.  Derogatory statements about women.  The N-word.  Belief that Muslim equals terrorism.  All that and worse.  It goes on and on.  Traditional mudslinging aside, these personal attacks are unfair and unwarranted.

Even if he was Muslim, SO WHAT?  The pilgrims who came to this country in 1620 were escaping religious persecution.  This country was founded on freedom of religion, which is guaranteed by the First Amendment.  In fact, putting someone down because of religion goes against everything it means to be an American.

Barack Obama, I feel, speaks TO the people, not AT the people.  His position on the issues of the economy, education, national defense, health care, foreign policy and others, are articulate, honest and intellectual.  He, and his plan for America, is just the change this country needs.  We need a return to the basic truths on which this great country was founded.

SO WHAT?  That’s what!  I could go on.

“…of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…”

Amendment 1, The Constitution of the United States

“The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude…”

Amendment 15, The Constitution of the United States

“…this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.’”

“…will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Martin Luther King “I have a dream”

Quad Core

The latest, greatest, most-est processing power for your dollar is… (drum roll) the quad-core processor.  Sometimes, power is everything.  The quad-core processors have been out for about 18 months or so.  That might seem like a long time, but for high-end technology, the trickle down factor is only beginning on the personal level.

The quad-core processor is a lot like the dual-core processor, but more so.  In a nutshell, two dual-core chips are next to each other to provide twice as much processing power.  These two chips still must communicate with each other.  They do this with a front-side bus.  Basic stuff.  True quad-cores are still a little way down the road, but the available quad-cores promise a lot.

The recent quad-cores are available in various makes and models.  Selection would depend upon usage and budget.  However,  there is improvement in processing speeds.  There are 45nm and 65nm.  A nm (nano minute) is 1 billionth of a minute.  The difference between 45nm and 65nm is that the smaller the number, the faster the processor.  Transistor density on the chip, with 45nm the most dense, means that the 45nm chip will use a little less power and run a little bit cooler.  In the not-too-distant future 25nm chips will be hitting upper-end markets.  MIT has been working on it, and they had a breakthrough not too long ago.  A word of warning, however, the consumer needs to check the motherboard for compatibility.  Some older motherboards cannot handle the upgrade to 45nm.  Good news, an upgrade is usually possible through a download on a secondary unit.  Worst case scenario is that you need a new motherboard.

Performance is significantly enhanced with the quad-core processors.  There really is not that much difference between the two sizes.  The most significant difference would refer to cache.  The smaller 45nm chip, because it uses less energy, has more available storage area for the cache.  This may or may not make a difference to the average consumer.  Specialized consumers may need to consider this aspect.  Overall performance gains for applications is up to 25% but averages around 10%, depending on make and model.  Performance gains for gaming, however are much more significant.  The vastly improved media capability enhances performance above 30% with an average of about 20%, depending on make and model.

One exciting aspect of the quad-core processors is the vastly improved media experience.  Both video and audio files are much more dynamic because multi-thread applications are more efficient.  Currently, intense gaming is probably the best and most popular usage of this technology.  The simultaneous video effects and audio from the improved processor speed contribute to a truly robust and integrated gaming experience.

The two main competitors are, of course, AMD and Intel. The Intel Core 2 Quad was first in the technology race, so they have a bit of a head start as far as manufacturing, production and market testing.  AMD is not too far behind.  Most of the early release machine bugs have been worked out, so the present generation seems to be up to par.  The AMD Phenom X4 Quad leads the pack with its fantastic media capability and mult-tasking ability.  Midway between the quad and the dual is the AMD Phenom X3 Triple processor.  Intel currently is offering both the Core 2 Quad and the Core 2 Extreme.  I did hear that there have been some problems with the Intel Core 2 series in regards to cache.  Apparently half of the cache was disabled in order to allow them to pass quality control checks.  I got the impression that there were other compatibility issues.  Perhaps this has all been resolved with the release of the Intel Xeon series which offers improved performance and cache storage.

General availability of the 45nm is still limited, but you can expect the market to catch up soon.  The 65nm processors have better availability.  Most of the newer applications, games and whatnot are manufactured with a dual-core processor in mind.  Some online gamers are using quad-core processors but are having mixed results.  The gaming community will probably be the first to upgrade as video catches up.

Price range for the quad-core processors are fairly reasonable, provided you can do the upgrade yourself.  Looking around, I found the range for both AMD and Intel to be from as low as $150 to a high of $2000 for the Intel Xeon series.  Like all things, if you know what you want, and you know what you want to pay, you can usually find what you want at the price you want.  The reverse is also true.  If price is no object and you want it right now, then you will pay whatever the going rate is at that moment, and that can be pretty high.

Bottom line.  Quad-core processors are part of the near future.  Software and application designers and manufacturers are in the process of expanding their objectives to meet the new hardware capabilities.  If I had a choice of getting the 65nm today or waiting until tomorrow for the 45nm, I would wait.  The improved technology seems to offer increased speed and power, and I am all for that.  I have used both Intel and AMD processors.  I find that they are pretty similar during day-to-day usage.  However, I think I would go with the AMD X4 over the Intel Core 2 Quad.  Then again, I might wait for the Intel Xeon processor to come down in price.  As software has not really evolved to take full advantage of the quad-core technology, I think I would wait, with baited breath, for that to happen.  The quad-core is exciting, but still in the NEAR future.  It won’t be long.

United States

Time:  January 2008        Place:  My House. Reno NV

I was taking a week off from work, to rest and clean, etc, before being assigned to another contractor.  The front door was open for fresh air.  An oil-heated house can get a little stuffy.  This older neighborhood, in January with snow on the ground and ice on the walks, rarely sees people knocking on doors.  Today, however, was an exception, and a woman was knocking on my door.  She wanted to talk to me about the upcoming primary.

Like a lot of folks, I really had not been paying that much attention.  Deep down in the pit of our souls, most ordinary people do not feel that it really matters, that big politics don’t really give a sh** what our lives are like.  Well, I spoke with this woman for about ten minutes.  She explained who Barack Obama was and what he stood for.  Then she talked about change.  Well, I don’t know who that woman was, but my life changed a little that day.  She opened my eyes to what the upcoming presidential election could REALLY mean to our future.

What if all the ordinary, working people supported a candidate who had fresh ideas?  A candidate who advocated change because he could relate to the every day realities of US, the people?  A candidate who was not afraid to be different, who, in fact, wanted to be a different type of candidate?  That day I became a supporter of Barack Obama.

Time:  October 2008       Place:  Meeting Room, Reno, NV

This week I have been volunteering for the Democratic Party. The local unions were coming together to volunteer, to rally, to support not only Obama, but all of the Democratic candidates.  My union sister and I, with our business agent, went to the Northern Nevada Labor Temple on Thursday to stuff folders for a large walking campaign on Saturday.  They were expecting about 300 union members to arrive from the San Francisco/Oakland, California area.

Think about that for a second.  San Francisco to Reno is about 225 miles, about a four hour drive, depending on traffic.  They wanted to arrive in Reno at 9:00 am, so they had to get on a bus at 5:00 in the morning.  You know they had to get up at least an hour earlier to get ready and get to the bus.  On a Saturday.  To campaign in a different state.  This was huge.

Why?  What inspires people to travel, just to knock on doors?

Is it hope?  Is it boredom?  Belief in something?  A free lunch?  Knowing that we are ALL in it together?

I spoke with a lot of the brothers and sisters today.  As working people, we are well aware of the disaster that our economy has become.  There are few people not affected by the rising costs of food and gasoline, sinking property values with increased payment and the continued loss of our jobs.  We have family and friends in the military fighting an ego-driven, pointless war.  Our government is buying shares in failing businesses.  The national debt is off the charts and has DOUBLED since Bush took office eight years ago.  If none of the children have been left behind, why is the drop-out rate so high?  It’s not like they can get jobs.  Health care, taxes, all these issues and more are affecting ALL of us every day.

There is no such thing as a free lunch.  We have been buying Bush’s lunch for eight years.

I quote…”When Bush took office eight years ago gas was $o.99  a gallon.  A few months ago, gas was over $4.00 a gallon.  We get excited about paying $3.25!  What a bargain!”  This is indicative of Bush’s two terms in office.  The cost of living has gone up, up, up.  Our economy has gone down, down, down.  Who is paying for that?  You and me, baby.

One of the speakers quoted a statement made by Barack Obama – “It is not about the red states or the blue states, but about the United States.”

We are ALL in it together.  It is not enough just to elect a Democratic president.  For the changes we need to be effected, we need to elect Democrats to the House and the Senate.  We need a strong majority.

I’m sure I don’t have to remind anyone to vote.

The Egypt Game

I am not exactly sure how The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatly Snyder got into my weekly stack of books, but it turned out to be an enjoyable little read.  This Newbery Honor Book was originally published in 1968 and reprinted in1976.

An eleven-year-old girl named April moves in with her grandmother, who lives in an apartment building far away from her home in Hollywood.  A girl with a lot of imagination, she meets Melanie and Marshall, neighbors from downstairs.  Together, the three of them discover a vacant lot off of an alley and turn it into their own private Egypt.  Using thrown-out junk, costumes and a little Egyptian knowledge, they have a temple, gods and ceremonies.  Eventually other friends join in, and the game expands.  There is a secret watcher, a murder and a mystery.  While learning the meaning of family and friendship, the friends find the answers to all three, and April finds herself a home.

This short novel for elementary readers contains warm characters and an interesting setting.  The idea of a private Egypt is refreshing, and April and her friends spend most of their afternoons there.  The use of personal imagination is brilliant, and they are quite talented at making costumes and artifacts.  I think that any reader who is looking for a different setting, or who has an interest in Egypt, will enjoy this book.

Snuff

An almost-adult novel, Snuff by Chuck Palahniuk touches on a rare subject in the world of fiction.  An aging porn queen wants to set the world record for most guys in one day.  Is she up to the challenge?  Is anyone?  Most of all, Why is she doing it?  What about friends and family?

These questions are answered in this humorous novelette.  At only 196 pages, it read very fast.  The interplay of the characters keep the story moving quickly.  The title, Snuff, holds the reader’s interest as we want to know if there will really be a snuff film or is it just a vehicle for involvement?

The subject matter is handled with taste, although the language is frank and basic.  It cannot be denied that sex sells.  This book may be about sex, but then again, maybe not.  Snuff was a sexy little read.  Go for it.

Full Moon Feast

I picked up Full Moon Feast by Jessica Prentice in the cookbook section.  This book is not really a cookbook.  It does contain some recipes, but recipes is not the purpose of this book.

Jessica Prentice is a food activist from the San Francisco Bay Area.  She believes that people should eat seasonally, should eat the foods that naturally grow at certain times of the year.  The concept of the thirteen full moons is used to demonstrate the natural cycles of the earth and produce that is readily available during those times.  Explanations and personal examples show just how easy and natural it can be to accomplish.

Whole foods and healthy eating habits have been on the minds of many shoppers and cooks for years.  Green growing habits, organic fruits and vegetables along with humane meat are attracting more interest than ever before as the use of pesticides and hormones offers concerns about health and disease prevention.

This book is a well-written explanation of the subject.  Her case is justified.  The recipes that are included use foods grown at different times of the year.  The farmer’s market in her area must be well-stocked indeed.  However, she visits local farmers regularly and sometimes helps with harvests.  The food at her table is probably terrific.  I learned from this book.  I like to eat healthy, and I am sure that most of us want to, also.

Early Voting

I voted on Tuesday.  I love early voting.

This particular election is based on some very important issues.  Personal feelings are strong.  There is the usual mudslinging, of course.  It would not be an election without the finger pointing.  I have heard it said that this election could be the most important in many people’s lifetimes.  There is no doubt that this country is at a turning point.  What our next president does during his turn in office is likely to not only affect us, but our children and future generations as well.  How the United States will be perceived around the world is also critical.  Our very future as a nation could be at stake.

Before early voting, elections were held on one day.  Each voter was assigned one polling place, and you could not vote somewhere else.  In some places, the lines were long.  This discouraged the less inclined to turn out.  It was easy not to vote, a thousand excuses were possible.  The opinion that a single vote did not matter was common.  Apathy was rampant.  Voter turn out was poor.

I believe that there is far less apathy this year.  Early voting started last week in some states.  This gives an opportunity to all people to get to a polling place and cast their vote.  No longer do you have to go to only one polling place but are able to vote anywhere.  The lines are much shorter and even nonexistent at some locations.  With so many locations and times available, there is almost no excuse not to cast a vote.  People who were reluctant to vote previously are now turning out to vote, some for the first time in many years.

Every vote is important.  Every vote counts.  This election will likely have the greatest turn out in decades, if not ever.  Abraham Lincoln said our government is of the people, by the people, for the people.  It is true that governmental laws and policies affect us all.  Should not ALL of us cast our vote?

After all, if you don’t vote – you can’t bitch.

Last minute choices

As this election progresses, I am glad that I have already cast my vote.  I tend to jump into the deep end of the pool as soon as I decide that I want to swim.  I am still satisfied with my personal choices.  I encourage everyone to vote as soon as possible so that your vote does not get forgot.

I am, however, a little disturbed by some of the statements that are coming out at this late date.  These seem to be last ditch efforts to sway your choice.  I am also tired of political postcards. Some of these postcards are from people I have never heard of.  Kind of late to the party, huh?  At least the Republican junk mail has slowed down – considering I am a Democrat.  True colors are on display now that the end is near.

Something about McCain has always bugged me.  Maybe its that smug little look on his face.  The vibes I get from him make me feel uneasy.  He appears to believe that he is so much better than us, that what we say and feel is unimportant to him.  During the debates this little look was all over him, like he couldn’t believe that he even had to defend himself and his policies at all, let alone to Obama and the rest of the world.  He will do as he pleases and to hell with everyone else.  Personally, I feel that his choices are suspect yet reveal a great deal about his character.  His age is also a consideration.  Should anything happen to him during his four years, who would take over???  Yes, we know, and we are not impressed.

I am not completely sure that a particular candidate thinks before she speaks.  She has been called a “maverick” by her own party and is viewed as uncooperative.  I am not sure that she is aware that her party, advisors and running mate are setting her up to take the blame should they lose.  Should the republican party lose this election, I hope that they remember how their campaign has functioned since the beginning.  There has been extensive mud-slinging, finger-pointing and a lack of positive focus on their position on the issues.  As a team, they are all responsible.  For that matter, what ever happened to losing with grace?  As is typical with the McCain campaign, the finger-pointing has already begun.

The VP may see this race as beneficial to her future as a politician on a name-recognition basis.  Deep down in the minds of all politicians is the recognition is that most Americans do not vote on track records or positions on issues.  They vote on name recognition.  The guy with the most signs wins.  The guy who annoys me the least gets my vote.  The guy who does not spam my cell phone is more liked.  The guy who is less scandalous is the guy we want.

I continue to be happy with my choice for Obama.  His name sticks in the mind – no Tom, Dick or Harry.  It is more than time for fresh blood in the leadership of our country.  I, for one, am tired of the old regime that has been in power.  I want to feel hope for our country.  I want to feel pride in being an American.  I want other countries in the world to look to the strength of the United States as a good thing, something to be allied with, not as a culture to be ridiculed or a government to hate because they want to control others.

Yes, choice is now.  Choose wisely.  Choose the old fashioned way.  Just get out there and record your choice.  Vote.  Today.

Flu

Attention, Attention…Get your flu shot!

I have just spent the last six days down with the flu.  Good thing I am one of those healthy types, or I would still be totally miserable with a brick in my head and an ucky feeling in my stomach.  I have managed to pass on the flu for the last few years, but this season should be a dilly!  Kleenex should be on sale.

I just want to pass on a word of warning to anyone who knows someone who should get a flu shot.  The elderly, the very young, people with chronic respiratory stuff, those that are in contact with the potentially ill.  All these folks should get the flu shot.  A dose of prevention is way better than a trip to the hospital.

Now I know that there are pros and cons to all immunizations.  If you have any questions about this year’s vaccine, by all means, contact a health professional.  If you do want to get the shot, get it early.  If you get it after you are already sick it is too late.

If you opt to skip the vaccine, stock up on your favorite cold cure.  I am partial to chicken soup made with a chicken – none of that canned stuff.  Also, a nice hot cup of tea with honey and lemon – don’t forget the shot the booze.  The booze might not cure the flu, but you might not care as much either.

May the health be with you.

Monday – Last Election Word

Tomorrow is the last day of the 2008 Presidential Election.  In fact, it is the official Election Day.  The schools will all be closed here in Nevada so they can be used as additional polling places.  I am getting up at 4:00 a.m. (yes, in the morning!) to help out the AFL-CIO’s last shot for the Democrats and Obama.

I have been sick the last week or so, but I have to get this out of my system.  Then we will all be stuck with the winner.

Let’s start with the sad news.

Where is Sarah Palin’s money?  Her annual salary is $125,000, her husband makes almost $100,000.  I assume she has credit cards, or something.  Why on earth does she feel that campaign contributions are her own personal piggy bank?  Doesn’t she have clothes of her own?  When she acts in the capacity of Governor of Alaska does she wear sweat pants and a moose t-shirt?

It is great sport to make fun of Sarah Palin.  My favorite is Caribou Barbie.  I understand that you can buy one now with a pitbull and lipstick.  I read another commentary where she was compared to a vapid beauty queen who said “um” a lot and thought that the United States and Africa were near each other.  I guess if you want to be in public office, you have to be able to stand the media.

I hope that whoever wins understands that there will be intense media scrutiny (more than now??) and international testing – a pushing of the buttons, if you will.  Any sign of weakness or reluctance will surely draw the jackals.

The good news – finally.

While driving my son to school, I pass through a semi-residential neighborhood that is about two blocks from the main street.  More and more political support signs have gone up over the last few weeks.  Nevada is not shy about who we support.  The best sign I have seen, though, is hand-lettered and posted in the windows of a corner house.  “REPUBLICANS FOR OBAMA!”

Oh, yeah.

Goodbye Sister Disco

I usually enjoy a good crime novel.  Crime holds my attention.  Goodbye Sister Disco by James Patrick Hunt is a novel of crime.  It starts out well with a party.  Then there is a murder and a kidnapping of an heiress.  I hate to give it away.  The FBI gets called in.  The local cop figures it out.  The bad guys die.  The girl gets away.

I have mixed feelings on this book.  The author alludes to some incident that occured in the past with the FBI and the main cop character, but it is never explained.  There is too little character development of the victim.  What about the bad guys?  The family?  Don’t forget the date.

While it was a fast read, there really was not a lot of depth.  I felt that with more development the story could have been richer, the characters would have been fuller and identification would be more prominent.  I wish there had been an explanation of the history of the police characters.  Perhaps I should have read his earlier works first.

I probably ask a lot from my fiction.  I did read it to the predicable end.

Look Forward and DO NOT FEAR

All of the waiting is finally over.

I spent all day Tuesday helping out with the local Obama supporters, running food and coffee, giving rides and pitching in wherever and at whatever.  I have never felt such a spirit of camaraderie, hope and most of all, commitment.  I want to thank each and every person who gave of their time, energy and support.  Without each of us, this election could not have happened.

I want to think that this spirit of cooperation is a positive symptom – that the realization that WE ARE ALL IN IT TOGETHER will return each citizen of these great United States to the discovery of our potential as a nation.  For too many years it has been us against them.  Deep down in each American heart, we know that when we band together we can change the world because we are NOT AFRAID to change the way we look at things, think about things and, most of all, DO things!!!

Let us ALL look forward to a future of hope, of change, of eventual prosperity and the return to greatness.  Let us get excited and involved.  Let us no longer be passive.  Let us all take charge of our lives and be accountable for our future.  We are ALL in it together.

Under the leadership of president-elect Barack Obama, the United States has the potential to redefine what it means to be American.  The belief that anyone can be anything they want to be through hard work and determination, respect for ourselves in the face of the world.  We do need to change, and we will, finally.

Wow.  What a sermon.  I, for one, am excited.  I look FORWARD.  I have NO FEAR.

Blood and Gold

I have missed the Vampire Chronicles.  In fact, I had thought that I had read them all.  Guess I missed one.  The return to the world of Marius and Armand, Those Who Must Be Kept and, peripherally, Lestast has been refreshing.

Blood and Gold by Anne Rice is the tale of the Vampire Marius.  As one of the oldest vampires chronicles by Ms. Rice, he has a long and extremely varied history.  The introduction of Thorne and his relationship to the Queen of the Damned is secondary to the retelling of the life of Marius.  How he comes into guardianship of Those Who Must Be Kept, his making, Pandora and Armand are stories that have lost nothing to time.

The prose of Anne Rice is masterful and engaging.  Her characters, while not-so-alive-in-flesh, are human and full of emotion.   My long sorjourn from her works and my re-aquaintance through the vampires has inspired me again to feel emotions I thought buried due to the realities of daily life.  Her works are not just escapist fantasy.  They are evocative of nature and the love of people that resides within us all.

The re-reading of any of her works is encouraged.  I like to feel.  I like to feel alive.  I WANT to remember emotions.  History is one of my passions.

Revisit Anne Rice.  I will be checking out her newer works.  She never fails to entertain and inspire.

The Good, The Bad & The Mad

I love people.  I love true characters, those who are what they are, and to hell with you if you don’t like it.  Gumption, that’s what it is.  The Good, the Bad & the Mad by E. Randall Floyd is a collection of the short-history of some decidedly interesting people that have had some influence on American History.

Each of the 37 short profiles is engaging.  There have been so many interesting people throughout American history that choosing the most entertaining was probably a challenge in itself.  Mr. E. Randall Floyd was short, sweet and to the point.  The profiles provided enough information to entertain but not so much as to bore.  The cast of characters is diverse yet related through a certain sense of dynamic individualism.

This book is a quick read that can be digested by topic or interest, or even read straight through.  What a great walk through some of the historic characters of our country.  Amusing to the very end.

Check it out.

Click

I majored in Business and Economics in college.  There is a certain fact about many text books.  They can be quite dull – sleeping tablets even.  Especially in topics like statistics and sampling theory.  Click by Bill Tancer is the exception that makes the rule.

Subtitled “What Millions of People Are Doing Online and Why It Matters,”  this book demonstrates some of the unexpected behaviors of the online community.  Working for Hitwise, a search engine analytical site, Mr. Tancer is privy to information that is either not thought of by the average person or underutilized by business.  The trending behavior of search engine users can be extremely beneficial to sites that rely on traffic.  Could this be the bulk of online sites?  It seems so.

Interesting parallels between different aspects of the consumer world, and what people are REALLY searching for, are provided in basic language without the high-falutin’ tone of many business tomes.  Mr. Tancer states that he does not consider himself a professional writer.  He is, however, quite adept at presenting his profession.  Credible, entertaining, provocative and applicable, Click is a voice for the future of marketing.  Anyone who is in business, online, or knows someone who is can benefit from this book.

Pass it on.

There But For the Grace of God

The current state of the ecomony affects us all.  I am sure that there are some lucky few that have not noticed or felt the hit, but most of us regular people can see the evidence every day – especially if we look.

There is a woman who lives in my neighborhood.  She lives in a house that has been converted to dinky little apartments.  This means that she has to walk her dog every time it has to “you know what.”  I live across the street from the park, so I have been seeing her for three years.  She does not have a car, so she takes the bus or walks wherever it is that she needs to go.  Until recently, she had a job at a near-by Walgreen’s store.

I have been unemployed for the last three months, so I have spent a lot of time at home.  This opportunity to look out at the neighborhood during the day has been interesting, if nothing else.  I have also been able to meet some of the people and talk to others in more depth than previously.

The Walgreen’s Lady is one of these folks that I have gotten to know a little better.  Six or seven months ago, she was picking up a few things at the store.  It was night, but not too late, barely even dark outside.  After leaving the store with her bag, she was assaulted by a couple of punks.  Now, this lady is 55 years old.  These punks hit her over the head with a piece of pipe so they could steal her shopping bag and purse.  She had like six dollars with her.  The hit on the head gave her a severe concussion and other medical problems including short-term memory loss.

She testified against these punks in court, and they were sent to prison for a couple of years.  Meanwhile, The Walgreen’s Lady has had to cope with the afteraffects of this attack.  She worked as a cashier, and was not paid a great deal of money.  The short-term memory loss she has suffered has given her difficulty on a daily basis.  After the attack, she did see a psychiatrist who stated that she could likely have problems with any job that required the use of short-term memory function.  She had to finally quit her job because she could not remember transactions, questions, answers, and other things related to doing her job.

She thought that with the doctor’s report confirming her inability to maintain productivity on a job that she would be eligible, or partly eligible, for some type of disability.  She was given an advocate to assist her with her claim.  She has been turned down is awaiting appeal.

In the meantime, she is on food stamps because she has no food.  She is on assistance because she has no money and no resources.  She is being forced out of her apartment because the landlord will not work with her on this.  She has to move out anyway because she cannot afford electricity.  County Mental Health is providing medication for her, but only temporarily.  The county is providing a spot in an assisted-living-type group home, but it is in a dangerous neighborhood with gang activity and drive-by shootings.  She has Crohn’s disease and insomnia.  Oh yeah, she has to give up her dog, her companion of almost ten years, too.

Frankly, she is scared.  Every day is a torment for her.  Because of her head injury, The Walgreen’s Lady cannot remember where she puts her keys, her food stamp card, whether she left the stove on or not.  She almost breaks down in tears when she talks about her situation.  Her family will not even talk to her or help her out because of some minor things in the past.  I let her come to my house, sit for a minute or use the phone.  Today I gave her a container of left-over lasagne.  She was so grateful, it almost broke my heart.

This could happen to any of us.  I see more and more people on the street.  Three times a day someone goes through my trash can looking for cans to recycle.  Last year no one did.  I used to see people sleeping in the park only during the day, in the sunshine.  Now, every morning the police show up to run them off.  Food banks are beginning to proclaim a lack of supply – that supplies have been dwindling for months.  The coming winter will be harsh indeed.

I may be unemployed, but I have eyes.  I can see others who are hurting worse than me.  I feel something that I do not think I have ever really felt before when I look at those around me.  Perhaps it is my own proximity or maybe just empathy.  I intend to give what I can.  It may not be much, but it is something.

There But For The Grace of God – Go Us ALL……………

Lucky Girls??

It will be nice to have young children in the White House again.  The times are so tough that a little bit of childish, playful laughter is desperately needed.  Hopefully, these two girls will soften up some of the Presidential atmosphere that has been so pervasive over the last few years.  A breath of fresh air is just what we need to clear the stuffiness from our heads.

Sure, there have been children in the White House.  Just about every president has had children.  Does George W. Bush count as a child?  (sometimes, but not today)

Malia and Sasha Obama are the youngest children in a long time about to enter the fishbowl that is the White House.  If they thought that the previous media attention was huge, just wait.  Both of these girls seem to be extremely well behaved and gracious in public.  Their mother should be proud.  Even in casual clothes, they are tidy and well groomed.  It must be tough to be that poised at seven years of age.

They got the private tour yesterday – I’m sure that they have already picked out who gets which room.  Redecorating is probably in order.  The last grade-school girl was Amy Carter, almost thirty years ago.

I understand that picking out the right private school is a bit of a chore, too.  They will be in good company with the children of the other Washington Importants.

Let’s not forget the dog, I mean future dog.  I hope that it gets a proper name, like “cuddles or puddles or mei mei (Chinese for little sister).”  I commend the Obamas for putting a lot of thought into this pet.  A rescue dog is a wonderful idea.  I assume that they will spay or neuter it.  They are also giving careful consideration into the breed.  Many people who get dogs don’t through that much thought – especially with pound puppies.  It is so easy to fall in love with them.  Good thing they haven’t heard about Caroline Kennedy’s horse!

I think that Malia and Sasha are two of the luckiest girls in the country.  It was a long road with a lot of tough times.  Getting there is only half the trip.  I wish them well and look forward.

SHAKEDOWN

I enjoyed Charlie Stella’ s last novel so much that I picked up one of his earlier works.  Shakedown is everything that a crime novel should be.  Published in 2006, Shakedown has lost none of its flavor.

Taking place in New York City, specifically Manhattan and Brooklyn, Shakedown is the tale of a retired mob bookmaker.  The timing of his retirement is suspect as his former boss recently turned rat.  The new boss figures a small “tax” should be paid, just to keep things honest.  Of course, he has an issue with that.

I feel like I could meet any of these characters on the street.  They are down-to-earth and 100% believable.  The reality of New York City is people – tons of people, from everywhere and doing everything.  People bump into you and push you off the sidewalk.  Street fairs overflow their barriers and traffic is constant.  It is natural that a ripple effect would occur.  One thing leads to another, and who knows who will be drawn in next?  Who knows who people REALLY are or what their agenda may be?

Shakedown weaves together nicely.  I like the part about the ring.  But does she say yes in the end?  What about the money?  Do you think the bad guy gets away?

Read it and find out.