Do you backup your blog?

BlogBackupOnline.com is a free service that backups my blog on a daily basis.  It currently has all 549 posts from this blog, starting with my Initial Post on 9/7/2003 (this post will be number 550).  When I found this service in May 2007, I had it run a full backup of my blog.  Once the full backup was completed, it was set to check my RSS feed for new posts on a daily basis.

 

Why did I worry about backing up my blog in May 2007?  To be perfectly honest, I really wasn't worried ... I just found a new blog related 'widget' to play with and had to try it out!

 

Images from my account BlogBackupOnline account(click to enlarge):

The image showing the Info tab (left image) shows Blog status (URL, Title, Blog type, # of posts and Space used) as well as the Images and feeds discovered within the blog.  The Dashboard image on the right is more basic information, but allows for adding new blogs to backup and manage the backup settings of the blogs already listed.

 

When setting up a blog for backup, the userid/password combo for posting entries is not requested/required.  If I wanted to backup a buddy's (bubby's) blog, I could do that very easily.

 

The reason the space used for my 549 posts is only 1.49MB is due to the fact all of the images from my posts are stored remotely away from the actual blogspot.com address for my blog.  Their FAQ page advises they are working on adding support for pictures and videos as well.

 

How can this help you? (besides if your blog host trashes your blog)

If you are currently using a hosting service such as Blogger, LiveJournal, Wordpress, etc and decide to move to your own domain, BlogBackupOnline has the ability to restore your previous posts to the same blog or a new blog.  (Blogger and the other major blog engines can be used to blog to a different domain).

 

After logging into the system, the Restore Wizard is as simple as:

1. On the Restore tab, input the URL and select the type of blog you are restoring to

       

2. Decide "Restore all my blog entries" or "Select blog entries to restore"

   If the second option is used, click Load blog entries, then select the entries.

       

3. Input the Username and Password needed to post to the 'receiving' blog

         (Yep, I like long passwords!)

      

4. Confirm your settings and click the Start Restore button

      

 

You can use the Log tab to determine the status of the restore process, as well as the daily backup actions:

     

 

The only issue that I am aware with in regards to the restore is the fact that Blogger (blogspot.com) will only allow the Restore Wizard to restore 50 posts per day until all have been transferred.

 

In case you were wondering, I am not affiliated with BlogBackupOnline in any way, other than as a very satisfied user of their service.  If you spend any time blogging, you owe it to yourself to go check this free service out.

 

Note: I keep a 'test blog' with Blogger that has the exact same template code as this blog.  When I try anything new out (Windows Live Writer, Restore Wizard from BlogBackupOnline, new ways of embedding videos, etc) or I feel like tweaking the blog template, I have a playground for the trials.  I have been involved with "Testing in Production" before, and it isn't any fun when things go south (which happens much too often with new technology).

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T-Shirt Alert!

As Found Here

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Don't ya just hate when....

.... life gets in the way of blogging?

 

More posts in the future, as life should be slowing down in the future (or I will run out of energy).

 

However, please enjoy this video in my absence:

From Crackle: Mrs hughes skewed views

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Prince Caspian

One of the fun things I have done with Hope over the past year is reading through the whole Chronicles of Narnia book series.  While the movie for book two (The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe) has been out for a while, it looks like the movie for Prince Caspian will be released May 16, 2008.  From the trailer below, it looks like the next installment has the potential of being better than the first!

 

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I have found the perfect plaque for my office

As found HERE

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I'm a VPP (Very Proud Papa)

 

Those of you who don't know, I was raised in an OU household, of which I am not ashamed at all.  My favorite state school team was the Sooners, prior to my employment at OSU.  Now my two favorite teams are OU and OSU.  Yeah, there is a lot more orange in my closet than red (at least on my side) primarily out of loyalty to my employing campus. 

 

With that having been said, who would have expected to see the University of Oklahoma logo presented at the top of one of my blog posts?  Well, it is being done by a very proud papa of a high school senior that has completed all of the requirements to apply for an early admissions to a Masters of Occupational Therapy program at OUHSC. Yes, I said Masters program.  Occupational Therapy is a field Sarah has been interested in for quite a while.  Recently she found that OUHSC has an early admittance program to the MOT program for high school seniors, depending upon their GPA, test scores and having confirmed observation time (shadowing) with a practicing OT.  She has the grades and test scores, and recently completed all the required hoop-jumping to get her shadowing hours completed.  She submitted all of her paperwork for the early admissions yesterday.

 

Admittance to the program holds a spot for her once she has completed her bachelor's degree, which doesn't have to be completed at OU.  Being that OT is a growing field, and the graduate placement rate is almost 100%, the program is growing increasingly difficult to enter.  Her taking the initiative now, as a high school senior, will pay off huge dividends in the future.  In short, she won't have to spend her senior year in college worrying about gaining admissions to a graduate program!

 

No, it isn't guaranteed that she will be accepted into the program, but that isn't a major concern (who is stupid enough to deny/reject my daughter? It would just be their loss!).  I am just amazed at how well she has squared away her plans for the future. 

 

Extra Info:

My dad was an Alumni of OU Medical Center.

 

Just to show the level of OU involvement by my family, here is the ring-tone that plays when my mom calls my cell phone:

       

        which can be interesting when she calls during normal business hours!

 

However, I do have to have a little OU humor somewhere, so here it is:

 

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Five-Second Rule Extended to Eight Seconds

ATLANTA (CAP) - Bowing to pressure from advocacy groups and a lobby effort dating back three years, the Weights and Measures Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology has agreed to expand the age-old Five-Second Rule to eight seconds beginning next month.

 

"With all the pressures we all face on a daily basis, nobody has the time they used to," said Pete Olsen of Focus On The Family, which began lobbying the NIST back in 2004. "Three seconds may not be much, but every little bit helps."

 

Focus On The Family originally sought a rule expansion to ten seconds, citing the continued increase in the number of single-parent households as the primary factor in their request. "The numbers of cookies and crackers remained the same, while the sets of eyes to respond and react dropped," said Olsen.

 

However, the NIST countered by offering to increase the limit one second each year from 2008 to 2011, which Focus called "a watered-down attempt to throw red tape at a systemic problem." An arbitrator was brought in last June to help both sides reach an agreement.

 

After months of arbitration, both sides agreed to concessions as part of the deal to change the timeframe of the rule. Among those concessions:

- The Berber Carpet Clause was expanded to include a ban on households with cats. For households with dogs, the rule still only applies to short-hair breeds.

- Section 4.1.2b regarding gum and gummy bears was also expanded to include children's "fruit snacks." However, the two sides could not reach agreement on Starburst chews and had to reserve judgement for a future time.

- Foyers, sunrooms and entryways were added to a special section of the Approved Rooms List that accounts for appropriate weather conditions. For the drier months of July and August, the Eight-Second Rule will now apply to the floors of these rooms.

 

The two sides also agreed to meet on a bi-yearly basis going forward to review all the stipulations of the rule to make sure it continues to meet the needs of a busy population.

 

Originally reported by CAP News

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Truth in advertising?

I don't watch television that much, but when I was in Chicago last week, I was able to catch a couple hours of viewing Friday night.  I already realized that there are numerous medications for ED (erectile dysfunction), but one of the Cialis commercial was found to be quite humor.

 

Seems they have a 36 hour formula that "means you can be flexible".

 

Excuse me?  I thought 'being flexible' was the problem to begin with.....

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Quick trip to Chicago

As of this weekend, I have been to Chicago twice in the last two years (previous visit).  The previous visit was give a presentation to the Barr Foundation Board of Directors.

 

What is the Barr Foundation you ask?  I will give a short answer here, but provide a more detailed description in the future.

The Barr Foundation has a three-fold mission:

1. Provide financial assistance to amputees in need to provide prosthetic components.

       (those who have no financial mean, not to help with insurance deductible)

2. Provide assistance in third-world countries with donated components.

3. Promote the Ertl procedure of lower limb amputation

 

For the last three years I have been very instrumental in the promotion of the Ertl procedure, via both being the webmaster of ErtlReconstruction.com and talking to as many people as I can about it.

 

This visit wasn't primarily to give a presentation to the Board.  It was actually attend as a "Director nominee".  After the meeting was called to order and previous meeting minutes reviewed/approved, the first order of business was to review the nominees and vote on their membership status.  My nomination was approved by a unanimous vote (as was all the others who voted in).

 

Another item of distinction of the evening's meeting was when the foundation operation method was modified to utilize committees to move forward.  Previously, before Tony Barr passed away, the president of the foundation was very active in all aspects of the mission.  It was really his full time job.  However, all of the directors have their own full time job, with foundation work being an additional responsibility in their life.  As such, we have split the functional areas (Executive, Financial Assistance, International Missions & Ertl promotion/education) to be governed by small committees, with them reporting back to the Directors as a whole.  While non-foundation members are allowed on the committees, the primary rule is that at least 50% of the committee members must by BF Directors.

 

I have been asked to be the chairman of the Ertl Education committee.  Another one of the new Directors, Dr Jan Ertl has agreed to be on the committee as well.  I already know of one non-director wishing to be on the committee and I have an idea of another I am going to ask to join us.  When all is squared away with the committee, it will probably look like a grade-school kid leading three Phd students around.  Reasoning is that the committee will most likely be comprised of two orthopedic surgeons, one internationally known CP (certified prosthetist) and me.

 

That's all for now, but I have a feeling there will be several posts in the future about the Barr Foundation in general, with detailed posts about Ertl activities.  

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Sitting in an airport waiting for my flight...

Found this and thought I would share it here:

Scientists Decode the First Message From an Alien Civilization... Simply send 6 x 10 to the 50 atoms of Hydrogen to the Star System at the top of the list, cross off that star system, then put your Star System at the bottom of the list and send it to 100 other Star Systems. Within one-tenth of a Galactic Rotation you will receive enough hydrogen to power your civilization until entropy reaches its maximum! IT REALLY WORKS!

<><><><><><><><>

Happy 100th birthday OKLAHOMA!

Have a great weekend
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Can you said AAA?

Associated Press:

SOUTHWORTH -- A man trying to loosen a stubborn lug nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs, Kitsap County sheriff's deputies said.

 

The 66-year-old man had been repairing the car for two weeks at his home northwest of Southworth and east of Port Orchard and had gotten all but one lug nut off the right rear wheel before getting frustrated Saturday, Deputy Scott Wilson said.

 

From about arm's length the man fired the shotgun at the wheel and was "peppered" in both legs with 00 buckshot and other debris.

 

Wilson described the injuries as "severe but not life-threatening."

 

I think an annual membership with AAA would have been a lot less expensive!

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60 'channels' with plenty to watch (except the final score)

Last week I received a call from the Support Service Captain of our University Police Department, asking if I would like to start working for them running their camera system for selected sporting events. He explained that they had a new system being installed with the number of cameras being too great for their current staff to be able to maintain along with their other duties.  Being that I have been offering to help out in their Command Post for the past few years, I quickly agreed to the request.

Interesting side note: When I was an officer with the PD, this Captain was a Lieutenant and was responsible for my getting involved in computers and information technology items way back in the dark ages.

 

Fast forward to today... After arriving at the PD and getting my press box credentials, I went to the squad room to attend my first police briefing in a dozen years.  In the room were many officers I had worked with previously, a couple I had trained and several new faces.  About halfway through the meeting and before I had been introduced, Renee (my lovely bride) called me.  In case you are wondering, this is the ring-tone I have for her:

 

      

       Yep, that is Hot Legs (by Rod Stewart)

       Yep, my phone wasn't on silent

       Yep, I answered the phone and exited the room very quickly

       .... and, Yep I turned several shades of RED

 

Once I returned to the meeting, I was introduced as a former officer who had been asked back to run the new camera system at the stadium.  After the normal police humor was shared and laughed about, the briefing was adjourned and all were transported to the stadium.

 

Once I got to the stadium I was presented with:

 

   (click on pictures for larger versions)

 

What you see here are eight monitors, controlling four zones of cameras.  Each zone uses two monitors, one showing either 14 or 16 images from the zone cameras and the other showing a full size image of the particular camera being controlled.  I used the first hour or so learning the system controls, which worked out fine considering we got to our locations a few hours before the game began.  Once the stadium started filling up, I was able to quickly focus one, if not more, camera(s) on the areas officers were dispatched to for various issues.  Everything considered, it was a good day.

 

Well, it was a good day, if you didn't consider the football game.  Someday the Cowboys will understand there are four complete quarters to play.  All was good and then ... Poof! Just like that, a 21-point, mid-third-quarter Oklahoma State lead vanished before my very eyes.

 

Yep, Texas scored 24 unanswered points to come from behind.  They kicked the winning field goal with 0:00 left on the clock!

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If You're Reading This - Tim McGraw

 

If you're reading this
My Mommas sittin there
Looks like I only got a one way ticket over here
Sure wish I could give you one more kiss
And war was just a game we played when we were kids

I'm laying down my gun
I'm hanging up boots
I'm up here with God and we're both watching over you

So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed that it would go
And if you’re reading this
I’m already home

If you’re reading this
Half way around the world
I won’t be there to see the birth of our little girl
I hope she looks like you
I hope she fights like me
Stands up for the innocent and the weak

I'm laying down my gun
I'm hanging up boots
Tell dad I don’t regret that I followed in his shoes

So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my momma always prayed that it would go
And if you’re reading this
I’m already home

If you’re reading this
There’s going to come a day
When you’ll move on
And find some one else and that’s ok
Just remember this
I’m in a better place
Where soldiers live in peace
And angels sing amazing grace

So lay me down
In that open field out on the edge of town
And know my soul
Is where my Momma always prayed that it would go
And if you’re reading this

If you're reading this

I'm already home

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I should have bought this shirt 2 years ago...

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Eye Test

Polish man goes to the optometrist. The optometrist says "could you please read the line second from the bottom on the chart?"

E

O U

C S U

N Y P D

B I S O K

Q W E R T Y

G O P O K E S

B L O G S P O T

S T A N S T A C Y

U R B A N O W I C Z

L O L H A H A R O F L

 

So the Polish guy says "Read it?? I know him!"

 

(special joke for a special reader)

key to eye-chart

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Hello, I'm Ron .... and I'm a seed-aholic

(this is where you say: "Hi Ron")

 

I can't remember how long I have been a sunflower seed lover, but it has been since at last junior high or before.  Anytime I drive long distance, you can usually find a package of seeds and paper/styrofoam cup right next to me.  I usually have the excuse of 'eating seeds helps me stay awake when driving long distances', which is actually true considering the constant action required to enjoy them:

     1. pour in the hand

     2. throw them into the mouth

     3. position extras around the jaw

     4. crack shell open

     5. eat the seed

     6. spit out the shell

     7. repeat steps 4-6 until out of seed

     8. Go to step 1

 

I am the type of person who finds something they like and sticks with it.  Why take a chance on ordering/buying something you might not like?  As such, I normally just buy David Original sunflower seeds. However while attending a football game a couple of weeks ago, a guy sitting beside me had a bag of David Dill Pickle sunflower seeds.  Yep, dill pickles (another of my eating vices).  Being that most seeders are not overly selfish with their supply, I asked for a small sample and was quite surprised with the taste.  So much so that it was hard not to ask for a few more samples. ;-)

 

As we were gearing up for our trip to Colorado Springs last week, Renee went to the corner Conoco (best vendor for David seeds) and got me a big bag of DP seeds and surprised me with them.  Yep, she loves me more than you will ever know!

 

One thing I have learned over the past few years is the fact I have to 'seed responsibly as the sodium content will increase fluid retention.  Normally that isn't a problem, but as an amputee, fluid retention/settling in my residual limb (pc term for 'stump') makes it difficult to put on my prosthetic limb of a morning.  When driving to Mexico in 2004, I ate seeds almost continuously, while my pros was lying the floorboard beside me.  When we got to a rest stop, I wasn't able to get my leg completely on!  With the construction of my newer leg, I have a better method of driving comfortably (without worry of fluid issues).

 

After going to DavidSeeds.com to get images for this post, I found a few more flavors I may have to try:  Bar-B-Q, Jalapeno (hope it is flavor and not heat) & Nacho Cheese.  But, I think I will stay clear of the Ranch (never have liked ranch) and Sizzlin' BBQ (not into the heat).  I might have to find an official Travel Cup as well.

 

You just gotta love a few of the quotes/slogans from David's website:

The DAVID Seeds Travel Cup makes a statement that says. "I am a Seeder, and I Spit Responsibly."

Eat, Spit, Be Happy

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First view of the day

(camera phone just doesn't do it justice)

 

Obviously, we aren't in Stillwater this morning.  However, this was the first view of the day as we woke up.  This view is out of the living room window at our friend's house, and if you don't recognize it, you are looking at Pike's Peak.  You can't see the Air Force Academy for the trees.  Needless to say this was an incredible site to wake up to.

 

Being that we got here way past Dark:thirty, this is the first thing that Hope saw when she woke up:

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The Beauty of Math

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

 

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

 

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

 

Brilliant, isn't it?
And look at this symmetry:
1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

 

Now, take a look at this...
101%
From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%? What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?
Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?
What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:
H-A-R-D-W-O-R- K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%

But:
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:
L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, It's the Love of God that will put you over the top!

Have a nice day & God bless!!!

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If you look at the complete process...

It's pretty amzing that our society has reached a point where the effort necessary to extract oil from the ground, ship it to a refinery, turn it into plastic, shape it appropriately, truck it to a store, buy it, and bring it home ....

 

 

... is considered to be less effort than what it takes to just wash the spoon when you are done with it!

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Pencil Politics

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Vindicated ... somewhat

As many of you may already be aware, I am an amputee as of Dec 2003 (as a result from trauma received during a fall in June 2001).  One of the good things that has come out of this experience is the ability to provide support/mentoring for other amputees or those soon to be amputees.  I am also the webmaster for ErtlReconstruction.com, a website the promotes the Ertl procedure of amputation (overview of procedure).  While I don't work for any surgeons or medical facilities, I do maintain close email contact with both my surgeon (Will Ertl) and his cousin (Jan Ertl).  When I receive inquires for the surgeons, I normally reply back to the sender (with a bcc to the surgeon) letting them know I have forwarded their message accordingly.  I have no control over the length of time it takes the surgeon to get back with either me or the original sender.

 

Two days ago a friend from Croatia emailed to let me know that an individual in an internet forum was attempting to locate Dr Jan Ertl (the forum site is hosted by Heather Mills).  I went to the site and found the thread in question that was originally started in early August of this year.  I recognized the information of the original posting individual as one that I had recently had several email messages from/to, and had even called him to chat about his situation. 

 

The thread started out with this individual (let's call him "Bob") inquiring from the forum readers if anyone had the contact info for Dr Jan Ertl.  That inquiry included:

....the information on http://www.ertlreconstruction.com/ is NOT good enough. I have emailed though their site a few times with no results

 

One of the readers (Freddy) provided the suggestion of:

When I clicked on webmaster I got this email address. Did you email him?
webmaster@ertlreconstruction.com webmaster@ertlreconstruction.com

 

The response from "Bob" was:

Yup Freddy I've tried that 3 times now and all you get back is -- "I've forward your email to Jan Ertl. --webmaster Ron King". the ONLY thing i have not done though the Ertl site is make an appointment with one of his brothers and then drill them for Jans location and contact info and I bet that would go over like a lead zeppelin but thank you for your efforts

 

As I have already stated, I have no control over the speed and timing of the responses from the surgeons.  But, since "Bob" mentioned my name, I felt the need to share my side of the story.  So, I entered into the thread with this:

Quick note from webmaster Ron King:
I maintain the ErtlReconstruction.com website at the request of the Barr Foundation. I do not work for any of the Ertls, or the medical facilities where they are practicing. Also, I have no control over the speed at which they reply to email messages that I forward to them. All I can do is continue to forward the info as often as requested.

 

Jan has been away from an active practice for quite a while and I believe he is preparing to enter back into practice, however I am not able to share that location until everything is confirmed.

 

I thought, at least I get to put my side of the situation out there for whoever cares.  What I didn't expect was "Bob" posting one additional post for the rest of the world to see:

Hi Ron,
This is an old post and I'm the one you helped hunt down Jan, I have talked to both you and Jan since I last posted here. However I would like to tell everyone else here on the boards that RON was a great help to me and is a fabulous person to talk to if anyone ever needs information on the Ertl procedure or anything amputation related for that matter. Ron has always responded to my questions and has been a great help to me personally in my quest to get an Ertl amputation. Thank you Ron for you wisdom and information and you do a great job keeping up the Ertl web site.

 

I don't believe "Bob" meant for his message with my name in it to "tarnish my reputation".  However, I did take it as somewhat of a personal slap, especially considering how powerless I am in regards to getting information back from the surgeons.  As such, you have no idea how much that final message from "Bob" meant to me.  He could have just let it look like I was just trying to "save face", but he took the time to share with all the forum readers (and it really is a very active amputee forum) that I am one who strives to help others in their time of need. 

 

"Bob", if you actually follow the links in some of my emails to you, THANKS!!!

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Amber Alert info

In a previous post I shared how to have your cell phone help you (Have you got an ICE?), this post I want to share how to have your cell phone help others.

 

Unless you have been hiding under a rock since before 2002, I would think you are already aware of the AMBER Alert system.  Please read this entire post, or at least jump to the bottom for IMPORTANT info.

 

From www.AmberAlert.gov:

Where and why did AMBER Alert first start?
The AMBER Alert System began in 1996 when Dallas-Fort Worth broadcasters teamed with local police to develop an early warning system to help find abducted children. AMBER stands for America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response and was created as a legacy to 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, who was kidnapped while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas, and then brutally murdered.

 

How does it work?
Once law enforcement has determined that a child has been abducted and the abduction meets AMBER Alert criteria, law enforcement notifies broadcasters and state transportation officials.

 

How effective has it been?
AMBER Alert has been very effective. AMBER Alert programs have helped save the lives of over 200 children nationwide.
Over 84 percent of those recoveries have occurred since October 2002 when President Bush called for the appointment of an AMBER Alert Coordinator at the first-ever White House Conference on Missing, Exploited and Runaway Children

 

What are the criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts?
Each state AMBER Alert plan has its own criteria for issuing AMBER Alerts. The PROTECT Act, passed in 2003, which established the role of AMBER Alert Coordinator within the Department of Justice, calls for the Department of Justice to issue minimum standards or guidelines for AMBER Alerts that states can adopt voluntarily. The Department's Guidance on Criteria for Issuing AMBER Alerts follows:

• Law enforcement must confirm that an abduction has taken place
• The child is at risk of serious injury or death
• There is sufficient descriptive information of child, captor or captor's vehicle to issue an Alert
• The child must be 17-years-old or younger
• It is recommended that immediate entry of AMBER Alert data be entered into the FBI's National Crime Information Center. Text information describing the circumstances surrounding the abduction of the child should be entered, and the case flagged as Child Abduction.

Will my carrier charge me for receiving Wireless AMBER Alerts?

No. The carriers who are participating in the Wireless AMBER Alerts Initiative have entered into an agreement with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that requires them to provide these alerts at no additional cost to consumers. Your wireless phone must be capable of receiving text messages (virtually all recent models qualify) and your service plan must include basic message receipt capability. If you have any questions, you should contact your wireless carrier.

 

IMPORTANT Info:

How can your cell phone help others?

Please visit www.wirelessamberalerts.org to sign up for free notifications of Amber Alerts in your area. 

 

When you input your cell phone number, you will be taken to signup page specifically for your cellular service provider.  You are only signing up for Wireless Amber Alerts, your number will not be shared with any third party or used for other purposes.

 

You can see how the system works here

 

If your loved one was abducted, wouldn't you want to know that thousands of individuals in your specific area are alerted about it?

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'tis a fine tide fer scuttlin' documents

Yo-ho, today`s test o' th' Document Imagin' system recovery o' deleted items be a complete success. After scuttlin' a wee number o' parchments from th' system, I enlisted th' help o' a salty sea-dog and a JimLad to help me recover them from Davy Jones` locker.

 

If you are wondering what the above said, here it is in today's english:

Today's test of the Document Imaging system recovery of deleted items was a complete success.  After deleting a few documents from the system, I asked a couple of other IT members to help me recover them from the back-up tapes.

 

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day (Sept 19 each year)

 

For some more fun, you can read several previous TGP blog entries that have been translated into "pirate speak" here: TGP - Talk Like A Pirate version.

 

For help in talking like a pirate, visit these links:

Video - How to talk like a pirate

Pirate Speak

Pirate translation page

My pirate name is:

Shark Tooth Brody

Every pirate is a little bit crazy. I, though, more than just a little bit. Two things complete my pirate persona: style and swagger. Maybe a little too much swagger sometimes -- but who really cares? Arr!

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Live or Memorex ...

....quotes from the past that ring true today!

I didn't check these quotes at Snopes for accuracy, because I really don't care. I agree with the sentiment of the thoughts:

***********************************************
It appears we have appointed our worst generals to command forces, and our most gifted and brilliant to edit newspapers. In fact, I discovered by reading newspapers that these editor/geniuses plainly saw all my strategic defects from the start, yet failed to inform me until it was too late.

Accordingly, I am readily willing to yield my command to these obviously superior intellects, and I will, in turn, do my best for the Cause by writing editorials - after the fact."

- Robert E. Lee, 1863

***********************************************
"Congressmen who willfully take actions during wartime that damage morale, and undermine the military are saboteurs and should be arrested, exiled or hanged."

- President Abraham Lincoln


Sent via my Windows Mobile device
(which may explain why it was short)
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Pop quiz time!

OK faithful readers, I've decided to spring a pop quiz on you.  It is an "open internet" test, so Google and Wikipedia are allowed as reference material.

 

One single question:

What fun thing is scheduled for next Wednesday, Sept 19?

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Attention!!!

Aliens are coming to abduct all the good looking & sexy people.
You will be safe, I'm just leaving this quick post to say goodbye!
 
Sent via my Windows Mobile device
(which may explain why it was short)
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From Spam to Scam

The previous post indicated I ended up assisting with the spamming of those in my address book by a phishing attempt by a new networking website.  Now I would like to share about another internet user that wasn't sucked into a scam that would have cost him a G4 Powerbook.

 

MyNameIsJeff had offered up a 19 day old G4 Powerbook on EBay which attracted the attention of scammer Scont06.  MyNameIsJeff recognized the scam and proceeded to pull a reverse-scam on Scont06.

 

Long story short: Scont06 shelled out considerable amount of $$$ thinking he was getting this:                                 When he actually got this:

 

Long story long:

If you would like to read about the entire process, you can follow these links:

     Building the P-P-P-Powerbook

     Sending if off

     Getting through customs

     The scammer responds

         Complete story in single PDF file

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I didn't mean to spam you...

Quechup.com - See below why this text isn't linked to the website

 

I've been on the Internet for a dozen yers and have very rarely been taken in by phishing schemes, but this site's deceptive practices were too good. It spammed everybody in my address book after telling me it would just look for people who had already signed up. Nowhere in the fine print does it say it will do this. This site deserves to wither and die.

 

Most social network sites have some sort of address book lookup feature. However, reputable ones report back who is and isn't on the service, and then give you the choice to email some, all, or none of the contacts that aren't. Quechup saves you time by skipping that bothersome "obtaining consent" step.

 

Some of the bloggers who have written about this have had commenters respond that there is a disclaimer about the invitations. A quick review of the privacy policy and terms of service make no mention of this practice. Below is the actual text you receive before beginning the address-book search:

Congratulations! Welcome to Quechup. Find out which of your friends are already members. Choose the address book with the most contacts and we'll search for matches so you can add them to your friends network and invite non Quechup members to join you. By inviting contacts you confirm you have consent from them to send an invitation. We will not spam or sell addresses from your contacts. See our privacy policy.

 

In the strictest possible interpretation, yes, it does say they will invite non-members. Anybody who has used address book search on another social network, though, will be expecting the opportunity to select which addresses are invited. The only way to prevent someone from receiving a message from Quechup is to remove them from your address book before starting the search: That just isn't acceptable, as far as I'm concerned.

 

As evidenced by the large number of intelligent individuals currently issuing apologies for accidentally spamming everyone they've ever known, I'm going to declare this one a deceptive practice. The average user - indeed, even the above average user - is unlikely to interpret the "warning" to mean "We will send an invitation to everyone in your address book without any further action on your part." It's deceptive, it takes advantage of users' good faith, and it's creating a lot of headaches.

 

If you were one of the many individuals in my address book who received spam from Quechup.com using my address book .... I am extremely sorry!

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You might have a problem if...

... you need to sue a police department to get your porn collection back!

 

A man recently convicted of secretly videotaping a woman and a teenage girl sued the investigating police department for the return of a huge porn collection taken during the investigation.

 

His lawyer has described the collection as unrelated to the peeping case, and as such should be returned to him.  "There's absolutely no legal foundation for them withholding perfectly legal adult-oriented material," attorney Jon Rankin said. Rankin also advised the video colection alone is likely worth $10,000.

 

Link to news story

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Lifehouse Everything Skit

This was sent to Renee via email...

She shared with me...

I'm sharing with you...

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Put Michael Vick in the past

Ok, ok ... what Michael Vick did was bad and I'm not condoning his actions whatsoever. But it was dogs that he was mistreating. Where is all the outrage and disgust when children are neglected, abused or killed? Or is the fact that abuse against women and children happens so much that we are just immune to the action and let it go by unnoticed?

Let M.Vick have some jail time (and fine and suspension from NFL and etc), but as a society, we need to make sure the ones who are ding the same type of actions against other people get extended lodging at the cross-bar motel as well!
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Caption Winner

I listen to 89.7 The House radio station and they have a run a "write a caption for this picture" contest.  When going reviewing some of the previous winners, I found this one and had to pass it on to my faithful readers:

 

In this 1973 photo, the rock band "The Marshmallows" plays their hit single "Your Fire Melts My Heart". After the performance, the crowd threw graham crackers and Hershey's candy bars at the stage, shouting "we want s'more!"

 

One of the runners-up (Honorable Mention) in the contest entered with:

The next Cingular commercial rehearsal:
"More bars in more places. CUT CUT! Who put Short Bobby on the left?!?

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Babs and AD, sitting in a tree..

Yep, you know the rest of that:
K ... I ... S ... S ... I ... N ... G

Here I am going through my RSS reader and find that AD (Ambulance Driver) has a posting with title of Boy Meets Girl (guess who is boy). After reading his post, I saw that Babs (Just Me, Just Peachy, or whatever name she is using currently) posted this response.

Ain't that sweet?

I like to follow AD's blog because of the medically related stories he shares. Renee has asked me several times that if I could have a "do over" on my career of choice, what would I pick. I normally response EMS/Ambulance. Being an ex-cop, I know what they do and I highly respect the profession, and think I would excel in the job.

AD has another blog, which is actually a blog-based novel he is writing titled Star of Life which I am following closely (and wishing a few more chapters would get posted - hint hint). If you can get past the numerous f-bombs, it is really a fantastic story. AD has another book out, which I have requested via inner-library loan and am currently waiting on to get here.

Note: If you got to read the Star of Life novel, remember it is blog based, so use the blog archive options on the left to start in July to read the "Prologue" and work your way up toward "A Brief Respite"
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One week without a cell phone or other electronic device

Sprint challenged several of their employees to give up their phone, handheld device and broadband card for a week...

 

Could you survive? (I'm not sure I could)

 

During the week the employees blogged their experiences and it makes for some interesting reading. Check out all the details HERE

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I wish I could make some some endusers do this.....

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New adventure

I was asked to be the manager of a small 15 unit apartment complex here in the great metropolis of Stillwater, America.  After determining that there is an on-site maintenance (jack of all trades) resident, I accepted the position.  It shouldn't take a large number of hours each month, but will be a nice little addition to the bank account.  My primary duties are to collect rent and late fees (mailed to a central PO box), ensure minor maintenance issues are resolved, coordinate major maintenance issues (serious issues for the professionals) and "be there" for the residents. 

 

I spent a good number of hours this weekend straightening up the lease contract (since most tenants have been staying on a month-to-month basis due to previous leases being expired) as well as creating addendums for Pets and Parking, as well as other various forms and spreadsheets.  I also met with the maintenance guy to discuss a new Maintenance Request Form that would have a a tear-off section to be left behind in the apartment when the work is completed.

 

This evening, I went around with the current manager and introduced myself to all the tenants that were home.  I was able to share how some things won't change (still mail your check to the PO box), but other things will:

-- Email receipt of rent payment to be sent

-- New maintenance schedule (air filter each qtr & smoke detector batteries twice a year)

-- New maintenance form, with better communication method

-- More interaction between management and tenants, especially via email.

 

Now that I look back on this weekend, I have put in a good amount of work, and I don't officially start until Sept 01.  It should make for an interesting year!

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Where have I been?

The last couple of posts have shared a little about my last two weeks.  I will try to share a little more here, and then try to return to my "usual jovial self" next week.

 

As many of my regular followers (all three of ya ...hahaha) know, I am an amputee, with the lower half of my right leg missing.  I went through 2.5 painful years between the initial accident (June 2001) and the final surgical procedure of amputation (Dec 2003).  One of the good things to happen during this time was recognizing a possible reason for me to go through all this:  help others when it happens to them!  That has been a major piece of the previous two weeks.

 

Time travel back about 8 weeks:  I am the webmaster of ErtlReconstruction.com.  As such, I receive emails on a weekly, if not daily basis, from amputees, potential amputees and/or the family of both groups.  I normally reply with the info I can, forward the message to one of my surgeon contacts and work as the middle-man during initial communications.  I got an email from MJ (name withheld for privacy reasons) about his accident, how he is looking into the possibility of needing to have his leg amputated and was wanting to contact a particular surgeon.  I got an additional message about MJ from a prosthetist friend of his as well.  Something about MJ's situation made my ears perk up much more than they normally do (divine intervention). 

 

Unknown to me at the time was the fact that surgeon was getting ready to go off the grid for several weeks on a much-needed family vacation.  Long story short: I got MJ in contact with my surgeon in OKC and we got everything scheduled for his amputation in a very timely (and surprising) manner.

 

In the weeks since our first contact, MJ and I had numerous conversations on the phone to discuss issues such as the pros and cons of amputation, mentally preparing for the procedure, possible levels of pain during recovery, changes to daily activities and items to get for the house to assist in daily activities, etc.  Renee even offered to talk with MJ's wife to share the "spouse's side" for the change.  That offer was accepted, with an almost 2 hour conversation as a result (those two can talk non-stop).

 

Without getting into all the travel-troubles they had, MJ and his wife 'flew into' OKC on Monday, 06 Aug.  Renee and I already had plans to be in the area of OKC since Sarah was flying out the next day to see a friend, so we stopped by and introduced ourselves in person (finally) at their hotel.  While there was tension in the air due to a pending surgery in the morning, the visit was one that I will always remember.  MJ and his wife are absolutely GREAT people.  After talking about his visit with my surgeon earlier in the day, and showing off my prosthetic leg and how it works, he called his mom to come down to the room, as his parents had travel to OKC to be with him during this time.  I can see how MJ turned out to be such a great guy, as he had great examples in both his mom and dad!

 

Tuesday rolled around and MJ's first operation was done (for various medical reasons, the amputation was staged between two surgeries).  Renee and I stayed with the family all day and made sure MJ was squared away in his room before we left. I knew he would be without his foot when I walked into his room, but now I know a little of how Renee must have felt when she first saw me in that condition. We returned on Wednesday, and then was there all day long on Thursday, when the 'big surgery' happened.  All that time, I was the one being asked tons of questions about pain, procedures, expectations, etc.

 

MJ and his wife left for their home on the west coast Wednesday evening (this week).  Renee and I were with them to help get packed, etc.  When they drove off, it was a very sad moment, as we have been drawn together through a very tough, but compassionate, situation.  I have mentored/counseled dozens of amputees over the years, but haven't been with one completely through the process (in person).  It brought back a lot of feelings, many of which I really need to deal with as I continue to make myself available to other amputees.

 

I mentioned how great both MJ and his wife are, and I want to show just a little of that.  When they were sending their email updates to their family and friends, they included the following (shared to show their graciousness, not blowing my own horn):

 

...and a tremendous couple from Oklahoma, Ron and Renee King, who have been helping MJ with this entire process over the last couple of months.  Ron is also an amputee, and he has been guiding and mentoring MJ via phone calls and email.  Ron and Renee spent time with us on Monday night at our hotel to help us out, and they also came to the hospital this morning and stayed with us through MJ's entire recovery, making sure we had everything we needed and that MJ was receiving the best care possible.  They have been amazing.  They have provided as much support and comfort to me as they have to MJ, and I just can't thank them enough.

 

Ron and Renee King, our wonderful friends out here, got to the hospital at 9am and didn't leave our side until MJ was settled back in his room at 6pm.  They kept MJ's mother and I occupied with wonderful conversation and company all day.  Renee loves to talk as much as I do, and she is so gentle, compassionate, and strong...so I have developed a very special love for her (and Ron of course!).

 

Renee and I both agreed about one thing: While our amputation ordeal was difficult, being there with MJ and his wife was just as difficult, but for different reasons.  It probably boils down to the fact it is hard to accept that others have to deal with this type of situation.  But that isn't going to slow me (or Renee) down in being there to provide support for others as needed!

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Back, but only for a short while

Following up on the "Off the Grid" message:

 

1. Annual Leave: much enjoyed, very busy and extremely too short

2. Sarah flying off:  Still gone, gets back Wednesday evening (Yep, I miss her)

3. Spending time with a new amputee: He, and his family, appear to be doing well

4. Wireless connection toast: Found a work-around (I'm very happy about that!)

 

Taking a few more days of annual leave this week (Tuesday- Birthday & Wednesday- Sarah returns!)

 

Time to apply nose to grindstone......

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"Off the grid" for a short while...

Due to a few reasons:
1. Annual leave...
2. Sarah flying off to see a friend...
3. Spending some time w/ a new amputee...
4. McAfee's update on 30 July which toasted my wireless connection...
I won't be posting for a while.

I will be at work a few days between A/L sessions, but I will probably be required to actually work (go figure). I am keeping a list of posts going, be they original content or links to other great posts I have found lately.

I will be using my trusty Windows Mobile device to stay up-to-date with my normal blog I follow....

TTFN!

Sent via my Windows Mobile device
(which may explain why it was short)
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DIY: Add a counter to your blog

I received a cry for help about adding a site counter on a blog from one of my 'faithful readers'.  This blogger was able to follow the instructions and add a counter (with a link for guest viewing of the stats).  After visiting their blog and seeing that they received a request for instructions to do the same thing, I thought I would share the instructions here:

 

   1. Sign up with StatCounter.com (that is the one I use for all my projects)

   2. Configure the counter the way you want
           (There is an option for an invisible counter, which I use)

   3. Get the code for the counter (copy it)

   4. Log into blogger.com (if not u

   5. From the dashboard, click on the Template link for your blog

   6. Paste it where you want the counter to be displayed

       (mine is just before the </body> text at the end of the template

   7. Preview to see how it looks (if not using an invisible counter)

   8. Save Template Changes

 

If you don't use Blogspot.com for blogging, you are on yor own from step 4 to the end.

 

Bonus Link: Here is an interesting spin on Tetris:  Statetris

                 'Assemble' the United States .... Tetris style (three levels of difficulty)

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For my RSS followers

If you read my blog with a full web browser, you don't need to read this posting if you don't want.

 

One of the primary ways I follow most blogs is via an RSS reader on my Windows Mobile device (Opera Mini), but I try to visit each in a real browser at least once a month to see if there are any template changes or new links in their sidebars.  I recently added a few blogs to my Blogroll account and didn't want any of you to overlook them, so here is my complete list (with Mingle2 ratings).

 

In alphabetical order:

     Ability Trek Tracker - G

     Ability Trek Blog - G

     All I want is a good night's sleep - G

     Ambulance Driver - NC-17

     Behind the Times - R (been a long time since you posted, Kevin)

     Better and Better - NC-17

     China Girl - G (welcome back Estee!)

     Cop the Truth - R

     LAPD Blog - G

     Law & Disorder (blog formerly known as Cop Talk) - G

     Mr. Police Man - G

     My 5150 World - PG

     Negative, Ghostrider - R

     Our 5150 Life - PG (no relation to 5150 World)

     The Internet Ate My Homework - G (the blog that got me started)

     The Johnny Law Chronicles - R

     The Life I Lead - PG-13

     WWdN: In Exile - PG-13

 

There is a mixture of friends, law enforcement, medical, military and anything else that tends to catch my attention. I normally find new blogs by following sidebar links from blogs I like, or by visiting the blogs of people who leave comments at the blogs I already follow.

 

Note: I didn't list the various technology related blogs that I follow to keep apprised of work related issues.

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Hey Coach, this is the wrong ball...

How is this for a trick play?

Awesome Football Trick Play

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Prepare to make a mess..

Warning: Do not follow the below link if your bladder is full or if you are drinking something.  I have a feeling you will make a mess on yourself if you do.

 

A blog I recently started following (A Day In the Life of An Ambulance Driver) has a Crocodile Hunter that is too hard to explain.  You just have to read it for yourself here. 

 

Note: Mingle2 Blog Rating shows the Ambulance Driver blog to have an NC-17 rating due to language.

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What Cops Know...

'Borrowed' from Johnny Law Chronicles, who shamelessly stole from The Enforcer

• The running speed of a German Shepherd is at least twice that of the average out of shape tweaker. If you are going to attempt to outrun one, please calculate the "Rate x Time = Distance" formula ahead of time if you want to avoid getting bit.
• If they say they "just met" another person, then they are close friends who just committed a crime and don't want to be implicated with aforementioned friend.
• Anyone who goes out of their way to acknowledge you is hiding something.
  Anyone who goes out of their way to ignore you is hiding something.
• If you get called to a 911 hangup and a guy answers the door with a 9 month old child in his arms and says "Oh, the baby must have accidentally dialed it", he means he was just involved in a domestic that he doesn't want you to know about. Sometimes the same guy has a $25k felony warrant as well.
• If you borrowed a BMW from a friend it's not unreasonable to expect you to know your friends last name.
• If I can see a 12 year old in your house finishing a beer bong, I don't need a warrant.
• If they tell you they borrowed the jacket from a friend, just before you search it, they've got something, and it's still gonna be their jacket.
• If any part of my conversation with you includes you saying, "These aren't my pants," you are about to go to jail for having drugs in your pocket.
• Any person who absolutely cannot sit still or hold a relevant conversation to pertaining subject, and does not mention desperate need of the lavatory, is either: 1) illegally transporting something
         2) under the influence -or-
         3) possessing some felony warrant out for them.
• If I ask you the day or month you were born and you have to think about it, I don't believe your answer.
• If the company you entertain includes crack, meth, and/or heroin users I may act like a professional when you call me for the burglary report but I'm secretly laughing my butt off at the poetic justice of the situation.
• Speaking to me and starting your phrase with, "Screw you, you can't do..." will quickly make you the victim of your own ignorance.
• EVERYONE lies. The bad guys lie to try to get out of trouble, the victims lie to make their plight sound worse and/or to make the bad guy look worse. The truth is usually somewhere in between.
• Nobody in the history of the world has ever had "just a couple of beers" and then ended up in contact with law enforcement under circumstances where the amount of alcohol they have consumed is a factor.
• I know ALL my cousin's last names. Especially the ones that I know well enough to borrow their car. So should you. Unless they aren't really your cousin.
• "I get a check" is not the answer that tells me you are a solid citizen when I ask you where you work.
• No bathroom, ANYWHERE, in any house, is large enough to fit everyone who was in the house when the shooting happened. If you tell me you were peeing outside when I point that out, you better be able to show me a wet spot.
• If you look right then left more than once while talking to my face, you are about to wear handcuffs or sit in the back seat of my unit, I do not like foot pursuits.
• If I ask you "is there anything in the car that's illegal" and you say "not that I know of" or "there shouldn't be".....I get very excited..it's like Christmas morning.

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Couple of mp3 files to share...

While looking for a specific ringtone to put on my phone for Renee, I found (what I believe to be) a very humorous parody based on Abba's Dancing Queen song about Lance Armstrong.  I hope you enjoy it half as much as I did: 

    

     click the pretty pink button to start it 

 

And, yes, I did find the ringtone for Renee.  Here it is:

    

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Cheese Truck Catches on Fire, Creating Fondue

SACRAMENTO, Calif. —  A tractor-trailer hauling blocks of cheese erupted in flames early Thursday, turning much of its cargo into freeway fondue.

 

No one was hurt, but boxes containing hundreds of pounds of provolone, cheddar, American and other cheeses clogged the burned truck and littered the side of Interstate 80 north of downtown Sacramento.

 

"It went pretty quick," said truck driver Frank Barker, who pulled over at 3:45 a.m. when he saw smoke coming from under his truck.

 

Barker said he tried to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher, but the fire was too big. He gave up and rescued his dog, who was traveling with him from Salt Lake City to the San Francisco Bay area.

     Link to story

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Did they say "Oops" or "Sorry"?

Firefighters Break Into Wrong House During Drill

 

BRAINTREE, Mass. —  It looked like a textbook training exercise, but there was something amiss.

 

Firefighters drove to a vacant house on Tuesday, cut holes in the roof and walls, and broke windows to test their tools and their proficiency.

 

The problem? It was the wrong house.  They were supposed to be two blocks away at a house slated for demolition.

 

The owners of the damaged home now want the town pay for the mistake, but they're trying to keep a sense of humor about it. "Accidents happen," said Jeffrey Luu, who owns the house with his brother, Clayton. "Luckily, nobody got hurt," added Clayton Luu.

 

The home had been vacant since an electrical fire last year left a scorch mark up one side. The knee-high grass had not been cut in several weeks. The owners were planning a renovation of the house — just not this much of one.

 

The fire department is conducting an internal investigation, Deputy Chief John Donahue said in a statement, but officials otherwise remained tightlipped and red-faced about the incident.

 

Meanwhile, the house where the firefighters were supposed to train was demolished later Tuesday as scheduled.

       link to story

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New site to visit

Now, according to the rating system provided by Mingle2, the Blank Top Chronicles blog is rated NC-17 due to the language.

 

Setup: The blog is written by a DC taxi dispatcher relating various calls and customer interactions during his various shifts of duty.  I have been involved with both law enforcement and tech support long enough that I can even hear the various phone conversations as I read them.  The main difference is that the blogger (as he reports it) actually says the things that most of us would only dream about saying after the phone is hung up!

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Basketball quote

A buddy of mine met a college basketball coach last week (identity/college not shared to protect the innocent).  During their conversation, the coach shared this classic quote:

My team has some great outside shooters ... unfortunately, we play all our games indoors.

You just gotta love a coach with humor!

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10 Commandments .... in a couple of different formats

Several years ago, I was asked to 'step in' to cover for a Sunday School teacher, but wasn't given a topic to cover.  Since the class was to be the 6-8 year olds, I thought I would talk about the ten commandments.  Being a visual learner myself, I found a some images to easily convey the actual commandment and add in remembering.  Here are those images:

 

	1. "You shall have no other gods before Me"       (God should be Number One)
	2. "You shall not make yourself any graven image"      (Don't bow down to anything but God)
	3. "You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain"       (Don't use your lips to dishonor God)
	4. "Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy"       (Don't neglect the things of God)           -supposed to be a 'hole' in the Bible-
	5. "Honor your Father and your Mother"
	6. "You shall not murder"
	7. "You shall not commit adultery"       (Adultery leaves a heart broken)
	8. "You shall not steal"
	9. "You shall not lie" (a "lying" nine)
	10. "You shall not covet" (want what others have)

      PDF of the above, with larger images

 

 

The latest Veggie Tales video, Moe and the Big Exit, tells the story of the exodus from Egypt in a Western setting. The whole thing is pretty funny, but one of the 'Easter Eggs' in the DVD lists the tem commandments as they might have been given in the old West:

 1. Y'all have no other gods b'fore Me.
 2. No makin' idols.
 3. When y'all use my name, y'better mean it.
 4. Lay off the trail one day a week.
 5. Mind yer ma and pa.
 6. No killin' folks.
 7. Dance with who brung ya.
 8. No swipin'.
 9. No lyin'.
10. No hankerin' for things that ain't yours.

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A Periodic Chart I can understand

When I was in high school chemistry class I had trouble with the periodic chart ... primarily because whoever put it together didn't have a clue how to abbreviate:

K = Potassium

W = Tungsten

Fe = Iron

Cu = Copper

Ag = Silver

Au = Gold

Hg = Mercury

Sn = Tin

????????

 

My brother sent me a link to a Period Chart of the Internet:

 

While it is easiest to view in the Opera browser (because you can change view magnification), it is interesting to look at .... and there are not nearly as many confusing abbreviations on it.

 

Oh ... Happy 07-07-07 day (which is much better than June 6th last year)

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How many times is the basketball passed?

Watch the below video and see if you can count how many times the basketball is passed between the white shirted players. 

Make sure and count the 'bounce passes' as well.

 

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3-Legged Race champs!

Word to the wise: Don't enter a 3-legged race against an amputee unless you have a firm understanding of the rules.

 

Steps to win:

1. Find the fastest runner
2. Tie your prosthetic leg to one of his legs
3. Release the suspension pin but leave your residual limb (stump) in the socket
4. When Go! is yelled, remove your residual limb from socket and watch your partner win the race.
5. Optional step: Have video camera to capture the moment (we forgot this one)

We had a small gathering at our church this evening and one of the planned events was a 3-legged race.  The pastor and I had planned for the above 'race strategy' since early Sunday morning.  The littler kids had already run their races and were standing at the finish line when the older youth and adults were scheduled to tun.  I really wish we had setup a couple of cameras, just to catch the expressions on both the kids watching pastor run with a "fake leg" strapped to his leg, and one to view the other racers when they clued in to what was happening.

 

We also had watermelon seed spitting contests (distance, not accuracy), trailer rides (behind the riding mower), horseshoes, frisbee golf, food and then sparklers as it was getting dark.  Even though we had a small turn-out, we all had a blast!

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Seventeen years ago yesterday ...

.... I was on patrol during a very slow and boring Sunday morning shift. My Sgt called me on the radio and instructed me to 10-19 (return to station). When I got there, Sarg asked for my car keys and radio. With a puzzled look on my face as I was handing thm over I was told that Renee had called and her 'water broke'. Needless to say, the boring Sunday morning ended quite rapidly.

Sarah made a grand enterance to the world the next day (17 years ago today) at 3:07am.

Happy Birthday Princess!

Sent via my Windows Mobile device
(which may explain why it was short)
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A bit of fun...

 

Here's a little novelty - a site that rates your blog similarly to the MPAA ratings.  One word of warning - don't copy their code into your template. It appears to contain a link to some sort of dating site.  I just copied the image and then manually linked the image to their site.

 

If you get your blog rated, leave me a comment telling me how it turned out!

    (yep, shameless cry for comments)

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I am thinking of going into the Phone business

I have a design for a phone with the following specs:

-Glass screen (easily broken so will get replacement charges)
-No 3G (to complicated)
-2MP camera (all the other phones are moving to higher specs so I should be able to get them cheap)
-No GPS (see 3G)
-No expansion slot (no fiddling allowed)
-No replacement battery (more support charges I can make)
-No MMS (people only use it for naughty video clips anyway)
-No IM (hey use your phone if you want to contact someone)
-No video calling (see 3g and MMS)
-No video capture (see above)
-No VOIP (see IM)
-No 3rd Party apps (see expansion slot)
-No Stereo BT A2DP - (I want to sell some special headphones so everyone will know what you have)
-Oh and for good measure I will lock the phone to specific carriers and charge you a fortune as part of a 2 year deal.

I'm thinking of calling it The Lemon. Do you think I will get much of an interest in people buying it?

Hang on - there's the phone, fax, snail-mail and emails going mad - seems everyone wants one!.

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HMM Promotes the Ertl Procedure

If you visit Heather Mills McCartney's website (her logo is linked to the site), click on the Ertl Procedure link at the top of the middle column.

 

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My Favorite Things

To commemorate her 69th birthday last year, actress/vocalist, Julie Andrews made a special appearance at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall for the benefit of the AARP.

One of the musical numbers she performed was "My Favorite Things" from the legendary movie "Sound Of Music".  Here are the lyrics she used:

Maalox and nose drops and needles for knitting,
Walkers and handrails and new dental fittings,
Bundles of magazines tied up in string,
These are a few of my favorite things...

 

Cadillacs and cataracts ,and hearing aids and glasses,
Polident and Fixodent and false teeth in glasses,
Pacemakers, golf carts and porches with swings,
These are a few of my favorite things.

 

When the pipes leak,
When the bones creak,
When the knees go bad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don't feel so bad.

 

Hot tea and crumpets and corn pads for bunions,
No spicy hot food or food cooked with onions,
Bathrobes and heating pads and hot meals they bring,
These are a few of my favorite things.

 

Back pains, confused brains, and no need for sinnin',
Thin bones and fractures and hair that is thinnin',
And we won't mention our short shrunken frames,
When we remember our favorite things.

 

When the joints ache,
When the hips break,
the eyes grow dim,
Then I remember the great life I've had,
And then I don't feel so bad.

 

Ms. Andrews received a standing ovation from the crowd that lasted over four minutes and repeated encores.

 

Urban Legands Reference Pages: My Favorite Things 

Claim: Julie Andrews sang an old folks' parody of "My Favorite Things" to celebrate her 69th birthday

Status: FALSE  (but too good to pass up!)

http://www.snopes.com/humor/iftrue/andrews.asp

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To the dads:

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!

Sent via my Windows Mobile device
(which may explain why it was short)
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Someone has too much time on their hands.....

Besides several personal and work related blogs, I have also looked for various law-enforcement related blogs to read.  One of them is My 5150 World.  As stated in the header of that blog, "5150" is California Welfare and Institutions code for Lights are on but nobody's home!  The blog is maintained by a dispatcher who is married to a cop, so there are plenty of opportunities for great law enforcement stories.  She posted a series of entries (intended to look as one long post), using her kid's toys.  The following is a repost of those entries (posted here with permission):

 

Yes, As a Matter of Fact, I DID Have too Much Free Time on my Hands...

I was walking through the room yesterday and I glanced down at what I at first thought was an intact, discarded Cookie Monster. Then I noticed the stuffing and those two little plastic eyes staring up at me from nearby. I looked at my dog, Gabby and she had a little Cookie Monster stuffing, caught in her whiskers. I busted up laughing, and thinking, I caught you! And then my crazy imagination took over. And the result is the following story. I really hope you enjoy it.

 

Uh, OH! "C" is for "Crime Scene"

 

Our Hero in Blue, is the First one the Scene!

 

Here Come the Firemen

 

The Ambulance has Arrived. Oh, no. Looks Like "C" is for "Coroner's Case!"

     (Notice the tourist. Tee hee.)

 

 

Sorry, Mr. Policeman, There is Nothing For Us To Do. We Are Outta Here. Good Luck!

 

And They are, Going, Going, Gone...

 

But You KNOW the Firemen Will Get All the Glory.....

 

...And the Police Will Get All the Paperwork

 

THE END

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