May 18, 2012

Admin — Fri, 18 May 2012 05:01:59 +0000

Greetings Quotaholics,

I experienced a few moments of panic and terror a couple of days ago when I got up in the morning to check my email and facebook and could not get online. It took me a few minutes of fiddling around with different strategies and a couple of phone calls to figure out the cable company was working on the lines outside the complex I live in. In the meantime while waiting for the problem to resolve itself I turned on my clock-radio and picked up a book to read. Yes, a real book made out of real paper.

It was with great relief 30 minutes later that I discovered everything was back to normal. I could then go about my usual morning routine of wasting time…uh, er…reading my online correspondence and catching up on what went on in the world while I slept. I used to subscribe to something called a “newspaper” a long time ago before the internet. You can google “newspaper” if the term is unfamiliar to you. But my morning sessions with the ol’ ‘puter have taken the place of reading my newspaper in the morning. I prefer the Internet. The news is fresher, newer, and there are no messy, annoying stacks of paper to be recycled. That, and the crossword puzzles are infinitely easier.

I know I’m not alone in my reaction. Who among us, and millions of other Internet users, has not experienced a moment of panic when we go to our computers and are unable to establish an Internet connection? The first thing that probably crosses our minds, as it did with mine, is did we pay our Internet bill? Maybe we have service as part of a “bundle” so perhaps we check our telephone and cable TV too to see if they’re still working (for those of us that still have a landline that is.) Then we probably call a neighbor to see if their service is also out or maybe call our ISP to check our bill balance and to see if they have any trouble reported in the area. Well according to a report that has been circulating for a while and which I’m finally taking seriously especially after the panic and terror of a few days ago, hundreds of thousands or maybe even millions of us may lose our internet service sometime in June or July. I have been hearing June until I happened upon this source article in fark.com.

According to the FBI, back in October they announced they had broken up a crime ring when they arrested six Estonians in what they termed “the biggest cyber criminal takedown in history.” Apparently, over the last four years, the crooks had hijacked more than 4 million computers in 100 countries through the use of malware known as DNSChanger. Operation Ghost Click, the feds name for their sting operation, put an end to the scheme but the problem remained. If they just shut down the Estonian servers, the 4 million infected machines would be unable to reach the Internet.

The FBI tried to warn people but it didn’t do the best job. They slapped up a PDF on the Web and assumed people would find it. After a round of stories spread about the impending cyber-Apocalypse or Internet Doomsday the FBI got some Internet smarts and it unveiled a new website where computer users can check to see if their computers are infected with DNSChanger.

I’ll admit at first I ignored this “rumor” as just another scare-story about another deadly virus that one hears about periodically. I do, however, intend to check it out as soon as I finish up here. The scare I had a few mornings ago made a believer out of me.

How about you, dear readers? Anyone heard of this new killer virus? Are you worried or do you have confidence in your virus protection program…you DO have a virus protection program, don’t you? What kind of virus protection do you use? Would you feel safe with one of the free ones available over the Internet? How would you feel if you suddenly woke up and couldn’t get Internet service? Would you panic as did I? Btw, does anyone out there still subscribe to a newspaper? How many of you still have landlines?

GrammieSammie

I don’t believe in email. I’m an old fashioned girl. I prefer calling and hanging up.
~Sarah Jessica Parker~

Computers will never replace good old-fashioned human stupidity,
~Unknown~

I’m too old-fashioned to use a computer. I’m too old-fashioned to use a quill.
~Christopher Plummer

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Today’s Quotes

All of us are experts at practicing virtue at a distance. - Theodore M. Hesburgh

Horses are uncomfortable in the middle and dangerous at both ends. - Attributed to both Christopher Stone and Ian Fleming

Today’s Chuckle

Knot String
[Thanks dEE]

A string walks into a bar with a few friends and orders a beer. The bartender says, “I’m sorry, but we don’t serve strings here.” The string walks away a little upset and sits down with his friends.

A few minutes later he goes back to the bar and orders a beer. The bartender, looking a little exasperated, says, “I’m sorry, we don’t serve strings here.”

So the string goes back to his table. Then he gets an idea. He ties himself in a loop and messes up the top of his hair. Then he walks back up to the bar and orders a beer.

The bartender squints at him and says, “Hey, aren’t you a string?”

And the string says, “Nope, I’m a frayed knot.”

Life Sentences

A hallucination is a fact, not an error; what is erroneous is a judgment based upon it.

Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.

What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite. – all from Bertrand Russell, 3rd Earl Russell, British mathematician, writer and philosopher, Nobel laureate, born on this day in 1872

Image’n That!

And It’s Not Going To Be The Dog!

My Most Embarrassing Moment
My Scariest Moment

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15 Minutes Of Fame
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Speak right up!

BJ’s Ponderings

Life Versus Virtual Reality

I was introduced to computers when I was in the Air Force in 1962. I worked off and on in the ISD area for forty years as first a Computer Operator, then a Programmer, then a Programmer Analyst II, then a Systems Analyst an Operations Manager, Network Manager, Database Administrator, Security Administrator and then starting my own consulting company. I pretty much called the shots at my 9-5 job, but during it all, I saw where computers led to de-humanizing of man and that bothered me, but like the mercenary of olden days, I took the money and ran. Times moved on and I saw not only the de-humanizing effect, but the social change, facebook, twitter, emails, etc, people connecting by various means, except by personal contact. Church attendance drops, society is changing forever for good or for ill.

Here are some stats to ponder…

A survey of 2,200 mothers turned out that 21 % of 4 and 5 year olds knew how to use a Smartphone or iPad application, while only 14 % of those same kids could tie their shoes!
Children 2-5 years old, 69 percent could operate a computer mouse, 58 % could play a computer game, but only 52 % knew how to ride a bike.
Where have we gone wrong when we, as parent have allowed our children to learn about computers before life skills?
Twenty-five percent of 2-5 year olds could a Web browser, yet only 20 % knew how to swim.
We know technology is changing the world but is it all beneficial?

What happens if a child grows up and needs to write a story and his computer is ‘down’. Will this child be able to conduct himself in an interview with a ‘real’ person. At what cost are these advances? Should we seek more of a balance?

Note: I borrowed the stats from Jewish World Daily.

BJ

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Kirsten’s Krazy Kaleidoscope

Email Kirsten

“Zero Tolerance = Zero Common Sense = Zero Justice”
~ Some Internet Guy ~

Yesterday, my younger son James, who is six, got into trouble for taking a weapon to school. My husband had to go to the principal to convince her that James should not be suspended, even though this was a serious offence, one that the school board has no tolerance for whatsoever.

I mean, weapons at school. What is the world coming to?

The weapon in question was a water pistol. It’s made of plastic, and it’s bright blue and yellow. The business end of it has tiny little holes to allow the release of tiny little water droplets. It is activated not by a scary trigger, but by a bright orange button. In other words, it looks like the toy it is. It’s not like anyone would use it to rob a bank or mistake it for an AK-47.

When my husband spoke to the principal, she agreed with him that it was ridiculous, but said that “rules are rules” and “procedures have to be followed”. James was let off because this was his “first offence”, the water pistol was returned, and everyone went home.

There is so much about this story that doesn’t make sense. Firstly, the principal seemed to be implying that water pistols and real guns would receive treatment of the same severity. Secondly, what’s with that “first offence” business? Do you really mean to tell me that a kid bringing a real gun to school would be let off if it was his or her first offence? I mean, we’re not talking about kids getting caught smoking behind the bleachers.

And thirdly, I’m bothered by the fact that such a big deal was made of this at all. Allow me to repeat: it’s a water pistol.

Now, I know that schools are routinely applying this anti-gun policy, which is great, but is this not taking it a little far? I mean, James doesn’t even understand what exactly he did wrong. As far as he was concerned, he just shoved a toy into his backpack so he could show it off to his friends, the way kids do when they’re six. He sees no difference between a water pistol and, say, a toy car.

If the school really feels the need to ban water pistols, what’s wrong with the idea of gently explaining to the child that this particular toy is not allowed? Calling the parents and telling them your child has a weapon at school seems to be overkill.

Am I wrong? Was the school justified in its reaction? Or is this an example of zero tolerance gone mad?

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

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Lucille’s Lunacy

I made the most delicious soup a couple of days ago. I used a little bit of hamburger, some left over chicken, some broth, and a lot of veggies. It was nutritious, and promised to provide Mom and I with several delightful meals.

As it bubbled away on the stove, it occured to me that it’s flavor could be enhanced. I added a whole red pepper to the mix, thinking that a little spicey addition would only make my masterpiece better. I could pull the pepper out after it had had a chance to bestow its magic on the concoction, and surely a culinary masterpiece would result.

The first night, the soup was pretty good. Mom thought the pepper was a little strong, but the flavor of the soup was otherwise very pleasant. She added a few crackers to her bowl, and was content to indulge.

The next night, we had a salad. It too was proof of my chefly status, and was consumed with great pleasure by all. Last night, we turned back to the soup, which had had time for its flavors to marry, and should thus have advanced from yummy to gourmet status.

With a flourish befitting the magnificence of my skill with pot and pan, I presented Mom with a full bowl’s proof of my culinary talents. I also supplied her with crackers and a large glass of ice water. As it turned out, I should have included a fire extinguisher as well.

Two bites into my offering found Mom describing my cooking efforts in less than glowing terms. Indeed, the words she used were quite impressive. I know this in part because such language has a prominant place in my own verbal wonderings. I also am privvy to the effects of her review of my soup because of the sudden addition of peeling paint to our kitchen decor.

It turned out that the soup itself hadn’t suffered any flavor loss as it patiently waited in the fridge. Indeed, all of the ingredients did their level best to provide their own unique contributions to the final offering. At the forfront of generosity was the red pepper which I had forgotten to remove per my original intentions. Not only did it spread its considerable potency through the entire dish, but it went beyond the call of duty by making a solo appearance on the maternal spoon.

I have read in several places that pepper is a good treatment for arthritis. Mom is afflicted with that particular ailment, and I am convinced that my sources are on to something. It turns out that when your mouth feels like you just consumed an atomic bomb, your painful joints are the last thing on your mind.

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Poet-Tree

Odds and Ends - Did you know that there are more types of insects in one tropical rain forest "tree" than there in the entire state of Vermont; that in each year in America there are about 300,000 deaths that can be attributed to obesity; that February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon; that about 500 movies are made in the US and 800 in India annually; that Arabic numbers are not really Arabic but were created in India; that the cruise liner Queen Elizabeth II moves only 6 inches for each gallon of diesel it burns. Wow, I don’t feel so bad now.

Thanks for your limericks! Try this-

I once had a thorn in my shoe…

Hints: Here’s a great new rhyming/composition tool. http://www.writerhymes.com/
There’s also a great rhyming dictionary at http://www.rhymezone.com/
Limerick rules. http://freespace.virgin.net/merrick.sheldon/limerickrules.htm

Submit Opening Line
Submit Limerick

I once knew a pirate named Kelly Got an awful ache in his belly the first mate in his haste had served him up paste Instead of the octopus jelly. - MO in Vancouver	I once knew a pirate named Frank, He stayed in his cabin and drank, He’d drink up his grog, And berate his sprogs, Sometimes they’d be walking the plank! - Bruce
I once knew a pirate named Howard, A buccaneer so tall that he towered, Over all in his crew, But when swashbucklin’ was due, Howard was a lily-livered coward! - Bruce	I once knew a pirate named Soccer, A man who was quite off of his rocker, But then on a bench, He kissed the captain’s wench, And wound up in Davy Jones’ Locker! - Bruce
I once knew a pirate named Scar, Who traveled the high seas quite far, The scurvy dog spied, A swaggy and cried, "There’s booty! Let’s get over thar!" - Bruce	I once knew a pirate named Fred, His beard and his hair were quite red, He keelhauled his matey, Who stole pieces of eight-y, The scallywag wound up quite dead! - Bruce

Reader Comments

Re: Autistic Adults

One approach to finding jobs and care for an increasing number of people on the autistic spectrum is to try to let them organize it themselves. There are a lot of very creative people on the spectrum with the ability to invent products and so on, but in general, they lack the social skills to build a business. I’m sure they could organize jobs in a way that would be far more pleasant than the usual institutional fare, designed for automatons. Nature’s genetic lottery will always produce some people unable to support themselves, but the burden is easily borne if we are not also wasting effort on endless wars and other foolishness. That includes the way we pay for creative work now - a penny for the talent, and a dollar for the lawyer. - Bob of the North

Ok, I read the whole e-zine while debating whether and how to answer this. There are a number of things done more in North America and Europe, than almost everywhere else. Because you’ve worked in the medical field, and Kirsten has an autistic child, I hesitated. Some of it is a very sore subject, and answers are controversial. You could be on to something with the ultrasounds. I haven’t heard of anybody researching it. They say, “Curiosity killed the cat”.
The others are vaccines, (yes, the Holy Grail) circumcisions, formula feeding, our standard first world diet, medical interference in the birth process. I could go on and on. Now, many say that the vaccine issue has been debunked. However, the debunkers have also been frequently debunked. We’ve gone from 5 - 10 vaccines in childhood when I was a child, to 20 some when my children were young, to today’s close to 70 mandatory vaccines. They’re still made with mercury, which is a known and scientifically proven neurotoxin. (Tell me you didn’t read this and give a sharp intake of breath at my impertinence in bringing up the subject. Or that you are surprised that anybody dare question vaccines.)
I don’t have an answer to how to handle the amount of autistic adults. I mean, look how well we handle the amount of mentally challenged adults who are allowed to reproduce and make more mentally challenged adults. We may not have a right to homes or healthcare, but God forbid they take away our right to reproduce. They’re more interested in taking away our right to control our fertility. I tell you, it’s a world gone insane. - herm

I wonder if those Third World countries use as many kinds of plastic as we do. The USA is completely wrapped in plastic - including our clothing, dishes, homes, and there’s a zillion kinds of it, too.
I wondered what effect plastic diapers and baby bottles might have had on our children back when this industry was new, because I already knew about the arsenic and formaldehyde used tto make some types of it. Coatings on fabrics, for instance. Plastics off-gas, or they used to. Not current on the newest concoctions coming out of the Polymer world. But back when they started this - about the same time the medical world became aware of kids being autistic - the positive properties of many plastics just turned our daily world upside down. Microwavable plastics, it turned out, had nothing to do with what the dish had in it, but simply that the dish would not melt n the microwave. Then we found out that certain kinds of plastic wrap leached chemicals into beef. I wrap mine in wax paper, and actually have no idea if that’s better. I’d bet anything that all the varieties of plastic have been affecting our children for years, and few are even aware of it. Some must be, though, because they keep coming out with new items with less plastic and more cardboard in them. - Nancy L in Ohio ( dressed in cotton)

Re: Vioxx

No, murder is not too mild a charge in the Vioxx case, nor in many others. “Limited Liability” has become far too critical to Corporations. I’d look at transferring 100% of the assets of the whole company, including pension funds, to the estates of the victims, and letting the shareholders press criminal charges against the executives and any other lying workers. The same principle would apply more strongly to arms merchants who promote conflict, but also to companies that promote any technology that unnecessarily raises prices and profits. Food and drug companies are at least required to post some warnings - most ads could honestly conclude with “Save now! - the main cost will hit your grandkids.” - Bob of the slightly slow North

Re: Shade

We planted a willow tree in the back yard a bunch of years ago. It now stands about 60 feet tall and dapples half the yard with shade, including part of the veggie garden in the afternoon. A neighbor’s tree has also been adding to our shade problem, shielding the veggie bed from getting early morning sunlight. In the front yard I have a split rail fence that is neat. On the west side of it, sun loving plants thrive, on the east side, those okay with morning sun and afternoon shade work well. I never thought such a skinny couple rows of wood could affect an environment that much, but it does. I am constantly moving things, cutting back or digging out overbearing shrubs to allow enough sunlight to get to plants that need it. I no longer can plant as many veggies in the back yard, so this year we dug out a new area of front lawn and I have a couple rows of onions thriving behind a row of flowers so folks driving down the road can’t see them. Actually, I suspect this natural re-arrangement of where the sun shines may be telling me I should be cutting back on the extensive garden work my aging muscles don’t like. But I love my flowers! And I also love the food I can raise. The peas are starting to get flowers on them! So are the strawberries. The tomato plants, still in pots, are as big as the ones being sold at local nurseries. Best I’ve ever started from seed! The “SunCal” (sun calculator device) says the plot I plan to set them in only gets Partial Sun. What’s a gal to do! We’ve been discussing the matter of the neighbor’s tree, as in offering to cut it down and remove it for them. They didn’t plant it. It’s a stray seedling maple right in the corner of their yard, now about 25 feet tall. It offers THEM no shade because it’s tucked in on the north side of their yard (northeast corner of our yard). Without that tree, Neighbor could mow right to the fence, like he does on the other three sides of his yard. They grow nothing but grass. - Nancy L in Ohio

Re: Breastfeeding

I just read a joke that will add my usual intellectual touch to the matter under discussion. Okay, my real hope is that it will give you the same chuckle it gave me. According to Jimmy Kimmel, the mother nursing her 4 year old son on the magazine cover wouldn’t be satisfied with the usual naked baby pictures that parents are wont to share when their kids hit about 13 years old, so she went one step further. Either that, or she is trying to raise a champion cage fighter. - Lucille

Disclaimer- All quotes printed in this publication are believed to be accurately attributed, but no guarantees are made that some incorrectly attributed, or even outright false quotes won’t get in here from time to time. I assure readers that I will do my best to weed out incorrect quotes, and will print a retraction as soon as I become aware of any errors.

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Really Good Quotes

May 18, 2012