September 3, 2010

Admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 05:46:14 +0000

Greetings, Quotaholics:

I was reading an article in USA Today about how the government is considering mandating some sort of alarm in new cars to warn when a child is locked inside. The idea is to warn parents that they are leaving their child in a potentially lethal situation.

Unfortunately in the United States there have been 41 children killed so far this year when left in hot vehicles. Part of the problem, of course, is that many parts of the country have been experiencing record breaking heat. But experts warn that even in cooler temperatures leaving a child in a closed auto is still dangerous. "Meteorologist Jan Null says the temperature in a closed car can rise 19 degrees in 10 minutes and 43 degrees in an hour…"

I was wondering what good an alarm would do since I suspected that most parents who leave their child in a car probably do so on purpose. However, according to the article, "From 1998 through 2009, 51% of the deaths involved children forgotten in cars, 30% were children playing in unattended vehicles and 18% were intentionally left in cars, says Null."

I found this to be amazing. Over half the deaths were because parents forgot their child was in the car?? Maybe an alarm would help, but I suspect that a parent with their head that far up their ass would forget what the alarm meant!

The article goes on to describe some of the alarms that have been considered. So far none have been proven reliable, none have been installed on production autos.

"It would take more than a decade for all cars to have any new technology, making public awareness the most important step, says Kyle Johnson, spokesman for the child safety group Safe Kids Worldwide. He urges people to lock their cars and keep keys out of reach of kids, which he notes would prevent many of the deaths."

"But advocates insist technology is the answer. ‘We have reminders in our cars for lights, keys, doors, tire pressure and fuel,’ says Consumer Federation of America spokesman Jack Gillis. ‘Reminders regarding our most precious cargo are an absolute must.’"

I have to agree with Mr. Johnson, making sure kids don’t become trapped in cars while playing in them would cut the death rate 30%. That seems to be the quickest fix. But it requires educating parents about the danger. If that were possible maybe you could educate them that it’s also not safe to deliberately or accidentally leave your kids in the car.

Do you think some sort of alarm is needed to prevent this? Would you be willing to pay more for an auto equipped with one? Have you ever accidently left your child or grandchild in a car or anywhere? Do you understand how a parent could forget that the child was in the car? What would you do if you saw a child locked inside a car?

Warmly,

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“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” - Harriet Beecher Stowe

“During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.” - George Orwell

A Short History Of Medicine
[Thanks Bonnie]

“Doctor, I have an ear ache.”

2000 B.C. - “Here, eat this root. That will be one payment on my sandals, please.”

1000 B.C. - “That root is heathen, say this prayer. That will be one payment on my donkey, please.”

1850 A.D. - “That prayer is superstition, drink this potion. That will be one payment on my wagon, please.”

1940 A.D. - “That potion is snake oil, swallow these pills. That will be one payment on my Buick, please.”

1985 A.D. - “That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic. That will be one payment on my Mercedes, please.”

2002 A.D. - “That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root! That will be one payment on my yacht, please.”

“God would not give us the same talent if what were right for men were wrong for women.”

“It is the people who can do nothing who find nothing to do, and the secret to happiness in this world is not only to be useful, but to be forever elevating one’s uses.”

“What has made this nation great? Not its heroes but its households.” - All by American writer Sarah Orne Jewett born on this day in 1849

Her Phone Hasn’t Stopped Ringing!
[Thanks Tesser]

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Temptation

Yesterday I did something I don’t do often. I stood aside and watched as otheres claimed a find on a geocache, and I did not.

Yes, I saw the container. Yes, I was within a few feet of it. Yes, if I had asked, someone may have written my name on the log. But it wouldn’t have been right.

This particular cache was hugh up in a tree. It was a demanding climb even for an experienced climber. To let others make the climb, yet claim credit for it when I did not "ring the bell" would have been unfair to those who did perform all the necessary efforts to lay claim to it.

It was my full intent to go and complete the task. It was a a multi-cache. A multi-cache has multiple stages. There can be as many stages as the cache creator wishes to make. In this particular circumstance, it was a bit of a challenge as it was also a puzzle cache. A puzzle cache does not give you the coordinates to where stage 1 is place. Instead, you must, from the clues and hints sometimes hidden in ciphers and tricky means, figure out what the coordinates really are.

I had already been a leech as I had not solved the puzzle. To add onto it, within stage 1 was yet another puzzle which, when solved, would lead to stage 2. Stage 1 was in a tree. Stage 2 was on the side of a delapidated barn, about 18 feet up. I was ‘given’ stage 2. But I did my part and replaced the container from a tricky vantage point once the coordinates for stage 3 were obtained. At stage 3 was yet another tree. But I was very winded and I just didn’t have the energy to complete the climb. I was iven the coordinates for stage 4, the final stage, which was a 3rd tree. I chose not to climb it at all, thus I did not claim a find for the cache. It just wasn’t safe for me to attempt it.

After rehydrating, as it was quite hot and my clothes were wet from sweat, we left to go to yet another singluar tree climb for a "traditional" cache. I had considered climbing this one as did two of my compatriots. However, my climb was preempted by someone arriving and telling us we had to vacate the premises as it was private property. It may have been a saving moment as I may have attempted it and not been able to complete it safely.

I was disappointed, yet also relieved. Peer pressure and temptation are intangible, yet very tenuious things.

Here’s your quiz:
Have you been tempted to do something you just didn’t feel right doing?
Did you do it? If so, were your first thoughts correct?
If you didn’t, did you feel any shame for not doing it?

Temptation - It’s Not Always About The Obvious
Cliff (the High-Tech Redneck who doesn’t rate a fancy ’signature pic’)

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Email Kirsten

“If the world were a logical place, men would ride side saddle.”
~ Rita Mae Brown ~

I am in the mood for random musings this evening. As it happens, I have a few things that I can randomly muse about. The first being that even though we don’t actually have a venue booked in stone yet, me and Gerard have decided on a wedding date: April 30th, 2011. OK, so the weather’s not great at that time of year, and it definitely puts a kaibosh on my childhood ambition to get married outside. But it’s not the dead of winter either, and more importantly, its at a time of year when my Mom and brother can be here.

Things are a-changing in my household, or at least in the dental habitat of one of its residents. George, who will be seven in a couple of weeks’ time, has his first loose tooth. It is kind of late compared to when most other kids start losing their milk teeth, but as an infant he was a late teether. He sprouted his first tooth at the ripe old age of eleven months. Anyway, the loose tooth is currently hanging on by a thread. Every time I see it wobbling around so precariously, I am tempted to just yank it out, but something tells me that would not be a good idea. You don’t just go around yanking out the teeth of an autistic child with sensory issues. Now, however, is a good time to ask this question: what’s the tooth fairy’s going rate these days? When I was a kid we got a dime per tooth.

My training progresses well, with the half-marathon just 23 days away. My hill training sessions are done, and I have moved on to speed training. I did my first weekly speed workout yesterday. I did two one-mile splits, each at 5:46 minutes per kilometre, or 6.5 miles per hour. It went surprisingly well, and my legs felt great afterwards. Too bad I twisted my knee on the stairs when I got home - but that too is feeling fine today.

Something else that’s going well is my fundraising for the half-marathon. Today one of my coworkers sponsored me, bringing me to 66% of my fundraising goal. In total, runners for the Geneva Centre for Autism have raised almost $15,000 and we still have three weeks to go. If anyone is interested in making a donation, please visit my fundraising page.

And finally, a question for the men in the audience. And please forgive my gross generalization here - I am the first to accept that every rule has its exceptions. But for those of you who follow the rule, what is the thought process you go through when you use the last of, say, the milk or the butter, and then instead of properly disposing of the container, you PUT IT BACK INTO THE FRIDGE? Is there some part of you that actually thinks this is logical? Or is it a huge deliberate wind-up?

Kaleidoscopically yours,
Kirsten

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http://www.youandmearepure.com/

There seem to be online dating sites for every demographic and taste. There are the run of the mill places, directed at young people who sit around in their PJs all day surfing the net. Except for the young part, that pretty much describes me when I don’t have to see clients or go to court.

There are the senior citizen sites. What do you mean my classmates are on those? Well, yours will be, too in a few years. Just wait, you little whippersnapper!

Now, there is a new kind of dating site. It is directed at the sexually inexperienced among us. I’m not talking about those of us who have enjoyed awkward fumblings in the back of Dad’s Chevy. That activity would over-qualify you. I am talking about your average 11 year old. Yes, Star Trek fans all over the world are coming out of their parent’s basements, or at least logging on to their computers to meet others just like them. Virgins now have their own dating site called "You and me are pure".

I’m all for it. After all, what could go wrong? Sexual predators wouldn’t be the least bit interested in people upon whose innocence they could practice. That would require being less than honest, and your average sex maniac is as honest as — my dog when he is asked who stole the hamburger that I left on top of the counter. "Don’t look at me. It was probably one of the little dogs." I mean, wouldn’t you believe him?

Okay, I’m being a little too quick to judge. I’m sure they have a perfectly good answer to my biggest question, which is, how would you prove such a thing? Do you have to have a written certification from your doctor? Should your minister or priest vouch for your purity? That might not be a reliable test. Some clerics would be happy to disqualify applicants before they ever got logged in.

The people who started "you and me are pure" were virgins themselves when they married. So, I assume they would be willing to give advice about how — to, um — lose — er a — Well, anyway, if they need my help, I’d be happy to write them a downloadable instruction manual. Some states aren’t meant to last forever, even for trekies.

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Misc. Tips
[Thanks Mare in Mare-land]

Store opened paint cans upside down. You will have a tight seal, but be sure to close them securely first!

Well I got some at least, and good one’s too! Let’s try to rhyme street.

Next opening line…
The house at the end of the street…

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

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There’s a notable family named Stein… they raised a son whose downfall was wine too many a drink pushed him to the brink hungover forever in the unemployment line. - MO in Vancouver	There’s a notable family named Stein Who operated a large copper mine And though neighbors protested They all invested And now, like Stein, they can retire just fine. - Bonnie
There’s a notable family named Stein whose lively hood is invested in wine They say with a grin last night did you see Ben? he was as drunk as a skunk over onto the couch he did plunk so today he’s hung over and throwing up in the clover’ - dEE	There’s a notable family named Stein There’s Gertrude, there’s Ep, and there’s Ein. Gert’s prose is the bunk, Ep’s sculpture is junk. And no one can understand Ein! - Author Unknown

Re: Credit Cards

Patti asks: "Do you get credit card offers in the mail? Have they increased in number? Did you even know there were these sneaky ways for the banks to increase your interest rates and add fees? Does it surprise you to find banks looking for a way to work around legislation? Or does that seem par for the course? Do you have any confidence in banks or other money markets?"

Carol responds, at least in part: We get many credit card solicitations in the mail. Almost one or two a day, mostly from Citibank. They get shredded. My favorite card to use, since in the current time we do need them, is AM EX. Although Pay Pal looks liks a sound alternative.

Am I surprised about almost anything banks or most financial institutions would do? You are kidding, right? At this point, I try to use cash, and am buying gold and silver. Have fun, Carol T

Yes, I get Credit Card offers. No, I haven’t noticed a spike, yet. I am a business owner, but was unaware that there were different rules for business as opposed to private consumers. Thanks for making me aware of that. I am not a bit surprised to see banks looking for a way around the new rules. No. I have absolutley no confidence in banks. In particular the large banks. Look for local banks and jerk all of your money out of the megabanks. I am now a credit union member. - L&K, herm

Re: Survivors

More times than I can count. One, I was changing a tire on my car and it was late at night. Another car stopped in the opposite direction. A drunk got out of the car and started shooting at me for no reason. Yes, you can hear the sound of bullets whiz by your ear. I was a veteran but something snapped inside and I got angry and charged the man. It was absolutely the dumbest thing in the world to do. I took the gun away from him and knocked him down. I was beyond angry. It took all my control to not remove him from the planet. The police took him away and told me I was foolish. I think I counted about six times I should have died, but I am stubborn. - BJ in Guthrie

Re: Something’s Burning

Lucille says: "With me, it isn’t a function of attitudes or belief in G-d. It is more a question of not knowing enough to feel I, or any other human being has the complete answer."

Carol T asks: Complete answer to what? Whenever in court you hear witnesses being sworn in, asking them "to tell the truth, the whole truth. and nothing but the truth." Do you honestly think and human being can do that? Frankly, I would have a major moral dilemma in being required to respond to that question.

Lucille Says: "What this church’s members are not allowed to burn in effigy or otherwise, are copies of the Koran. It is against the city’s ordinances to have a bon fire within its precincts."

Carol asks for clarification: Are you saying they were not allowed to burn anything at all, or not to burn copies of the Koran specifically? If the local government was enforcing its rule about burning anything at all, what is the issue? It is what it is.

What you would be smelling wherever it is you live, from Gainesville would be the reek of intolerance, no matter which side it emanated. Carol T

Re: Quotes

Today’s Quotes: "Have you learned the lessons only of those who admired you, and were tender with you, and stood aside for you? Have you not learned great lessons from those who braced themselves against you, and disputed passage with you?" - Walt Whitman

Don’t we see this all the time as we observe Life? Trees and plants grow stronger when they have to resist wind and weather, our bodies and bones grown in strength when the work against resistance. Would not our minds and character also be subject to them same principle?

I have learned far more in a discourse with someone who does not agree with me. (I am married to a very intelligent man.)

Life sentences:
"Individuals can resist injustice, but only a community can do justice." James Corbett

So, is justice only externally applied ? Or does it come from an external source? Does it require some form of violence? - Carol T

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.

Click here to see the archives of past issues, or go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reallygoodquotes/messages. If you run across something really outstanding when perusing the archives, I’d appreciate it if you’d mail me at TheBestOfRGQ@yahoo.com and point it out to me. I’m in the process of compiling an e-book called, not surprisingly, The Best of RGQ, and I’d like to hear from you which pieces impacted you the most.

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Really Good Quotes

September 3, 2010