Monday, December 14, 2009

Thursday, November 19, 2009

sheep shearing

I'd say this is the story of my life- but I don't have any Wool. . .

Saturday, November 07, 2009


Well, That about sums it all up for me. . . How about you? Leave a Comment, (Please)


Friday, October 30, 2009

Monday, September 28, 2009

Thursday, September 17, 2009

"I believe universal health care is, quite simply, right. It is a moral imperative. I cannot enjoy health coverage and turn to my neighbor and tell him he doesn’t deserve it. A nation is a mutual undertaking. In a democracy, we set out together to do what we believe is good for the commonwealth. That means voluntarily subjecting ourselves to the rule of law, taxation, military service, the guaranteeing of rights to minorities, and so on. That is a cheap price to pay."
Roger Ebert’s Journal: I’m safe on board. Pull up the life rope

Sunday, August 23, 2009

MOVIE MARKETING MISTAKES

I don't know if the rest of you have noticed this, but the folks marketing movies are using scenes that are NOT in the movies themselves in the trailers. I recently saw District 9 & I remember seeing the trailer a couple of weeks prior. There was a scene where the "Alien" Christopher was being interrogated about how the alien weapons work. He also spoke & the translation said "we just want to go leave" This scene was NOT in the movie copy I saw! Perhaps it was a deleted scene, but if so, it should not have been used in the trailer.

The same thing occurred with another movie I saw: Julie & Julia. The trailer contained a scene between Julia & the owner of the Le Cordon Bleu where the owner says to julia "You will never be a french chef" (I don't want to tell you the wrong bit of dialogue- I'm not sure of the actual phrase) As the Owner walks away, julia gives her a razz berry. In the movie, the scene occurred but the dialogue was slightly different & julia made the razz berry noise AFTER the Owner left the room!

I dislike this tactic. I want the trailer to show me enough of the actual film to get me interested in it, not in deleted scenes that aren't in the final version. What stops someone from making a trailer that doesn't even remotely resemble the film? Marketing is NOT serving either the movie industry or the public by continuing this type of behavior.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Review: Verizon Range Extender

I purchased a Verizon Range Extender from my local Store, after looking online and talking to the reps by phone. I have Awful Reception in my house (not surprising, since I live in a Butler Prefabricated Building-Made of Aluminum) The Unit is about the size of an external hard drive and comes with all the cables needed to hook it up. It needs to be placed near your router & has an Antenna (the size of a Tiger Balm tin) on a 25 ft. cord that has to be placed on a window.

The Range Extender works by connecting to your Broadband Connection (FIOS) & when in use it uses a small part of your Bandwith to act as a Repeater, Dramatically increasing reception. It has some limitations- it will handle up to 3 cell phones at a time & there is another dedicated channel available for someone to call 911. It has the capability to store up to 50 numbers as "Priority" numbers. This is Programmable. Three (3) numbers automatically have priority over other calls.

The Retail price of this unit is $200.00, quite pricey for what it does. I believe it will come down as more folks see it's advantages. I was able to reduce the price to $174.65 by combining a group discount and I have a couple of phones on my account. Now for the Meat:

Yes, it really does the job! Now, when I make a call anywhere within range, I hear a short 2 tone beep and my connection is 4 bars. The calls are crisp & clear. I will tell you that it only works for voice calls- data (Txt, Pics,etc..) aren't helped at all. I hope they will correct this in the future- it would really make it more useful.

I am a Verizon customer. I have No financial interest in the companies involved. I bought & continue to use the product and have not recieved any form of compensation. My review is my Opinion only and I am responsible for it (as I am for much of the rest of my life as well)

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Some Remarks about a new NBC TV series: TRAUMA and a completely unrelated note about BLOGGER.

I went to see Julie & Julia today at a matinee. I highly recommend it. It's a chick flick to be sure, but Good! What I'd like to say a few words about is the Ad for the upcoming NBC TV series Trauma. First, marketing your TV series in a movie theatre feels too much like the very TV commercials everyone HATES!!! Bad Move! Second, about the previews, I've been in the TRAUMA game for much of my Adult life, both as a volunteer & as a working Professional. Some Observations:
-If I am ever in the middle of exploding cars without Gear- I'm in the Wrong Place!
-I actually have been in the middle of a gunfight & I can tell you: I was in the Wrong Place!
-running away with a patient in one hand, shielding my face with my (short sleeved shirt) hand as the Glass is Flying=Wrong Place!

Many folks think EMS is like that & almost nothing is further from the Truth! & as you know if you are reading this blog-this truth is free! It has all the boring parts of every job I've ever had, bad bosses, bad partners, too many hours, BS up the Wazoo etc... I've also had (& have) Great Partners, Great Bosses and I've gotten to do a Lot of things most other people never will! My Objection is that kids are going to see this & think: WOW! That's the job for me!

-Trust me when I say this: WE DON'T NEED YAHOO'S OUT IN THE STREETS!!! Have I done some Cool shit? Yes! Will I in the future? Seems Reasonable. but as you work here long enough, the real message should be: I want to do my job to the BEST of my Ability. I also want to go home, intact, at the end of the day. I don't want to Trade my Life for someone else's OR get so injured that I will have to Retire early & live, in pain, the rest of my life.

Like it or not, There are 3 rules in EMS that are Universal:
Rule #1- PROTECT YOURSELF!
Rule #2- PROTECT YOUR PARTNER!
Rule #3- PROTECT YOUR PATIENT -if doing so won't involve breaking Rules 1 or 2!

I will NOT stand in between you & whomever trying to Kill you! I won't let my partner do it either! If I can Grab you & Go- That's what I'm doing! If you want to leap off the GW Bridge and I can't Talk you out of it, you will be leaping by Yourself! I have a deep and Abiding Love of Life! and I don't want to give it away!

I have appropriate Protective Gear and I WEAR IT! You only have had to be in the middle of only 1 car wreak, protecting yourself & patient from flying glass as the Fire Department cuts the car to extricate you and have to take Multiple showers afterward to get all the slivers of Glass out/ away from your skin to learn that lesson! No Joke!

*********************Comment about/ to Blogger*************************************

Why is it that I can't change the size of my fonts? I so Totally enjoy seeing everyone else do it and supposedly I can when I post but those buttons don't work! And compounding the Problem, is your Absolutely Piss-Poor help site! I can't find my issue in the FAQ and I can't find who to ask! So I have Resorted to Blogging about it in order to GET YOUR ATTENTION!!! Fix the Problem(s) O.K.?

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Blocked!

I am on Twitter a lot! I enjoy the Banter, the Bon Mots, the funny Observations etc... I follow a bunch of folks who are Interesting but recently found that one of them has Blocked me! Me? I can't quite get my head around that, I am one of the more innocuous people I know but obviously I caught someone the Wrong way. I formally Apologised to that person as a tweet & hope they read it but if they don't- Cie la Vie- Life goes on. I hope anyone who reads my blog is well, healthy and in Good Spirits as I am, perhaps because I am keeping myself busy & being mildly productive. If you would like to look me up on Twitter go to http://twitter.com/yknot

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

10 Things I'd like to say to People

1. I'm here to help you!
2. Getting angry with me for asking questions to get the information I need to fill out the paperwork isn't helping you.
3. I mind my business, but please don't do anything -illegal -stupid or both in front of me; I don't want to have to testify about it in court or get caught in the middle of a "Jackpot".
4. Don't let my white skin fool you. I don't care what race, religion, age, sexual orientation you are-we all feel Pain & we all bleed the same color: red & that means I want to treat you, transport you to a place where you can get the help you need & keep you alive through the whole thing.
5. I've been at this game for most of my Adult life, please try not telling me how to do my job.
6. I respect your wishes for the right to Die with Dignity- Please talk to your family and Doctor and have the M.O.L.S.T.-(Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment) paperwork AT YOUR BEDSIDE! Frame it if you must. By Law, I have to start resuscitating you if it isn't there & once I start, I can't stop.
7. If you can't remember the names of your medications & you take a lot of them, Write them down! Many of the drugs given in EMS react badly to other medications. None of us want to kill you while trying to save you!
8. I don't want your money, jewelery or stuff. If it comes with you, it will be turned over to the hospital clerk. I want to earn my own money & I can buy my own stuff.
9. If I am doing CPR, breathing for your loved one or your wife in Labor and in Trouble, we are going to the closest hospital. Save Lives First-everything else is 2nd.
10. Drivers: When I am driving with the lights and Sirens on-MOVE TO THE RIGHT OR OUT OF THE WAY!!!!! Pulling in front of me so you can be "forced" through the light (Cabbies-you Know who you are!) or trying to pull in right behind me so you can go faster than the other traffic is both Stupid and Dangerous.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Personalized Start Page

Personalized Start Page
Today's Moment of Zen. And an Apt discription of the world financial crisis by someone who was talking about something else entirely!

: "The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong is that when a thing that cannot possibly go wrong goes wrong it usually turns out to be impossible to get at or repair.
- Douglas Adams"

Monday, June 15, 2009







Pictures from the Puerto Rican Parade 6-14-2009

I had the honor of driving the ceremonial ambulance at the parade yesterday. A lot of fun was had by all! There must have been people 6-10 deep!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

"Call 911" FDNY

Not that I'm a big fan of Rap, but I can't help respect these guys' efforts.

Sunday, May 03, 2009

Well, So much for Regular Posting...

I am a Worm, I have NO excuse! I've been busier than sh*t & I have Twittered much more than I should! Blame me for swine flu, Somilaian Pirates, Global Warming, Whatever... This Week's Bad Joke is: 50 people die of Swine Flu & everyone is wearing a mask but millions of People die of AIDS & no one wears Condoms!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Coca-Cola: Encounter

I know this is a Coke ad- but it's certainly not the typical coke ad! It's Message is Beautiful and Enduring!

Thursday, March 05, 2009

A Tale of (Laundry) Woe.

First off, I'd like to Thank the many folks who Mingled over here. You Guys Rock! I Love to hear from a bunch of folks! I'm doing much Better, now that the Activia yogurt worked it's Magic.

I want to tell you my tale of Woe. I'm a caretaker in a Quaker Meeting House & have been so for the last 27 years! Along with the many pluses comes a big minus- I can't have a washer/dryer here. The building was never designed to have it and there isn't room for even an Apartment-style stacked model. I have to use the local laundromat. I end up wasting a good half-day there or, if Overtime is involved; paying the price for the convenience of Wash-Dry-Fold (currently $1.10/lb.) It gets Expensive Quickly. and because I ave limited time off, I use it a lot. I wish there were a better way to do this but Alas, I'm stuck.

How about all of you? How do you handle this? I'm told there may be something new that might help but I'm Skeptical until I see it work. If you want, check it out : http://tinyurl.com/awczm4 I guess we will see ( hopefully)

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Why I'm not Hungry today...

( On a completely unrelated note: I really wish BLOGSPOT would fix the letter sizing button so I wouldn't have to Bold everything!!!)

I am completely not hungry today. I cannot ever remember a time that I have gone for more then a day without eating or feeling like I should eat. Perhaps that's the Norm for some, but not me; That is until I got a case of Extreme food poisoning!

I took my significant other to dinner at the Italian place her her job (she was on her dinner break) & we both had the same dish: Pasta with Bolognaise (meat) sauce. we both asked for & got roasted Garlic included. She ate about half her dinner and we doggie-bagged the rest so I wouldn't have to buy dinner the next day. I put the leftovers in the fridge & took it to work & had it for dinner. Boy was that a Mistake!!!

The next morning, I felt queasy when I got up. I remained in bed for 2-3 hours, sleeping fitfully. I got up to use the bathroom & preceded to vomit up about half of the dinner I consumed 14-16 hours before! I took an Imodium & returned to bed, until I had to get up for work. I really try not to call in sick & thought (Wrongly) that because of the extra rest, I would feel better when I started moving.

I got to work & less then 15 minutes later, managed to vomit all over the desk I had sat down at to await my partner! I signed out & went home, called my doctor and returned to bed. 3 hours later I awoke, achy chilled even under the blanket & shivering. I drove myself to the ER. The high point was when the registration clerk wouldn't get the Triage nurse until I had gotten my insurance cards out. I vomited into the nearest garbage can, clearing the Entire waiting Room (Yes, I am That Awesome) & said to her "I told you I was sick" I had an ER bed less than 1 minute later!

Tests & X-Rays later, I got the IV & meds that fixed me up, right as Rain! I slept soundly and have been symptom- free since. But, Not Hungry. I can't remember the last time I had Food Poisoning- never this bad!

Have you gotten this sick recently?

BTW: Kitty also got sick as well, so I know it was the food- she didn't have as severe symptoms but then again, she didn't eat as much.

Sunday, February 08, 2009

Mingle!

WOW! I've never had this many folks reading my blog! This mingling stuff works! Now if only I don't get laid off... but I guess Time will tell.

I went to PA to work with my watch/clock guy & was happy to work but kind of disturbed to see that the city he is in (York, Pa- where they make the barbells) has a real & ongoing problem with drugs (Crack) & it's always attendant problem, prostitution. To say the locals are disturbed is putting it mildly. The Mayor & council seem not to want to take any action but it's not going to take very long before the Taxpayers are going to run out of patience with their ineptitude and demand they do something!That and the number of half-way houses that are around.

York is a beautiful, clean city within easy distance of Baltimore, MD and has a lot of Gorgeous building stock- Stop by & take a look- I am impressed & I think you will be too! I'd move there if I didn't have to work for NYC but the commute... I'm sure that they will fix it an it will get big when folks discover it's Obvious charms.

Saturday, January 31, 2009

Layoffs!

Now that I have your Attention, I have to say that FDNY cutting Ambulance tours in order to save a few bucks is Madness! Ambulances don't Cost money, they Save Money! Transporting the Ill and Injured makes insurance money for the city! and getting folks to where they can be helped gets them on their feet & back to work faster! AAARRRRGGGGHHH!

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Thanks!

I'd like to thank all the commenters! It's nice to know there are a few folks listening out there. I've been off for a few days, twittering, cleaning & shopping. Paying the bills may not be Glam. but I've made a real effort to pay off most of my outstanding debt and "clear the deck" for saving for a new car. I think it's do-able, given my habits of working crazy OT and small footprint living. What Motivates You these days?

Monday, January 19, 2009

Blogging. Sometimes a Pleasure; Sometimes a Pain.

I've been Twittering up a storm! it is nice talking (in a SMS way) with some of the folks whose blogs I read but I realize that posting in my own blog also is required. I've been trying to recover from a cold/flu/virus that really laid me out. It has only retracted slowly & I'm monitoring it., but talking about it bores even me! I'd like to ask you a question: Is anybody there? I see that some folks visit but I rarely get comments and I'd like to know for my own head. Please let me know.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

When do you know when it's time to let Go...?

Friends, I've known this person for 25 + years. I was there when he got engaged, married and at many other great events that have happened in his life. For the past year or so, I've called him steadily, on Birthdays, Christmas and when one of his parents died, I took some time off, drove up & helped him out by doing some needed work for him. I just don't hear from him & it occurred to me today that unless he starts making some sort of effort to continue our friendship, then it's Over. I wish I could point to something I did/didn't say or do, but I can't. Has this ever happened to you? What (if anything) did you do/not do? I'd like to know.

Friday, January 02, 2009

New Year. What's your position?

I'm not making any Resolutions this year. I've lost interest on making myself promises that I don't fully intend on keeping. I recognise that, for some folks this is a motivational technique that works- just not for me. How do you approach this? I will accomplish the Goals I have set for myself this year & I won't fail. or I will but I will make the effort.