Blogger, Why do you make it SO Difficult to get any Help?

To those Brave few of you following me, you may have noticed that I stopped putting Headlines and different type on my Blog. This is NOT my Doing! this is the Hot Mess that is Blogger, who apparently decided one fine day that I somehow wasn't "Worthy" of such "luxuries" and just removed the settings, so I can't change type styles, size or much else...

I can't either find an answer to my question of how to fix this or even where to send a question! It isn't listed under "help" If I don't get some HELP with making this Blog work, I'm Jumping Ship & taking my Blog Elsewhere! Be Prepared if I announce this in the near Future. and, if by some MAJIC someone at Blogger sees this- I'd call my Boss over & Strongly Suggest he/she gets me some HELP ASAP!

Birds. Why did it Have to be Birds!

I awoke this morning to the sounds of Rain and flapping wings! Immediately sensing that the Angel of Death had come, I said "Go make yourself a cup of Coffee." then looked. A bird had flown through the open window and was sitting on my Armiore! I was Bummed, birds don't even like coffee & refuse to make it & I had to get up & get it back outside! I opened the door to the bedroom & the front door & using a blanket & pillow, I scared the shit out of the bird until he/she/? flew out. Now I'm cleaning up the birdshit. True Story.

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.?

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!

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.

A Rant about Twitter...

I like Twitter! it's kind of the Cotton Candy of the Internet(s); easy to use & many us us actually get to communicate regularly with Other bloggers we follow. I really have enjoyed exchanging Bon Mots with thewino, kimsnotebook, borneochica,theenglishrose & several more that I've found while I was there.

My Problem with Twitter is the bunch of "people" who are signing on to follow my updates. I always get notified when someone starts following me & when I check them out, they literally follow Thousands of people. I don't understand it- No one can possibly follow that number of folks 7 the only thing I can come up with is some sort of marketing effort- which turns me right off.What do you think?

I've been Tweeting up a Storm...

Sorry I've kinda been MIA. I've been using Twitter and neglecting my author instincts. On this feast of Sowen, let us remember that while the Harvest has been god, it only remains so through vigilance. If you don't understand- good!, neither do I! anyway, if you join twitter, my name there is Yknot, so Yknot follow along?

If a Dog barks in the Woods and no one is around to hear it, Did the Dog bark at all?

-Thanks to the highland Laird for this arrangement. I'd like to get one with a cat!

A Fabulous Weekend, followed by...

I will post pictures as soon as my lazy butt gets in gear but I was self-Indulgent yesterday and only finished a few things.


I don't know how everyone is taking the news but I only have One Question: Why is it that fixing Social Security, which provides for and Protects most citizens "too expensive" to fix but Wall Street shows us their Absolute Incompetence and we are ready to pony up 770 Billion in order to "temporarily fix" their problems? Remember, these folks are the ones who say they "are the experts" What, exactly are they expert at? Will taking their "bad debt" really make everything better or just allow them to Dump their financial "shit" on us and continue on their Merry Way?

The Romans had a solution for this: the Jubilee year, where all debt was cancelled- public and private so everyone started with a clean slate. I'm Certain it wouldn't occur to anyone to do this so I'm throwing it out there. No one can miss out on Profits, can they? Is Forgiveness really possible? This Whole "Crisis" feels like a Shell Game; a 3 card Monty of a thing. and this president (and John Mc Cain) wants us to put part of out Social Security into This Swamp? Chile did this and people Lost 15-20% of their deposits in fees, assessments etc...

If Wall Street wants a Bail-out, We want Social Security fixed for the foreseeable future- let That be their cost and I would agree. but then again, what do I know? I'm only a regular guy.

Off to Saugerties- The Garlic is calling Me!

We are off to the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival! Although it s wet today, I'm sure we will have a great Garlicky time-We always do! I love harvest festivals! If you're local, the weather is supposed to clear tomorrow, stop by and say Hi, just don't get too close- I might have Garlic on my breath, but, come to think of it, so will everyone else so I may not stand out. BTW: the guy whose face is printed on the scarecrow is Bob Yerina, a garlic farmer and Great Guy who shows everyone how to braid- just look for the sign.

I'm Feelin' it Friday.

I think I must suck at blogs! That's O.K. I guess. Not everyone can be good at everything. I directed a couple of friends to my book review and other posts & no one commented. Perhaps that's telling me something. Or not. I wish the Truth were prettier, more fun or attractive, in some way but I'll stick with it. I'm also sure that working 80 hours this week isn't the most conducive to Reflection, Perspective whatever. The only thing that's working is that I'm not fearful about money and it's a Good feeling, but, like Happiness, fleeting.

Today was a Good Day!

I snuggled, I walked peacably in the sunshine, I treated nearly everyone I met well, I was witty and urbane, I looked ahead and saw myself overcoming much of what keeps me (and most of us) down, was considerate of both myself and others and generally have nothing to apologise for!

Strange Paper.

I found this and think it's the strangest paper I've seen in a while. Who thought of this and actually went through all the trouble of having it printed up?

Acknowledgement of Copyright (s)to Owner onFlickr.com

Just Full of Ideas... or it....

Well, it's been another banner week at my house. The laptop I re-installed Windoze on suddenly went dark and wouldn't start up, so I took it to Geek Squad and they pronounced the motherboard had fried. Here are my choices:

-Get a new laptop ($600.-1,000.)

-Repair this one ($500. approx.) Note- late model Toshiba running centrino duo processor and windoZe visa capable 'tho running XP on it. very lightly used and compatible with many current laptops sold today)

- See if Toshiba would take a look & perhaps replace the Motherboard for me ( abut a year out of warranty) because of defect in motherboard.

-Go Finhing.

What would You do?

Being Bad.

We recently got wireless here in the station and since my partner is running late, I decided to be bad and blog. I've worked 3 back-to-back 16 hour days and am due for another tomorrow. Lucky for me I have a wash-dry & fold service or I'd be doomed! I hate this heat! Asthmatics, Infants, the Elderly and the drunk-all are extra sensitive to this. Oh, and Addicts too. There's nothing that says summer like climbing 6 flights of stairs to deal with an OD on the roof. or carrying one down so that they can get to the ER and walk out.

My question to you is this: Now that we finally have the two major candidates, Why would you vote for either of them? While I confess that I'm a Dyed-in-the-Wool, Yellow dog Democrat, I can't say that I'm Overly impressed with Obama; Mc Cain seems ready for Retirement, not Presidency. Would you look at a third-party? Again, Inquiring minds want to know.

A Week of Waiting (or how to keep the Beat)

I was relaxing on tuesday when a series of events happened that told me I needed to get my pacemaker checked as my heart rate was Very low (32bpm) I checked into the ER was admitted and spent the rest of the week waiting as 3 different sets of doctors worked out putting a new one in. I may not have mentioned this before, but yes, I have a pacemaker. When I underwent open heart surgery, they cut the electrical connection between the top and bottom of my heart ( the perkunjie fibers) necessitating a pacemaker. I shoulda brought a book!

The actual procedure took about an hour and a half but it was 2 days before they did it. I don't mind missing a little work (my Lt. does 'tho) and now that I've spent the first night sleeping in my own bed my shoulder has a baseball-sized swelling that hurts like the Dickens & of course, being the Genius I am I forgot to ask for Pain Relief. Thank G*d I have some APAP/Codene from dental work!

Observations:
-Most hospital personnel don't have much of a sense of Humor. I had a white board across from me with the date the words: Your Nurse is________ and Your Care Partner is______ of course, the first chance I got I filled in the blanks with Elsewhere & Busy, Starsky & Hutch, Having a Moment & Taking a Break, etc... Each & every time one of them noticed, they immediately erased it!

- TV and Cable suck ( to be honest, I had that opinion going in)

- Most hospital personnel (other than the Doctor) don't care if you're sleeping, it's 4am etc... if they have to get an EKG they won't bother themselves to do it while you are awake! I DON'T like being awakened for blood work- come when I'm conscious!

-Most of the Doctors I saw were different ones from the practice, leading me to believe that saying you have a doctor is misleading. Although they know why you are there and what you need, I can't help but get the Impersonal feeling.

Anyway, I'm going to take a couple of days off, relax and hope the swelling goes down. Hope you are ALL doing better then I am!

Well, There's a First time for everything. . .

I got locked out of a blog. Boy, I didn't expect that! I put a post up about how the FDNY is on a hiring free-for-all and when I come back to the blog, they password-protected it and locked me out! it says I should contact the blog owner to ask permission but who knows how to do that? I certainly don't. Perhaps it's in error but I'll see if it clears up or not.

Anyone know how to go ask a blog owner for permission onto their blog when you don't know them?

The award for the Most done this week goes to...?

I got in two OT shifts, finished the nominations process, volunteered for Ambulance duty.gave a brief but complete report, lost an Ebay auction at the very last minute (they sniped me!) did a lot of organizing,did a major shop and generally made myself useful this week. Now if I could only exercise more often, eat well and make sure I had more Me time... but then again, there always room for improvement!

I'M GOING BACK TO BED!

How Resilient are You?

I had a hard couple of days. Many folks seem to be under more stress than usual and they are taking it out on others. I'm unsure as to why, maybe the economy has something to do with it. I was assulted by a heroin addict, who after she was given Narcan to start breathing effectively on her own, popped awake & hit me in the head. Luckily, there isn't much up there so I was more surprised than hurt. I've been noticing I'm getting cursed out a lot too. I'm fairly careful to treat everyone with civility- I've been doing this too long not to. Don't Know.

How do you handle disrespectful treatment?