05.27.02

It is nearing that time of the year again.

Are you ready to take a stand?

Next Saturday is June 1st.

It is the official Stand for Children Day, 2002.

This year's theme?

"Strengthen America: Invest in Early Education"

Please go read.

Take a moment. Take a stand.

Please.   Thank you.

05.22.02

I am one exhausted computer fixing, cable modem cussing, software tweaking girlio!

As previously stated herein, I broke my computer.

Wait, no. I broke the operating system.

Without going into the gory details that Suzn and Jeff had to endure ... let's just say that the road to computer recovery was a true learning experience:

• I learned lessons about technicians (some can be very honest, generous and kind).

• I learned lessons about technical support personnel (some can be wonderful while some can exemplify all that is evil in mankind).

• I learned lessons about hardware drivers, Windows 98FE vs. Windows 98SE, and that if the moon is not aligned with Mars ... Microsoft products can be very obstinate!

• I learned that I have just about a 35 hour non-stop working threshold ... and then I become less kind, more intolerant, and rather mushy brained (I sing little ditties over and over mindlessly, much to the annoyance of those in my general vicinity).

While learning is a good thing, I am so thankful that I now have a functioning PC.

Too bad that in the process, my brain frizzled and the driver for that issue is not available for my first edition Jann operating system.

05.16.02

AN UPDATE:

If you have been here earlier today, you may have seen a link to a Microsoft patch for Internet Explorer.

I have since removed the link.

Why?

Well, after installing the patch and rebooting my computer ... my computer will no longer load.

I have no idea if the patch was the culprit, but goodness knows I do not want to send folks along to "fix" something that may "break" much worse!

I am updating this from my Acer notebook and will be calling the technical gurus to my home in the next couple of days.

Meanwhile, all of that prolific writing and witty commentary that I had planned to write herein will simply have to wait.

Yeah, right.

It is amazing how bizarre my emotions are to this computer situation: on one hand, the feeling of having my work computer "down" and not accessible is very liberating. However, it is also a pain in the arse having to use this wee keyboard and small screen!

05.06.02

Hmmm ... the origin of words or phrases often causes me much consternation.

I have had many discussions with Jeff about the words we use and why we use them.

For example, since so much airplay has been given to the current crisis in the Middle East and post 9/11's War On Terrorism, Jeff mentioned that he finds himself wondering how people are "holed up" ... i.e. Usama is "holed up" in the mountain caves of Afghanistan or Palestinians are "holed up" in the Church of the Nativity.

Huh?

Upon checking dictionary.com, the expression does indeed exist as a "phrase verb" however it is without the "d" and is defined as to hibernate in or as if in a hole / to take refuge in or as if in a hideout.

Apparently the newsfolks do not know that there is no "d".

Now, this is not to be confused with the homophone "hold up" which can mean to obstruct or delay / to rob while armed, often at gunpoint / to present as an example / to continue to function without losing effectiveness.

A few days ago, I heard a news anchor say that the Church of the Nativity, where the Palestinians were holed up, was on fire.

On fire?

Now, didn't he really mean it was afire? Or did he mean that there was a fire where they were holed up and there was a hold up to put it out?

Ah, it is confusing. Idiomatically confusing.

So, this same anchor was sitting there wearing a pair of pants.

A pair of pants? Was he wearing two of them? When you have a pair of shoes, you have two shoes. So why are one "pants" plural both in the word itself (pants) and by its adjective (pair of)?

And if you are packing a suitcase to travel to the Church of the Nativity which is on fire ... where the Palestinians are holed up ... and you need two changes of clothing ... do you pack a pair of a pair of pants?

Now, this is not to be confused with the homophone "pear" ... which .... partridge ... tree ... oh nevermind.

05.02.02

Last month, I wrote about my fascination with the MTV "reality series" The Osbournes.

As you may know, they are creatures of the 21st century: elaborate remotes for teevee and stereo equipment, state-of-the-art kitchen appliances, and a library so replete with computers and video games that perhaps even Bill Gates would be envious.

However, my attention has recently been diverted to another world, another place ... and I have gone back in time to Montana in 1883.

PBS has been showing a wonderful reality series entitled "Frontier House", featuring three families who have left the creature comforts that we enjoy today ... and started their lives anew in the high mountains of Montana.

Prior to the reality experiment, the families were educated by historians regarding how the pioneers of 1883 would have lived.

Their goal?

Simply to survive.

"Frontier House" is like watching a bizarre mix of Little House on the Prairie and MTV's Real World: folks struggling with inclement weather, lack of food, difficulty in earning money, poor communication skills and families in unrest. They are followed every moment of the day by cameramen, grips, and boom microphones.

Do they survive? Yes.

But not for long.

The experiment was to examine why only 10% of the pioneers survived when homesteading in the Rocky Mountains.

After weeks in the wilderness during the spring and summer, the families were reviewed by a panel of historians to determine if indeed they could have made it through the long, icy winters of Montana.

The reality?

2 out of 3 were determined that they would have perished due to lack of firewood to cook and warm with, not enough hay for the wintering of the animals, and not enough food in their "stores" (root cellars).

Watching the series made me truly appreciate my dial-up-for-groceries convenience ... and perhaps now I will stop bitching when the delivery guy is late due to traffic, eh?

My creative mind cannot help but cross the bridge to placing brain fried Ozzy out splitting logs while screaming for his foul-mouthed wife, Sharon ... who is busily making deals and baking bread ... while yelling at Jack to get his much loved pig out of the cabin ... while Kelly dyes her hair with crushed berries.

Perhaps I am watching too much reality teevee, ya think?