Stuff you SHOULD know (or at least think about).

Hi Errrrn...
Really missed you at Christmas... :~(

Thank you so much for the book "The Experts' Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How to Do". It has proven itself invaluable already.

It's directions on "How to hold a baby" came in very handy the other day as a matter of fact. I had been yankin' babys up by one leg, or on occasion grabbing them with both hands around the neck to pick them up. Once I picked up a baby by the scruff of the neck with my teeth (hey, that's how cats and dogs do it!). I've also picked them up like a basketball... you know, just "palm" their head like you were picking up a basketball with one hand? Works good (I always thought that was why babies had those soft spots on their heads... so your fingers could get a good grip when you "palmed" them).

Who knew? By golly there IS a RIGHT and WRONG way to pick up a baby! Who knew?

The sections on "How to Breath", "How to Sleep" and "How to read aloud" have also been very helpful (I'm breathing AND reading aloud as I write this... now that I know how).

Thanks again sweety for the book... it was a very thoughtful gift (as proven by the books section on "Giving and Wrapping a present").

Now I'm off to read the book some more and learn "How to Read a Newspaper", and then "How to Change a Diaper". Come to find out I've also been doing IT wrong all these years! (I've been using the "Sit the baby in the center of the garage floor and blast them with the garden hose until the diaper flies off and all the poop is blasted away" method (the pressure from the hose spins them around pretty good if you hit 'em just right)).

Huh... Who knew that wasn't an "approved" method????

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!!

(I have a bit of pillow face/hair... sorry about that!)

Did you know that some people believe that THEY are all that exists in the universe? They (Solipsists) believe that everything they see, hear, feel and know, is made up in their own minds. For example; When you are standing in front of a person with solipsism, they see the YOU that they make up in their own mind... YOU are standing in front of them because THEY made you up and put you there... You really only exist in THEIR imagination. When they turn around away from you... you no longer exist. When they turn back around, the imagine you again.

Trees only exist because they "make them up". The sky is blue because THEIR imagination makes it blue to them. Sounds kind of cool, but the problem is... Their consciousness and subconsciously are not something they can really control. They can't control what they make up.

The disorder is called Solipsism Syndrome. If you'd like more information, do a Google Search or go to this site; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solipsism_Syndrome

If you would like to become a Solipsist, just think long and hard about the possibility that you... and ONLY you/your consciousness exists. That everything around you is a figment of your own imagination. That you are making this all up as you go along.

If you do develop Solipsism though.... and think that only YOU exist... Remember who told you about this syndrome. Me. (proof that it is only I that exist and not you).

I wonder what would happen if you put two people with Solipsism into a locked room?

Wow, I may be on to something here... a new Reality show called "Solipsism Island"!

Trailer= "We've taken 14 people who all believe that the world is all about them and placed them on a remote desert Island with nothing but long pointed sticks."... "Tune in and see which one is REALLY the only real person!"

He/she will be the one person left who does NOT have a long pointed stick stuck in them!

My next post (if you decide that I still exist) will be a discussion about Relativity (not to be confused with Einstein's theory of Relativity... that will be discussed at a later time).

To be more specific... I'll be explaining the fact that Relativity is absolutely relative (think about it!).

From http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Angina/Angina_WhatIs.html

"Angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when your heart muscle does not get enough blood. Angina may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. The pain may also occur in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back. It may also feel like indigestion.

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common type of heart disease. CAD occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries. This buildup of plaque is called atherosclerosis. As plaque builds up, the coronary arteries become narrow and stiff. Blood flow to the heart is reduced. This decreases the oxygen supply to the heart muscle.

Types of Angina
The three types of angina are stable, unstable, and variant (Prinzmetal's). It is very important to know the differences among the types.

Stable angina. Stable angina is the most common type. It occurs when the heart is working harder than usual. There is a regular pattern to stable angina. After several episodes, you learn to recognize the pattern and can predict when it will occur. The pain usually goes away in a few minutes after you rest or take your angina medicine. Stable angina is not a heart attack but makes it more likely that you will have a heart attack in the future.

Unstable angina. Unstable angina is a very dangerous condition that requires emergency treatment. It is a sign that a heart attack could occur soon. Unlike stable angina, it does not follow a pattern. It can occur without physical exertion and is not relieved by rest or medicine.

Variant angina. Variant angina is rare. It usually occurs at rest. The pain can be severe and usually occurs between midnight and early morning. It is relieved by medicine.

Not all chest pain or discomfort is angina. Chest pain or discomfort can be caused by a heart attack, lung problems (such as an infection or a blood clot), heartburn, or a panic attack. However, all chest pain should be checked by a doctor.

Pray for his strength, courage and peace of mind. Pray for his doctors wisdom.

Pray for Gramy's strength, courage and peace of mind. Pray for your own strength, courage and peace of mind.

Pray that God's will is a fast and complete healing and Dads quick return to all of us!

Prayer helps... helps him... helps Gram, and it helps you.

Pray... 'nuff said.

I prefer the phrase "Merry Christmas" because it more clearly states MY position and belief. I have just learned though, that the well-wishing phrase "Happy Holiday" is also an acceptable alternative (though I still prefer to use the previous). I've also learned that "Merry Xmas" isn't so bad either. "My teacher"... "the educator-O-I"... the "brilliant passer to me" of this great wisdom was my good friend Tim C. (he's also in the "Genius" club). I'll quote him now;

"And to think for all these years I've thought Xmas was an attempt to take Christ out of Christmas. I just recently learned that the term Xmas was actually used by the early church for Christmas. But, just for the politically correct liberals, okay, Happy Holidays. Which is a term for Holy-day, thus Happy Holy-day referring back to guess what or who? The reason for the season:) Even the liberals can't really get away from what this season is all about no matter how hard they try."

So now, when someone wishes me a "Happy Holiday", I shall reply with, "And a Happy Holy-Day to you as well!"

And to those wacko-extremist-rabid-left-wing-radical-liberals (WERLWRL) s I say (with thumb on nose, wiggling fingers at them)... "Nah Nah Nah" (something they will understand!)

Now here is something to "chew on" over this Christmas Season... it keeps ME going (and for those who really know me, you know I sometimes need help in the "KEEP going" department);

1 Thessalonians 5:18 -- In everything give thanks for this is the will of God.

(Doesn't say "be thankful"... says "give thanks")

THINK HARD about that! (guy breaks his ankle hiking down to the main road. "Thankful?" Probably not. But if he'd made it to the road without breaking his ankle, he'd have stepped out in front of that speeding cement truck!! Give thanks!)

And to close... a para-quote from the genius of Erin; "When the good Lord gives me lemons, I say, 'Hey! Free Lemons!!'"

I have lemonade if you'd like some... let me know... 10 cents per Styrofoam cup full... if you'd like some sugar in it... it'll cost you xtra!


Merry ChristmeXholyday... (and to all you atheist WERLWRLs--- "Good Luck".

Closing now... this time for real.

Scrubs.... yes SCRUBS. Say it out loud... "SCRUBS".

Remember how you didn't watch those first couple or three seasons of Sienfeld, and after a while realized the you were missing a GEM? Remember?

If you are not watching SCRUBS, then you are making the same mistake again (and we humans are supposed to LEARN from our mistakes, aren't we?)

Scrubs is not a serious medical show or docudrama-ish "ER" type show!. IT IS "SIENFELD-ISH" FUNNY!!! It's subject matter can be bawdy and a bit suggestive at times but is pure FUNNY! Laugh out loud funny!

So unless you are ME (and I don't think any of you ARE me), then most of you will have to someday say "Yea, Seinfeld and Scrubs... two of the greatest shows ever. Wish I'd have watched those early few seasons."

I've watched ever show. I have them recorded....Now I must stop. I sound like a SCRUBS junky/freak akin to a "trekkie"!

If it 'aint BLACK.... it 'aint Licorice (and it 'aint no good).

Did you know licorice is actually really good for you? "Licorice Root has been used as a laxative, to adjust blood sugar, reduce pain from ulcer and arthritis." Licorice "also has anti-inflammatory properties and may therefore help relieve the discomforts that accompany arthritic conditions."

Did you know licorice actually comes from a plant?

If you like licorice (don't say you like the "red" kind of licorice... thats an oxymoron moron. The red stuff is really just gooey red candy... If you like the REAL kind of licorice here is a web site that will tell you all about it. The health benefit info was quite enlightening.

http://www.licorice.org/index.htm

(Now that I found out that licorice has health benefits, it will be easy for me to rationalize the mass quantities I consume!!)

Did you know that you can have your blog email you when someone leaves a comment on your blog? How smart is that!?

This very text that I am a written', will be emailed to me so I can see that I just posted something on my blog and then I can GO to my (take a breath) blog to see what I wrote and posted on my blog.

Of course it works if someone ELSE posts on my blog also... It's a nice way to keep track when people leave comments.

Go to the Dashboard (the place where you can edit and mess with your blog), and then go to the "Settings" tab, then to the "Comments" tab. Down at the bottom you will see a place where you can put in an email address.

Cool

Kinda scary though... the Blog emailing me and all... all by itself... "IT"S ALIVE!!!"

I've just spent the last 60 seconds staring intently at my telephone. It hasn't rung. Based on this observation, I can conclude that my phone is probably broken... I could also conclude that it has NEVER rung in the history of it's existence.

Kind of a foolish assumption eh? How can I, from such a short period of monitoring, make such foolish assumptions? Now let's talk "global??" warming.

We have been, somewhat accurately, taking temperature measurements in this country for about 100 years or so. Around the rest of the world, man has been less accurately measuring temperature, for a lesser period of time.

The earth is old. Much older than the 100 or so years we have been monitoring it's temperature. Can we REALLY conclude that the phone (earth) is broken (abnormally heating up)?

Read Michael Crichton's book called "State of Fear". Though this is a work of fiction, all of his footnotes and research is factual. It's an eye-opener.

Yes, the polar ice caps are melting... But did you know they have been melting for about 8000 years? Yes, some glaciers around the world are shrinking... But did you know that they have been shrinking for thousands of years? Did you know that other glaciers around the world are actualy growing? And those growing glaciers have been growing for thousands of years.

The historical temperature measurements in Buffalo NY show an overall increase, or "heating up" in that area. The historical temperature measurements in New York City also show an overall "heating up". But did you know that in Albany NY (a city in between Buffalo and NYC), the temperature has shown an overall decrease (cooling down). --Global???---warming??

Global??? Warming? Shouldn't temperatures around the WHOLE world show nothing but increase if this is truly a "global" phenomenon? Perhaps the term "Regional Warming" would be more accurate.

Summary;
--There is such a thing as "global" warming, but it is a cyclical phenomenon that earth goes through naturally and continuously (and the earth has been going through this cycle ever since it cooled from molten rock-- Heat, cool, then heat, then cool... Remember those "ice age" things?).

--Does man/DID man, CAUSE global warming. NO, we did not cause it, but yes, we do contribute to it in very insignificant ways. (The eruption of Mount St. Helens pumped more "junk" into the atmosphere in three days, than did the whole United States in the last 100 years). How many other volcano's have erupted in the last 100 years? Did man cause those eruptions?

--Finally... The earth WILL rise in temperature over the years. Then it WILL cool itself via ice-age-ish conditions as necessary. This would happen EVEN IF MAN DID NOT EXIST ON EARTH! Did we cause the phenomenon? NO! Can we control it? NO! Should we prepare to live with it?

Yes.

READ Michael Crichton's "State Of Fear" and pay attention to the footnotes!! (I'll lone you my copy if you'd like).