OT: DST

"Lew Hodgett" inquired
>
> "Lee Michaels" wrote:
>
>> I usually wake up before the alarm goes off. Not so this morning. The
>> alarm went off, I didn't hear it and my wife reached out and touched me.
>> With a good punch. Talk about being jolted out of slumberland.
>
>
> Just curious, what's an alarm?<G>
>
An evil, auditory warning device designed to kill dreams and interupt
healthful sleep.

"Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote in news:3UlCj.1003$qT6.237
@nlpi070.nbdc.sbc.com:

>
> "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> Did any one mention Water Softeners yet?
>
> At least they won't get you in trouble being out of sync.
>
>

I happened to look at ours the other day and was surprised it actually
had the right time. You can tell I really care a lot about what time the
water softener has.

Now, for the time being my garage thermostat's right. I might or might
not reset it next DST. (New thermostat, programmable. Trying to save
some propane by not keeping things as warm.)

Puckdropper
--
You can only do so much with caulk, cardboard, and duct tape.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

On Mar 13, 12:19=A0am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> On Mar 12, 9:53 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > I do know what you mean. That was early, angry Prine.
>
> THAT is the Prine I know. =A0I remember rolling over the verses in his
> songs many a time trying to find out why he got to where he was. =A0I
> never knew why he was so bitter.
> Truthful to the point of pain, but really bitter.
>

This is where his head is at lately:

Down the hall upstairs from me
There's a girl I swear I never see
I hear the ringing of her phone
She must live up there all alone
She hangs her clothes out on the line
They're hanging there right next to mine
And if the wind should blow just right
She could be in my arms tonight

On Mar 11, 3:31=A0pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Robatoy" wrote:
> >Just don't forget to upgrade the sand in your hour-glass, Lew.
>
> AS long as the task doesn't change, no need to update<G>.
>
> Lew, who is leaving dial-up (sigh), moving to DSL, because is is a
> cost improvement.

Yur gonna miss the the log-on squeel, Lew. DSL is always there..no
more anticipation if your log-on will take hold...
I miss those rough-and-tumble 56k days... the romance has all but
disappeared... simpler times. 300 baud. When the text would slowly
claw its way upon the screen, stretching the abilities of the AST six-
pack set to 80 column width...just to find out that that new-found
love from the chat room was a dog. An actual dog.

On Mar 18, 12:48=A0am, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
> Charlie Self wrote:
> > On Mar 14, 12:48 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> On Mar 13, 10:08 pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >> > Leon wrote:
>
> >> > > "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> > >news:[email protected]...
> >> > > Snip
>
> >> > > =A0Unless, of course, you happen
> >> > >> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars wil=
l
> >> > >> insure that you can.
>
> >> > > And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our
> >> > > politicians with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>
> >> > =A0 Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody
> >> > =A0 noticed how
> >> > often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every
> >> > other sentence?
>
> >> > Didn't think so.
>
> >> I knew from the first minute the story broke that he was a Dem,
> >> Hillary supporter and super delegate.
> >> I can't remember if it was Fox or Limbaugh...
> >> Other than that, the only reference to Spitzer's party affiliation
> >> was via the suspicion that it was the republicans who had his ass
> >> busted. But we all know that can't be true.
> >> There is no dirt in politics.
>
> > You need to do something about those Canadian news sources, then. The
> > fact that he is a Democrat, first, was well known, and, second, was
> > frequently mentioned in newspapers and on-line by our "slanted" media.
>
> =A0 Looks like the new guy is having his own problems again. =A0Take a loo=
k at
> this and tell me how many times you count the party affiliation: =A0
> <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/03/17/2008-03-17_gov_paterson_ad...>=

> Note the only place in the article that mentions "Democrat" is in referenc=
e
> to the "Democrat Primary" and doesn't necessarily affiliate him.
>
> =A0 Spitzer's resignation:
> <http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/nyregion/12cnd-resign.html?_r=3D1&ore..=
.>
> Note that it is only near the final paragraph where his party affiliation
> is mentioned.
>
> =A0 MSNBC (for direct comparison with example below):
> <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20467347/>
> You have to go to nearly the end of the article before his party affiliati=
on
> is mentioned and it gets mentioned exactly twice.
>
> =A0Now, take a look at any references to Larry Craig:
> <http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/08/larry_craig_still_not_g...>=

> Very first words (R-Idaho). =A0
> <http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20467347/>
> Headline, first paragraph, reference to "republican governor C.L. Otter",
> total of 5 references to party affiliation throughout the article (just in=

> case somebody who read the headline and first paragraph forgets before
> getting to the end of the article)
>
> =A0 I could find multiple other examples, such as William Jefferson --
> democrat Louisianna, vs. Mark Foley REPUBLICAN Florida (mainstream media
> emphasis added), but life's too short.
>
> > Long ago, I figured out all media had a slant. SFW. No person is truly
> > objective, not even Bill O'Reilly or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> > would you pay half a buck an hour?).
>
> =A0 Of course the latter two are not objective, they have never claimed to=
be,
> they are quite open about being commentators. =A0It's the weasels claiming=
to
> be "objective" reporters weaving their commentary into their "news"
> articles that bugs me.
>
> --

Do you know why they seem to pay more attention to party affiliation
when a republican is involved in scandal?
Because it is so rare and hard to grasp for the ordinary Joe. As if to
say: " yes.. even Republicans can mess up sometimes."

The conservatives have been torpedoed by their own party. It has
become the party of arrogance, spearheaded by the most arrogant
schmuck on the planet. No wonder Obama's Dems are mining the
disgruntled.
The worst part is that many are about to sign up for another 4 years
of that craziness, led by a man who admits he knows nothing about
economics.
And now, your gov't is printing money like mad, looking for a
socialist solution to their fiscal mismanagement.

And how on earth do you guys chose between the candidates you got?
=46rom amongst 300 million+ people, can't you guys find one more Reagan?

r

Swingman took a can of maroon spray paint on March 10, 2008 08:30 pm and
wrote the following:

>
> "FrozenNorth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Swingman took a can of maroon spray paint on March 10, 2008 08:21 pm and
>> wrote the following:
>>
>> >
>> > "Leon" wrote
>> >
>> >> Looking at the time your post showed up, 18 minutes from now, it looks
>> > like
>> >> you computer did not update correctly. ;~)
>> >
>> > That's funny because this box is running Win2K Pro and I had to do it
>> > by hand as I have it set to "not adjust for DST" due to the new date
>> > apparently not being supported by the OS like Vista and XP... BUT I
> indeed
>> > set it last night, BEFORE I went to bed after spending the better part
> of
>> > the day an hour behind, and it's 6:20 PM CST/DST on the system clock as
> I
>> > write this.
>> >
>> > Perhaps Outlook Express is still dragging its feet, but I can't imagine
>> > why it would not be using system time ... hmmm.
>> >
>> >
>> It could be your news server as well, depending how it is configured.
>
> More than likely, your reply to mine is dated an hour before mine was
> written, as it comes off the server. :)
>
Must be it, my posts are showing up correctly through easynews, as posted on
EDT.
--
Lits Slut #9
Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.

"Lee Michaels" wrote:

> I usually wake up before the alarm goes off. Not so this morning. The
> alarm went off, I didn't hear it and my wife reached out and touched me.
> With a good punch. Talk about being jolted out of slumberland.


Just curious, what's an alarm?<G>

Lew

"Lee Michaels" wrote:

> An evil, auditory warning device designed to kill dreams and interupt
> healthful sleep.

Now I remember, I used to have one of those.

Lost it along with a wrist watch I once wore.

Lew

Leon wrote:
> Well here we are again, trying to wake up an hour early. If there was not
> enough to stoke the "global warming" fires, we continue to add 1 hour of day
> light every spring. An extra hour of day light cannot be helpful to counter
> act global warming. Maybe this early extra hour of day light will help to
> bring spring in and close out winter, even in Houston I'm ready for a bit of
> that Global Warming. ;~)
> On a side note, researchers have started to link cancer to poor sleep
> patterns. Several years ago I jokingly commented that DTS causes cancer,
> odd how things work out.
>
>
With daylight savings time upon us again, I hoped the government would
have issued proper instructions for setting our clocks forward.

When we went OFF daylight savings last fall, the lack of proper
instructions caused me a lot of problems. The government said that at
2:00 AM on Sunday, November 4, we had to set our clocks back one hour.

I am a very law abiding person, so on Saturday night, I set my alarm
clock to go off a 2:00 AM Sunday morning. When it went off, I was a
very sleepy but I got up and dutifully set all my clocks back an hour.
I then went back to bed.

After only a short time, the alarm woke me up. It was 2:00 AM. So I
got up and set all my clocks back an hour. I went back to sleep.

The alarm woke me . . . . . . .

yaaawwwn,
jo4hn

Leon wrote:

> Well here we are again, trying to wake up an hour early. If there was not
> enough to stoke the "global warming" fires, we continue to add 1 hour of
> day
> light every spring. An extra hour of day light cannot be helpful to
> counter
> act global warming. Maybe this early extra hour of day light will help to
> bring spring in and close out winter, even in Houston I'm ready for a bit
> of
> that Global Warming. ;~)
> On a side note, researchers have started to link cancer to poor sleep
> patterns. Several years ago I jokingly commented that DTS causes cancer,
> odd how things work out.

Ah, yet another reason to love Arizona (besides the spring-like weather
right now). On Sunday, California joined our time zone and Colorado gained
an hour on us. I got up at my usual time, didn't mess with my circadean
rhythms and got to watch people on both time zone sides of me yawn and
ask "wha' happened?"

/pity the poor AZ politician who even breathes a whisper of the idea that we
join the rest of the sheep messing with their clocks.


--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

Roger Grady wrote:

> Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
>
... snip
> I think we might grow better hardwood here, though.
>
>

Oh yeah; or at least a lot more of it.

--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

Puckdropper wrote:

> Roger Grady <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>>
>> The same was true here in Indiana for about 35 years until 3 years ago
>> we elected a governor who was convinced we were in dire economic
>> straits because "nobody knew what time it was in Indiana". He twisted
>> just enough representatives arms to get the change through, by one
>> vote, and now you in Arizona have the distinction of being the only
>> state in the 48 to have the common sense to leave their clocks alone.
>> I envy you greatly. Your weather's better too, this time of year at
>> least.
>>
>> I think we might grow better hardwood here, though.
>>
>>
>> Roger Grady [email protected]
>> To reply by email, remove "qlfit." from address
>>
>
> How have things improved in Indiana since? Local stores still close
> around 5:00 in Ft Wayne? (So I may be exaggerating, but almost every
> non-big box store I wanted to go to seemed like they closed around supper
> time.) Staying open into the evening hours would help the economic
> situation, not DST.
>
> As a former Indiana resident, I think DST/non-DST balances out when
> you've got friends and family in Illinois. As much hassle as you're
> saved by not changing the clock is balanced out by their not being sure
> what time, exactly, it is. (They're only off by an hour, so it's usually
> not that big of deal.)

Kind of funny when you think about it. If it was such a big deal that
Indiana all be on the same time (so Indiana knew what time it was), why not
go the other way and eliminate DST altogether instead of making everybody
adopt it? Think of the increase in productivity the first several days of
the time change if people weren't having their body clocks messed with.

--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

"Bob Martin" wrote:

> Hear, hear. At the last change I had to reset 23 devices (clocks,
watches,
> phones, boiler controllers, microwaves, cameras, etc etc)

Not picking on Bob, just an observation.

Sounds like way toooo.......o much "stuff" in your life.

The puter has a clock, the answering machine has a clock, which
borders on one too many clocks for me.

I get there when I get there.

The time piece in my head is within +/- 15 minutes, which is close
enuf for most things, especially when you are dealing with SoCal
traffic.

Life is too short to sweat the "stuff".

Lew

"Robatoy" wrote:

>Just don't forget to upgrade the sand in your hour-glass, Lew.

AS long as the task doesn't change, no need to update<G>.

Lew, who is leaving dial-up (sigh), moving to DSL, because is is a
cost improvement.

"Leon" wrote:

> And I was the last person on earth that finally got a cell phone in
the last
> 3 weeks.


That isn't going to happen, be damned if I'm going to have an
electronic nurse maid strapped on the hip.

I'm just not that important that a call can't wait.

My goal in life empty my key ring, then throw it away.

Lew

<[email protected]> wrote:


> In my mind, I am seeing a man in a billowy white robe walking the
> earth with his staff in search of truth. A complex man, with simple
> needs, searching...
>
> Are you and David Carradine buddies?

Spend some time sailing and you develop a whole different outlook on
life, especially if you don't crank up the diesel jib when the wind
dies down for a while.

You learn a certain degree of patience or you quit sailing.

Lew

"Leon" wrote:


> Having parents in their mid 80's, my phone is so that they can get
me when
> ever they need to.

SFWIW, my mother will turn 103 next month and is still back in Ohio,
2,400 miles away per GPS.

She was living alone until a year ago when she fell and suffered a
compound fracture just above the right ankle.

She is now in a nursing home, but has a cordless phone with a lot of
numbers plugged in, including my own.

We talk at least twice a week

SFWIW, my mother was wearing her medical alert around her neck. She
managed to push it while she still could.

Paramedics were there in less than 10 minutes.

Without that alert, she would have blead to death.

For those of you with parents living alone and in their senior years,
wearing that alert will give you both a lot of peace of mind.

I insisted that mom wear it if she wanted to stay alone.

Think about it.

Lew

Bob Martin wrote:

> in 1400146 20080311 125710 Charlie Self <[email protected]> wrote:
>>On Mar 11, 5:55 am, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>
>>> > Instead of monkeying with the clocks, just GET UP EARLIER IF YOU WANT
>>> > TO. Geez, like we need politicians to tell us when to get out of bed
>>> > in the morning.
>>>
>>> Not that simple. I can get up any time I want to, but the rest of the
>>> world I deal with is still asleep and out of sync. There is no benefit
>>> for me to
>>> show up at work an hour before everyone else. Or arrive at a store an
>>> hour before they open.
>>>
>>> DST forever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>>
>>I don't care which way it goes, but I wish they'd leave it the hell
>>alone. Set it and forget it. The modern house has too damned many
>>clocks and time keeping devices to make the change to DST, or the
>>change back, anything other than a royal PITA. I quit setting my shop
>>clock after the last power blink...so now the clock blinks at me all
>>the time, but it doesn't bother me with DST/EST or similar nonsense.
>>
>>In today's world, there's no reason to favor one over the other. Just
>>do it and leave it.
>
> Hear, hear. At the last change I had to reset 23 devices (clocks,
> watches, phones, boiler controllers, microwaves, cameras, etc etc)

You left off automobile/truck clocks.

--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

<[email protected]> wrote:

> Good for you in getting her to wear it.

It was not optional, she knew she wasn't going to win an argument with
her son who learned how to be stubborn from his mother<G>.

> I would love it if mine would
> as well, but they are too damn stupid to do it.
>
> My father cannot stand by himself, he cannot walk without a walker,
> fix a meal, drive, or go to the bathroom by himself. He has fallen
so
> many times he has constant oozing of open wounds on his arms.
>
> BUT... he thinks if he gets the emergency button to wear that
people
> will think he is old and dependent on others.
>
> He hasn't been able to figure out that others have deduced that
> without the button.
=================================


May I suggest some professional help.

Back in Ohio there is a state funded group called "Adult Protective
Services", hopefully you have a similar resource where you live.

It is staffed by social service pros who are trained specifically to
deal with the elderly.

One of their primary goals is to keep people OUT of nursing homes.

A case worker will come out and interview your parents and help them
determine if they can be of service providing services such as light
houskeeping, help with meal preparation or maybe "meals on wheels",
transportation to doctors, etc, etc.

Point is they are real pros at what they do and are not restrained by
the parent/child relationship.

It is much easier on your parents to accept, if the advice comes from
a 3rd party rather than a child

SFWIW, they provided services that kept my mother at home for at least
3-5 years, and out of assisted living/nursing home environment.

Not only did it help to keep mom happy, it was a lot less expensive
than a nursing home.

Lew

"Robatoy" wrote:

>I read into Lew's post that his dream is a life without clocks and
keys. I got lost in that concept of 'no keys'... too many keys _is_
indicative of a complex life... just never thought about it that way.

Actually, sailing does that for you by puting your life in
perspective.

If you sail, you soon learn to accept and use what mother nature gives
you, on her terms, or you can continue to be an "A" type and frustrate
the hell out of your self, maybe end up with a pile of "stuff", still
wanting more and probably fighting the onset of ulsers.

>The name of the song is Spanish Pipedream by John Prine.

You get past The Weavers, The Kingston Trio or Pete Seeger as a
single, and I'm lost.

>That whole 'no-key' concept was something I equated with freedom...

You got it.

The freedom to tell the world to kiss my rear end and accept the
consequences.

>I
think Lew is a latent hippy. :-)

Latent Hell<G>

Lew


r

<[email protected]> wrote:

> Finally I gave up, as I couldn't take it any longer. My business
was
> suffering; my relationships were really suffering. I couldn't get
> that across to them no matter how I tried, and I did try about 30-
40
> times to get that through to them. I never could. In self defense
> (and about 10 years into this) I told them not to call me anymore.

Don't mean to sound crass, but sounds like they managed to retain
parental control by application of the old guilt trip routine.

> I
> finally talked to a really sharp family counselor that got me
> connected to the right people and we started down a better road for
> all concerned.

> My Dad screwed that up several times by telling the case worker he
> didn't need help.

Sometimes we don't want to face reality, but it has to be done.

Something the pros face every day, and are equipped to handle.

> When all of us kiddos were at the interviews, dear old Dad didn't
> stand a chance. He couldn't lie anymore.

The old guilt trip routine got shot down in flames.

> So, he now has some aid.

Sounds like he could use more than he is getting.

> While they are over their anger at me now, it was the health care
> people that sent the worker over that stole their stuff.

That is unfortunate; however, it is still just stuff.

As my mother has often said, "Never yet saw a U-Haul follow a hearse".

> Both my folks wanted the services stopped. But once again, with all
> three kids (are you still a kid if you are middle aged?) at the
task,
> we kept up the services.

Sometimes it takes a united front to overcome the old guilt trip game.

> We have a lady that comes three days a week and does all the things
> you spoke of. It is a Godsend. They have company now, and that is
> great. Just human contact besides their doctors had been great for
> them. The four hour visits they get insure clean clothes, showers,
> fresh food, and a hot meal. With the state kicking in, it costs
them
> about $120 a week, and worth every penny.
>
> We even have them hooked up with a city transit bus that will pick
> them up for their doctor's appts., and they have a bay that holds
> wheechairs, so they are set.

Sounds like you are making some progress.

> Yeah, this is a much better solution. Their $480 a month would no
> doubt blossom to at least 10X - 15X that if we put both in a home.

Going rate for a nursing home is in the $180/day range.

That $480 wouldn't even cover 2 days for 2 people.

Looks like you may be headed down a path everybody can live with.

Might want to check out meals on wheels, my mother really liked it and
the fact somebody knocked on the door and said "Hello, how are you", 5
days a week.

Lew

Swingman wrote:
> "Leon" wrote
>
>> $4500 per hour!!!! I thought the $4500 was for an over night trip and the
>> expectations that came with an over night stay.
>
> Last I heard, from Mr Eaux this morning (and he should know) the price for
> the "7 - 9 diamond" stuff was on the order of $30,000 a night, reflecting a
> discount of course.
>
Hey, and I'm worth every penny.
babe magnet,
jo4hn

Leon wrote:

>
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> Snip
>
>
> Unless, of course, you happen
>> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will
>> insure that you can.
>
> And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
> with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>
>

Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody noticed how
often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every other
sentence?


Didn't think so.

<http://newsbusters.org/blogs/rich-noyes/2008/03/13/while-no-d-eliot-spitzer-vitter-craig-always-tagged-gop>

--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

[email protected] wrote:
> Planning is really great, but life's unexpected turns suck.

Indeed.....I spent 25 years working 60-80 hrs a week without vacations,
weekends or much else (isn't self employment great<g>).....while the wife
had 3 kids and 9 different surgeries (some minor and some major). Once she
got some semblance of health back at 47 I was diagnosed (I was getting sick
several years before the actual diagnoses) with a very rare idiopathic
disorder, I tried to die, had numerous tests and surgery, take expensive
medication including pain meds to hold the disease in check. Her current
check pays the medical and the bills, luckily our derelict 100yr old house
was paid for. There is no plan to reasonably cover all of life's surprises
although a more profitable business or winning the lottery wouldn't have
hurt......Rod

<[email protected]> wrote:

> I have tried to get him to talk to a counselor about depression, many,
> many times.

IMHO, the hell with a counselor.

He's giving everybody a bunch of bravado that you siblings have been getting
away with all these years, to hide other things that bother him.

If he needs help to meet his basic safety and health needs, then that's what
he gets by whatever means necessary.

Takes a pro to make that evaluation.

Although not as nasty about it as your father would appear to be, she was
non the less adamant about certain things including the fact she would never
leave her home, except to have the body taken to the funeral home.

Although almost totally blind, she had developed elaborate routines to get
from room to room.

I can relate to your problem.

Just curious, know anybody with a dog that would bring the dog over for a
visit maybe once a week?

Understand dogs can be tremendous morale boosters.

> I agree, but I see where they are coming from. Her little bitty first
> wedding band that she got in 1951 meant a lot more to her than her
> newer band with a stone for each of her kids.

So what else is new?

>The bad things about the check theft was that the vendors didn't want
> to back off the forged checks.

Screw the banks.

Once you notify them, they have three (3) days to replace your money and get
their fraud people involved.

It's now the bank's problem, not yours.

Also, no cost to you.

BTDT, don't want the T-Shirt.

Just took about 90 days before everything flushed out.

> You know, that's a great idea. We had talked about that with them
> before, and they have said "no" a couple of times. It might well be
> time to bring that up again, EXACTLY for the reason you mentioned.

Why would somebody say no to "meals on wheels"?

It's NOT charity, you buy the meals on an ability to pay basis.

Sounds like your dad needs a laugh.

Tell him about the lady who had breast cancer and was scheduled for surgery
the next day.

(wait for his comment, then respond), "She's so ugly even three (3) boobs
wouldn't help".

Told the right way, may get his mind off his problems, perceived or
otherwise

Just in case, does someone have a power of attorney, medical consent, etc?

Speaking from experience, if I hadn't had one, it would have been a bitch
trying to make arrangements for mom's medical and housing needs.

Mom gave it to me 2-3 years before3 it was neede, just filed it away till
needed.

Hope some of this is useful.

Lew


Lew
.

<[email protected]> wrote:


> They can't and won't make him go to a psych guy, and since he won't
> participate anyway, it doesn't matter. You can't help someone that
> won't help themselves. Cased closed there.

That's a tough one.

> LMAO. My sister has brought her dog over several times just for that
> reason. A sweeter, nicer, female collie dog you have never seen.
> Both my parents like her for about 15 minutes, then they are done.

Understand short time, but did it help seem to help?

> Besides, my Dad really only enjoys political jokes
> that slam Demos.

OK, I grew up in Wayne County, Ohio, which has some of the most productive
farm land ib the USA..

It was/is a rather wealthy as well as conservative place back in the 50's.

Used to tell the story about the guy they found dazed and walking along a
country dirt road.

A neighbor kid, found him aand took him up the lane to the farm house.

Talked to him for a while and found out he was a democrat.

They had never seen one before, couldn't figure out how to help him, so they
shot
him to put him out of his misery.

> We have <notarized> copies of the following put in 4 large red
> envelopes that have been labeled and placed where health care and
> emergency care workers can see them:

Sounds like you have the bases covered.

Does that package contain a "Contact" sheet that contains name and phone #
for the following::

1)Closest blood relative
2)Closest physical relative
3)Paster/Priest/etc
4)Personal Physican
5)Name of person/s living there
6)Funeral home if burial arrangements have been made
7)Whatever else I have forgotton that would be useful

That contact sheet was my mother's idea. Had one on the fridge, and at least
2 others scattered around her place, pinned to the drapes.

Whoever responded to an emergency had at least some basics.

> We were also informed by the patient liaison person at the Baptist
> Hospital System that the forms go out of date. She advised that all
> forms be updated every two years.

I'll have to check that out; however, since mom has progressed to the point
where she is in a nursing home, covered by Medicaid, may be OK.

Appreciate the tip.

> As far as the quality of their care, there are a lot of shortcomings
> of social services for seniors, but there are a lot more that folks
> never take advantage of just because they don't know to ask. It is a
> shame you have to ask, but there is no handbook on this stuff.

The "Adult Protyective Services" group took care of all that for mom.

Without them, we were clueless.

That was the reason I suggested them up front; however, seems you've managed
quite well on your own.

> I am at the point with all of this where it's time to let it all
> ride.

Can understand your frustration, as well as your mental exhaustion.

The old adage applys, "You can take a horse to water, but you can't make him
drink".

> They won't call me as they
> invoke the old "if they don't care, why should we" card, ....

One of my favorite responses to the old sympathy ploy, "Sounds like a
personal problem to me".

Maniplative people are stopped cold by that one.

> Raising parents is hard. I would strongly suggest to anyone that is
> starting this process to seek out others that are in the middle of it
> to compare notes. Things will improve dramatically when you do.

Yep.

I must say, I'm very fortunate.

Today, my mother and I have had a relationship where we have stayed out of
each others day to day lives while maintaining an adult mother/son
relationship.

It was not always that way, but then what do you expect from a couple of
bull headed krauts.

Even today, while her body is shot, her mind is sharp.

I keep telling her, Ma, we need to jack up your mind and drive a new body
underneath.

There are many less fortunate who have started down that slippery slope to
senility.

Lew

Robatoy wrote:
[snip]
> Put me off my food, will ya? Coulter? Hell, I always thought
> bestiality was illegal.

Weeeellll... Maybe if I could go on a diet and lose 50 years, plus a
bag over my head and her mouth taped shut...? On third thought, jumping
Jehoshaphat, what am I thinking. (sound of auto-face slapping).
unnnnnph,
jo4hn

Charlie Self wrote:

> On Mar 14, 12:48 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
>> On Mar 13, 10:08 pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> > Leon wrote:
>>
>> > > "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > >news:[email protected]...
>> > > Snip
>>
>> > > Unless, of course, you happen
>> > >> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will
>> > >> insure that you can.
>>
>> > > And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our
>> > > politicians with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>>
>> > Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody
>> > noticed how
>> > often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every
>> > other sentence?
>>
>> > Didn't think so.
>>
>> I knew from the first minute the story broke that he was a Dem,
>> Hillary supporter and super delegate.
>> I can't remember if it was Fox or Limbaugh...
>> Other than that, the only reference to Spitzer's party affiliation
>> was via the suspicion that it was the republicans who had his ass
>> busted. But we all know that can't be true.
>> There is no dirt in politics.
>
> You need to do something about those Canadian news sources, then. The
> fact that he is a Democrat, first, was well known, and, second, was
> frequently mentioned in newspapers and on-line by our "slanted" media.
>

Looks like the new guy is having his own problems again. Take a look at
this and tell me how many times you count the party affiliation:
<http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2008/03/17/2008-03-17_gov_paterson_admits_to_sex_with_other_wo.html>
Note the only place in the article that mentions "Democrat" is in reference
to the "Democrat Primary" and doesn't necessarily affiliate him.

Spitzer's resignation:
<http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/nyregion/12cnd-resign.html?_r=1&oref=slogin>
Note that it is only near the final paragraph where his party affiliation
is mentioned.

MSNBC (for direct comparison with example below):
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20467347/>
You have to go to nearly the end of the article before his party affiliation
is mentioned and it gets mentioned exactly twice.



Now, take a look at any references to Larry Craig:
<http://blog.washingtonpost.com/sleuth/2007/08/larry_craig_still_not_gay.html>
Very first words (R-Idaho).
<http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20467347/>
Headline, first paragraph, reference to "republican governor C.L. Otter",
total of 5 references to party affiliation throughout the article (just in
case somebody who read the headline and first paragraph forgets before
getting to the end of the article)


I could find multiple other examples, such as William Jefferson --
democrat Louisianna, vs. Mark Foley REPUBLICAN Florida (mainstream media
emphasis added), but life's too short.

> Long ago, I figured out all media had a slant. SFW. No person is truly
> objective, not even Bill O'Reilly or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> would you pay half a buck an hour?).

Of course the latter two are not objective, they have never claimed to be,
they are quite open about being commentators. It's the weasels claiming to
be "objective" reporters weaving their commentary into their "news"
articles that bugs me.




--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

Robatoy wrote:

... snip
>
> And how on earth do you guys chose between the candidates you got?
> From amongst 300 million+ people, can't you guys find one more Reagan?
>

Beats the @#$% out of me. The Republicans let the dems and independents
choose the Republican candidate through the cross-over voting in the early
primaries. So now we've got statists running on both sides, it's just that
one of them might be a little less statist than the other.

> r

--
If you're going to be dumb, you better be tough

In article <[email protected]>, Mark & Juanita
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody noticed how
> often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every other
> sentence?

AFP did. They called him a Republican, of course...

<http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=29265_AFP-_Eliot_Spitzer_
(R)&only>

--
Help improve usenet. Kill-file Google Groups.
http://improve-usenet.org/

Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:

> Ah, yet another reason to love Arizona (besides the spring-like weather
>right now). On Sunday, California joined our time zone and Colorado gained
>an hour on us. I got up at my usual time, didn't mess with my circadean
>rhythms and got to watch people on both time zone sides of me yawn and
>ask "wha' happened?"
>
>/pity the poor AZ politician who even breathes a whisper of the idea that we
>join the rest of the sheep messing with their clocks.

The same was true here in Indiana for about 35 years until 3 years ago
we elected a governor who was convinced we were in dire economic
straits because "nobody knew what time it was in Indiana". He twisted
just enough representatives arms to get the change through, by one
vote, and now you in Arizona have the distinction of being the only
state in the 48 to have the common sense to leave their clocks alone.
I envy you greatly. Your weather's better too, this time of year at
least.

I think we might grow better hardwood here, though.


Roger Grady [email protected]
To reply by email, remove "qlfit." from address

Swingman took a can of maroon spray paint on March 10, 2008 08:21 pm and
wrote the following:

>
> "Leon" wrote
>
>> Looking at the time your post showed up, 18 minutes from now, it looks
> like
>> you computer did not update correctly. ;~)
>
> That's funny because this box is running Win2K Pro and I had to do it by
> hand as I have it set to "not adjust for DST" due to the new date
> apparently not being supported by the OS like Vista and XP... BUT I indeed
> set it last night, BEFORE I went to bed after spending the better part of
> the day an hour behind, and it's 6:20 PM CST/DST on the system clock as I
> write this.
>
> Perhaps Outlook Express is still dragging its feet, but I can't imagine
> why it would not be using system time ... hmmm.
>
>
It could be your news server as well, depending how it is configured.
--
Lits Slut #9
Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.

On Mar 17, 11:45=A0am, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Charlie Self" wrote
>
> > ... or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> > would you pay half a buck an hour?).
>
> At one time, with or without some duct tape and a flag ... you know, for
> "old glory" and all that.
>
> But not now ... one gets choosy in their old age.
>
> Then again ...
>
Don't even JOKE about that, Swing...

On Mar 17, 1:02 pm, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mar 17, 11:45 am, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:> "Charlie Self" wrote
>
> > > ... or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> > > would you pay half a buck an hour?).
>
> > At one time, with or without some duct tape and a flag ... you know, for
> > "old glory" and all that.
>
> > But not now ... one gets choosy in their old age.
>
> > Then again ...
>
> Don't even JOKE about that, Swing...

She is what we used to call a triple-bagger: two over her head and one
over yours, just in case.

On Mar 12, 7:23 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:

> The name of the song is Spanish Pipedream by John Prine.
> His dream was to blow up the TV and throwing away the paper and live a
> life with fewer hassles.

Interesting! I am not too familiar with Prine's body of work,
although I like some of it a lot. I tend to think of him in a much
darker >vein<.... if you know what I mean.

> That whole 'no-key' concept was something I equated with freedom...I
> think Lew is a latent hippy. :-)

Me too. I am quite content with my mental picture of Lew as my guy in
robes walking the earth. Maybe a slightly cranky guy in search of
truth, but hey... no picture is perfect!

Just kiddin' Lew.

About the robes, anyway.

Robert

"dpb" wrote in message
> Swingman wrote:
> ...
>
> > Unfortunately, LTC insurance is out of the financial reach of many, if
not
> > most, of the folks in this country, is poorly understood, and ripe with
> > potential fraud.
> ...
>
> I'd venture not out of the reach of most partaking of this group and
> like anything else does need care in choosing a reputable vendor. It
> does, of course, require a personal commitment to use some funds for
> something other than short term gratification.
>
> The return on Mom's policy paid more than total in premiums for both
> their policies in about 2 years and the combination of it and her SS
> benefit made up virtually the whole expense of the nursing home care.
>
> As in any insurance, it's expensive unless and until you need it.

Sure it's wonderful to have it you can afford it, but your one example does
not make for a good judgment call on the matter.

Consumer Reports: "But will such insurance really work? A CR investigation,
for which we reviewed 47 policies, reveals that for most people,
long-term-care insurance is too risky and too expensive. "

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/money/insurance/longterm-care-insurance-1103/overview/

Another must read before considering.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 3/8/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Mar 12, 5:05 am, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:

> SWMBO's father is another story. She's basically been out of state taking
> care of her father since before last thanksgiving.

Well bless her heart. I don't care how much you care about someone,
taking care of a sick, elderly person around the clock is harder than
anyone can imagine.

>The fact that the
> vultures were blatantly circling was the original impetus for her to provide
> the 'round the clock' care herself. The blatancy with which these people
> prey on the elderly is unbelievable until you experience it.

I defies all imagination, doesn't it? When my Mom was taken home from
the hospital a few months ago, we turned in the ambulance/transit
drivers to their company as those two sons of bitches told my Dad that
it was traditional that they ambulance drivers get a $25 tip. Huh?
Dad... did you tip him? Well, yeah, uhhh... you know I couldn't have
gotten your mother in by myself...

Dad gets so many calls a day he sometimes doesn't answer phone, even
if he does hear it. He is tired of people wanting to sell him
extended warranties on a 6 year old car that has been paid off for 3,
tired of "senior care benefit package" offers, tired of people that
want to sell him drugs from Canada. And it has only gotten worse
since my mother had a pace maker/defribullator put in last
September.

Somehow these telemarketer guys get records that show specific
ailments of someone, and those that can profit make the most of the
opportunity.

Still, the one I hate the most are the ones that have the most
success. When they need something done at their house, if an older
guy comes out with a little white hair, glasses, and is in worn but
not dirty clothes, my Dad gets sucked in for all manner of repairs at
all kinds of prices. If the guy can talk the talk about the Korean
War, my Dad would probably deed over the house.

No matter that I point out to my Dad that IF the guy had actually been
to Korea like him, he would be my Dad's age.
>>Think about it Dad...<< Then he gets embarrassed, and won't tell me when he does it the next time. He has had some really first class screwings since he has gotten older.

> In short, we are currently taking the short course in taking care of elderly
> parents on both sides, even though, under the laws of the State of Texas
> regarding property taxes, I'm officially "elderly" myself ... and getting
> more stubborn by the day.

I now know more about Medicare, Medicaid, at home care, and county
programs than I ever thought I would. There are many, many care and
assistance programs available to seniors, many more than most folks
can imagine. But getting them is another matter. I have had problems
getting the full scope of the programs, and how to apply for some of
them. Some are just a question of asking the right person. Some
involve at-home interviews and doctor intervention. The paperwork is
complicated and can be never ending.

If my Dad is having a bad day and some younger person (anyone under
60) comes in with an "attitude", then he just might blow the
application interview by telling them off. On the other hand,
ESPECIALLY if it is a young cute girl that is really nice to him, he
will tell them his is just fine, doesn't really need any help at all,
and all the calls to EMS to pick him up are really someone else's
idea. BTW, that catheter bag is someone else's idea, too. He is just
humoring all of us.

We have a pretty good handle on the care part it now, but it was
really tough sledding for few years as there was no "one" agency or
department to go to for information. I make the medicare/medicaid
interviews, I make the evaluation meetings, etc. to make sure both of
them are on track. The stuff my Mom says when she is off her blood
sugar is amazing. She can undo a productive benefits evaluation
interview in about three sentences.

Thankfully on the other side of the fence, Kathy's father went to his
great reward peacefully last year. He wasn't a pain as he was a very
reclusive old soul. Her mother is 83, and is spry and in good
health. She is also one of the nicest people I have ever met, and I
have told her that I will take care of everything in/on her house, and
anything else she wants. She is glad for the help and not nearly as
stubborn as my folks. My folks make it very hard to help them, and
don't appreciate it most of the time when they are helped.

I never thought I would be in this position, and if I thought it would
go this route I would have really pushed my folks into looking into
these things when they could handle the huge flow of information they
need to deal with as seniors. As it is now, the cannot handle as much
information as comes to them, and they don't understand what they
read, so they need a lot of time, care and attention. To me, it is
like having mean, stubborn kids you never wanted.

No matter how ticked off I get at them, I still won't stand by and see
them take a screwing. Both sides of that equation really tick me off.

Like I said earlier, right now this is just my lot in life.

Robert

On Mar 11, 9:42 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Having parents in their mid 80's, my phone is so that they can get me when
> ever they need to.

I would like to have the freedom that Lew talks about, but it just
isn't the cards I was dealt. I am closer to your situation. My
parents can no longer take care of themselves, and I swear every
fucking vulture in the world has come to roost at their house.

For the most part, I WANT them to call me with any questions they
might have. As a sign of independence, dear old Dad likes to call
someone on his own for house repairs rather than to call his son the
contractor. So he winds up with guys wanting to charge him $1200 for
a new, low end water heater. Or Replacing simple electrical fixtures
at $150 each, plus $25 for changing a bulb.

Their world collapsed when their care worker stole a check book, and
then my Mom's jewelry, like her first wedding ring of 58 years. They
were so devastated they couldn't even function.

I burn about 1400 to 1800 minutes a month. It is not unusual to for
me to have 600 - 800 calls. In reading my bills, I laugh at how many
calls are just one minute.

Contracting is a scheduling and pricing game. My calls are like this:

Are you there?

No.

How far out are you?

About ten minutes.

Do you have the XXXX we talked about?

Yup. It's in the truck. They had it ready when I got there.

Good. See you there in fifteen minutes. Go ahead and get the cords
out so we can get going when I get there.

OK.

*click*

> I also look
> at it as an electronic leash

I used to as well. Now I look at it as a tool, just like a saw. I
like making a phone call from the Jack in the Box drive in to tell my
vendor to pull something for me. I can drive straight over and get
it, instead of wasting another 15 minutes at the order counter. Four
guys waiting on materials for 15 minutes = one full hour of lost
work.

I like knowing I can have the guys find me in a moment to let me know
how much progress was made on the job at the end of the day, or if we
need to address a change order due to some unforeseen circumstances.

I really like the phone call at the end of the day that says, 'we got
it all finished, everything is cleaned up, and the guy said if you
will come by tomorrow he will write you a check. He seems pretty
happy".

Cell phones can be wonderful.

Robert

On Mar 12, 9:46=A0am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
> I read into Lew's post that his dream is a life without clocks and
> keys. I got lost in that concept of 'no keys'... too many keys _is_
> indicative of a complex life... just never thought about it that way.
>
> I carry "1" key and it fits my Tundra. =A0I use push buttons to get into t=
he
> house.

Actually, I push buttons to get into the house as well. Mine is a
Weisers..It has been flawless for 8 years now..but it does have quite
an appetite for batteries.
It is also a a very strong bolt.

"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Did any one mention Water Softeners yet?

At least they won't get you in trouble being out of sync.

On Mar 12, 6:51 am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Well, in all honesty I am already starting to see this as a tool. When my
> friends started getting cell phones about 18 years ago they were complaining
> about $250 per month phone bills and the phones were not being used for
> business.

With gas at $3+ a gallon, quick phone calls to make sure your vendor
has the material or tool you need in his hands before you get there is
a must. I have always called ahead to save time, but now do it to
save gas as well.

One of the great things that happened to me when I finally realized I
wasn't too important to field my own calls was that I could fire my
secretary. I was the one that wound up training them on them on how
to be a good office manager anyway, so I knew what to do to make th
office run smoothly. When I finally had enough of employees, it was
just me an her in a small office.

I let her go, closed the office, and gave the guys that worked for am
a raise with the money I saved on rent, secretary salary, three phone
+ one fax line, etc. With a smaller company, I could start keeping my
own books again, keeping tight rein on materials and scheduling. I
found that to my taste, bigger was indeed not better.

And I am happier as >>everyone<< knows my phone number. No one calls
to chat though, as I have a dim view of that, and I won't answer the
phone at all when I am with a customer doing an estimate, or making my
pitch.

Two things have kept me in business through thick and thin for
years. The cell phone so I can be "Johnny on the spot" as needed.
When I first has my phones, people thought THEY were the big deals
because they had my mobile number. Just one or two contracts a month
paid for the phone, and in crisis prevention it was and is
priceless.

Second would be the computer for making it possible to easily keep
books, mind materials, estimate, do job cost analysis, write contracts
and correspondence, keep the company books, generate reports, and to
research just about any topic to name a few. We have come a long way
since I got my first peanut in '87. Now I send invoices and contract
to clients via email as a pdf. I can change or modify an entire
contract in minutes as opposed to sitting down and rewriting the
entire thing. I don't send off for technical data, I simply download
it as needed.

I am always ready to embrace useful technology.

But, I know what you are saying, Leon. Honestly, there are just a
couple of guys I know that are like me and use it for business/
emergency. Years ago it was indeed annoying to see people yakking it
up on the phone as they always carried an air of importance about them
when they we on it, even though they were probably just getting
instructions on what to get for dinner that night.

Now of course, with 12 year olds having phones as a right of passage,
who cares...

Robert

On Mar 13, 2:28 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
> Snip
>
> Unless, of course, you happen
>
> > to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will insure
> > that you can.
>
> And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
> with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>

Just though, too: I lived in Albany for almost a decade a long time
ago, and have to recall that Nelson Rockefeller, then governor--and a
spendthrift on the scale of GWB when it came to state bucks--died in
the saddle in his office. Or so it was said. Happy Rockefeller, his
wife, was said to be decidedly less than her name implies. At that
time, Erastus Corning III was mayor, and had been for something like
25 years, maybe 30. Wonderful old Dutch city that is now almost as
crapped up as any other eastern capitol city. I haven't gone back in
18 years because of it.

[email protected] wrote:
> On Mar 12, 7:23 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > The name of the song is Spanish Pipedream by John Prine.
> > His dream was to blow up the TV and throwing away the paper and live a
> > life with fewer hassles.
>
> Interesting! I am not too familiar with Prine's body of work,
> although I like some of it a lot. I tend to think of him in a much
> darker >vein<.... if you know what I mean.

I do know what you mean. That was early, angry Prine. He then grew
into what he is today.
Much lighter, very creative and very funny at times.

The two 'must-have' CD's are:

The Missing Years (He got a Grammy for that one)

Lost Dogs And Mixed Blessings

His most recent CD, Fair & Square, also won a Grammy, but I found it a
bit uneven. It is growing on me though.

Let's just say that Prine has a way with words.

This may post twice...

On Mar 14, 9:43 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

> IMHO, the hell with a counselor.

The counselor was necessary factor towards getting medicare/medicaid
to pay for a psychiatrist or psychologist. He is convinced nothing
is wrong with him and it's the rest of the world with a problem and is
glad to relate that. While it was obvious during the interview
process that there was more there than was on the table, each
interviewer asked him more than once,"do you think everything is OK
here? Do you think you could use some help? Someone to talk to?"

He assured both of them that everything was fine, and he chuckles and
tells them, "I just take it one day at a time".

They can't and won't make him go to a psych guy, and since he won't
participate anyway, it doesn't matter. You can't help someone that
won't help themselves. Cased closed there.

> Just curious, know anybody with a dog that would bring the dog over for a
> visit maybe once a week?
>
> Understand dogs can be tremendous morale boosters.

LMAO. My sister has brought her dog over several times just for that
reason. A sweeter, nicer, female collie dog you have never seen.
Both my parents like her for about 15 minutes, then they are done.

> Sounds like your dad needs a laugh.
>
> Tell him about the lady who had breast cancer and was scheduled for surgery
> the next day.
>
> (wait for his comment, then respond), "She's so ugly even three (3) boobs
> wouldn't help".
>
> Told the right way, may get his mind off his problems, perceived or
> otherwise

Well, that made me laugh. But it might not play well to that
audience. My mother has had breast cancer, and has a full mastectomy
and a partial. Besides, my Dad really only enjoys political jokes
that slam Demos.

> Just in case, does someone have a power of attorney, medical consent, etc?
>
> Speaking from experience, if I hadn't had one, it would have been a bitch
> trying to make arrangements for mom's medical and housing needs.

We have <notarized> copies of the following put in 4 large red
envelopes that have been labeled and placed where health care and
emergency care workers can see them:

- The most current AMA approved (and Texas state approved) Do Not
Resuscitate form for each parent

- The most current AMA approved (and Texas state approved) Medical
power of attorney for each parent. We also made sure that the form
was the one preferred by the hospital system they use

- directions of where to take either of them (see above) in case of
emergency

- a list of each parent's current illnesses and condition

- a list of each parent's current prescribed medicines

- a list of each parent's current doctors including contact infomation

- contact information for all children including business and cell
phone numbers

- a notarized copy of their will to assure the hospital that there are
no confusing issues raised in case the DNR form referenced above is
invoked

This all took a lot of work to put together, but these envelopes hang
in the hallway entrances and over my father's hospital bed. The EMTs
that come to the house really feel good about seeing all of those up
there in ready reach. It has instructions on the envelope to take one
with them if they need to remove either parent for emergency
treatment.

> Mom gave it to me 2-3 years before3 it was neede, just filed it away till
> needed.
>
> Hope some of this is useful.

It is, and I'll bet there are others along this path that are
benefiting from this as well.

One thing I might caution you one though, and that is the fact that if
you have the current POAs etc., make sure they are updated, and that
you have separate forms for medical and general. The hospitals my
parents go to will not accept a general power of attorney, ONLY a
notarized, original Medical Power of Attorney.

We were also informed by the patient liaison person at the Baptist
Hospital System that the forms go out of date. She advised that all
forms be updated every two years. The reason for that is the changing
medical technologies redefine certain conditions, and with each new
lawsuit, the language has to be even more specific to make sure the
patient's needs are met while not putting the hospital in the decision
making process. The AARP attorney that specialized in senior affairs
confirmed that, and the updates only cost $60 for all the legal docs
including notary service when done through AARP's recommended
attorney.

Personally, I didn't know those docs had a possible expiration date.
One of the worst things I could think of would be that the hospital
knew they could keep one or the other alive (albeit as a vegetable)
because the paperwork was off by a sentence or two of the preferred
language of the day.

As far as the quality of their care, there are a lot of shortcomings
of social services for seniors, but there are a lot more that folks
never take advantage of just because they don't know to ask. It is a
shame you have to ask, but there is no handbook on this stuff.

For example, my father has a motorized adjustable hospital bed, a
power lifting easy chair, and a walker. When he would keep up with it
he even had a physical therapist come to the house 3 times a week to
give him therapy, all paid by Medicare/Medicaid. When both parents
were sick at the same time, we even had a healtcare nurse come in and
give them both baths and wash their hair as a six month prescription
from their doctor.

But we had to literally ASK for a prescription for every single one of
those items, no matter what doctor or specialist we went to. And who
knew the county extension service would send a van to their house for
$2.50? If they couldn't pay for it, it would be free. Not too shabby
considering I would be paying $12 or more just to park at their
doctor's building.

At this point I honestly feel I have done all I can do for them.
Since my parents did not do ONE thing, not the smallest item, on their
behalf to plan for their senior years, I am satisfied at their current
status because I know they are now in a lot better shape than most
folks their age, with little credit for that going to them.

I am at the point with all of this where it's time to let it all
ride. I have friction problems with them, but I don't want them to
suffer or be taken advantage of in any way. When they are both in
fair shape, it is quiet along that front. They won't call me as they
invoke the old "if they don't care, why should we" card, and are very
short with me if they think it has been too long since I have talked
to them. They make it easy not to call and I like the silence. They
call soon enough when something is wrong.

Raising parents is hard. I would strongly suggest to anyone that is
starting this process to seek out others that are in the middle of it
to compare notes. Things will improve dramatically when you do.

Robert

On Mar 11, 5:21 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:

> And I was the last person on earth that finally got a cell phone in the last
> 3 weeks.

I am a hands on kind of guy. I was literally one of the first few
hundred that had a cell phone in San Antonio back when they were
simple repeaters, somewhere around 1979 - 80. They weren't actually
cell phones at all, but radios tapped into a switching module on a
tower. It was truck mount only. The calls were so expensive that I
never gave anyone my number, but carried a pager as well so I could be
found.

Later, I had a commission only gig selling and monitoring interim
financing loans for a SnL. I stepped up to voice pager, but my
territory was so large I got my own phone ($300 each month for
service, and the phone was about $1500) and would drive to the top of
a hill and pull over so I could get decent reception. These weren't
really cell phones either, but two way radio repeaters.

I went with McCaw, and bought blocks of minutes in my next job which
didn't last long. The phone was great though and it kept me from
being tied to the office.

Back into full self employment, I kept that phone. I discovered two
things:

- My clients like talking to me when the have a question, and I like
putting out any fires that might start right off the bat. I also like
direct, no the spot, instant communication with my subs and vendors

- I cut down on miscommunications as well as employees. With my cell
phone now, I don't have or need a secretary, and my clients really
like the fact they can call me anytime. It is a great selling tool
for them to think I am always in arm's reach. As long as they don't
abuse it, I am perfectly fine with them calling anytime for any
reason. My cell phone is on my card right with my office number

All of that makes my life much easier. Not to mention that it make my
life exponentially easier when my aging parents are ill and I am the
liason/point man for two sisters that aren't in attendance. Plus...
Dad seems to fall a lot these days... lots of emergencies...

Thinking about it now, I guess I have had a portable phone for almost
30 years... wow... where did that time go...

I don't know what I would do without one.

Robert

On Mar 11, 3:07=A0pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Bob Martin" wrote:
> > Hear, hear. =A0At the last change I had to reset 23 devices (clocks,
> watches,
> > phones, boiler controllers, microwaves, cameras, etc etc)
>
> Not picking on Bob, just an observation.
>
> Sounds like way toooo.......o much "stuff" in your life.
>
> The puter has a clock, the answering machine has a clock, which
> borders on one too many clocks for me.
>
> I get there when I get there.
>
> The time piece in my head is within +/- 15 minutes, which is close
> enuf for most things, especially when you are dealing with SoCal
> traffic.
>
> Life is too short to sweat the "stuff".
>
> Lew

Just don't forget to upgrade the sand in your hour-glass, Lew.

On Mar 12, 5:51 pm, user <[email protected]> wrote:

> Just last May, FIL stumbled on the landing of his home and laid
> there till late the next day. Had he been wearing his Medic Alert he
> might still be with us today. It was laying on the kitchen table 6 steps
> up and another 10' away. Diabetic, dialysis, 85.
> And I missed the opportunity to thank him for allowing me to marry
> his daughter 31 years previously.

How very sad. Worse, it might not have had to end up that way.

I truly believe that will be the fate of my father as he has spent as
much as 2 1/2 hrs on the floor without being found when Mom is
napping. He struggles until he cannot move, and is so weak he cannot
make a noise loud enough to wake her up.

What a crappy way to end a life.

Robert

The solution to global warming is to award Dubya the
Nobel (sp?) Peace Prize. Hell will then freeze over,
solving the global warming problem.

(from a Prairie Home Companion program)

> Question: Not being a "cat person" by nature, do male cats bitch and moan
> as
> much as the female variety?
>


Only if he is 20 lbs. and his food dish is empty. Then he complains more
than SWMBO in a Woodcraft/Rockler/Harbor Freight store. Otherwise, they are
about the same.

Allen

Roger Grady <[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

>
> The same was true here in Indiana for about 35 years until 3 years ago
> we elected a governor who was convinced we were in dire economic
> straits because "nobody knew what time it was in Indiana". He twisted
> just enough representatives arms to get the change through, by one
> vote, and now you in Arizona have the distinction of being the only
> state in the 48 to have the common sense to leave their clocks alone.
> I envy you greatly. Your weather's better too, this time of year at
> least.
>
> I think we might grow better hardwood here, though.
>
>
> Roger Grady [email protected]
> To reply by email, remove "qlfit." from address
>

How have things improved in Indiana since? Local stores still close
around 5:00 in Ft Wayne? (So I may be exaggerating, but almost every
non-big box store I wanted to go to seemed like they closed around supper
time.) Staying open into the evening hours would help the economic
situation, not DST.

As a former Indiana resident, I think DST/non-DST balances out when
you've got friends and family in Illinois. As much hassle as you're
saved by not changing the clock is balanced out by their not being sure
what time, exactly, it is. (They're only off by an hour, so it's usually
not that big of deal.)

Puckdropper
--
Marching to the beat of a different drum is great... unless you're in
marching band.

To email me directly, send a message to puckdropper (at) fastmail.fm

"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Lee Michaels" wrote:
>
> > An evil, auditory warning device designed to kill dreams and interupt
> > healthful sleep.
>
> Now I remember, I used to have one of those.
>
> Lost it along with a wrist watch I once wore.
>
> Lew
>
>


If you know someone who sleeps through their alarm I've found a PERFECT GIFT
for them. (but they may hate you afterward).

Edmond Scientific has an alarm clock with a special snooze alarm in it. If
you sleep past the snooze alarm, the clock takes off on it's own set of
wheels, jumps off the nightstand, and runs around the room making extremely
loud obnoxious noises, sometimes jumping 3 feet in the air while doing it.
The only way to stop it is to get out of bed and catch it to shut it
off........PERFECT for one of my sons who never seems to get up on time. He
doesn't know it but he's getting one for his birthday.

Charley

"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Remember black and white TV's with a single speaker and took a minute or
> two to come on? This is a bigger difference.
>

That is funny, I still have a B&W tv that I made our daughter watch for a
week with no cable. She has a better appreciation for the remote, color and
cable


> And I was the last person on earth that finally got a cell phone in the
> last 3 weeks.
>

No, I'm still the last hold out. Don't need one, don't want one.

I'll go back to surfing the net while listening to XM.

Allen

"Leon" wrote

> The time and the last time my computer was correct in the morning but
> changed 1 hour after noon. I had to do a manual connect to one of the
time
> providers. I am using XP PRO also and Bryan has had that problem with his
> XP Pro laptop.

It's gotta be something whacked between OE and the Win2K, because the below
is how your abve message is showing up on the Win2K box:

----- Original Message -----
From: "Leon" <[email protected]>
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: DST

And my Vista machine shows the time as:

Sent: Monday, March 10, 2008 6:30 PM

I'll do a reboot and see if the problem goes away ... damn MSFT!


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/14/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Mar 13, 1:35 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Don't mean to sound crass, but sounds like they managed to retain
> parental control by application of the old guilt trip routine.

Good sir, you have mastered the art of understatement. My folks could
shame The Pope into suicide.

I laughed pretty hard at that as it took a really long time for me to
catch on.

SNIP

> > So, he now has some aid.
>
> Sounds like he could use more than he is getting.

I have tried to get him to talk to a counselor about depression, many,
many times. I have even procured two different prescriptions for him
and conned him into two psych evaluations. Both times the counselors
admitted that there were a lot of troubling issues there, and that
some counseling would certainly help. They told me that they could
treat him on a six months at a time prescribed medical basis since
they could tie in at least part of his depression to his long term,
debilitating illness.

I was elated. Dear old Dad told me "he wasn't crazy, and no damn
bitch could tell him he was". That was that. Besides, he told me,
real mean don't go around sharing their problems, they suck 'em up.

So much for counseling.

> > While they are over their anger at me now, it was the health care
> > people that sent the worker over that stole their stuff.
>
> That is unfortunate; however, it is still just stuff.

I agree, but I see where they are coming from. Her little bitty first
wedding band that she got in 1951 meant a lot more to her than her
newer band with a stone for each of her kids. It didn't matter much
as they stole them both.

The bad things about the check theft was that the vendors didn't want
to back off the forged checks. Since they stole the reserve box, not
the active book, my folks couldn't immediately tell the bank which
checks to put a stop on. Worse, they wanted $25 a check, and with the
whole box gone it would have been 250 checks to cover, or over $6000.
The bank informed them that simply closing the account didn't negate
the fact that checks were out there, and that it wasn't the bank's
fault if they were honored.

Thankfully, San Antonio has a special police investigative unit that
just covers check fraud. Nothing else. When they came to investigate
the missing checks, they found out what the bank said to my folks.
They were able to set the bank straight, and the bullshit stopped
immediately with who was going to pay for the hot checks the bank
honored. My folks didn't pay much more than about $300 in total.

I think in the end, the constant flurry of activity was harder on them
in the end than the theft was. Having the check fraud cops come over
to the house every time a check popped up was hard, and then toss in a
robbery investigator from the crime unit every time they thought they
found one of my Mom's pieces of jewelry, sprinkled with a guy from the
bank from time to time was really hard for them.

> Might want to check out meals on wheels, my mother really liked it and
> the fact somebody knocked on the door and said "Hello, how are you", 5
> days a week.

You know, that's a great idea. We had talked about that with them
before, and they have said "no" a couple of times. It might well be
time to bring that up again, EXACTLY for the reason you mentioned.

Thanks, Lew.

Robert

On Mar 17, 4:02=A0pm, jo4hn <[email protected]> wrote:
> Robatoy wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
> > Put me off my food, will ya? Coulter? Hell, I always thought
> > bestiality was illegal.
>
> Weeeellll... =A0Maybe if I could go on a diet and lose 50 years, plus a
> bag over my head and her mouth taped shut...? =A0On third thought, jumping=

> Jehoshaphat, what am I thinking. =A0(sound of auto-face slapping).
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 unnnnnph,
> =A0 =A0 =A0 =A0 jo4hn

Q: You know the difference between Ann Coulter and a bowling ball?

A: If you absolutely HAD to, you could eat a bowling ball.

"B A R R Y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lew Hodgett wrote:
>> "Lee Michaels" wrote:
>>
>>> I usually wake up before the alarm goes off. Not so this morning. The
>>> alarm went off, I didn't hear it and my wife reached out and touched me.
>>> With a good punch. Talk about being jolted out of slumberland.
>>
>>
>> Just curious, what's an alarm?<G>
>
> A cat or dog that's fed at the same time every day.

I've been trying to find the Weekend/Weekday setting on my senior cat, but
she insists on going off at 6:31 on Weekends. At least the middle one has
her Cheeze alarm set for a more respectable Noon.

On Mar 13, 11:42 am, dpb <[email protected]> wrote:
> Swingman wrote:
>

> > Unfortunately, LTC insurance is out of the financial reach of many, if not
> > most, of the folks in this country, is poorly understood, and ripe with
> > potential fraud.
>

All too true. With the cost of college for the 2.3 kids, vehicles,
gas and everything else that goes up daily (but not our pay or wages)
it will continue to get even farther out of reach for the vanishing
middle class.


> I'd venture not out of the reach of most partaking of this group and
> like anything else does need care in choosing a reputable vendor. It
> does, of course, require a personal commitment to use some funds for
> something other than short term gratification.

Be careful with your assumptions. You don't know how many here are
helping others along with that suffer broken marriages, college costs,
hardship from lost jobs, illness, etc.

My parents never did any of those things, but they didn't spend their
money on porn, cigarettes, vacations or new cars, either. My mom was
a stay at home mother for years and effectively never had a career.
My father had his first major stroke at 59, the shortly after was
diagnosed with Hodgkin's non-lymphoma. At 59. And he never saw it
coming.

He was unable to work for about a year, and then infrequently after
that. He killed their savings keeping things paid and has continued
to do so as needed since that time.

He has been fully retired since he was 62, unable to work due to
stroke complications. He and my mother have been living ONLY social
security and his small little savings for almost 20 years. Longer if
you count in the stroke time off. That tough old bastard should have
been dead 10-15 years ago. But instead he has paid all his property
taxes, medical co- pays, medicare/medicaid "no" pays, his utilities,
car payments, insurance, groceries, clothes, etc. for two people, all
on social security for 20 years.

Instant gratification for that man is seeing his grandkids.

He is a model of economic thrift as through all of his trials and
tribulations, he has never had to ask any of us for money. But they
have one old car, don't go out to eat but once a month or so, their
little house hasn't had any major improvements in about 30 years (just
my repairs), and they haven't gone anywhere on a trip or vacation in
almost 30. Most of the time, he is tighter than a top on a banjo.

When my father's illnesses came together almost 25 years ago, you
could not get insurance if you were sick or ill. Now of course, they
have to at least give you a quote, so they make it so far out of reach
no one can afford to buy it. End result: same. It was a wonderful
thing when he was able to get medicare/medicaid. He lived in fear of
losing his house, and I was afraid for him as well.

I used to get a lot of leads from a hardware store here. The owner
was "The Happy Handyman" and he had a radio show and a couple of books
out. He is 84, and most of his clients are "vintage". I learned a
lot about elderly, near elderly, and the sick from the clients I got
from his referral program.

Planning is really great, but life's unexpected turns suck.

I had plenty of clients that had me repair their homes after their
spouse died as they were able to pay medical bills off with life
insurance. I had a lot of clients that barely had any money to pay
me, and the only repairs/remodel they had me do was the barest
minimum. It kills me to hear stories of a spouse that has been taking
care of their husband or wife for 30 years since come illness, a car
wreck, or some degenerative disease hits.

A few years ago I found a new respect and understanding for those in
that position, as I understood that their world wasn't just black or
white. I know too, that many would have done anything at their
disposal to keep from winding up as they were.

> As in any insurance, it's expensive unless and until you need it.

All too true. But as the saying goes, if you ain't got it, you ain't
got it.

Robert

On Mar 12, 9:53 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:

> I do know what you mean. That was early, angry Prine.

THAT is the Prine I know. I remember rolling over the verses in his
songs many a time trying to find out why he got to where he was. I
never knew why he was so bitter.
Truthful to the point of pain, but really bitter.

>He then grew
> into what he is today.
> Much lighter, very creative and very funny at times.

Whaaa....??? Funny? I am thinking of some Carlinesque word play when
you put those two together.

I remember reading an interview with Pete Townshend a few years ago,
and he was talking about some of the songs they had written and how he
felt about them today. He said he wasn't really sure why he was so
pissed off. He blamed it on imbalanced hormones and drugs.

He did note that the angry songs sold the best of all genres to late
adolescent and twenty somethings. He said he just go tired of being
pissed off all the time, and sighed.

>
> The two 'must-have' CD's are:
>
> The Missing Years (He got a Grammy for that one)
>
> Lost Dogs And Mixed Blessings
>
> His most recent CD, Fair & Square, also won a Grammy, but I found it a
> bit uneven. It is growing on me though.
>
> Let's just say that Prine has a way with words.

Agree. I may have to check out the "must haves".

Robert

Swingman took a can of maroon spray paint on March 10, 2008 06:48 pm and
wrote the following:

>
> "Leon" wrote
>
>> > A cat or dog that's fed at the same time every day.
>>
>> Absolutely, our dog has to have her nightly "chewy" at 7:30. Picture
>> explaining to a Great Dane that we are now on DST. ;~)
>
> Tell me about it, I've been trying to explain that very fact to a certain
> 10
> lb cat! :)
>
> Question: Not being a "cat person" by nature, do male cats bitch and moan
> as much as the female variety?
>
> Inquiring minds, and all that ....
>
We have a 26 lb male cat, he has to be fed individually from the rest (diet
and all), and he can't get his fat ass onto the freezer in the basement
where the other cats eat.

He was going a bit early this morning, and *very* loud.
--
Lits Slut #9
Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.

"Charlie Self" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Mar 13, 2:28 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>> news:[email protected]...
>> Snip
>>
>> Unless, of course, you happen
>>
>> > to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will
>> > insure
>> > that you can.
>>
>> And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
>> with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>>
>
> Only in NY. Elsewhere, ya gotta swing with the cheap stuff.
>
> WTF can make any woman worth $4500 a night; my education must be as
> lacking as my wallet...by the way, I heard that was per hour.
>

I guess the $4500 buys a less passed around I'll do any thing woman.

$4500 per hour!!!! I thought the $4500 was for an over night trip and the
expectations that came with an over night stay.

On Mar 18, 10:14=A0pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
> Robatoy wrote:
>
> ... snip
>
>
>
> > And how on earth do you guys chose between the candidates you got?
> > From amongst 300 million+ people, can't you guys find one more Reagan?
>
> =A0 Beats the @#$% out of me. =A0The Republicans let the dems and independ=
ents
> choose the Republican candidate through the cross-over voting in the early=

> primaries. =A0So now we've got statists running on both sides, it's just t=
hat
> one of them might be a little less statist than the other.
>
The bail-outs that the governments are handing out will only prolong
the inevitable. The current administration is now reaching for
socialist solutions. How screwed up is that? Bear Stearns, bye bye...
next?

"Leon" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Well here we are again, trying to wake up an hour early. If there was not
> enough to stoke the "global warming" fires, we continue to add 1 hour of
> day light every spring. An extra hour of day light cannot be helpful to
> counter act global warming. Maybe this early extra hour of day light will
> help to bring spring in and close out winter, even in Houston I'm ready
> for a bit of that Global Warming. ;~)

I like DST. I'm close to the front edge of a time zone though. I'd rather
have my light at the end of the day, not the beginning. There is no
sensible reason to have daylight at 4 AM in the summer; even 5 AM is too
soon. I'd like to see us on DST all the time.

There is a group trying to get New England put in the Atlantic Time Zone.

On Mar 13, 8:08 pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:

> Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody noticed how
> often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every other
> sentence?
>
> Didn't think so.

Different expectations from each?

Hmmm......


Robert

On Mar 17, 10:17=A0am, Charlie Self <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mar 14, 12:48 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Mar 13, 10:08 pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > > Leon wrote:
>
> > > > "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > >news:[email protected]...
> > > > Snip
>
> > > > =A0Unless, of course, you happen
> > > >> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will=

> > > >> insure that you can.
>
> > > > And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politi=
cians
> > > > with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>
> > > =A0 Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody not=
iced how
> > > often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every oth=
er
> > > sentence?
>
> > > Didn't think so.
>
> > I knew from the first minute the story broke that he was a Dem,
> > Hillary supporter and super delegate.
> > I can't remember if it was Fox or Limbaugh...
> > Other than that, the only reference to Spitzer's party affiliation
> > was via the suspicion that it was the republicans who had his ass
> > busted. But we all know that can't be true.
> > There is no dirt in politics.
>
> You need to do something about those Canadian news sources, then. The
> fact that he is a Democrat, first, was well known, and, second, was
> frequently mentioned in newspapers and on-line by our "slanted" media.

That info came from US sources. I watch very little TV, especially not
Canadian.
We don't carry Limbaugh here.. or Fox.. it is all drivel oozing over
our border.
>
> Long ago, I figured out all media had a slant. SFW. No person is truly
> objective, not even Bill O'Reilly or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> would you pay half a buck an hour?).

Put me off my food, will ya? Coulter? Hell, I always thought
bestiality was illegal.

On Mar 14, 12:48 am, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mar 13, 10:08 pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > Leon wrote:
>
> > > "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > >news:[email protected]...
> > > Snip
>
> > > Unless, of course, you happen
> > >> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will
> > >> insure that you can.
>
> > > And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
> > > with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>
> > Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody noticed how
> > often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every other
> > sentence?
>
> > Didn't think so.
>
> I knew from the first minute the story broke that he was a Dem,
> Hillary supporter and super delegate.
> I can't remember if it was Fox or Limbaugh...
> Other than that, the only reference to Spitzer's party affiliation
> was via the suspicion that it was the republicans who had his ass
> busted. But we all know that can't be true.
> There is no dirt in politics.

You need to do something about those Canadian news sources, then. The
fact that he is a Democrat, first, was well known, and, second, was
frequently mentioned in newspapers and on-line by our "slanted" media.

Long ago, I figured out all media had a slant. SFW. No person is truly
objective, not even Bill O'Reilly or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
would you pay half a buck an hour?).

All of it makes even less sense when you consider that it isn't doing
what it was intended to do. There are several articles and a couple
of finishes studies out there that actually prove/suggest that DST is
costing us actual money, not saving a nickel.

It's not just about the inconvenience.

http://tinyurl.com/yu2ekk

Robert

On Mar 12, 12:24=A0am, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> On Mar 11, 9:30 pm, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > We blew up our TV threw away our paper
> > Went to the country, built us a home
> > Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches
> > They all found Jesus on their own
>
> Usually I am up with your alliterations. =A0But where in the hell (who
> in the hell?) did that come from?
>

I read into Lew's post that his dream is a life without clocks and
keys. I got lost in that concept of 'no keys'... too many keys _is_
indicative of a complex life... just never thought about it that way.

The name of the song is Spanish Pipedream by John Prine.
His dream was to blow up the TV and throwing away the paper and live a
life with fewer hassles. To have the kids fend for themselves etc.
(that song also has a great line in it: he knew that topless lady had
something up her sleeve.)

That would be my dream. To be a Free Man In Paris, with nobody calling
me up for favours, no-one's future to decide. (Joni Mitchell)

No keys, no clocks, no phones, no news bringing me down... a dream
alright.

I tried to chase that dream when I took an early retirement and tried
that whole freedom 55 thing.... some of us just have to be
productive..and I will probably die doing something constructive...
call me type-A. Angela pointed out that one of my chairs was worn..but
only the front 2" of the seat cushion....LOL

Angela and I also take care of two of my parents, both 86. Fortunately
for us, we have no worries about stolen checkbooks and jewelry. We are
dealing with a care facility with the highest moral and ethical
standards one can hope for in a government-guided-controlled
environment. The care and management is simply superb. Say what you
will about socialized health care, but this part of it we got down
pat. (Socialized and socialist are not the same, imho.)

That whole 'no-key' concept was something I equated with freedom...I
think Lew is a latent hippy. :-)


r

"Charlie Self" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:ba73fd33-ad6d-46a0-8fad-2e29811a7945@n58g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>
> I feel for you. We just went through that with my wife's parents, both
> in their mid-80s. Not much of the WWII generation going to be left
> shortly.

It is tough seeing them get old however both are in great health considering
their age. Both get around without any aid and dad makes it to the grocery
store 2 -4 times daily. ;~)

>
> I got a TracFone about four weeks ago. When I finally got the POS
> activated, it wouldn't work out of my home or shop. In fact, the
> closest spot I've found for it to work is on the order of five or six
> miles away.

I looked pretty closely at the Tracfone for a few weeks and decided to go
with AT&T. While a bit more expensive I don't think any one of the 5 of us
has had a connection problem. I am sure being in a big city has a lot to do
with the quality of service. 4 of us ended up with Sony Ericsson Walkman
phones and my sister went with a Nokia IIRC. The Sony phones do so much
that they just so happen to work as a phone also. ;~) I turned text
messaging and internet service off on all units so that "dad" would not run
up a big bill. He connected to the internet 18 times in the first 2 days
and was not aware that he had done so. The Tracphone seemed too complicated
when sharing minutes between 5 people, had I been the only one, there would
probably be one in my posession. The salesman did indicate that 98% of
all people that go with a pay as you go type phone end up upgrading to a
monthly service. The phones we got were relatively cheap, the $300 each
Sony phones were $30each and the $200 Nokia was $10. Then the monthly
service is $100 per month for all 5 phones + those fees and taxes. Because
we all are AT&T land line customers we can call each other on the cell
phones or land line with no cost in monthly minutes at any time.


>
> In four weeks, I've managed to use 15 of the 140 minutes I got. I
> bought 120, they gave me 20 as a bonus for activating online. The
> minutes run out 7/14. As soon as the minutes are used up, the phone
> goes in the drawer with my first cell phone, unless I happen to be
> standing on or near stone, brick or other masonry when the minutes are
> done.

That was the biggest problem I had with pay as you go phones. I did not
like the fact that whether your minutes were used or not you had to
"recharge" every so often to keep the service up and running. As it appears
we will probably use the phones more but will probably end up with a bundle
of minutes in 12 months. I think I will call some one in Japan to soak up
some of those minutes later on. LOL

"Charlie Self" wrote

> ... or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> would you pay half a buck an hour?).

Gentlemen please. she's worse than a 3 bag job.

A flag & duct tape don't even begin to do the job.

Lew

"Leon" wrote

> $4500 per hour!!!! I thought the $4500 was for an over night trip and the
> expectations that came with an over night stay.

Last I heard, from Mr Eaux this morning (and he should know) the price for
the "7 - 9 diamond" stuff was on the order of $30,000 a night, reflecting a
discount of course.

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 3/8/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Leon" wrote
>
>> > A cat or dog that's fed at the same time every day.
>>
>> Absolutely, our dog has to have her nightly "chewy" at 7:30. Picture
>> explaining to a Great Dane that we are now on DST. ;~)
>
> Tell me about it, I've been trying to explain that very fact to a certain
> 10
> lb cat! :)
>
> Question: Not being a "cat person" by nature, do male cats bitch and moan
> as
> much as the female variety?
>
> Inquiring minds, and all that ....


Looking at the time your post showed up, 18 minutes from now, it looks like
you computer did not update correctly. ;~)

"Robatoy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>

I read into Lew's post that his dream is a life without clocks and
keys. I got lost in that concept of 'no keys'... too many keys _is_
indicative of a complex life... just never thought about it that way.

I carry "1" key and it fits my Tundra. I use push buttons to get into the
house.

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Snip

>
>> I also look
>> at it as an electronic leash
>
> I used to as well. Now I look at it as a tool, just like a saw. I
> like making a phone call from the Jack in the Box drive in to tell my
> vendor to pull something for me. I can drive straight over and get
> it, instead of wasting another 15 minutes at the order counter. Four
> guys waiting on materials for 15 minutes = one full hour of lost
> work.

Well, in all honesty I am already starting to see this as a tool. When my
friends started getting cell phones about 18 years ago they were complaining
about $250 per month phone bills and the phones were not being used for
business. They also worked for me and in no way ever used the telephones
for the business. They simply wanted to be able to talke to each other
while driving to and from work. That was where I got my bad taste and for
the most part most don't have the need.

charlieb wrote:
> The solution to global warming is to award Dubya the
> Nobel (sp?) Peace Prize. Hell will then freeze over,
> solving the global warming problem.
>
> (from a Prairie Home Companion program)

Too late for Dubya, it's already happened:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/article/20071219/COMMENTARY/10575140

Lew Hodgett wrote:
> "Lee Michaels" wrote:
>
>> I usually wake up before the alarm goes off. Not so this morning. The
>> alarm went off, I didn't hear it and my wife reached out and touched me.
>> With a good punch. Talk about being jolted out of slumberland.
>
>
> Just curious, what's an alarm?<G>

A cat or dog that's fed at the same time every day.

"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
>
> "Leon" wrote
>
>> $4500 per hour!!!! I thought the $4500 was for an over night trip and
>> the expectations that came with an over night stay.
>
> Last I heard, from Mr Eaux this morning (and he should know) the price for
> the "7 - 9 diamond" stuff was on the order of $30,000 a night, reflecting
> a discount of course.


Well if the tax payers are paying , WHO CARES! I'm betting that there are
quite a few politicians going Arthur Anderson right about now.

"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
Snip


Unless, of course, you happen
> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will insure
> that you can.

And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.




>
> --
> www.e-woodshop.net
> Last update: 3/8/08
> KarlC@ (the obvious)
>
>

"Swingman" wrote
> I'll do a reboot and see if the problem goes away ... damn MSFT!

This one is posted from my Vista laptop while the other box is rebooting:

... maybe Y2K finally caught up with Win2K, eh?

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/14/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)

Swingman wrote:

> Question: Not being a "cat person" by nature, do male cats bitch and moan as
> much as the female variety?

Regardless of the cat's sex, it depends on how it's raised.

Raise a cat "girly" and it acts like you'd expect. Raise the cat right,
and it acts like a very smart, very coordinated, dog. <G>

"Mark & Juanita" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Bob Martin wrote:
> You left off automobile/truck clocks.


I got the cars and trucks, Cameras I forgot. Did any one mention Water
Softeners yet?

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:f7316678-a2cf-4a7d-8c52-99c119a7f351@d62g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

>
> We didn't get outside assistance for my parents for years as they
> thought it was the responsibility of their children to take care of
> them. However, there was a wrinkle in their plan. One sister lives
> over three hours away and has two kids. The other is a busy executive
> that "can't be bothered". Both have come to the table when there is
> heavy problem solving to do, but the in and out daily grind is left to
> their son. In their eyes, since I am self employed, I don't really
> have a job at all.
> Also, I am the only one that answers my cell phone.

Humm, I have 2 sisters and am the only son also. Almost daily I have lunch
and keep check on my parents and do the little things that need to be done.
Work out that IRA that did not roll over correctly, research a security
company after a recent break in, answer computer problems and fix computer
problems, keep the yard up, etc. You know the drill. Both of my sisters
recently retired as they have hit the social security age and depend heavily
on SS, and I the 10 year younger brother that was fortunate enough to retire
at 40, 13 years ago from the automotive field and am now self employeed and
also does not really have a "real job". What is it about being self
sufficient and on top of managing time and money that makes our parents
feel that we do not have a job at all? I guess we make it look too simple.
;~)


>
> I will spare you commentary on how rough my relationship with them has
> been for the last several years. Strokes, heart attacks, diabetic
> comas (scary), fall after fall, the flu, infected this or that,
> pneumonia, long days and nights at the hospital, doctor's appts.,
> follow up appts., lab test readings, and on and on have been part of
> my life for many years now.

I feel for you Robert, fortunately my parents continue to live in good
health considering their age.

"Charlie Self" wrote

> ... or Ann Coulter (now there's one:
> would you pay half a buck an hour?).

At one time, with or without some duct tape and a flag ... you know, for
"old glory" and all that.

But not now ... one gets choosy in their old age.

Then again ...

:)


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 3/8/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

"Leon" wrote

> > A cat or dog that's fed at the same time every day.
>
> Absolutely, our dog has to have her nightly "chewy" at 7:30. Picture
> explaining to a Great Dane that we are now on DST. ;~)

Tell me about it, I've been trying to explain that very fact to a certain 10
lb cat! :)

Question: Not being a "cat person" by nature, do male cats bitch and moan as
much as the female variety?

Inquiring minds, and all that ....

--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/14/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)

<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:3acc2fae-b244-44bb-a964-13d34c67a2e3@n36g2000hse.googlegroups.com...

>
> Second would be the computer for making it possible to easily keep
> books, mind materials, estimate, do job cost analysis, write contracts
> and correspondence, keep the company books, generate reports, and to
> research just about any topic to name a few. We have come a long way
> since I got my first peanut in '87. Now I send invoices and contract
> to clients via email as a pdf. I can change or modify an entire
> contract in minutes as opposed to sitting down and rewriting the
> entire thing. I don't send off for technical data, I simply download
> it as needed.

I have been using computers since 1978 and go tmy first PC in 1985, I
honestly do not know how poeple get by with out spread sheets and financial
programs. Before the end of 1985 I had 123, Dollars & Sense, a word
processor and a CAD program. Having a PC is part of the reason that my wife
and I became totally debt free 11 years ago. We know exactly where we stand
all the time.


>
> I am always ready to embrace useful technology.
>
> But, I know what you are saying, Leon. Honestly, there are just a
> couple of guys I know that are like me and use it for business/
> emergency. Years ago it was indeed annoying to see people yakking it
> up on the phone as they always carried an air of importance about them
> when they we on it, even though they were probably just getting
> instructions on what to get for dinner that night.

For me cell phones have a bad name because a vast majority of the people are
discourtious when using them. If some on is driving like an idiot or
obviousely not paying attention, he might be a cell phone user. If the
teller is staring at the next in line and the next in line is in never never
land, he might be a cell phone user. ;~)

Charlie Self wrote:
> On Mar 13, 2:28 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>"Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>
>>news:[email protected]...
>>Snip
>>
>> Unless, of course, you happen
>>
>>
>>>to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will insure
>>>that you can.
>>
>>And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
>>with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>>
>
>
> Only in NY. Elsewhere, ya gotta swing with the cheap stuff.
>
> WTF can make any woman worth $4500 a night; my education must be as
> lacking as my wallet...by the way, I heard that was per hour.
>

Supposedly the escort service charged $1,000 per hour. "Kristen" was to
arrive at 10 PM and was on the phone at 12:02 PM to say she had
collected $4,300. The money difference was to bring Spitzer's balance
up as his account was running low.

http://www.wnbc.com/news/15558628/detail.html

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]

"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> Now let me get this straight, it's important to you that there be
> sunlight so that you can do things indoors?
>

Not everything is indoors. I like to take a walk after dinner. In warm
weather, we cook and eat outdoors and prefer light over dark. I prefer
driving home in the light. In fact, this winter I left work an hour earlier
than usual just so I could do that.

While it is not so easy for me to take advantage just getting up earlier as
you suggested, why don't you just sleep an hour later?

On Mar 10, 8:38=A0pm, "Lee Michaels" <leemichaels*[email protected]>
wrote:
> "Swingman" < wrote
>
>
>
> > "Leon" wrote
>
> >> Looking at the time your post showed up, 18 minutes from now, it looks
> > like
> >> you computer did not update correctly. =A0;~)
>
> > That's funny because this box is running Win2K Pro and I had to do it by=

> > hand as I have it set to "not adjust for DST" due to the new date
> > apparently
> > not being supported by the OS like Vista and XP... BUT I indeed set it
> > last
> > night, BEFORE I went to bed after spending the better part of the day an=

> > hour behind, and it's 6:20 PM CST/DST on the system clock as I write thi=
s.
>
> > Perhaps Outlook Express is still dragging its feet, but I can't imagine
> > why
> > it would not be using system time ... hmmm.
>
> I am fairly certain that it is the cat's fault.

Everything is always the cat's fault...ask any dog.

"Leon" wrote

> Looking at the time your post showed up, 18 minutes from now, it looks
like
> you computer did not update correctly. ;~)

That's funny because this box is running Win2K Pro and I had to do it by
hand as I have it set to "not adjust for DST" due to the new date apparently
not being supported by the OS like Vista and XP... BUT I indeed set it last
night, BEFORE I went to bed after spending the better part of the day an
hour behind, and it's 6:20 PM CST/DST on the system clock as I write this.

Perhaps Outlook Express is still dragging its feet, but I can't imagine why
it would not be using system time ... hmmm.


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 12/14/07
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Mar 13, 2:28 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
> Snip
>
> Unless, of course, you happen
>
> > to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will insure
> > that you can.
>
> And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politicians
> with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>

Only in NY. Elsewhere, ya gotta swing with the cheap stuff.

WTF can make any woman worth $4500 a night; my education must be as
lacking as my wallet...by the way, I heard that was per hour.

On Mar 11, 5:55 am, "Edwin Pawlowski" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> > Instead of monkeying with the clocks, just GET UP EARLIER IF YOU WANT
> > TO. Geez, like we need politicians to tell us when to get out of bed
> > in the morning.
>
> Not that simple. I can get up any time I want to, but the rest of the world
> I deal with is still asleep and out of sync. There is no benefit for me to
> show up at work an hour before everyone else. Or arrive at a store an hour
> before they open.
>
> DST forever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't care which way it goes, but I wish they'd leave it the hell
alone. Set it and forget it. The modern house has too damned many
clocks and time keeping devices to make the change to DST, or the
change back, anything other than a royal PITA. I quit setting my shop
clock after the last power blink...so now the clock blinks at me all
the time, but it doesn't bother me with DST/EST or similar nonsense.

In today's world, there's no reason to favor one over the other. Just
do it and leave it.

On Mar 11, 10:53=A0pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:

>
> I don't know what I would do without one.
>

3 cells, one home phone, one fax. VOIP, Skype, MSN, 6 e-mail accounts,
smoke signals and war drums, morse code on car horns, a complete
collection of signal flags, all of them ringing and puffin' and
buzzing telling me that MaryAnn from Gilligan's island is a pothead.

I think Lew is on the right track. I also have too many keys.

*singing*

She was a level-headed dancer on the road to alcohol
And I was just a soldier on my way to Montreal
Well she pressed her chest against me
About the time the juke box broke
Yeah, she gave me a peck on the back of the neck
And these are the words she spoke

[Chorus:]
Blow up your TV throw away your paper
Go to the country, build you a home
Plant a little garden, eat a lot of peaches
Try an find Jesus on your own

Well, I sat there at the table and I acted real naive
For I knew that topless lady had something up her sleeve
Well, she danced around the bar room and she did the hoochy-coo
Yeah she sang her song all night long, tellin' me what to do

[Chorus]

Well, I was young and hungry and about to leave that place
When just as I was leavin', well she looked me in the face
I said "You must know the answer."
"She said, "No but I'll give it a try."
And to this very day we've been livin' our way
And here is the reason why

We blew up our TV threw away our paper
Went to the country, built us a home
Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches
They all found Jesus on their own

On Mar 13, 7:03 am, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:

Sounds like we are traveling a lot of the same ground, Leon. Not
nearly as much fun in the "golden" years as it should be.

> I feel for you Robert, fortunately my parents continue to live in good
> health considering their age.

I appreciate it. But don't feel too bad. I always do a comparative
analysis of things when I am trying to assess problems.

Here's the lady I feel sorry for: She has a tiny house, and had to
move her mother into it with her as they couldn't afford any kind of
care, not $500 a month, nothing, towards help. And certainly can't
afford a nursing home.

So this lady's 93 year old mother lives with her daughter who isn't
really in good health herself. Her daughter gets up in the morning
and feeds her, then gets her mother set up in front of the TV, then
goes to work. She comes home every day to feed her mother at lunch.
Then goes straight home after work to make sure that her mother is OK,
and to "clean her up" if needed. Then she feeds her, and puts her to
bed.

She also takes her mother to all her doctors appts., and even
occasionally to church.

This woman has absolutely no shred of personal life. She is never
alone, and she is completely trapped in this situation.

I honestly don't know how she does it.

Robert

On Mar 13, 10:08=A0pm, Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
> Leon wrote:
>
> > "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >news:[email protected]...
> > Snip
>
> > =A0Unless, of course, you happen
> >> to be suckling on the public tit. In that case, my tax dollars will
> >> insure that you can.
>
> > And isn't it comforting to know that our tax dollars keep our politician=
s
> > with a fresh supply of $4500 a night whores.
>
> =A0 Having endured various recent Republican scandals, has anybody noticed=
how
> often the media is mentioning Spitzer's party affiliation in every other
> sentence?
>
> Didn't think so.
>
I knew from the first minute the story broke that he was a Dem,
Hillary supporter and super delegate.
I can't remember if it was Fox or Limbaugh...
Other than that, the only reference to Spitzer's party affiliation
was via the suspicion that it was the republicans who had his ass
busted. But we all know that can't be true.
There is no dirt in politics.

On Mar 11, 11:42 pm, "Leon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>
> news:[email protected]...
>
>
>
>
>
> > "Leon" wrote:
>
> >> And I was the last person on earth that finally got a cell phone in
> > the last
> >> 3 weeks.
>
> > That isn't going to happen, be damned if I'm going to have an
> > electronic nurse maid strapped on the hip.
>
> > I'm just not that important that a call can't wait.
>
> > My goal in life empty my key ring, then throw it away.
>
> > Lew
>
> Having parents in their mid 80's, my phone is so that they can get me when
> ever they need to. My parents, son , wife, older sister and BIL and I all
> got on the same plan. In the past month we used 90 minutes between the 5 of
> us. Only very close friends and family will get the numbers. I also look
> at it as an electronic leash but after my wife had been rear ended on the
> highway 2 times in the past 6 months I decided I'd better get her a phone
> too.

I feel for you. We just went through that with my wife's parents, both
in their mid-80s. Not much of the WWII generation going to be left
shortly.

I got a TracFone about four weeks ago. When I finally got the POS
activated, it wouldn't work out of my home or shop. In fact, the
closest spot I've found for it to work is on the order of five or six
miles away.

In four weeks, I've managed to use 15 of the 140 minutes I got. I
bought 120, they gave me 20 as a bonus for activating online. The
minutes run out 7/14. As soon as the minutes are used up, the phone
goes in the drawer with my first cell phone, unless I happen to be
standing on or near stone, brick or other masonry when the minutes are
done.

"B A R R Y" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Lew Hodgett wrote:
>> "Lee Michaels" wrote:
>>
>>> I usually wake up before the alarm goes off. Not so this morning. The
>>> alarm went off, I didn't hear it and my wife reached out and touched me.
>>> With a good punch. Talk about being jolted out of slumberland.
>>
>>
>> Just curious, what's an alarm?<G>
>
> A cat or dog that's fed at the same time every day.

Absolutely, our dog has to have her nightly "chewy" at 7:30. Picture
explaining to a Great Dane that we are now on DST. ;~)

On Mar 11, 8:11 pm, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

> My goal in life empty my key ring, then throw it away.
>
> Lew

In my mind, I am seeing a man in a billowy white robe walking the
earth with his staff in search of truth. A complex man, with simple
needs, searching...

Are you and David Carradine buddies?

;^)

Robert

On Mar 13, 5:38=A0pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]>
wrote:
> On Mar 13, 3:25 pm, "Swingman" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> > "Leon" wrote
>
> > > $4500 per hour!!!! =A0I thought the $4500 was for an over night trip a=
nd the
> > > expectations that came with an over night stay.
>
> > Last I heard, from Mr Eaux this morning (and he should know) the price f=
or
> > the "7 - 9 diamond" stuff was on the order of $30,000 a night, reflectin=
g a
> > discount of course.
>
> > --www.e-woodshop.net
> > Last update: 3/8/08
> > KarlC@ (the obvious)
>
> Here 'tis.


The first casualty of a good hooker scandal is the truth.
$ 1000.00 per hour is the stuff tossed around in the courts.
Client 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9, number 9........
paid $ 4300 for 3.5 hours and had a credit of $ 500 for his next
school-boy flogging.

That girl isn't bad looking. As one Farker put it: " The guy who could
pull me out of that, would be the next King of England."

Mark & Juanita <[email protected]> wrote:
> Kind of funny when you think about it. If it was such a big deal that
>Indiana all be on the same time (so Indiana knew what time it was), why not
>go the other way and eliminate DST altogether instead of making everybody
>adopt it? Think of the increase in productivity the first several days of
>the time change if people weren't having their body clocks messed with.

That's exactly what we had for 35 years. It was called EST but it was
really CDT since we're physically in what should be the Central time
zone. I thought it was a great compromise.

Years ago, Indiana was all on the same time. The whole state was in
the Central time zone. Then 'they' decided we should be in the Eastern
time zone, even though the actual geographic boundary by longitude is
20 miles east of Columbus, Ohio. But the people in the Indiana
counties near Chicago obviously wanted to be on Chicago time. So the
state became divided, and has been to varying degrees ever since.
Since we adopted DST, several counties have asked to change time
zones, some changed and then changed back. I used to know what time it
was anywhere in Indiana, now I don't. And supposedly everybody now
knows what time it is in Indiana. It's pathetic. Lots of people are
excited about the daylight we're 'saving'. I've decided to call it
MDST - Morning Dark Saving Time.


Roger Grady [email protected]
To reply by email, remove "qlfit." from address

On Mar 11, 9:30 pm, Robatoy <[email protected]> wrote:

> We blew up our TV threw away our paper
> Went to the country, built us a home
> Had a lot of children, fed 'em on peaches
> They all found Jesus on their own

Usually I am up with your alliterations. But where in the hell (who
in the hell?) did that come from?

Robert

"Robatoy" wrote

>> Then again ...
>>

>Don't even JOKE about that, Swing...

Hehe ...


--
www.e-woodshop.net
Last update: 3/8/08
KarlC@ (the obvious)

On Mar 13, 12:05 am, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

Thanks for taking the time to get out that info, Lew. It is important
that everyone realize that while all communities don't have state or
county senior services, a great deal do. Our city has assistance for
them as well.

As you say, SFWIW, here's my end of that deal.

We didn't get outside assistance for my parents for years as they
thought it was the responsibility of their children to take care of
them. However, there was a wrinkle in their plan. One sister lives
over three hours away and has two kids. The other is a busy executive
that "can't be bothered". Both have come to the table when there is
heavy problem solving to do, but the in and out daily grind is left to
their son. In their eyes, since I am self employed, I don't really
have a job at all.
Also, I am the only one that answers my cell phone.

I will spare you commentary on how rough my relationship with them has
been for the last several years. Strokes, heart attacks, diabetic
comas (scary), fall after fall, the flu, infected this or that,
pneumonia, long days and nights at the hospital, doctor's appts.,
follow up appts., lab test readings, and on and on have been part of
my life for many years now.

Finally I gave up, as I couldn't take it any longer. My business was
suffering; my relationships were really suffering. I couldn't get
that across to them no matter how I tried, and I did try about 30- 40
times to get that through to them. I never could. In self defense
(and about 10 years into this) I told them not to call me anymore. I
finally talked to a really sharp family counselor that got me
connected to the right people and we started down a better road for
all concerned.

> A case worker will come out and interview your parents and help them
> determine if they can be of service providing services such as light
> houskeeping, help with meal preparation or maybe "meals on wheels",
> transportation to doctors, etc, etc.

My Dad screwed that up several times by telling the case worker he
didn't need help. And in truth, he didn't as long as my dumb ass was
around. However, that all changed when I told my sisters that I felt
like I had done enough to get my ticket punched for The Glory Train,
and resigned.

When all of us kiddos were at the interviews, dear old Dad didn't
stand a chance. He couldn't lie anymore. He couldn't convince them
that he could do all manner of physical activities including exercise,
get up and down as he pleased, and go up and down the step to their
den as needed to.

So, he now has some aid. In fact, he has different services that do
different things for them. But with me causing strangers to be in
their house, handling them and their possessions, it caused some deep
rooted bitterness towards me as they felt betrayed. For a couple of
years, my father literally did not speak to me, (three to be exact) as
he felt like I had abandoned them. He was so pissed off we never even
saw each other. (It actually turned out to be a good vacation from
them for me.)

> Point is they are real pros at what they do and are not restrained by
> the parent/child relationship.

While they are over their anger at me now, it was the health care
people that sent the worker over that stole their stuff. This has got
to be every senior citizen's nightmare, to have a stranger in your
home that steals your valuables and your memory laden belongings.
Both my folks wanted the services stopped. But once again, with all
three kids (are you still a kid if you are middle aged?) at the task,
we kept up the services.

We have a lady that comes three days a week and does all the things
you spoke of. It is a Godsend. They have company now, and that is
great. Just human contact besides their doctors had been great for
them. The four hour visits they get insure clean clothes, showers,
fresh food, and a hot meal. With the state kicking in, it costs them
about $120 a week, and worth every penny.

We even have them hooked up with a city transit bus that will pick
them up for their doctor's appts., and they have a bay that holds
wheechairs, so they are set.

> Not only did it help to keep mom happy, it was a lot less expensive
> than a nursing home.

Yeah, this is a much better solution. Their $480 a month would no
doubt blossom to at least 10X - 15X that if we put both in a home.
But I have to tell you, until I got them put on this program, that is
where they were going.

Robert

On Mar 12, 12:10 am, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

> SFWIW, my mother was wearing her medical alert around her neck. She
> managed to push it while she still could.
>
> Paramedics were there in less than 10 minutes.
>
> Without that alert, she would have blead to death.
>
> For those of you with parents living alone and in their senior years,
> wearing that alert will give you both a lot of peace of mind.
>
> I insisted that mom wear it if she wanted to stay alone.
>
> Think about it.

Good for you in getting her to wear it. I would love it if mine would
as well, but they are too damn stupid to do it.

My father cannot stand by himself, he cannot walk without a walker,
fix a meal, drive, or go to the bathroom by himself. He has fallen so
many times he has constant oozing of open wounds on his arms.

BUT... he thinks if he gets the emergency button to wear that people
will think he is old and dependent on others.

He hasn't been able to figure out that others have deduced that
without the button.

Robert

Leon wrote:

> The time and the last time my computer was correct in the morning but
> changed 1 hour after noon. I had to do a manual connect to one of the time
> providers. I am using XP PRO also and Bryan has had that problem with his
> XP Pro laptop.
>

Have you gotten the Microsoft updates that came out after the government
decided to screw around with the DST dates?

http://search.microsoft.com/results.aspx?mkt=en-us&setlang=en-us&q=daylight+savings+time+update

--
Jack Novak
Buffalo, NY - USA
[email protected]