The word snaps at you like an angry dog.  Violated.  It is not one of life's better moments.  And many have felt it before.  Violation can occur in many different ways.  From the very violent and lethal, to a more subtle form that occurs routinely - when your "space" is violated.  So lumping all of them into one catch-all is not conducive to the feeling you get when you are - Violated. The form I was recently privy to was of the medium verity.  Not of som...

For those of you who have not had a colonoscopy, do not sweat it.  It is fairly routine.  However the prep is the bitch!  You have to drink a gallon of nasty tasting stuff (the WHOLE gallon) to make sure you are clean inside and out!  Even the purpose (and effect) of the nasty stuff is not as bad as the Nasty stuff! But I have had to do it now 3 times.  And within the next 6 months, a fourth.  My wife of the same age has had to do it ONCE.  The reason for th...

The title quote is provided by an astute writer on Stardock forums.  And of course he is correct (I assume a "he", but do not know the person outside of his writings).  And it is pertinent.  As one sore head on the site has gone around committing libel.  He accused me of stalking him, and thus justified his Big Brother attitude of his banning me from commenting on his posts. The problem is he is a liar and guilty of libel.  The truth (easily ascertained by any reader ...

CNN recently asked the question of the title.  The implication being the only ones in the first world that were not on Facebook were old people not on computers, some people with an ax to grind, or just computer illiterates.  They have their opinion, I have mine.  I have never been on MySpace or Facebook, and here is why:  - For whatever faults some find with JoeUser, I have yet to see the admins here delete a post.  Shove it to your personal blog?  I have heard ...

Well, I went to the doctor for a check on my cholesterol yesterday.  And the good news is that in just 3 months, I have lowered it by 30 points!  With Niacin (1000 mg daily).  Niacin (one of the B vitamins), as those taking the instant release stuff know, causes "hot flashes" and worse - itching!  According to my doctor, the itching is because of histamines and is normal (which is good news, I am not allergic to it, and bad news!  Like I need to scratch more?). I just...

It use to be that the local vampires would wait until the day after I became eligible.  Recently I have been giving at a church where the organizer would call me before I was eligible to schedule me for the blood drive, so I have been spared for the past year.  But I missed the last scheduled donation.  I went a week later and gave, but they have started to go every 8 weeks, so that means I was a week short this time. And the vampires called at 8:30AM on the day I was eligible!...

Yesterday, Dennis Hopper and Gary Coleman died.  For someone of my age, they are very significant and their loss just plays on our mortality.  Dennis Hopper was "Easy Rider" along with so many other great roles.  He was the easiest to identify with as he seemed to be like you and me, only bigger and in Hollywoodese, what we dreamt about.  Until his last, I always love his roles.  They were the psycho part of us, yet they were bigger.  Or they were the sane part of u...

Friday was my latest appointment at Vampire Inc (actual name, VBS).  I flunked last Sunday (a local church) due to a high pulse (my doctor is not concerned, so neither am I).  My pulse Friday was an acceptable 81.  All other signs were right in the groove (except - I will talk about that later). The pre-donation check went very well.  All signs good.  And everything was kopecetic.  But this was the first time I donated at this particular site.  I just starte...

You never know where inspiration will strike, but BFD's son, Toothache's Revengge caused me to recall an incident where I learned respect for Colonels. I was not in the military, just a military brat.  Attending a dependant school in Europe and about ready to graduate. As such, I was also looking to go to college and being the son of an NCO, had to pay my own way.  So that meant working lots of hours at my PT job. One of the classes I was taking was Advanced Placement English.&nb...

Well, yesterday was a mile stone of sorts for my blood donation.  It represented my 13th gallon (official) since I have been donating.  I was a bit concerned that I would get a ditzy phlebotomist that woudl blow out my vein, but I was lucky.  The only problem was computer related (of course since that is my vocation!),and they cleared that up in about 10 minutes. Last month, they had a get together for all their "century" donors.  I was unable to attend since I was in Cali...

I saw death this past week.  Just briefly. He visited a friend.  A friend who welcomed him with open arms.  A friend who had lived a very good life, but at the end, was tired.  And sad.  Sad that he had cheated death long after all his friends had embraced the grim reaper. But it was not the grim reaper that came, but a welcome friend.  The last one he knew.  His life had been full, yet now it was empty.  All the people he had known were gone.  The...

It has been a while since I posted anything other than a quick outrage at some insanity going on in the world.  That is not really bad.  I have had precious little time to read or post lately.  Not all due to work.  A lot of it due to personal life (as in it has been full). In the last 6 months, it seems I have lived a life time.  My mother was diagnosed with cancer, had a pneumonectomy, and is now doing very well.  Work has increased to the point that 60 hour ...

I recently had the opportunity to take my mother computer shopping. Now for those who know me, don't faint! Yes, my mother now has a computer! For those who don't know, my mother is soon to be 75. She spent her entire career working on big iron! But in her retirement, she has refused to have one! Just plain refused. Until now. While visiting with her, she found an Ad for a laptop at Office Depot. $329! Now that is a damn good price! So I took her to get it. We got there, and were looking f...

How many times have I written that on this site?  I really dont know, and in the end, it really does not matter.  Doctors make mistakes.  Doctors Don't know everything!  Doctors are not Gods! But when the rubber hit the road, I was yelling "Why did not the doctors know!  They did all the tests!  What the hell were they thinking!  How could they be such fools!". Yea, I was mad, angry, upset, pissed off, and down right outraged!  It took we a...

In honor of Zoo's birthday, and his leaving his teen years behind, I donated my 101st (official) pint of blood.  With the local service having changed systems 4 times since I started (30 years ago in September), and the fact that I gave before I moved to the area, the unofficial total is more like 150. But I decided to donate this pint to celebrate Zoo's birthday and told them to credit him for the - Excuse me?  can it wait?  I am writing my blog right now. Hold on fol...