- Sunday, February 29, 2004
Something to Do...
Got the idea from Naaley.
Step 1: Open your Winamp or other MP3 player.
Step 2: Put all of your music on random.
Step 3: Write down the first ten songs it plays, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 4: If you have more than 1000 MP3s, randomise the list three times and write down the first ten songs for each randomisation.
2) R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
3) The Beatles - Got To Get You Into My Life
4) Matthew Sweet - I've Been Waiting
5) B.B. King - Never Trust a Woman
6) Default - By Your Side
7) John Mayer - My Stupid Mouth
8) K.C. and the Sunshine Band- I'm Your Boogie Man
9) Tantric - Hate Me
10) The Cars - Let the Good Times Roll
pero @ 10:51 PM | œ | 5 comments
um... WHAT?
Six weeks ago, I was told to make an appointment with my doctor for a lipid profile / follow-up re-check something or another. Some of you may remember how well it went when I called to make that appointment.
The day came yesterday, six weeks to the day after I started taking the dreaded gritty crap called colestid. The morons that schedule these appointments did not seem to think that it is a problem to ask a person to fast 10-12 hours prior to an appointment when the appointment is at three in the afternoon. I decided to be tough about it, because there are people that go a lot longer than a day without getting to eat.
I arrive at the doctor's office, fifteen minutes early (the way they always recommend) so that I can sit and wait fifteen to twenty minutes and not be called, then still not be called for another ten or fifteen minutes. Finally at 3:30 they call my name. The medical assistant leads me through the double doors, down the hall and to the scale. After being weighed I am led to the small room where she took my blood pressure.
The assistant then gestured towards the exam table, and said:
Ok, well if you will change into the gown, the doctor will be in in a few minutes.
"... ummm Gown? WHY?" I asked.
For your prostate exam! She said this with the enthusiasm of a person telling somebody they have won the lottery.
"I was told to make an appointment for a blood test for a LIPID PROFILE. When I called and made the appointment four weeks ago, I specified that I had been asked to make a follow up appointment, specifically for a lipid profile. To check my cholesterol. Since I've been on that nasty gritty crap for six weeks?", I said -- actually ending it in a question.
The assistant looked at the other assistant. Neither of them spoke, then the one looked back at me and said, Hm. The chart says you are here to have your prostate checked. Are you due for it to be checked? Because that is what the chart says. The chart says it right here. The chart does not say lipid profile or anything." She held out my records as if I have to look and taps the text on the chart. She then informed me that she'd be "right back" and she left. I am sitting there looking at the gown on the table and wondering how in the hell anybody can mistake "lipid profile" with "prostate screening exam". I sit there for about ten minutes with these thoughts. Hungry, and annoyed and confused.
She returned and said, OK the doctor said you can re-schedule for another day.
OH you don't understand. I had to wait weeks to get this appointment. I have not eaten since yesterday. I am hungry. I took the time to come down here and WAIT for half an hour just to get in here. I am here for a Lipid Profile. You will draw blood for this cholesterol screening today. Because I am not leaving until it is done.
At this point, the doctor walked in in and I explained things to him. He informed me that even though I did not make the appointment for the prostate screening that it is due next month anyway. I replied by telling him that my issue is more with the fact that I am being told that I went hungry for no reason, what has to be done has to be done and whatever; and I tell him that he surely is not making me any happier with his news. I told him I am not going to leave without the blood test being done. I barrage him with questions about how these people that book the appointments could even make this error. What did they do? Forget what they were supposed to do and just write down some random screening test?
He quickly entered some information into the computer and told me I could go down to the lab to have the blood drawn in order for me to get my lab work (lipid profile) done. The duration of this office visit was almost two hours. I don't know why everything takes so long but it always involves a LOT of waiting. I won't know for a few days about my cholesterol results. So now that you know all of this you have to wait if you want to know.
pero @ 2:51 PM | œ | 7 comments
Tossed Salad and Scrambled Egg-beaters
I've never figured out the significance of the lyrics on the show Frasier. Not only a strange choice for a meal but what a weird song.
I haven't eaten real eggs since December. (Granted, Egg-Beaters and other products like them are 99% + real egg). This really was not my original topic, but I have the TV on and forgot what I was going to type.
Oh, right. I was going to write about this CD.
A friend handed me this CD the other day. It's interesting but she completely missed the point of what it was. She said, "I had no idea that Mozart wrote the M*A*S*H* theme! This CD is very interesting!" I looked at her like she was drunk or something and explained to her what it was. Somebody has taken the theme songs to some popular TV shows, and re-scored them to the styles of classical composers. I thought it was pretty cool, but then for the most part you sort of need to know something about the composers to fully appreciate it. I think even people who don't know one composer from the next would get a kick out of hearing the theme from Green Acres played by a full orchestra, or the Friends theme played as if Vivaldi had composed it himself. (hear it here). So, if you are looking for something different - check it out. You can get this CD at Amazon.
pero @ 12:13 PM | œ | 2 comments
"These Pretzels are Making Me Thirsty!"
(This was actually submitted through my mail form. I think it was intended to be an RAQ, but it was too lengthy to put there, so I am putting it here and then linking the RAQ to the post. I left some of the typos and errors in this for authenticity; I tried to keep them grouped by topic but otherwise they are as I thought of them.)
Q- How much do you know about salt? Please list as many items as you can, without consulting any reference source other than your own brain.
A- Let's see. Without cheating huh. (This should not take me long)
started 11:37 am
Salt (sodium) is a mineral. It is soluble (it dissolves).
Most of the processed foods we tend to eat out of convenience or taste - has much more salt than our bodies require per day.
In cooking salt is used to boost or enhance the flavor of foods. In baking it controls the rate of yeast growth. (leavening agent I think they call it.)
If you accidentally add too much salt to a soup, gravy or sauce, drop in a peeled raw potato. It will soak up excess.
Iodine is sometimes added to table salt, I know the purpose of iodine in our diet, but I am not sure why they add it to salt.
Salt is used to cure meats, (bacon, ham, jerkey).
Salt in human health is essential for life. Humans need water, oxygen, salt and potassium in order to stay alive. Salt controls the amount of water in our bodies and maintaining all of our body systems (digestive, endocrine, muscular, circulatory, etc). Every cell in our bodies needs salt to be healthy.
Since salt in our bodies may cause us to retain water, many people must limit their intake (hypertension etc.) On the other hand, a balance of salt and water is essential for cell function. This balance also affects your metabolism.
Salt has nutritional value, and healing value (it cleanses and heals) this is why home-health texts suggest rinsing or gargling salt water for sore throats and (gasp) canker sores.
Sodium is an element in many medicines used in pre-hospital and hospital care and some home use. (Saline solution, flushing i.v.s, cleansing wounds, cleaning contact lenses). For those of you who have never had an i.v. - the saline burns just a ilttle bit when they pusth it through.
1200 - stop.
Some of this information might be inaccurate. Since part of the challenge was to use no external resources, I tried my best. Do you realize how ironic it is to get an internet assignment to use the internet to post the challenge but not to cheat on it? This was more of a challenge of ethics than a challenge of knowledge.
pero @ 10:33 AM | œ | 5 comments
FreakyWeirdos in my INBOX...
Lately, I have been receiving e-mail from M, whom I have not seen nor spoken to for about four years. She and I dated for almost a year up until about four years ago (specifically four years ago today, actually).
I met her in one of those coffee shops with a lot of wood (floor, counters, tables, chairs, shelves) where people sit, drink coffee and read. It was a rainy day and I got off work and stopped in there for coffee. She was sitting in the corner reading a book. I'd seen her in there before. She always sat at the same table in the corner. It seemed like she had a different book every three days. Who has time to read that much?
The line to the counter had several people in it, and the two employees were trying very hard to serve everybody as quickly as possible. Eventually, I made my way to the counter, ordered my coffee, paid and turned to leave. As I was leaving she was standing at the door, looking out at the parking lot which was under a deluge of rain. (How this woman neglected to have a jacket or umbrella in October living in NW Oregon is beyond me.) I was nice enough to let her wear my jacket and walked her out to her car. (She later confessed that this had actually been her plan in the first place). I got her phone number and around Halloween we began dating. I ended up dating her for over a year (until February the today-nd), after which she suddenly decided she wanted to return to her ex, who just moved back home from Boston. (Thanks I had fun - see ya.)
A few months later, she started to e-mail me. Not the normal - "hey old friend, what's new?" letters, but she began sending me erotica, or at least her attempts at writing it. I really only read one, and only a portion of that because it read like a Dick and Jane book; pun not necessarily intended. Other than that the only time she attempted to contact me by e-mail was to give me her flight information and arrival time at the airport and instructions on where I could pick her up. I had not agreed to pick this woman up at the air port. Was there something in an e-mail that I deleted that crafted this plan? What did I miss? Two days before her flight I receive a message on my machine from a VERY angry M, informing me that she is not coming to see me and calling me a bastard. Then the e-mails stopped.
A couple of weeks later they started again, only this time they were fewer and further between (two a month). I have never replied to any of these letters. This went on for about a year, then stopped without warning or explanation.
Today-- in my mailbox I received an e-mail from M. She tells me she is completely over me and never wants to talk to me again.
pero @ 10:16 PM | œ | 8 comments
Wo! I feel good...
I've had a busy day, even if it wasn't very exciting! I found a store that had parts and service for Mac and PC. I called them this morning and by 2pm I had my laptop back. How's that for service? I paid for the part and the labor was less than most places would charge. I don't know if it was returned quickly because I told them what I thought was wrong, or if they simply are that great. Maybe a little of both, since I was able to tell them what I had done and why I thought it was specifically the logic board.
I'm excited to have the powerbook back. I think that before I drowned it I really sort of took wireless freedom for granted. I was lucky enough to be able to mooch Tim's (*new*) Alienware machine for a couple of days. I have desktop computers in my house but he's just a good friend that way. I also purchased one of these i-skin keyboard protectors. It interferes with my typing very slightly, but will prevent all of this from happening again. Ironically, I was looking at these two days before the spill occurred.
pero @ 5:14 PM | œ | 11 comments
Want to Live Forever?
It's all about where you put your poles.
This is hitting the news this week. I actually ran across the site last week by accident. I guess next time I should try to be first.
pero @ 10:27 AM | œ | 1 comment
o u c h
I am not superstitious. I do not throw salt over my shoulder after a spill. I do not shake out a dish towel that has dropped to the floor to prevent unwanted houseguests. I did not panic to see Friday the 13th on my calendar last week. But today I found myself wondering ... Does "bad luck" come along and stay until you've been slammed three times? Or is that just another superstition?
My poor laptop. Today, I was RIP-ing my B.B. King CD so I could have the music on my hard drive. (Yes, that is legal as far as I know.) While I was waiting, I decided to drink a cup of coffee. I learned two important things:
ONE - Regardless of the number of attempts, I cannot breathe liquids. I have tried numerous times - (unintentionally) but each time my lungs (forcefully) reject whatever liquid had attempted to enter them.
TWO - Laptops also cannot breathe liquids. Liquids of any kind entering the keyboard and the delicate circuitry that lies beneath - cause trauma to the system.
As I sipped the coffee, for some unknown reason, I began to choke. The coffee entered my trachea instead of my esophagus (that means it went down the wrong pipe). I started coughing. Coffee projected out and despite my efforts (trying to get away from the vulnerable keypad) the [esc, ~ 1 and TAB] keys were affected. I quickly flipped the laptop upside down, hoping the liquid would spill OUT rather than leak further into the system. I dried everything off to the best of my ability. After that, I tried to navigate to the menu to shut the computer down. I had heard that some computers are lucky enough that if they are allowed to dry out completely (over a few days), they come back to life.
I spent the next several hours with a cloud of despair over my head. How could I be so careless? How could I be so stupid? I should have known better. When I got home, I returned some phone calls (answering machine messages). I told Tim what had happened. Not long after our conversation he appeared with an arsenal of screwdrivers, and other crap that he carries around. I had no desire to work on the computer right away because being the pessimist that I am, it wasn't going to work no matter what. "May as well not rush it, I gacked it up beyond repair. It may die, and it is my fault" This was my general attitude for most of the evening.
I'm glad that I have a friend who has more patience and bravery than I do, because I am always reluctant to operate on a laptop.
Mac Prognosis: Positive.
Condition:
My Thoughts: If "bad luck" actually does strike in threes... I am still waiting on this third event to unleash itself.
pero @ 11:52 PM | œ | 14 comments
Happy Valentine's Day!
I had a post written, BUT my dog ate it. Actually, I felt inspired and hastily opened Blogger. I typed the post directly into the field they provide in my browser. (Normally, I type these in a text-editor and copy/paste them into Blogger, to avoid losing posts en route). I clicked the orange publish button. (poof!) the post disintigrated. Ah well. Here are some links for today!
-| hi monkey! celebrates valentine's day
-| Did ya forget? Send e-cards now!, there is still time!"
-| V-day History
-| Play some games!
pero @ 11:13 AM | œ | 4 comments
Finally, a Real Useful Website
How to By You - A sociological project is about the study of knowledge among human society and how it can differ and change. Do you have valuable knowledge that you are dying to share? Is there something that you have always wanted to find out -- what is the best way to make a grilled cheese sandwich? Check it out!
pero @ 7:05 PM | œ | 2 comments
Don't Open Til
Somebody please explain to Jaya that it is cheating if she opens the early-arrival birthday presents before her birthday is actually here (in four days).
If you have an upcoming event which involves people sending you gifts, and they arrive before the day -- you are supposed to wait for the day before you open the boxes. If you open them all early, what are you going to do when the day actually comes? Sit around feeling like everyone forgot you? Stare at the wall and think to yourself, "Gee, it's my birthday, and I have no presents to open. I should have waited." ? Jaya, you cheater. You opened your presents already. (Now, be good people and go give her a hard time.)
pero @ 11:44 AM | œ | 5 comments
I Hate it When That Happens..
I've received several more comments regarding the post on censorship. I know that people have commented because I receive notice in e-mail when a new comment is submitted. However, for some reason the comment script is not writing to the file. I wanted to let you all know that I am not censoring them, but I am currently looking into the problem and hope to have it resolved soon.
Hopefully, this will all come together and in the end your thoughts will not be lost in the wires somewhere. You all had interesting views on it and I will do my best to fix the comments. Any of the texts that do not show up that I can salvage will be added by me later by pasting them in.
--Thanks,
pero @ 4:13 PM | œ | 6 comments
The F-word used in any context, is still the F-word.
Who could have guessed that when Bono reacted with the "f-word" at the 2003 Golden Globes that it would spawn the new rule? The FCC determined that if you use the word in a context that is not sexual, it is okay to use. (I realize this is last-year's news, but if you are patient I will get around to making a point).
Some of you may be old enough to remember the night the word "bitch" was first used as an insult on network television. I had to look it up to remember what show it was. It was on Dynasty, which was about fifteen or twenty years ago.
These days on any one of the many prime time dramas you are liable to hear any one of the once unacceptable words that used to be considered taboo. Sure, I have been guilty of using some of these words on this site and in daily conversation. Sure, when I burn my hand or cut myself (yes, it happens to the best of us) I have been known to spout off interesting combinations of words. But I am relatively careful about who is around me when I do it.
Most of us, even as adults, don't generally use the worst of the words around our parents. I would hope that we exercise the same caution when children are within earshot. While we cannot protect our kids from hearing every "cuss" word, we can at least try to refrain from incorporating them into everyday conversations.
Up until I was five, "pee" and "fart" were bad words to me. "Damn" was bad enough to warrant running to tell my mother what was said and by whom. One summer day, new neighbors moved into the house next door. I met Chris and his brother Craig. They were older than I was, and I thought they were really cool. They played little league sports like football and baseball. They had a pool table in their house, and they had a stereo in their room. They taught me a LOT of new words, and how to hock a loogey; which was also very cool. I wanted to be just like them.
One afternoon, I was raking pine needles with my parents in the backyard. We had about ten trees in the back yard, so this took all day once the needles started falling from the trees. My primary job was to hold the big black trash bag open so my mother could dump in piles of the dirt and needles using a dust pan and the rake. It was a dirty job.
At one point I turned my head to the side and said "shit" and hocked a loogey, which I spat on the ground. Mom's head nearly fell off as she grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the house, all the while screaming at me and inquiring where on Earth did I pick up such nasty habits. I had no idea that my actions were so offensive. All I knew was that Chris and Craig looked so cool when they did it. I never told her who my Mentors were. I just sat in my room writing for hours on why my actions were wrong and what the possible and more acceptable alternatives might be.
These days, networks aspire to push the boundaries of the FCC guidelines, with partial and sometimes full-frontal nudity (not yet considered acceptable in the United States), all on prime time slots. These are the family TV viewing hours. Regardless of the time of the night, I feel that right now people are not ready for it. Right now, even with the TV-rating system, not all things can be anticipated (such as on LIVE events). It is sad that the Grammy awards, of all things will probably never truly be live again.
What really baffles me is, why cable network stations like USA and TNT realize they are on basic cable; and they *beep* out the "strong language" but network television stations are purposely writing it into the scripts?
pero @ 1:13 PM | œ | 7 comments
Tonight's post will be on a time delay in order to prevent Pero from exposing himself without warning.
pero @ 8:14 PM | œ | 3 comments
Complaint Department? Hello-ooo?
Insurance Companies AND Doctors' Staff Members:
You are guilty of giving me the telephone run-around. When I call to schedule an appointment, I am directed to someone else. When I call someone else, they tell me to call you. When I tell one of you that I am calling to make an appointment three weeks from now (perhaps around the 26th), you tell me that in order to get an appointment it is better to call in advance. When the only appointment you have available is graciously accepted by me, you ask me five minutes later what time it was you gave me, and it isn't because you were checking to see if I was listening, but because you don't remember what you said to me. When I inquire if you are able to tell me if the doctor ordered the lab work, you ask me if my doctor has ordered it yet. When I explain that I am trying to find out, so that I can get it done prior to the appointment you refer me to someone else.
Lab Employees:(someone else)
When I called your office, I spoke to someone who spoke limited English. (I do not speak whatever it was she was speaking.) This communication barrier was the beginning of the problem I have with you. When I attempted to explain to the employee that I was calling to find out if it was possible to look up orders that might be up to two to three weeks in the future, you interrupted me to put me on hold. At best, what I was able to say before you rudely stated, "Please hold please hold hold on" (click - silence) -- was "I'm calling to find out if its possible to..."
At the very least, you could have either started by giving me your name, which you neglected to do. At the very least, you could wait for me to acknowledge that you need to put me on hold before doing so. At the very least, you could get back to me before my hair begain to turn white.
When you returned to the phone, you resumed the conversation with "Now what did you want?", rather than "Thank you for waiting, how may I help you?". When I began my inquiry for the second time, you interrupted me to find out if I had contacted the insurance company, which if you had given me the chance to explain why I was calling would have been my next statement. I was going to say, "I am calling to find out if it is possible for you to look into whether or not my doctor has ordered the lab work if the order is somewhere two to three weeks in the future? My insurance company referred me to you, because they did not have the information."
When I explained that the insurance company referred me to you, rather than listen to me and exhibit proper phone etiquette and decent customer service, you interrupted me and stated that I have to call my doctor because you "don't know what I am even talking about."
You all left me standing with the phone in my hand and a perplexed expression on my face.
pero @ 12:58 PM | œ | 3 comments
What is This, a Cruel Joke?
Imagine that you hold in your hand your favorite food. This is the food of all foods to you, the one you would choose over everything else. Now go throw it out, because you just found out that it may be causing that problem you and your doctor discussed the other day.
I used to think that my absolute favorite was cheese. I love cheese, believe me I do; but recently with all of this lower fat eating, I've cut the cheese (!) in my diet to an all-time low. Actually, if coffee counts as food, I would have to say my favorite is coffee.
Yes, I still love cheese, but I recently read that some studies link heavy coffee drinking to high cholesterol. (Even when you don't put cream and stuff in it). I read that same line on that same webpage four times, slowing my pace each time as if the words would morph into something else. How could this be, that coffee without cream or milk or anything else be bad for my cholesterol levels? Please tell me it is not true. Sadly, the words on the screen did not change.
I decided to do more research, and there are many, many articles that support this finding. There are also quite a few that state that coffee is safe and has little or no effect on cholesterol levels. Interestingly, one article stated that European coffee drinkers showed an increase in cholesterol levels while American coffee drinkers did not. The reason they gave for this was the different brewing processes; stating that Americans typically filter their coffee (automatic drip, percolate, etc.). I assume that this refers to coffee from a French Press or an Espresso machine in comparison to the traditional American methods of making coffee. (I am not sure, so don't quote that). Where does this cholesterol come from? Well from what I have read, it comes from the oils in the beans.
While I don't think I will stop drinking coffee entirely, this definitely has poisoned coffee with guilt. Funny thing... my coffee tastes bitter this morning.
pero @ 9:24 AM | œ | 8 comments
Injustice, Defined.
I noticed that many people in the blogroll no longer post on their blogs. (or at least have not lately). In the future I will get around to pruning it. It makes me sad but it must be done.
Here is shocking news... McDonald's is serving us unhealthy food. Some dedicated science lover ate three meals a day for a month at the big D. You should see what it did to him.
Unrelated random question: I wonder what that streaker from the Superbowl was thinking when he was upstaged by a 37 year old boob?
pero @ 10:41 PM | œ | 9 comments
